PATTAYA, Thailand – The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has clarified the circumstances of a dispute concerning the BBC video The Dark Side of Thailand. Natthriya Thaweevong, the permanent secretary, said that there was a September incident involving a foreign film crew in Bangkok’s Soi Cowboy which specializes in behind-the-curtain heterosexual activities.
The film crew had a ministry permit to film, but some club owners denied their right to enter premises without their express permission. Police intervened but did not confiscate any material, merely escorting the crew away from the confrontational setting. In a later sequence of the video published online, the film crew accompanied drugs squad officers on routine patrols in popular nighttime venues. This time there were no issues because of improved communication.
The video and its presenter Zara McDermott, a reality TV star, have created outrage in the UK because of false information and a biased presentation of international tourism in Thailand. Particular offence was created by one speaker suggesting that British tourist fathers were commonly introducing their sons to sexual activities with prostitutes. The concluding section appeared to have out-of-date information on upcoming cannabis laws.
Thai attorney Jessataporn Bunnag said that possession of a permit did not automatically exempt film makers from other Thai laws. He said, “What the foreign team appeared to lack was a Thai-fluent intermediary to clarify the issues involved.” Mr Bunnag added that the BBC had previously made videos in Pattaya but had not made the same mistake. The value of a film permit is to show that the crew has registered with the ministry, not to excuse them from Thai data laws.
Legislation in Thailand includes clauses against human trafficking, computer-related crime, personal data and section 287 of the criminal code itself. Distributing obscene material, filming people without their consent, causing citizens shame or embarrassment or promoting sexual activity with children are all relevant here. “It’s really a question of chatting to people you want to film. Waving around a permit is not the best way to proceed,” Dr Bunnag suggested.
