Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign affairs has issued a press release saying, ‘Such practices are not only unethical but also unprofessional, insensitive to the feelings of the Thai people and offensive towards Thai cultural traditions.’
The News Lens
Date: 2016/10/20
By: Olivia Yang
International news outlets — including Taiwan’s — on Oct. 13 scrambled to report the death of Thailand’s
Photo Credit: Reuters/達志影像
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-reigning monarch. However, a number of Thai people are not happy with how some Taiwanese outlets have reported on the matter.
Headlines reading, “Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej Dead, Is The ‘Thaksin Curse’ About To Come True?” (泰皇拉瑪九世駕崩 皇室不過九代「塔克辛詛咒」即將應驗？), along with reports centering on locals “wailing on the streets,” have sparked criticism from Thai nationals in Taiwan. Several media outlets also spent a lot of time reporting on President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) misspelling Thailand in the condolence card at the Thai representative office.
In the midst of such problematic coverage, Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release on Oct. 15:
“It has been found that some big foreign media have been reporting erroneous or false information and accusations that are of a manipulative and provocative nature. This is highly inappropriate, especially during this period of national mourning. Such practices are not only unethical but also unprofessional, insensitive to the feelings of the Thai people and offensive towards Thai cultural traditions.
