The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has fined several TV channels for screening allegedly ‘immoral’ content, in response to public complaints.
On 25 May 2017, the NBTC, Thailand’s national media adjudicator, announced it had fined two TV channels -- MCOT HD and Amarin TV HD -- 50,000 baht each in response to public complaints that some of their programs contained ‘superstitious’ content involving the prediction of lottery numbers.
MCOT HD was fined a further 50 000 baht for a program allegedly “affecting the good morality” or “damaging the hearts” of the Thai people.
The NBTC fined another channel, Bright TV, a sum of 50 000 baht for screening a program that used inappropriately sexual language “in violation of Thai customs and morality”.
All these violations came under the purview of Article 37 of the Broadcasting Business Act B.E 2551.
The NBTC has formally requested the cooperation of other channels including Channel 8, Thairath TV and Workpoint, in controlling superstitious content.
One of the fined programs, Wake Up Talks, reports about a direction post that accidentally matched lottery numbers four times in a row