In many countries, Google usually decides to take down material if there is an order issued by a local court, but in Thailand, even when there is no court order being issued, sites are blocked or taken down material simply at the request of the authorities. For many expats, the use of a VPN is important to reach sites not blocked in their home country.
From the recent 2012 Transparency Report issued by Google, it shows that most requests to block material online are from the government. In 2011, Google has blocked access to hundreds of web pages as ordered by the Thai Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology. In the report, at least 149 YouTube videos were restricted or partly restricted by Google where the Thai Government claimed that it was insulting to the monarchy.
Last year, about 54 percent of requests to take down material worldwide were by governments and copyright holders. But in Thailand, Google complies to each request made by Thai government censors, which seems to be about 100 percent of their requests.
The lèse-majesté law and the Computer Crimes Act in Thailand has become expanded their reach every year and now is so broadly defined to the point that it is almost impossible to understand. Due to this issue, many sites unrelated to government or authority figures have been blocked.
If you want to access blocked site living in Thailand you can buy VPN services that are available in affordable prices these days, which will ensure your identity and protection.
