Controversy
Nation Multimedia became the target of mass protests after its mass-circulation Thai-language daily, Kom Chad Luek printed an article on March 24, 2006 that misquoted anti-government protest leader Sondhi Limthongkul, with the misquote suggesting Sondhi wanted Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej to abdicate, which was viewed as an insult to the king, or lese majesty, which is a crime in Thailand.
The report was about a speech Sondhi made at a protest rally on March 23, in which he implied the king was responsible for the Supreme Administrative Court quashing the two royal decrees on the public listing of the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.
Sondhi defended his remarks, saying he was just using a figure of speech, asking whether Thaksin expected the king to "resign" to take responsibility for the failed royal decrees if Thaksin himself refused to show responsibility by resigning.
The Kom Chad Luek report dropped part of the sentence.
On March 28, a group of about 1,000 protestors from the "Caravan of the Poor" supporting Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra gathered in front of the Nation Group headquarters on Bang Na-Trat Highway, demanding that the paper clarify its report. Nation Group editor Thepchai Yong acknowledged the paper made an error and said Kom Chad Luek was "punishing itself for the mistake" by shutting down for three days.
The paper published a front-page apology on March 30, begging forgiveness from the king.
However, protests in front of the company complex continued and on March 30 a group of 2,000 protestors blocked the highway and prevented Nation employees from entering or leaving the complex for seven hours. They demanded to meet with the reporter who filed the story. "Tell us what Sondhi said," read signs at the protest.
The paper's editor Korkhet Chantalertlak resigned in a show of responsibility, the chief news editor was reassigned and the paper said it would suspend publication for a total of five days, from March 31 to April 2 and on April 8 and 9.
The newspaper additionally faces charges of lese majesty, filed by a private citizen in response to the March 24 report, but an appeal for royal pardon has already been submitted by the paper.
While most protestors, regardless of whether they support or are opposed to Thaksin, support the monarch, opponents say supporters of Thaksin have politicised the issue for a couple of reasons - first as a means to criticise Sondhi, and second, because Kom Chad Luek and its sister English-language daily The Nation have printed many articles critical of Thaksin.
The Thai Journalists Association and Thai Broadcast Journalists Association denounced the protest as a serious act of intimidation as the paper had already taken full responsibility for the error. More than 100 journalists signed a letter, condemning the siege and the protesters for invoking the monarchy.
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