Facebook keeps images of Thai king

- The Thai authorities have invoked and helped Facebook to keep the population from seeing the new King Vajiralongkorn when visiting a shopping mall in Munich last year.

The king is dressed scarily, in a so-called 'crop top'- a shirt that leaves arms and belly bare- and a layer of pants hanging over the buttocks.

The video of the king and a girlfriend took great care in the west, as well as recordings made a month later at the Bavarian capital airport. Also there the clothing of (then crown prince) Vajiralongkorn (64) had little to cope with. Last month, on the internet and Facebook, a photo of the king appeared with a half-shirt as well, while visiting the Segmüller furniture boulevard in Pasdorf.

Thailand has severe penalties for majesty. The fact that the king abroad has little clothes in public- unlike in his country where he usually has a uniform- Thai does not need to know. Hence, Facebook has been ordered to block access to the king's recordings.

Last june, the junta also libeled and shared reports of a number of scientists and a journalist. The foreign critics of government have repeatedly pointed to the remarkable behavior of the new king, and his many female partners.

The king is dressed scarily, in a so-called 'crop top'- a shirt that leaves arms and belly bare- and a layer of pants hanging over the buttocks.

The video of the king and a girlfriend took great care in the west, as well as recordings made a month later at the Bavarian capital airport. Also there the clothing of (then crown prince) Vajiralongkorn (64) had little to cope with. Last month, on the internet and Facebook, a photo of the king appeared with a half-shirt as well, while visiting the Segmüller furniture boulevard in Pasdorf.

Thailand has severe penalties for majesty. The fact that the king abroad has little clothes in public- unlike in his country where he usually has a uniform- Thai does not need to know. Hence, Facebook has been ordered to block access to the king's recordings.

Last june, the junta also libeled and shared reports of a number of scientists and a journalist. The foreign critics of government have repeatedly pointed to the remarkable behavior of the new king, and his many female partners.

Facebook is geoblocking this video of Thailand's King Vajiralongkorn so users in Thailand can't see it pic.twitter.com/QAE2SNr2KY

— Andrew MacG Marshall (@zenjournalist) 5 mei 2017