This is a blog entry only
Andrew Drummond, Bangkok, February 13 2009
Now and again a little gem comes up on the net that’s worth giving a little further attention. And this one has actually been lurking up there for two years but I only came across it recently on Thaivisa.com when I was checking from interested parties, whether those arrested for murders of foreigners and vice-versa had actually made it to court. (Yes, there is no point in checking newspapers in Thailand)
It’s a post from that fine and upstanding Essex chappie Howard Miller, ‘Managing Editor’ of Pattaya City News (now Pattaya One News) and a black clad Tourist Police Volunteer Group Leader, (unkindly referred to by one Thaivisa poster by the accurate German translation of his title, ‘Gruppenfuhrer’). His news operation regular comes in for stick from foreigners down in Pattaya for treating local police statements in the same way others might treat the Bible or Koran.
In his reply to criticisms that viewers are never told what happens to all those foreigners and Thais after they are arrested he announces that his journalists are in affect banned from the court!
Howard Miller:”I have been asked about this on a number of ocassions. On major stories such as this one ( murder - this was a story about a Thai mia noi who ordered the killing of her New Zealand boyfriend. AD), we are easily able to follow-up to it’s conclusion. However on some of the other cases (drugs, assault, immigration arresting foreigners and other minor crimes), the cases are sent to the court. We are not given access to the court. Please come to your own conclusions as to why we are not allowed to asign a reporter to the courthouse. PCN has been operating now for nearly 4 years and this constantly annoys me. Basically we can’t finish off the story and this frustration filters through to the reader on many occasions. Trust me on this one….I share your frustration but this situation will never change unfortunately”.
Just for a bit of colour on the subject of accuracy he goes on: “ Well, all I can say is PCN is guilty of ommiting some detail from a story some times, but I am confident that the information we give on a story is accurate to the best of our abilities. We must be doing something right because we sell our stories to Channel 3, Channel 7, Channel 9(MCOT) and ITV along with printed media, Matishon and Daily News national newspapers, on a daily basis. All are major national Thai TV stations and national newspapers in Thai language. We also deal with Reuters and other International news organisations when a major story breaks. This is in no way a “guarantee” that every piece of information is accurate, but even the “Big Boys” get it wrong sometimes, that is the nature of the job and is partly due to the pressures on us to get a story released as soon as possible. Other local news organisations do not have such contacts and for this, I am proud of every member of staff who works for me for making PCN a truly international news organisation. (sorry if it sounds like I am trying to sell PCN to you, but I am saying what I really feel)”.
Miller’s admission is absolutely believable. (Though his belief only minor crimes go to court is ‘out of court’ to so speak, unless murder is less important than overstaying a visa).
When I go down to Pattaya on criminal trials I am often the only journalist there. Howard’s ‘international news’ boys go no further than the police station. It’s not because they won’t - ‘they can’t’ he says.
The ‘Big Boys’- Reuters, APTV, and the Thai national channels do not have the same problem and can and do go to the courts in Pattaya. But not very often. The problem the ’Big Boys’ have is trying to cover cases which sit only one day a month, and during which witnesses, especially police ones, frequently do not turn up. Most organisations only go down on the judgment on bigger cases. (So they get no defence).
For many years judges in Phuket have banned local journalists, who are merely asked to print the judgment written by the judge. What Howard Miller is effectively saying is that the authorites have the local press fully in the bag. Its ‘pon prayote’ - for the benefit of all.
Anyway Howard Miller is not going to upset the ’status quo’ and defend the old chestnuts that ‘ law provides that justice should be seen to be done’, and ‘justice delayed is justice denied’.
But at least we now know from the horse’s mouth. And needless to say his television news has not reported on the result of the New Zealander’s murder, or those ‘minor’ matters which go to court, …or probably any result for that matter.
It probably also explains why the Pattaya Daily News lifted the pictures and result of the Maurice Prail case off this website. No local press were at the court.
Anyway thanks for your honesty Howard. And if you want to know what happened to the bailed mia noi who allegedly inherited 700,000 baht.
Ask a policeman!
Meanwhile I guess Howard Miller will have to do some soul searching. His news is police-story led. The so called criminals are condemned at police press conferences by local stations such as Pattaya One and they know that even if they are acquitted their names will not be cleared - unless they get a copy of the judgment and take it to the local media themselves. But an acquitall is never as good as the original story.
(edited Feb 17)
More! More!
More blogs on stuff that isn’t going to make it in the UK etc. please.
So I’m curious. Is it only the LOCAL press that gets banned or is t a blanket ban on press in courts in Pattaya and Thailand? In fact, is it just Pattaya or Bangkok too?
If only local press, why? Can national or international media go to any court session they want? And do you even need to declare yourself as media or are all court proceedings public and open to just stroll in and watch?
I have never seen it happen in Bangkok, but I have seen it happen in regional courts. As international media I have never been prevented, in fact after a recent judgement in Pattaya the judge even held a press conference* in his chambers to explain his decision. (But British TV were there too). Actually a judge has ultimate power in his own court. even though it is generally accepted that courts are open to the media and public.
* The reason was to explain why his was awarded only 2 million baht in costs and damages to a father whose daughter was gored to death at Nong Nooch Garden by an elephant during an elephant show.
So for locals there’s no way around it? Why not simply just show up and not declare who you are?
Why would local media, but not national/international be barred?
Well the only efficient way to cover criminal courts is to have a local reporter in situ, who sees the lists everyday, and knows whats coming up. Yes of course anyone can go into court, but if the judge is hostile and wants total control then the local reporter wont last long. Journalists do not usually announce who they are unless it is to their advantage. Cameramen stand out a bit though. The international media watch their own cases. Its very difficult w/o a case number.
So a part time cop who also owns the foreign news outlet, is like, not in bed with these guys….cmon shoddy reporting Drummond. Pattaya One is a joke,and your buddy Miller should decide what he wants to be, a play cop or reporter. I can’t believe you actually posted this report, you must of wrote it with Miller, while having a few at Secrets.
In the know: Guessed you missed the irony. Beats me where you can get the impression that I am supporting people running the English language media in Pattaya. I have criticised them umpteen times. Never met Howard Miller, let alone in Secrets, wherever that is. At least he admits he can’t present all the news. At least one media mogul in Pattaya has a very dubious reputation back home. Naturally HM is not going to take on the local police. Isn’t that rather taken as written?