The Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) yesterday addressed Thailand’s new criteria for issuing a media visa, which fails to authorize freelance journalists.
The more restrictive guidelines for the M-visa or media visa issued yesterday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made it official that eligible applicants must work full-time and be employed by a recognised news agency.
The FCCT said it was “concerned by any official measures taken by the Thai government that may impede freedom of reporting.”
“Some long-standing foreign journalists, particularly photographers have been rejected after many years of reporting from Thailand, and this is deeply discouraging,” it said in yesterday’s statement.
“We urge the Thai authorities to interpret the guidelines in a way that enables all bona fide journalists to be properly accredited and report freely and fairly. Thailand has long been a media hub of the region and foreign journalists based in Bangkok have contributed to a better global understanding of the Asia-Pacific region.”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Sek Wannamethee told the Bangkok Post in an earlier interview that the new guidelines were not meant to place restrictions on foreign journalists, but that the procedures for considering visa applicants had to be revised after the ministry received complaints about the misuse of media cards.
“In view of the changing nature of the media over the years, the definition of what constitutes being a foreign journalist needs to be more precise,” Sek said, referring to an increase of media personnel and freelancers.
Sek stressed that the objective of the new guidelines was not to “restrict, forbid or limit the work of foreign media”.
