The Nation (Thailand)

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The Nation
The front page of The Nation on June 10, 2006, covering King Bhumibol Adulyadej's appearance and speech during Celebrations for 60th Anniversary of His Majesty's Accession to the Throne.
Type	Daily newspaper
Format	Broadsheet

Owner	Nation Multimedia Group
Publisher	Suthichai Yoon, group editor in chief Thepchai Yong, group editor Pana Janviroj, NMG News Co. Ltd.
Editor	Tulsathit Taptim, editor Thanong Khanthong, managing editor
Founded	July 1, 1971
Political allegiance	Progressive
Language	English
Price	25 baht
Headquarters	Bangkok, Thailand

Website: www.nationmultimedia.com

The Nation is a broadsheet English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971, published in Bangkok, Thailand, and owned by the Nation Multimedia Group. Its editorial line has been described as "rabidly" critical of the government of Thaksin Shinawatra, and highly royalist and supportive of the Council for National Security military junta.^[1]

The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network. It is one of two English-language dailies in Bangkok, the other being the Bangkok Post.

1 History
2 Editorial line
3 Satirical Reactions
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

The Nation was founded by journalists in 1971 as The Voice of the Nation. The name was eventually shortened.

The paper changed considerably in 1991, when several Thai journalists from the Bangkok Post moved to The Nation.

[edit] Editorial line

Both The Nation and the Bangkok Post papers are similar in their coverage of international news and address mainly foreigners living in Thailand and the Thai elite. The Nation tends to be somewhat more critical of the government in its editorials, employs more Thai journalists, covers local topics more from a Thai perspective, and is a bit more nationalistic than the Post, which often has a more farang perspective.

After Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was elected in 2001, several companies associated with him ceased to advertise in The Nation. The newspaper reported on the advertising cuts and adopted a vehemently anti-Thaksin editorial line.^[2] It became the "most emotional, even militant, Pravda-style standard bearer in the [People's Alliance for Democracy's] relentless hate campaign against Thaksin."^[3]

Newspapers in Thailand can be subjected to censorship and require a government license to operate. It appears that the English language papers are given more freedoms than the Thai-language ones.

[edit] Satirical Reactions

In December 2007 an unknown person started a satirical website called "Not The Nation". It is a funny reaction to The Nations english language web publication, often compared to The Onion. Everything on Not The Nation is made up, even the advertisements.^[4]^[5]