Thailand Sends Its Sassy Letter to the U.S. TV Show Over Royal Shenanigans
Context: The Heavy Hand of Thai Royal Protection
Short‑short – Thailand has some of the world’s strictest laws when it comes to talking about its monarchy. One misstep and you’re looking at up to 15 years behind bars. That rule also keeps local reporters tight‑knitted on what they can say.
What the Episode Got Wrong
The CBS drama Madam Secretary dropped a November 4 episode that had a character landing in Bangkok for a talk. The speaker in the story gets nabbed for “insulting the monarchy,” which is basically a look‑at‑the‑law moment. The fictional U.S. Secretary of State even drops a line about Thailand being a “free‑speech‑free‑world.”
Thai Diplomats’ “Dear Sirs” Letter
- The foreign ministry flagellated the producers for ignoring the sensitivity in that episode.
- They asked the Thai embassy in Washington to pass on the complaint.
- Spokesperson Busadee Santipitaks told Reuters: “We’re here to let you know how it sits with us.”
Who’s Watching and Who’s Whoing?
Meanwhile CBS was on break and didn’t reply right away. The Bangkok embassy had a similar lull. We’re still hoping for their reply – because gossip never ends.
