BANGKOK — Thai authorities have reportedly banned the sale of the political simulation video game “Tropico 5,” citing dubious “inappropriate content.”

Nonglak Sahawattanapong, sales manager of New Era Thailand company, which imports video games to Thai markets, said today that the ban was issued last Friday by the Board of Film and Video Censors.

“The officials said some parts of the game are not appropriate for the current situation,” Ms. Nonglak said. “They didn’t pinpoint clearly which parts are problematic, but we believe it is related to government issues in Tropico 5.”

Although the Board of Film and Video Censors, which operates under the Ministry of Culture, permitted the company to appeal the decision within 15 days, Ms. Nonglak said New Era Thailand will comply with the ban.

Under the 2008 Film and Video Act, video games must be screened by the Ministry of Culture before they can be distributed in Thailand. The Ministry has previously banned the sales or distribution of a number of movies. The law forbids the sale or distribution of materials that threaten public order or the morality of the Thai people.

Released on PC platform in May, Tropico 5 is the latest installment of the renowned Tropico series that allows players to take control of a fictional tropical island and rule the nation under the whims of a dictatorship government.

The game is a parody of many banana republic stereotypes, with features like the option to assassinate political rivals, manipulate an election, and stage a coup d’etat.

Thailand experienced a real-life coup d’etat on 22 May, when army chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha ousted the elected government with the stated aim of restoring public order to the kingdom. It was the 12th successful coup in Thailand’s modern history.

In the months that followed the military takeover, the junta’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has censored the media, banned political protests against the regime, and briefly detained more than 300 activists, politicians, and academics deemed sympathetic to the previous government.

UDON THANI — A gay couple tied the knot in the presence of the mayor of Udon Thani province on Saturday night.

Maitri Chotipinit and Chirasak Klangboriboon dated for four years before they decided to get married, their friends and family at the ceremony said.

Their wedding, which took place at Mr. Maitri's house in Don Udom community, was blessed by Udon Thani Mayor Itthipon Triwattanasuwan and senior family members of the bride and groom. 

As he gave traditional blessings to the couple, Mr. Itthipon joked that he was very nervous at first because he did not know which person should be addressed as "bride" or "groom."

"I thought, I will call whoever is dressed as the man the groom and woman the bride, but they ended up dressing in the same way!" the mayor said to laughter from the crowd. "I had to ask my deputy to know which one is the bride and which one is the groom."

He later struck a more serious tone and praised Mr. Maitri and Mr. Chirasak for coming out. 

"Your wedding is a brave action," Mr. Itthipon told the newlyweds. "You are brave for expressing yourself to the society. It is a good example for other gay couples."

Mr. Maitri, a curator at Udon Thani Municipal Museum, said his family welcomed the marriage. They first met when Mr. Chirasak, who was a college student at the time, visited the museum where Mr. Maitri was working as the curator, Mr. Maitri said.  

Thai society is known for its relatively high tolerance toward gay, lesbian, and transgender communities, compared to other socially-conservative nations in the region like Myanmar and Malaysia. 

Although Thai laws do not recognise same-sex marriage or civil unions, many gay men and lesbian women publicly marry their partners and live as couples, while a number of gay rights activists have been pushing for a legal recognition of same-sex matrimony in recent years.

However, many gay and lesbian Thais still face some levels of discrimination. In 2013, UNESCO reported that “nearly one-third (30.9%) of self-identified LGBT students reported having experienced physical abuse, 29.3% reported verbal abuse, and 24.4% reported being victims of sexual harassment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.”

Last month, ultra-nationalist ASTV Manager newspaper published a "parody piece" that fantasized about a transgender anti-coup activist being raped in prison by other male inmates because of her protests against the military junta. The piece caused an uproar on social media and the newspaper later removed the online version of the story. 

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UDON THANI — A gay couple tied the knot in the presence of the mayor of Udon Thani province on Saturday night.

Maitri Chotipinit and Chirasak Klangboriboon dated for four years before they decided to get married, their friends and family at the ceremony said.

Their wedding, which took place at Mr. Maitri's house in Don Udom community, was blessed by Udon Thani Mayor Itthipon Triwattanasuwan and senior family members of the bride and groom. 

As he gave traditional blessings to the couple, Mr. Itthipon joked that he was very nervous at first because he did not know which person should be addressed as "bride" or "groom."

"I thought, I will call whoever is dressed as the man the groom and woman the bride, but they ended up dressing in the same way!" the mayor said to laughter from the crowd. "I had to ask my deputy to know which one is the bride and which one is the groom."

He later struck a more serious tone and praised Mr. Maitri and Mr. Chirasak for coming out. 

"Your wedding is a brave action," Mr. Itthipon told the newlyweds. "You are brave for expressing yourself to the society. It is a good example for other gay couples."

Mr. Maitri, a curator at Udon Thani Municipal Museum, said his family welcomed the marriage. They first met when Mr. Chirasak, who was a college student at the time, visited the museum where Mr. Maitri was working as the curator, Mr. Maitri said.  

Thai society is known for its relatively high tolerance toward gay, lesbian, and transgender communities, compared to other socially-conservative nations in the region like Myanmar and Malaysia. 

Although Thai laws do not recognise same-sex marriage or civil unions, many gay men and lesbian women publicly marry their partners and live as couples, while a number of gay rights activists have been pushing for a legal recognition of same-sex matrimony in recent years.

However, many gay and lesbian Thais still face some discrimination. In 2013, UNESCO reported that “nearly one-third (30.9%) of self-identified LGBT students reported having experienced physical abuse, 29.3% reported verbal abuse, and 24.4% reported being victims of sexual harassment because of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.”

Last month, ultra-nationalist ASTV Manager newspaper published a "parody piece" that fantasized about a transgender anti-coup activist being raped in prison by other male inmates because of her protests against the military junta. The piece caused an uproar on social media and the newspaper later removed the online version of the story. 

For comments, or corrections to this article please contact: [email protected]

You can also find Khaosod English on Twitter and Facebook
http://twitter.com/KhaosodEnglish
http://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish