Printer pulls out NYT article on Thailand

Bangkok

THE International New York Times said its printer in Thailand removed a piece on the moribund state of the kingdom's economy on Tuesday, forcing the edition to carry blank spaces including on the cover.

It is the second time in the last 10 weeks that the paper has said that its local printer declined to run an article in a country where media freedoms have been increasingly curtailed since last year's military takeover.

Tuesday's newspaper was supposed to carry a report headlined "Thai economy and spirits are sagging", a wide-ranging piece exploring the junta's inability to kickstart the flagging economy and the disappointment felt among many ordinary Thais. It also touched briefly on succession concerns surrounding 87-year-old King Bhumibol Ad…