For the past five months, I would often click on a web page link only to be given a blank page (or even worse, the infamous green "ICT Ministry" page that told me I was trying to access an illegal site) and would be reminded that YouTube has been banned in Thailand. Quite annoying, to say the least. It's amazing how wide-spread YouTube actually is. You don't realize how much you enjoy something, until it is taken away from you...
Today, I had a very pleasant surprise that a video link I clicked actually went to the YouTube site. The ban has finally been lifted! I know this will be big news in the expat community here. For more on this story, see the Nation's newspaper story: Ban on YouTube lifted after deal. Website to block clips offensive to Thais or that break Thai law
Around the time of the ban, I had started taking some videos with the plans to release them on this site, through YouTube. Those plans were pushed to the side due to the ban, and I threw myself into building the ITS4Thai website full time. And speaking of that, we just released four new vocabulary building games on the site. The list is now:
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Twelve Colors
- Things Found in a Restaurant
- Things Found in the Office
- Steak and Ale (Meats and Drinks)
Looking forward to your videos and I'll check out the lessons over the holiday weekend.
Steak And Ale - HA! Didn't you used to work there in Gainesville, or am I imagining things again?
Wade: Your memory serves you well. I guess the experience must have made a real impression on me. That was 15 years ago, and I still think of it often... especially when I have really bad service at a restaurant. (haha)
Hey,
I took the fruit and vegetables lesson at ITS4Thai- it was fun! I got 10 of 12- and I don't know Thai at all- the lesson worked. So that's Flash, huh? Interesting- I thought Flash was the machinery behind all those crappy websites(usually for nightclubs, hotels, and big sname sneaker manufacturers)with microscopic text fonts, blaring music and s-l-o-w graphics. Y'know, the ones you have to click back to get away from, only you CAN'T?