The international edition of The New York Times didn't get printed in Thailand on Tuesday after Thai printers deemed the front-page article on the country's ailing king "too sensitive to print." Thailand has strict lèse-majesté laws, which "make it a crime to criticize, defame, or insult members of the royal family," The Guardian reports, and Tuesday's article, entitled "As Thai king ails, crown's future unclear," was too close for comfort for the printers. Although the palace did announce that 87-year-old monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej was treated for water on the brain, a blood infection, and lung inflammation, the Times article openly discussed matters that Thailand typically sweeps under the rug, such as the crown prince's "uphill battle to win the trust and adoration his father has achieved."
Thai printers' refusal coincides with an uptick in lèse-majesté cases since the ruling junta seized power in a coup a year ago. Following the arrest of a journalist just last week, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha basically said that he would use the law against anyone who criticizes the government.
The New York Times issued a statement clarifying that the choice not to print Tuesday's paper was a "decision made solely by the printer" and was "not endorsed by the International New York Times." The Tuesday edition is still available for viewing online in Thailand.
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