Bangkok - A prominent Thai political website was shut after being "flooded" with harsh comments about the monarchy, the Bangkok Post online reported Sunday. The move came at a time of heightening royalist fervour in the country, following the death Wednesday of the revered king Bhumibol Adulyadej's sister Princess Galyani.
It is also a period of political uncertainty and widespread
speculation over the role of the palace in deciding the next government.
The monarchy in Thailand is officially held to be above politics and is protected by well-policed lese majeste laws.
The Freedom Against Censorship in Thailand (FACT) lobby group branded the closure of the popular discussion board Sameskybooks.com as "cyberterrorism," the report said.
It was the website of political magazine Fah Diew Kan, which has a a reputation of exploring touchy political topics. The magazine's editor, Thanapol Eawsakul, claimed that provocateurs had bombarded the site's discussion board with derogatory comments about the monarchy.
Thanapol is already facing lese majeste charges for an earlier article he wrote.
The site was closed on Friday when Otaro, the owners of its internet service provider NetService, rejected its client. It is not clear who actually gave the order for it to be shut.
A spokesman for Otaro said it voluntarily decided to suspend service.
Many Thai political analysts say the palace was a supporter of the September 2006 coup that ousted controversial prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. A general election in December saw Thaksin's proxy Peoples Power Party emerge as the most likely to form a coalition government.
There is much speculation that the forces that distrust and dislike Thaksin - in the military, the urban elite and the palace - may attempt to block his return to power.
