3 July 2012 Last updated at 11:19 ET

Thailand profile

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A handful of dailies account for most newspaper sales in Thailand

The government and military control nearly all the national terrestrial television networks and operate many of Thailand's radio networks.

Multichannel TV, via cable and satellite, is widely available. The radio market, particularly in Bangkok, is fiercely competitive. There are more than 60 stations in and around the capital.

The media are free to criticise government policies, and cover instances of corruption and human rights abuses, but journalists tend to exercise self-censorship regarding the military, the monarchy, the judiciary and other sensitive issues.

There has been a surge in the use of laws which prohibit criticism of the monarchy to target journalists and activists who are critical of the government, US-based Freedom House said in 2011.

The print media are largely privately-run, with a handful of Thai-language dailies accounting for most newspaper sales.

There were 18.3 million internet users by December 2011 (InternetWorldStats.com). Pornographic sites, anti-monarchy sites and anti-government sites are subject to filtering. Many opposition sites and privately-owned news sites were blocked under a state of emergency in 2010.

The press

Bangkok Post - English-language

The Nation - English-language

Daily News - mass-circulation Thai-language daily

Thairath - mass-circulation Thai-language daily

Television

Thai TV3 - operated by the Mass Communications Organization of Thailand (MCOT), a government agency

TV5 - owned by Royal Thai Army

BBTV Channel 7 - owned by Royal Thai Army

ModerNine (Channel 9) - operated by government agency MCOT

Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) - public TV, created under 2008 legislation

Radio

Radio Thailand - national network and external service operated by National Broadcasting Services of Thailand (NBT), part of government Public Relations Department

MCOT Radio Network - run by government agency MCOT; operates stations in Bangkok and provincial networks

Army Radio - network owned by Royal Thai Army

Internet

MCOT online news - English-language pages