On the recent news reports that the BBC World Service has ceased the operation of the BBC Relay Station in Nakhon Sawan Province, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to clarify as follows:

          1. The Shortwave Relay Station in Nakhon Sawan province was established by the BBC, in accordance with “the Agreement relating to the Establishment and the Operation of the BBC Relay Station in Thailand” which was signed on 15 July 1994. The Station transmitted BBC World Service programmes in 8 languages (no Thai-language programmes), produced in London, to other countries in the region. The Agreement expired on 31 December 2016.

          2. Throughout 2016, the Thai side and the BBC held extensive negotiations with a view to extend the Agreement for 7 years. As it is an intergovernmental agreement whereby states parties accept to comply with the terms and commitments therein, it is therefore considered an international treaty. The process of concluding an international treaty requires prudent deliberation and careful consideration by all the relevant Thai agencies in order to ensure that all terms and commitments under the Treaty are in accordance with Thailand’s domestic laws and regulations.

          3. The Foreign Ministry wishes to point out that despite the Thai side's persistent follow-ups, the BBC took many months to submit its final ‘Letter of Amendment Relating to the Operation of the BBC Radio Relay Station in Thailand’ (the Amendment), whose terms and content were acceptable to both sides, only on 21 December 2016. Unfortunately, the BBC’s late submission of the Amendment did not leave sufficient time for the Thai side to submit the said Amendment for the Cabinet’s consideration prior to the Agreement’s expiration date on 31 December 2016. As such, the Relay Station had to temporarily cease its broadcasting operation from 1 January 2017 until the extension of the Agreement is concluded.

          4. Whilst the Thai side’s internal process of consideration has been progressing considerably, however, on 27 February 2017, the BBC notified the Ministry of its unilateral decision to withdraw from the above negotiation process.