HONG KONG – Thailand Friday lifted the blanket ban on video Website YouTube that it imposed five months ago (Variety, 10 Apr 2007.) The company agreed to block clips offensive to Thailand 's King Bhumibol.

Normalization was announced by Information and Communications Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom. He said that the company had installed filters that would prevent people in Thailand from accessing anti-royal videos, while leaving users outside the country free to access them.

"Any clip that we think is illegal, we will inform YouTube and YouTube will have a look independently," he said. "If YouTube agrees that it is illegal for Thailand or against Thai culture, they will block it from viewers in Thailand ."

The Google-owned site was banned from operating in Thailand in April when several clips mocking King Bhumibol were posted and the company refused to delete them. Although the clips were subsequently removed, the ban has remained in place while the company wrestled with technical issues and accusations of censorship.

In recent weeks, authorities have used a new computer crime law to arrest two Thais, now in custody, for offensive comments about the monarchy made in Internet chat rooms.

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