Thai courts have order the closure of online gaming and gambling websites after a 12-year-old boy jumped to his death from a sixth-floor balcony after being banned from gaming by his father.
Pongsathorn Wattanabenjasopha, a sixth grader student at the Sri Witthaya Paknam School, committed suicide on Thursday. According to The Bangkok Post, several factors lead to his decision to take his own life: “Family problems topped the list. Other factors included physical and mental problems, economic hardships, poor income and unemployment.”
Even as the suicide rate is rising in Thailand, the government has decided to crackdown on computer games and online gambling. On May 19, the Criminal Court to the Information and Communications Technology Ministry issued an order demanding that 72 gaming sites be shuttered. According to the director of the Rajanagarindra Child and Adolescent Mental Health Institute, the boy’s addiction to gaming reflects that kids who game have an aggressive mentality and are more likely to commit suicide.
Court orders closure of 72 websites [Bangkok Post]
Adnan Choudhury
May 26, 2009 at 1:05 PM
The country is poor, polluted, full of civil unrest and offers little hope for those in lower social ranks to climb up/out if they don’t have money… its clearly the fault of video games for this childs anger and depression. CLEARLY.
Report Permalinkmannon
May 26, 2009 at 2:07 PM
I know, right? The internets are undeniably responsible for the socio-economic state of the youth. I HERD IT FRUM TEH GUVINMENT!
Report Permalinknebarik
May 26, 2009 at 2:28 PM
so 1 kid got banned and jumped. and somehow the country thought banning EVERYONE would result in less suicides?
Report PermalinkBlenny
May 26, 2009 at 2:44 PM
So one kid gets banned from playing, so he goes and kills himself. So the government shuts down these games to ban ALL kids from playing them…
Anyone else see a disturbing flaw in that logic?
Also: “According to The Bangkok Post, several factors lead to his decision to take his own life: “Family problems topped the list. Other factors included physical and mental problems, economic hardships, poor income and unemployment.” ”
Right, so the games are to blame because…?
Report PermalinkTonez
May 26, 2009 at 3:16 PM
I found it hilarious that unemployment was one of his problems. He’s 12. Maybe they start early there.
Report PermalinkDave
May 26, 2009 at 7:25 PM
Tonez it isn’t hilarious at all…
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