Laos bans Thai TV broadcasts in public.(newsroom)

The Laotian government of Laos has banned the broadcast of Thai programmes and videos in public.

The ban, announced by the country's Information and Culture Ministry on May 27 and effective immediately, is intended to protect local culture and is "not anti-Thai", the ministry's director of mass media, Vanthong Phonchanheuang, was quoted as saying in a news report by Thai daily The Nation.

"We feel that we're exposed to too many Thai soap operas and commercials. They are not bad, but we don't want to see their presence too much," he added.

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