THAILAND'S military-installed Government has lifted its five-month ban on YouTube after the video-sharing website's owner, Google, agreed to block clips that were deemed "offensive" to the Thai people or violate Thai law, officials said.

The move echoes YouTube's recent agreements to block some material in Germany and Turkey and points to spreading self-censorship at the popular video-sharing site as it tries to shape its content to meet local practices.

Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom, Thailand's information and communications technology minister, told the FT that Google had agreed to block any YouTube clips that the Thai Government considered to be in violation of Thai laws, including legislation prohibiting comment deemed offensive to the Thai monarchy.

However, Mr Sitthichai said YouTube videos blocked in Thailand would remain accessible to internet users abroad.

"It would be like books," Mr Sitthichai said.

"Some books are banned for sale in Thailand, but you can buy them elsewhere."

Thailand's military Government blocked YouTube in April, after anonymous users posted videos disrespectful of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the country's 79-year-old monarch.

Google, which has been criticised for kow-towing to Beijing's demand to censor search results of its Chinese-language sites, subsequently apologised and expressed a willingness to negotiate with Bangkok to reopen the site.

YouTube will consider requests to remove material that contravenes local law, but will only act after taking independent legal advice, a person close toGoogle said, adding that thecompany wanted to be "responsible".

The company would not comment on whether it would also block culturally sensitive material that did not directly break laws.

Google has agreed to block German viewers from seeing material that denies the holocaust and to prevent access in Turkey to material that insults that country's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Thailand's monarchy is shielded from public scrutiny by strict lese-majeste laws, which make it a serious crime, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, to "defame, insult or threaten" the monarchy.

In recent weeks, Thai authorities have used a new computer crime law to arrest two people, now in custody, for offensive comments about the monarchy on internet chatrooms, a senior Thai official told the FT.

Source: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22349653-36375,00.html