YouTube wants Thai ban lifted
Anti-monarchist films cause controversy
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Saturday's olive branch comes after a user posted videos mocking King Bhumibol last week and the site refused to delete the offending files.
Thailand's Information and Communication Ministry responded by blacking out the whole service, although the most tech-savvy users were still able to access it via servers outside the country.
The user who created the original, contentious clip removed it, but two more antimonarchist videos were added to the site on Friday.
"I am waiting to hear from (YouTube) about what can be done," Information Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom said. "If YouTube can't suggest a solution that we can effectively implement, then we have no choice but to keep the ban."
YouTube said that it would "educate" authorities so they could prevent individual video files from screening rather than knock out its entire site.
"While we will not take down videos that do not violate our policies and will not assist in censorship, we have offered to educate the Thai ministry about YouTube and how it works," YouTube spokesman Julie Supan told local newspapers.
It isn't clear whether YouTube will help Thai authorities uncover the sources responsible for uploading the videos. Legislators from across the political spectrum have called for punishment of offenders.
Company will have to tread a fine line to avoid further criticism from freedom-of-speech groups. YouTube parent Google and Yahoo! have both been accused of assisting Chinese authorities to take action against critics.
Like their Chinese counterparts, Thai authorities regularly block access to Web sites they deem offensive or illegal.
According to Freedom Against Censorship Thailand, some 45,000 Web sites are blocked.
