Microsoft apologizes for Bangkok sex slur

BANGKOK (AFP): Microsoft has apologized to Thailand for describing Bangkok as a commercial sex center in the Deluxe 2000 version of its Encarta Encylopedia CD. “I regret any misrepresentation that the Encarta segment may have caused,” said Robert Bach, vice-president of Microsoft’s Home and Retail Division, in a letter to local media. “As soon as we were made aware of this issue, my team worked to remedy the situation by researching and rewriting the article on Bangkok [into] one that reflects its rich culture and history,” he said. “I am confident that the revised version will include all the great content that best captures the city.” The Deluxe 2000 version has been on sale in Bangkok since October, but the description of Bangkok came to Microsoft’s attention only recently, after a group of women’s rights activists protested. Microsoft first angered Thais in 1995, when the 1996 version of Encarta called Bangkok a commercial sex hub. After protests at that time, Microsoft apologized and vowed that future versions of Encarta would not include the offending reference. The standard Encarta 2000 version does not describe Bangkok as a sex centre; only the deluxe edition contains that characterization.