Computer Crime Act

  • Thailand News

    Thai man faces record 50-year sentence for royal defamation

    A Thai man from Chiang Rai faces an unprecedented 50 year imprisonment sentence for royal defamation. This comes after the Court of Appeal added to his existing convictions, according to a report by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) released on today. The sentence, delivered to 30 year old Mongkol Busbas Thirakot, is reportedly the longest ever served for offences…

  • Thailand News

    Bangkok MP’s challenge to Computer Crime Act dismissed by Constitutional Court

    Bangkok MP Rukchanok Srinork, representing the main opposition Move Forward Party (MFP), faced a setback yesterday when the Constitutional Court dismissed her petition concerning the constitutionality of Section 14 of the Computer Crime Act. The court’s decision came via the Criminal Court, which is currently presiding over a case against Rukchanok. The charges against Rukchanok, stemming from a tweet she…

  • Thailand News

    ‘Foolish’ Bangkok banker duped out of 1.36 million baht

    A Bangkok banker admits she feels ‘foolish” after being scammed out of over 1 million baht while trying to secure a loan for half of that amount. The woman, identified as B, from Lat Phrao district, applied for a personal loan from Kasikorn Bank and soon after received a message via the Line application to secure it by clicking on…

  • Crime News

    Court bans rap song for being a threat to Thailand’s national security

    A rap song has been banned by the Court for being seditious and a threat to Thailand’s national security. The song, Patiroob (meaning reform), by Rap Against Dictatorship, was blocked on the YouTube platform as a result of a Ministry of Digital Economy and Society petition to the Court that it should be prohibited under the terms of the Computer…

  • Politics News

    Prosecutors to decide Thanathorn’s fate on November 4 following vaccine comments

    On November 4, prosecutors will decide whether or not to indict Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit over comments he made about Thailand’s AstraZeneca technology-transfer deal. At the start of the year, the founder of the Progressive Movement criticised the government for being overly-reliant on Siam Bioscience for Covid-19 vaccines. The Bangkok Post reports that Thanathorn faces charges of violating Thailand’s defamation law and…

  • Thailand News

    Police warn against OnlyFans creators dressing as sexy police

    After police arrested a popular Thai OnlyFans creator a few days ago and subsequently warned the people of Thailand that posting explicit content on OnlyFans or similar sites is illegal in Thailand, the Royal Thai Police have issued an additional warning for a specific subset of adult content creators they intend to crack down on. The police threatened that they are seeking…

  • Crime News

    Police issue warning over rumoured death of officer who leaked custody killing footage

    Thai police have hit back at unsubstantiated rumours of the death of a police officer who leaked footage of a suspect allegedly being killed in custody. National police spokesperson Yingyong Thepjamnong has described the claims as, “fake news” and warned that those behind them could face prosecution under the Computer Crime Act. Claims that a junior officer named as Tossaporn…

  • Politics News

    Facebook fake news post suggesting a coup faces prosecution

    While pressure has been mounting against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a Facebook user posted a false claim that an army had captured the Prime Minister and is staging a coup and is now facing charges. The story was posted midday yesterday and seemed to detail a coup attempt, alleging that 300 military members from Lop Buri were already holding PM Prayut…

  • Thailand News

    Army files defamation complaint against social media users over “fake news”

    Following rumours spread on social media saying Thai soldiers travelling to the US for Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines when they were actually going overseas for parachute training, the Royal Thai Army filed a defamation complaint against 9 people who allegedly spread the so-called “fake news.” A representative from the army filed a complaint with the Nang Loeng police station yesterday on…

  • Thailand News

    Thai authorities crackdown on Covid-19 “fake news,” posters could face jail time

    Thai authorities are cracking down on fake news, particularly false claims about the Covid-19 situation in Thailand. The Digital Economy and Society Ministry’s Anti-Fake News Centre reported more than 50 cases of fake news posted since last month, most involving Covid-19 or vaccines. Police are now investigating the cases. Those who posted or shared misleading information found to threaten national…

  • Covid-19 News

    Social media users can face legal action for spreading false Covid-19 information

    Those who post false information about the Covid-19 situation in Thailand could face legal action. Several people are facing charges for posts they made on social media with misleading information on the spread of the coronavirus in Thailand and vaccine side effects. The false statements could potentially provoke social unrest and threaten national security, according to the Digital, Economy and…

  • Politics News

    PM representatives file police complaint against Thai singer and government critic

    Representatives of Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, have filed a police complaint against the Thai singer Suthipong Tadpitakkul, aka, “Heart”. Suthipong has criticised the government’s vaccine procurement plan, a move that has led to accusations of violating the Computer Crime Act and Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law. The PM’s lawyer, Apiwat Kanthong, and his assistant minister, Seksakon Atthawong (aka “Rambo Isan”)…

  • Thailand News

    April Fool’s jokes posted online could land you in Thai jail, police warn

    April Fool’s jokes, pranks and hoaxes are not allowed to be shared on social media in Thailand. No, it’s not a joke. April Fool’s jokes posted on social media could land you in Thai jail, or slapped with a hefty fine for violating the country’s Computer Crime Act. Some April Fool’s jokes posted online are considered “fake news” that mislead…

  • Thailand News

    UN human right experts speak out against Thailand’s “severe” use of lèse majesté law

    United Nations human rights experts are speaking out against Thailand’s “severe” use of the lèse majesté law, saying the law is used to “curtail criticism of the monarchy” and it has no place in a democratic country. There has been an increase in the use of the lèse majesté law since the rise of the student-led pro-democracy movement last…

  • Thailand News

    Thai police arrest 35 people for allegedly spreading fake news on Covid-19

    Thai police arrested 35 people for allegedly spreading false information about the coronavirus. Some posts shared online claimed that migrant workers had broken out of a quarantine facility, another claimed that the coronavirus is actually not a virus, but a bacteria somehow connected to 5G spectrum radio frequencies. Only 4 people actually wrote posts online with false information while the…

  • Thailand News

    Thai officials crackdown on “lèse majesté” social media pages and posts

    In a crackdown on social media posts critical of the Thai Monarchy, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society says they plan to pursue legal action against Facebook and Twitter for failing to remove content that violates the country’s draconian lèse majesté law. Social media users who make insulting posts about the Thai Monarchy can also be charged. So far, the…

  • Crime News

    Man arrested for allegedly taking videos under students’ skirts

    Police arrested a Thai man who allegedly snuck around universities and schools, secretly recording videos under students’ skirts, then posting the footage on Facebook. Allegedly, the 28 year old man, named by police as ‘Pathompong’, recorded over 1,000 videos. The videos had thousands of views on Facebook, and police say it led others to discuss online about how to secretly…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Court orders suspension of Thai TV news channel during political protests

    The Criminal Court has agreed to suspend the Thai media company Voice TV for allegedly violating the State of Emergency orders which prohibit media content “considered to be a threat to national security”. Talk about the Voice TV shut down has been circulating on social media. It’s not the first time the network has come to the attention of the…

  • Thailand News

    Twitter takes down 926 accounts linked to the Royal Thai Army

    Twitter suspended 926 accounts that are linked to the Royal Thai Army for violating the social media company’s “platform manipulation” policies. They say the accounts were “amplifying pro-government propaganda” and engaging in behaviour that targeted political opposition figures. Altogether, Twitter permanently suspended 1,594 accounts from state-linked operations in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Thailand and Russia, the company announced yesterday. Thailand…

  • Thailand News

    1,202 gambling websites to be blocked in Thailand

    Thailand is cracking down on online gambling websites. Internet providers will have 15 days to block 1,202 gambling websites before charges are pressed for violating Thailand’s Computer Crime Act. Although gambling is technically illegal in Thailand, underground and online gambling thrives in pockets of the country. The Digital Economy and Society Ministry was ordered by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to crack…

  • Crime News

    Facebook, Twitter may face charges for allegedly allowing lèse majesté content

    Facebook and Twitter could face charges for failing to block so called lèse majesté posts that allegedly violate Thailand’s Computer Crime Act. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society says the social media platforms were warned about Thailand’s laws regarding content that insults the Thai Monarchy or threatens national security and peace, but failed to remove all the illegal posts.…

  • Thailand News

    982 lèse majesté social media posts cited in police complaint

    Nearly 1,000 so called lèse majesté posts on social media have been cited in a police complaint for allegedly violating Thailand’s Computer Crime Act, some allegedly criticising and insulting the Thai Monarchy. The complaints were filed by Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta. The police report says the social media posts were shared during the pro-democracy protest over the…

  • Crime News

    7 charged with libel, allegedly spread false information about PM’s daughters

    7 people turned themselves into police following a defamation lawsuit filed a few weeks ago by PM Prayut Chan-o-cha’s twin daughters, Thanya and Nittha. The lawsuit was filed against more than 100 social media accounts for spreading false information about the women. 6 of the 7 who face charges were photographed at the police station, protesting their charges and holding…

  • Thailand News

    Facebook blocks page critical of the Thai Monarchy

    “Access to this group has been restricted within Thailand pursuant to a legal request from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.” Facebook has blocked a popular group page that’s known for being critical of the Thai Monarchy. The social media platform may have faced defamation charges from the Thai government if the content was not taken down. The group…

  • Politics News

    Monarchy critic faces charges for Facebook page

    A popular critic of Thailand and Thai politics is facing charges for a Facebook group he runs that is critical of the Thai Monarchy. The private group “Royalist Marketplace,” run by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, has more than 1 million followers. Some of the supporters have been spotted at recent pro-democracy protests holding Royalist Marketplace signs. A complaint was filed by Ministry…

  • Crime News

    His Majesty doesn’t want Thailand to use the lèse-majesté law

    His Majesty the King does not want to use Thailand’s strict lèse-majesté laws, which make it a crime to insult or criticise the royal family, but Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says people should still be careful what they say about the Thai monarchy. While the PM says the lèse-majesté law will not be used, other similar laws can still be…

  • Koh Samui News

    Suspects cite ignorance of the Computer Crime Act for sharing Koh Tao rape claims

    “I want to ask for mercy for him as he acted out of ignorance.” If police and officials were hoping the ‘nothing happening here’ strategy would force the media to stop reporting about Koh Tao, the opposite is happening. Now, The Nation reports that the families of some of the 12 suspects detained for sharing content from the US-based CSI LA…