Digital Economy and Society Ministry

  • Business News

    Thailand’s DES ministry to establish national AI committee

    Plans are underway by the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry in Thailand to establish a new national artificial intelligence (AI) committee. The initiative is part of the second phase of the national AI strategy. The strategy is a cornerstone of Thailand’s ASEAN Digital Economy and AI Hub Plan, a key driver for the country’s digital economy. The ministry also…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand’s cybercrime problem persists despite efforts

    Thailand’s digital economy and society (DES) minister, Prasert Jantararuangthong, revealed that despite efforts to curb cybercrime, the problem remains rampant with damages averaging 100 million baht daily. The Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre (AOC), set up to address this issue, is yet to see a decline in the number of cases. The ongoing scams are attributed to the scammers’ increasingly sophisticated…

  • Thailand News

    Massive crackdown on scam calls: Over 13,000 SIM cards suspended

    In a move to combat the surge in mobile phone-related online scams, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) has unleashed a crackdown, suspending services for 13,237 SIM cards that were being misused to make over 100 calls daily. Digital Economy and Society Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong revealed on January 25 that the suspension spree commenced on January 20 as…

  • Thailand News

    Revolutionising Thailand: Game-changing smart city plan unveiled

    At the Thailand Smart City Expo 2023, Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai laid bare the nation’s ambitious blueprint for smart cities. Packed with tax incentives and cutting-edge technology, this plan is set to reshape Thailand’s urban landscape. During his address at the Thailand Smart City Expo, Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai catapulted Thailand into a new era of urban development. Unveiling the…

  • Thailand News

    Thai digital delights: DEPA and partners unlock future of gaming, animation, characters

    The Digital Economy Promotion Agency (DEPA), in collaboration with esteemed partners including the Thai Digital Content Association (DCAT), Thai Animation and Computer Graphics Association (TACGA), Thai Game Software Industry Association (TGA), Bangkok ACM SIGGRAPH, and Atwise Consulting Company, has unveiled a comprehensive survey and evaluation report on the state of the Thai digital content industry encompassing games, animation, and characters…

  • Business News

    Thailand’s DES minister vows to combat online scams

    Newly appointed Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister, Prasert Chanthararuangthong, pledged to prioritise the suppression of online fraud and call centre scams. As part of the Pheu Thai Party‘s commitments, the DES ministry is also expected to cooperate with related agencies to roll out a digital wallet scheme by 2024, with an initial rollout anticipated for early next year. The…

  • Business News

    Digital economy minister urged to support SMEs and combat online scams in Thailand

    The newly appointed Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister is being urged by industry leaders to combat online scams, bolster cross-border e-commerce for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and provide additional incentives to businesses for technological investments. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is also looking to collaborate with the minister, Prasert Chanthararuangthong, on various initiatives to bridge the…

  • Business News

    Thailand’s insurance sector embraces digital revolution to boost resilience and consumer experience

    Thailand’s insurance sector is adopting digital tech to tackle artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber threats and deal with the medical costs of the nation’s ageing population. Further steps were taken to boost industry strength and user experience. The strategy is headed by the Office of the Insurance Commission (OIC). Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn, the OIC secretary-general, disclosed that the first part of…

  • Business News

    DES ministry set to combat cybercrime with new AI registry

    The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) in Thailand is gearing up to introduce the Central Fraud Registry, a technological solution designed to combat scams and tackle illegal transactions. This innovation stems from the National Interbank Transaction Management and Exchange, a collaboration between the Thai Bankers’ Association (TBA) and the Bank of Thailand. As stated by notable DES figures,…

  • Thailand News

    Experts argue that vaping should remain illegal

    Several experts argued that vaping devices and e-cigarettes should remain illegal in Thailand. At a forum in Bangkok on Monday they say the devices are very harmful to people’s health and should remain prohibited items. The Director of the Office of Consumer Protection Board’s (OCPB) Legal Execution Division reminded that Thailand currently bans the import, sale, and use of any…

  • Business News

    Rich rewards offered for info on currency counterfeiters

    With large numbers of fake banknotes now circulating in Thailand, especially in the north of the country, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry Saturday announced a counterfeit rewards system for those canny enough to spot the fakes and turn them in. If you come up with information on counterfeit banknotes, you can expect to be rewarded with up to 100,000…

  • Bangkok News

    PM Prayut Chan-o-cha orders two agencies to lead crackdown on call-centre scams

    Following escalating public complaints that many Thais have fallen victim to phone scams that steal either money or personal information, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has assigned two government agencies to lead integrated operations to crack down on scammers and bring them to justice. According to Deputy Government Spokesperson Trisulee Trisaranakul, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry and the Royal Thai Police…

  • 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…

  • Technology News

    Government considering linking ID details to social media profiles

    In what it says is an attempt to address fake news, fraud, and unlawful content, the government is considering linking people’s ID cards to their social media profiles. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry claims doing this would also boost e-commerce on social media. Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn says a draft regulation on the subject…

  • Hot News

    Thai government monitoring “Let’s Move Abroad” Facebook group

    The Thai government is keeping an eye on a new Facebook group created by Thai citizens frustrated by the administration’s handling of Covid-19. In addition, many people in the “Let’s Move Abroad” group have voiced their anger at how the ongoing political unrest is being dealt with and in particular, how pro-democracy detainees are being treated. The Digital Economy and…

  • Technology News

    Government investigating loan-shark apps following complaints of online threats

    The Thai government is looking into a number of loan-shark apps, following complaints of data theft and threats being made on social media. Customers accuse the apps of stealing their data and sending them threatening messages via Line, Facebook, and SMS. According to a Nation Thailand report, when a customer downloads one of the loan-shark apps, it embeds malware in…

  • 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…

  • Technology News

    Personal data of 13 million online users leaked in data breach

    The Digital Economy and Society Minister is calling in the experts after revelations that a data breach means the personal data of over 13 million online users has been compromised. The details of the accounts have been found up for sale on an underground website, according to a Thai PBS World report. The news has sparked condemnation of Thailand’s cybersecurity.…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Thai authorities push to ban, censor news outlets and social media

    Police are now cracking down on local media outlets covering the pro-democracy protests as well as activist group Facebook pages because they are a “threat to national security”. In addition to the police’s request to ban the content, the Digital Economy and Society Ministry is attempting to censor the Telegram social media application, saying it too poses a “threat to…

  • Technology News

    Digital Economy Ministry dismisses “fake news” that mobile phones cause cancer

    Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Ministry says people shouldn’t fall for claims that leaving your mobile phone beside your head at night will result in cancer. The ministry is urging people not to believe that electromagnetic waves from the phone will cause brain cancer, adding that such a claim constitutes “fake news”, and saying citizens should refrain from sharing it…

  • 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…

  • Technology News

    Thailand Post introducing “smart” technology

    Thailand Post says it is switching to “smart” mailboxes in an effort to make the state enterprise more hi-tech. The company says it’s working with the state-owned telecoms company CAT Telecom to produce the mailboxes that will use “Internet of Things” technology to detect when parcels are deposited. A report in Nation Thailand today explains that the boxes will be…