Internet & Online Safety - Thailand

The Computer Crimes Act B.E. 2550 (2007), amended in 2017, is the foundational online-content law. It criminalises uploading false or distorted information that damages national security or public order, and authorises MDES to seek court orders blocking or removing websites. 'False information' has historically been interpreted broadly, covering fraud, politically sensitive speech, and lèse-majesté content.

Published in the Royal Gazette on 4 July 2025 and effective 5 July 2025, the ETDA Notification on Measures for Preventing Technology Crimes requires social media platforms to remove content flagged by MDES as false or misleading within 24 hours of notice. Non-compliance risks loss of safe-harbour protection and criminal liability. Access Now and other civil-society groups criticised the rule as undermining due process and freedom of expression.

The Royal Decree B.E. 2565 (2022), enforced by ETDA, requires digital platform operators meeting size thresholds to register, maintain transparency reports, and comply with ETDA directives. A December 2025 notification designated 21 marketplace platforms subject to enhanced duties. ETDA announced stepped-up enforcement in 2026, with penalties including up to one year imprisonment and fines up to THB 100,000 for unregistered operation.

On 8 April 2025 the Cabinet approved Amendment No. 2 to the Emergency Decree on Technology Crime (in force 13 April 2025), targeting online scam infrastructure — mule bank accounts, SIM-swap fraud, and money-laundering networks — with significantly increased fines and prison terms. Platforms must maintain traceable compliance records to remain covered by safe-harbour provisions.

Section 112 of the Criminal Code (lèse-majesté) carries 3–15 years imprisonment per count for content deemed insulting to the monarchy. Platforms receive MDES blocking orders for such content and face intermediary liability if they fail to act. Freedom House rated Thailand 'Not Free' in its 2025 Freedom on the Net report, citing politically motivated censorship and arrests of social-media users.

Thailand has proposed barring children under 14 from social media platforms, with a mechanism requiring parental e-citizen ID verification via QR code to approve accounts. As of mid-2026 this remains at the proposal/consultation stage; no standalone age-verification law has been enacted. Separately, the ETDA's 2025 social media notification requires platforms to verify advertiser identity and link user accounts to telephone numbers.