Eighteen people have been prosecuted for sharing what the Thai government has decided is fake news about the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccine rollout.
The news posts were deemed as distorting information and undermined public order, drawing charges under the Computer Crime Act 2007 and emergency decree.
Six of the offenders were either jailed or fined while the remaining 12 were let off with a warning after they deleted the content and promised not to repeat the offence.
The DES minister warned that people who spread false or misleading information face up to five years in prison and a maximum fine of 100,000 baht under the Computer Crime Act and two years and a 40,000 baht fine under the emergency decree.
The move is considered a clear attempt at shutting down any criticism or complaint of the current Thai government’s damaging COVID response measures.
It will also discourage alternative opinions and thought provoking debate in the country.
In Thailand a citizen can be jailed for sharing information on social media that challenges their government’s narrative.
