Prayut Orders Further Tightening Controls over Social Media in Thailand

BANGKOK - Despite the censorship and surveillance already imposed on the press and Internet users after the coup d’état in May, the junta is now exacerbating an environment of fear by further tightening its control over social media.

Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd, Deputy Spokesman of the Prime Minster’s Office, said on Wednesday morning at a press briefing that Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Prime Minister and head of the junta’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), had ordered the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) to come up with measures to tighten its control over social media.

Sansern said “The PM confirms that this is only to take care, but not to control. People need to understand not to infringe on the rights of others to improve society.”