Thailand's evolving Internet policies: the search for a balance between national security and the right to information

Digital Rhetoric of Cosmopolitanism: A Case Study of Thai Students at Michigan Technological University

“…3-4) The implementation of IT2010 policy brought the expansion of the Internet usage. Between 2000 to 2006, Internet cafes were opened throughout the country to support the demand for the Internet access (Magpanthong, 2013). However, statistics showed that from 2004 to 2009 Thailand still faced the problem of Digital Divide, with the slight increase of computer and Internet users and high disparity of ICT use between Bangkok and suburb and rural area (Santipaporn, 2010).…”

“…It is sometimes called Cybercrime Law, Computer-Related Offences Commission Act, or Computer Crime Act. Before this law was enforced, there were other laws and regulations used by the government to legitimize the control over the infrastructural development of new communication technologies (Magpanthong, 2013). However, the Computer-Related Crime Act was more significant because it was enacted by the junta after the September 2006 military coup, and it has been used as a legal tool of the government to control the public's use of the Internet resources as well as freedom of expressions in Thailand (Magpanthong, 2013).…”

“…According to Tunsarawuth and Mendel (2010) the politic situation in Thailand after the coup has been polarized around the issue of loyalty to the monarchy and "[l]èse majesté has been the single offence most frequently applied by the Thai authorities against Internet users and ISPs under the Computer Crime Act" (p. 9). Thus, the enforcement of the Computer-Related Crime Act together with the lèse majesté offence has become the junta's legal measure to control political opposition based on its national security approach of online policies (Magpanthong, 2013).…”

“…The messages associated with political criticism and lèse majesté were the two types of content that have triggered actions from authorities (Magpanthong, 2013). In 2016, the amended version of the law was passed by "the rubber-stamp parliament" even though it had been widely criticized by human rights groups for broadening the government's power for cyber surveillance and censorship (Agence France-Presse, 2016, para.…”

“…However, in Thailand's ICT policies, the rights of Internet users were not highlighted, while the legal system could not keep pace with the Internet and its infrastructural development. The important law for online media regulation is the Computer-Related Crime Act, which has been enforced with a link to lèse majesté law as its unique aspect (Magpanthong, 2013). Laws other than this were enacted to support e-commerce and industry.…”