31 Mar, 2021
Enjoy a good prank for April Fool’s Day? You may want to reconsider that in Thailand this year, especially if you are posting it online.
For the second year in a row, the Thai Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) and the Public Administration Agency has warned the public that posting fake news can be a violation of the Computer Crimes Act which could bring harsh fines or jail time, even if it is just joking, and advises people to hold off on April Fool’s “jokes” this year, especially around Covid-19.
In fact, you could land in jail for up to 5 years and a fine of up to 100,000 baht for posting fake news or a prank online that is false.
The TCSD noted that while legal in many countries, posting “fake news” is not legal in Thailand and that April Fools is not usually considered to be part of Thai culture. Prior to Covid-19, many websites participated in various April Fool’s jokes in Thailand (including us) but the authorities continue to say that right now is not the time to be joking, especially around Covid-19 or other fake news.
