Latest news with #MinistryofDigitalEconomyandSociety
Bangkok Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
Thai cyber war room on alert for border-related attacks
Thai authorities have established a 24-hour war room to monitor and respond to potential cyberattacks and other online misbehaviour arising from the conflict along the Thai-Cambodian border. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has found evidence of attempts by hackers to launch cyberattacks on Thailand through distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks targeting government websites, minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said on Saturday. The ministry is working with the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) to prevent any attempts to hack government websites. So far, no damage has been reported, said Mr Prasert, also a deputy prime minister. 'A 24-hour war room has been set up to closely monitor cybercrime attacks, both on the physical and cyber fronts. So far, the attacks have been contained, and the situation remains under control,' said Mr Prasert. He also warned of a growing campaign of disinformation, allegedly originating from Cambodian sources. However, AI-created deepfakes, hate speech and other forms of bad online behaviour are not limited to one country. 'We are maintaining round-the-clock surveillance of cyber warfare activities, both in real-time and in the digital domain,' said the minister. 'There have also been efforts to spread disinformation, such as false claims about a Thai F-16 being shot down or Cambodian forces reclaiming ancient temples from Thailand. These reports are untrue,' he said. The DE Ministry is actively countering false narratives by issuing clarifications and blocking the spread of disinformation across digital platforms. 'We are committed to ensuring the Thai public has access to accurate information,' said the minister.
Bangkok Post
7 days ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
New cybercrime law saves 5.8 billion baht
Over 5.8 billion baht in losses have been prevented under the new cybercrime crackdown law, says the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES). Deputy Prime Minister and DES Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said on Wednesday that more than 5.8 billion baht in financial losses have been prevented in the three months since the enforcement of the executive decree on Measures for the Prevention and Suppression of Technological Crime, which came into effect on April 13, 2025. The law, designed to combat online crime, particularly call centre scams and digital fraud, also upgraded the Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre (AOC) into a more powerful and centralised agency -- the Technology Crime Suppression Centre (TCSC), now acting as the core unit for receiving reports, investigating complaints, suspending financial transactions, analysing data, and implementing swift legal action. Between April 14 and July 20, the TCSC reported that 19,676 gambling websites were blocked, 14,143 scam URLs taken down, 181,989 fraudulent bank accounts frozen, and 88,995 cybercrime cases handled. As a result, the TCSC helped prevent financial losses totalling 5,895.96 billion baht during this period.
Bangkok Post
22-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Artificial intelligence boosts battle against illegal websites
Artificial intelligence has been deployed, enabling the shutdown of 100,000 gambling and porn sites per month, although more needs to be done to curb these illegal sites, according to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES). The DES now blocks up to 100,000 illegal websites per month, a tenfold increase from the previous monthly rate of 10,000, DES Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said. However, challenges remain due to the adaptability of criminal networks and the foreign-based infrastructure of many of these platforms. The update came during a Senate session in parliament yesterday, in response to an inquiry by Senator Dr Premsak Piayura, who raised concerns about ongoing cybercrime -- especially call centre scams, online gambling, and explicit content websites. Dr Premsak questioned why, despite the recent enforcement of the executive decree on the prevention and suppression of technological crime, citizens continue to fall victim to online fraud. "Scammers today are more cunning than ever. Even with repeated warnings, many realise the danger only after they've lost their money," he said. He pointed specifically to mobile operators, who now face increased legal responsibilities under the new law. Dr Premsak also inquired whether the newly established Cyber Crime Suppression Center (CCSC) was effectively functioning and whether inter-agency coordination remained an obstacle, a known weakness in Thai bureaucracy. Mr Prasert assured senators that coordination among agencies has improved, noting that since the decree came into force in May, the government has implemented financial, digital asset, and telecommunications measures, as well as created mechanisms for the reimbursement of victims. He said the CCSC had now been legally formalised and explained its central data platform has strengthened law enforcement's ability to act, significantly reducing the overall damage caused by scams. On the "mule accounts", the minister acknowledged improvements in tracing and shutting them down. However, the more stubborn problem remains the proliferation of gambling and pornographic websites. "In the past, we could only shut down about 10,000 sites a month. But today, with AI developed by the DES Ministry, we're able to block around 100,000 sites monthly," Mr Prasert said. "But the problem hasn't gone away -- these sites continuously change URLs and operate on overseas servers, making it hard to identify the operators and prosecute them." He added that while technical capacity has grown, legal challenges persist, particularly in identifying and taking action against foreign-registered platforms. Dr Premsak, meanwhile, urged the ministry to find ways to pressure foreign platforms, such as Facebook, to take responsibility when their services are used to defraud Thais. "We need to know how to bring these platforms under Thai jurisdiction or involve them in restitution when damage occurs," he emphasised. Mr Prasert reiterated that while technical solutions like AI have increased the government's ability to block harmful content, legal and diplomatic strategies will be needed to tackle foreign-based digital crime infrastructures. He also confirmed that the ministry plans to expand its outreach to vulnerable groups to help them avoid traps and know how to respond if they fall victim.
Bangkok Post
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Bangkok Post
Ride-hailing drivers face tougher licensing rules
A regulation has been announced requiring drivers on ride-hailing platforms to register their vehicles as a form of public transport and obtain public driving licences, as part of efforts to strengthen safety and consumer protection. The regulation, issued by the Electronic Transactions Commission under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, was published in the Royal Gazette on July 4. It designates ride-hailing services as a "digital platform business with specific characteristics" under Section 18(3) of the 2022 Royal Decree on Digital Platform Services. The new rules will take effect 90 days after publication. Under the requirements, drivers must use vehicles registered as public transport and hold valid public driving licences. They are also required to verify their identity daily using facial recognition, share real-time GPS data, and are prohibited from account sharing. Passengers will need to verify their identity before using the service and will be able to view estimated fares, choose vehicle types, and submit complaints more easily via the platforms. Platform operators must submit annual reports to the Department of Land Transport, adhere to legally defined fare structures, and ensure transparency by providing trip information including driver details, vehicle registration, pricing, and route. They must also implement emergency assistance features and maintain 24-hour incident reporting hotlines. A parallel announcement from the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) requires platforms to comply with the decree, ensuring proper oversight of services that could affect national interests. The measure is part of the government's broader efforts to enhance transparency and protect users of app-based transport services.
Korea Herald
30-06-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
UNESCO rallies global support for ethical AI at Bangkok forum
Four years after UNESCO's AI ethics recommendation adopted, over 1,200 participants convene to discuss progress, challenges BANGKOK — With AI reshaping everything from industries to daily life, UNESCO gathered government officials, business leaders and experts from around the world in Bangkok, calling for stronger international cooperation to steer the ethical development and use of this transformative technology. The third edition of the UNESCO Global Forum on the Ethics of AI drew over 1,200 participants from 88 countries last week in the Thai capital, evaluating how far the world has come since the adoption of the 2021 Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, the first global standard of its kind endorsed by all 194 member states. 'Artificial intelligence is profoundly reshaping how we live, how we work, how we learn, how we connect, how we relate one to another, placing humanity at a historic and critical turning point,' said UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay at the opening ceremony on Wednesday. 'It is up to all of us to collectively steer it in an ethical direction according to the values we want to support.' 'It requires international cooperation,' Azoulay urged. 'And this is what UNESCO, our common organization, is working to do: to prepare the world for AI and to prepare AI for the world.' The summit unfolded against the backdrop of escalating AI arms race between the US and China, hindering efforts for collaboration in this rapidly advancing technology where international cooperation is more critical than ever. This tech rivalry between the two superpowers has placed pressure on many countries to take sides. But Thailand, the host nation, said it is not picking one over another. Wisit Wisitsora-At, permanent secretary at Thailand's Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, told the press conference Wednesday that it is not going with either side. 'We can live with the two systems,' he said, adding that Thailand is encouraging domestic investment to build its own AI ecosystem. Thailand used the forum to signal its determination to become a key player in AI innovation. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra laid out her country's sweeping AI visions, a $15.4 billion investment in AI infrastructure, development of domestic talent and a national data center. She also reaffirmed Thailand's support for UNESCO's ethics vision. Thailand is developing a tool to track member states' implementation of the AI ethics recommendations and will also launch the region's first AI Governance Practice Center in collaboration with UNESCO, aimed at sharing ethical AI practices and foster collaboration across sectors. 'As leaders, we must ensure that AI delivers real, inclusive, sustainable and lasting benefits for all,' she said. 'AI must be a force for truth, not deception. An instrument for inclusion, not exclusion. And a tool for progress, not peril." No one-size-fits-all in AI governance More than 35 government ministers, mostly from Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, participated in the forum, discussing how to translate UNESCO's nonbinding recommendation into real national policy, while sharing their progress on implementation. In an interview with The Korea Herald, Irakli Khodeli, the head of UNESCO's Ethics of AI unit, emphasized that 'finding the right balance between access and sustainability, and between regulation and innovation' is critical in policy innovation But how that balance is defined is up to each country's unique priorities and conditions. 'There is no one strategy that can be taken from one country and applied to the other country, because it is all about their national priorities and the problems that they are facing,' said Khodeli, adding that countries vary widely in their AI purposes, available talent, computational resources and regulatory capacity. 'They are all very different and we work with every country from highly advanced and to countries in a very sort of developmental context,' he said. "We do it on an individual basis because every country is different." Khodeli also underscored the importance of regional cooperation, pointing to initiatives like the EU's AI Act, and collaborative efforts in Africa and Southeast Asia. Such collaboration, he said, helps standardize data practices and makes AI tools more compatible across borders, ultimately benefitting companies and governments alike. Asked about trilateral cooperation among Korea, Japan and China — three technologically advanced but structurally different neighbors — Khodeli was optimistic. 'China, Japan and South Korea have a shared interest to promote this technology for the benefit of their citizens,' he said. 'I think that they can really learn from each other, both in terms of technological innovation and policy innovation.' Ethics impact bottom line The three-day forum also delved into how AI ethics frameworks are being applied across different sectors, from business to academia and civil society. In a session titled 'Rethinking Corporate Responsibility in the Age of AI,' officials from LG AI Research, Microsoft, SAP, Universal Musical Group and the Thomson Reuters Foundation shared efforts to embed ethical principles into their operations. LG AI Research, the sole Korean company participating in the forum, is developing a massive open online course with UNESCO to train AI researchers, developers and policymakers in applying ethical frameworks in their own context. 'We believe creating ethical AI requires planting seed of AI ethics in the minds of those who build AI system,' said Kim Myoung-shin, principal policy officer of LG AI Research. Set to launch in the first half of next year, the course will feature case studies from companies, government and civil society organizations. Panelists also shared challenges in applying ethical safeguards in their businesses. Katie Fowler, director for responsible business at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, said that 'the biggest barrier is money.' 'The imperative for us to build a business case around responsible AI is so incredibly large because executives, boards and investors still want to talk through that lens,' said Fowler. But she stressed that as seen in the fast fashion industry, informed consumer and workforce demand can push companies to change. Jasmine Begum, director of corporate, external and legal affairs for Southeast Asia at Microsoft, echoed Fowlers' stance, adding that ethical practices can align with profitability. 'The more trusted you are, the more transparent you are and you are building that into your entire product development cycle … it matters to the bottom line. It really makes a difference to the business,' said Begum.
