The Royal Thai Police have joined forces with Facebook Thailand and Meta Platforms, Inc. to crack down on online gambling sites, illegal loan websites and unlawful digital platforms, closing more than 52,000 Facebook pages. The action forms part of an intensified effort to disrupt cybercrime networks and curb online scams. Authorities say the coordinated operation has already had a significant impact on the spread of illegal content.

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The announcement was made on 21 February 2026 by Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwphan, Deputy Inspector General of the Royal Thai Police and Deputy Spokesperson for the force. He said the Royal Thai Police had worked closely with Facebook Thailand and Meta Platforms, Inc. to block pages suspected of breaching Thai law. The campaign also targets advertisements that could lure people into working with scam gangs.

A meeting was held involving Pol Lt Gen Trairong, Pol Maj Gen Thanantorn Rattanasitthiphak, Deputy Commander of the Office of Legal Affairs and Litigation and representatives from the Technology Crime Suppression Division under the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau. They met with Ben Leechaianan, Head of Public Policy at Facebook Thailand, along with Mr Avinash Raju and Ms Fatima Laraib from Meta Platforms, Inc. The discussion focused on integrating cooperation to combat illegal gambling websites, unlawful lending operations and related online advertising.

According to police data, Meta Platforms, Inc. has cooperated in blocking more than 52,000 Facebook pages suspected of illegal activity between October 2025 and February 2026. The authorities described the collaboration as a sustained and structured effort, with regular monthly meetings to assess progress and analyse emerging cybercrime trends. Officials said this ongoing coordination is designed to produce concrete and continuous results.

Thaitabloid reported that police stressed that the initiative forms part of a broader national agenda to tackle technology-related crime. By maintaining close cooperation with Meta, authorities aim to cut off criminal networks operating through social media platforms. The Royal Thai Police confirmed that joint monitoring and enforcement measures will continue.

Pictures courtesy of Thaitabloid

Key Takeaways

• Royal Thai Police and Meta have closed more than 52,000 Facebook pages linked to illegal activity between October 2025 and February 2026.

• The operation targets online gambling sites, illegal loan platforms and adverts linked to scam recruitment.

• Monthly coordination meetings will continue to strengthen enforcement against cybercrime.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Thaitabloid 22 Feb 2026

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On 2/22/2026 at 4:06 AM, Georgealbert said:

• Royal Thai Police and Meta have closed more than 52,000 Facebook pages linked to illegal activity

Well done Thailand - glad to see you are putting your own house in order!!

Why did it take so long?

52,000 Facebook accounts hiding in plain sight. Surely they could have acted sooner? Maybe after, oh I dunno, the first 10k or so?