Social Media Surveillance System Planned in Thailand

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Social Media Surveillance System Planned

By Sasiwan Mokkhasen

Staff Reporter

BANGKOK — The Royal Thai Police plan to spend 12 million baht on a system to monitor messages and track users on the most popular social media platforms.

A company is being sought to provide software, hardware and training courses for such a system to be used to monitor public posts on Facebook, Twitter and Pantip, the kingdom’s biggest message board, according to procurement documents, which said it is intended to suppress increasing online crime.

The documents, which appear to have been published Jan. 19 to the Technology Crime Suppression Division’s website, specified a public hearing to discuss the project would be held. It was this past Friday.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1453723746

-- Khaosod English 2016-01-25

[LivinLOS]

"I insist the prime minister has never ordered the single gateway to be implemented,” Maj. Gen. Sansern Kaewkamnerd said. “It was only mentioned as an interesting example for discussion. There were also other topics that were talked about but never put on the record.”

And on it goes, further and further down the slippery slope..

Queue "but Thaksin did"...

[Soi Sauce]

More thsn Orwellian.

Big Brother is not only watching you but is also building Room 101s in your private lives.

The future really is scarey as THailand becomes the new China when regarding anti-state sentiment.

Free speach will soon be a thing of the past as we slowly head to total mind control my thru states, as they use their power to stop the truth being known.

[jacky54]

millions of posts a day, the only way they can do it is to look for certain words. They are scared shit less of social media as they have no power over it, people thinking for themselves just will not do in the new Thailand

[Hawk]

"according to procurement documents, which said it is intended to suppress increasing online crime."

Actually it is intended to suppress freedom of speech and criticism of the government(now a crime).

[chrisinth]

The funny thing about it is that the Thai government is making it known that they intend to monitor social media.

Unlike almost every country in the western world.

Or are we living in denial that this is happening right now?...........................

[deckape]

Good thing the bib are crap at reading English...

Methinks this thing will blow up in their face.

[NCC1701A]

We have the second largest Thai community outside Thailand in Los Angeles. I hope every single one of them opens a new facebook account with fake names and starts blasting away.

But what about TV members inside Thailand? Sooner or later somebody is going to piss a government official off. VPN 100% from now on.

[NCC1701A]

Google glimmer glass wikileaks. The tech and software has been available for a long time.

[baboon]

Good thing the bib are crap at reading English...

Methinks this thing will blow up in their face.

I can think of a few on here who would be probably only too delighted to lend the authorities a hand in prosecuting English speakers, unfortunately...

[shirtless]

They are so scared of social disorder or discontent , they dont want it talk about at all.

[stickylies]

i'm considering leaving ... had a great time here for the last 18 years ... i don't wanna get bitter or paranoid so ...

ps.

investments: zero

gf's / kids: zero

condo's: zero

isuzu's: zero

STD's: zero

[nong38]

Always starts as being well meaning but its where it may lead and if add ons appear in the future that are the cause for concern. Its crime here and terrorism in other places that justify the action.

[tbthailand]

police state.

let's hope they're as effective at this as they are with cctv....

[SoiBiker]

Surely most governments around the world are doing this kind of thing already?

[stoneyboy]

Surely most governments around the world are doing this kind of thing already?

What planning social media surveillance,I think you'll find it's already implemented,Thailand are a few years if not decades behind regarding certain issues.

[geriatrickid]

The funny thing about it is that the Thai government is making it known that they intend to monitor social media.

Unlike almost every country in the western world.

Or are we living in denial that this is happening right now?...........................

The difference is that the in the western world it is a process subject to review by the respective parliaments and court systems. There are basic entrenched freedoms that monitoring cannot impinge. Also, there are no laws in those countries that are as powerful as the lesse majeste or martial law of Thailand. In case you missed it, there's is something called due process in the west.

[Happy Grumpy]

millions of posts a day, the only way they can do it is to look for certain words. They are scared shit less of social media as they have no power over it, people thinking for themselves just will not do in the new Thailand

It never did at anytime in Thailand.

The rise of everybody having cameras on hand 24/7 with the power to reach millions within a few minutes is simply outrageous.

Thais with status and power maybe actually have to be responsible and accountable for their actions.

They might even have to change their behavior over it.

Nah, block the means and arrest anyone that dares is the best way.

[55Jay]

I'm sure there was high turn out and a robust debate at the public forum.... last Friday.

[Wilsonandson]

The shepard needs to control his sheep.

[EyesWideOpen]

The path down the slippery slope continues. Guess with one man rule

cannot have any form of dissent or discussion. Glad I have left.......

While all these controls needed to keep the Thai people in line will

generally not affect the expat community, I value freedom and all

these changes leave a queasy feeling in my stomach. Even my

Thai wife is now saying she is glad to have left Thailand which is

sort of sad.......

[EyesWideOpen]

Surely most governments around the world are doing this kind of thing already?

The difference is that in America if you post something critical

of Obama, military police do not come to your house and drag

you away..... If you send a message to a raghead in Iraq with

plans for an atomic bomb, then yes the American police would

probably be knocking at your door. :-)

Edited January 25, 2016 by EyesWideOpen

[Wilsonandson]

The path down the slippery slope continues. Guess with one man rule

cannot have any form of dissent or discussion. Glad I have left.......

While all these controls needed to keep the Thai people in line will

generally not affect the expat community, I value freedom and all

these changes leave a queasy feeling in my stomach. Even my

Thai wife is now saying she is glad to have left Thailand which is

sort of sad.......

A queasy feeling in your stomach, a Thai wife, check she's not poisoning your Jack Daniels.

[EyesWideOpen]

The path down the slippery slope continues. Guess with one man rule

cannot have any form of dissent or discussion. Glad I have left.......

While all these controls needed to keep the Thai people in line will

generally not affect the expat community, I value freedom and all

these changes leave a queasy feeling in my stomach. Even my

Thai wife is now saying she is glad to have left Thailand which is

sort of sad.......

A queasy feeling in your stomach, a Thai wife, check she's not poisoning your Jack Daniels.

Haha yes if I was living upcountry in Thailand and told my wife she

would be rich upon my death, I would certainly be paying attention

to any queasy feeling. But in this particular case, if you are used

to personal freedom, it feels odd to have it taken away.....

And yes while Jack was a good friend of mine in Thailand, I am

busy working and have pretty much ignored him here in

the states.....

Edited January 25, 2016 by EyesWideOpen

[stickylies]

i'm considering leaving ... had a great time here for the last 18 years ... i don't wanna get bitter or paranoid so ...

ps.

investments: zero

gf's / kids: zero

condo's: zero

isuzu's: zero

STD's: zero

No. Happily together with intelligent, sceptic and goodlooking farang gfs who pay their own bills and who can suhpeak (sic) my mother tongue (as well as a couple of other foreign languages) and who dont believe in ghosts and dont grow long toenails... ?

??? added

Edited January 26, 2016 by seedy
Quote hidden post

[roo860]

i'm considering leaving ... had a great time here for the last 18 years ... i don't wanna get bitter or paranoid so ...

ps.

investments: zero

gf's / kids: zero

condo's: zero

isuzu's: zero

STD's: zero

ready cash: nearly zero

[elgordo38]

Good thing the bib are crap at reading English...

Methinks this thing will blow up in their face.

I think the hangup will come in the training part. The training wheels will fall off of this one.

[WhizBang]

And the draconian screw continues to turn.

Apparantly, Thailand will NEVER change. It would not surprise me if the junta were to soon announce that the internet in Thailand will be cut off. Shut down the internet and you HAVE shut down social media.

I truely fear for the day that will be upon us sometime soon. I strongly suspect that Thailand will descend into absolute chaos.

[worgeordie]

The population has to be controlled, at all cost, they cannot be trusted

to do as they are told,we know what's best for them,it seems to be happening

all over the World,not just Thailand.

regards Worgeordie

[chrisinth]

The funny thing about it is that the Thai government is making it known that they intend to monitor social media.

Unlike almost every country in the western world.

Or are we living in denial that this is happening right now?...........................

The difference is that the in the western world it is a process subject to review by the respective parliaments and court systems. There are basic entrenched freedoms that monitoring cannot impinge. Also, there are no laws in those countries that are as powerful as the lesse majeste or martial law of Thailand. In case you missed it, there's is something called due process in the west.

Due process takes place on many tiers. Raw data cannot be used in a court of law unless controlled by an issued warrant. This does not mean that the information retrieved is discarded, that it doesn't end up on a database.

You are of course correct with the lesse majeste statement and martial law.

However, if your home country was under martial law, how quickly would your supposed rights towards privacy last? Serious question.