Thread: Thailand Law Enforcement Warns Against April Fool’s Jokes Online

Thai law enforcement, specifically the Technology Crime Suppression Division, or TCSD, has warned the public that April Fool’s jokes on April First online could lead to stiff fines and many years in jail.

This warning has been a regular occurrence since 2020 when the TCSD first issued the stern warning in response to fear that people would make April Fool’s jokes about Covid-19 and cause a panic.


The warnings continued throughout the pandemic in 2021 and 2022 but now with Thai general elections less than two months away, scheduled for May 14th, concern seems to have moved away from Covid and to concerns people may use April Fool’s to mislead the public or make jokes about the upcoming election.

According to the TCSD, under the Computer Crimes Act, one could be charged up to 100,000 baht or face up to five years in jail for any information that caused a panic, damages security, was misinformation, or defames an individual or business.


As a result, the TCSD is asking people to refrain from April Fool’s jokes online and have also said in prior years that the holiday and tradition of practical jokes and pranks is, according to them, not part of Thai culture or etiquette.

TPN media notes that Thailand has extremely strict computer crimes, libel, defamation, and slander laws and these do not have exclusions for satire or parody like many western countries, both of which are as a result very rare in Thai media and major publications.

Thailand Law Enforcement Warns Against April Fool's Jokes Online - The Pattaya News

So in other words, no pranks about the bigwigs then.

Very amusing. Not part of their culture??
If April Fool’s day involved a celebratory meal and weekend holiday then it most certainly would be in their culture, their culture of greedily grubbing a profit from the exploitation of it.

The problem of April Fool in Thailand is that the vast majority of the population are so stupid and credulous they'd pretty much believe anything they were told and that of course would certainly lead to chaos, confusion and no doubt problems.

” Everyone with brown eyes reporting to Thai Airways desk, Swampy, before midday will qualify for a free flight to Hong Kong”……

or defames an individual or business

is there a legal definition of defamation, or is it similar to the lunacy afflicting western societies regarding "causing offence", whereby the claimant merely needs to state "i feel offended" for the courts or tribunals to pass judgement and award massive compensation. fatties, swarthies and pooftas are particularly susceptible to feeling offended these days. cant think why.

Originally Posted by misskit

stiff fines

Will these be at the cemetry or brothel is the key poser?