Minister of Information and Communications Technology Juti Krairiksh said that on 18 Oct he invited 17 internet service providers (ISPs) to a meeting to ask for their cooperation in blocking improper websites which were found to have been increasing in number, over 82% of them being offensive against the monarchy containing doctored images.  Only 7 ISPs showed up at the meeting.

The cause of the increase of such websites has yet to be determined, the Minister said.

Chuti said the Ministry asked the ISPs to ‘enforce’ the 2007 Computer Crimes Act on websites using their services, as they were ‘service providers’ under the law.  If they fail to act, the MICT will take action by itself, he said.

During the meeting, the ISPs asked the MICT to improve its own 1212 hotline and the 1111 hotline of the PM’s Office, which had been set up to receive complaints from the public, but had not worked very well because they were available only during official working hours.  In response, the MICT might make them available for 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week.

An MICT Inspector, Suchart Wongananchai, has been appointed to head a special team to deal with gambling, pornographic, and drug-selling websites.