Dr Janjira Sombatpoonsiri was Visiting Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, and Assistant Professor and Project Leader at the Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University.
CONTRIBUTORS
Janjira Sombatpoonsiri
Articles by Janjira Sombatpoonsiri (6)
Digital Repression Deliberated: The Importance of Parliamentary Scrutiny
Janjira Sombatpoonsiri
One effective check on the Thai military-led regime’s use of repressive tactics online has come in the form of parliamentary oversight.
In Denial Against Democracy: Thailand’s Royalists see Putin as a ‘Decoloniser’
Janjira Sombatpoonsiri
Thai royalists’ online narratives echo the line that Russia’s war in Ukraine is succeeding. There are indications that this rhetoric is driven by anti-western anti-democratic sentiment, especially against the United States. The royalists are using the debate over the war as a proxy fight with opposition movements, whom they see as being supported by western pro-democracy forces.
Labelling Fake News: The Politics of Regulating Disinformation in Thailand
Janjira Sombatpoonsiri
In Thailand, determining what news is true or fake appears to be a political matter. This article argues that political misuse of regulatory measures not only sows censorship and autocratic propensities, but also reinforce public mistrust in official mechanisms to curb disinformation.
Digital Surveillance in Thailand: When Pegasus Takes Flight
Janjira Sombatpoonsiri
The Thai regime is reportedly using spyware to extract personal information from the mobile devices of political dissidents. The use of digital intrusion and repression reinforces Thailand’s autocracy in the face of challenges from the political opposition.
“We are Independent Trolls”: The Efficacy of Royalist Digital Activism in Thailand
Janjira Sombatpoonsiri
This Long Read examines the complex intersection of regime-organised cyber troops, pro-regime media outlets, and royalist activists in Thailand. Unlike the first group, the pro-regime press and royalist civic groups are not necessarily sponsored by the regime, but are instead ideologically driven to defend the crown.