B. Key Digital Rights Situations in 2025
The digital rights situation in Thailand in 2025 is dominated by concerns over
state-affiliated information operations (IO). During a parliamentary debate on March 25,
2025, Chayaphon Satondee, an MP from the opposition People’s Party, revealed a network
of IO allegedly run by the military427. Unlike previous disclosures, this 2025 revelation
exposes the network’s operational structure, identifies those behind it, and details
its targets.
In undated documents used as supporting material for the debate, it is noted that
a “Special Security Working Group” was established to address a group of individuals
described as a “movement opposing the monarchy.” Among the IO’s targets are
pro-democracy activists, NGOs, academics, journalists, and members of the political
opposition428.
According to Chayaphon, a new IO structure was created shortly before the 2023 election
to ensure unity from the policy level down to the operational level. The head of
the operations, known as the “Cyber Team,” is reportedly General Thammanoon Withee.
Thammanoon is alleged to have played a major role in targeting, prosecuting, and
suppressing anti-coup activities since the early days of the 2014 coup d’état. He is also
believed to have remained a key figure in the crackdown on pro-democracy protests
between 2020 and 2021, during the second administration of coup leader, Prayuth
Chan-o-Cha429.
According to a record in the Royal Gazette, in 2021, Thammanoon was appointed as
a civil-servant in the royal household, military branch, holding the position of Operational
Officer attached to the Office of the Commander of the Royal Guard (Royal Guard
Headquarters), the unit tasked with providing security and protection for the monarch430.
In 2023, he reportedly served as Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard Headquarters
(Unit 1)431.
According to the diagram in the documents, the command-level hierarchy of the Cyber
Team also includes the Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Army, the Deputy Commander
“Opposition Accuses Paethongtarn Government of Allowing Military to Conduct IO Operations—Revealing
46 Target Names That Have Been “Locked On.”” BBC News Thai, 25 Mar. 2025, www.bbc.com/thai/articles/
c20lw5qx4z1o.
428.
The leaked documents, presented in Parliament on March 25, 2025, can be found at https://drive.google.
com/drive/folders/16n2xNG_NvlcEM52vW9uPlpi7bsfVUJ5q.
429.
“‘Chayaphon’ Exposes Sequel of the Military’s IO Operations ‘Thaksin-Anutin’—Not Safe.” Prachatai, 26 Mar.
2025, prachatai.com/journal/2025/03/112456.
430.
“His Majesty Appoints General Thammanoon Withee as a Royal Civil Servant.” Khaosod, 28 Sep. 2021,
www.khaosod.co.th/politics/news_6644718.
431.
“His Majesty Appoints Three Generals as Royal Civil Servants With the Rank of “Special Field Marshal.””
Thai PBS, 6 Oct. 2023, www.thaipbs.or.th/news/content/332512.
427.
87