People warned against posting ‘Fake News’ on ‘April Fool’s Day’

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Pol Col Kritsana Pattanacharoen, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Police, said he has no choices but to press charges against those who release fake news even on the April Fool’s Day.
Pol Col Kritsana Pattanacharoen, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Police, said he has no choices but to press charges against those who release fake news even on the April Fool’s Day.

BANGKOK, April 1 – The police have warned people not to release fake news on the April Fool’s Day amid the crisis of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).



Pol Col Kritsana Pattanacharoen, deputy spokesman of the Royal Thai Police, said people with ill intentions could not cite the April Fool’s Day on April 1 as an excuse to release false information in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

April Fool’s Day refers to an annual custom of hoaxes and practical jokes.

“Fake news can confuse the society and shock people during the COVID-19 situation,” he said.

Any offence by inputting false information into a computer system would be decisively tackled and violators were liable to a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine of up to 40,000 baht for breaching the executive decree on public administration in emergency situation and a jail term of up to five years and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht for failing to comply with a computer crime law, Pol Col Kritsana said.

Pol Col Siriwat Deepor, deputy commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division, issued a similar warning. He said April Fool’s Day jokes were prohibited during the COVID-19 crisis because the government was implementing strict measures to control the disease and handle related situations. (TNA)