BANGKOK, Thailand – The government has reportedly blocked more than 437,000 illegal website URLs over the past five months as part of expanded efforts to combat online crime. Authorities said most of the blocked sites were linked to online gambling activities.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Persvivatana said the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society carried out the enforcement between October 1, 2025, and February 28, 2026, removing a total of 437,473 illegal URLs. In February alone, authorities blocked 132,842 links across social media platforms and websites.
Online gambling accounted for the largest share, with 362,482 blocked URLs. Other categories included content related to electronic cigarettes, alcohol advertising, cannabis sales, firearms, and prostitution. Authorities also blocked additional sites linked to scams, misinformation, hate speech, and pornographic material.
The ministry has deployed artificial intelligence systems to detect and analyze illegal online activities before forwarding information to enforcement platforms that support court-ordered website suspensions. Additional tools enable authorities to quickly send orders to internet service providers and verify that blocked websites remain inaccessible, thereby boosting efforts to reduce illegal digital activities and online crime. (NNT)
