The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology has told Internet Service Providers to deal with offending websites, saying if they fail to do so, the Ministry will close them. 

On 4 Nov, the Minister of ICT Ranongrak Suwanchawee told Thai Rath about progress in tracking down people involved in spreading rumours for stock manipulation. 

It was found that Theeranan Wiphuchanin might have posted the translation only on the website which was the source of the rumour [Prachatai webboard].  But Katha Pachachariyapong was found to have posted the ‘inauspicious’ content on many websites, and forwarded it to his stock-brokering friends, of whom at least two people had further forwarded the message.  They will be charged under the 2007 Computer Crimes Act, the Minister said.

Regarding action against the source website of the rumour [Prachatai] where Theeranan posted her translation, Ranongrak said that she had to wait for the findings of the police first.  If the website is found to have links with the ‘rumour-mongering gang’, the webmaster will be prosecuted under the 2007 Computer Crimes Act, facing the penalty of up to 5 years in jail or a fine of 100,000 baht, or both, she said.

The MICT has contacted the ISPs which provide services to the websites [Prachatai and Fah Diew Kan] and informed them that if they still allow these websites which have had records of being ‘subversive to national security’ to continue, the Ministry will close down those ISPs.