“Thai authorities are planning to tighten control over the Internet, creating a single international access point so they can better monitor content,” reports Voice Of America Correspondent Steve Herman in Bangkok.
The plan is being called Thailand’s own “Great Firewall,” after the colloquial term used to describe the Chinese government’s extensive and effective internet censorship system.
Thai cabinet wants MICT to create a single gateway for Thailand to block access to sites and control information flow http://t.co/KQ2XCESD9c
— Prem Sichanugrist (@sikachu) September 22, 2015
More local coverage with A+ doublespeak from authorities, in the Bangkok Post:
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Minister Uttama Savanayana has admitted the government plans to create a single international internet gateway to share digital infrastructure with interested companies.
The planned gateway will not invade personal data or violate people’s rights to access public information, he said on Thursday.
The project has been widely criticised on social media that it may violate people’s basic rights to access public information.
The concept is aimed at creating a new gateway as a main connection point of internet traffic in the country to facilitate the digital economy. The nine existing gateways owned by state enterprises and private companies will not be dissolved, he said.
“The government will not order any company to share its gateway facilities but will ask for voluntary access to the gateway,” Mr Uttama said.
The ICT Ministry is now studying all related factors before implementing the plan. However, it did not set a time frame for when the single gateway would be implemented.
“The planned single gateway is to serve basic economic needs, not for national security purposes,” he said.
A related Bangkok Post item is here, and more local coverage at khaosodenglish.com.
Thai censorship logo on a laptop in Bangkok on Friday.
Thai censorship officials visit an internet cafe in Bangkok