Ratchada refutes rumors that the government orders monitoring or surveillance of certain media outlets, affirming there is no directive to interfere, and expresses openness to all criticism.Tags: [government spokesperson, media monitoring, media freedom, government statement]
On 20 June 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, addressed rumors concerning media freedom claims that the government is closely monitoring or surveilling certain media outlets. She stated these claims are untrue, affirming the government has no policy to block the media, no orders to interfere, and no actions that pressure journalists in their duties.Tags: [media freedom, government denial, press monitoring, misinformation]
Ms. Ratchada confirmed that the government, led by Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, firmly upholds the principle that media freedom is a vital mechanism in democracy. The government respects the work of all media sectors, including mainstream media, online platforms, and public content creators, provided their reporting is factual, verifiable, and considers the public interest.Tags: [media freedom, democracy, government respect, journalism standards]
"The government does not interfere with the media, does not order surveillance, does not monitor any news agency in particular, and certainly does not use state power to pressure the media. The reality visible to the public today is that journalists continue to report news, express opinions, and critique government performance freely. If the government truly imposed restrictions, such intense scrutiny would not be visible in the public sphere," the Prime Minister's Office spokesperson stated.Tags: [media independence, government transparency, press freedom, public scrutiny]
Regarding the heavily criticized termination of the 'Jor Luk Thua Thai' program on MCOT, Ms. Ratchada clarified that this was an internal matter unrelated to any government directive or interference. She emphasized that this does not mean media or program hosts cannot continue to scrutinize the government. All media sectors remain able to perform their duties normally within the framework of social responsibility.Tags: [media program termination, government interference denial, media scrutiny, MCOT]
Furthermore, Ms. Ratchada explained that government "news monitoring" is a routine function across all agencies to keep the government informed of public feedback, issues, complaints, and criticisms for corrective action. If fake news or distorted reports are found, the government’s role is only to clarify facts, not to restrict rights or intimidate specific media. She posed the question, "If the government did not monitor news at all, how would it understand society's needs?"Tags: [news monitoring, fake news, government communication, public feedback]
Nevertheless, the government aims for Thai political discourse to move in a constructive direction, not viewing watchdogs or the media as adversaries. It is ready to provide space for ongoing transparent scrutiny of its work to ensure the highest benefits for the people and the nation.Tags: [political discourse, media relations, transparency, government accountability]