Chaiyachonok indicated that the child who committed the shooting accessed normal websites to watch documentaries, not violent content. However, a game account was found where a virtual gun shop was created. He is engaging with platforms to seek preventive measures and coordinating with associations and game companies to help monitor.
12 Aug 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Chaiyachonok Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society, commented on the case of the student who committed a shooting at Thepsirin School in Nonthaburi. Police investigations found that the child had accessed websites with violent content that might have led to the incident. He said he received information from the media about the child accessing a so-called Dark Web site with murder content, but the facts are not as such. The child accessed YouTube content consisting of educational documentaries. Police investigations found that the websites visited were normal documentary sites, not violent content as imagined. This is not something that can be blocked or prohibited.
Mr. Chaiyachonok added that earlier, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) had discussions with various platforms and companies with protection policies, including Apple and Meta, about enhancing prevention measures. Initially, talks with Apple involve adjusting terms and changing child protection policy modes. Discussions with other platforms are ongoing.
When asked if the ministry foresaw this problem before the incident, Mr. Chaiyachonok said yes, because the focus is not only on this case but also on general content access, AI, fake news, and scammers, which are already areas of concern. When pressed on how effective the preventive approach might be after talks with platforms, he said ultimately parental user accounts are still used for access, but the ministry aims to provide first-level prevention through website access control.
Asked again whether the websites accessed by the child before the incident were normal, Mr. Chaiyachonok said they were YouTube and basic websites, mostly educational. However, he could not make a final judgment in this case. Nevertheless, the fact that the child searched before the incident suggests a premeditated decision. One action taken is that upon discovering the child had a game account with a virtual gun shop, the ministry contacted the game association—not to ban or block, but to find joint solutions. He believes game companies can assist by monitoring user accounts with risky behavior or special interest in guns and provide information to government agencies to enable preventive measures. ."
