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The Digital Economy and Society Ministry (DE) confirms the news is true: a new coronavirus strain has been found in Thai bats. Currently, no human infections have been detected. This virus has lower potential for causing disease and spreading compared to COVID-19. The public is urged to closely follow official information.
On 11 May 2026, Mr. Vethang Puangsap, spokesperson for the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE), as a civil servant, spoke about monitoring results and fake news reports from the Anti-Fake News Center of Thailand (AFNC). This aligns with the policy to prevent and address security and social threats under Minister Chaiyachon Chidchop, who has elevated awareness efforts regarding technological crime, fake news, and misinformation.
On 9 May 2026, AFNC reviewed a total of 160,397 messages, of which 8,714 required verification. The main source of leads was Social Listening with 8,713 messages, and 1 message came from the Line Official channel. There were 24 issues under investigation, with 11 verified by relevant agencies. Among these, seven topics attracted the most public interest: two true news items, three fake news, and two distorted news, as follows.
Rank 1 True News: Discovery of a new coronavirus strain in Thai bats.
Rank 2 True News: Increased enforcement in 31 border provinces using four measures to crack down on smuggled goods and drugs.
Rank 3 Fake News: Offering all types of driving licenses via TikTok.
Rank 4 Fake News: New laws in the Special Economic Zone (SEC) allowing casinos and 99-year land leases.
Rank 5 Distorted News: Tongue characteristics (color, coating, cracks, teeth marks) can diagnose internal organ diseases.
Rank 6 Distorted News: Thailand cancels MOU44 to divert bilateral negotiations.
Rank 7 Fake News: Department of Skill Development opens a Facebook page recruiting people to pack paper bags for work-from-home jobs.
Regarding the top-ranked true news, “Discovery of a new coronavirus strain in Thai bats”, the DE Ministry, after verification with the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, confirmed it as "true news." The virus was found through wildlife disease surveillance under the One Health concept, which monitors, prevents, and controls diseases among humans, animals, and the environment.
So far, no human infections have been found. Studies show this virus has lower potential to cause disease and spread than COVID-19. Additionally, COVID-19 vaccines remain effective in reducing disease severity, so the risk of outbreak is assessed to be low.
However, DE expresses concern for public awareness regarding fake news spreading on online and social media. Lack of media literacy can lead to sharing false information, causing misunderstandings, property or personal data damage, and widespread societal impact.
The public is advised to believe and share only useful information disseminated by official agencies and to carefully verify facts and website links.