This podcast episode is part of the report “State-Sponsored Online Disinformation in Thailand: Impact on Electoral Integrity in Thailand”. The report examines government-backed disinformation campaigns, known as information operations, and assesses their impact on the integrity of elections. The report identifies key actions domestic and international state actors contribute to false information campaigns. Based on the evidence of information operations in Thailand and the absence of effective legal and non-legal measures to address them, the 2023 Thai General Election is expected to experience its share of state-sponsored disinformation over social media platforms. So what happened? This episode examines these issues.

Our discussant for this episode is Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, a Harvard Law School graduate. Akarachai is a Legal Fellow at Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). The main focus of his work is to explore ways in which international human rights law can be used to promote and advance the protection of human rights in Thailand.

Before TLHR, Akarachai worked as a legal advocate for refugees in Bangkok. He also worked with the Office of the Co-Prosecutors at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, focusing on prosecuting senior military officers in Cambodia accused of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide.