BANGKOK — Thailand's government has blocked 13,888 illegal online gambling pages and websites linked to the 2026 World Cup in an 18-day AI-backed crackdown, while warning businesses against showing live match broadcasts for commercial purposes without permission.
Thailand's Prime Minister's Office has outlined tougher measures to prevent legal violations during the World Cup, targeting transnational online football gambling networks alongside efforts to protect intellectual property rights.
The government stressed that businesses must strictly follow the rules to help create a responsible and lawful atmosphere for watching the global sporting event.
Thailand's Deputy Government Spokeswoman Ploytalay Laksameesangchan explained that the government had integrated the work of security and technology agencies to strengthen cyber-blocking measures against URLs linked to online gambling.
The operation has been carried out with support from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, which is using artificial intelligence to detect, analyze and screen suspicious data across social media platforms more accurately.
