Joint press centre to close as anti-fake news media centre takes over
Thailand will close its Joint Press Centre on the Thai-Cambodian Border Situation and shift fact-checking and rebuttals of distorted reports to a new media centre.
The Joint Press Centre on the Thai-Cambodian Border Situation adjusted its briefing format on Sunday, December 28, shifting from routine situation reports to answering questions and addressing public concerns following the signing of the joint statement (JS).
Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, spokesperson for the Defence Ministry, served as moderator.
He said the briefing at the Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Station, or Thai TV 5, would be the final session held under the Joint Press Centre on the Thai-Cambodian Border Situation, as Thailand moves to establish a new media centre under clause 15 of the JS.
The new centre will be tasked with clarifying facts and countering distorted information. Officials on the panel also appeared in business suits rather than field uniforms, reflecting a lower operational posture following the ceasefire agreement.
Air Chief Marshal Prapas Sonjaidee, director of the joint press centre, said the media centre would serve as a mechanism for verifying disputed claims and responding to fake news. He noted that people in the two countries may hold differing views that cannot always be controlled, but said Thailand is working to create a coordinated process.
He added that Thailand has already made progress on its side and has liaised with the office of the assistant military attaché in Cambodia, as well as Cambodian embassy officials, with a working group now formed.
He said the centre’s role will include assessing whether content is inflammatory or could have a significant impact on the conflict, then coordinating to verify whether it is true. If both sides confirm a claim is false, it will be classified as fake news and communicated to the public. Verification will use various tools and checks, he added.
Prapas said Thailand is currently looking for a location for the new office as part of the transition. In the meantime, the working group will hold virtual meetings continuously and move towards daily public-facing Q&A briefings.
Media outlets will also be able to submit questions or request briefings as needed. He said the structure is expected to be finalised soon, adding that work under clause 15 has already begun, with formal orders to follow.
