Thailand’s civic space remains classified as repressed by the CIVICUS Monitor despite the return of a civilian-led government in 2023. Fundamental freedoms such as freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly are still heavily curtailed, with the lèse-majesté law and other restrictive measures used systematically against activists, journalists, and academics. Protests are criminalised, civil society is closely surveilled, and political parties calling for reform have been dissolved. CSOs face major legal and regulatory barriers, including costly registration, intrusive oversight, and the looming Draft Act on Associations and Foundations, which would expand state control and allow arbitrary dissolution of organisations. Access to resources is equally restricted: foreign funding is shrinking and tied to onerous compliance requirements, while state funding is limited to government priorities, undermining independence. Transparency and participation are weak, with information difficult to access and consultations rarely leading to policy change. Public discourse often stigmatises rights-based or environmental groups as threats, fueling harassment, especially in the Southern Border Provinces. Finally, the digital environment is unsafe, with SLAPP suits, criminal defamation, censorship, and surveillance, further constraining CSO activity.
Key Recommendations include:
- The Government should drop politically motivated charges and amend or repeal the lèse-majesté law to align with international standards.
- The government must withdraw the Draft Act on Associations and Foundations, simplify and reduce the cost of registration for associations and foundations, and ensure fair and non-discriminatory procedures for both local and international NGOs.
- Authorities should digitise and make accessible all legal documents and information, review the Official Information Act to prevent abusive exemptions, and create genuine opportunities for civil society to influence decision-making across all policy areas.
- Efforts must also be made to counter harmful narratives that portray CSOs as threats, particularly in sensitive regions such as the Southern Border Provinces, and to promote awareness of their role in defending rights.
- Thailand should strengthen enforcement of anti-SLAPP measures, end state-led online censorship and surveillance, and cease digital harassment of CSOs through information operations.
