BANGKOK– Thai officials have ramped up efforts to tackle the rising spread of Thai porn ไทย and Chinese AV (adult video) content, with a strong focus on online activity.
This campaign, run by the Royal Thai Police alongside the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) and the Communications Authority of Thailand, highlights the country’s strict approach to obscene materials. Their goal is to uphold public morals in a mostly conservative Buddhist society.
Thai law, under Section 287 of the Penal Code, makes it a crime to make, hold, share, or show obscene content, with offenders facing up to three years in prison. In recent months, officials have stepped up raids, going after both Thai and foreign producers behind Chinese AV material.
In one well-publicized case in Krabi, a foreign couple was caught making porn films for overseas use and now faces charges of obscenity and overstaying their visas. In Tak province, police arrested a young Thai man for running a site that spread child pornography, showing a strong push to shield children from harm.
The wave of Chinese AV content, often sent out from overseas sites, has drawn special attention from authorities. Thousands of URLs linked to foreign porn sites have been blocked, including well-known names like Pornhub, which Thailand banned in 2020 along with nearly 200 other pages.
Reports from the MDES show that in just the first half of 2022, the government blocked 2,630 URLs, with over 300 labelled as unethical. This shows how hard the country is working to control online adult content.
Tackling Chinese AV Online Pornography
Thailand’s battle against online pornography relies heavily on the Computer Crime Act (CCA) from 2017. This law lets officials watch and block any online content they see as offensive or harmful to morals.
The Cyber Security Operation Center, set up back in 2011, helps find and limit access to illegal pages. By 2020, more than 140,000 sites had been blocked. Internet providers are pressured to follow requests to restrict websites; if they refuse, they could see their bandwidth cut or face possible licence loss.
Yet, stopping internet access is tricky because many people use VPNs to get around these blocks. VPNs are not illegal in Thailand, but using them to reach banned material, including porn, breaks the CCA. The government now spends more time and money watching online users and, under the 2017 CCA, can even check user data without needing court approval in some cases. This move has raised alarms among privacy and digital rights supporters.
When Pornhub was banned in 2020, it caused a public outcry. The hashtag #SavePornhub went viral, and protesters gathered at the MDES offices. Many saw the ban as part of a pattern of online censorship, while conservative groups welcomed it, saying it would help shield young people from harmful material. The government argues these bans are key to reducing the negative impact of pornography on children and society as a whole.
Porn Addiction: Public Health Issue on the Rise
Rising rates of porn addiction have become a serious concern in Thailand. Despite blocks, online adult material remains easy to find. A 2012 study mentioned by South Korea’s Ministry of Public Administration and Security found 39.5 percent of children had seen pornography online, with some wanting to copy what they saw—experts reckon these figures apply to Thailand too.
More recently, Worldmetrics reported in 2024 that one-third of young Thai women had seen pornography before turning 18. This points to the huge challenge of controlling access in the digital world.
Boom Mosby, who started the Hug Project, links the rise in porn use to long COVID-19 lockdowns, which led to more screen time for children and teens. She says children aged 10 to 18 were much more exposed to adult material thanks to more time online.
This trend has led to unrealistic ideas about relationships and, at times, compulsive behaviour that needs outside help.
The Thai government has started promoting internet safety and digital literacy programs, and encourages parents to get involved with their children’s online use.
Yet, proper sex education is still rare, and traditional views often make open talk about sex or addiction difficult. Some believe that legalizing and regulating adult content would allow better age checks and reduce illegal sharing, but conservative groups strongly reject this idea.
Tough Laws Spark Debate
Thailand’s strong stance on pornography comes from its Buddhist heritage and traditional social values, which stress modesty and morality. Laws such as the CCA and the Penal Code provide tools for taking action, but how they are used can be uneven.
Well-known cases get a lot of attention, yet individuals are rarely prosecuted unless their actions involve large-scale sharing or children.
The Move Forward Party brought up a bill in 2024, called #UnlockPornSexToy, which would legalize the adult entertainment sector. Supporters think this could protect workers, cut down on abuse, and even help the economy, pointing to Thailand’s existing sex tourism as proof of split views on the subject. Opponents worry that legalization would harm the country’s reputation and oppose it on moral grounds.
The current laws on what counts as obscene give officials wide discretion, which has led to claims of selective targeting—sometimes for political content. Groups like the Manushya Foundation call Thailand’s censorship practices a “digital dictatorship” and object to the lack of free speech and respect for privacy.
Thailand faces the task of balancing its strong traditions with ongoing developments online and the health needs of its people. The latest actions against Thai and Chinese AV material mark a larger effort to keep control over online content.
While officials want to protect society from what they see as moral threats, hidden networks and ongoing protests suggest that bans alone will not solve the issue. Addressing porn use and exploitation may need a mix of tighter rules, wider education, and perhaps regulated adult industries.
For now, Thailand stands firm with tough anti-pornography laws, even as online trends and changing attitudes continue to test its traditional base.
