Thai Government Urges Public to Report 'Fake Foreigner' YouTube Channel Spreading Disinformation
Officials call on citizens to flag a channel allegedly run by a Cambodian using AI to impersonate a Westerner and undermine Thai tourism
The Thai government has appealed to the public for assistance in reporting a YouTube channel accused of disseminating false information and deliberately attacking the country's vital tourism industry.
Jirayu Huangsap, spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, revealed today that warnings had been received about a YouTube channel named "Carl Reed - Your Thailand Guide."
While the channel presents itself with a Western name and image, investigations have found that it is, in fact, operated by a Cambodian individual who uses AI technology to alter their voice to sound like a native English speaker.
Jirayu stated that the individual's aim is to distort the truth about Thailand, create conflict with specific intentions, and directly target Thai tourism.
The channel's content is said to contain material that is discriminatory towards both Thai and Indian people, and it reportedly includes elements designed to foster hatred and division across Southeast Asia and the wider Asian region.
Therefore, the government is requesting the cooperation of social media users to report the YouTube channel in question. The objective is for YouTube to swiftly investigate and suspend the account.
The steps for reporting the channel are as follows:
- Go to the "Carl Reed - Your Thailand Guide" channel profile page.
- Select the "About" tab.
- Click on "Report User."
- Choose the reason: "Misleading or impersonation."
- Type an explanation: "This channel is run by a Cambodian using AI to impersonate a Westerner, attacking Thailand and defaming Asian people."
"We urge the Thai public to take these steps. We must not allow Cambodia to act with impunity, and we must protect Thailand's image from those with malicious intent," said Jirayu. "Furthermore, if you come across any social media content of a similar nature that aims to damage Thailand's reputation, please report it immediately to prevent and limit the widespread dissemination of false information."
