Thailand is studying whether to introduce a law barring children under the age of 16 from using social media. This comes amid growing concern over how much time the country’s youngest children spend in front of screens.
The proposal was raised by Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri, speaking on 21 June in his role as chairman of the board of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. This is the state-backed agency known as ThaiHealth. He cited foundation data showing that more than 93 percent of Thai people use the internet. On average, they spend 7 hours and 54 minutes online each day. Among children aged nought to two, some 72.6 percent have more than an hour of screen time daily. This is a level the agency warns could affect learning, communication and age-appropriate development.
Beyond developmental concerns, ThaiHealth said children and young people face a range of online risks. These include cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, online gambling and exposure to advertising that promotes risky behaviour such as vaping. The agency said such risks can harm mental health, fuel stress and anxiety and shape daily habits. Over time, they also contribute to wider social problems.
ThaiHealth said it would examine the impact and feasibility of measures to limit how children and teenagers use online media. This work draws on examples from countries that have already passed such laws. It pointed to Australia, which has introduced a ban on social media use by under-16s. It also set penalties for platforms that fail to screen out child users effectively.
The foundation is also working with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to build stronger protections for children online. That effort covers pushing for new policy and monitoring illegal websites. It also includes developing a system for reporting harmful content and encouraging creative use of technology. The work focuses on four areas. These are strengthening media and digital literacy, developing learning tools, running campaigns to promote healthy media habits and building cooperation between government, business and civil society.
Child health specialists quoted by the foundation advised parents to set screen time limits suited to a child’s age and to encourage physical activity, play and shared family learning, so that children can grow in a balanced way physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually. Building digital resilience from early childhood, the agency said, is a key step in protecting young people from online harm.
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