Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered that people who forged a Royal Household Bureau statement about the King's health be hunted down.
The statement, claiming to be the bureau's 13th statement, was disseminated online including on the website of ASTV Manager on Monday night. However, it was later found to be a fake statement, believed to have been made abroad, and ASTV Manager executives urged the government to launch an investigation.
The main office of the Royal Household Bureau (Samnak Phra Ratchawan) is at the Grand Palace. The Bureau is an official link between His Majesty the King and his subjects. (Creative Commons photo, Wikipedia)
Gen Prayut on Tuesday condemned the forgers, branding them "ill-minded" and daring to behave in ways highly unacceptable to Thais.
This distorted information can cause confusion, so "I urge the whole of society not to easily believe baseless news," he said.
The prime minister has told authorities to seek the masterminds and accomplices behind the production and distribution of the fake statement. However, he admitted the operation would take time as the incident happened on the internet.
Police are taking the issue seriously after the Royal Household Bureau asked national police chief Pol Gen Somyot Pumpunmuang to take "immediate action", said national police spokesman Pol Lt Gen Prawut Thawornsiri.
Investigators have examined the statement, but their findings cannot be revealed, said Pol Lt Gen Prawut, who also holds the position of assistant police chief.
Police suspect the statement might have been sent from abroad, Pol Lt Gen Prawut added.
The officers have not yet found a link between the incident and a group calling itself Banphot, consisting of website developers who allegedly disseminate content insulting the monarchy. Police recently arrested six of its members.
Meanwhile, executives of ASTV Manager on Tuesday decided to fire Niran Yaowapha, who oversees its website, following the appearance of the untrue statement on its online newsfeed.
He has to be held responsible for the mistake, according to the executives, who also planned to further punish him by withholding his salary.
Mr Niran complained to Chana Songkhram police that somebody distributed the statement which was later posted on ASTV Manager's website.
However, after checking the statement's authenticity, the news agency found the information was distorted, immediately removed it from the site and posted an apology, he said.
Deputy government spokesman Maj Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the government understands media workers need to race against time to offer the freshest news, but they must be also be aware of the accuracy of information.
The incident also alerted the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, which Tuesday reminded mobile phone signal service providers to prevent distributing false information claimed to be from the Royal Household Bureau, said NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasit.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said he wondered why somebody dared forge the Royal Household Bureau's statement about the King's health.
Gen Prawit said he wanted police to arrest the culprits and bring them to justice as soon as possible.