The minister of information and communication technology backed down from a threat made on Sunday, and said he has no authority to close down websites.
After telling reporters on Sunday that websites that allow criticism of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will be shut down, ICT Minister Anudith Nakornthap said on Tuesday that any such decision lies with the Criminal Court.
Once the court rules that a website should be shut, the ICT Ministry informs internet service providers to follow the court's order, he said. This system has been in effect for several years.
Gp Capt Anudith: The ICT Ministry is not violating democratic principles.
"The accusation (made by opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva) that my ministry is violating democratic principles is therefore not true," said the minister.
Using social networking sites to express one's opinions cannot be prohibited, the minister said. But using online media to make accusations, slander or give false information about someone else is in violation of both the Computer Act and criminal law, he said.
"It is not true that the ICT Ministry only gives importance to the prime minister's case," Gp Capt Adudith said. "The ministry has taken legal action against wrongdoers without bias."
"If a person thinks he is not treated faily or in line with the law, he can take legal action against the ministry as well."
As for websites hosting lese majeste content, he said his ministry was one of the components overseeing the issue.
"If any person gives interviews or expresses one's opinions in order to create hatred, take political advantage, distort facts or cause a misunderstanding, the ministry will condemn such action and ask the person to stop creating division and hatred in the society," said the ICT minister.
The ICT minister's comment came in the wake of a post on a speech last week by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to a democracy forum in Mongolia. Somchai Katanyatanan, a popular cartoonist known as Chai Ratchawat for the mass circulation Thai Rath newspaper, implied in a Facebook post that Ms Yingluck's comments made her worse than a prostitute.