Cyber Incident Victim: Royal Thai Police
Date:
Jan 2016
Location:
Thailand
Summary
Hackers associated with the Anonymous collective and Myanmar-based Blink Hacker Group targeted Thai police websites in protest over the murder convictions of two Myanmar nationals linked to the deaths of British tourists. The attackers defaced sites with messages including "Failed Law" and "We Want Justice," causing temporary inaccessibility to nine police portals. Authorities acknowledged the disruption but asserted no sensitive data was compromised, dismissing the hackers' capabilities. The cyberattack followed international criticism of the Thai investigation's handling, including allegations of evidence mishandling and torture claims dismissed by courts, which had sparked public demonstrations in Myanmar demanding the defendants' release.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 2 techniques |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On January 5, 2016, hackers targeted multiple Thai police websites in protest against the legal proceedings involving two Myanmar migrant workers convicted of murdering British tourists. The international hacking collective Anonymous claimed responsibility for the attacks via a Facebook post, listing 14 compromised police websites, nine of which were confirmed inaccessible that day. Thai police acknowledged the cyber intrusions but asserted that no confidential data was breached, with spokesperson Dechnarong Suthicharnbancha dismissing the attackers' capabilities, stating, "They’re not good enough to hack into our system and steal any of our data." The attacks followed a 37-minute video published on Anonymous’s Facebook page two days prior, featuring a masked individual criticizing the Thai police’s investigative competence and handling of high-profile cases. Disruptions to the police websites constituted the primary technical impact, though authorities maintained the attacks only affected public-facing platforms without penetrating internal systems.
The cyber protests directly referenced the December 24, 2015, verdict sentencing Zaw Lin and Win Zaw Htun to death for the 2014 murders of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on Koh Tao island. The court dismissed defense allegations of police torture and evidence mishandling during the investigation, which had drawn international scrutiny. Defaced police websites displayed messages including “Failed Law,” “We Want Justice,” and the hashtag #BoycottThailand, alongside attribution to the Myanmar-based “Blink Hacker Group.” The verdict had previously triggered physical protests in Myanmar, with demonstrators gathering outside Thailand’s embassy in Yangon demanding the defendants’ release. While Anonymous publicly condemned the Thai justice system’s handling of the case, Reuters noted it could not independently verify the perpetrators of the website disruptions. No subsequent data leaks, arrests, or technical countermeasures by Thai authorities were disclosed in the available reporting.