Cyber Incident Victim: Royal Thai Police
Date:
Dec 2016
Location:
Thailand
Summary
A hacktivist campaign opposing proposed internet legislation targeted Thai government websites, including the Thai Police Office, with manual DDoS attacks and breaches, successfully halting plans for a centralized internet gateway. Following subsequent amendments to cybercrime laws enabling broader censorship, renewed attacks disrupted multiple government sites. Authorities arrested nine teenagers linked to the operations and dismissed public opposition via an online petition. The legislative changes introduced stricter penalties for cybercrimes while raising concerns over expanded government surveillance powers.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
In October 2015, Thai hacktivists affiliated with the Anonymous collective launched #OpSingleGateway, a campaign opposing legislation to route all national internet traffic through a single state-controlled gateway. Critics likened the proposed system to China’s Great Firewall, citing concerns over online censorship. The initial phase involved manual distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks coordinated via social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, where participants were instructed to repeatedly refresh Thai government (thaigov.go.th) and Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) websites. This “F5 attack” overwhelmed both sites. As legislative efforts advanced, Anonymous escalated tactics, breaching Thai police websites and local internet service providers (ISPs). The sustained disruptions contributed to the government abandoning the single gateway proposal.
Following the legislative setback, Thai authorities introduced amendments to the Computer Crime Act in May 2016, which passed on December 16. The revisions permitted warrantless website censorship and communication interception, prompting renewed Anonymous opposition. Hacktivists mobilized through the “Citizens Against Single Gateway” Facebook group, orchestrating another wave of manual DDoS attacks in December 2016. Targets included the Defense Ministry website on December 19, the Thai Police Office website breached on December 17, and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports website attacked on December 23. Authorities responded with arrests, publicly confirming nine detainees aged 17–20 by December 27, while Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan warned of additional apprehensions. Over 400,000 citizens signed an online petition against the amendments, but officials dismissed the outcry. The revised law imposed stricter penalties for cybercrimes despite concerns over its potential misuse for suppressing dissent.