Thailand bans government links in SMS and email to fight scams

Thailand’s government is taking radical steps to prevent the spread of online scams, banning all state agencies from sending SMS messages or emails containing embedded links.

The directive was approved by the Cabinet and announced by Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaichanok Chidchob, aiming to make it harder for crooks to exploit a major scam opportunity.

Citizens are now urged to treat any official text or email containing a link as suspicious and report it.

"The DE Ministry has imposed this control measure because this channel is still heavily exploited by scammers to deceive the public," Chaichanok said. "The goal is for the public to understand unanimously that 'government agencies will not send any links via SMS or email,' and any such messages should be treated as criminal impersonation."

The officials say the move is designed to control the source of fraud, especially as crooks continuously target citizens with malware-loaded links.

The ban applies across all official state agencies and expands on previous measures, such as a ban imposed by the Bank of Thailand in July 2025 prohibiting financial institutions from sending SMS messages with links.

In turn, the NBTC (Thailand’s telecom regulator) made bulk messaging laws stricter in August 2025, requiring telecom operators to verify the authenticity of links before delivery and restricting automated SMS messages to only those using registered sender IDs.

Thailand has made its fight against scams part of the national agenda. The National Committee on the Prevention and Suppression of Technology Crime, chaired by the Prime Minister, was established to lead the national effort.

In November 2025, 15 agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation in their fight against scams, outlining key areas of action, such as utilizing advanced technology to detect fraud before incidents occur and establishing an integrated coordination system.