Thailand to Require Identity Checks for Social Media Advertisers From November 1

From November 1, 2026, social media platforms operating in Thailand will be required to verify the identity of anyone placing an ad before it can run, under rules issued by the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) and published in the Royal Gazette on May 5, taking effect 180 days later. Verification can be done through facial recognition matched against a national ID card or an officially recognised Digital ID system, with accepted documents including a national ID card, passport or company registration papers. Platforms must repeat the check unless an advertiser has already been verified within the previous year, and must keep advertiser records for at least 90 days after an ad expires.

The rule applies based on who the ad is targeted at rather than where the advertiser is based: a platform must require identity verification for any ad aimed at users in Thailand, even if the person or company buying it is overseas. The move follows a string of scam advertisements — fake investment schemes, counterfeit goods and phishing links — that regulators say have spread largely because ad buyers could stay anonymous.

For residents and visitors in Thailand, the practical effect is that major platforms should get harder to use for anonymous scam ads from early November, though the rule governs advertisers and platforms rather than ordinary social media users, who need do nothing themselves.