Latest news with #Thai-language
AFP
3 days ago
- Politics
- AFP
Image of masked anti-Thai PM protesters bears AI signs
"I question if these protesters are Thai," reads the Thai-language caption to the image shared June 27, 2025 on Facebook. "They might attack each other and blame it on the government." A text overlay says the masked individuals are "Sriwichai Warriors", a group associated with the . Image Screenshot of the false post taken June 30, 2025, with a red X added by AFP Similar posts surfaced elsewhere on Facebook and TikTok after protesters gathered in Thailand's Government House demanding Paetongtarn to step down (archived link). The heiress of the powerful Shinawatra dynasty is facing a court case filed by conservative lawmakers accusing her of breaching a requirement for "evident integrity" during a diplomatic call with Cambodia. Thailand and Cambodia have long been at loggerheads over a territorial dispute, which intensified into a cross-border clash in May that left one of Phnom Penh's troops dead. When Paetongtarn called Cambodian ex-leader Hun Sen to discuss the row, she called him "uncle" and referred to a Thai military commander as her "opponent", sparking widespread backlash over her rhetoric. Thailand's Constitutional Court said there was "sufficient cause to suspect" Paetongtarn may have breached ministerial ethics in the conversation, a recording of which was leaked in Cambodia. The tribunal suspended her pending a probe (archived link). However, an AFP analysis of the circulating image found visual flaws indicating that it was made using AI. The image appears to show the men standing in front of Bangkok's Victory Monument with the capital's skytrain tracks visible at the back. But comparing it with Google Maps street imagery of the actual location shows several structures such as buildings and road surface markings that are missing in the image (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the image (L) and Google Maps street view imagery of Victory Monument with inconsistencies highlighted by AFP Othe visual errors include missing eyes and distorted faces, a person's . Such mistakes still occur despite the meteoric rise in generative AI, and are a good indicator of inauthenticity of visuals. Image Screenshot of the image with visual inconsistencies highlighted by AFP A reverse search on Google found the earliest version of the image shared in a June 25, 2025 Facebook post calling for a protest against the prime minister (archived link). The AI detection tool Hive Moderation found there was a 99.5 percent chance the image was generated using AI. Image Screenshot showing Hive Moderation results, taken July 2, 2025 AFP has fact-checked more misinformation related to the Thailand-Cambodia conflict here and here.
AFP
3 days ago
- Politics
- AFP
Thai posts falsely claim Cambodia loses access to Singapore oil exports
"Singapore refused to sell oil to Cambodia, telling Hun Sen to go back home," reads part of a Thai‑language X post published on June 26, 2025. An attached graphic shows photos of Cambodia's influential former prime minister Hun Sen and former Singapore leader Lee Hsien Loong. Superimposed Thai-language text claims Singapore said the Cambodian leader lacks "diplomatic manners". The post, which was shared more than 12,000 times, surfaced after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced the country would halt all fuel imports from Thailand as tensions escalated over an ongoing border row (archived link). A longstanding territorial dispute between the neighbours boiled over into cross-border clashes in May, killing one Cambodian soldier. The row has also gravely wounded Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was suspended by the Constitutional Court on July 1 pending an ethics probe over a leaked phone call with Hun Sen that saw her accused of appeasing Phnom Penh and undermining her own military (archived link). Image Screenshot of the false X post captured on July 1, 2025, with a red X added by AFP The same claims was also shared in similar posts on Facebook and TikTok. As of July 3, however, there have been no official reports of Singapore announcing it will cut off oil shipments to Cambodia. Cambodia's current Prime Minister Hun Manet and his Singapore counterpart Lawrence Wong met in Phnom Penh on July 2, with Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying the pair reaffirmed the countries' "excellent ties" and agreed on the importance of deepening cooperation (archived link). The ministry makes no mention of oil trade being discussed, but says Wong "expressed concern in relation to recent developments at the Cambodia-Thailand border, and encouraged both sides to resolve the matter peacefully and amicably, in line with the spirit of ASEAN solidarity." A reverse image search on Google for the photos used in the falsely shared graphic led to a picture taken during the 2019 ASEAN summit in Bangkok, which was posted on the Cambodian government website on June 23, 2019 (archived link). The photo shows Hun Sen meeting Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the summit. The same photo was also shared on Hun Sen's verified Facebook page (archived link). Hun Sen resigned as Cambodia's prime minister in July 2023 and Lee Hsien Loong was replaced as Singapore's prime minister in May 2024 (archived here and here). Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared graphic (left) and the photo published on the Cambodian government website (right) AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the Cambodia-Thailand border dispute.
AFP
25-06-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Manipulated image of burning Tel Aviv skyline circulates after Iranian strikes
"Iran hit Israel back. They invaded Tel Aviv," reads the Thai-language caption of an image shared on Facebook on June 14, 2025. The image appears to show the city's Marganit Tower and a nearby block of flats engulfed in flames (archived here and here). It surfaced after Israel attacked Iranian nuclear and military targets on June 13, prompting retaliatory strikes from Tehran (archived here and here). The arch foes continued to trade missile fire before US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on June 24 to end the conflict, which has killed 610 in Iran and 28 in Israel (archived here and here). The announcement came just hours after Iran launched strikes against an American military base in Qatar, which Trump described as a "weak" retaliation for US strikes against Iranian nuclear sites (archived link). Image Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on June 20, 2025, with a red X added by AFP The same image also circulated in similar Thai-language Facebook posts, as well as in English Facebook and X posts. The circulating image, however, does not match news footage of Iranian strikes on Tel Aviv. A reverse image search on Google led to the same image in a now-deleted Facebook post from June 14, from a user who describes himself as a Libyan programmer and designer. The image's Arabic-language caption reads: Footage from the BBC shows the area in Tel Aviv was struck by an Iranian missile, but did not set off fires as seen in the false post (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the circulating image (left) and the BBC footage (right), with corresponding buildings highlighted by AFP Similar footage shared by France 24 on YouTube also shows plumes of smoke rising from near the impact of the strike, and no surrounding buildings engulfed in flames (archived link). AFP has previously debunked several other false claims related to the Iran-Israel conflict.
AFP
25-06-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Video shows Malaysia factory fire, not Iranian attack on Israel's air defence system
"The Israeli air defence system in Tel Aviv was destroyed by Iranian missiles," reads Thai-language text on a TikTok video published on June 20, 2025. The video shows people watching a fire behind a building in the distance before an explosion appears to launch a fireball into the air. It surfaced a day after a hospital in southern Israel and buildings in the central towns of Ramat Gan and Holon, close to coastal hub Tel Aviv, were struck after a barrage of Iranian missiles (archived link). Iran said the main target of the attack in Israel's south was a military and intelligence base, not the hospital (archived link). Iran had been firing daily missile barrages at Israel since a wide-ranging Israeli attack on the Islamic republic's nuclear installations and military bases on June 13 triggered the war. A US-proposed ceasefire announced on June 24 appeared to be holding, bringing an end to the 12-day conflict which has killed more than 600 people in Iran and 28 people in Israel (archived link). Image Screenshot of the false TikTok post captured on June 23, 2025, with a red X added by AFP The same footage was also viewed millions of times in similar X posts. But the video does not show an air defence system destroyed by Iran. Unrelated video A reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to the same footage posted on TikTok on April 25, weeks before the start of the Iran-Israel war (archived link). The clip was posted by the user "hamidhudson937", whose handle can be seen in the top-left corner of the falsely shared video. The video used in the false posts appears to be a slowed down version of the TikTok clip, and onlookers can be more clearly heard saying in Malay: "The gas cylinder is flying." Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and the TikTok video posted in April (right) Subsequent keyword searches on Google led to similar footage of the blaze posted on TikTok on April 24 with the Malay-language caption, "A factory fire in Senai's Desa Idaman" (archived link). AFP geolocated the factory to an industrial town in southern Malaysia (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and Google Street View imagery (right), with corresponding elements highlighted by AFP Local media outlets Buletin TV3 and The Sun reported that three men were injured in the fire (archived here and here). AFP has previously debunked other false claims related to the Iran-Israel war.
AFP
23-06-2025
- Politics
- AFP
Video shows fire at power plant in Yemen, not Israel refinery hit by Iran
on a Yemeni power plant has resurfaced in posts falsely linking it to the Iran-Israel war. The posts circulated after Israel confirmed an oil refinery in Haifa was struck by an Iranian missile, but the clip was geolocated to a power plant south of Yemen's capital Sanaa and was shared weeks before arch foes Iran and Israel traded waves of devastating strikes. "Bazan's power plant in Haifa was completely destroyed by an Iranian missile attack on June 16," reads a Thai-language X post shared on June 18, 2025. An attached clip shows an industrial facility engulfed in flames and blanketed by thick black smoke. It circulated after Israeli officials confirmed an oil refinery in the coastal city of Haifa was struck by an Iranian missile on June 15 (archived here and here). The arch foes have traded wave after wave of devastating strikes since Israel struck Iranian nuclear and military facilities with a barrage of missiles on June 13, killing several top officials and prompting a counter-attack by Tehran (archived here and here). In a flashpoint moment for the Middle EastPresident Donald Trump said US air strikes on June 22 had "totally obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites and warned more targets would be hit if Iran did not make peace quickly (archived link). Hours later, Iran launched two waves of attacks against long-time foe Israel. Image Screenshot of the false X post captured on June 19, 2025, with a red X added by AFP The same footage also circulated in other Thai-language posts as well as English, Burmese, Japanese, Hindi and Bengali posts. But the video does not show an Iranian strike on Israel. Sanaa power plant A reverse image search using keyframes from the falsely shared video led to the same clip posted on Instagram on May 7 (archived link). According to an archive captured on June 19, its Arabic-language caption said it showed a power plant in Sanaa. The caption was later changed to say Tel Aviv. The Instagram user did not respond to an AFP request for comment. Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and the May 7 Instagram video (right) Elements in the video also correspond to south of Sanaa (archived link). Image Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared clip (left) and Google Maps imagery of the Haziz power plant (right), with similar elements highlighted by AFP Media reports from May 6 and a post on the Israel Defense Forces' official X account say Yemen's capital Sanaa was hit by a series of airstrikes that targeted infrastructure including power stations (archived here, here and here). Among the sites struck was the . AFP has previously debunked other misinformation related to the Iran-Israel conflict.
