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Turning to Thailand, there have been more than 400 public demonstrations this year, to date. According to in South-East Asia, there have been 33 attacks and threats against journalists in Thailand since January. More than a third of such confrontations were caused by state actors. 

In early November, media professionals, a human rights advocate, and a journalism researcher shared their experiences of how journalists were attacked and harassed while covering political protests and elections. Chalinee Thirasupa, a freelance photographer with Reuters, had an eye injured by a shard of glass from a bottle thrown from behind the line of the riot police. ‘We—around 15 journalists—were [standing apart] from the protesters and clearly seen [wearing] press armbands – so it did not make any sense that we were [mistaken] as protesters.’ 

Lack of formal and systematic documentation on violence against the media has contributed to a culture of impunity among law enforcement in Thailand. Panelist Phansasiri Kularb, a journalism lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, who has researched the role of the Thai media in protests and political violence on different occasions between 1992 and 2022 noted, ‘Previous attempts to investigate the use of violence against the media and citizens put a burden on the affected parties, because the process was lengthy and time consuming. Often it led to unclear conclusions and further actions by the state.’

Panel participants were in agreement that an improvement on labour rights protection in the media industry and the legalization of protective gear, such as bulletproof vests and gas masks, will make it more physically and mentally ‘safe’ for journalists trying to carry out their work in the public interest at protest sites. 

At present, Thailand is one of only a few countries in South-East Asia that has not ratified the on Freedom of Association and the Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively. As for the matter of protective gear, journalists traveling in Thailand with body armour and gas masks have been charged with unlicensed possession of war weapons. Such infractions could lead to a jail sentence and heavy fines.