AI-Generated Deepfake Audio of Thai PM Spreads on Social Media
An AI-generated audio deepfake of Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul falsely claiming he would reopen closed border crossings with Cambodia circulated on TikTok in May 2026. The Prime Minister publicly rejected the clip as fake, and fact-checkers confirmed it was AI-generated.
What happened
A 28-second audio clip circulated on TikTok on May 10, 2026, purporting to show Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul speaking in Thai about plans to reopen closed border crossings with Cambodia by early June. The clip garnered more than 50,000 views and 1,700 likes on TikTok.
On May 13, 2026, Anutin rejected the clip as false and 'obviously AI-generated.' AFP fact-checkers ran the audio through a media analysis tool which confirmed it was 'very likely AI-generated.' The Prime Minister stated: 'I never said that. There is no open border crossing.'
Reported impact
Some TikTok users appeared to believe the audio was genuine, with comments expressing reactions to the purported reopening policy.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.