From “Classroom” to “Election Battleground” Six Voices from the Fact-Check Thailand Award 2026 Winners Call on Society to Elevate Fact-Checking Skills
As Thailand’s 2026 election draws closer, the “information battlefield” is heating up no less than the political arena itself. Fake news, distorted claims, and AI-generated or manipulated images and videos are being produced and amplified at a pace far faster than any “truth-correction process” can keep up with.
Against this backdrop, the “Talk for Truth” forum and the Fact-Check Thailand Award 2026 ceremony under the Fact Check Thailand 2026 project, hosted at Thai PBS sent a clear message: fact-checking is no longer the responsibility of the media alone. It is a civic skill that must be learned, practiced, and used especially during elections.
One of the strongest signals came from the voices of six award recipients, people from different regions, generations, and roles, who collectively affirmed that the training does not end in the classroom. It must translate into real work, becoming a vigilant force in the lead-up to election day.
Regional Reporter: “Arming” Journalism for the AI Era
Mr. Pornchai Iamsophon, a regional reporter based in Ranong, won The Best Checking Award for his piece “Dissolution of Parliament! Who Tore Up the MOA?” He said he joined Fact Check Thailand 2026 to “update” himself and prepare for an information environment where AI and social media accelerate the spread of misinformation.
[caption id="attachment_7896" align="aligncenter" width="2507"]
Mr. Pornchai Iamsophon, a regional reporter based in Ranong[/caption]
“I joined Fact Check Thailand 2026 because I wanted to update myself as a journalist. I wanted to equip myself for reporting in an era when AI is playing a bigger role, and social media is full of fake news”
Pornchai explained that after the training, every participant had to submit at least one fact-checking piece. At first, he “couldn’t find a topic” until the dissolution of parliament became breaking news, giving him a timely issue to verify. He said he submitted the piece without expecting any award.
Looking ahead to the 2026 election, Pornchai stressed that combining election reporting with fact-checking is a new challenge for regional journalists but one he believes is necessary to take on.
In this election, I want to check whether candidates’ campaign messages are actually feasible in practice, and also examine major party policies in relation to what candidates in each area are presenting. Reporting an election while fact-checking at the same time is very new for regional journalists but I’m going to try.
Policy Checking: Scrutinising “Policies” to Protect the Right to Accurate Information
Ms. Tattiya Trachu, an independent journalist and winner of the Policy Checking Award for “The Power of Money in Flood Relief for Hat Yai,” said the upcoming election will be fought not only at the ballot box but also in the “information arena” where verification is essential to protect citizens’ right to accurate public knowledge.
[caption id="attachment_7897" align="aligncenter" width="2507"]
Ms. Tattiya Trachu, an independent journalist [/caption]
“In the election ahead, the information battlefield is a challenging space for fact-checking something that is absolutely necessary to protect people’s right to access accurate information, as fact-checkers, we must help open eyes and ears, and stay alert to fake news at all times.”
Tattiya stressed that what she gained from the training was not merely knowledge, but practical tools she can apply directly to future reporting. For her, policy checking is not an academic exercise, it is a protective layer that catches distortions before they reach the public and shape decisions.
“What I gained from this training was not only knowledge, but tools and practice in fact checking and policy checking that I will carry into my work. Fact-checking and policy checking are like a cushion of truth before audiences fall into deception. It is another layer of assurance that information has been examined before it enters the realm of public judgment.”
She added that beyond correcting individual claims, rigorous policy scrutiny can strengthen readers’ critical thinking, helping society become more resilient to political messaging that is emotionally persuasive but poorly grounded in evidence.
Fact Checking: Students as a “Monitoring Mechanism” in an Age of Surging Information Flows
Ms. Jidapa Singson, a student in the Faculty of Information Science at Mahasarakham University and winner of the Fact Checking Award for her piece “The Phnom Penh Building Fire and the Thailand–Cambodia War”, said the programme provided both knowledge and practical tools to respond to the “rapidly accelerating flow of information.”
“Fact Check Thailand 2026 was an unforgettable experience… I gained tools to cope with and respond to the fast-moving currents of information,” she said.
Jidapa stressed that fact-checking is essential for reducing the spread of fake news, strengthening media credibility, and helping society build a safer digital footprint. “Fact checking is critically importan it helps curb the spread of fake news and publishing verified information also contributes to a more positive digital footprint,” she said.
[caption id="attachment_7898" align="aligncenter" width="2507"]
Ms. Jidapa Singson, a student in the Faculty of Information Science at Mahasarakham University[/caption]
Looking ahead to Thailand’s 2026 election, she argued that the information environment will require rigorous verification, because even minor inaccuracies can become decisive variables shaping public perception and political outcomes. “All of this demands strict fact-checking because such information may become a crucial factor capable of changing the situation, even if the mistake seems small,” she said.
Photo Checking: When Images, Video (and AI) Become Weapons of Disinformation
Mr. Rat Kanlayanuwong, a Thammasat University student and recipient of the Photo Checking Award for his entry “Ta Kwai Castle on Fire?”, reflected that combating fake news is no longer just about reporting “who did what, where.” It requires a clear, replicable verification process.
[caption id="attachment_7899" align="aligncenter" width="2507"]
Mr. Rat Kanlayanuwong, a Thammasat University [/caption]
“This project shows that fighting disinformation goes far beyond traditional reporting, it is about using a clear verification workflow and concrete tools,” Rat said. He noted that photo checking is not merely about spotting edited visuals; it also involves verifying whether an image or video has been generated or manipulated using advanced technology especially AI by relying on a range of credible and reliable tools.
“Photo Checking is not only about detecting edited photos or videos, it is increasingly crucial to determine whether the image or video was created using advanced technologies,” he added.
Creative Checking: Making Truth “Worth Watching” Without Compromising Accuracy
Mr. Kiertsak Sing-ngam, a master’s student at NIDA and winner of both The Creative Checking Award and the Fact Checker Award for his work “Fact Checker Rap,” said the programme helped him realise that even content creators can play a role in verifying the truth.
[caption id="attachment_7901" align="aligncenter" width="1567"]
Mr. Kiertsak Sing-ngam, a master’s student at NIDA[/caption]
“Even though I’m just a content creator, I can still be a fact-checker. Verifying information isn’t only the job of journalists or mainstream media,” he said.
He emphasised that the key is to blend fact-checking with storytelling formats that general audiences can easily engage with so that complex truths become “easy to understand and genuinely interesting to watch.”
[caption id="attachment_7900" align="aligncenter" width="2507"]
Mr. Kiertsak Sing-ngam, a master’s student at NIDA[/caption]
“What I gained was learning how to mix fact-checking with storytelling in a content creator’s style making truths that seem difficult or complicated turn into content that people can understand and want to watch,” he said.
For the 2026 election, Kiertsak described his role not as someone who decides right or wrong for others, but as someone who helps spark questions and encourages viewers to think critically.
“I’m not here to judge what’s right or wrong for anyone. I’m here to help raise questions and invite people to think along with me,” he said.
“What I gained was learning how to mix fact-checking with storytelling in a content creator’s style making truths that seem difficult or complicated turn into content that people can understand and want to watch,” he said.
For the 2026 election, Kiertsak described his role not as someone who decides right or wrong for others, but as someone who helps spark questions and encourages viewers to think critically.
“I’m not here to judge what’s right or wrong for anyone. I’m here to help raise questions and invite people to think along with me,” he said.
Gen Z Rising Star: When a High School Student Steps to the Frontline of the Information War
Mr. Worapob Namkaew, a student at Matayom Sangkheet Wittaya School in Bangkok and recipient of the Gen Z Fact-Checking Rising Star Award, said the programme opened a new world for him one where he learned to analyse information, verify sources, and help counter falsehoods in the run-up to the election.
[caption id="attachment_7902" align="alignnone" width="2507"]
Mr. Worapob Namkaew, a student at Matayom Sangkheet Wittaya School in Bangkok[/caption]
“Joining the training programme helped me learn fact-checking techniques.I analysed information and checked sources, which allowed me to be one of the people helping fight the false information out there,” he said.
Worapob added that the programme does more than train individuals to fact-check; it also helps raise professional credibility standards in Thailand’s media landscape and protects citizens’ right to accurate information from cyber threats.
“It helps protect people’s right to access correct information and not become victims of cyber criminals,” he said.
He stressed that acting as a fact-checker during an election requires carefulness, impartiality, verification from trustworthy sources, and transparent reporting. “We must be careful and impartial, verify every piece of information from reliable sources and present it transparently, with clear reasoning,” he said.
Award-Winning Work as “Proof”: From the Classroom to Real Election Monitoring
Voices from all six award recipients may come from different generations and roles, but they share one core message: fact-checking is no longer a niche activity. It is becoming a practical, widely shared skill—especially at moments when society is under pressure, and election-season information is produced at high volume, pushed by speed-driven competition, and amplified by algorithms.
And when awards are not treated as a finish line but as a signal that truth can still build networks, the remaining question is not only “who checks?” but whether society can work together to ensure verified information travels fast enough to reach people before falsehoods shape the country’s decisions.www.thaipbs.or.th/FactCheckThailand2026