By Charge d’Affaires Michael Health, U.S. Embassy Bangkok
Proposed Remarks
Thank you so much for the kind introduction and invitation to speak today. I want to thank Baybars Örsek and the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute; Khun Supinya and the Cofact Thailand team; and the moderator and panelists, Dr. Jessada, Khun Peerapon and Khun Mike. It is an honor to be here today to mark the closing of this first-of-its-kind online self-directed fact-checking course in Thailand, offered by the world’s premier fact-checking institute, IFCN.
This training opportunity could not have come at a better time. As the world’s doctors, nurses, and scientists struggle to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, it is the journalists, editors, fact-checkers and academics who are charged with the important task of containing the spread of misinformation about the virus.
The U.S. Embassy has been working closely with various partners and local organizations since 2018 to countering misinformation while empowering journalists and independent new organizations. We sponsored a group of Thai media experts to participate in training trips to the United States, connecting them with partners like the Google News Lab. We have sponsored fact-checking workshops in Bangkok and other major cities, and funded Thailand’s first-ever fact-checking handbook, co-authored by Dr. Jessada and Khun Peerapon of Sure and Share, who are joining us today.
In early 2019 we brought in Baybars Örsek, on his first official trip to Thailand, to lead a fact-checking workshop co-hosted by Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Communication Arts, supported by Dr. Jessada and Khun Peerpon. Our goal was to form connections between the IFCN and various Thai counterparts to build the foundations of the emerging independent fact-checking infrastructure in Thailand.
In 2021, it is with great pleasure that we continue this endeavor with Cofact, a key player in Thailand’s civil society, which supports a citizen-centric model for fact checking. I want to congratulate Cofact on its first anniversary as the first and only platform in Thailand dedicated to strengthening citizen fact-checking. I also want to thank Baybars for being here as keynote speaker and bringing his wealth of expertise and enthusiasm to the effort.
Congratulations to all the course participants for completing the self-directed course, as you are Thailand’s front line in debunking misinformation. We look forward to supporting and working with you in the future.
The United States and Thailand have enjoyed a strong friendship for over 200 years. From the first day of our official contact – when an American sea merchant sailed across the ocean and arrived in Bangkok to open commerce between our countries – until today, we will be standing side by side to support you through challenges large and small.
ในช่วงที่ผ่านมา Google พยายามช่วยดูข้อมูลที่ไทยมากๆ ให้สามารถถูกค้นหาเจอได้ ซึ่งการถึงจุดตรงนั้นในการตรวจสอบข้อเท็จจริงจะมาถึง คือการเปิดข้อมูลสาธารณะซึ่งเป็นจุดสำคัญเป็นอย่างมาก หรือแม้กระทั่งการแปลงไฟล์ PDF ซึ่งตามปกติเราอาจจะใช้แค่แปลงไฟล์ให้เป็น PDF แต่ในราชการไทยกลับใช้วิธีการสแกนรูปภาพเป็นข้อมูลออกมา ซึ่งทำให้ยากขึ้นในการค้นหาข้อมูล