Claims
A Facebook post from June 27, 2025, shared a photo of masked protesters with a caption, in Thai language, that linked the photo with a protest against the Thai prime minister. It read: “I wonder if these protesters are Thai. They might attack each other and blame it on the government.” A text overlayed on the image labeled the group as “Sriwichai Warriors die for Hun Sen”.
Fact check:
- Visual red flags
1. The image shows men near Bangkok’s Victory Monument with Skytrain tracks in the background, but key buildings visible in Google Maps street imagery are missing.
2. Other red flags include distorted faces, unnatural shadows, missing eyes, stiff gestures, and mismatched logos on flags and clothing.
- AI-detection
The picture was flagged as 86.4 percent likely to be AI-generated by Hive Moderation.
- Source analysis
A reverse image search using Google Lens revealed the photo first appeared on June 25, 2025, in a Facebook post that rallied opposition to the prime minister, indicating the date and the location of an upcoming protest. The photo was later shared with claims tying it to ongoing protests.
Background
Anti-government protests have erupted in the Thai capital, Bangkok, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra after a phone call she had with the former Cambodian leader Hun Sen was leaked over a border dispute. The protest happened on June 28, a day after the post.
The Sriwichai Warriors, a militant faction linked to Thailand’s Yellow Shirt movement (People’s Alliance for Democracy, PAD), have long opposed the Shinawatra political family, including former Prime Ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra. While the group has been active in past anti-government protests – often employing confrontational tactics – their specific role in this demonstration remains unclear due to limited reporting.
Verdict
AI-generated.
