Thai PBS Verify has uncovered a fake Facebook page posting a clip that falsely claims Thai PBS reported on a famous doctor being arrested. The alleged reason for the arrest was the doctor revealing a formula to cure high blood pressure within 3 days, leading to supposed retaliation by pharmaceutical companies. Upon investigation, the clip was confirmed to be a counterfeit created using “AI Deepfake” technology.
Source: Facebook
Fact-Checking Process
Thai PBS Verify uncovered an ad from a Facebook page named "Dr. Boonchai Khamkhom," which posted a video with the following statement: “You can’t imagine the shocking truth hidden behind pharmaceutical companies! Did you know that millions of people with high blood pressure have fallen victim to a system that forces them to spend huge amounts of money on medications that don’t actually cure their condition? This video exposes the entire truth that these companies are trying to wipe off the Internet. Every day you delay not only costs you money but also affects your health—and could even risk your life! Watch this video until the end to discover how you can permanently eliminate unstable high blood pressure and fully regain control of your body. Stop being deceived! It’s time to stop being a victim of the pharmaceutical industry’s scams. Click here to uncover the secrets they don’t want you to know and change your life before it’s too late!”
The video features Ms. Dalayana Bunnag, a Thai PBS World news anchor, reporting on a story related to Dr. Yong Poovorawan, the head of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology at the Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University. (Recorded links here and here)
The video alleges that Dr. Yong was arrested for exposing unethical practices by pharmaceutical companies and sharing a method to cure high blood pressure. It claims that his actions violated the law and sparked public panic. According to the clip, thousands of patients gathered in protest, demanding his release. It also portrays Dr. Yong in an interview, explaining that his arrest was due to his discovery of a treatment for high blood pressure that works in just three days, or 72 hours, without the need for medication or surgery. The video urges viewers to click a link to access the treatment formula before authorities block the information.
We reviewed the Thai PBS World video that previously aired on Thai PBS to check if the footage had appeared online before. It turns out that the clip was from a Thai PBS World news report on February 4, 2025. However, while some parts of the footage were used, the report did not cover any news related to Dr. Yong. (Recorded Link)
The logo in the top-right corner of the video is an outdated Thai PBS logo, displaying the name “TV Thai.” Thai PBS officially stopped using this name since February 17, 2011, when it transitioned to using the name “Thai PBS” exclusively. (recorded link)
Meanwhile, another clip features Ms. Dalayana, whose image appears to have been manipulated using AI Deepfake technology. Upon reviewing the original broadcast, Thai PBS Verify confirmed that the footage was taken from a Thai PBS World news report aired on January 28, 2025. (recorded link)
Thai PBS Verify reached out to Ms. Dalayana, who confirmed that she is an English-language news anchor for Thai PBS. She primarily covers topics topics related to politics, the economy, society, and arts and culture in Thailand. However, she mentioned that she rarely covers news related to science or health-related news. and her main role is to deliver news about Thailand in English.
Ms. Dalayana expressed her disappointment about her image being used in the AI Deepfake to mislead the public. She firmly stated that the video is absolutely not her, even though it features her image. Normally, she reports the news in English, and the voice in the clip doesn’t match her own. It’s clearly recognizable as AI-generated.
However, from her inquiries, it was revealed that she is not the only one whose image has been misused. Many other news anchors have also had their images exploited in similar ways, with their images being used to promote fake sexual enhancement products or fraudulent investment schemes. This is not the first time her image has been used in fake news either. In this particular case, she firmly stated that she has never reported any news related to Dr. Yong. She urged the public to exercise greater caution, especially in promoting media literacy.
“These days, there’s so much information and fake news out there that it’s really hard to tell what’s true and what’s not. That's why people need to be extra careful.”
There is also a clip featuring Mr. Chersan Srisatchang, a Thai PBS news anchor, whose image was similarly misused and manipulated using AI Deepfake technology.
Mr. Chersan stated that while the Deepfake clip does not closely resemble the real footage, it still raises worries. He pointed out that if AI Deepfake technology is already this advanced, it could soon become even more realistic, making it easier for viewers to be misled. This is especially concerning for those who might only glance at the clip and mistake it for genuine news. The use of a news anchor’s face could further convince viewers that the report is authentic. (Recorded Link)
“Personally, I not certain about the intentions of those responsible—whether it’s to sell drugs or illegal products. However, if one day such scams or illegal sales succeed in deceive people, I worry that such issue could have serious consequences. Part of the concern lies in the fact that any image or content shared on social media becomes a digital footprint, which can be endlessly reshared and circulated.”
Public Caution Advised
The public is encouraged to carefully observe clips before believing them. Pay attention to inconsistencies, such as whether the lip movements match the voice in the video. Before accepting any claims as true, it’s important for people to stay mindful and verify the information. This can be done by checking if the event is reported by other credible sources or consulting relevant authorities to ensure its accuracy.
What are the impacts of this false information?
The post has the potential to mislead those unfamiliar with the underlying technologies, as it uses images of news anchors from various channels to enhance credibility. Within just 11 hours of being published, the clip has already viewed over 1,800 views. Additionally, the page features a post showing a bottle of a particular supplement product, which is labeled as a dietary supplement but lacks any verified safety information.
Doctors confirm that no medication can cure hypertension within three days.
Thai PBS Verify reached out to Dr. Yong Poovorawan, Head of the Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University. He is one of the victims whose image has been misused in this case.
Dr. Yong stated that his image has been misused multiple times. In the past, it was mainly altered static images with added text for advertising medicines or other products. He had previously filed legal complaints about such cases. Investigations revealed that most of the accounts involved in these manipulations are based abroad. One account, after tracing its IP address, was found to be operated from Uruguay. This makes it nearly impossible to take action against those behind these fake pages. The only option is to report the pages, which requires collective efforts from many people to successfully have them taken down.
“In this case, it is firmly stated that no medication in the world can cure hypertension within three days.”
The source of the fake page is traced to a foreign location.
Additionally, Dr. Yong shared a statement on his personal Facebook account, Yong Poovorawan, where he mentioned...
COVID-19 vaccines: Current impacts still involve name misuse and fraud.
Dr. Yong Poovorawan
Academician, Science Division
Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
February 17, 2025
Since the onset of COVID-19, the impact of social media has been immense. We’ve seen everything from bullying to the misuse of names for malicious purposes. False accusations and defamatory edits seem never-ending.
During the pandemic, I focused on academic research to uncover new knowledge. At that time, everyone had equal access to information. Whatever findings we had, we shared them truthfully.
We began studying the immune response in COVID-19 patients by observing how it might rise to around 100 units. Early on, when the inactivated-virus vaccine, Sinovac, was introduced, we found that two doses—given four weeks apart—stimulated an immune response of 100 units. This was comparable to the immune response seen after a natural infection. Based on general vaccination principles, this level of immunity was considered sufficient for protecting against the disease.
Later, the viral vector vaccine AstraZeneca was introduced, administered in two doses spaced 10 to 16 weeks apart. This resulted in a 10-fold increase in immune response, reaching 1,000 units. Everyone was thrilled with the high levels of immunity. However, the truth is that high or low antibody levels don’t matter as much with this virus due to its short incubation period. Instead, the key benefit lies in stimulating the body’s cells to reduce the severity of the disease. People were eager to achieve higher immune responses. Our studies found that starting with the inactivated-virus vaccine and following up with a viral vector vaccine also produced an immune response of 1,000 units. This approach used only one dose of AstraZeneca, which reduced DNA exposure in the virus—a seemingly better option. This method was later endorsed by the World Health Organization. Unfortunately, the results sparked backlash on social media. There were accusations that we were promoting inactivated-virus vaccines, leading to significant bullying online.
Eventually, everyone wanted only mRNA vaccines because they could boost immunity to levels as high as 10,000 units—100 times more than inactivated-virus vaccines. There were strong calls to make mRNA the primary vaccine option. We were curious and conducted a study, finding that if two doses of the inactivated-virus vaccine were followed by one mRNA dose, the resulting immune response was equivalent to receiving three doses of mRNA. We shared these findings truthfully. This approach was later widely accepted, both locally and internationally, as it helped reduce the use of mRNA doses, which were expensive and in short supply at the time. However, the results led to severe backlash on social media. Many accused us of promoting inactivated-virus vaccines, resulting in significant bullying. Personally, I’ve built up immunity to being bullied, so I wasn’t affected. However, those around me found it difficult to endure and often filed legal complaints. As a result, there are still many unresolved cases, with little to no progress.
After COVID-19 started to subside, I noticed that my photos were being widely misused in advertisements. These ads falsely claimed that I endorsed various products with supposed benefits for conditions like heart disease and more—topics I’m not even an expert in, and these claims are entirely untrue. I reported the issue to the cyber police, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much they could do since these posts originated from abroad. The only option left was to report the content, but with only a few people reporting, it didn’t seem to make any impact. As a result, these issues continue to persist.
To this day, the issues haven’t stopped. Most recently, there was a false claim that I had been arrested, complete with a fake news logo from Thai PBS. People close to me were accused of saying I was arrested following a lawsuit by a pharmaceutical company. For the record, I’m always mindful about conflicts of interest, especially with pharmaceutical companies, so I know these accusations are completely false. AI was used to fabricate this news, but the attempt was so poorly executed. If you ever find out which AI was behind this, I’d suggest avoiding it because it clearly doesn’t meet the standard of what AI should deliver. Naturally, I reported this to the cyber police. As expected, the outcome hasn’t been encouraging, likely because these cases add to their already heavy workload. Many of the complaints I’ve filed remain unresolved, and some are likely to be left untouched until the statute of limitations expires. The best solution, I believe, is to empower Thai citizens and everyone else with strong digital literacy to build immunity against scams and falsehoods.
How can we identify AI deepfake technology?
We provided the clip in question to Asst. Prof. Dr. Ratchada Kongkachan, a lecturer in the Data Science and Innovation program at the College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Thammasat University, to analyze the key indicators of fake clips. (Recorded Link)
How to Spot the Use of Deepfake Technology:
✅ The first noticeable sign is in the image of the female news anchor, where the speech and voice are not match.
✅ The second clue is in Dr. Yong’s face, which appears to be pasted onto the video. Additionally, abnormalities can be observed in the arms and hands, which deviate from a natural human appearance.
When asked whether there are concerns about Deepfake technology in the future, Asst. Prof. Dr. Ratchada believed that AI-generated video clips may become increasingly realistic over time. However, she also expected that verification processes will improve alongside these advancements. Part of this responsibility lies with relevant authorities, who will need to develop capabilities to stay ahead of such threats in the future.
Tips for Handling False Information:
If you come across a post and are unsure of its authenticity, you can verify it with these simple steps:
✅ Step 1: Check the history of the page creation.
Select the “About” section and click on “Page Transparency.”
History Check: It was found that this page was originally created on March 13, 2011, under the name Colegio “Carlos Laborde Pulido.” Later, the page name was changed to “Dr. Boonchai Khumkhom” on February 5, 2025.
✅ Step 2: Use the name “Colegio Carlos Laborde Pulido” to search for relevant keywords on Google.
We found that this name belongs to a school located in Bolivia.
✅ Step 3: Check the Page Administrator.
We found that the primary country/region of the page administrators is listed as Ukraine (2), indicating that there are two individuals managing the page from Ukraine.
With these simple verification steps, you can determine whether the shared or forwarded page is genuine or an impersonation. This ensures you won’t fall for, share, or like false information that could mislead others.
Explore AI Image Verification Methods Here:
How to Spot AI-Generated Images? Learn the “Pros and Cons” while building essential digital skills in this era: https://www.thaipbs.or.th/now/content/2263
Examples of AI Fake News & Deepfake Featured by Thai PBS Verify:
Fake Clip: An “Elephant” Demanding Its Ear Back from a “Hyena”: https://www.thaipbs.or.th/now/content/1975
AI Deepfake Clip Claiming a Renowned Doctor Was Bombed: https://www.thaipbs.or.th/now/content/2000
Verified Fake Image of a Giant Squid Washed Ashore in Indonesia: https://www.thaipbs.or.th/now/content/2065
AI-Generated Image Claimed as a Real Location from the Series #SquidGame: https://www.thaipbs.or.th/now/content/2211
