Thai PBS Collabs with CIB to Train Youth Against Fake News and Scammers Through Thai PBS Verify Youth Camp 2026

The program prepares them to handle fake news threats and cybercrimes in the digital era systematically through a training camp conducted by experts from various fields. The camp spans 5 days and 4 nights, from June 30 to July 4, 2026, free of charge. Applications will be open from May 11 to 30, 2026.

On May 5, 2026, Thai PBS, led by Mr. Adisak Limparungpatanakij, Deputy Director of Thai PBS (Technology), Ms. Kanokporn Prasitpon, Director of the Digital Media Department, with representatives from the Thai PBS Verify team and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Wilaiwan Jongwilaikasaem, a fact-checking expert and lecturer at the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Thammasat University, met with Pol. Col. Neti Wongkularb, Deputy Commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division, Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), regarding cooperation in driving a systemic collaboration network among the media, education, and security sectors through the project “Thai PBS Verify Youth Camp 2026: Shaping Thinkers, Conquering False Information, Combating Scammer Threats”. This initiative aims to address fake news threats and online scams in an integrated and sustainable manner by developing “youth,” who are considered a high-risk group due to their tendency to receive information rapidly yet lack skills in systematic fact-checking.

Mr. Adisak Limparungpatanakij, Deputy Director of Thai PBS, revealed that, “This cooperation with the CIB will enable youth to learn from real experts and experience the work of cyber police closely, which is different from general learning. ‘Fake news and scammers’ are threats that are complex and constantly changing. Learning from the CIB, who face real problems every day, will help youth understand the severity and truly know how to protect themselves”.

Ms. Kanokporn Prasitpon, Director of the Digital Media Department, added that, “Apart from learning how to keep up with scammer threats, the youth will also visit actual operational sites and listen to panel discussions by the CIB. After that, the youth participating in the training camp will use their knowledge to produce short 3-5 minute clips under the topics of Fact-checking, Anti-Scam, and Media Literacy to compete for 8 scholarship prizes, totaling over 48,000 Baht. The winning clips will be broadcast through Thai PBS channels and social media. Importantly, the youth will learn from real experts and officers who face these problems every day, not just theories in a classroom, but watch real work and listen to experiences from victims to serve as case studies, which will create a deeper and more well-rounded understanding.

This cooperation reflected the integration between the “media sector” and the “security sector,” where the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) will play an important role in supporting knowledge on cybercrime and scam formats actually occurring in society, as well as sharing experiences from experts and operational officers, revealing the behind-the-scenes of combating online threats and digital crimes, so that the youth deeply understand the mechanisms of online threats, and can protect themselves, handle them, and pass on knowledge and media literacy skills to others in real life.

Pol. Col. Neti Wongkularb, Deputy Commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division, Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), said that, “From CIB data, it is found that children and youth aged 15–25 are the group that falls victim to scammers the most. The forms of deception range from phone calls tricking them into transferring money to being detained in hotels for ransom, which reflects the severity and complexity of the problem at present. In the past, the CIB once opened applications for an educational activity for only 200 seats, but there were more than 400 applicants within 2 days, clearly showing that the public wants knowledge to protect themselves.”

“From work experience, we find that a large number of victims do not realize they are being tricked, especially youth, who are the primary target group of criminals. Today, cybercriminals operate with complexity that is no different from a startup. They plan, study data, and constantly create modern scams. Opening opportunities for youth to come and see the actual work of the CIB and learn from case studies will help create genuine awareness and enable them to protect themselves.”

Thai PBS Verify Youth Camp 2026 is a workshop training project for upper secondary school students from schools in the Northern, Northeastern, Central, and Southern regions throughout 5 days and 4 nights, to provide training for youth to access knowledge in media literacy and intensive fact-checking, and to understand the mechanisms of fake news and scammer threats through participatory learning, exchange, study visits, analyzing real case studies, and practicing in workshops to produce creative media, by a team of expert speakers in fact-checking and media literacy from various agencies, such as Thai PBS Verify, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), the Media Development Fund, and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (Cyber Police), among others. Trainees can extend their experience to become “media literacy leaders” in their schools and communities, leading to the creation of a society with sustainable data immunity in the long term.

The “Thai PBS Verify Youth Camp 2026: Shaping Thinkers, Conquering False Information, Combating Scammer Threats” project is supported by and collaborated with the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), the Media Development Fund, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (Cyber Police), which will open applications for upper secondary school students (Mathayom 4–6) from the Northern, Northeastern, Central, and Southern regions between May 11–30, 2026, and organize the workshop camp for free! from June 30 to July 4, 2026. Follow for more application details soon via www.thaipbs.or.th/VerifyYouthCamp2026