Thai army boycotts e-commerce giant Lazada over video

Image source, Getty Images

Thailand's army has boycotted online retailer Lazada over an advert that the government is probing for allegedly insulting the country's royal family.

245,000 members of the Thai military will be banned from using the e-commerce giant's websites for official purposes.

Thailand has strict laws against defaming, insulting or threatening senior members of the royal family.

One of the biggest online retailers in South East Asia is Singapore-based Lazada.

citizens loyal to the king complained about a TikTok video promoting a sale

The younger sister of King Vajiralongkorn, Princess Chulabhorn, who uses a wheelchair as a result of a disease, was mocked in the advert.

Image source, Getty Images

The video was offensive to the monarchy and caused disunity in Thai society, according to a Thai army spokeswoman.

She said that the army has a policy to ban all army units and army-related activities from ordering things from the Lazada platform.

The minister of Thailand's digital economy told reporters that the government was considering legal action against the influencer and the advertising agency responsible for the video.

The courts in Thailand can impose jail terms of up to 15 years for defaming, insulting or threatening King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the queen, their heir or regent.

The South East Asian unit of Chinese online retail group Alibaba did not respond to a request for comment from the British Broadcasting Corporation.

The company apologized for the emotional damage caused by the video and said it should have been more careful.

At least half a dozen businesses in Thailand, including some run by the palace, have stopped using the online shopping site because of a video.