Government officials in Thailand are illegally blocking Web sites and using threats and intimidation tactics against webmasters, legal experts and webmasters have announced.

The country's controversial Cyber Crime Act, pushed through by the military-appointed government July 19, allows the government to block a Web site only through a court order, said Paiboon Amornpinyokiart, a legal expert.

The Information and Communications Technology Ministry must first seek court orders to block “undesirable” Web sites, he told AsiaMedia.

Poramate Minsiri, president of the Thai Webmasters Association, said although much of the new law was changed during deliberation in parliament, and was then acceptable to him, the new problem of government officials blocking Web sites unchecked is now a huge problem, according to an article by Asiamedia.

Officials have threatened webmasters over the telephone and through other means, criticising Web site content and threatening to ban them, Minsiri said. The officials making the threats also refuse to reveal their names, he said.

The Radio and Television Broadcasting Bill is currently being deliberated, and would impose similar restrictions on radio and television operators, severely punishing those operating without state permission. punishments on radio and television operators.