Thai PBS welcomed a delegation from Indonesia's Komisi Penyiaran Indonesia (KPI) to exchange knowledge on artificial intelligence applications in broadcasting and public media governance frameworks. Komisi Penyiaran Indonesia (Indonesian Broadcasting Commission) is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing broadcasting activities in Indonesia.
The visiting delegation comprised Mr. Mohamad Reza, Vice Chairperson of KPI, and Mr. Umri from the KPI Secretariat. The visit aims to support KPI's efforts in drafting comprehensive guidelines for AI usage in Indonesian media regulation. Thailand, Thai PBS and MCOT, is among a few other countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore, that KPI is planning to visit.
The Indonesian visitors were welcomed by senior Thai PBS executives, including Mr. Pisek Chiyasak, Deputy Director General for Administration; Mr. Thepchai Yong, Executive Advisor overseeing News and Thai PBS World Service; Ms. Clare Patchimanon, Director of Thai PBS World; Ms. Paphaphorn Chalermwanich, Director of Corporate Communication & Marketing for Public Service Centre; and Ms. Ruthai Thamsatha, Head of Global Partnership Relations and Strategy.
Discussions with Deputy Director General Piset Chiyasak focused on understanding Thai PBS's unique position as Thailand's independent public media service, operating free from external socio-political and commercial influence. The broadcaster is financed through the 1.5 % of an earmarked 2 billion THB annual allocation from sin taxes on tobacco and alcohol products.
The delegation expressed particular interest in Thai PBS's governance structure, and learnt from Mr. Thepchai Yong that the Director General and Board of Management are selected by a committee whose members are representing various non-governmental social sectors and media professionals, ensuring independence from government influence.
The Thai PBS Digital Media Centre presented an extensive overview of AI applications currently deployed across the organization's digital platforms, including:
- AI-generated text-to-speech for web-based news content accessibility
- AI-powered text summarization for online news articles
- AI-generated audiovisual for content production
- AI news anchor avatars for digital platforms
Discussions also addressed the critical challenge of disinformation and misinformation on social media and online platforms. The delegation learned about Thai PBS Verify, the broadcaster's digital verification platform that combines human expertise with AI technology to authenticate viral online clips, investigate rumors, debunk fake news, and detect deepfake materials—reinforcing Thai PBS's role as a trusted information source for the Thai public.
The visit concluded with a facility tour of Thai PBS headquarters, including the Digital Media Centre's efficient studio operation requiring only two operators while utilizing robotic 4K cameras. The delegation also observed the Network Operational Center (NOC), which systematically manages and maintains hundreds of broadcasting network infrastructure sites throughout Thailand.
This knowledge exchange reflects the growing importance of international cooperation in addressing shared challenges in public broadcasting, particularly regarding emerging technologies and maintaining media independence in the digital age.
