From 1 November, a Chiang Mai restaurant, a handicraft workshop and a property agent share the same first step before a paid advertisement reaches a customer on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LINE: the platform confirms who stands behind the account.
Notification No. 2 of the Electronic Transactions Commission on preventing technology crime on online social media, published in the Government Gazette on 5 May 2026, gave platforms 180 days to prepare, and that period ends on 1 November. From that date a platform that is paid to show an advertisement to users in Thailand must first have verified the identity of the advertiser, and the requirement applies to Thai and overseas advertisers alike.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Periswiwatana presented the rules in late October under the name No ID, No Ads. They cover Meta, TikTok and other platforms that meet the criteria, and they reach any advertiser who runs a campaign for an audience in Thailand, from any country.
Updated 29 October 2026. Meta has reportedly asked advertisers who target Thailand to complete verification by 31 October, and CMBN revises this article as the platforms publish further guidance.
What the rules require
A platform verifies the advertiser before it publishes a paid advertisement, and the verification remains valid for one year. After that year the platform repeats the check before it carries further paid advertisements from the same advertiser.
The requirement attaches to the person who places the advertisement, not only to the person who pays for it. When a different person pays the advertising fee, the platform also collects information about that payer.
Platforms keep the advertiser information for at least 90 days after the advertising service ends, which gives investigators a window to trace a fraud after a campaign has closed. Verification confirms identity only and does not imply that the government endorses the product or service advertised, as the Pattaya Mail report of the announcement records.
Who is covered
The final notification is narrower than the early draft, which proposed that platforms arrange identification of every user account, as Tilleke & Gibbins explains. The adopted version concerns paid advertising and the identity of the advertiser.
An overseas advertiser falls inside the rule whenever an advertisement is set to appear in Thailand, and each such advertiser verifies with the platform in the same way as a Thai business.
Which identity the platform checks
The identity a platform checks depends on who the advertiser is, and Chiang Mai businesses fall into four common positions.
| Advertiser | What the platform checks | Also on record |
|---|---|---|
| Individual seller or freelancer in Thailand | A national ID card with a face scan, or a digital ID | The payer, when someone else pays |
| Thai company | The company registration certificate from the Department of Business Development | The person acting for the company, with any power of attorney |
| Foreign national running a business in Chiang Mai | A passport or other identification issued by a foreign government | The payer, when someone else pays |
| Agency or marketer placing campaigns for clients | The identity of the person who places the advertisement | The client as payer, when the client pays |
Overseas companies verify with foreign corporate documents, and the platform applies the same rule to every row of the table.
Briefings reported by Relevant Audience indicate that an agency which runs and pays for advertisements on behalf of a client counts as the advertiser, and that a shop owner who hires someone to boost a post has more than one party in the record. The same briefings leave open how roles are assigned when the owner of a post and the person who boosts it differ, so each party reads the notice in its own advertising account.
How verification works
Platforms choose their own verification methods, each method must meet the legal standard, and the notification leaves two routes open.
- Document route: the platform examines a government-issued identity document, such as a national ID card, a passport or a company registration certificate, and confirms that the document belongs to the advertiser, for example by comparing the advertiser’s face with the photograph.
- Digital identity route: the platform uses a digital identity verification system at an assurance level no lower than the level set by the Electronic Transactions Commission. Published coverage names Identity Assurance Level 2, a standard that describes how reliably a system confirms who a person is.
Platforms accept identification issued by foreign governments, and overseas advertisers do not need to travel to Thailand to complete verification. Lex Bangkok estimates 24 to 72 hours for individuals and longer for companies, which puts last-minute campaign launches out of reach once the rules apply.
Where the platforms stand
Meta has told the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society that it is ready to comply from 1 November, according to Nation Thailand, and it has informed advertisers who reach audiences in Thailand of the requirement. Meta’s published guidance of October 2025 describes the process for advertisers whose campaigns reach audiences in Thailand and who meet its risk criteria. Meta notifies them by email and inside Ads Manager and Meta Business Suite, and they have up to seven days to verify the people or organisations that benefit from and pay for the advertisements.
After verification the advertiser designates the beneficiary and payer, either as a default in the advertising settings of Ads Manager or on each ad set that targets Thailand. The designated names appear in the Ad info section of each advertisement and in the Ad Library, and an advertiser that does not verify by the deadline cannot deliver advertisements to users in Thailand.
Thansettakij reported, and Relevant Audience relayed, that Meta told advertisers who target Thailand to finish verification by the end of October, one day before the legal start, and that after the deadline new advertisements cannot be published and existing advertisements cannot be edited. The report does not come from an official Meta page, so advertisers confirm the date in their own account, where the status appears in Ads Manager, in Meta Business Suite notifications and in Business Settings under Authorizations and verifications.
LINE has confirmed that it will comply as well. Its notice of 11 September 2026 covers four advertiser types: individuals in Thailand, companies in Thailand, foreign individuals and foreign companies, and advertisers who work through a LINE Agency Partner contact their LINE Sales Representative.
TikTok and X fall inside the rule. CMBN found no published verification process from either platform at the time of writing, and advertisers on those platforms follow the notifications in their own advertising accounts.
Preparation for business owners
- Read the verification status in Meta Ads Manager, Meta Business Suite and LINE Ads, and in the notifications of any other platform that runs your advertisements.
- Confirm that the name on each advertising account matches the registered owner or the registered company.
- Collect the document that matches your row in the table above, with a power of attorney for the person who acts for a company.
- Agree with your agency or booster in writing who is named as advertiser and who is named as payer.
- Add a reminder before the one-year validity ends.
How the government will measure results
The government will assess the policy by tracking scam reports, platform response times and the ability to trace those responsible, with the aim of reducing losses to the public. A platform that fails to comply carries a share of liability for harm from online crime in cases where the facts and the law support it.
Reporting a scam advertisement
A person affected by a scam advertisement saves the evidence, contacts their bank and reports the incident through the 1441 hotline or the online police reporting system.
Questions from Chiang Mai advertisers
Does a boosted post need verification?
Yes, because a boosted post is a paid advertisement and the rules cover paid advertising. The platform verifies the advertiser behind the boost before the post runs.
Does an overseas owner need to travel to Thailand?
No. Overseas advertisers verify with identification issued by their own governments, and platforms accept that identification without a visit to Thailand.
How long does verification last?
One year from the most recent successful check. The platform repeats the check before it carries further paid advertisements after that year ends.
What happens to an advertiser that has not verified?
Meta states that an advertiser notified and not verified by the deadline cannot deliver advertisements to users in Thailand, and LINE warns that unverified campaigns risk being affected or paused.
Does verification mean the government endorses the advertiser?
No. The Deputy Government Spokesperson stated that identity verification does not imply government endorsement of the advertised product or service.
Who sees the verified information?
The platform holds the record for at least 90 days after the advertising service ends, and Meta displays the designated beneficiary and payer in the Ad info section of each advertisement and in the Ad Library.
What this means for Chiang Mai businesses
The government urges businesses, online sellers and advertising agencies to check their verification status and prepare their documents before 1 November, so that campaigns continue without interruption. Foreign nationals who run businesses in Chiang Mai fall under the foreign advertiser categories, and platforms accept identification issued by their own governments.
Brand owners who find a copied or impersonating advertisement preserve screenshots, URLs, advertisement identifiers, platform information, payment indicators and timing evidence, because enforcement requests tied to the platform’s verification and recordkeeping duties rely on that material.
Businesses that want a public record of their registered identity beyond the advertising platforms list with the Golden Pages business directory, where listings are verified and human-curated, and the list your business page opens that process. CMBN Media Services offers social media management for businesses that work with an agency, and owners who want the network’s support join through CMBN membership.
A business that verifies carries its own name into every campaign, because Meta shows the designated beneficiary and payer in each advertisement’s information and in the Ad Library. Chiang Mai businesses that already trade under registered names enter that record with documents they hold today, and anonymous accounts have no equivalent to show.
