Thai police have announced they have turned to Naver LINE Instant Messenger for secure communications because police radio can be too easily intercepted by criminals.
Royal Thai Police Assistant Commissioner Pol. Lt. Gen. Prawuthi Thawornsiri said the police would use it to target the teenage motorcycle racers racing on Friday and Saturday nights in central Bangkok as they regularly evade arrest by listening in on police radios.
This is just another chapter in Thailand’s love affair with LINE IM. Earlier in December, the legislature, the National Legislative Council, announced it had set up secure LINE groups for lawmakers to discuss their work.
LINE claims 33 million users in Thailand out of a population of 67 million. Thailand is Naver LINE’s largest market outside of its home market of Japan (54 million).
TrueMove has even set up a LINE cafe with its cute and cuddly mascots everywhere.
Also in December ICT Minister Group Captain Pornchai Rujiprapa said that the ministry was now intercepting LINE messages to search for anti-monarchist content, a claim that led LINE to take the bizarre step and issue a press statement on behalf of the minister denying that he had access.