Thai Children’s Screen Time Raises Concerns as 72.6% Exceed Recommended Daily Limits

Bangkok, Thailand  – Thailand is stepping up efforts to protect children and young people from the growing risks of the digital world after new data revealed that 72.6% of Thai children aged 0–2 years spend more than one hour per day on screens, raising concerns about the potential impact on their physical, cognitive, and emotional development.

Speaking at the fifth meeting of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) Board for 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri, who serves as Chairman of the Foundation, said that internet use has become deeply embedded in Thai society. Approximately 93.1% of the Thai population now uses the internet, spending an average of 7 hours and 54 minutes online each day.

The increasing amount of time children and adolescents spend online has exposed them to a range of digital risks, including cyberbullying, online sexual exploitation, gambling, and harmful health-related content and advertising, such as the promotion of e-cigarettes and other risky behaviors.

“Protecting children and young people from online threats has become an urgent national priority,” Mr. Songsak said. “We have assigned ThaiHealth to study and develop recommendations on reducing screen time among children and youth, as well as explore whether additional regulations or policy measures may be necessary in the future.”

Dr. Pongthep Wongwatcharapaiboon, Chief Executive Officer of ThaiHealth, said the organization is currently studying the potential impacts of screen-time regulations for children and adolescents. Several countries have already introduced stricter measures. For example, Australia has enacted legislation prohibiting children under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms, with fines of up to AUD 49.5 million (approximately USD 32 million) for platforms that fail to adequately verify users’ ages.

To strengthen digital safety, ThaiHealth has signed a memorandum of understanding with Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) to develop laws and policy mechanisms that better protect children in the online environment.

The partnership includes monitoring online threats that affect public health, developing reporting systems for illegal websites, and working with digital platforms to proactively block harmful content such as e-cigarette sales and online gambling sites.

ThaiHealth is also promoting the development of a nationwide network of “Digital Volunteers” and encouraging the positive use of technology through four strategic areas:

• Building digital resilience by improving media and digital literacy and health literacy;
• Developing learning tools and educational processes in schools and communities;
• Launching proactive public awareness campaigns to promote healthy media use;
• Strengthening collaboration among government agencies, the private sector, and civil society to address online risks.

Health experts emphasize that creating safe digital environments and encouraging healthy screen habits from an early age are essential to protecting children’s development and long-term well-being in an increasingly connected world.

 

As digital technologies continue to shape everyday life, Thailand’s latest initiatives reflect a growing recognition that safeguarding children online is not only a public health issue but also an investment in the country’s future generations.

 

Source : Thai Health Promotion Foundation