Thai prime minister regains sweeping powers in coronavirus crisis

New decree allows government to unify information on epidemic

20200327 Prayuth and Royal Thai Army soldiers

Thailand's emergency decree came into force on Thursday as the coronavirus infections threaten the government to spiral out of control.(Nikkei montage/AP)

MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondent

March 27, 2020 17:41 JST

BANGKOK -- Thailand's military-leaning government has armed itself with an emergency decree to control the narrative of the spreading coronavirus pandemic, which critics say is a form of censorship in all but name.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha did not mince his words when he announced that the decree, which came into force Thursday, has narrowed the information channel to disseminate updates about COVID-19.