Lazada In Big Trouble In Thailand After Being Considered Insulting The Government

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

JAKARTA - Lazada's platform in Thailand is in big trouble. The public threatened to delete the Lazada application from their smartphones. Thai soldiers are prohibited from buying anything from Lazada.

This is a reaction after the Lazada shopping platform released an ad that contained insults to people with disabilities and the royal family.

Quoted from The Nation, Tuesday 10 May, the ad, which was created as part of Lazada's 5.5 sales campaign, was posted on Wednesday 4 May. This ad was created by Aniwat and Thidaporn “Nurat” Chaokuwiang.

It depicts a woman in a wheelchair who is bullied by other characters of noble birth.

The hashtag #BanLazada almost instantly became the top trending on Thai Twitter. Netizens lashed out at Lazada for mocking disabled people and royalty. Many royalists have also threatened to remove the Lazada app from their mobile devices.

The Commander in Chief of the Thai Army General Narongpan Jitkaewtha has issued a strict order for all military units to stop buying goods on the Lazada shopping platform.

he also ordered officers to stop delivery trucks from entering the military compound.

Military officers can buy goods from other e-commerce platforms, but they must take their purchases outside.

Lazada delivery trucks were previously allowed to enter the Royal Thai Army compound in Bangkok's Phra Nakhon district.

The Ministry of Economy and Digital Society (DES) promised to prosecute all parties involved because the ad was deemed insulting to the kingdom. DES Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn has ordered officials to gather evidence before the case is handed over to the Technological Crime Suppression Division.

Lazada itself has issued an apology. They said this was an unacceptable mistake.

“We are fully aware that the content is hurtful and degrading to human dignity. As soon as we became aware of the incident, we immediately demanded that the post be taken down," Lazada said.

“Our brand does not condone ridicule from others, including people with disabilities. This is completely unacceptable and violates Lazada's values of respect and inclusion."

Meanwhile, Intersect Design Factory Co, which has hired influencers to promote Lazada's campaign, said the two had issued a public apology and took responsibility.