Facebook threatened with legal action in Thailand

Thailand has threatened US social media giant Facebook with legal action if it does not remove a number of pages and posts which are critical of the Asian country's monarchy.

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Authorities in Bangkok have given Facebook until next Tuesday to remove the 131 pages it believes to be offensive to the Thai royal family.

A royalist military government took power in Thailand in 2014, cracking down on any criticism or actions which show the monarchy in a negative light.

"If even a single illicit page remains, we will immediately discuss what legal steps to take against Facebook Thailand," Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission said.

A royalist military government took power in Thailand in 2014

Thousands of websites have been denied access in Thailand due to the strict laws, with individual citizens having also been prosecuted for posts on social media related to the monarchy.

Vice News reported earlier this week that the Thai government had blocked publication of a Facebook video of the new King before he took over the throne.

"When governments believe something on the internet violates their laws, they may contact companies like Facebook and ask us to restrict access to that content," a Facebook spokesperson told Vice.