Last month, we held our second Pulse Internet Measurement Forum (PIMF), which was colocated with the BKNIX Peering Forum (BPF in Bangkok, Thailand.
With around 40 participants throughout the day, the forum served as a valuable space for local and regional stakeholders with diverse perspectives—from network operators to policy makers—to exchange insights on Internet performance and the critical need for coordinated measurement efforts in Thailand.
Five Presentations, Strong Engagement
The forum featured five presentations on Internet measurement, broadband performance, and Internet resilience (see agenda). The level of engagement in the room was noteworthy, with participants actively asking questions, sharing experiences, and offering suggestions.
Several presenters and attendees appreciated having a dedicated forum to discuss Thailand-specific Internet performance issues, particularly around broadband speed measurement. Further, the participants strongly agreed on the need for a national coordination group focused on broadband measurement in Thailand.
Multiple independent initiatives led by local researchers and academics are currently underway, but they often operate in silos without a shared data collection and analysis framework.
Some proposed a civil society-led initiative that could fill this gap, acting as a hub to collect, validate, and share Internet performance data while engaging with government and academic institutions. Such an initiative would also open doors for collaboration with regional and global measurement efforts, ensuring that Thailand’s data is locally actionable and globally comparable.
Side Event: Measuring Internet Censorship Workshop
A half-day workshop on Measuring Internet Censorship was held in parallel with the main forum at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). Workshop attendees included students, university lecturers, and digital rights activists, including representatives of the Myanmar Internet Project and IO Foundation.
The agenda focused on Internet censorship and measurement techniques, including key methodologies for detecting and understanding censorship patterns.
Siti Nurliza from the Sinar Project, who co-led the workshop, offered an insightful walkthrough of the iMap report focused on Thailand. She also delivered a hands-on tutorial on OONI and the OONI Explorer platform, helping participants understand how to access and interpret real-world censorship data.
The presence of experienced digital rights activists in the room further enriched the discussion, bridging Internet censorship’s technical and human rights aspects.
Building Local Capacity for Global Impact
Both the main forum and the censorship workshop underscored a key mission of the Internet Society Pulse initiative: to democratize access to measurement tools and foster local capacity for data-driven advocacy. By hosting these events in Bangkok and involving local stakeholders, Pulse emphasizes the importance of regionally grounded, community-led measurement ecosystems.
We are planning three more face-to-face PIMF events in 2025 and a host of online forums, including our Pulse Journalist Seminars on Internet Shutdowns. Email us at [email protected] if you’re interested in hosting, partnering, sponsoring, and presenting opportunities. And stay tuned to the Pulse events page for upcoming events.