The army chief has ordered all units and organisations under his command to stop buying products via the Lazada online platform, in protest against a controversial video promotion.
Army chief Gen Narongphan Jitkaewtae issued the order to army units, agencies and businesses nationwide on Monday. It prohibits them from ordering products via Lazada.
The army chief also banned Lazada vehicles from entering army areas.
The content of the Lazada promotion offended the royal institution and seriously hurt the feelings of Thai people, according to the spokeswoman.
The order is a response to an online advertisement by transgender influencer Aniwat Prathumthin, better known as Nara Crepe Katoey.
Nara and another woman appeared in an online commercial for e-commerce platform Lazada which was criticised as mocking the disabled.
Intersect Design Factory, a media agency, was hired to coordinate the production of videos to promote the ad.
The video features Nara and a wheelchair-bound woman having fun and joking with each other. It drew criticism from many netizens, some of whom believed the outfit worn by the disabled person was an oblique reference to the royal family.
Both Intersect and Lazada later issued an apology and removed the promotion.
