The BBC's World Service will launch a new Thai-language 'pop-up' service on Thursday to provide an alternative source of information to the heavily-censored media controlled by the military dictatorship.
The news operation will launch in the early hours British Summer Time and will be delivered by social media and digital platforms in an effort to circumvent regime controls.
After years of shrinking foreign language and coming under criticism from former ambassadors and others, the BBC Thai initiative is a three-month experiment in how to respond to the imposition of dictatorship in a formerly democratic state.
Thailand's army seized power in May 2014 only seven years after restoring civilian rule in what was the military's 19th actual or attempted coup in the kingdom since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932.
During the takeover international channels, including BBC World News TV, were taken off air temporarily and the media have been warned not to breach military guidelines.