Pol Maj-General Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek, acting national traffic police chief, said the system had been hacked on Wednesday evening in an unauthorised access to the database that manages Bangkok’s road traffic.

The system’s real-time data are used to update the traffic police website.

“We’ve worked with engineers from the private sector who supervise the Traffic Police Division’s computer system to tackle the shutdown of the section affected by the hackers. If motorists face problems with our website, they could opt for the call centre at 1197 to get traffic information,” he said.

The Facebook page for citizens opposing the single gateway for Internet connections in Thailand posted a message on hacking into the traffic-police system with the username and password of the system’s administrative staff. The group also suggested that it could alter the traffic database and closed-circuit TV monitors at various intersections.

Meanwhile, Pol Colonel Krisana Pattanacharern, deputy police spokesman, said security measures had been adopted to protect the bureau’s computer systems and websites after the anti-single-gateway group invited hackers to break into government computer systems after the passage of the new computer crime bill.

While some websites were compromised, he said, they have been restored to normalcy with no damage to databases or to personal and private information.

Krisana said police were tracking the whereabouts of those involved and had warned that wrongdoers would be brought to justice.

Meanwhile, the public-sector procurement system of the Comptroller-General’s Department was out of service temporarily yesterday after a cyber-attack, again blamed on the anti-single-gateway group.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Kreu-ngam said the Finance Ministry had stepped up its cybersecurity measures to ensure its systems are not hit by hackers.

Surachai Liangboonlertchai, vice president of the National Legislative Assembly, said opponents of the new bill might seek to amend the legislation at a later stage.

The bill is now ready for royal endorsement.