Viral fake AI-image shows Macron kneeling before Thai king - Euronews

In July 2026, a viral AI-generated image falsely depicted French President Emmanuel Macron kneeling before King Maha Vajiralongkorn during a state visit to Paris. The fabricated scene spread rapidly across Thai social media, garnering significant engagement and public praise for the French leader before being debunked by officials.

What happened

The incident began following an official state visit where Macron presented the King with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. Shortly after the event, an image circulated online showing Macron kneeling before the monarch. The post gained substantial traction, with one Facebook entry amassing over 40,000 reactions and 2,000 shares, while another page with over two million followers shared the content. Many users interpreted the image as a sign of respect, fueling nationalist commentary.

Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially denied the claim, stating that no such event occurred. Official photographs from the ceremony confirm that Macron remained standing throughout the presentation of the award. Independent verification by Euronews' fact-checking team, The Cube, used OpenAI's detection tools to confirm the image contained a SynthID watermark, indicating it was created using AI tools. Further examination revealed visual inconsistencies, including discrepancies in the clothing worn by figures in the image compared to authentic photographs taken during the visit. This incident follows a similar trend in June 2026, when AI-generated images of Thai Princess Sirivannavari also circulated online to elicit public sympathy.