The deputy leader of an up-and-coming political party contesting Thailand's general election has become the latest target of online content laws after unwittingly sharing a false news article.

A spokeswoman for the Future Forward Party said Tuesday that a representative of the ruling military junta had filed a police complaint accusing Pongsakorn Rodchompoo of violating the Computer Crime Act, which carries a penalty of up to five years' imprisonment.

Pongsakorn admits sharing an article that accused a top junta official of buying cups of coffee for 12,000 baht ($377) each, but says he deleted the post within minutes after learning it originated from a website promoting fake news.

The head of the military government, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, seeks to stay in office after the March 24 election.