US academic slapped with lese majeste charges in Thailand
A 58 year old American lecturer is in hot water after Thai authorities issued a rare lese majeste arrest warrant against him—sending shockwaves through the country’s academic and expat communities.
The suspect, Paul Chambers, a long-time resident of Thailand and special adviser on international affairs at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok, is facing charges under Thailand’s strict royal defamation laws, known as Section 112, as well as the Computer Crimes Act.
The warrant, issued on Monday, March 31, stems from a complaint filed by the Third Army Region over comments Chambers allegedly made during an online lecture last October. The remarks, delivered during a question-and-answer session on military reshuffles, were deemed insulting to the monarchy, according to local reports.
Chambers is expected to report to police in Phitsanulok on Tuesday, said his lawyer, Wannaphat Jenroumjit from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. A police source confirmed the charges to Reuters, saying they relate to content Chambers posted online in 2023. Wannaphat said she was not informed of the exact reason for the charges.
“I think the real story is why would they go through all that effort and then arrest me?” Chambers told Bloomberg in a phone interview. “It’s so small and mundane.”
Despite the looming charges, Chambers said he felt supported by the US Embassy and colleagues at his university. “It’s intimidating,” he admitted in an interview with AFP.
Chambers, who holds a PhD in political science, has lived in Thailand since 1993 and is well known in academic circles for his work on civil-military relations in Southeast Asia. His books include Khaki Capital and Praetorian Kingdom, which explore the military’s influence in the region.
Thailand’s lese majeste law carries a penalty of three to 15 years in prison for defaming, insulting or threatening the monarchy. While most of the 278 people charged under the law since 2020 have been Thai nationals, a few foreigners have also faced prosecution, reported Bangkok Post, The Independent UK, and KFGO.
Human rights activist Phil Robertson slammed the move, calling it “an astonishing and outrageous assault on academic freedom.”
“This ill-advised step will have a serious chilling effect on international researchers and lecturers in Thailand,” he warned.
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