lese majeste
- Thailand News
Justice goes home: Political suspects to get ‘house-cuffs’
The Ministry of Justice is set to amend the regulations to allow suspects in political cases to be detained at home pending trial, provided they wear electronic ankle monitoring (EM) bracelets. In a recent announcement by Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong, the ministry is currently reviewing Section 89/1 of a ministerial regulation to empower courts with the discretion to opt for…
- Thailand News
Temple tantrum: Anarchist tag lands man behind bars for 8 months
A man who spray-painted an anarchist symbol and the number 112, referencing the lese-majeste law, on the wall of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, part of the Grand Palace last year has been sentenced to eight months in jail without suspension. The accused, 26 year old Suttawee Soikham, is appealing the Criminal Court’s ruling and has posted bail. The…
- Thailand News
Calls to include lese majeste offences in new amnesty bill
Two political organisations urged the special House committee to include violations of Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law, in the new amnesty bill proposals. They urged that parties are opposed to the coup orchestrators, rather than the monarchy itself. The Peace and Harmony Organisation and June 24 Democracy groups jointly submitted their petition to…
- Thailand News
Majority oppose Thai amnesty bill in online survey
A significant majority of people surveyed by the Secretariat of the House of Representatives expressed opposition to a bill sponsored by civil society groups that seeks amnesty in political and lese majeste cases dating back to September 2006. The month-long online survey concluded with 64.66% of participants rejecting the bill, while 35.34% were in favour. Some 90,503 respondents took part…
- Thailand News
Move Forward Party eyes 3 new leaders amid possible dissolution
On the brink of potential dissolution by the Constitutional Court, the Move Forward Party (MFP) is preparing contingency plans, including identifying three potential leaders for a new party. This comes as the party defends itself against accusations of attempting to undermine the constitutional monarchy through its efforts to amend the lese majeste law. Party insiders reveal that the MFP’s core…
- Thailand News
MFP submits defence to court in dissolution case
The Move Forward Party (MFP) submitted its written defence to the Constitutional Court regarding the dissolution case initiated by the Election Commission (EC), according to a source. The EC called for the dissolution of the MFP following a Constitutional Court ruling on January 31, which stated that the party’s efforts to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as…
- Politics News
Move Forward Party MP jailed for 2 years for royal defamation
Thanya Buri Provincial Court sentenced Move Forward Party (MFP) MP Chonthicha Jangrew to two years in prison for royal defamation under Section 112 of the Criminal Code. The verdict, delivered today, originally imposed a three-year sentence but was subsequently reduced to two years with no suspension. Another charge against Chonthicha for violating the emergency decree on public gatherings was dismissed…
- Thailand News
Thai lawyers seek bail for political prisoners under lese majeste law
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) is working to secure bail for 19 political prisoners, predominantly those charged under Section 112, commonly known as the lese majeste law, to uphold their human rights. TLHR announced yesterday, May 22, that the number of political prisoners, especially those detained under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, has surged since last year. Many…
- Thailand News
Thai protest leader gets 3-year sentence for lese majeste violation
The Criminal Court has sentenced a key protest leader to four years in prison for lese-majeste law violation. The verdict was delivered in absentia after the defendant, 28 year old Panupong, also known as Mike Jadnok, failed to appear for the second time in today’s hearing at 10am, at the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road. Panupong, charged with making defamatory statements…
- Politics News
Thailand’s Move Forward Party faces possible dissolution
The Move Forward Party (MFP), one of Thailand’s major opposition parties, is currently battling a case against its dissolution in court. The case was triggered by the Election Commission’s (EC) proposal, based on Section 92 of the Political Parties Act, after the MFP was found to be advocating for amendments to Section 112 of the Criminal Code, or the lese…
- Thailand News
Exiled former celebrity minister Jakrapob returns to Thailand
A former television celebrity and one-time Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office has set tongues wagging with his unexpected announcement of returning to Thailand. This marks his comeback after a self-imposed exile lasting 15 years, undertaken to avoid lese majeste charges. Jakrapob Penkair posted on Facebook yesterday: “At 7.35 am on March 28, I will return to serve Thailand.” The…
- Thailand News
PM calls for enhanced royal family security after motorcade disruption
An urgent call for heightened security measures for the royal family was made yesterday by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, following a recent incident involving a student activist who attempted to disrupt a royal motorcade. The 61 year old prime minister emphasised the need for effective security to ensure the royal family’s safety, who have critical royal duties to perform. The…
- Thailand News
MFP MP, Rukchanok Srinork, granted bail with conditions
The Criminal Court of Thailand granted a temporary release to Move Forward Party (MFP) MP Rukchanok Srinork. Rukchanok was prosecuted for violating Section 112 of the Criminal Law or lèse majesté law, and Computer Act after she retweeted posts from her Twitter account between July 18 to August 9 of last year, 2022. The messages she retweeted were about the…
- Thailand News
Ex-protest leader Chinnawat gets suspended sentence for royal defamation
Chinnawat Chankrachang, better known as Bright, a former co-leader of pro-democracy demonstrations who later supported the United Thai Nation Party (UTN) linked with ex-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has been given a suspended sentence for royal defamation. This conviction is related to a rally held in February 2002. The details were revealed on Chinnawat’s Facebook page, where he shared that the…
- Thailand News
Royal rumble: Four years behind bars for outspoken lawyer and Thai activist
A prominent Thai activist and lawyer, known for his brazen calls for reforms in Thailand’s monarchy, received a four-year prison sentence today over charges of royal insults, a verdict confirmed by both the judge and his legal counsel. Arnon Nampa emerged as a notable figure during the pro-democracy demonstrations in 2020, where the Thai activist publicly advocated for a discourse…
- Crime News
Teenage lese majeste suspect leaves Thailand detention centre with severe rash
The second youngest person ever accused of committing lese majeste in Thailand, allegedly violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, was released on bail yesterday after a 51-day stay inside a detention centre in Nakhon Pathom province. The accused, 15 year old Thanalop “Yok” Phalanchai, left Ban Pranee Juvenile Vocational Training Centre for Girls with a severe rash on her…
- Thailand News
Thai appeals court reverses acquittal in lese majeste case over offensive Facebook comment
The Thai Appeals Court overturned a previous ruling yesterday, convicting an individual on charges of lese majeste relating to comments deemed offensive towards the monarchy. The defendant, identified only as Wutthipat, was found guilty by the Appeals Court of violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. The judges determined that Wutthipat’s comment…
- Crime News
Frenchman accused of lese majeste in Thailand
A pro-royalist group in Bangkok, Thailand, filed a lese majeste case against a well-known French critic of the Thai monarchy yesterday, reports SiamRath. The Centre for People Protecting the Thai Monarchy alleges that Yan Marchal posted a 41-second-long clip on social media of him and some Thais singing a song containing lyrics that the group says are defamatory of the…
- Politics News
Thai MP accused of insulting the King of Thailand
Padipat Santipada, a member of the Move Forward Party (MFP), is facing a lese majeste charge in Thailand after being accused of insulting the king in a political speech delivered earlier this month. The charge against Padipat relates to Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code. Srisuwan Janya, secretary-general of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution, filed a…
- Hot News
Thai seller of rubber duck calendar found guilty of royal defamation
A Thai seller of a rubber ducky calendar has been found guilty of royal defamation. The 26 year old man, “Tonmai,” was arrested on December 31, 2020, and charged with royal defamation. Now, he will serve two years in prison after being found guilty. The Taling Chan Criminal Court ruled that the depiction of the rubber duck was a mockery…
- Thailand Election News
Thai election explainer – Constitution, House and Senate
Thailand’s democratic structure consists of a Constitution, House of Representatives and Senate. The constitutional monarchy is ruled by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the head of state. The king has limited formal power but is highly influential in politics. He has significant influence over the military. Constitution, House and Senate – Constitution The current constitution was developed by a committee appointed by…
- Thailand Protest News
Protestors have EM tags removed
A Bangkok court agreed to the request of five anti-establishment protesters Wednesday to have their electronic monitoring (EM) tags removed. The protesters are all currently out on bail pending trials on lèse majesté and sedition charges. The group sought the court’s permission to have the EM tags removed after the court decided that one could be removed from actor Savika…
- Thailand News
Activists pressure opposition to do away with royal defamation law
Thai activists are pressuring the opposition Pheu Thai Party to do away with the royal defamation law if elected to office this year. The requests come at a time when three demonstrators are seriously ill after going on a hunger strike over the royal defamation law. Two of the activists are currently in the hospital and listed in serious condition. Pheu…
- Northern Thailand News
Chiang Rai activist sentenced to 28 years for royal defamation
A Chiang Rai activist will now spend the next 28 years behind bars after being charged with royal defamation. Mongkol Tirakote, an activist and online clothing vendor was charged with two separate royal defamation cases after posting defamatory comments online. According to The Hindu, the kingdom’s lese-majeste laws are among the harshest in the world with rights groups saying they…
- Hot News
Pro-monarchy ‘dictator’ must be stopped from retiring in Australia, say Thai asylum activists
Exiled Thai activists are living in fear that a self-proclaimed “Van Helsing” “dictator” and pro-monarchy vigilante could be pursuing them in retirement. Rienthong Nanna, a doctor and former army general, announced on Facebook that he plans to retire in Perth, Australia causing fear among those who now live there after fleeing the country after his vicious campaign. Rienthong set up a…
- Thailand Protest News
Thailand must drop charges against child protesters – Amnesty
Thailand must drop charges against child protesters. Thai authorities should drop charges against child protesters who took part in demonstrations between 2020 and 2022, Amnesty International said today, in the lead-up to tomorrow’s World Children’s Day Persecution of child protestors in Thailand – intimidation, surveillance, and criminalisation – has been going on for years. Amnesty has recorded instances of police…
- Thailand News
Arrest warrant for Thai activist who missed court hearing over lese majeste
Bangkok’s Southern Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for a young Thai activist and dance teacher after she failed to attend a court meeting over lese majeste charges. The woman, 29 year old Kanlaymon “Mint” was scheduled to appear in court on October 4, but failed to show up. She had been granted bail, and the person who bailed…
- Politics News
Royal defamation case dropped against Thai activist
A Thai political and human rights activist admitted he is surprised the court dismissed a royal defamation charge against him. Tiwagorn Withiton was arrested after posting a picture of himself on Facebook wearing a t-shirt printed with “I lost faith in the monarchy” in June 2020. The political arm of the military, Internal Security Operations Command, visited Tiwagorn’s house soon after…
- Thailand News
Mentally ill Thai man sentenced to 12 years for royal defamation
A man with mental health problems has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for criticising the Thai royal family. The 29 year old man, called Punyaphat, made a number of posts on the Royalist Marketplace Facebook group questioning the popularity of the Thai royal family, and King Vajiralongkorn’s frequent trips to Germany. Siwapan Manitkul, a managing director of a…
- Thailand News
Rabble-rouser to answer lese majeste charge today
Supporters of rabble-rouser Piyabutr Saengkanokkul are expected to be out in force today as the secretary-general of the Progressive Movement answers a charge of lese majeste at Dusit police station, in Bangkok. Deputy superintendent of Dusit police, Pol Lt Col Pichai Mee-atthiman, admitted he wasn’t sure how many people would turn out to support the controversial former MP but added…
