Thong Daeng, Facebook and lese majeste

Can it really be true? PPT posted on the lese majeste case brought against 41 year-old businessman Praphat Darasawang for “defaming the king on Facebook.”

Prachatai now reports that the lese majeste complaint has something to do with the king’s aged mutt Thong Daeng.

The royal woofers are apparently very significant in a society that enforces ultra-royalism. For more commentary on doggy nonsense and ultra-royalism, see this post from 2009. This indicates that the madness associated with royal dogs has been afflicting royal posterior polishers for a considerable time. And, don’t forget the bizarre Woody incident with another royal tail wagger.

In any reasonably sane society such royal ridiculousness would be treated with the scorn it deserves and the participants would rightly be considered strange, a bit deranged or laughably looney.

Not in ultra-royalist Thailand under the military dictatorship.

Prachatai tells us that Praphat’s “alleged Facebook post, published on December 7, expressed dissatisfaction about the King’s praise of the dog and the King’ comparison between the dog and others…”. By others, it seems to mean humans. It is alleged that “Praphat shared a headline of a news story which read [The King] praises Tongdaeng not arrogant. Unlike other [humans/คนอื่น] who likes to be arrogant.” Praphat allegedly “added a comment which expressed his anger and questioned about the comparison following by curses.”

Lese majeste has now reached the lowest level ever, although this depth may well be tested again as the deaths of king and queen approach and the military dictatorship deals with succession.

While many will consider this situation comical, for Praphat, it is extremely serious and could result in a couple of decades in jail.

As a footnote, Thong Daeng became the king’s pooch in 1998, and at what must now be a grand age for mutts, must be getting anti-aging therapy.