The number of lese majeste cases associated with Prince Vajiralongkorn’s purge of his third wife and her family have piled up.
So far, PPT has listed cases against Chakarn Phakphoom, Nopporn Suppipat, Nuttapong Suwadee (former Princess Srirasmi’s brother) and Sudathip Muangnual. This does not include Chainarin Nopchaloemroj and 13 others who seem involved in a related purge.
Following a report in the Bangkok Post, we are listing six more.
The first is former Central Investigation Bureau chief Pongpat Chayapan. There’s been plenty of media attention to Pongpat, who is former Princess Srirasmi’s uncle.
The other five “suspects,” accused of lese majeste and sundry other crimes are Pongpat’s deputy Pol Maj Gen Kowit Wongrungroj,former chief of the Marine Police Division Pol Maj Gen Boonsueb Phraithuean, former chief of the Anti-Human Trafficking Sub-Division 4 Pol Col Wuthichat Liansukhon, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Surasak Channgao and Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chattrin Laothong.
So far it seems that 24 persons have been ousted in what looks like a succession purge.
Update: PPT has completed a listing of English-language news reports on these cases. Most are listed at Pongpat’s page. If we have missed anything important, let us know by email.
Political Prisoners in Thailand 
[…] PPT has recently posted on this when we commented on self-designated Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha has insisted that “the monarchy needs the lese majeste law to legally protect the institution.” The Dictator declared that: “If His Majesty can’t defend himself, we have to take care of him…”. We indicated that several recent cases show that there has been direct involvement of the palace in using the law. Our last post showed how the use of the law in a huge number of recent cases seems to have something to do with succession and palace intrigue. […]
[…] PPT has recently posted on this when we commented on self-designated Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha has insisted that “the monarchy needs the lese majeste law to legally protect the institution.” The Dictator declared that: “If His Majesty can’t defend himself, we have to take care of him…”. We indicated that several recent cases show that there has been direct involvement of the palace in using the law. Our last post showed how the use of the law in a huge number of recent cases seems to have something to do with succession and palace intrigue. […]
[…] All this kind of makes sense, but why the sudden huge spike in the lese majeste war? We have mentioned succession house cleaning. […]
[…] In understanding why and why now, PPT has mentioned the necessity of preparing for succession. We also pointed to the need to shore up a political, economic and social order that the elite of rich royalists, stupendously wealthy Sino-Thai tycoons (including the king’s palace), and numerous hangers-on, like the military brass, think has been under threat. We have also mentioned succession house cleaning. […]
[…] In understanding why and why now, PPT has mentioned the necessity of preparing for succession. We also pointed to the need to shore up a political, economic and social order that the elite of rich royalists, stupendously wealthy Sino-Thai tycoons (including the king’s palace), and numerous hangers-on, like the military brass, think has been under threat. We have also mentioned succession house cleaning. […]