Thailand is repressed

CIVICUS Monitor, an organization of civil society groups worldwide, has rated civic space in Thailand as “repressed.”

A range of violations have been recorded:

by the government, including the use of lese-majesté (royal defamation) and other restrictive laws against activists and journalists. There has also been a crackdown on peaceful protests, arrests and criminalisation of protesters, and the use of excessive force by the police.

It notes that real estate tycoon and now prime minister, Srettha Thavisin has already presided over a range of persons being prosecuted for lese majeste:

…including activists, students and artists, and were given jail sentences. Some were denied bail. Activists were also sentenced to prison for insulting the court, while a politician was banned from contesting after being accused of insulting royalty. Protesters were convicted for a demonstration against the coup and for contempt of court, while activists were charged over a 2022 protest around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Bangkok.

It does note some minor positive developments but lists a range of anti-democratic outcomes in many, many cases.