We are not sure if Prachatai’s report on the case of Donlaphon (pseudonym), a 27-year-old man from Phang Nga, and sentenced on lese majeste charges is vague or whether it is the court that is vague. We are going with the latter.
Donlaphon has been sentenced to prison for “a comment on a Facebook page.” On 24 March 2025, the Krabi Provincial Court “sentenced him to three years in prison.” However, as he entered a guilty plea, “the term was reduced to one year and six months with a one-year suspension.” Donlaphon was given probation for a year and must “report to probation officers four times and perform 12 hours of social service.”
He was charged in 2023 following the usual “complaint” from an ultra-royalist snitch: Songchai Niamhom, self-appointed leader of the “King Protection Group.”
Initially, Donlaphon received a summons from Krabi police “as a witness in a [112] case, and he decided to go to the Police Station on 27 February 2023 without a lawyer…”. However, when he admitted that “he was the owner of the Facebook account mentioned in the police report,” he was charged with lese majeste.
Donlaphon was indicted on 3 July 2024. According to the police report, the Songchai “found a post in a Facebook group called ‘Royalist Market Place’ …[that] contained pictures of the royal family and a message questioning the existence of the royal arch. One Facebook user commented ‘Hang in shame at the arch’.”
Despite the fact that “the complaint did not clarify how the comment constituted an offence under [Article 112], … the indictment stated that his comment defamed the royal family, who are revered by Thai people.”
Donlaphon admitted leaving the comment.
As an important footnote, Songchai is reported to have filed at least 15 lese majeste complaints across the southern provinces.
Political Prisoners in Thailand 
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