Chambers hit with 112

Social media lit up a couple of hours ago with news that academic Paul Chambers had been “arrested” for an Article 112 offense on 4 April 2025.

Matichon has a story:

It was reported that Dr. Paul Chambers, a well-known Thai studies scholar from Naresuan University, was arrested by police officers and charged under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, according to a warrant from the Phitsanulok Provincial Court, filed by the Third Army Region.

Chetawan Tueprakon, Pathum Thani MP for the Prachachon Party, expressed his opinion, stating that “Paul Chambers, one of the foreign scholars from Naresuan University who has studied the Thai military and Thai politics the most, has been arrested under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, which was filed by the Third Army Region. Are we really in a democratic government? Is this a civilian government elected by the people? Is the military really under a civilian government? Yesterday, we shook hands with the Burmese military dictatorship, and today, academics have been arrested. Human rights are not important. Academic freedom has been completely trampled.”

Paul Chambers is a well-known political science scholar, especially in the area of ​​military-civilian relations in Southeast Asia. He currently holds the position of lecturer and special advisor on international affairs at the Center of ASEAN Community Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences. Naresuan University.

Paul Chambers has published numerous books and articles in academic journals. Most of his writings focus on studying the role of the military in Thailand, especially on political power and influence. His work is an important part of understanding the role of the Thai military throughout history, pointing out the power structure and the relationship between the military and civilians in Thailand, which remains an important issue affecting the country’s political development, as well as the future trend of the military’s political role in Thai society.

Later social media accounts say that police tried to arrest Chambers but that he negotiated a deal to turn himself in next Tuesday. The police will then explain the charge/s against him. Chambers has declared his innocence.

Chambers is not the first academic to face such charges, and nor the first at Naresuan, but the other cases have involved Thai academics.