Protest 112

Prachatai reports that the “Court of Appeal has sentenced an activist and two protesters to prison on royal defamation charges over a photo of them holding signs at a protest in November 2020.”

Nominated as the activist, Wanwalee Thammasattaya was charged with lese majeste and computer crimes together with two protesters named Nueng (pseudonym) and Nam (pseudonym) over a photo she posted of the trio holding signs at a protest on 21 November 2020, at Siam Square.

The complaint was filed against them in Chiang Mai by royalist snitch Sukij Dechkul, a member of the ultra-royalist group Thai Phakdee, also a ridiculous and unpopular political party. Sukij claimed that the picture showed them holding signs with messages that insulted the King.

On 10 October 2023, the Chiang Mai Provincial Court found Wanwalee guilty and sentenced her to 4 years in prison, reduced to 2 years and 8 months because she gave “useful testimony.”

The Court decided “that the messages on the sign Wanwalee was holding can be read to be about the King, and that she published an image of the sign on Facebook even though she knew the message insulted the King, dismissing her defence that the message refers to the military and its Information Operations.”

The charges against Nueng and Nam were dismissed as “it was unclear whom the messages on the sign they were holding referred to.” Huh? The court knew for Wanwalee but not for the other two, with the same message? Nor did they like or share the post.

Both Wanwalee and the prosecution appealed.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights report that on 24 July 2025, the “Appeal Court ruled to uphold the guilty verdict against Wanwalee. It also reversed the Chiang Mai Provincial Court’s verdict and found Nueng and Nam guilty of royal defamation [lese majeste].”

All three were sentenced to 4 years in prison, reduced to 2 years and 8 months because they gave “useful testimony.”

In getting their royalist ducks in a row, the Court “ruled that the messages on the signs defamed the King and indirectly reduced feelings of the sanctity of the monarchy.”

It also ruled that, “by holding the signs during a political gathering and having their photo taken, the three defendants must have known that the signs were disrespectful towards the monarchy.” It is not clear how the court can determine such an intent. It is just royalist judges being royalist.

Nueng and Nam were found not guilty of computer crimes.

All were granted bail pending appeal with the Supreme Court.