Slingshot 112

The wave of lese majeste convictions continues to roll on.

Prachatai reports that Joi (Pseudonym), a 27 year-old protester has been jailed on lese majeste.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) states that, on 8 September 2025, the Criminal Court sentenced Joi to “two years and six months in prison. without suspension, for shooting a slingshot at, and later setting fire to, a royal arch during a protest at Din Daeng Tollway on 6 September 2021.”

Clipped from Asia Democracy Chronicles

Joi was hit with five charges: 112, arson, illegal assembly, failing to disperse when ordered to do so by officials, and violating the Emergency Decree. The indictment stated:

… Joi and other protesters caused chaos by throwing firecrackers and other objects at crowd control police, and by starting a bonfire on a public road. In addition, they reportedly failed to disperse when ordered to do so by officials. Joi allegedly also shot a slingshot at a banner portrait of the [k]ing before tearing it down, stepping on it, and setting it on fire.

The reported details of the arrest are:

On 7 September 2021, the police went to her residence, initially identifying themselves as social security officers. They asked to check her mobile phone before admitting that they were police. Joi was then taken to the Police Station for seven hours of questioning.

On 9 September 2021, the police issued an arrest warrant for her. The following day, the court granted her bail with a 20,000 baht security on the condition that she wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.

The following two years saw a grab bag of charges: causing chaos by throwing firecrackers and other objects at crowd control police; starting a bonfire on a public road; failing to disperse when ordered to do so by officials; and finally, firing a slingshot at a banner portrait of the king before tearing it down, stepping on it, and setting it on fire.

It was asserted that Joi’s actions showed malicious intent toward the king and that burning a royal portrait was tantamount to burning the king himself, and that her act could be construed as an attempt to overthrow the monarchy and the democratic regime with the King as head of state.

According to the indictment, “a royal portrait represents the King and stands for the highest institution of the country, the monarchy, with the result that respecting a picture is the same as respecting the King.”

Speaking with TLHR, Joi said:

…she was never part of a pro-democracy group. She graduated in 2021, when COVID-19 was spreading, and protested because she was dissatisfied with former Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and the government’s COVID-19 management.

She has filed a bail request and is awaiting the decision.