Political arson 112

Prachatai reports that on 19 January 2026, former Sitthichok Sethasavet, now 28, a food delivery rider, has seen the Appeals Court has upheld a lese majeste conviction based on an alleged attempt “to set fire to a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida during a protest in July 2021.”

The portrait, one of hundreds, perhaps thousands, that dot the country, was at a ceremonial arch on Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue during a protest on 18 July 2021.

Sitthichok has maintained that he did not participate in the protest, and “he tried to put out the fire using a bottle of water mixed with purple grape-flavoured soda that he carried in his motorcycle to drink while working during the day.”

The prosecution witnesses were unable to prove the allegation against him. Yet the royalists at the Criminal Court sentenced him to three years on 112 and six months for violation of the Emergency Decree. “Due to his helpful testimony, the total prison term was reduced to two years and four months without suspension.”

The Appeals Court upheld the initial verdict, adding that it “believed that Sitthichok had no intention to extinguish the fire, but rather intensify it, concluding that he may have foreseen the consequence of such action — damage to the royal portrait.”

As the report states:

This case highlights a key issue in criminal proceedings, where “intention” is a key factor in determining liability. According to the Criminal Code, a person is liable for a criminal charge only if it is proven that they acted intentionally or foresaw the consequences of their actions.

Given that it is not possible to directly prove an accused’s state of mind, the court bases its decision on the surrounding circumstances and evidence, sometimes exercising judicial discretion in interpreting those facts.

It is a pathetic and rotten legal system when it comes to the pressing needs of “protecting” the monarchy.