Thailand: Activists convicted for protest speeches, journalists criminalised and opposition politicians face lifetime ban

Thailand’s civic space is rated as ‘repressed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. Scores of individuals including activists have been charged or convicted for royal defamation (lèse-majesté) and given harsh sentences for their speeches and social posts critical of the monarchy. Some were denied bail. Censorship was also documented, and protesters have also been targeted with arrest and prosecution.

In February 2026, the Bhumjaithai Party led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul secured a stronger-than-expected victory in the general election. The party won 193 seats, followed by the People’s Party, which won 118 seats, and the Pheu Thai Party, which won 74. In March 2026, the Prime Minister secured a 15-party alliance with 293 seats in the 500-seat House of Representatives.

In at least 18 constituencies across the country, citizens and the opposition People’s Party claimed irregularities and called for vote recounts. On 16th February 2026, 36 civil society organizations, led by domestic observer group We Watch, issued a statement calling for the Election Commission to take accountability for the problems identified. The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) also expressed serious concern over potential infringements upon the fundamental right to a secret ballot.

In April 2026, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its Thai member organisations urged Thailand’s new government to prioritise important and long-standing human rights issues. The recommendations made include: space for civil society organisations and human rights defenders; accountability for extrajudicial killings, torture and enforced disappearances; protection of refugees and asylum seekers; amendment of problematic laws and improvement of prison conditions.

In the same month, CIVICUS, ADN and FORUM-ASIA made a submission to the UN Human Rights Council on the state of civic space in Thailand ahead of its Universal Periodic Review in November 2026.

In recent months, activists and critics have continued to be convicted for royal defamation. Journalists remain at risk of criminalisation for their reporting and opposition politicians face a lifetime ban from politics. A Vietnamese activist was at risk of deportation while activists continue to be prosecuted for protests.

Expression

Four activists convicted for royal defamation

On 20th February 2026, a court sentenced a prominent free speech activist and three others to 32 months in prison for criticising King Maha Vajiralongkorn under Thailand’s royal insult law.

The Bangkok Criminal Court found Pimsiri “Mook” Petchnamrob, 35, guilty of lèse majesté (insulting the monarchy) for her speech during a democracy rally in Bangkok in November 2020 that criticised what she considered to be the monarchy’s unchecked power. She was also convicted for referring to a 2017 statement by the United Nations expert on freedom of expression that the lèse majesté law should have no place in a democratic country. She was also found guilty of violating COVID-19 containment measures and using loudspeakers without permission.

Three other democracy activists - Arnon Nampa, Somyot Pruksakaseksuk, and Promsorn Viradhammajari - were also convicted at the same trial on lèse majesté charges and sentenced to two years and eight months for criticising the King.

The four defendents’ original sentences of four years were reduced by one-third because the court considered their testimony useful. Hours after being sentenced, the court granted Pimsiri bail of 150,000 Thai baht (USD 4,800) on the condition that she remain in Thailand and not reoffend while she appeals the verdict.

Convictions of activists and critics for royal defamation

The government has continued to use royal defamation (lèse-majesté) provisions or Article 112 to convict activists, critics and politicians for insulting the monarchy. Courts routinely deny bail to individuals charged or impose strict conditions in cases where bail is granted. According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, between 19th November 2020 and 20th February 2026, at least 291 people have been charged under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, including numerous human rights defenders.

In February 2026, Pruetthigon Saragul, a former member of the Progressive Movement, a group formed by former members of the dissolved Future Forward Party, was sentenced to 30 years in prison over 10 social media posts. He was charged with royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act for posting misleading messages and pictures deemed defamatory toward King Vajiralongkorn.

In the same month, Wuthipat, a 31-year-old man, was sentenced by the Supreme Court to three years and four months in prison for royal defamation over his social media post questioning the death of King Rama VIII.

In March 2026, Kanruethai Klaion, 33, was sentenced to six years in prison for royal defamation over two Facebook posts in 2022. The complaint against Kanruethai was filed by Anon Klinkaew, a prominent conservative figure and leader of the ultra-royalist People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy. Due to her guilty plea, the total prison term was reduced to three years.

In April 2026, a 31-year-old dance teacher was sentenced to prison on a royal defamation charge over a Facebook comment. He was charged for a comment under a post made by the anti-monarchy Facebook page KTUK – Konthai UK. He was indicted on 12th September 2024. Although he was granted bail he had to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and was prohibited from travelling overseas. He was sentenced to three years in prison, reduced to one year and six months because he pleaded guilty.

Positive decision by the courts

The courts also made some positive rulings with regard to prosecutions for royal defamation.

In March 2026, Piyarat Chongthep, an activist-turned MP from the People’s Party, was acquitted of a royal defamation charge over a speech he delivered at a 22nd August 2020 protest in Ubon Ratchathani province. His speech addressed the King’s power and the Thai military, while he also called for the separation of the royal power from the military. He faced three royal defamation charges, all of which resulted in acquittals.

The Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Court concluded that he merely expressed an opinion on the origin of the Constitution and the structure of relationships among state bodies, and that he did not commit the offences as charged.

In the same month, the South Bangkok Criminal Court dismissed a royal defamation charge filed against activist Nawat Liangwattana over a speech he gave at a protest on 14th August 2023. The protest was organised by the student activist group United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration after the now-dissolved Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in the 2023 general election, failed to form a government

The Court ruled that testimonies given by prosecution witnesses show that the speech might be understood differently depending on an individual’s outlook. The speech therefore did not concern facts about the King, nor was it defamatory towards him. The Court also noted that no prosecution witness could say how Nawat was threatening the King in his speech.

Journalists remain at risk for their work

Journalists in Thailand remain at risk of being criminalised by the state or non-state actors for their reporting.

A senior cabinet minister in Thailand brought criminal defamation lawsuits against two prominent journalists who reported about a bribery case.

In February 2026, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Suchart Chomklin, filed a lawsuit against Hathairat Phaholtap, editor-in-chief of the Isaan Record. The summons related to Hathairat’s Facebook posts citing the Isaan Record’s report that Thai politicians were involved in trafficking Thai berry pickers and took bribes from brokers supplying Thai workers to a berry company in Finland. Suchart later filed a separate criminal defamation case against Kowit Phothisan, another editor at the Isaan Record, for sharing Hathairat’s posts.

In March 2026, Abdulafir Seng, an activist and volunteer reporter for the Deep South news outlet Wartani, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison on sedition and other charges in connection with Facebook posts about a 2nd August 2024 security operation in Pattani.

The Pattani Provincial Court found Abdulafir guilty of sedition, violation of Section 116 of the Criminal Code (sedition), the Computer Crime Act, and the Radio Communications Act. He was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. The Court reduced his sentence to two years and four months. He was later granted bail pending appeal. Abdulafir was previously held in military detention for seven days in February 2025.

In April 2026, The Thai Journalists Association (TJA) condemned the use of Information Operations (IO) to intimidate a reporter - Thapanee Eadsrichai, founder of The Reporters - after she asked the Commander of the 4th Army Region during a press conference about the Army’s possible involvement in the assassination attempt on a Deep South MP, Kamonsak Leewamoh.

She was later bombarded with hate speech believed to be part of an IO campaign. After the press conference, numerous social media pages appeared to act in a coordinated manner by spreading defamatory content against Thapanee. The speed and pattern suggested a deliberate information operation rather than a spontaneous public reaction.

Restrictions on artistic freedom

In May 2026, the Southeast Asia Artistic Freedom RADAR published a report on Thailand. There were 13 cases documented in Thailand in 2025 that occurred across several sectors. According to the report, often it is not a total ban on artistic work, but an interruption of participation or access. The methods are therefore frequently infrastructural rather than overtly penal and occur after production has commenced. Further the targeting occurs after official permission has been granted, and the work is already in production or in the public space.

Association

44 opposition politicians face lifetime ban from politics

Thai authorities will prosecute 44 opposition politicians for sponsoring a bill to reform Thailand’s lèse-majesté (insulting the monarchy) law, which could result in a lifetime ban from politics.

According to Human Rights Watch, on 24th April 2026, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Position accepted a case from the National Anti-Corruption Commission that alleges 44 politicians from the now-dissolved opposition Move Forward Party had “failed to uphold and maintain the democratic system of government with the King as Head of State” by proposing a bill to amend the lèse-majesté law, Section 112 of the penal code.

In addition to the former Move Forward Party members, the 44 accused include 10 newly elected members of parliament from the opposition People’s Party, including the party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut and other key members.

Vietnamese activist at risk of deportation

Le Chi Thanh, a prominent Vietnamese anti-corruption activist, is at risk of being forcibly returned to Vietnam.

On 6th March 2026, Thai immigration police arrested Le Chi Thanh, 43, at his house in Pathum Thani province. The arrest came after Vietnamese authorities cancelled Le Chi Thanh’s passport, which contained his visa, leaving him without a valid travel document to stay in Thailand. He was detained at Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre while he appealed the Immigration Bureau’s order to revoke his visa and deport him to Vietnam.

Le Chi Thanh’s lawyers told Human Rights Watch that the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok has been pressing Thai authorities to deport him as soon as possible to Vietnam, where he would be at serious risk of arbitrary detention, torture, and an unfair trial.

Le Chi Thanh is a former police officer who used social media to expose corruption and misconduct within Vietnam’s public security sector. In 2021 and 2022, he was sentenced to a total of five years in prison on trumped up charges for peacefully expressing his views on social and political issues. Following his release, he lawfully entered Thailand and obtained a work permit.

Since then, the UNHCR has interviewed him as any asylum seeker and he is still awaiting Refugee Status Determination while in detention.

Peaceful Assembly

Activist sentenced for protest

In March 2026, the Appeal Court sentenced former activist Phromsorn Viradhammajari to two years and ten months in prison on a royal defamation charge over the 14th January 2021 protest demanding the release of a student activist who had been arrested.

Phromsorn is one of nine activists charged with royal defamation and other charges over the protest, which took place in front of Khlong Luang Police Station to demand the release of Sirichai Natueng, then-student at Thammasat University, who was arrested that night on a royal defamation charge.

The nine activists were charged with royal defamation as, during the protest, they threw dog food at a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn in front of the police station. The public prosecutor indicted them on the grounds that the action was offensive, noting that defamatory speeches were given and that a portrait of the King is a representation of the King himself.

Citizen movement facing charges for protest

On 16th March 2026, leaders and members of P-Move – a citizen network – including Jamnong Nupan and Thiranet Chaisuwan, reported to Dusit Police to acknowledge additional charges linked to the October 2024 protest, which had been reclassified from “participating in” to “organising” a public assembly near the Government House.

The 2015 Public Assembly Act is the primary legislation governing assemblies. It requires those wishing to hold a public assembly to notify the authorities at least 24 hours in advance of the assembly’s objective, place and time. Failure to provide such notice is an offence, with a possible fine of up to 10,000 baht (approx. USD 325). The law also prohibits the holding of public assemblies within 150 metres of Government House, the National Assembly and specified courts and royal palaces. Violation of those restrictions can be punished with up to six months in prison and a fine of up to 10,000 baht (approx. USD 325).

The case for which P-Move members reported to the authorities relates to the protests held from 8th to 24th October 2024, at Government House, demanding updates on their requests to the government regarding land ownership, ethnic issues, and welfare state matters.

At least 17 individuals from P-Move have now been prosecuted across more than 10 cases, the majority of whom are women and community human rights defenders.