A Thai court has sentenced a lawmaker from the progressive Move Forward Party, Chonthicha Jaengraew, to two years in prison for insulting the monarchy.
This verdict is the latest development in a series of legal actions under Thailand’s strict lese-majeste laws, which prohibit defaming, insulting, or threatening the king and his close family.
Chonthicha was convicted for remarks made during an anti-government protest in 2021. Her sentencing comes in the context of MFP’s significant political struggle; although the party won the most seats in last year’s general election, it was prevented from forming a government by conservative elements resistant to its proposed reforms, including changes to the royal defamation laws.
The court in Thanyaburi, located north of Bangkok, initially handed Chonthicha a three-year sentence but reduced it to two years due to her cooperation, according to her lawyer. She has been released on bail of 150,000 baht (approximately $4,000) pending an appeal.
The resurgence of lese-majeste charges, referred to in Thailand as “112” after the relevant section of the criminal code, has been notable since the youth-led pro-democracy protests began in 2020. In December, another MFP lawmaker received a six-year prison sentence for reposting messages on social media that were deemed insulting to the monarch.
Critics argue that the lese-majeste laws are often exploited to suppress legitimate political discourse. The debate around these laws is poised to intensify as prosecutors are set to decide later this week whether to proceed with a lese-majeste case against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for comments he made in Seoul in 2015.
