On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, Dr Paul Chambers responded to an arrest warrant at a local police station in Phitsanulok, northern Thailand. The warrant had been issued on March 31 and there was no previous warning or summons to appear.
He was promptly arrested for allegedly violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, commonly known as the lèse-majesté law, and violation of the Computer Crimes Act. The crime of insulting the monarch can result in fifteen years in prison per offense.
Thailand’s Third Army Region reportedly filed the complaint against Chambers, a US citizen. The Phitsanulok Provincial Court subsequently denied him bail and ordered that he be detained while his lawyers appeal the court’s decision.
After initially declaring Chambers a flight risk because he was a foreigner, the Thai authorities released him from jail on Thursday, April 10. However, the charges still stand, and he is required to wear an electronic monitor. He is at risk of losing his visa and his right to work in Thailand.
Despite his record of scandals and erratic behavior, it is extremely dangerous to criticize King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Rama X. While his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned from 1946 to 2016, was a genuinely poplar and revered figure, the son enjoys no such popularity and has resorted to authoritarian measures to silence dissent and criticism.
Despite his record of scandals and erratic behavior, it is extremely dangerous to criticize Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Rama X.
Hundreds of Thai citizens have received stiff penalties for such…
Auteur: Michael G. Vann
