Thailand’s Criminal Court acquitted On Thursday, politician and Progressive Movement Party founder Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit leveled allegations of defamation of the monarchy stemming from statements he made in 2021 criticizing the government’s procurement of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The court ruled that Juangroongruangkit’s criticisms were directed at then-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s management of vaccine procurement and not at the monarchy, and therefore did not constitute lese majeste violations Section 112 of the Criminal Code. Section 112, the lese majeste law, criminalizes insults and threats to the king, queen and heirs to the Thai throne with prison sentences of between three and fifteen years.
The case arose from a Facebook livestream by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit on January 18, 2021, in which he criticized the government’s handling of vaccine procurement during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the broadcast, Juangroongruangkit referred to Siam Bioscience, a research institute established by King Rama IX. founded pharmaceutical company that had won the right to produce the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Thailand. According to local media, Juangroongruangkit called on the company and the government to disclose the vaccine production agreement to prove that the procurement was carried out in a transparent manner.
Prosecutors then charged Juangroongruangkit with defamation, insulting or threatening the king under Section 112 of the Penal Code and offenses under Section 112 of the Penal Code Computer Crime Law. The prosecution argued that Juangroongruangkit made misleading remarks during the live broadcast that, through his association with Siam Bioscience, incriminated the monarchy and could cause misunderstanding among the public.
However, the criminal court found that the livestream was not intended to insult or threaten the monarchy, as prosecutors claimed, but rather was about the government’s management of the vaccine rollout during the pandemic. As for the comments on whether Prime Minister Prayut’s government handled vaccine management properly, the court considered that these comments concerned public administration and the possible impact on citizens, especially given that there were concerns at the time about Siam Bioscience’s delays in delivering vaccine doses to Thailand and other countries. The court also added that Juangroongruangkit’s references to Siam Bioscience were based on facts and did not constitute defamation, leading to the dismissal of all charges against him under both Section 112 and the Computer Crime Act.
This is not the first time political figures or activists have been prosecuted under Thailand’s controversial lese majeste law. In May 2024, a Thai court sentenced an activist musician to four years in prison for actions deemed to be insulting the monarchy under Section 112. That same month, Thailand’s attorney general indicted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for allegedly insulting the monarchy in a media interview. Likewise, a court sentenced an activist and human rights lawyer to prison for defaming the royal family through social media posts and violating the Computer Crime Act. In addition, the Constitutional Court previously ordered the dissolution of the Move Forward Party (MFP) due to its proposal to amend the lese majeste law. In July 2025, the United Nations called on Thai authorities to change lese majeste laws, citing concerns about freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
