Thai Royal Defamation Prisoner Released After Completing Three-Year Sentence
Thai Royal Defamation Prisoner Released After Completing Three-Year Sentence
BANGKOK, Sept. 29, 2026 — Weeraphap Wongsaman, a 23-year-old former secondhand-clothes vendor convicted of royal defamation, was released from Bangkok Remand Prison on Sunday after completing his three-year prison sentence.
Weeraphap was convicted in September 2023 over a message painted during a protest at Bangkok’s Din Daeng Intersection in September 2021 that called for reform of the monarchy. He was sentenced to three years in prison without suspension.
Following his conviction, Weeraphap was denied bail while his case was under appeal and remained in detention. According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, he withdrew his appeal in October 2025 because of the prolonged detention and because remaining detained pending appeal meant he was not eligible for certain forms of pardon, sentence reduction or parole.
He was released at about 8am on Sept. 27, with activists and supporters waiting outside Bangkok Remand Prison to greet him. His father was waiting for him after he was transported away from the prison.
His release came as Bangkok was experiencing severe flooding. Prachatai reported that deep floodwater surrounded the prison, with officials using large vehicles or boats to access the facility. Weeraphap later described conditions inside the prison as difficult, saying floodwater had reached about knee level and that restrictions on water, food and other activities had affected inmates.
Weeraphap had previously denied the allegation against him. According to documentation on the case, the prosecution alleged that he painted graffiti concerning monarchy reform during the Sept. 13, 2021 protest. The court convicted him under Thailand’s royal defamation law, while four other charges related to the protest were dismissed.
His case dates back to Thailand’s large pro-democracy protest movement of 2020–21, during which demonstrators called for political reforms, including changes concerning the monarchy.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, 54 people remained imprisoned as of Sept. 27 on charges related to political expression or participation in protests, including 30 people detained on royal-defamation charges.
Weeraphap’s release marks the end of his three-year sentence, nearly five years after the protest that led to his prosecution.
