Thai Security Guard Resigns After Complaints He Looked Like King
BANGKOK, April 27, 2026 — A Thai security guard and popular TikTok content creator said he had resigned from his job and deleted his online videos after facing pressure from ultra-royalist groups who accused him of resembling Thailand’s king.
The man, identified in local reports as Bang La, said complaints had been filed accusing him of violating Thailand’s strict lese-majeste law, known as Article 112, despite no evidence of wrongdoing being found by authorities.
According to Thai social media reports, he was pressured to change his hairstyle, stop livestreaming and cease producing online content because of his appearance.
The controversy eventually affected his workplace, prompting him to resign from his position as a security guard and remove all videos from his social media accounts.
“I quit my job. Now I no longer have work,” he wrote in a message shared online.
The case sparked debate on Thai social media, where many users questioned whether a person could face punishment simply for naturally resembling another individual.
Others offered messages of support to Bang La, who had gained popularity through humorous videos filmed in his security uniform. Online followers had nicknamed him the “elevator officer” because of his distinctive uniform style.
Thailand’s lese-majeste law is among the strictest in the world and has long been a source of domestic and international debate over freedom of expression.
