Thailand Jails Man for 30 Years Under Lese-Majeste Law
Thailand Jails Man for 30 Years Under Lese-Majeste Law
Bangkok, Feb. 11 — A Thai court on Tuesday sentenced a 43-year-old man to 30 years in prison for social media posts deemed critical of the monarchy, in one of the latest applications of Thailand’s strict lese-majeste law.
The Criminal Court found Pruttikorn “Ton Pai” Sarakul guilty under Section 112 of the Criminal Code for 10 anti-monarchy comments posted on Twitter between November 2021 and March 2022, handing down three years per count.
Pruttikorn was not present at the verdict, and the court issued an arrest warrant, local media reported.
According to the legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, the latest ruling brings his total prison term to 50 years. In December 2025, he was sentenced to 30 years — later reduced to 20 — for separate posts on Facebook.
The cases were initiated by Special Branch police and investigated by the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau.
A constitutional challenge filed by his former lawyer, Arnon Nampa, was dismissed in August 2025. The court ruled that trials may proceed in a defendant’s absence if they fail to appear without justification.
Thailand’s lese-majeste law carries penalties of up to 15 years per offense.
