Thailand drops royal insult prosecution against American academic

BANGKOK – Thailand’s state prosecutor said on May 1 it will not prosecute an American academic who was arrested and charged in April with insulting the royal family, a crime that carries a penalty of up to 15 years in jail, and asked a court to free him.

Dr Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Thailand’s Naresuan University, was arrested after a complaint was filed by the royalist army, drawing widespread criticism within Thailand and from the US State Department, which said it was alarmed by the case.

He was also charged with violations of the Computer Crimes Act. He had denied both sets of charges.

Thailand has one of the world’s harshest lese majeste laws, setting jail terms of up to 15 years for anyone convicted of defaming, insulting or threatening King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family.

The Office of the Attorney-General said in a statement it has decided not to pursue the two sets of charges against Dr Chambers, asking the court in Phitsanulok to release him. It also said it will seek the opinion of the police force on the decision.

Dr Chambers spent a day in pre-trial detention in April and had to wear an ankle bracelet for weeks following his release on bail after his arrest. He also had his Thai work visa revoked, but was told not to leave the country.

His lawyer Wannaphat Jenroumjit said the initial charges stemmed from a blurb published on a website of a research institute outside Thailand for an online academic seminar in 2024 at which Dr Chambers was a speaker. 

“The swift order from the prosecutor is a good thing as it could alleviate the damages to Paul, which were numerous,” Ms Wannaphat told Reuters.

An appeal against the cancellation of Dr Chambers’ visa has been filed, but the immigration bureau has not yet made a decision on the matter, Ms Wannaphat said. REUTERS