People's Party Proposes Anti-SLAPP Law

Thairath•Politics•1d ago

Reader Briefing

The People's Party has proposed an Anti-SLAPP law to replace criminal penalties for defamation with administrative fines to protect public interest speech.

•The People's Party held a seminar on July 19, 2026, to present the Anti-SLAPP law principles.
•The proposal seeks to change criminal penalties for defamation and insults into administrative fines.
•The law aims to allow police, prosecutors, and courts to terminate cases identified as strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP).

Overview

•On July 19, 2026, the People's Party organized a seminar titled "Our Rights, Let No One Sue to Silence Us."
•The People's Party proposed the Anti-SLAPP law to balance freedom of expression with the right to reputation.
•Chonlathan Sapphaiboonlert stated that current criminal defamation laws conflict with international standards and UN guidelines.
•Anusorn Kaewvichian asserted that the law focuses on protecting opinions expressed for public interest rather than protecting wrongdoers.
•The People's Party submitted the draft to Parliament after the current government showed no movement to drive it through the Ministry of Justice.
•The proposed law suggests removing imprisonment for defamation and insults, replacing them with administrative fines.
•The proposal allows courts to order plaintiffs in SLAPP cases to pay damages to defendants at least twice the actual damages.

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Key Quotes

Anusorn Kaewvichian

"The protection of expression of opinion for the public interest"

การคุ้มครองการแสดงความคิดเห็นเพื่อผลประโยชน์สาธารณะ

Key Entities

Organization

People's Party(พรรคประชาชน)

A political party proposing the Anti-SLAPP law to protect freedom of expression.

Rights and Liberties Protection Department(กรมคุ้มครองสิทธิและเสรีภาพ)ℹ️

The agency through which the Anti-SLAPP draft was previously expected to be submitted to the Cabinet.

United Nations(สหประชาชาติ)ℹ️

An international body whose guidelines are cited as conflicting with Thailand's current criminal defamation laws.

Ministry of Justice(กระทรวงยุติธรรม)ℹ️

The ministry whose current leadership has not moved forward with the proposed law.

Person

Chonlathan Sapphaiboonlert(ชลธาร ทรัพย์ไพบูลย์เลิศ)

MP for Bangkok District 23 from the People's Party.

Anusorn Kaewvichian(อนุสรณ์ แก้ววิเชียร)

MP for Nonthaburi District 3 from the People's Party.

Law

Anti-SLAPP Law(กฎหมายต่อต้านการฟ้องปิดปาก)

A proposed law aimed at preventing the judicial process from being used to harass citizens and human rights activists.