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Thanathorn acquitted in royal vaccine criticism case

Thanathorn acquitted in royal vaccine criticism case

Khaosod•Politics•2d ago

Reader Briefing

A Thai criminal court has acquitted Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit in a lese-majeste case concerning his criticism of the royal-endowed vaccine procurement.

  • •Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was acquitted of lese-majeste charges at the Criminal Court.
  • •The case stemmed from his Facebook live criticism of the government's COVID-19 vaccine procurement in January 2021.
  • •The court found that his statements, while critical of the government's management, did not constitute defamation or insult towards the monarchy.

Overview

  • •On January 18, 2021, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit live-streamed on Facebook to criticize the government's COVID-19 vaccine procurement.
  • •The criticism was made on a public Facebook page titled 'Royal Vaccine: Who Gains, Who Loses', accessible to the general public.
  • •The court evaluated the prosecution's and defendant's evidence to determine if the statements violated Article 112 of the Criminal Code.
  • •The court reasoned that the entirety of the statements primarily focused on accusing the government of shortcomings in vaccine procurement, with minimal reference to the monarchy.
  • •The court stated that the statements did not contain malicious intent, insults, or defamation towards His Majesty King Rama X.
  • •The court found that criticisms regarding the Prime Minister's political popularity and decision-making in vaccine administration did not constitute lèse-majesté.
  • •The court ruled to acquit Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, finding the prosecution's evidence insufficient to prove guilt.
  • •On May 28, 2026, the Criminal Court announced the verdict in the case at Hearing Room 814.

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Key Quotes

Court
"Therefore, the entirety of the statements does not contain any content that is malicious, insulting, or defamatory towards His Majesty King Rama X."
ดังนั้น ข้อความทั้งหมด ไม่ได้มีข้อความที่มีลักษณะเป็นการอาฆาตมาดร้าย ดูหมิ่น หมิ่นประมาทในหลวงรัชกาลที่ 10 แต่อย่างใด
Court
"The prosecution's submitted evidence could not ascertain that the defendant committed the offense as charged, thus the court ruled to acquit."
พยานหลักฐานของโจทก์ที่นำสืบมา จึงยังรับฟังไม่ได้ว่าจำเลยกระทำความผิดตามฟ้อง พิพากษายกฟ้อง

Key Entities

Person

Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit(ธนาธร จึงรุ่งเรืองกิจ)ℹ️
Defendant in a lese-majeste case regarding criticism of royal-endowed vaccines.
General Prayut Chan-o-cha(พลเอกประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา)ℹ️
Former Prime Minister of Thailand, criticized by Thanathorn regarding vaccine management.

Organization

Criminal Court(ศาลอาญา)ℹ️
The judicial body that heard and acquitted Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit in the lese-majeste case.
Siam Bioscience(บริษัทสยามไบโอไซเอนซ์)ℹ️
A company mentioned in relation to the royal-endowed vaccine procurement.
Progress Movement(คณะก้าวหน้า)
Political group led by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.

Law

Article 112(มาตรา 112)ℹ️
The lese-majeste law under the Thai Criminal Code, relevant to the charges against Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.