Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR)
established on 24th May 2014, two days following the coup in 2014, by a group of human rights lawyers and social activists. Initially as an ad-hoc organization, TLHR aimed to provide legal and litigation assistance to individuals who had been summoned, arrested, and detained by the military as a result of the 2014 coup.
July 2026: Section 112 case dismissed over the royal motorcade poll, while “Netiwit” receives a suspended sentence for conscientious objection to military conscription
In July 2026, one more person was charged: Pavin Chachavalpongpun. His involvement came to light through the case of “Wela” (pseudonym), who was arrested in Chiang Mai and taken to face Section 112 proceedings in Phatthalung province over a post in the Facebook group “Royalist Marketplace–Talad Luang,” in which Pavin was named as one of […]
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17/08/2569
June 2026: 2 SLAPP cases dismissed while Senate deliberating Amnesty Bill ‘excluding Section 112 cases in all circumstances including youth’
June 2026 saw a new case filed concerning freedom of expression compared to May. A resident in Sa Kaeo province has been summoned regarding his act of “conscientious objection” bringing the number of individuals being charged to at least 1,347 cases while at least 589 cases are still pending in various stages. Meanwhile judicial decisions […]
admin05
28/07/2569
Geography of (In)Justice: Report Release on Remote Criminal Prosecutions in Thailand
On 26 June 2026, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), the Center for Legal Studies at Thammasat University’s Faculty of Law, and the Legal Aid Center at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Law held a launch event for TLHR’s new report, Geography of (In)Justice: The Problem of Remote Prosecutions: Examining the Law, the Impacts, and Proposals […]
admin05
13/07/2569
August 2026: the Peaceful Society Act comes into force but detainees who meet the criteria are still not released—Section 112 defendants go on entering prison, while the courts begin striking out pending cases
In August 2026 one more political case was added: the Section 112 case against “Kaseni”, prosecuted over the publication of clips criticizing politics and the monarchy, in which the complainant was found to have had a personal conflict with her beforehand. That brings the number of people charged under this provision to at least 293, […]
Advocacy Team
10/09/2569
Agencies in the justice system should apply the Act on Promoting a Peaceful Society to a consistent standard
Following the promulgation of the Act on Promoting a Peaceful Society, B.E. 2569 (2026), in force since 24 August 2026, which grants an amnesty in cases arising from assembly or expression motivated by political conflict or political motivation, committed between 1 January 2005 and 16 July 2025. Although the Act still excludes from the amnesty […]
Advocacy Team
08/09/2569
Criminal Court sentences “Tawan” to two years under Section 112 for livestreaming on the clearing of a farmers’ protest before a royal motorcade; court finds an intention to defame, not a good-faith exercise of rights; bail granted pending appeal
On 31 August 2026 at 9.00 a.m., the Criminal Court was scheduled to deliver judgment on “Tawan” Tantawan Tuatulanon, a 25-year-old student and activist, on a principal charge of lèse-majesté under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, over a Facebook livestream on the clearing of a farmers’ protest from the footpath on Ratchadamnoen Nok Road […]
Advocacy Team
01/09/2569
December 2025: The Supreme Court sentenced “Busbas” to 46 years under Section 112. After four years, the public prosecutor still issued an indictment in the Roi-Et youths’ Car Mob case.
In December 2025, Attapon “Khru Yai” Buapat, a political activist currently detained under Section 112 charges, was informed of additional charges under the Emergency Decree. The charges stemmed from his participation in the Kabuan Saded Car Mob on 30 July 2021. Previously, the investigating officer had recommended that the case should not be prosecuted. However, […]
Advocacy Team
23/01/2569
Australian Journalist Indicted for Criminal Defamation, Faces up to 8 Years in Prison for Reporting on the Malaysian Government
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights urgently calls your attention to the indictment of Mr. Murray Hunter, an Australian journalist residing in Thailand, under Section 328 (defamation by publication) of the Thai Criminal Code [1] on 17 November 2025. (Black Case No. Aor. 2120/2568) This case stems from four articles that were published on his Substack […]
Advocacy Team
20/11/2568
Transnational SLAPP against Australian Journalist in Thailand for Criticizing a Malaysian Government Agency
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights urgently calls your attention to the charges and the arrest of Mr. Murray Hunter, an Australian journalist residing in Thailand, under Section 328 (defamation by publication) of the Thai Criminal Code [1] in connection with four articles that were published on his Substack between 13 and 29 April 2024, that […]
Advocacy Team
11/11/2568 August 2026: the Peaceful Society Act comes into force but detainees who meet the criteria are still not released—Section 112 defendants go on entering prison, while the courts begin striking out pending cases
In August 2026 one more political case was added: the Section 112 case against “Kaseni”, prosecuted over the publication of clips criticizing politics and the monarchy, in which the complainant was found to have had a personal conflict with her beforehand. That brings the number of people charged under this provision to at least 293, […]
Advocacy Team
10/09/2569 July 2026: Section 112 case dismissed over the royal motorcade poll, while “Netiwit” receives a suspended sentence for conscientious objection to military conscription
In July 2026, one more person was charged: Pavin Chachavalpongpun. His involvement came to light through the case of “Wela” (pseudonym), who was arrested in Chiang Mai and taken to face Section 112 proceedings in Phatthalung province over a post in the Facebook group “Royalist Marketplace–Talad Luang,” in which Pavin was named as one of […]
admin05
17/08/2569 June 2026: 2 SLAPP cases dismissed while Senate deliberating Amnesty Bill ‘excluding Section 112 cases in all circumstances including youth’
June 2026 saw a new case filed concerning freedom of expression compared to May. A resident in Sa Kaeo province has been summoned regarding his act of “conscientious objection” bringing the number of individuals being charged to at least 1,347 cases while at least 589 cases are still pending in various stages. Meanwhile judicial decisions […]
admin05
28/07/2569 August 2026: the Peaceful Society Act comes into force but detainees who meet the criteria are still not released—Section 112 defendants go on entering prison, while the courts begin striking out pending cases
In August 2026 one more political case was added: the Section 112 case against “Kaseni”, prosecuted over the publication of clips criticizing politics and the monarchy, in which the complainant was found to have had a personal conflict with her beforehand. That brings the number of people charged under this provision to at least 293, […]
Advocacy Team
10/09/2569 Agencies in the justice system should apply the Act on Promoting a Peaceful Society to a consistent standard
Following the promulgation of the Act on Promoting a Peaceful Society, B.E. 2569 (2026), in force since 24 August 2026, which grants an amnesty in cases arising from assembly or expression motivated by political conflict or political motivation, committed between 1 January 2005 and 16 July 2025. Although the Act still excludes from the amnesty […]
Advocacy Team
08/09/2569 Criminal Court sentences “Tawan” to two years under Section 112 for livestreaming on the clearing of a farmers’ protest before a royal motorcade; court finds an intention to defame, not a good-faith exercise of rights; bail granted pending appeal
On 31 August 2026 at 9.00 a.m., the Criminal Court was scheduled to deliver judgment on “Tawan” Tantawan Tuatulanon, a 25-year-old student and activist, on a principal charge of lèse-majesté under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, over a Facebook livestream on the clearing of a farmers’ protest from the footpath on Ratchadamnoen Nok Road […]
Advocacy Team
01/09/2569
Thai Civil Society’s Open Letter to the European Commission Ahead of the Next Round of FTA Negotiations: “Trade Must Advance, not Undermine, Human Rights”
Ms. Ursula von der Leyen President European Commission Brussels, Belgium Mr. Maroš Šefčovič Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security European Commission European Commission Brussels, Belgium 27 September 2025 Re: Trade Must Advance, not Undermine, Human Rights Dear President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, In a few days, the European Union and Thailand […]
Advocacy Team
27/09/2568
A letter to the Chief Justice of the Criminal Court:Unjust political persecution of Thai human rights defender and Sakharov fellow Ms. Pimsiri “Mook” Petchnamrob
16 September 2025 Chief Justice Suchart Soontarikasem Criminal Court Bangkok, Thailand Re: Unjust political persecution of Thai human rights defender and Sakharov fellow Ms. Pimsiri “Mook” Petchnamrob Dear Chief Justice Soontarikasem, We, the undersigned fellows of the European Parliament’s Sakharov Fellowship and laureate of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, write to express our […]
admin05
16/09/2568
Statement: Calling on Thailand to Guarantee Basic Rights in the Criminal Justice System in Section 112 Case Regarding the Arrest of Dr. Paul Chambers
On 8 April 2025, Dr. Paul Wesley Chambers, an American academic affiliated with the Center of ASEAN Community Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Naresuan University, was charged under Section 112 (lèse-majesté) of Thailand’s Criminal Code and Section 14(1) (entering distorted, fake, or false computer data into the computer system in a manner likely to cause […]