Thai political activist Arnon Nampa, 42, has been handed an additional two years and eight months in prison for defaming the monarchy during a 2020 protest, escalating his total prison sentence to more than 34 years. Nampa, a prominent leader in youth-dominated protests, has been incarcerated since 2023 on multiple charges under Thailand’s Article 112, known as the lese-majeste law, which criminalizes criticism of the Thai king or royal family.
The Bangkok Criminal Court delivered the new sentence on Friday. Nampa and four other defendants—Wanwalee Thammasattaya, Phongsatorn Tancharoen, Promsorn Veerathamjaree, and Nawat Liangwattana—each received the same two-year, eight-month term for a fresh count of lese-majeste, as reported by AFP news agency.
The charges stem from a 2020 protest held in front of the Siam Commercial Bank headquarters. During the demonstration, the defendants delivered speeches calling for the resignation of then-prime minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, constitutional amendments, and reform of the monarchy. Nampa's lawyer, Krisadang Nutcharut, stated that his client specifically sought increased transparency regarding a transfer of shares in Siam Commercial Bank, Thailand’s oldest bank, from the Crown Property Bureau. King Vajiralongkorn is the largest shareholder in SCBx, the bank’s parent company.
The defendants argued that their actions were protected by the constitutional right to assembly. However, the judges ruled that their remarks exceeded lawful limits, insulting and defaming the monarchy. The Court initially sentenced each defendant to four years in prison, but this was reduced to two years and eight months, with judges noting that their testimony “was of some assistance to the proceedings.”
Nampa was a key figure in the protest movement that emerged in the first half of 2020 following the court-ordered dissolution of the progressive Future Forward Party. These protests, which continued until 2021 before being curtailed by COVID-19 restrictions and state repression, were notable for openly discussing the monarchy's political role—a long-standing taboo.
In response, Thailand's conservative establishment initiated numerous lese-majeste complaints against protest leaders. Since the 2020 protests, 294 individuals, including 20 under the age of 18, have faced prosecution for defaming the monarchy. Acquittals are rare once charges are laid. Examples include a man sentenced to two years in 2022 for placing a sticker on a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn, and another in 2023 who received the same sentence for selling calendars featuring cartoons of yellow ducks that authorities deemed defamatory.
Nampa's first conviction in September 2023 resulted in a four-year prison term for a speech given during pro-democracy protests in October 2020. He has since faced 13 additional lese-majeste cases related to social media posts and protest comments, contributing to his more than 34-year total sentence. One such case involved his participation in a Harry Potter-themed protest in August 2020, publicized as “Harry Potter versus You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,” a clear reference to the taboos surrounding discussions of the Thai king. Two of his cases are still awaiting verdicts.
This legal crackdown has fueled a political movement advocating for the amendment or abolition of Article 112. Ironically, courts have interpreted such calls as breaches of Article 112 itself, leading to further restrictions on political speech. In August 2024, the Constitutional Court disbanded the progressive Move Forward Party, successor to Future Forward, on the grounds that its proposal to amend the lese-majeste law violated the constitution.
The International Federation for Human Rights has stated that Article 112 and Article 116, which governs sedition, have been subject to “systematic abuse… against peaceful critics and protesters.” The organization added that this reflects “a broader pattern of judicial harassment and a shrinking civic space in Thailand,” and that such cases “appear to be solely aimed at punishing them for their legitimate human rights activities and the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”
