Two activists have been denied bail after they were arrested on several charges, including sedition, for allegedly honking at and blocking a royal motorcade.

Following the arrest of Prachatai reporter Nutthaphol Meksobhon and Spacebar photographer Natthaphon Phanphongsanon, civil society organizations, academics, students, and MPs have issued statements condemning the arrest as a threat to press freedom and demanded their release.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) has issued an opinion saying that the arrest of activist Tantawan Tuatulanon in March 2022 amounts to arbitrary arrest and that she was not given access to a fair trial, while her prosecution under the royal defamation law is a violation of freedom of expression.

A 37-year-old activist arrested last Monday (6 November) on a royal defamation charge filed against him over a number of Facebook posts has been denied bail and is now detained in a prison in Phatthalung.

A letter from several UN bodies was released on 4 July, raising concerns about the prosecution and detention of 15-year-old activist Thanalop Phalanchai for royal defamation and asking for explanations from the Thai government.

Activist Thanalop Phalanchai, 15, was released on Thursday (18 May) after spending 51 days in pre-trial detention on a royal defamation charge at the Ban Pranee Juvenile Vocational Training Centre for Girls.

After the Central Juvenile and Family Court issued a statement claiming that it was appropriate to detain 15-year-old activist Thanalop Phalanchai, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) released a statement countering the court’s claim, saying that her arrest was against both Thai law and international human rights law.

Students and alumni of Triam Udom Suksa Pattanakarn School stood in front of the school for 1 hour and 12 minutes on Tuesday (16 May) to protest the detention of 15-year-old Thanalop Phalanchai, an activist and fellow student at the school.

For the first week 15-year-old Thanalop spent in pre-trial detention at a Juvenile Centre, her lawyer said Centre officials refused to allow her visitors and did not inform the lawyer that Thanalop had contracted Covid-19 until several days after she tested positive.

A 19-year-old protester was arrested last Friday night (24 March) on charges relating to a protest on 21 November 2021 and denied bail.

<p>Two high school students were detained for over 6 hours yesterday (27 December) for flashing three-finger salutes&nbsp;</p><p>at an intersection on a road that was closed ahead of King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida&rsquo;s royal motorcade, while a food delivery driver said he faced police surveillance during the King and Queen&#39;s visit to the province.</p>

<p>The Criminal Court today (5 September 2022) acquitted four activists on charges relating to an incident after a protest on 3 September 2021, but fined them for violating the Emergency Decree.</p>