<p>Samut Prakan Provincial Court has dismissed a lèse majesté charge against an internet user posting a comment about the late King Rama IX in a Facebook group, on the grounds that the law protects only the current monarch; instead the court imposed a jail sentence for uploading false information, a charge that was not part of the initial indictment.</p>

<p>The state&rsquo;s strict stance guarding royal processions has been underlined once again as an activist was arrested and charged with lèse majesté and violation of the Computer Crime Act for live-streaming herself at a royal procession and questioning the priorities of the police and the King as protesters were cleared from the route.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Royal defamation case defendants indicted for reading a statement in German and wearing a crop top said that they were unable to obtain passports because of their ongoing court cases.</p>

<p>After a failed attempt a decade ago to amend or abolish the section of the Criminal Code that punishes people for defaming, insulting or threatening members of the monarchy, new calls have emerged questioning the monarch&rsquo;s role in Thai democracy and have faced legal harassment.</p>

<p>Kantapat (surname withheld), a 17 year old student activist, was summoned to the Nong Ki police station in Buriram Province on 3 January to sign a paper affirming that he would not interfere with an upcoming royal procession of Princess Sirindhorn on 5 January.</p>

<p>Amarat Chokepamitkul, an MP of the Move Forward Party (MFP) and member of the House Committee on Political Development, Mass Communications and Public Participation said the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) would be summoned to explain their request to the mainstream media to avoid covering news about monarchy reform.</p>

<p>On 27 November, the Thai immigration Department issued an expulsion order to Yan Marchal, an expat who have lived in Thailand for 18 years, on the grounds that his behaviour posed &lsquo;a possible danger to public.&rsquo; Marchal does not face any legal charge.</p>

<p>When protesters and members of the public again raised the issue of amending the lèse majesté law in November, political parties and affiliated think tanks responded in different ways.</p>

<p>A translation of the Constitutional Court&nbsp;ruling regarding a petition on whether or not the speeches calling for reform of the monarchy given by Anon Nampa, Panupong Jadnok and Panusaya Sitthijirawattanakul on 10 August 2020 constituted overthrowing rule of democracy with the king as head of state.</p>

<p>On 10 November, the Constitutional Court ruled that the calls for monarchy reform and monarchy-related activities organized by Anon Nampa, Panussaya Sitthijirawattanakul, Panupong Jadnok and associated organizations were, are and will be abuse of constitutional rights and liberties as they are intended to &lsquo;overthrow&rsquo; the democratic form of government with the King as Head of State.</p>

<p>Sirapat Deesawat, a Nonthaburi man charged with royal defamation for removing a gold-framed King Vajiralongkorn portrait from a housing estate entrance last August, may be tried in a closed-door session.</p>