<p>Monarchy reform activist Sopon Surariddhidhamrong, who has been held in pre-trial detention on a royal defamation charge, was granted bail and released yesterday (31 May).</p>

<p>Monarchy reform activist Tantawan Tuatulanon has been granted bail after spending over a month in pre-trial detention on royal defamation charges, while the Court once again denied bail for activist <a name="_Hlk104499712">Sopon Surariddhidhamrong</a>, also held in pre-trial detention on a royal defamation charge.</p>

<p>Four monarchy reform activists were again denied bail on 20 May, including Tantawan Tuatulanon, who has been on a hunger strike for the past 32&nbsp;days to demand the right to bail, while a protest caravan visited the Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court and the Bangkok Remand Prison to demand the release of 11 detained activists.</p>

<p>In a new surge of detentions, six people are in jail in connection with the royal defamation law &ndash; five of them denied bail to contest the charges outside prison. A human rights lawyer said the move illustrates the authorities&rsquo; obsession with smothering any public criticism of the monarchy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another activist has been arrested and charged with royal defamation for a speech given at the <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/9783">Chakri Memorial Day protest</a> on 6 April 2022.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The activist network Citizens for the Abolition of 112 submitted a petition to the US Embassy yesterday (10 May) calling for the US to pressure the Thai authorities to release detained activists and repeal the royal defamation law.</p>

<p>An activist was arrested yesterday (10 May) and charged with royal defamation for a speech given at the <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/9783">Chakri Memorial Day protest</a> on 6 April 2022.</p>

<p>The South Bangkok Criminal Court on Tuesday (3 May) ordered bail for monarchy reform activists Baipor and Netiporn to be revoked, saying that they violated their bail conditions by causing public disorder.</p>

<p>Student activist Sopon Surariddhidhamrong was arrested on Sunday night (1 May) on a royal defamation charge resulting from a speech he gave at a protest on 22 April 2022 and subsequently denied bail.</p>

<p>Three activists from the monarchy reform group Thaluwang were arrested yesterday (28 April) on a royal defamation charge after police officers raided their apartment.</p>