An ultraconservative think tank’s claim that Western diplomats were meeting with election contenders to discuss abolishing the royal defamation law was disputed Friday by an embassy named in the allegation. 

The tweet by the Thai Move Institute claiming that representatives from Pheu Thai, Move Forward and Phalang Pracharat parties met with several diplomats at the New Zealand ambassador's residence to discuss “forming a new government and abolishing Article 112.”

Citing a “confidential report” from unspecified security forces, The Thai Move Institute wrote on its social media platforms yesterday that that the New Zealand ambassador invited representatives from Pheu Thai, Move Forward and Phalang Pracharat parties to his residence earlier this week, where the parties discussed about “forming a new government and abolishing Article 112.”

The posts also said Canadian, British, Australian, American and South Korean diplomats were in attendance, along with representatives from the European Union’s delegation to Thailand.  

The allegation came just days before millions of Thais are set to vote in the 14 May election. Opinion polls suggest that Pheu Thai and Move Forward – who occupied the opposition benches for the past four years – were surging ahead of the coalition parties, to the chagrin of many hardline royalists, who view the two parties as mortal enemies of the monarchy. 

In a response to an inquiry by Prachatai English, a New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said the meeting did take place, but it was about the economy. 

“As a core function of their work, diplomats regularly meet with a broad cross section of Thais, including political parties,” the spokesperson said in an email. 

“In this case, the political party economic advisors in attendance briefed the diplomats about each of their party’s economic policies and their aspirations for their country.” 

The nature of the briefing was separately confirmed to Prachatai English by a person familiar with the event. 

Economic advisors to Pheu Thai, Move Forward and Phalang Pracharat parties were invited by the diplomats to talk about their economic policies and their party platforms, the person said, adding that several other parties were also invited but could not make it due to schedule conflicts. 

Contrary to the claim made by the Thai Move Institute, Article 112 was not part of the agenda, according to the person, who spoke to Prachatai English on a condition of anonymity.  

The Move Forward Party has pledged to reform the royal defamation law if it’s elected into the ruling government, reducing its penalty and restricting who can file charges, while Pheu Thai has signaled that it will not touch Article 112. 

A conspiracy theory machine

The Thai Move Institute is part of a digital ecology that largely panders to ultraconservatives and hardline supporters of the Royal Family, who believe the monarchy is under threat from republican elements supported or encouraged by the Western powers. 

Along with news agencies that share similar ideological lines, like Top News and Thai Post, the think-tank often paints Western diplomatic missions and U.S.-based civil society organizations as a force that attempts to “meddle” in Thai political affairs. Little to no evidence is provided beyond speculations that, to many critics, borderline on conspiracy theory. 

The Thai Move Institute’s political conviction also extends to its presentation of geopolitics to the audience. The group’s social media and website are littered with articles about an impending collapse of the U.S. dollar, alleged Russian advances and Ukrainian military disasters in the Ukraine War, and analysis pieces leaning heavily on Pro-Kremlin views.

On Friday, the institute shared an opinion article which suggested that the CIA might have been behind the recent meeting between the political parties and the Western diplomats at the New Zealand ambassador’s residence. The article also urges Thailand to seek closer ties with Russia and China to counter the Western powers’ alleged effort to sabotage the kingdom. 

“We have to seek help from Russia and China. Don’t let it be too late,” the piece said.