A noodle vendor has been indicted on a royal defamation charge for a speech about the royal motorcade budget given at a protest on 19 July 2022.

Juang (full name withheld), a 53-year-old street noodle vendor, was initially charged in May 2023 for using a sound amplifier without permission and fined 200 baht for giving a speech at a protest in front of the South Bangkok Criminal Court to demand bail for activists Netiporn Sanesangkhom and Nutthanit Duangmusit, who were held in pre-trial detention at the time. In February 2024, she was charged with royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act for the same incident.

Both complaints against Juang were filed by Raphiphong Chaiyarat, a member of the ultra-royalist group People’s Centre for the Protection of the Monarchy.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that the public prosecutor ruled last Friday (5 June) to indict Juang on the grounds that she accused King Vajiralongkorn and the royal family of using a lot of taxpayer’s money to fund royal motorcades, which is false and defamatory.

The indictment also said the speech was seditious, created a misunderstanding about the King, and caused conflict since it would create a rift in the society, and that it is not a good faith criticism but meant to destroy the monarchy. TLHR noted that this is similar to description of offenses under the sedition law, but Juang was not charged with sedition.

This is one of two counts of royal defamation filed against Juang. She is facing another count along with her sister for allegedly putting up signs in front of their noodle shop calling for the repeal of the royal defamation law and the release of political prisoners.