A 33-year-old man has been sentenced to one year and six months in prison without suspension for royal defamation for raising his middle finger and a 3-finger salute at the King and Queen’s royal motorcade on 2 May 2022.

Sathaphon, a 33-year-old Ubon Ratchathani resident, was charged with royal defamation after he was found to have raised his middle fingers at the royal motorcade at the Democracy Monument.

He was apprehended by 13 police officers at a hotel in Udon Thani province on 2 April 2023 and then taken to the Chalongkrung Police Station, Bangkok.

The indictment stated that when the royal motorcade passed, he explicitly acted as alleged, which could be understood by the general public to be offensive and defamatory. He also raised a 3-finger salute, a gesture widely used to oppose the monarchy. During the action, he shouted out against the royal motorcade.

The prosecutor concluded that his action intended to insult and defame the King. Sathaphon was denied bail on the grounds that his case carried a high penalty, and that he might pose a flight risk.

He denied the allegations and was later granted provisional bail with 90,000 baht as security.

On Wednesday, the court sentenced him to three years in prison, but due to his guilty plea, the sentence was reduced to one year and six months without suspension.

He filed a bail application, but it has yet to be approved. He is currently detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison.