The Appeal Court has overturned a not guilty verdict on activist Nutchanon Pairoj and sentenced him to prison for royal defamation over a book of speeches given by protest leaders in 2020. He was later granted bail.

The book was published by the student activist group United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration. It contained the scripts for speeches on monarchy reform given by activists Anon Nampa, Panupong Jadnok, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, and Parit Chiwarak at the 10 August 2020 protest at Thammasat University and the 20 August 2020 protest in Khon Kaen.

On 19 September 2020, the police intercepted a truck carrying over 45,000 copies of the book on a street in Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani. Without presenting a search warrant, they confiscated the books, which were being taken to a protest at Thammasat University. They stated that they needed to check the texts for “treasonous” content.

Nutchanon, former member of the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration, was charged with royal defamation and later indicted on the grounds that several passages in the book and the 10-point demand for monarchy reform were insulting towards the King.

The Thanyaburi Provincial Court on 8 November 2023 dismissed a royal defamation charge filed against him, ruling that the book did not contain the defendant’s speech and the evidence did not prove that he was involved in the publication process.

However, the Appeal Court reversed the verdict on Monday (17 February), sentencing him to two years in prison without suspension. According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), the Appeal Court ruled that Nutchanon was guilty of being an accomplice to royal defamation on the grounds that, according to a prosecution witness, he also spoke at the 10 August 2020 protest. He therefore must have known the content of the speeches and that the book contained passages which defame the monarchy.

The Court also ruled not to suspend his sentence because, as a student in "an important and famous institution in the country," he should be knowledgeable but is not aware of the good the King has done for the country.

TLHR noted that none of the activists who spoke at the 10 August 2020 protest were charged with royal defamation but were instead charged with sedition.

Nutchanon was later granted bail with 150,000 baht as security.