The Phitsanulok Provincial Court today (8 April) denied bail for Dr Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan University’s Faculty of Social Sciences, who was charged with royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act. He will be detained while his lawyers appeal the Court’s decision.

Dr Paul Chambers arriving at Mueang Phitsanulok Police Station this morning.

Chambers reported to the police at Muang Phitsanulok Police Station today (8 April) after learning last week that the 3^rd Army Area is pressing charges against him for royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act and that an arrest warrant was issued for him on 31 March.

It was previously reported that Chambers was being charged with importing into a computer system information that affects national security under Section 14(3) the Computer Crimes Act. However, the police instead formally charged him with importing into a computer system forged or false data that is likely to cause damage to a third party or the public under Section 14(1) of the Computer Crimes Act.

After he was formally charged, Chambers was taken to the Phitsanulok Provincial Court and subsequently denied bail. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that the Court denied him bail on the grounds that the charges carry a severe penalty, and because he is a foreigner and is a flight risk. The inquiry officer also objected to granting him bail.

Chambers’ lawyers filed another bail request and increased his security from 150,000 baht to 300,000 baht. They also declared to the Court that Chambers has a medical condition and is willing to accept conditions the Court may set, including having a supervisor appointed for him and being required to report to the Court.

The Phitsanulok Provincial Court denied the second bail request on the grounds that there is no reason to change its existing order.

Yaowalak Anuphan

Yaowalak Anuphan, head of TLHR, said that the Court refused to grant bail for Chambers although an Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences was named as a guarantor and he is a full-time lecturer with a full-time residence. She noted that he is not a flight risk because he himself reported to the police after learning that there is an arrest warrant out for him.

Yaowalak said that a military officer filed charges against Chambers on behalf of the 3^rd Army Area over a blurb on the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s website, which Chambers said that he did not write or publish because he is not an admin for the site.

Chambers never received a police summons before an arrest warrant was issued for him. According to Yaowalak, the police claimed that they requested an arrest warrant because the charges carry a prison sentence of more than 5 years. However, she said that, since 2020, it is rare for the police to request an arrest warrant in cases involving political expression. Most of the time, a summons would be issued first.

Yaowalak said that she is concerned that the Court is having Chambers detained since doing so would affect academic freedom since Chambers is an academic and the text in question appears on the website of an academic institution based in Singapore. The police should have checked with the institution, she said, noting that Chambers did not make the post himself or post on his personal social media account.

An American political scientist, Chambers’ research focuses on civil-military relations in Southeast Asia, particularly the role and influence of the military in Thailand. He has also written on the relationship between the military and the monarchy. He now serves as a lecturer at the Center of ASEAN Community Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Naresuan University. His notable works include “Praetorian Kingdom: A History of Military Ascendancy in Thailand” and “Khaki Capital: The Political Economy of the Military in Southeast Asia”.