A clothing vendor has been indicted for royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act over two Facebook posts.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that Kittiphong Chuanwanphen, 45, was indicted for royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act.

A complaint was filed against him by Songchai Niamhom, a member of the ultra-royalist King Protection Group, which is based in the southern provinces. Members of the group are reported to have filed complaints, especially royal defamation charges, against several people.

Kittiphong was arrested on 12 June while at a restaurant in Bangkok. The arrest warrant was issued by a court in Surat Thani on 10 June. He did not receive a summons before being arrested.

The charges against him stem from two Facebook posts made in March and April 2025, in which he criticised ultra-royalists for not speaking out against the King’s trips to Germany.

Kittiphong was held in police custody and taken to the Chai Buri Provincial Police Station in Surat Thani. He arrived on 13 June and was notified of the charges and questioned. He was then detained for another night at the police station before being taken to court on 14 June.

At the time, Kittiphong was granted bail on a 100,000-baht security. He was required to report to the Court every 12 days before he learned that he was indicted on 5 September.

The public prosecutor stated that the messages on his two Facebook posts, criticizing ultra-royalists for not speaking out against the King’s trips to Germany, were considered defamatory and undermined the King himself.

The public prosecutor also requested that the Court object to his bail request, given that the case constituted a high penalty and he might pose a flight risk.

However, the Court later granted him provisional bail with the same amount of security, with the condition that he is prohibited from committing the same act he was charged with.

According to TLHR, there have been at least 19 charges, primarily for royal defamation and sedition, filed by Songchai. Most of those facing the charges were ordinary people who live far from the police stations where the charges were filed.

He has filed random charges against netizens, particularly over Facebook posts. Most of his complaints stem from posts and comments on an anti-monarchy Facebook page, Royalist Marketplace, or other Facebook pages he comes across while scrolling through social media.