A citizen and a lecturer from Mahidol University have been indicted for criminal defamation over a Facebook post and comment questioning alleged vote-buying involving a Pheu Thai MP candidate. 

A 37-year-old man identified as Amnat (surname withheld) and Dr. Trynh Phoraksa, a lecturer from Mahidol University’s Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, were indicted for defamation by publication, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

The complaint was filed by Rattikan Kaewkerdmee, a Pheu Thai MP candidate for Bangkok’s Sai Mai District.

The case stems from an incident in February when the lecturer posted on Facebook allegations of vote-buying during the 2026 general election in February. The post read “A villager sent it to me. I don’t know whether it’s true or not. This space is for public relations and raising questions.”

The post included screenshots of a chat discussing vote-buying, and it also featured a picture of the MP candidate with her face censored.

The post drew attention of the public, including Amnat, who wrote a comment under the post without mentioning the name of the MP candidate.

According to the complaint, Trynh’s post caused damage to Rattikan’s reputation, leading to a lower vote total compared to the number of votes she received while running for a Bangkok Council seat in 2022. Rattikan also denied engaging in vote-buying as alleged in the chat, saying that the message contained false information. 

Regarding Amnart’s comment, the complaint stated that he wrote the comment in a way that confirmed the allegation, constituting defamation against Rattikan.

During a preliminary hearing, Rattikan said that the MP candidate referred to in Trynh’s post was herself. The MP candidate added that such an allegation could put her at risk of legal proceedings, particularly under the election law.

She asserted that she did not buy votes as alleged. 

Rattikan also stated that Amnat wrote the comment claiming that vote-buying occurred in his own constituency without identifying the constituency by name. Rattikan then replied to the comment saying “be prepared for a summons.” 

The MP candidate noted that in 2022, when she ran for the Bangkok Council, she received 44,507 votes, but only 23,493 votes in the 2026 general election. She believed that the decline in her support resulted from defamation committed by the two defendants. 

Rattikan also stated that although her face was obscured, residents in Sai Mai district could still recognise that the person depicted was her.

Trynh admitted that the post was written by him, adding that no one in his comment section identified the MP candidate as Rattikan. He also argued that raising questions about vote-buying is a part of scrutiny by citizens  in accordance with democratic principles.

On Tuesday (7 July), the Criminal Court indicted the two defendants on the grounds that the case has a reasonable ground to proceed.