A 34-year-old Chiang Mai resident was arrested on 16 July on royal defamation and sedition charges resulting from a post in the Royalist Marketplace Facebook group.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Wela (pseudonym) was arrested near her residence in Chiang Mai city on an arrest warrant issued by the Phatthalung Provincial Court, dated to 24 October 2024. 

In the afternoon of 16 July, she was taken by van from Chiang Mai to Khao Chaison Police Station in Phattalung, where the charges against her were filed. TLHR noted that, according to her arrest record, around 47 officers took part in the operation.

Wela arrived in Phattalung on 17 July. The inquiry officer then informed her that she has been accused of royal defamation, sedition, and violation of the Computer Crimes Act over a post in the Royalist Marketplace Facebook group containing a link to a video clip about King Vajiralongkorn’s study in Australia.

Royalist Marketplace, known in Thai as Talad Luang (Royal Market or Public Market), was established by academic Pavin Chachavalpongpun in April 2020. Group members engage in daily satirical discussions of the monarchy.

The complaint against Wela was filed by Songchai Niamhom, leader of the ultra-royalist King Protection Group. He accused her of defaming every Chakri Dynasty kings and of trying to incite unrest or rebellion against the monarchy. He ehas also filed charges against Pavin, who he claimed is the group administrator, and a commenter on the post. 

Songchai is a known serial royal defamation complainant who has filed at least 19 royal defamation and sedition complaints against activists and social media users with the police in several southern provinces. Many of the accused do not live in the south and so are forced to shoulder the burden of travel costs when having to attend court appointments.

Wela denied all charges. She was released on bail after placing a 200,000-baht security, covered by the Will of the People Fund, a bail fund for pro-democracy protesters. She also learned that a police summons was previously sent to her old address, but she moved before the summons arrived and never received it. The police then had an arrest warrant issued for her.