Prasong Khotsongkhram, who was arrested on 8 July and detained on royal defamation charges, has been granted bail after spending 27 days in prison.

Prasong Khotsongkhram after his release (Picture from TLHR)

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that the Taling Chan Criminal Court granted bail for Prasong yesterday (4 August) after denying his 3 previous bail requests, using 100,000 baht as security.

During the hearing, Prasong told the court that he never received a summons before he was arrested. He also said that he did not resist arrest and therefore would not try to escape.

Prasong’s mother Supranee also testified to the court that she was present when Prasong was arrested at their home in Lopburi and signed as a witness to the arrest. She said that there is no one besides Prasong to take care of her. She said that she has kidney stones, high blood pressure and diabetes, which require her to take regular medications, and if Prasong is released, she would have someone to take her to doctor’s appointments.

The court required Prasong to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and set the condition that he must not do anything that would damage the monarchy and must not leave the country without the court’s permission.

At 22.00 on 4 August, Prasong was released from the Thonburi Remand Prison after spending 27 days in detention at the Thung Noi Temporary Prison, which is on the same premises as the Military Circle 11 Prison.

Prasong was charged with royal defamation for three Facebook posts made in May and June 2021, following a complaint filed against him by Thitiwat Tanagaroon, a royalist protester who was praised by King Vajiralongkorn for raising a portrait of the late King Bhumibol at a pro-democracy protest.

According to TLHR, at least 113 people are now facing royal defamation charges filed in 111 cases since November 2020. 55 cases resulted from complaints filed by members of the public, many of whom are members of royalist groups.