3-year term upheld by top courtThe Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling sentencing a man to three years and four months in prison for violating the lese majeste law over a social media post about the death of King Rama VIII. The Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said on Wednesday the Supreme Court affirmed the ruling of the Region 1 Court of Appeal in the case of "Wuttipat" (a pseudonym). The case stems from a Facebook post made in 2020 expressing opinions about the 1946 death of King Rama VIII, which negatively referred to King Rama IX. The court found Section 112 protects only four positions -- the King, Queen, heir-apparent and Regent -- who are currently in office. Prosecutors appealed, arguing that defamation of a former monarch also affects the current king, King Rama X, and national security, particularly given Thailand's constitutional monarchy and the hereditary succession of the Chakri dynasty.

Source: Bangkok Post February 19, 2026 01:26 UTC