112WATCH interviews Phakpinya ‘Bamboo’ Kaewmat, a Thai refugee in Australia on her lèse-majesté case
The former librarian and musician recounts that her political journey began with a "small curiosity" over government scandals, leading to a severe Article 112 charge filed in a remote province—a punitive legal mechanism designed to create extreme hardship.
December 13, 2025
She managed the psychological toll by accepting her suffering and affirming her free will, but the key turning point for seeking asylum was the formation of the 2023 cross-caste government, which signalled the complete politicisation of the judiciary through the systematic denial of bail to Article 112 defendants. Now a refugee in Australia, she defines her ongoing fight as "never being uninterested in politics" and uses her freedom to educate others, remaining hopeful that this external push for rights and freedom will ultimately contribute to change in Thailand.
