Criminal Court Sentences Royalist Marketplace Member to 1 Year and 6 Months in Prison
Pui, an ordinary citizen and a member of the "Royalist Marketplace" Facebook group, was sentenced by the Bangkok Criminal Court to 1 year and 6 months in prison without suspension under Article 112 and the Computer Crimes Act. His conviction stemmed from an online comment he made in the discussion group, which was founded by Pavin Chachavalpongpun to provide a safe space for political discourse but has since been heavily targeted by ultra-royalist informants. Despite initially pleading innocent, Pui changed his plea to guilty, and his immediate detention following the verdict leaves his family devastated while his legal team scrambles to secure bail pending appeal.
June 18, 2026
On June 18, 2026, at 9:00 AM, the Bangkok Criminal Court scheduled a verdict reading for "Pui," an ordinary citizen accused of defaming the monarchy under Article 112 of the Criminal Code and Article 14 (3) of the Computer Crimes Act. The court initially handed down a 3-year prison sentence. However, because the defendant entered a guilty plea during the trial, which was deemed beneficial to the proceedings, the court reduced the sentence by half to 1 year and 6 months, without suspension.
The catalyst for this case occurred on November 19, 2021, when Pui posted a comment underneath a thread inviting people to line the streets for a royal motorcade. The comment was made within the prominent Facebook group "Royalist Marketplace" (Talat Luang). This renowned online community boasts millions of members and was founded and managed by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, who is also the founder of this very platform, 112WATCH.
The primary objective of the Royalist Marketplace group is to provide a safe haven in the virtual world where citizens can freely discuss, debate, criticize, and exchange perspectives regarding the monarchy and Thai politics—conversations that are virtually impossible to have in offline public spaces under the current legal architecture. However, this space, intended for freedom of thought, has been constantly surveilled by ultra-royalist groups. In Pui's case, Thagoon Nuankaew, a member of the Vocational Students Protecting the Monarchy group, gathered evidence and filed the formal complaint with interrogating officers. This serves as yet another empirical piece of evidence demonstrating how Article 112 opens a loophole for anyone to act as an informant to crush dissidents.
The prosecutor's indictment stated that Pui’s message manifested malice, devalued, and incited hatred against King Rama X, the Queen, and the Royal Noble Consort, while also introducing information into a computer system that threatened national security. Although Pui initially denied all charges during the interrogation phase, he ultimately decided to alter his plea to guilty in court.
The atmosphere in Courtroom 904 this morning was fraught with tension, filled with more than 12 trial observers and human rights defenders. Pui arrived at court wearing a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, sitting next to his wife with a calm and composed demeanor. At 9:36 AM, the judge took the bench to read the ruling, concluding that the defendant’s online commentary did indeed devalue and incite hatred against the monarchy, thereby committing a single act that violated multiple laws. The court applied the heaviest penalty under Article 112, ordering a prison sentence of 1 year and 6 months (after the 50% reduction).
Immediately after the reading concluded at 9:47 AM, though Pui maintained his composure and flashed a subtle smile to his lawyer and family to keep them from worrying, Corrections Department officials immediately stepped forward to handcuff him. He was then escorted down to the detention cells beneath the court to await the outcome of a bail request pending appeal.
A heartbreaking scene unfolded outside the courtroom when Pui’s wife, who had held back her tears throughout the verdict reading, broke down sobbing uncontrollably. Staff from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) and a psychologist from the FreedomBridge Foundation closely embraced and supported her emotionally. Deep down, she expressed through her grief, she had hoped the court would be merciful enough to grant a suspended sentence so their family could remain together, but the reality she received was far more brutal.
The case of "Pui" is yet another tragedy underscoring that freedom of expression in the online world for Thai citizens still carries an incredibly steep price. The legal team stated that the case is not yet final, and they are urgently moving forward to appeal the order to secure Pui's provisional release so he can fight the case in the next stage. Currently, 112WATCH and its human rights networks are closely monitoring Pui’s bail application and standing in solidarity with his family during this harrowing time.
