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The Star
13-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Thailand's political war heads toward a no-return showdown
BANGKOK: A high-stakes political war unfolds in Thailand—legal traps, party dissolutions, and a Senate scandal are pushing rival camps toward an explosive confrontation. Thai politics today bears an uncanny resemblance to the insurgency in the southern border provinces—murky, protracted, exhausting, and strewn with casualties along the way. At its core lies a deadlock between two rival factions, neither capable of delivering a decisive blow to the other. As a result, the political stalemate has reached a critical juncture: a final confrontation now seems inevitable. Without it, both sides may well 'die together'—locked in mutual destruction, much like the southern conflict now lingering on life support. To grasp the current high-stakes showdown, we must start with the latest flashpoint: the aggressive push to bring down the Senate. The campaign has gathered momentum and shows no signs of slowing, even after being temporarily halted. To trace the roots of this escalation, consider this brief yet dramatic timeline — spanning less than 10 days: April 30 – The Supreme Court unexpectedly appointed a panel to reopen Thaksin Shinawatra's sentencing case. This move shocked the legal community, as the court had previously dismissed similar petitions three times. This time, it cited 'new developments' that warranted further investigation. May 8 (Daytime) – The Medical Council disciplined the doctors responsible for Thaksin's care, signalling that he may not have been in critical condition, or perhaps not genuinely ill at all. May 8 (Nighttime) – Arrest warrants were suddenly issued for 55 senators, with plans to expand that number to 150. Crucially, this sweep included not just blue-camp senators but also members of a major political party. The implications were clear: this could escalate to the level of party dissolution. This brief timeline makes one thing clear — this is a political battle with everything on the line. On the Pheu Thai side (red), Thaksin — still the true power behind the scenes — is now bound by two major legal cases: first, the '14th Floor' scandal involving his questionable hospitalisation at the Police General Hospital; and second, the extremely sensitive lese majeste charge under Article 112. Meanwhile, his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn, is increasingly entangled as well, caught in a web of legal threats, including the case surrounding Deputy Prime Minister Pirapan's qualifications, which could extend directly to her. On the other side, Bhumjaithai (blue) is being squeezed by the Senate Vote-Rigging Scandal. The situation has spiralled beyond political control. The public has seen the evidence and is no longer willing to accept silence or spin. What began as a behind-the-scenes manoeuvre to shift Senate loyalties has now exploded into a full-fledged campaign to dismantle the Senate altogether—and potentially dissolve entire parties. This escalation beyond the Senate is driven by the involvement of a major political party, reportedly with ministers directly tied to the party's true command structure. This is, in effect, a political strategy to 'strike the beehive and scatter the swarm.' At the centre of this brewing political storm is the '14th Floor' case. Thaksin appears to be making his move to flip the board—seizing the advantage, neutralising his enemies, and consolidating absolute power. If he fails, the consequences will be dire—not only for him but for his daughter as well. To neutralise the legal landmine that is the '14th Floor' case, Thaksin's team appears to be executing a three-pronged strategy: 1. Proving the sentence was already served The first move is to produce witnesses who will testify that Thaksin has, in fact, served his sentence in accordance with the court's ruling. Besides the Department of Corrections, the key witness here is none other than Wissanu Krea-ngam, a seasoned legal expert and long-time political insider. 2. Justifying the transfer to the Police General Hospital Next, the defence is working to legitimise the Department of Corrections' decision to transfer Thaksin from prison to the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital. The legal argument is that current laws and ministerial regulations do not require an inmate to be in 'critical condition'—only that they suffer from a 'specialised illness.' The claim is that the prison hospital lacked both the equipment and the expertise to treat his specific condition. 3. Deflecting the 'fake illness' allegation The third and most sensitive point is countering the accusation that Thaksin feigned illness to stay out of prison. The strategy here is to disqualify the most damaging piece of evidence: the Medical Council's decision to discipline three doctors involved in his care. The goal is to prevent that ruling from becoming admissible in the Supreme Court's review of Thaksin's sentence enforcement. It begins with framing the Medical Council's ruling as an administrative order, not a final decision. Under law, it requires approval by the Extraordinary Council of the Medical Council, chaired by none other than Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin. Crucially, Somsak has veto power. If Somsak vetoes the decision, it will be sent back for reconsideration. To override his veto, two-thirds of the Medical Council must reaffirm their position. Even if the Council pushes the decision through, the sanctioned doctors still have the right to file an administrative lawsuit. In fact, legal teams are reportedly preparing lawsuits as we speak. This drawn-out process means the Medical Council's ruling cannot yet be considered a 'conclusive fact.' Therefore, the claim that Thaksin faked his illness cannot be formally presented in the Supreme Court's upcoming session on June 13. The result? Thaksin stands a high chance of escaping further legal enforcement in the '14th Floor' case. June is set to be a scorching month politically, not just because of Thaksin, but because the Senate Vote-Rigging Scandal will reach its climax. Next week, arrest warrants for the remaining 95 individuals are expected to be issued. This list reportedly includes more than just senators—it implicates figures from a major political party. More damaging still is the 'second sword': the money laundering and criminal association case being pursued by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). Once the Election Commission officially pressed charges under the Organic Act on Senate Selection, the path was cleared for the DSI to proceed with criminal prosecution. If those implicated are ministers, they face dismissal over ethical violations. If they are executive members of a political party, it opens the door for party dissolution. With this pressure mounting, it's no surprise that reports have surfaced suggesting Bhumjaithai may vote down the national budget bill—interpreted by some as a political counterstrike against the 'anti-Senate operation' that now threatens to dissolve their party. This is a game with no compromises—only breaking points. And in this high-stakes showdown, the cabinet reshuffle could be the final trigger. - The Nation/ANN
The Star
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Thai prosecutors drop Royal insult case against US academic
Paul Chambers photographed at the Phitsanulok Provincial Court. -- Photo: The Isaan Record via Laotian Times BANGKOK (Bloomberg): Thai prosecutors dismissed charges against an American academic accused of insulting the country's monarchy, after his arrest was criticised by the US and cast a shadow over tariff talks. Prosecutors dropped royal insult and computer crime charges against Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan University in northern Phitsanulok province, and will inform police of the decision pending any objection, the Office of the Attorney General in a statement. No clear reasons were cited in the statement for the decision. Chambers, who has lived in Thailand for more than 30 years, was accused by a regional army unit of breaking the royal insult, or lese majeste, law over comments about the powers of the prime minister and the monarchy in a blurb promoting an international webinar last October where he was a speaker. Chambers has denied the charge. The case is seen as linked to a delay in talks between Thailand and the US on reducing a Trump administration plan to slap a 36% tariff on the Southeast Asian nation's exports. Talks initially slated for late April were postponed after Washington asked Bangkok to address a set of "issues' related to trade, government officials have said. The extent of the issues have not been made clear by Thai officials, and no new date has been set for talks to be held. The US Department of State said in a statement on April 8 that it was alarmed by his arrest and the case reinforced its longstanding concerns about the use of the lese majeste law in Thailand. The term refers to Article 112 of the Thai criminal code, which punishes anyone who "defames, insults or threatens' Thailand's king, queen, heir-apparent or regent by up to 15 years in prison. Chambers, an expert on the Thai armed forces, was released from pre-trial detention on bail days after being arrested. The bail conditions included a ban on overseas travel without the court's permission and confiscation of his passport. He was also required to wear an electronic monitoring device around his ankle. Formal charges have been filed frequently under Article 112 over the past two decades, resulting in many prominent academics and political activists fleeing Thailand and seeking political asylum abroad to avoid prosecution. -- ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
RTHK
01-05-2025
- Politics
- RTHK
Thailand drops royal insult charge against US academic
Thailand drops royal insult charge against US academic Thai prosecutors dropped royal defamation charges on Thursday against an American scholar accused of insulting the monarchy over an article published on a political website. Paul Chambers -- a longtime Southeast Asia politics scholar in Thailand -- was arrested last month in Phitsanulok province, north of Bangkok, under the kingdom's strict lese-majeste laws. The case marked a rare instance of a foreign national being charged under Thailand's lese-majeste law, which bans criticism of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family and carries sentences of up to 15 years in jail per offence. The Office of the Attorney-General said on Thursday it had decided "not to indict" Chambers. "The director-general had decided not to indict the suspect," the statement said, adding that prosecutors would seek to dismiss the case in court and coordinate with police. The Thai army, a staunch defender of the monarchy, filed the complaint over a short blurb posted on a political think tank website this year. A military spokesperson last week defended the decision to file the case following criticism that the army had no legal standing to do so under the Thai law. Trade talks between Thailand and the United States have been indefinitely postponed, fuelling speculation that the arrest may have strained diplomatic ties between the two countries. International watchdogs have expressed concern over the use of the lese-majeste laws -- known as Article 112 -- against academics, activists and even students. One man in northern Thailand was jailed for at least 50 years for lese-majeste last year, while a woman was given a 43-year prison sentence in 2021. In 2023, a man was jailed for two years for selling satirical calendars featuring rubber ducks that a court said defamed the king. (AFP)
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Thai prosecutors drop royal insult charge against US academic
FILE - U.S. political science lecturer Paul Chambers,left, of Thailand's Naresuan University, stands outside the police station in Phitsanulok, Thailand, where he was arrested on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, on charges of insulting the monarchy. (Photo: AP) Thai prosecutors dropped royal defamation charges on Thursday against an American scholar accused of insulting the monarchy over an article published on a political website. Paul Chambers a longtime Southeast Asia politics scholar in Thailand, was arrested last month in Phitsanulok province, north of Bangkok, under the kingdom's strict lese-majeste laws . The case marked a rare instance of a foreign national being charged under Thailand's lese-majeste law, which bans criticism of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family and carries sentences of up to 15 years in jail per offence. The Office of the Attorney-General said on Thursday it had decided "not to indict" Chambers. "The director-general had decided not to indict the suspect," the statement said, adding that prosecutors would seek to dismiss the case in court and coordinate with police. The Thai army, a staunch defender of the monarchy, filed the complaint over a short blurb posted on a political think tank website this year. A military spokesperson last week defended the decision to file the case following criticism that the army had no legal standing to do so under the Thai law. Trade talks between Thailand and the United States have been indefinitely postponed, fuelling speculation that the arrest may have strained diplomatic ties between the two countries. International watchdogs have expressed concern over the use of the lese-majeste laws, known as Article 112 against academics, activists and even students. One man in northern Thailand was jailed for at least 50 years for lese-majeste last year, while a woman was given a 43-year prison sentence in 2021. In 2023, a man was jailed for two years for selling satirical calendars featuring rubber ducks that a court said defamed the king.
Malay Mail
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Thailand drops lese-majeste case against US academic Paul Chambers
BANGKOK, May 1 — Thai prosecutors dropped royal defamation charges today against an American scholar accused of insulting the monarchy over an article published on a political website. Paul Chambers — a longtime South-east Asia politics scholar in Thailand — was arrested last month in Phitsanulok province, north of Bangkok, under the kingdom's strict lese-majeste laws. The case marked a rare instance of a foreign national being charged under Thailand's lese-majeste law, which bans criticism of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family and carries sentences of up to 15 years in jail per offence. The Office of the Attorney-General said on Thursday it had decided 'not to indict' Chambers. 'The director-general had decided not to indict the suspect,' the statement said, adding that prosecutors would seek to dismiss the case in court and coordinate with police. The Thai army, a staunch defender of the monarchy, filed the complaint over a short blurb posted on a political think tank website this year. A military spokesperson last week defended the decision to file the case following criticism that the army had no legal standing to do so under the Thai law. Trade talks between Thailand and the United States have been indefinitely postponed, fuelling speculation that the arrest may have strained diplomatic ties between the two countries. International watchdogs have expressed concern over the use of the lese-majeste laws — known as Article 112 — against academics, activists and even students. One man in northern Thailand was jailed for at least 50 years for lese-majeste last year, while a woman was given a 43-year prison sentence in 2021. In 2023, a man was jailed for two years for selling satirical calendars featuring rubber ducks that a court said defamed the king. — AFP
