Thai opposition figures face trial over attempt to change royal defamation law

Thailand's Supreme Court said on Friday it had accepted a petition accusing 44 current and former opposition lawmakers of ethics violations over a 2021 attempt to amend the country's law protecting the monarchy from criticism. Those facing trial, starting on June 30, include members of the progressive People's Party and its predecessor, the Move Forward Party. If found guilty, the lawmakers could face lifetime bans from holding office. The court said it would not suspend the 10 serving lawmakers named in the case, including People's Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut and deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakul.Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut leads the People's Party and is among those to face chargesImage: Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo/picture alliance What is Thailand's lese-majeste law? Thailand's strict century-old lese-majeste law, known as Section 112, criminalizes criticism of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his family. It carries prison terms of up to 15 years per offence for criticism of the monarchy. Thai monarchs are still held in extremely high regard by many across the country. Critics say it has been used to silence political opponents. Thailand's liberal opposition after Move Forward was blocked from forming a government despite winning the 2023 election, then dissolved in 2024 over its campaign to amend the law, which bans any criticism of the royal family The party was accused of undermining Thailand's system of governance, in which the king is head of state. In August 2025, a court in Thailand cleared former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of breaching the lese-majeste law charges that had left him facing possible prison time. Conservatives pull off election comeback in ThailandTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video