DUBAI: A man has been jailed for 35 years in Thailand for insulting the monarchy after he posted 10 messages and images on Facebook. The sentence has been described as the toughest ever recorded for this offense.
Former insurance salesman Vichai Thepwong, 34, was initially sentenced to 70 years, but this was reduced when he pleaded guilty. Thailand has strict laws making it illegal to insult, defame or threaten the monarchy.
There have been 73 prosecutions under the defamation laws since the military seized power in a coup three years ago. Thepwong’s sentence is the heaviest yet, exceeding a 30-year jail term handed down in 2015.
It is not known what the exact content of his Facebook posts were that was deemed insulting to the monarchy, but he has been held in a Bangkok jail since his arrest in 2015.
Thepwong’s lawyer Khumklao Songsonboon said there would be no appeal against the verdict, adding: “He wants the case to end, and wants to petition for a royal pardon.”
There has been a crackdown on Internet use since the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej last October, with increased online censorship as the military tries to curb insults directed at Thai royals.
