US academic arrested in Thailand for insulting monarchy – DW – 04/08/2025
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Thailand has one of the world's strictest laws against criticizing the country's powerful monarchy. Foreigners are very rarely charged under the law, which prescribes up to 15 years in prison for those found guilty.

Summary

Thai police arrested US academic Paul Chambers on charges of insulting the monarchy and violating computer crime laws, linked to remarks made during an online seminar.

Chambers, a political science professor at Naresuan University, was summoned after a complaint by the Thai Army.

He denied the charges and was denied bail, with no trial date set. Thailand enforces strict lèse-majesté laws under Article 112, carrying up to 15 years in prison.

  • yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    22·
    11 days ago

    Chambers, who has lived in Thailand for years, specializes in studying the influence of the Thai military, which plays a prominent role in the nation’s politics.

    This is the sole reason for the arrest. Besides, why are you arguing someone who has lived in a country for years is just a guest?

    • El Barto@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      10 days ago

      Soooo… are all those Americans and Europeans that call themselves expats, uh, immigrants?

      • yetAnotherUser@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        11·
        10 days ago

        Not quite. Immigrants intend to stay forever, while expats don’t (in my opinion).

        That is, if these self-called “expats” do intend to stay forever and obtain citizenship they very much are immigrants who don’t want to call themselves immigrants.

    • stoly@lemmy.worldEnglish
      13·
      10 days ago

      The argument is symbolic. He’s still a foreigner and will always look and sound like a foreigner. His Thai friends will consider him part of the community, but he’s just some expat to everyone else.