Former Thai PM Thaksin to Face Royal Insult Charges

Facts

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will be indicted on charges under Thailand's lèse majesté law over a 2015 interview in which he said the king's top advisory body helped engineer the 2014 military takeover.¹
According to a spokesman for the attorney general's office, Thaksin is scheduled to appear in court on June 18 to answer charges of insulting the monarchy. He also faces charges related to alleged violations of the Computer Crime Act.²
Prosecutors sought to arraign him immediately on Wednesday, but the hearing was postponed as Thaksin's legal team submitted a medical certificate showing that he had COVID and had to rest until Monday.³
Three months ago, Thaksin was granted parole due to his age and ill health after serving six months for corruption-related offenses upon his return from a 15-year self-imposed exile last August.⁴
Under Thailand's royal defamation laws, openly criticizing the monarchy and publicly questioning its power and wealth carries a maximum 15-year prison term for each offense.⁵
Thaksin — a billionaire who founded the ruling Pheu Thai — is the highest-profile case among more than 270 people prosecuted in recent years under the lèse majesté law.⁶

Narrative A, as provided by The Diplomat. It's a matter of concern that the Thai judicial system has sought to use this archaic and oppressive law against yet another political figure who merely talked about the monarchy. As if criminalizing free speech wasn't authoritarian enough, the prosecution carries no burden of proof — and even factual statements can be punished.
Narrative B, as provided by Thai Enquirer. Section 112 of the Criminal Code, commonly known as Thailand's lèse majesté law, protects key national institutions and national security while reflecting the country's culture and history. Except for some fringe troublemakers, the Thai populace respects the monarchy and recognizes it as one of the nation's main pillars.