The Supreme Court’s final hammer fell on December 11 at Chiang Rai Provincial Court: Mongkol Thirakhot, better known to many as Busbas, was sentenced to 46 years in prison for a string of Facebook posts. Once a 32‑year‑old clothing seller, Mongkol transformed into a vocal political activist — and now faces one of the harshest penalties in recent memory under Thailand’s lèse‑majesté law and the Computer Crime Act.
The posts and the penalties
Prosecutors tied Mongkol to 27 Facebook posts made between March and April 2021. Authorities concluded the posts violated Section 112 of the Criminal Code — Thailand’s notorious lèse‑majesté provision — as well as provisions of the Computer Crime Act. The Supreme Court’s decision upholds a combined sentence of 46 years — and crucially, the sentence will not be suspended.
This verdict follows an earlier ruling from Appeals Court Region 5, which imposed a 50‑year sentence — also without suspension. Mongkol spent 694 days in detention without bail while the wheels of appeal turned, a prolonged pre‑trial confinement that has alarmed rights groups and raised questions about Thailand’s compliance with international human rights standards.
From hunger strike to camera‑bound trial
Mongkol’s arrest came on the heels of a hunger strike outside Bangkok’s Criminal Court in April 2021, a dramatic protest in which he demanded bail rights for political prisoners. He was originally charged in two separate cases — one alleging wrongdoing over 25 Facebook posts, the other over two posts — before the courts combined the charges into a single prosecution.
The trial itself was conducted via camera, denying the public in‑person access to court proceedings. Mongkol admitted to creating the posts but maintained that his words did not breach Section 112. The court disagreed.
Human rights concerns and international law
Amnesty International Thailand and other critics say Mongkol’s sentence highlights long‑running problems with how laws like Section 112 and the Computer Crime Act are applied. These groups argue that the statutes are frequently wielded in ways disproportionate to the alleged offence — particularly when it involves peaceful political expression.
Human rights advocates also point to Mongkol’s extended pre‑trial detention without bail as troubling. Denying bail for nearly two years, they assert, runs counter to the presumption of innocence enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Thailand is a party. Activists are calling for a reexamination of laws that criminalise speech and for the government to stop imposing extreme punishments for peaceful exercise of basic freedoms.
A widening wake of similar cases
Mongkol’s case is not an isolated incident. Thailand has seen multiple high‑profile prosecutions under lèse‑majesté in recent years. Prominent human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa, for example, has accumulated more prison time for his role in challenging the monarchy, highlighting the broader crackdown on dissent and the chilling effect on public debate.
Observers say the combination of long sentences, aggressive use of computer crime laws, and limited bail access has created an environment where expressing political opinion online carries extraordinary risk.
What activists want
Human rights groups and activists are urging a two‑pronged response: first, a legal review of Section 112 and the Computer Crime Act to prevent disproportionate penalties for peaceful speech; second, guaranteed bail access in cases touching on fundamental freedoms. These measures, advocates argue, would help align Thailand’s practice with its international obligations and protect the basic rights of expression and fair trial.
Context — a busy news cycle
The court’s ruling arrives amid a churn of other headlines across Thailand, from immigration tiffs at the border and high‑profile criminal cases to political turbulence and tourism‑related dramas. But for human rights defenders and many in the activist community, Mongkol’s sentence remains one of the most stark reminders yet of the stakes involved when dissent meets the law.
Whether this verdict will prompt legal reforms or deepen calls for change remains to be seen. For now, Mongkol Thirakhot’s 46‑year sentence underscores a stark reality: in Thailand today, posting online about politics can carry consequences that stretch far beyond a single click.
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