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Paul Chambers’ battle against Thailand’s Lèse-Majesté Charges

By Kasim Sheerazi

Paul Chambers, a political science lecturer at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok, photographed standing outside the Phitsanulok police station on the day of his arrest on April 8, 2025 charged under the lèse-majesté law. (Photo: AP Photo, AP News. 2025)
Paul Chambers, a political science lecturer at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok, photographed standing outside the Phitsanulok police station on the day of his arrest on April 8, 2025 charged under the lèse-majesté law. (Photo: AP Photo, AP News. 2025)

Paul Chambers, a 58-year-old American academic and political science lecturer and special adviser on international affairs at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok, Thailand, was recently arrested under Thailand’s strict lèse-majesté laws on allegations of defamation of the monarchy filed by the Third Army Region under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the  lèse-majesté act (Bangkok Post. 2025).


Originally from Oklahoma, Chambers holds a doctorate from Northern Illinois University and has been living in Thailand since 1993. His academic expertise focuses on democracy, Thai military history, and the country's history of coups (SciSpace 2025).


The charges against him stem from an accusation of him publishing a blurb, as in, a short description/summary attached to a ISEAS webinar held in October 2024 about military reshuffles which the accused party denies ever writing or publishing, according to Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, an advocacy lead for Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). Despite the accused party’s denial, the contents of the blurb and webinar was deemed offensive to the royal family according to the Thai army. As a result, Chambers is also being prosecuted under Thailand’s Computer Crime Act (CCA), in addition to the lèse-majesté charge. The contents and exact wording of the blurb however remain undisclosed by the authorities (Bangkok Post. 2025).


The Computer Crime Act (CCA), enacted in 2007 and amended in 2017, governs digital content and online behavior in Thailand. The Act criminalizes:

●       Spreading misinformation that could disrupt national security or public peace

●       Uploading illegal or defamatory content, including materials offensive to the monarchy

The CCA is often used alongside lèse-majesté laws to prosecute individuals for controversial online content. This law has been criticized internationally for curbing freedom of expression (Human Rights Watch 2025).


After his arrest, Chambers was initially denied bail by the Phitsanulok provincial court without possibility of release pending trial, putting him at risk of facing up to 15 years in prison. Despite this, he was released two days later on Thursday after being granted a bail set at 300,000 baht (~$8,800 USD). Due to the severity of his charges and his foreign status, his visa was revoked, raising the possibility of deportation. Chambers had 48 hours to appeal the revocation (Al Jazeera 2025).


According to a post on X by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, Chambers’ legal team are actively appealing the visa cancellation (Thai Lawyers for Human Rights 2025). Lawyer Wannaphat Jenroumjit stated that a decision on the appeal was expected by Friday with the results yet undisclosed (The Guardian 2025).


The U.S. State Department has expressed deep concern over Chambers’ arrest, urging Thai authorities to respect freedom of expression (Reuters 2025). Human Rights Watch and other organizations have criticized Thailand’s use of lèse-majesté laws to suppress dissent and academic freedom. Since 2020, over 270 individuals—many of them student activists—have been charged under these laws (Human Rights Watch 2025).

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