Bail Denied for American Academic Charged with Royal Defamation in Thailand
Phitsanulok, April 8, 2025 — The Phitsanulok Provincial Court has denied bail to Paul Chambers, an American academic and lecturer at Naresuan University, who faces charges under Thailand’s royal defamation law (Section 112) and the Computer Crime Act. Chambers reported to police accompanied by his wife, university dean Napisa Waitoolkiat, U.S. consular officials, and his legal team.
The charges stem from a brief promotional text on the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) website for a 2024 webinar about military reshuffles. Chambers has denied writing or publishing the blurb. His legal team said no summons was issued prior to the arrest warrant and has pledged to submit a new bail request, citing his medical condition and willingness to comply with court conditions.
Filed by Thailand’s Third Army Region, the charges carry potential prison terms of 3 to 15 years. Chambers, a well-known scholar of civil-military relations in Southeast Asia who has lived in Thailand since 1993, is seen as a significant target of ultra-royalist groups.
Advocates, including Human Rights Watch and Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, warn that the case represents a serious threat to academic freedom. The U.S. State Department has voiced concern and is providing consular support.
“This case tightens the lid on academic freedom and may undermine the intellectual ecosystem needed to drive innovation in Thailand,” said political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University.
Chambers’ case joins a growing list of political prosecutions in Thailand, with 278 people currently facing lese-majeste charges since the 2020 pro-democracy protests began.
