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Key Thai opposition figure faces lese majeste charge
Thu, 21 January 2021
A Thai billionaire opposition figure was accused on January 20 of defaming the monarchy, a day after a court sentenced a former civil servant to more than 40 years in jail for lese majeste crimes.
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, founder of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, was accused of contravening Thailand’s strict royal defamation laws by posting a video on January 18 criticising the government’s vaccine strategy.
In the video he raised questions about whether Thailand’s vaccination campaign is too reliant on Siam BioScience, which is owned by the Crown Property Bureau – a body that manages the royal family’s multi-billion-dollar fortune.