The Monarchy, the Mass, and the Marginalized: Lèse-majesté Prosecutions and People at the Periphery
This interview project is part of our research which aims to examine how Thai commoners with socio-economic disadvantages decided to join the monarchy reform movement during 2020-2022 and how they have been prosecuted and endured legal prosecutions. Their marginalized and precarious experiences would provide an immensely rich accounts for a study of the monarchy reform movement, political activism, and ongoing lèse-majesté prosecutions in Thailand.
Our interviewee is Jatuporn Sae-ung. She is an LGBTQIA+ activist from Buriram, a northeastern province of Thailand. Although she had just been temporarily released on bail, she agreed to meet us for an interview in June. Two months later, Jatuporn was sentenced to two years in prison by the Court of Appeal for wearing a traditional Thai costume at a protest site. From the court’s perspective, this act was intended to imitate and mock the Queen of Thailand. However, she was granted bail with a cash bond of 200,000 baht—an unusual outcome, as most lèse-majesté defendants now are typically imprisoned after their verdicts.
Before the interview, we viewed Jatuporn as a fearless protester with a critical and progressive stance on the Thai monarchy, using her creativity to challenge royal power through performative acts. However, during our conversation, she presented herself with humble manner. Speaking softly, Jatuporn shared that her initial motivation to protest was rooted in her economic concerns. As a northeasterner, she felt that her hometown was plagued by inequality, a condition that worsened during the pandemic.
She decided to leave her job, travel to Bangkok, and participate in the youth protests. There, she was captivated by the protest leaders who criticized the monarchy, its unconstitutional power, and massive wealth. She also admired those leaders’ deep knowledge of Thai politics. Jatuporn joined a group of volunteer guards during street demonstrations, and they lived together for two years. During this time, she even unfriended her mother on Facebook to shield her from worrying about her political activities. Her reflections during this period revealed her deep commitment and significant contributions to the movement.
Interviewing Jatuporn revealed the complexities and nuances of her views on the movement, which were more intricate than we had anticipated. She expressed her feeling of exhaustion as she has to face ongoing legal challenges, harassment from right-wing groups, and the constant state of judicial limbo. Jatuporn even voiced a desire to simply “live a normal life” like other “normal Thais” do. Despite the movement’s decline, she remains steadfast in her demand for monarchy reform, viewing it as a vital starting point for the pursuit of Thai democracy and social equality. She holds on to hope that one day she will witness the positive outcomes of her efforts.
Throughout this interview project, we learned that rank-and-file protesters at the margins are the most vulnerable during the periods of protest fatigue and state retaliation. They struggle to make a living while facing court proceedings, often unable to afford to flee abroad or seek asylum. These individuals withstand a constant state of uncertainty, knowing their freedom can be taken away at any moment. Yet, their ability to keep fighting in the unfair legal system and preserving their integrity shows that the mission of the Thai state to violently suppress its anti-royalist dissidents and transform them into loyal subjects remains a pipe dream.
Description of Materials
- Transcript of interview with Jatuporn Sae-Ung
- Powerpoint presentation from SEALIVES Symposium on 10/25/24
Grantee Bios
Puangchon Unchanam is an Assistant Professor in Political Science at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Naresuan University, Thailand. His research interests include global capitalism, Marxist theory, and social inequality and class conflict in Thailand. He is the author of Royal Capitalism: Wealth, Class, and Monarchy in Thailand (University of Wisconsin Press, 2020). Khorapin Phuaphansawat is an Assistant Professor in Political Science at the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Her research interests include contemporary Thai politics, social movements, resistance, and crisis of capitalism. She wrote an article titled “Anti-Royalism in Thailand Since 2006: Ideological Shifts and Resistance” (2018) and a book chapter titled “Monarchy and Metapolicies in Thailand: The Early Years of King Rama X’s Reign” (2023).
Questions? Get in touch with Aj. Puangchon at