This article was originally published on Prachatai.
A 35-year-old citizen has been indicted for defamation over her Facebook post about Thammanat’s alleged links to a drug trafficking case in Australia.
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that the public prosecutor indicted Suphaphorn Phosri, a 35-year-old vendor from Ratchaburi, for the defamation charge brought against her by MP Thammanat Prompao, Klatham Party leader and former Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister.
The case stems from her Facebook post about Thammanat’s qualifications, which have been questioned by the general public. In her post, she is alleged to have said that instead of clarifying, Thammanat chose to threaten those who questioned him.
Dozens of other citizens have faced defamation charges related to the same issue. Thammanat himself revealed that he had pursued over 600 legal proceedings, including the case against Suphaphorn.
The array of charges brought against citizens was prompted by People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome’s speech in parliament about a scam network allegedly linked to Thai politicians.
After the People’s Party MP raised the issue, Thammanat told the media on 2 October 2025 that he had initiated legal proceedings against those involved in the censure debate and those who commented about him on Facebook.
During the censure debate, MP Rangsiman questioned the Deputy PM’s relationship with Ben Smith, also known as Benjamin Mauerberger, who is allegedly involved in scam network operations in Cambodia. The scrutiny followed the release of a photo showing Thammanat together with former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and Mauerberger, which was published by prominent investigative journalist Tom Wright.
Thammanat also noted that if they ‘dared to fight him’, they must be prepared to appear in court in Phayao Province. The Deputy PM added that he planned to file additional cases in Tak and Narathiwat provinces, presumably because defendants would have to spend time and money answering charges in these distant provinces.
Suphaphorn received a summons on 1 December 2025, and she travelled from Ratchaburi to Phayao on 8 December to acknowledge the charge, where she denied the allegation. At the time, she also requested the case to be transferred to the court in her hometown, but the police refused to do so.
Suphaphorn also submitted a petition to the public prosecutor, insisting that her post in question did not constitute defamation, but was merely criticism made in good faith. She also argued that the complaint was a part of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) to intimidate the public.
On 26 March, Suphaphorn submitted a petition to the Senate Committee on Political Development and Public Participation, requesting an investigation into whether the case against her was a SLAPP case, and asking the committee to consider measures to prevent the use of laws to silence public expression.
Thammanat’s legal representative contacted her in April, asking her to remove all posts on her social media platforms which were related to Thammanat in exchange for the withdrawal of the complaint against her.
Suphaphorn did not accept the proposal, insisting that it concerned freedom of expression and that Thammanat, as a politician, should be open to public criticism. She reaffirmed her intention to continue fighting the case.
The public prosecutor indicted her on 21 May. According to the indictment, Suphaphorn allegedly defamed Thammanat by posting messages on Facebook on 2 October 2025 that led readers to believe that he had been convicted of drug trafficking in Australia.
The Phayao Provincial Court granted her bail.
According to TLHR, six individuals are involved in similar cases. Five have decided to accept Thammanat’s proposal in exchange for the withdrawal of complaints, given the burden of travelling from their hometowns to fight the cases in Phayao. Suphaphorn is the only one who has decided to fight the case.