Prachatai English

Independent, non-profit, daily web newspaper established in June 2004 FCEM has 6 board members to look after the projects under FCEM, including Prachatai.

Prachatai (prachatai.com or prachatai.org) is an alternative, non-profit, daily web newspaper established in June 2004 to provide reliable and relevant news and information to the Thai public during an era of serious curbs on the freedom and independence of Thai news media. Prachatai was established by a group of concerned Thais who included a senior member of the Press Council of Thailand, a well

-known lecturer in Journalism, two members of the Thai Senate, a number of senior journalists, and a number of Thai NGO leaders. Prachatai Objectives

- To provide the Thai public with access to reliable news and information relevant to developing and strengthening the democratic functions of Thai civil society.
- To focus news coverage on the problems, concerns, activities and accomplishments of local communities and civil society movements and organisations.
- To strive for freedom and independence of Thai news media.
- To promote active public participation in Thai news media. Since January 2006 Prachatai has been registered as a Thai non-profit foundation, named The Foundation for Community educational Media(FCEM). Prachatai has a management team consisting of 4 senior staff, the management team is in charge for the operations of Prachatai. On September 6th 2004, Prachatai began its daily publication on the web with a staff of one editor and five reporters. At present Prachathai has a staff of 17: a Director, Manager, Editor in Chief, News Editor, 7 Bangkok office reporters, 2 regional reporters, a web administrator, a multi-media officer, a graphic designer and a finance officer. The first achievement of Prachatai was the investigative report on the Tak Bai massacre in October 2004. After that the readership gradually increased until the coup d’etat happened on September 19th 2006. After the Coup the readership Prachatai grew drastically readership but Prachatai was also faced with some levels of state interference and censorship. On 6th March 2009 the Prachatai office was raided by over 10 policemen and the Director of Prachatai got arrested with charges under the Articles 14 & 15 from the Computer Crime Act 2007 because of contents posted by users in the webboard (web-forum). On 24th September 2010 the Director of Prachatai got a second arrest at Bangkok Airport after returning from an international conference and was transported to Khon Kaen province where an arrest warrant was issued. She faced similar charges plus Article 112 (Lese Majesté) and Article 116 (Sedition) from the Penal Code. Prachatai website was first officially blocked once the government declared the Emergency Decree on 7th April 2010, Prachatai also filed the lawsuit against the shutting down ordered. Although Prachatai lost in first stance it decided to appeal and now the case is under the Appeal Court. Any inquiries, please email us at [email protected]

15/01/2025

On 14 May 2024, 28-year-old monarchy reform advocate Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom died while detained at the Corrections Hospital after a long hunger strike to demand judicial reform and an end to the detention of political dissidents. She was being held in pre-trial detention on a royal defamation charge after the South Bangkok Criminal Court revoked her bail on 26 January 2024 for participating in a protest at the Ministry of Culture on 6 August 2023. At the same time, she was also serving a 1-month prison sentence for a contempt of court charge.

Netiporn was pronounced dead at Thammasat University Hospital, where she had been transferred from the Corrections Hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest. To this day, the circumstances of her death remain unclear, leading to questions about the Corrections Hospital’s standard of care and the justice system as a whole.

14/01/2025

Ahead of yesterday’s (13 January) inquest into the death of detained activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom, a group of activists visited the Pheu Thai Party headquarters, the Medical Council, and the Ministry of Justice on their way to the Thanyaburi Provincial Court to observe the hearing. They filed letters inviting Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a representative of the Medical Council, and Minister of Justice Tawee Sodsong to attend the hearing.

28-year-old Netiporn was pronounced dead on 14 May 2024 after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest while detained at the Corrections Hospital. Before her death, she had been undergoing a hunger strike to demand judicial reform and an end to the detention of political dissidents.

Yesterday's hearing was postponed, however, since two witnesses were unable to attend and the victim’s family lawyers sought a postponement to examine and obtain additional evidence.

(Photos by Ginger Cat)

14/01/2025

The Thanyaburi Provincial Court postponed yesterday’s (13 January) inquest into the death of detained activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom after two witnesses were unable to attend and the victim’s family lawyers sought a postponement to examine and obtain additional evidence.

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14/01/2025

Mongkhon Thirakot, an activist and online clothing vendor from Chiang Rai, has been charged with three more counts of royal defamation for Facebook posts made between May – September 2022.

Mongkhon has been detained at the Chiang Rai Central Prison since 17 January 2024, after the Appeal Court sentenced him to 50 years in prison for royal defamation. He is now facing a total prison sentence of 54 years, the longest ever given for royal defamation.

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13/01/2025

On 1 February, most provinces across Thailand will hold elections for the presidents of Provincial Administrative Organizations (PAOs) and/or PAO council members, save for provinces where PAO presidents resigned before their terms expired and so already had an election. This round of local elections is drawing attention as political parties are openly endorsing candidates and fielding their most prominent figures—an unprecedented development.

In Ubon Ratchathani, which had its PAO election on 22 December 2024, politicians must navigate a complex mix of ideological divides, local sentiments, and personal relationships in their quest for local administrative power.

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13/01/2025

Cartoon by Stephff: Strong shopping skill

13/01/2025

Since Myanmar's 2021 coup, an increasing number of families fleeing armed conflict and forced conscription have sought refuge in Thailand. In the border province of Tak, migrant learning centres provide ongoing support to their children, despite facing limited resources.

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10/01/2025

Four years after the beginning of the student-led pro-democracy protests in 2020, many activists and protesters are still facing charge resulting from their participations in the protests, especially royal defamation charges. As the number of those detained pending trial or appeal for charges relating to political expression continue to rise, some young activists have chosen to seek asylum overseas.

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10/01/2025

Thailand’s Labour Protection Act currently allows 98 days maternity leave, with several groups pushing for an expansion to 180 days to align with global standards and to support working-class parents.

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09/01/2025

The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the assassination of former Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) Member of Parliament, Lim Kimya, who was tragically shot dead in Bangkok on 7 January 2024.

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08/01/2025

The Marriage Equality Act, which was signed into law in September 2024, will become effective on 23 January, opening the door for Thai LGBTQ couples to legally register their marriages and making Thailand the first Southeast Asian country to recognize marriage for all.

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08/01/2025

The Thai Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for a former Thai marine suspected of shooting and killing Lim Kimya, a former Cambodian opposition MP, in Bangkok yesterday.

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07/01/2025

On the morning of 14 May 2024, monarchy reform advocate Netiporn Sanesangkhom was pronounced dead after over 2 months of hunger strike demanding judicial reform and an end to the detention of political dissidents. She reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest while detained at the Corrections Hospital, but the circumstances of her death remain unclear and an inquest is scheduled for next Monday (13 January) at the Thanyaburi Provincial Court.

For 2024, Prachatai has named Netiporn our Person of the Year.

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07/01/2025

As the number of political prisoners continue to increase, the civil society has been pushing for an amnesty bill. Although several amnesty bills have been proposed, the royal defamation law, or Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, remains the most contentious issue in the debate as several parties oppose granting amnesty to royal defamation defendants. But the report from the Special Committee studying approaches to an amnesty law present an option: conditional amnesty.

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03/01/2025

Songkhla's bid for status could boost the city's stagnant economy, but multicultural communities fear their ways of life may be left out by the monolithic preservation plan. #สงขลา #เมืองเก่าสงขลา #ท้องถิ่นสร้างสื่อสอบ #มรดกโลก

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02/01/2025

A group of activists and protesters rang in the New Year at a gathering in front of the Bangkok Remand Prison in support of remaining in detention and to demand their release.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), 33 people are currently detained on charges relating to political expression or participation in protests. Of this number, 24 are detained on a charge, 15 of whom are detained pending trial or appeal. #คดีการเมือง #นักโทษการเมือง

(Photos by Ginger Cat)

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02/01/2025

Two decades after a government initiative to promote fairer access to education, only 2% of schools have been transferred to Local Administrative Organizations (LAOs). Yet small groups of local school administrators are proving the policy’s potential.

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02/01/2025

Among neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, few have experienced as heated and enduring a cultural conflict as and . While they share historical and cultural ties, these have often become sources of tension. It has often been assumed that history is a significant driving force behind the phenomenon, but how much does it truly shape the perceptions on both sides? Is there any other underlying cause behind it? And how do Thais and Cambodians perceive this issue? #กัมพูชา #เขมร

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