Prachatai English

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.
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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]

28/04/2025

A 27-year-old pro-democracy activist has been sentenced to two years in prison for royal defamation over a Facebook post made in 2022.

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28/04/2025

Transnational organized crime groups in East and Southeast Asia are hedging beyond the region as pressure to crack them down increases, a new report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows. Amidst heightened awareness and enforcement action, Asian crime syndicates are expanding operations deeper into many of the most remote, vulnerable, underprepared parts of the region — and beyond.

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28/04/2025

Cartoon by Stephff: Red Bull Scandal

25/04/2025

Twenty-five years into the 21st century, Thailand’s relentless legal machine continues to crush political dissent. As royal defamation cases against activists are brought to court, legal scholar Somchai Preechasilpakul has been summoned to testify as an expert witness in several trials of high-profile activists.

Prachatai speaks to Somchai about his experience in court and the failings of the Thai justice system in these trials.

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22/04/2025

Two lecturers and a former student of Chiang Mai University have been acquitted of charges relating to an incident in October 2021, when students took over the University Art Centre after the Faculty of Fine Arts and the university administration prohibited them from showing their final theses.

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22/04/2025

The Saphan Lueang Mazu Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the Chinese goddess of the sea in Bangkok’s Sam Yan neighbourhood, has won an award from the Association of Siamese Architects (ASA) for architectural conservation. Meanwhile, there are reports that the shrine's caretaker is facing a continued pressure to vacate the property.

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18/04/2025

Cartoon by Stephff: Back casino bill or else

14/04/2025

As Thais head home for the Songkran holidays, 47 people remain in prison on charges relating to political expression and participation in protests. The majority are detained for royal defamation.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), 17 people are detained after a final verdict, 11 of whom are detained on a royal defamation charge. Among them is Anchan Preelert, a 65-year-old former civil servant sentenced to 43 years and 6 months on 29 counts of royal defamation for allegedly sharing and uploading clips on social media of an online talk show alleged to have made defamatory comments about the monarchy.

30 people are detained pending trial or appeal, 19 of whom are detained on a royal defamation charge.

Among those detained pending trial or appeal is human rights lawyer Anon Nampa. Anon is now facing over 20 years in prison for 7 counts of royal defamation, the majority of which was for speeches given at protests in 2020 - 2021.

Also detained is Mongkhon Thirakot, an activist and online clothing vendor from Chiang Rai, who was charged with royal defamation for a number of Facebook posts. He is now facing a cumulative prison sentence of 54 years and 6 months, currently the longest prison sentence ever given for royal defamation.

14/04/2025

It has been 6 years since the body of Chatchan Bupphawan, or 'Comrade Phuchana', was found in the Mekong River in December 2018. Phuchana was one of the political exiles fleeing the country after the 2014 military coup.

The trail has since gone cold. No progress has so far been made in the investigation into his death. But his family must go on living. To keep the fire burning, each December, Phuchana's family members and their friends gather at his home in Mukdahan to celebrate and heal, so that they can go on despite the fading hope of justice for political exiles and enforced disappearance victims.

Since 14 April is Family Day in Thailand, Prachatai presents "A Laughing Lament," a documentary by Burapat Chanpratad, filmed in December 2024 at the gathering for the 6th annivesary of Phuchana's death.

PS. Please stay for the mid-credit scene.

12/04/2025

After the 2014 military coup, two bodies were found in the Mekong River. Many others remain missing.

And while justice has not arrived, those left behind are healing and freeing themselves from tears.

A Laughing Lament: Documentary by Burapat Chanpratad.
14 April at Prachatai.

11/04/2025

15 years after the 10 April 2010 crackdown on the Red Shirt protests, former Red Shirt leaders and protesters gather yesterday (10 April) for a memorial event for victims of the 10 April 2010 massacre.

The event was organized by Dr Weng Tojirakarn and Thida Thavoernseth, former leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), and attended by Red Shirt supporters. Several politicians were also in attendance, such as former Future Forward Party MP Pannika Wanich, former Move Forward Party leader Chaithawat Tulathon, and People’s Party MPs Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, Piyarat Chongthep, and Sasinan Thamnithinan.

A Buddhist ceremony was held in the afternoon. Political parties, student organizations, and activist groups brought wreaths for the memorial ceremony, which was followed by a concert by Red Shirt musician Pae Bangsanan. Representative of activist groups and politicians then read a statement demanding justice for victims of the 10 April massacre.

In the evening, people lit candles while the names of victims of the April – May 2010 crackdowns were red out. The event ended at around 19.00.

(Photos by Ginger Cat)

11/04/2025

Thailand’s prison system came under renewed international scrutiny amid the Thai authorities’ slow and insufficient efforts to adopt and implement alternative measures to incarceration in 2024, FIDH and the Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) said in their annual prison report.

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10/04/2025

"A hero is not just someone who died for their cause. A hero is someone who does boring things everyday, so that people they love can go on living."

Chatchan Bupphawan, or "Comrade Phuchana", went missing along with two other political exiles at the end of 2018. His body was later found in the Mekong River along with that of Kraidet Leulerd, or "Comrade Kasalong."

6 years later, his family and their friends still get together in memory of the dead and as healing for the living.

A Laughing Lament: Documentary by Burapat Chanpratad.
14 April at Prachatai.

10/04/2025

American academic Dr Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan University’s Faculty of Social Sciences who was charged with royal defamation, has been granted provisional bail, with 600,000 baht as security. He was required to wear an electronic monitoring device.

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10/04/2025

The Thai parliament on Wednesday has held an urgent debate to explore solutions for mitigating the impact of the US reciprocal tariff. Meanwhile, the government has unveiled its five key measures in response to the tariff.

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09/04/2025

BREAKING
Thai authorities have revoked Dr Paul Chambers’ visa

09/04/2025

The US Department of State is "alarmed" by the Thai authorities' arrest of US academic Dr Paul Chambers, said department spokesperson Tammy Bruce in a statement issued today (9 April).

Chambers was denied bail yesterday (8 April) after reporting to the police in Phitsanulok to hear charges of royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act. He is now detained at the Phitsanulok Central Prison while his lawyers appeal the Court's decision.

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08/04/2025

The Phitsanulok Provincial Court today (8 April) denied bail for Dr Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan University’s Faculty of Social Sciences, who was charged with royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act. He will be detained while his lawyers appeal the Court’s decision.

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