On 25 December, the Criminal Court sentenced a student who threw paint at a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn to a 2,500 baht fine, 5,740 baht compensation, and 1 month in jail suspended for 1 year, says Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).

The student from the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture, and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University, was sued by the Treasury Department and his own university for damaging (Section 358 of the Criminal Code) and dirtying (Section 389) others’ property.

The Court said that since the student’s action was in violation of many sections, the section with the strongest penalty was applied. The student also confessed, so the Court halved the fine (from 5,000 baht) and jail sentence (from 2 months). The Court said that the 1-year suspension does not require the defendant to report to the authorities.  

The plaintiffs could have dropped the charges, said TLHR. The complaint was originally filed without the names of the plaintiffs.

The student was arrested on 22 November for throwing paint at a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn near to the sign in front of Silpakorn University and the wall of the Treasury Department in Nakhon Pathom Province. The student said that he threw paint at the King’s portrait to protest against the police crackdown on 17 November.

Plainclothes officers only showed the student the summons and asked him to “just come for a chat” at a police station in Nakhon Pathom. However, the student was detained for 1 day and 1 night in a police station in Ratchaburi Province without any official record, said TLHR. The officers told the student that the police station in Nakhon Pathom province was worse for staying overnight.

The student’s phone and tablet were confiscated. The officers claimed that they needed to check the electronic devices. The student’s room in Nakhon Pathom was also searched, and the student’s motorcycle was also confiscated. Police had no search warrant, detention order, or court order to inspect the student’s phone. At the first opportunity, the student went live on Instagram before midnight to let his friends and lawyers know where he was.

Throwing paint became common at Thai protests after Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan, the lead singer of the Bottom Blues Band, threw paint at a police officer to protest against injustice, causing heated controversy. Protesters followed his example but less aggressively. In September, Jutatip Sirikhan, a student activist, threw paint over herself. In November, protesters threw paint at the Royal Thai Police headquarters to protest a police crackdown.