Thai immigration authorities have revoked the visa of detained American academic Paul Chambers, who is facing a charge of royal defamation, his lawyers said on Wednesday.
“Lawyers are preparing to appeal the Immigration Bureau’s order within the next 48 hours, and will also appeal the order not to grant bail during the investigation,” Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said in a statement posted on X.
The group said police had also obtained a warrant to search Mr Chambers’ office at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok, where he is a lecturer and special adviser on international affairs.
The Phitsanulok Provincial Court on Tuesday denied a request for bail after Mr Chambers reported to local police to answer the charge filed under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lese-majeste law.
His lawyer, Wannaphat Jenroumjit, said she was filing a new request for her client’s release to the Court of Appeal. His legal team said earlier that Mr Chambers had a medical condition and would be happy to follow any conditions set by the court.
The complaint against Mr Chambers was filed by the Third Army Region. In addition to a charge under Section 112, he is charged with violating the Computer Crime Act. The two charges are frequently used together.
Lese-majeste is punishable by between 3 and 15 years in prison.
Lawyers said the complaint apparently stemmed from content published on an academic website in connection with a seminar in October 2024 about the annual Thai military and police reshuffles.
Mr Chambers, who holds a PhD in political science from Northern Illinois University, is well-known in academic circles as a commentator on civil-military relations and democracy in Asia, with a special focus on Thailand. He has lived in Thailand since 1993.
The United States said it was “alarmed” by the arrest and detention of Mr Chambers and its potential impact on academic freedom.
“This case reinforces our longstanding concerns about the use of lèse-majesté laws in Thailand,” the US State Department said in a statement. “We continue to urge Thai authorities to respect freedom of expression and to ensure that laws are not used to stifle permitted expression.
“As a treaty ally of Thailand, we will closely monitor this issue and advocate for the fair treatment of Paul Chambers.”
Chanatip Tatiyakaroonwong, a researcher at Amnesty International, said the visa revocation was meant to “intimidate” Mr Chambers.
“They found his work threatening, so revoking his visa means he can no longer remain in Thailand and continue his work,” he told AFP.
“The visa revocation is meant to send a message to foreign journalists and academics working in Thailand, that speaking about the monarchy could lead to consequences.”
