When traveling to Thailand, there is a royal insult offense that you should be aware of. When traveling abroad, you have to follow the laws of the country, and if you’re traveling to Thailand, there’s one thing you should be aware of: the law against insulting the royal family. This law is very strict, but if you look into reality, you can see that there is a slightly different intention. It’s definitely helpful to know about Thai culture before you travel, so it’s something to be aware of if you’re planning a visit to Thailand.
What is insulting the Thai royal family?
It’s literally what it sounds like: if you insult the royal family in Thailand, you’re guilty of a crime and will be punished. It’s a very strong law, with up to 15 years in prison per case. If you get in trouble for insulting the royal family, an arrest warrant will be issued. It applies online as well as offline, and it’s especially common these days for people to be penalized for making disparaging or sarcastic posts about the royal family on social media.
The Thai Constitution also states It says that His Majesty the King is in a position of dignity and cannot be criticized or accused in any way.
Even Thailand’s prime minister kneels and bows to the side when meeting the king. In short, the King of Thailand is absolute power in Thailand, and no one can be higher than him.
On the surface, the concept of the king applies, but in reality, there are other intentions. In practice, the definition of blasphemy is very broad, so a nose ring can be a nose ring if you put it on your nose and an earring if you put it on your ear. If you feel it’s blasphemous, it’s blasphemous.
This vague law has led to protests in Thailand, which wants to abolish the royal blasphemy law. I think you’ve seen this image of arms raised with three fingers together, and there are protests centered around university students because Thailand is also a democracy, and it’s a suppression of individual freedom of expression.
Why is the Thai royal family considered sacred?
Thailand is a country located in Southeast Asia. During the imperialist era, Vietnam was colonized by the French, the Philippines by the Americans, and Indonesia by the Dutch, and almost all of these countries were colonized, except for one country, Thailand. Thailand managed to maintain its independence, and the Thai royal family was highly respected for the efforts they made to avoid being colonized.
Of course, it could be argued that it was in the greater interest of the great powers to keep Thailand independent, as it is geographically located in the center of the Indochina peninsula. However, the current King of Thailand (Maha Vajiralongkorn) is a troubled figure. His unruly personal life and raunchy nightlife have been criticized, even for a royal.
Thailand’s royal insult law and current issues
As of March 12, 2024, the Pheu Thai Party, which had pledged to abolish the royal insult law, was facing dissolution. In a statement, the Election Commission of Thailand said it had analyzed the Constitutional Court ruling and made the final decision to request the party’s dissolution, citing “evidence that the Pheu Thai Party is harming the democratic system with the King as head of state.”
The party’s predecessor, the Future Forward Party (FFP), was also dissolved by the Constitutional Court during the previous regime.
According to Article 112 of the Penal Code, insulting the king is punishable by a minimum of three years and a maximum of 15 years, and does not discriminate between foreigners and Thai nationals. In fact, there have been cases where drunken foreigners have been arrested and sentenced to prison for scribbling on the king’s portrait. As such, it is advisable to refrain from speaking about the royal family in Thailand, as it is possible to be arrested for insulting the royal family (Less Majesty).
What should foreigners do?
Thailand is a country with very complex politics. There are many different political factions, including the king, queen, princess, military, and prime minister, and there is a lot of squabbling between political factions. It is also not a politically stable country, with regimes constantly changing through military coups.
The best way to deal with it is not to even mention it; as a foreigner, you don’t need to talk about the royal family, politics, or anything else in Thailand anyway. The last people you want to encounter while in Thailand are those who are interested in politics. People for whom politics is a big part of their lives might even cross the line a little bit by asking a Thai person what color they are, even if they are far away. This is dangerous behavior for you as a foreigner in Thailand, and it doesn’t do you any favors either; it just cheapens the conversation. Of course, once you have a good relationship with a local Thai friend, you may be able to do this in private, but it’s best not to do this with people you don’t know well yet or in public.
You’ll see pictures of the royal family in cafes and in many homes. As many people already know, you shouldn’t even point your finger at a picture of the king, so it’s best to follow the laws and culture of another country. The law of insulting the royal family also applies to foreigners, so don’t get yourself in trouble. If you get into trouble abroad, no one will come to your defense.