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]

25/10/2025

On Saturday (25 October), activists and residents in Chiang Mai ran 3.5 kilometres through Chiang Mai University to demand release of political prisoners and protest parliament’s refusal to include royal defamation defendants in the amnesty bill for political offences.

Dressed in black and wearing bibs with pictures and names of political prisoners, they ran from Angkaew, an on-campus reservoir, to Ang Tat Chompu, another reservoir located in front of the Faculty of Law, and back to the lawn near Angkaew, where a representative read out a statement and the names of 56 political prisoners still in detention.

The statement criticized parliament’s decision to reject amendments to the amnesty bill which would have granted bail to royal defamation defendants, especially those charged as minors. The bill only benefits people who were pro-coup and closed airports during protests, said the statement, and leave behind dissenters and young people who want a better future.

A similar event took place in Bangkok on Thursday (23 October). Dressed in all black and wearing bibs with pictures and names of political prisoners, as well as banners saying “free political prisoners”, runners took off on a 5-kilometre route from Chatuchak Park to the parliament complex to demand the release of political prisoners.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), 56 people are now detained on charges relating to political expression, 30 of whom are detained for royal defamation.

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25/10/2025

The Thai Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has declared a national mourning period following the Queen Mother’s passing.

The government asserted that it did not prohibit the private sectors and the entertainment industry from holding any festive events, but they are asked to adjust the format appropriately in line with the mourning period.

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25/10/2025

Queen Mother Sirikit, the mother of King Vajiralongkorn and wife of the late King Bhumibol, has passed away peacefully at 93.

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24/10/2025

Tomorrow (25 October) marks one year since the statue of limitations expired in the Tak Bai Massacre case, effectively closing the door to any further criminal prosecution in Thailand and allowing the perpetrators to get off scot-free. Yet, the Thai authorities have failed to take any meaningful steps to prevent recurrence of such violations and to close the legal gaps that enable impunity.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) reiterates its call for reform of the Thai Criminal Code to ensure that the statute of limitations does not contribute to or foster impunity.

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24/10/2025

A joint Myanmar Now–Prachatai investigation uncovers chilling accounts of murder, torture, and forced labour inside Myawaddy’s scam compounds—where refusal to work can mean ex*****on

Survivors, witnesses, and informants reveal how Myawaddy’s scam lords kill, torture, and discard their victims in the Moei River—with impunity

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24/10/2025

Yesterday (23 October), civil society organizations, activists, politicians, and members of the public ran to the parliament complex to demand the release of political prisoners.

Dressed in all black and wearing bibs with pictures and names of political prisoners, as well as banners saying “free political prisoners”, runners took off on a 5-kilometre route from Chatuchak Park to the parliament complex.

Before the start, a representative of the Network for People’s Amnesty announced that earlier this week, parliament passed an amnesty bill for political offences which does not include amnesty for people charged with royal defamation. To send a message to the Senate and the courts, participants shouted “free our friends” before the first group of runners took off.

iLaw reported that over 300 people participated in the event, including some MPs from the main opposition People’s Party and some senators.

At parliament, activists facing charges and family of political prisoners took turn giving speeches. The event closed with a performance from the band Rainy Syrub.

This is the second “Run2Free” event organized by the network. The last event took place on 27 September, during which participants ran a distance of around 2 kilometres from Lan Khon Muang in front of the Bangkok City Hall to Thammasat University.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), 56 people are now detained on charges relating to political expression, 30 of whom are detained for royal defamation.

(Photos by Ginger Cat)

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22/10/2025

For many young Thais, au pair programmes open doors to the world.

Often certified and regulated by government in the host countries, au pair programmes offer people aged 18 - 30 the chance to live in these countries while working as childcare providers. Applying for an au pair visa also does not require proof of financial standing, and going through an agency costs only a few tens of thousands of baht. Some participants said they spent as little as 5,000 baht to go to Europe, as the host family covered the flight ticket.

While their accessibility makes au pair programmes attractive to young people seeking to move overseas, the returns are modest and there are loopholes that can lead to overworking and labour exploitation.

Many Thais have chosen Sweden as their destination, as it has some of the most flexible regulations for au pairs. We spoke with former Thai au pairs about what it's really like to work in Sweden and how protection for au pairs can be strengthened.

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22/10/2025

In a statement posted on the Pheu Thai Party's page, former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has announced her resignation as party leader.

Following Paetongtarn’s resignation, rumours were spreading online that Paetongtarn was pressured into resigning. Conservative political activist Thaikorn Polsuwan alleged that the Juangroongruangkit family forced Paetongtarn to resign, and that if she refused, Pheu Thai election director Suriya Juangroongruangkit would defect along with 70 other MPs.

Suriya denied the allegation and said he will file a defamation lawsuit against Thaikorn for spreading false information and damaging his reputation.

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22/10/2025

In late September 2024, flash floods and landslides devastated the Huai Hin Lad Nai village, an Indigenous Karen community in Chiang Rai named Thailand's first Indigenous way of life protection zone.

The community was subsequently accused of deforestation and being the cause of the floods. Civil society organizations responded saying that spreading such information perpetuate a negative stereotype of Indigenous communities and that they added insult to injury by spreading misinformation against a community suffering from the effects of a natural disaster.

While the community is now well on its way to recovery, their situation sparked a debate about the role of Indigenous communities in disaster response and a call for decentralization.

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22/10/2025

As Angkhana Neelapaijit and Sunai Phasuk, two prominent Thai human rights defenders, face online death threats and harassments for their public criticism of the use of loudspeakers to project disturbing sounds at Cambodian civilians living along the border, Fortify Rights calls on the Thai government to protect them and all human rights defenders from threats and harassment.

Noting that Thailand will undergo its next Universal Period Review in March 2026, Peter Bouckaert, Senior Director at Fortify Rights said that Thailand should not allow ultra-nationalist sentiments to compromise human rights or its international reputation.

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21/10/2025

Ahead of today’s parliamentary debate on the amnesty bill for people facing political charges, the Network for People’s Amnesty, a network of civil society organizations, filed a petition to three political parties demanding that charges of royal defamation under Section 112 of the Criminal Code and harming the Queen or her liberty under Section 110 be included in the bill.

In a statement, the Network calls on the Pheu Thai, Bhumjaithai, and People’s Parties to approve amendments made by a minority in the drafting committee to include Sections 110 and 112 in the amnesty bill, so that the bill would include all groups of protesters and activists without discriminating based on political beliefs.

The bill was returned to parliament from the ad-hoc drafting committee which combined three versions of an amnesty bill proposed by the United Thai Nation Party, the Bhumjaithai Party, and a Thai Teachers for the Peoples Party MP who has since joined the Klatham Party.

Two other bills were proposed, one by the Network for People’s Amnesty and another by the People’s Party. However, they were dismissed in the first reading.

The royal defamation law has remained the most contentious issue in the debate as several parties maintained that royal defamation defendants should not be granted amnesty. Debate is now ongoing as parliament votes on the bill in its second reading.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that, if the bill does not include charges under Sections 112 and 110, the majority of political prisoners currently detained will not be granted amnesty.

30 people are now detained on a royal defamation charge, while 5 are detained for harming the Queen or her liberty. Meanwhile, at least 176 royal defamation cases are still ongoing. TLHR also noted that most of the political refugees who left after 2020 were charged with royal defamation.

(Photos by Ginger Cat)

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21/10/2025

Two Thai reporters, along with a pro-democracy activist, have been indicted as principals with regard to a 2023 incident where an activist sprayed graffiti onto the wall of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. They have been granted provisional bail pending trial.

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