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]

05/08/2025

A 59-year-old farmer from Phetchabun was sentenced yesterday (4 August) to 1 year and 6 months in prison on a royal defamation charge for sharing a Facebook post.

He is now detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison while the Supreme Court consider his bail request.

Link in comment.

05/08/2025

On 28 July, five days after the conflict began, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to an unconditional and immediate ceasefire to take effect at midnight that night. Fighting continued for about half an hour after midnight before stopping.

While Thailand and Cambodia accused each other of violating the ceasefire, the Thai military announced that it had taken control of 11 locations along the border.

Supalak Ganjanakhundee, an academic and former journalist focusing on ASEAN regional affairs and international relations, warns that occupation of these disputed sites might make future negotiations and demarcations more difficult. Thailand has also allowed military framing to dominate its communication, he said, while Cambodia is presenting itself as the side taking initiative to solve the border disputes through peaceful means.

Link in comment.

05/08/2025

Pro-democracy activist Nawat Liangwattana has been indicted on another count of royal defamation filed against him over a speech he gave at a protest on 14 November 2023, said Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).

Link in comment.

04/08/2025

The Constitutional Court ruled last Friday (1 August) to strip Pichet Chuanmuangphan, Pheu Thai MP and First Deputy House Speaker, of his MP position and ban him from political office for 10 years after finding him guilty of unlawfully influencing budget allocations by endorsing three House Secretariat projects with activities concentrated in his home constituency in Chiang Rai.

Link in comment.

04/08/2025

The recent Thailand-Cambodia border conflict has disrupted the lives of ordinary Thais and Cambodians alike. People in other Thai border provinces have not been spared the consequences either.

The fatal clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border displaced approximately 190,000 residents in Buriram, Si Saket, Surin, and Ubon Ratchathani provinces. Some were forced to abandon their homes under heavy artillery fire. Further south, in provinces like Chanthaburi and Sa Kaeo, the fallout extended to Thai business owners and Cambodian workers.

Link in comment.

02/08/2025

Thai musicians join call for peace

On Wednesday (30 July), musicians staged an anti-war concert, titled “Harmony Beyond Borders” in front of the UN headquarters in Bangkok to show support for people affected by the Thai-Cambodian border conflict.

Artists like Commoner Band, singer Kuljira Thongkong, activist and Kitanchali band member Anchalee Ismanyee, singer Nitithorn Thongthirakul, and Hope Family band took part in the concert.

At the end of the event, participants lit candles in the shape of a peace sign in memory of every lives lost in the conflict and to call for peace.

Natthaphong “Kaewsai” Phukaew of Commoner Band said he wanted to organize the concert because he was shocked by the border clashes and was asking himself what musicians could do in this situation. He said he hopes that he and his fellow musicians could provide some comfort during this time.

Natthaphong said that he and the other artists wanted to speak up and show support for affected people, and that they hope for a return to the negotiation table. The fighting, no matter the reason, affects civilians and should stop to prevent further loss of lives. He also said that Thailand and Cambodia are neighbours and should co-exist with mutual respect. He called on other musicians to speak out and join the call for peace.

He noted that a hateful sentiment is being spread around, and now innocent people who are just making a living are being attacked in the name of nationalism. These attacks should stop, he said, and people should treat each other as fellow humans.

”It‘s easy to hate each other. It’s difficult to love each other, but why do we hate each other? Since when were we enemies? Who told you that you have to hunt them down like that? Is that really from you? You have never even met each other,” he said.

Tension has been brewing along the Thai-Cambodian border for the past few months as the two countries enter another territorial dispute. On 24 July, the dispute escalated into an armed conflict resulting in civilian casualties on both sides. The clash ended with a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, reached during a 28 July meeting hosted and mediated by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as the current ASEAN Chair.

01/08/2025

As the territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia erupted into an armed conflict, a wave of nationalism is rising.

Last week, it was reported that a Cambodian worker in Bangkok's Minburi district was assaulted by a group of men. Meanwhile, social media fill with anti-migrant sentiments and hateful rhetorics against Cambodians. Right-wing influencers are threatening violence against Cambodian migrant workers and calling on patriots to join them.

Adisorn Kerdmongkol of Migrant Working Group (MWG) said that fear is now spreading among the Cambodian community in Thailand. As a result, workers are leaving in droves and some industries that rely heavily on Cambodian workers would be taking a hit. Concrete action from the government is needed urgently to protect the workers and ensure they feel safe enough to stay.

Link in comment.

01/08/2025

BREAKING
Constitutional Court dismisses Deputy House Speaker Pichet Chuamuangphan for misusing parliamentary funds.

31/07/2025

The Court of Appeal has sentenced an activist and two protesters to prison on royal defamation charges over a photo of them holding signs at a protest in November 2020.

Activist Wanwalee Thammasattaya was charged with royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act along with two protesters named Nueng (pseudonym) and Nam (pseudonym) over a photo she posted of the trio holding signs at a protest on 21 November 2020.

Wanwalee was found guilty of all charges by the Chiang Mai Provincial Court, while charges against Nueng and Nam were dismissed. The Appeal Court upheld the verdict against Wanwalee, but found Nueng and Nam guilty of royal defamation. However, it found Nueng and Nam not guilty of charges under the Computer Crimes Act.

All three were sentenced to 4 years in prison, reduced to 2 years and 8 months. They were later granted bail pending appeal with the Supreme Court.

Link in comment.

30/07/2025

A 29-year-old electrician has been sentenced to prison for royal defamation over a page comment in 2021.

Link in comment.

30/07/2025

The U.N. should establish an independent Fact-Finding Mission to investigate the conduct of Thai and Cambodian armed forces in the border conflict between the two nations, Fortify Rights said today (30 July).

On 24 July, Cambodian rockets hit a 7-Eleven convenience store located in a PTT gas station in Si Saket's Kantharalak district, as well as other civilian locations. Fortify Rights said that the attacks seem to have failed to distinguish between military targets and civilians and civilian objects, and can therefore be considered indiscriminate attacks contrary to international humanitarian law.

Fortify Rights researchers do not currently have access to the Cambodian border area, so are not able to evaluate the legality of the attacks carried out by the Thai military on Cambodian targets.

Link in comment.

30/07/2025

After a clash between Thai and Cambodian troops was reported last night (29 July) at Phu Makua, Si Saket province, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement this morning (30 July) condemning the clash as a violation of the ceasefire agreement.

Link in comment.