Thai opposition leader faces ethics trial over royal insult reform

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, a member of parliament and leader of Thailand’s opposition People’s Party, during a press conference in Bangkok, on April 24, 2026. [AFP]

Thailand's main opposition leader and nine other MPs were among dozens on trial Tuesday, accused of ethics breaches over attempts to reform the kingdom's strict royal insult law.

The 44 defendants, whose trial opened at the Supreme Court, include Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, whose progressive People's Party came second in February's general election.

An earlier iteration of the party had in 2021 proposed draft legislation to amend Thailand's lese-majeste law, which shields the king and his family from criticism and carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years per offence.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) filed a civil complaint in April to the Supreme Court against 44 current and former politicians, alleging a breach of ethics.

If found guilty, they could face lifetime bans on holding political office and be stripped of their right to vote for 10 years.

On Tuesday, the prosecutor submitted the names of 17 witnesses to the Supreme Court, including officials from parliament and the NACC, with the first expected to take the stand on August 25.

None of the MPs on trial were in court, according to an AFP reporter.

The next two hearings were set in September and October.

The accused were previously members of the Move Forward party, which had proposed to amend the lese-majeste law.

Thailand's constitutional court dissolved Move Forward in 2024, ruling that its royal reform pledge amounted to an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.

Most of its members formed a new party, the People's Party, under which the 10 MPs currently on trial were re-elected in February.

Natthaphong told a news conference in April after the Supreme Court accepted the case that the reform effort was "never intended to undermine the democratic system under the monarchy".

"Our objective goes beyond political careers -- it is about ensuring equality for the people," he said.

"We will contest this case in the Supreme Court to defend the rights of MPs within a democratic parliamentary system and to ensure that Thailand's democracy genuinely serves its people."