Thailand enacts political amnesty law, but royal defamation remains excluded

Thailand's newly effective political amnesty law aims to reconcile the nation after years of protests, coups and instability, covering offences committed between Jan. 1 2005 and July 15 2025. Estimated to benefit about 6,000 people, the law will free current detainees, halt investigations, dismiss pending cases and erase criminal records for those approved. A committee chaired by the prime minister must convene within 30 days to vet applicants, though the timeline for decisions remains unclear.

Notably, the act deliberately omits lese majeste violations, as well as corruption and crimes resulting in death or serious injury, drawing criticism that key political grievances persist. Article 112, the lese majeste statute, carries up to 15 years in prison and has been used to suppress dissent, with over 290 charges filed since 2020 and at least 54 inmates still held. Only a small fraction of the amnesty's potential beneficiaries are expected to qualify because many face lese majeste accusations.