the role of the Thai monarchy has been increasingly challenged by scholars, media, observers and traditionalists, and as more educated pro-democracy interests began to express their rights to speech.
Many deemed that a series of laws and measures relating to lèse majesté in Thailand, aimed at protecting the king and the royal family, are hindrances to freedom of expression. Dozens of arrests, hundreds of criminal investigations and multiple imprisonments have been made based on these laws.
The junta which took power in 2006 and 2014 has been aggressive in jailing critics of the monarchy