US academic Paul Chambers cleared as Thai Attorney General drops lèse-majesté charges after a 54-day ordeal. Despite no prosecution, Chambers lost his job, was jailed and remains unemployed with uncertain visa status—warning expats about the real and dire risks of political speech in Thailand.
The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) in Bangkok has officially dropped the prosecution against American academic Dr. Paul Chambers. The nation’s top legal authority found no grounds to proceed with the case. Yet, the 54-day ordeal has taken a serious toll on him. Having lived in Thailand since 1993, Dr. Chambers has suffered financial losses, endured significant trauma and has been left unemployed. It is now reported that he has departed from Thailand. This case serves as a stark warning to expats and foreigners about the risks of openly discussing political or military matters in the country.
The high-profile lèse-majesté case against American academic Dr Paul Chambers has officially ended. On May 27, 2025, Thailand’s Attorney General issued a final order not to prosecute. The decision came after prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to support the charges.
Dr Chambers, a former lecturer at Naresuan University, had been accused under Section 112 of the Criminal Code and the Computer Crime Act. The accusations stemmed from a post promoting an academic seminar that appeared on the website of the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
That seminar, held on October 11, 2024, discussed the topic of police and military appointments in Thailand. Local officials in Phitsanulok province said the post allegedly referred to the monarchy. Therefore, the Third Army Region Commander authorised legal action.
The complaint was filed by the Third Royal Thai Army amid local concern over Dr Chambers in Phitsanulok
Col. Mongkol Veerasiri, head of the Legal and Human Rights Division at ISOC Region 3, filed the complaint. At length, this was the Third Royal Thai Army, which is headquartered in Phitsanulok. It was previously reported that there was opposition among ultra-conservatives in the province over Dr Chambers. In particular, to his employment at Naresuan University.
The case triggered swift legal proceedings. On April 4, 2025, Naresuan University informed Dr Chambers that an arrest warrant had been issued by Phitsanulok Provincial Court. Just four days later, on April 8, he reported to Phitsanulok City Police Station to acknowledge the charges.
That same day, he was taken into custody and sent to Phitsanulok Provincial Court. The court denied bail—twice. As a result, Dr Chambers was sent to prison that night. However, on April 9, the Court of Appeals Region 6 reversed that decision.
Bail was granted with a surety of ฿300,000, on the condition that he surrender his passport. Additionally, Dr Chambers had to wear an electronic monitoring (EM) bracelet.
Arrested, denied bail twice, then released on bail with electronic tag monitoring and his passport surrendered
On the same day, immigration authorities also revoked his visa. Therefore, he was forced to post an additional ฿300,000 baht in bail at Phitsanulok Immigration Office.
Despite these setbacks, the Attorney General of Region 6 soon found the allegations unconvincing. On May 1, prosecutors announced that the facts in the case did not support criminal charges.
Previously, the case had been raised by the US State Department. This included both public statements and, it is understood, representations to Thailand’s Embassy in Washington, D.C. Indeed, it was widely reported and accepted by ministers that the issue was brought up by U.S. trade negotiators in the trade negotiations with Thailand.
This was first confirmed indirectly by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on April 26th. Subsequently, senior ministers including Minister of Finance Pichai Chunhavajira appeared to confirm this.
The Attorney General concluded that the seminar post did not meet the threshold for Section 112 violations. Still, the procedure required a review. Basically, the case was not completed and Mr Chamber’s passport was still held pending the Immigration Bureau review which is ongoing at this time.
The US State Department intervened and Thai ministers confirmed concerns during trade negotiations with US
Similarly, the academic was in the meantime dismissed from his job.
The case file and the non-prosecution order were forwarded to the Commander of Provincial Police Region 6. Under Section 145/1 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the police had the right to object. Consequently, the Phitsanulok police commander disagreed with the non-prosecution order.
As a result, the case was escalated to the national Attorney General for a final decision. That decision finally came on May 27. The AG’s office reviewed all facts, evidence and digital forensics. They found that while the offending online post named Dr Chambers as a speaker, he did not write or publish it.
Moreover, they confirmed the post originated on the official website of ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute. That institute is based in Singapore and outside Thailand’s jurisdiction. Significantly, computer data showed the site was not operated by Dr Chambers.
Furthermore, investigators confirmed he was in Thailand during the seminar. He never travelled to Singapore at the time of the event. Thus, the Attorney General found no link between Dr Chambers and the content identified in the charges.
The Attorney General’s office found no evidence linking Dr Chambers to the online post or seminar publication
Although the document featured his name and photo, that was not enough to prove guilt. There was no evidence that he authored the post or assisted in its publication. No witnesses, metadata or technical proof tied him to the website’s back-end operations.
Therefore, authorities ruled that he did not input false data into a computer system. They also found he had therefore not committed lèse-majesté. Because of this, the Attorney General issued a final order to drop all charges.
The Lawyers for Human Rights Center shared the news on Friday, May 29. They posted a brief but powerful message: “It’s over!” According to their statement, the AG concluded that it was not apparent that Dr Chambers had posted anything.
This case attracted significant attention, both locally and internationally. Dr Chambers is a long-time scholar of Thai military affairs. He was well-known in academic and diplomatic circles. In addition, he is a respected contributor to major media publications.
In a statement this week through Global Reach, the academic made clear his respect for the Thai Royal family. Global Reach is an American non-governmental organisation (NGO). It works with US citizens detained abroad.
“I am relieved that this situation has been resolved. I have always had great respect for the Thai royal family and anyone who knows me understands that these charges were always based on false allegations by unnamed parties in the military,” Chambers said.
The final order dropped all charges as no proof showed Dr Chambers authored or posted the seminar blurb online
The 58-year-old former Peace Corps volunteer had lived in Thailand since 1993. He is married to the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Naresuan University, Associate Professor Napisa Waiturakiet.
Despite his impeccable credentials, Dr Chambers’ rebuttal of the charges to police in Phitsanulok on April 8th was on the same basis that the Attorney General ultimately ruled in his favour. However, it was rejected. Following that, his arrest had major personal consequences for the academic.
Chambers lost his job at Naresuan University the next day on April 9th. He spent a night in prison. The academic wore an EM bracelet for 21 days. After that, he was forced to pay ฿600,000 in bail. He was also publicly accused under one of Thailand’s harshest laws.
Yet in the end, the case collapsed due to lack of evidence. The seminar itself was titled: “Appointment and Transfer of Police and Military Personnel in Thailand in 2024: What Does It Mean?” The online event was open for public registration and hosted by a foreign academic institute.
Chambers suffered job loss and legal hardship despite the seminar being an academic event without criminal intent
The AG’s findings concluded it was a legitimate academic event, not an act of subversion. Moreover, even if it had been inappropriate, the prosecutors stressed that participation alone did not constitute a crime.
Dr Chambers had been named as a guest speaker but did not post the promotional material. Therefore, the prosecution could not proceed. This decision is part of a growing trend of legal scrutiny around Section 112 cases.
In recent years, rights groups have criticised broad interpretations of the law. Some fear the law has been used to silence political debate or academic inquiry.
Yet this decision may offer hope for others facing similar charges. Dr Chambers walks free and has left Thailand. The case lasted 54 days from the date he learned about the arrest warrant. It has now been officially concluded.
Attorney General:the seminar was legitimate and named participation alone does not constitute a crime
No charges, no trial and no conviction. Just a lesson of how quickly an academic career can be shaken and indeed upended by legal accusation.
Certainly, this case serves as a stark warning to expats about the risks of engaging in military and political discussions in Thailand.
Thaksin confirms that the Paul Chambers case now being raised by US trade negotiators with Thailand
US academic Paul Chambers is fighting Nareauan’s University decision to dismiss him on April 9th
Phitsanulok Attorney General decides to drop charges against US academic Paul Chambers in case review
Defence Minister: Attorney General expediting a ‘thorough’ review of the Paul Chambers case at all levels
For Dr Chambers, the legal battle is now over. However, he has yet to receive clarity from the Immigration Bureau regarding his visa status. At the same time, he remains unemployed and is challenging the legality of his dismissal from Naresuan University.
In recent weeks, his family in Oklahoma, United States, has indicated that Dr Chambers may now be considering a return home. In recent days, his departure from Thailand after 32 years has been confirmed by Reuters. There is some suggestion that this is linked to the academic’s uncertain visa status.
*Article updated on 30th May 2025 to reflect the fact that Dr. Chambers has now departed from Thailand.
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Further reading:
US academic Paul Chambers is fighting Nareauan’s University decision to dismiss him on April 9th
Third Army defends its role in the prosecution of American Professor Paul Chambers in Phitsanulok
Thaksin confirms that the Paul Chambers case now being raised by US trade negotiators with Thailand
