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Thai police charge Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit with lèse majesté

14 Sept 08:08 Key points summarised by AI

Thai police have formally charged Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, leader of the Progressive Group, with lèse majesté, submitting the case file to the Office of the Attorney-General.
The charges originate from his livestream lectures where he questioned the government's AstraZeneca vaccine strategy and its connections to Siam Bioscience, a firm linked to the Crown Property Bureau, with remarks allegedly offending the monarchy. Thanathorn also faces a second lèse majesté charge and calls for public scrutiny of over 800 pending political cases.

Yesterday 17:04 Key points summarised by AI

Civic groups, including those representing labourers and older people, submitted a protest letter demanding the Bhumjaithai Party withdraw bills to shift funding for four organizations (Thai PBS, Older Persons Fund, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Sports Authority of Thailand) from earmarked taxes to the central government budget.
Leaders argue these organizations were established for public interest, supporting public service media, elder care, public health, and sports development, and any amendments should consider all stakeholders' views.
Over 70% of parliamentary poll respondents opposed the proposed changes, prompting civic leaders to call on the ruling party to respect the people's will and withdraw the bills.
A network of slum dwellers also opposes the funding changes, threatening a rally if the government fails to address their demands.