Name: Sombat Thongyoi (Age 58)
Occupation: Political Activist and Water Filter Installation Technician
Case: Lèse Majesté (Article 112) from Posting to Facebook
Date of Imprisonment: 13 September 2022
Location of Imprisonment: Bangkok Remand Prison

“Num” Sombat Thongyoi, is a former red shirt guard. He worked as a water filter installation technician and general repair person. He became interested in political problems during the political crisis of 2005. During that time, he tried out the ideas of both yellow and red shirts. He went into the streets with the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) but then joined the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) in 2007 after the coup that ousted Prime MInister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Sombat has been imprisoned in the Bangkok Remand Prison since 13 September 2023 after the Appeal Court sentenced him to 2 years imprisonment for each of his 2 counts, a total of 4 years imprisonment, for violation of Article 112 of the Criminal Code and Article 14 (3) of the Computer Crimes Act from a Facebook post he made on 2 November 2020 that stated#กล้ามาก #เก่งมาก #ขอบใจนะwith an accompanying photograph from Matichon newspaper about an entire faculty of graduates of Thammasat University who did not attend the graduation ceremony on 30 October 2020. In the comments on the aforementioned message, he noted that the king made himself close to the people and gave out his signature. 

Sombat was previously imprisoned in the aforementioned case for 288 days from 28 April 2022 until 9 February 2023, after the Court of First Instance sentenced him to 6 years imprisonment without any suspension of punishment. Subsequently, he was granted bail before having to enter prison once again following the decision of the Appeal Court. 

In addition, on 31 January 2023, he was sentenced to imprisonment in a case of defaming the prime minister (Prayuth Chan-ocha). That case arose from 2 Facebook posts, posted in June 2019 and August 2020, with content judged to defame General Prayuth Chan-ocha as a state official.  The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court sentenced him to1 year and 1 month in prison. Since he was of benefit during the trial, he received a reduction of punishment by 1 in 3, and his sentence was reduced to 8 months and 20 days. 

Sombat decided to allow his case to become final without appealing to the Supreme Court as he wanted to know how long he would have to be imprisoned without having to go in and out often or anticipate the possible decision of the Supreme Court. Sombat explained that repeatedly requesting bail and repeatedly being denied release greatly impacted his mental health and that of his family.