Name: Udom (Age 37)
Occupation: Factory Worker
Case: Lèse Majesté (Article 112) -- Computer Crimes Act from Posting to Facebook
Date of Imprisonment: 30 August 2023
Location of Imprisonment: Narathiwat Provincial Prison

Udom is a factory worker from Sa Kaeo who completed Grade 9. He grew up in a farming family and worked other jobs outside of farming season.

Udom shared that he left his hometown at the age of 18 to find work. During his transition to adulthood, he lived a nomadic life, moving from place to place wherever there was work. He never stayed in one place for long, and most of his jobs were in factories.

Udom has a family including a wife, and two daughters, age 7 and age 1. Udom was not interested or involved in politics before. He said that he was like other people who were indoctrinated by the state. When he was a military conscript, he was sent to aid in the dispersal of protests in 2009 and is glad that he was not ordered to shoot the people.

After the 2014 coup, Udom began to have doubts about the reasons for the coup and concern about the political situation. Coupled with greater accessibility to different kinds of information, this caused him to watch various YouTube channels that analyzed politics.

Even though he began to awaken to politics, Udom had never joined a political demonstration before, whether of red shirts or yellow shirts, or the most recent youth demonstrations of 2020-2022. He did not think that he would affiliate with any particular group; he merely followed news online when he had free time.

Udom posted to Facebook with his real given name and real family name.He expressed his opinions on politics.He had approximately 200-300 friends only and did not think that he would one day be prosecuted. 

Udom was accusedof lèse majesté in Narathiwat Province, which is more than 1000 kilometers from his home. At the police investigation, prosecutor examination and trial stages, Udom faced persistent difficulties in traveling. He had to use a large amount of money to travel despite choosing to go by third-class train, as it was the cheapest. But he had to take off work and therefore lost income, and had to expend money on accommodation. Each time that Udom traveled to Narathiwat Province, he was unsure if he would be able to return home.

On 26 July 2022, the Narathiwat Provincial Court found Udom guilty of 2 counts and was sentenced to 3 years per count, for a total imprisonment of 6 years. As he was of benefit during the trial, his punishment was reduced by a degree of 1 in 3 to 4 years imprisonment. There was no suspension of his punishment, but an additional 4 counts were dismissed at the Court interpreted those posts as being about the previous king or not about any given individual.

The Court granted bail to Udom in the amount of 30,000 baht and stipulated that he must report himself to the village headman on the 1st of every month.

But on 30 August 2023, the Appeal Court sentenced Udom to punishment of 4 years with no suspension of punishment. He was denied bail while further appealing the decision to the Supreme Court and has been imprisoned in the Narathiwat Provincial Prison since then.