Thai activist gets two-year suspended prison sentence for remarks about monarchy

Patsaravalee Tanakitvibulpon receives a garland from her supporter on her arrival at Southern Criminal Court in Bangkok, Thailand, on Wednesday (Sakchai Lalit/AP)

A Thai court has convicted a prominent political activist of defaming the country’s monarchy and sentenced her to a two-year suspended jail term under a controversial law that criminalises any perceived criticism of the royal institution.

Patsaravalee Tanakitvibulpon, better known by her nickname Mind, had pleaded not guilty to an offence under Article 112 of the criminal code, relating to a speech she gave at a rally in the capital in March 2021.