Thailand, Limjaroenrat Banned from Politics for 10 Years
Popular politician acquitted on charges of election rigging in January 2024
Thailand’s Constitutional Court has banned Pita Limjaroenrat and his Kao Klai (Move On) party from political participation for 10 years.
Limjaroenrat, 43, won the 2023 election with his progressive and pro-democracy party, now his party has been dissolved for trying to destabilize the monarchy. The political formation promised reforms that generated enthusiasm, especially among the youth, after years of a military-backed government but failed to form a government.
In particular, the party proposed to abolish the crime of treason (15 years for those who criticize or insult the crown), which was considered an attempt to overthrow the constitutional monarchy.
This is not the first legal trouble for Limjaroenrat, who was acquitted in January 2024 on charges of owning a TV station during an election, which violates election law, but the candidate sold the network a few years earlier.
