US academic gets bail in royal defamation case

American academic Paul Chambers has been granted bail while he awaits trial on a charge of royal defamation, but he still faces the threat of having his visa to remain in Thailand revoked.

- BANGKOK POST AND AGENCIES

The Court of Appeal Region 6 approved Dr Chambers’ release late on Wednesday on a surety of 300,000 baht, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said in a post on X yesterday.

Dr Chambers, whose visa was revoked by the Immigration Bureau after he was charged earlier this week, has until 4pm today to appeal the order, the legal-aid group said.

One of the bail conditions is that if he succeeds in having his stay permit reinstated while he fights the case, he must report to Thai officials every 30 days.

Human Rights Watch had called for Dr Chambers’ immediate release, stating that his “baseless prosecution poses a serious threat to academic freedom and free speech in Thailand.”

The US State Department also said it was “alarmed” by the arrest and detention of the 58-year-old academic, who has lived in Thailand since 1993.