Thai police arrested 27-year-old factory worker Thanakorn Siripaiboon at his house in Samut Prakan province. He was detained for liking and sharing with 600 Facebook friends a Photoshopped image of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and an infographic data on Thai corruption.
He clicked the "like" link on Dec. 2 of the king's doctored photo. He also shared the image with 608 friends, explains Col. Burin Thongprapai, a military junta legal officer. The mechanic could be jailed up to 32 years for his online activity because insulting the sick 88-year-old royal is punishable by jail term.
The infographic refers to the Rajabhakti Park, an expensive park in Thailand filled with statues of the past kings. The park is speculated to have been built by the army with bribes involves and it was overpriced.
Skynews reports that Siripaiboon admitted the charges of sedition, lese majeste and computer crimes. He is a member of an opposition red-shirt Facebook group and has been warned by human rights lawyers that he is at risk of disappearing under the Thai military-rule junta.
The accused is under military custody and face a military court on Monday, said Thongprapai. However, the colonel said the mechanic is well and in good condition. But Human Rights lawyers says they do not know where the man is detained.
Siripaiboon appears to be lucky because at least two people, including the celebrity fortune teller of the crown prince, have died while in military custody after they were arrested and charged with lese majeste.
A political dissenter of the Thai military junta was sentence to 60 years in August for six posts on Facebook that were critical of the government. He pleaded guilty to the charges and the junta halved the sentence to 30 years prison term, reports Reuters.