Controversial activist Chuvit sentenced to 8 months imprisonment over defamation charges

In a recent ruling by the Criminal Court of Thailand, former politician and massage parlour tycoon Chuvit Kamolvisit has been sentenced to 12 months in prison for defaming and insulting former police officer Santhana Prayoonrat.

The case originated from remarks made by Chuvit during a live broadcast by Voice TV on YouTube on Nov 23, 2022. The court ruled that Chuvit's statements, broadcast nationwide, constituted defamation by advertisement under Sections 328 and 393 of the Criminal Code.

The accusations made by Chuvit claimed that Mr Santhana was linked to gambling, misconduct, dishonesty, and violent obstruction of officials. The defamatory statements damaged Mr Santhana's reputation, subjecting him to ridicule and hatred.

The ruling was made on a complaint filed by prosecutors on behalf of Mr Santhana. The current jurisdiction of the appeal process against Chuvit is the Supreme Court of Thailand.

It is important to note that Chuvit had previously served a sentence in 2020 for a separate offence. Within five years of completing that sentence, Chuvit committed the current offence. Prior to this case, Chuvit had been convicted by the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions and sentenced to one month's imprisonment for submitting a false asset and liability declaration to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

After the ruling, Chuvit submitted a request for bail pending appeal, which was approved with a surety of 30,000 baht.

This latest sentence marks another chapter in the ongoing legal battles faced by Chuvit Kamolvisit. The public will be closely watching the progress of his appeal case in the Supreme Court.