Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit was indicted by public prosecutors on a lèse majesté charge and for violations of the Computer Crime Act today (Monday) for his livestream talk on the subject of the AstraZeneca vaccine, allegedly implicating the monarchy.
During the talk in January last year, the former leader of the now defunct Future Forward party was accused by the police of criticising the government for the delay in the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and for relying too much on the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was supplied by Siam Bioscience Company.
Founded in 2009, Siam Bioscience is funded and owned by a subsidiary of the Crown Property Bureau.
It entered into a deal with AstraZeneca and Oxford University to produce the vaccine, using AstraZeneca’s technology, for local consumption and for distribution to other countries in the region.
The Criminal Court has granted him a temporary release on a 90,000-baht surety bail.
