Two actors, Patiwat Saraiyaem and Pornthip Munkong, serving a two-and-a-half year prison sentence under the controversial ‘lèse majesté’ law – defaming, insulting or threatening the royal family – have been released early in a royal pardon, reported PEN International on 5 September 2016. Saraiyaem was released 55 days early on 12 …

Thailand Film Destination Festival state organisers pulled four films from their festival, but have not made their reasons officially clear, though observers have noted that the dropped films had raunchy or violent scenes that showed the country in a bad light, reported The Straits Times on 10 July 2016. One …

Thailand’s Administrative Court ruled on 25 December 2015 that the five-year ban on the 2010 LGBT film ‘Insects in the Backyard’ will remain in effect, reported Film Journal International. The primary evidence cited is that the movie has a brief scene of graphic sexual intercourse, violating section 287 of the …

Previously banned, Thai-made horror film ‘Arbat’ is finally on screens as of 16 October 2015 after some of its controversial scenes were cut and the title was changed to ‘Apatti’ to appease a government screening committee decision.   In September 2015, the Ministry of Culture’s Film and Media Screening Committee …

The Thai government has banned the release of ‘Arbat’ – a locally-made horror movie that was set to be released in October 2015. The Ministry of Culture said that its Film and Media Screening Committee banned the film because it was disrespectful to monks and novices. The film, directed by Kanittha …

Two theatre actors were sentenced to two and a half years in prison on 24 february 2015 for staging a play in 2013 that was deemed defamatory to the monarchy. Patiwat Saraiyaem, 24, a fourth year student at Khon Kaen University, and Pornthip Munkong, 27, former coordinator of Prakai Fai …

On 23 February 2015, two members of a now-defunct theatre group Prakai Fai (‘Sparking Fire’) have been sentenced to two and half years in prison under the draconian Article 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code. Pornthip Mankong aka Golf, 26, and Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, performed in a political play called Jao …

Newsletter from Article 19, published on article19.org on 12 February 2014: Art, in any form, constitutes a key medium through which information and ideas are imparted and received. Artist Alert, launched by ARTICLE 19 in 2008, highlights cases of artists around the world whose right to freedom of expression has …

The military-ruled Thai government forced an opera composer to alter the final scene of his work, claiming that it transgressed the tradition of the classical dance genre to which his opera belongs Somtow Sucharitkul’s opera ‘Ayodhya’ was to have ended with a character facing aviolent death. However, according to Southeast …