A Thai social media influencer who criticized a gown worn by her country’s Miss Universe contestant could end up in court after another online personality filed a complaint with police charging that her thumbs-down fashion comment defamed the royal family.
Kitjanut Chaiyosburana, a businessman and politician, on Wednesday said that he filed the complaint after seeing a Facebook post by Wanchaleom Jamneanphol, who disparaged a blue dress designed by Princess Srivannavari Nariratana, a daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Miss Thailand Sophida Kanchanarin wore the gown during a Dec. 5 promotional event that was part of the pageant, which was won by Miss Philippines Catriona Gray in Bangkok on Monday.
Photo: AFP
The defamation complaint had been received and would be investigated, Royal Thai Police Technology Crime Division spokesman Colonel Siriwat Deepor said.
Wanchaleom has deleted the critical post and on Monday apologized to Princess Srivannavari in another Facebook post.
“Your Royal Highness Sirivannavari Nariratana, I, Wanchaleom Jamneanphol, did not have any intention to insult or disrespect the high institution,” Wanchaleom wrote, employing language used exclusively to address Thai royalty. “I feel deeply guilty and sorry for what had happened.”
Police could forward the complaint to prosecutors as a breach of Thailand’s Computer Crime Act, which carries a punishment of five years in prison and fines for spreading false information and damaging national security.
Similar cases have also been treated as lese majeste, or insulting the monarchy, punishable by three to 15 years in prison.
“I acted as a Thai to protect the country’s reputation and to set an example,” Kitjanut told reporters. “So many times people make careless comments and it ends with just an apology.”
Kitjanut and Wanchaleom are popular figures in Thailand’s online LGBT community. Wanchaleom is a transgender woman with more than 500,000 followers on Facebook and Kitjanut is a transgender man with more than 400,000 Facebook followers.
Kitjanut said that he did not want to criticize a fellow member of the LGBT community, because people outside already have a negative view of them, but added that he acted because he wants justice.
“There are people saying why is a tomboy criticizing a trans,” he said. “But for me, it’s not about protecting your own group of people, but about right and wrong. She [Wanchaleom] is a big influencer and she has a large following. So she should set a good example for others.”
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