Sinchai Chaojaroenrat is extremely grateful at being granted refugee status in New Zealand. Photo / Supplied
Sinchai Chaojaroenrat is extremely grateful at being granted refugee status in New Zealand. Photo / Supplied
A Thai academic and media commentator critical of the Thai monarchy has been granted refugee status on the grounds that he could face serious harm if he returned to Thailand - despite inconsistencies in his claims.
Sinchai Chaojaroenrat, 57, is an independent scholar and author, who has been on international news media channels being very critical of the monarchy due to his pro-democracy political beliefs.
Under Thailand's lèse-majesté law, anyone criticising the royal family can be jailed for up to 15 years.
Sinchai believes that he was targeted by people close to the royal family and faced a risk of being kidnapped, imprisoned assassinated by the Thai authorities for his views.
In a Refugee and Protection Status Decision, Immigration New Zealand concluded that "his fear of being persecuted is...considered to be well founded".
"There is a real chance of Dr Sinchai being persecuted if he returns to Thailand now."
Thai King Vajiralongkorn with his consort General Nui and dog. Photo / German TV Taff
Sinchai spoke to the Herald on the condition that we did not reveal where he lived in New Zealand, or identified his family members or their whereabouts.
"Many Thai royal family critics have been forced to flee overseas, and I know of those who have just disappeared and others whose bodies have been found at the bottom of rivers," he said.
Despite the threats, Sinchai said he needed to speak out because he loved his country and believes "Thailand needs genuine democracy".
Sinchai was born in Chon Buri, Thailand, and believes strongly in secularism despite being raised as a Christian. His interest in politics began at high school and he became more politically involved when he studied political science at university.
In 2013, he started a Facebook page and over time attracted more than 200,000 followers. He also became active on other social media channels such as Twitter and on TV broadcasts.
"His criticisms centred on the country being undemocratic and the fact that the King's personal conduct consumed a lot of the national budget. He also posted about the King's sexual misconduct as he had many mistresses," the decision document stated.
"He also critiqued that the monarchy was treated as demi-gods and believed this was an outdated and obsolete tradition and that it was degrading to the people of Thailand to have to bow down before them."
In 2019, the year Thailand completed the formal coronation of its new king Maha Vajiralongkorn, Sinchai wrote about the sexual immorality and inappropriate tax consumption of the king on his Facebook page.
Sinchai received multiple warnings and threats via social media and telephone as a result, but he did not take them seriously.
But he claimed that what followed was a direct message sent on Twitter by a follower who said her father was a high ranking general in the military who had been assigned to take action against him.
This was one of several claims made by Sinchai that INZ did not accept to be credible.
Others included that his friend's mother was contacted by a high-ranking officer in November 2019 to warn him, that his family members were visited by an officer in Thailand and that Amnesty International in Thailand had requested for an arrest warrant to be issued against him.
INZ concluded that "though some aspects of Dr Sinchai's account were considered not credible, the core of his account remains intact."
"Dr Sinchai fears that he will be targeted by the Thai government and subsequently detained, imprisoned, mistreated or even killed on account of his political opinions," the agency said.
"Country information unequivocally demonstrates that those who are publicly critical of the monarchy in Thailand, including on social media, can be subject to criminal charges...given Dr Sinchai's profile, it is considered that he is likely to come to the attention of the wider community and the authorities in Thailand if he is returned there."
According to the International Federation of Human Rights, more than 100 individuals have been charged under the lèse-majesté legislation between Nov 2020 and June last year, and of these eight were children.
Thailand revived a controversial law against criticising the royal family in an attempt to curb months of anti-government protests in 2020.
The current monarch does not enjoy the same level of popularity as his late father who died in 2016 at the age of 88. Vajiralongkorn spent much of his life overseas, particularly in Germany before becoming king.
