The court acquitted Pareena, finding her not guilty in the defamation case filed by Wira Somkhumkit after she posted on Facebook the phrase "hired singer," which was ruled not to have damaged the plaintiff's reputation or caused contempt or hatred.
At courtroom 714 of the Criminal Court at 1:30 p.m. on 19 Dec 2025 GMT+7, the court announced the verdict in case no. 711/2024, in which Mr. Wira Somkhumkit, chairman of the Anti-Corruption People's Network (ACPN), sued Ms. Pareena or Ae Kraikup, former MP of Ratchaburi from the Palang Pracharath Party, for defamation by advertising and violations under the Computer Crimes Act, also demanding damages of 300,000 baht.
The plaintiff alleged that on 29 Jan 2022, the defendant posted on Facebook claiming to the public that the plaintiff was a bad person, a "hired singer" (paid to complain about corrupt officials), which was false and damaged the plaintiff's reputation and caused contempt and hatred. The plaintiff requested the court to punish the defendant and award damages of 300,000 baht plus 5% annual interest.
After considering the evidence, the court found that the phrase "hired singer, who else?" means, according to the dictionary, a singer is an artist who works professionally for pay. The term "political hired singer" is understood only by those familiar with politics to imply someone lodging complaints in a negative manner. Thus, the phrase itself is not inherently defamatory; listeners must consider the surrounding context to understand its meaning.
The court ruled that the statement did not damage the plaintiff's reputation nor cause contempt or hatred. Therefore, the defendant's actions did not constitute defamation under sections 326 and 328. The defendant is not liable to pay the 300,000 baht damages to the plaintiff, and the case was dismissed.
After the verdict was announced, Ms. Pareena left immediately without giving any statements to the media.