The People's Party proposes the “Anti-SLAPP” bill to remove criminal defamation penalties, push to end strategic lawsuits against public participation, and protect the right to speak for public benefit.
On 19 July 2026 GMT+7, the People's Party held a seminar titled “Our Rights: Don't Let Anyone Silence Us with Lawsuits,” presenting the principles of the Anti-SLAPP bill. The bill seeks to balance freedom of expression and personal reputation rights, urging the government to abolish criminal penalties for defamation and replace them with civil sanctions. It aims to prevent the justice system from being used as a tool to harass citizens, human rights defenders, and whistleblowers, while enabling police, prosecutors, and courts to immediately dismiss cases identified as malicious SLAPP lawsuits.
Cholthan Suppaiboonlert, Member of Parliament for Bangkok's 23rd district from the People's Party, pointed out that the problem of SLAPP lawsuits or harassment against citizens demanding rights or exposing corruption stems from Thailand's failure to properly balance “freedom of expression” with “individual reputation.” Thailand still enforces criminal defamation laws, which clearly conflict with international standards and United Nations guidelines, as no one should face imprisonment solely for expressing opinions within constitutional bounds. Moreover, Thailand's legal process is complex, time-consuming, and costly, causing heavy burdens on defendants even when courts eventually dismiss cases. Therefore, the People's Party sees reform through the Anti-SLAPP law as essential.
Anusorn Kaewwichian, Member of Parliament for Nonthaburi's 3rd district from the People's Party, responded to criticisms that the law would increase defamation by emphasizing that the bill’s core is “protecting expressions made in the public interest,” not shielding wrongdoing. The bill was previously awaiting submission by the Department of Rights and Liberties Protection to the Cabinet for expedited processing, but following a change in the Minister of Justice and the current government's lack of progress, the People's Party has decided to present the bill themselves in parliament. They also call on the government to promptly introduce their own version if it prioritizes the issue.
The key provisions of the Anti-SLAPP bill proposed by the People's Party include amendments to the Civil and Commercial Code and Penal Code: criminal penalties (imprisonment) for defamation, criminal insult, and direct insult would be abolished and replaced with civil penalties (fines). It also controls excessive civil damage claims intended to intimidate. The bill grants authorities the power to dismiss cases at all stages: police and prosecutors can act upon complaints if they determine a case to be SLAPP, with prosecutors authorized to immediately dismiss. At the court level, citizens can petition for expedited hearings, and if the court finds the case to be a SLAPP, it can dismiss it outright and order the malicious plaintiff to pay damages to the defendant of at least twice the actual harm, while banning refiling of the same case.
“If one day we can openly discuss where the black-spotted catfish came from, the sources of river pollution, or who benefits from rising energy prices, shouldn't these be matters the Thai public has the right to know? Today, the Thai state must change its mindset, removing criminal penalties for such issues to protect community members and activists in accordance with international human rights commitments,” Anusorn concluded.