Court Dismisses Former Phuket Official's Defamation Lawsuit
A Phuket court dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by a former provincial official against a landowner who accused him of demanding bribes, ruling the case was brought in bad faith to silence corruption allegations.
On July 31, 2569, the Criminal Court at Ratchadamri Road issued a ruling dismissing the defamation case filed by Rungruang Thimabut, former Permanent Secretary of Phuket Province, against a local landowner. The plaintiff had accused the defendant of filing a false report and defamation related to an allegation that he had demanded one million baht in exchange for altering land documents. However, the court found that while the plaintiff acknowledged receiving the one million baht transfer into a personal account he had specified, he produced no clear legal evidence of a loan agreement supporting his claim. The court determined that the lawsuit showed signs of being brought in bad faith, particularly because the defendant had disclosed alleged corruption and misconduct by the plaintiff to police while he served as Permanent Secretary. Under Criminal Procedure Code Section 161/1, the court ruled that the plaintiff's claims lacked sincere intent and were designed to achieve ends beyond legitimate legal remedies. The dismissal is notable as the first such case where a criminal court has rejected a complaint at the examination stage without proceeding to trial, citing bad faith prosecution. The ruling follows a May 30, 2569 directive from Supreme Court President Adisak Tantiwongse providing guidance on addressing insincere prosecution in criminal cases, aimed at preventing the courts from being weaponized against those who honestly expose misconduct or restrict freedom of speech.
