- Paul Chambers, a U.S. academic in Thailand, was arrested and charged with lèse majesté, insulting the Thai monarchy.
- Chambers, who is a recognized expert on Thai politics and military was released on bail Wednesday.
- The U.S. Embassy expressed alarm over the arrest and urged Thailand to respect freedom of expression.
An academic researcher from Oklahoma has been charged by Thai authorities for allegedly insulting the kingdom's monarchy.
U.S. citizen Paul Chambers, 58, is a political science lecturer at Naresuan University and has lived in Thailand for decades. Police reportedly came to his workplace on Friday, April 4, and served him with an arrest warrant, according to The Associated Press. He was accused of insulting or defaming Thailand's monarchy, which is a charge also known as lèse majesté.
After turning himself in, Chambers was released Wednesday after being allowed to post bail, according to a Facebook post from his brother.
On its website, the U.S. State Department warns Americans that Thais hold their monarchy in the highest regard.
"Making a critical or defamatory comment about the royal family is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 15 years per offense," the travel advisory says.
Chambers' family, which includes OU Professor Peggy Chambers, have said they were shocked to hear about the charges considering his longtime affiliation with the Southeast Asian nation. Thailand is a ally of the United States and has been one of America's top trading partners.
Peggy, who is an instructor and academic advisor in OU's Department of Classics and Letters, said she spoke to her son after he was released.
"I think he was courageous to (turn himself in). I guess he could have slipped out of the country but he didn't choose to," she said.
In an update posted to Facebook on Tuesday, his brother Kit Chambers was optimistic that Paul was not responsible for insulting the Thai monarchy.
"It seems impossible that he has been charged and imprisoned on the basis of an ISEAS (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies based in Singapore) program description that he did not write and did not publish online. That program is the entire basis of the complaint filed by the prosecutors," Kit Chambers wrote.
Chambers' family have been in contact with Oklahoma's congressional delegation the U.S. Embassy in Thailand. An embassy spokesperson said Tuesday that United States is "alarmed" by the arrest.
"This case reinforces our longstanding concerns about the use of lèse majesté laws in Thailand. We continue to urge Thai authorities to respect freedom of expression and to ensure that laws are not used to stifle permitted expression," the embassy said. "As a treaty ally of Thailand, we will closely monitor this issue and advocate for the fair treatment of Paul Chambers."
According to Chambers' LinkedIn profile, his work focuses on civil-military relations and democratization in Southeast Asia. He regularly writes and speaks about Thai politics and its military, and is considered an expert. In 2024, he published the book "Praetorian Kingdom," a comprehensive look at Thailand's modern military and political history.
Chambers grew up in Norman and graduated from Norman High School. He earned a degree from the University of Oklahoma before pursuing post-graduate degrees in international relations and the politics of Southeast Asia. Chambers lives in Thailand with his wife.
Throughout his career, he's worked in Latin America, South America, and served with the Peace Corps in Thailand, according to his mother.
"There are very few programs interested in Southeast Asian studies in the United States," Peggy Chambers told The Oklahoman on Wednesday. "I think it's going to be very dangerous for him to continue his work in Thailand, and I hope he has a position that opens up for him in some university here. That's the mother's hope."
