Thai Court Accepts Case Against 44 Lawmakers Over a Law About the King

Apr 24, 2026, 09:13

Introduction

Thailand''s highest court accepted a complaint. The complaint says 44 lawmakers did something wrong. They tried to change a law about the king in 2021. The court did not stop the 10 lawmakers from working. The first court meeting is on June 30.

Main Body

The 44 lawmakers were from the Move Forward Party. The Move Forward Party is now closed. They wanted to change the law about the king. They wanted to make the punishment smaller. They also wanted only the king''s office to make complaints. The bill never went to parliament. But their signatures became evidence. In 2024, another court closed the Move Forward Party. It said the plan could hurt the king and royal family. Now, 10 of the 44 lawmakers are in a new party called the People''s Party. Their names are: Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, Sirikanya Tansakun, Rangsiman Rome, Wayo Assawarungruang, Pakornwut Udompipatskul, Nattawut Buaprathum, Surachet Pravinvongvuth, Nattacha Boonchaiinsawat, Teerajchai Phunthumas, and Taopiphop Limjittrakorn. The National Anti-Corruption Commission filed the complaint. The court accepted it on April 24, 2025. The court did not suspend the 10 MPs. They can work but must not talk about the case in public. No supporters came to the court. The party leader said they will fight the case. He warned about using the law to hurt political enemies. The party''s lawyer went to court. The MPs did not go because they had a party meeting. The law about the king can send people to prison for up to 15 years for each time they criticize the king. Some people say the law is used to stop political opponents. The People''s Party came second in the February election. If the court finds the 44 lawmakers guilty, they cannot be politicians again. They also cannot vote for 10 years.

Conclusion

The court''s decision is a new problem for Thailand''s opposition party. The 10 MPs will keep working while the trial continues. If they lose, they cannot be politicians again.

Vocabulary Learning

accepted

to say yes to something接受

Example:The court accepted the complaint.

changed

to make something different改變

Example:They wanted to change the law.

court

a place where judges decide about laws法庭

Example:The court will meet on June 30.

law

a rule made by the government法律

Example:The law about the king is very strict.

work

to do a job or duty工作

Example:The MPs can still work while the trial continues.

Sentence Learning

Thailand's highest court accepted a complaint.

This sentence uses the simple past tense to describe a completed action. Subject "court" + verb "accepted" + object.本句使用简单过去时描述已完成的动作。主语“court”+动词“accepted”+宾语。

The 44 lawmakers were from the Move Forward Party.

This sentence uses the verb "to be" (were) to show origin. Subject + verb "were" + prepositional phrase.本句使用动词“to be”（were）表示来源。主语+动词“were”+介词短语。

They wanted to change the law about the king.

This sentence uses "wanted to" + base verb to express a desire. Subject + verb "wanted" + infinitive phrase.本句使用“wanted to”+动词原形表达愿望。主语+动词“wanted”+不定式短语。

The court did not suspend the 10 MPs.

This sentence uses "did not" + base verb to make a negative past statement. Subject + "did not" + verb.本句使用“did not”+动词原形构成过去时否定。主语+“did not”+动词。

The first court meeting is on June 30.

This sentence uses the present tense of "to be" (is) with a time phrase. Subject + verb "is" + prepositional phrase.本句使用“to be”的现在时（is）搭配时间短语。主语+动词“is”+介词短语。