Pimsiri Petchnamrob

Cases
Location of case in SG report
2025-127-001
Relevant SG report
Year of the report
2025
Country Geolocation

Latitude: 15.870032

Longitude: 100.992541

Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
Thailand
From Region
Type of record
Named individual
Gender
Female
Was the victim a foreign national?
No
Was the victim a minor?
No
Type of rights defended
  • Unclear in SG Report
Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
No
Reported trigger of reprisal
  1. In the first instance, according to information received by OHCHR, woman human rights defender Ms. Pimsiri Petchnamrob is banned from traveling outside Thailand, allegedly to prevent her from her international advocacy on human rights, including her participation in the Human Rights Council.
  2. Ms. Petchnamrob has not been able to travel abroad since 25 November 2021, after being charged with ten criminal offences and released on bail the same day under several conditions, including a restriction on international travel without prior court approval. Ms. Petchnamrob faced 10 different criminal charges, including lèse-majesté and sedition under Section 112 and 116 of the Criminal Code. Her case is currently pending a decision in court.
  3. Ms. Petchnamrob’s charges and associated travel restrictions are reportedly connected to a speech she delivered at a rally in November 2020, during which she cited the then Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression’s analysis of the lèse-majesté laws. This reference was allegedly presented by the public prosecutor as one of the two principal grounds for the charges brought against her.
  4. Ms. Petchnamrob had previously delivered public statements to the Council in 2016 and 2018, which reportedly drew the attention of the Thai authorities to her activism. In August 2021, a confidential document labelled “Top Secret” was leaked by local media, reporting that Thai immigration authorities were allegedly monitoring 183 individuals, including Ms. Petchnamrob.
  5. Due to her travel restrictions, on 13 February 2023 and again on 24 February2023 with additional information supporting her application, Ms. Petchnamrob applied for court permission to attend the Human Rights Council session in Geneva as a representative of ARTICLE 19. Both applications were rejected by the Court of First Instance.. Her appeal of 9 March 2023 was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
  6. On 12 March 2024, Ms. Petchnamrob applied again for court permission to travel, this time to the United States for an in-person programme, which the court denied, citing the possibility of online participation. As of 9 April 2024, she had filed another request for permission to attend the same programme.
  7. Between 2022 and 2024, several individuals charged under Section 112 were granted court permission to travel abroad for personal or academic purposes. However, as of the time of writing, Ms. Petchnamrob’s applications have been consistently denied.
  8. The lack of court approval has restricted Ms. Petchnamrob’s ability to engage in international advocacy on human rights, including with the United Nations. Concerns have been reported that Ms. Petchnamrob is being targeted in connection with her public advocacy on human rights, including with the United Nations, and that ongoing restrictions may deter further participation in human rights forums such as the Human Rights Council.
Engagement with UN body
  • UN Human Rights Council: UN Human Rights Council - General
Dates of engagement
2016, 2018, November 2020
Type of attempted engagement
  • Participation in meeting on UN premises
Dates of mentioned reprisals
25 November 2021
Location of mentioned reprisals
Thailand
Reprisal information
  1. In the first instance, according to information received by OHCHR, woman human rights defender Ms. Pimsiri Petchnamrob is banned from traveling outside Thailand, allegedly to prevent her from her international advocacy on human rights, including her participation in the Human Rights Council.
  2. Ms. Petchnamrob has not been able to travel abroad since 25 November 2021, after being charged with ten criminal offences and released on bail the same day under several conditions, including a restriction on international travel without prior court approval. Ms. Petchnamrob faced 10 different criminal charges, including lèse-majesté and sedition under Section 112 and 116 of the Criminal Code. Her case is currently pending a decision in court.
  3. Ms. Petchnamrob’s charges and associated travel restrictions are reportedly connected to a speech she delivered at a rally in November 2020, during which she cited the then Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression’s analysis of the lèse-majesté laws. This reference was allegedly presented by the public prosecutor as one of the two principal grounds for the charges brought against her.
  4. Ms. Petchnamrob had previously delivered public statements to the Council in 2016 and 2018, which reportedly drew the attention of the Thai authorities to her activism. In August 2021, a confidential document labelled “Top Secret” was leaked by local media, reporting that Thai immigration authorities were allegedly monitoring 183 individuals, including Ms. Petchnamrob.
  5. Due to her travel restrictions, on 13 February 2023 and again on 24 February2023 with additional information supporting her application, Ms. Petchnamrob applied for court permission to attend the Human Rights Council session in Geneva as a representative of ARTICLE 19. Both applications were rejected by the Court of First Instance.. Her appeal of 9 March 2023 was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
  6. On 12 March 2024, Ms. Petchnamrob applied again for court permission to travel, this time to the United States for an in-person programme, which the court denied, citing the possibility of online participation. As of 9 April 2024, she had filed another request for permission to attend the same programme.
  7. Between 2022 and 2024, several individuals charged under Section 112 were granted court permission to travel abroad for personal or academic purposes. However, as of the time of writing, Ms. Petchnamrob’s applications have been consistently denied.
  8. The lack of court approval has restricted Ms. Petchnamrob’s ability to engage in international advocacy on human rights, including with the United Nations. Concerns have been reported that Ms. Petchnamrob is being targeted in connection with her public advocacy on human rights, including with the United Nations, and that ongoing restrictions may deter further participation in human rights forums such as the Human Rights Council.
Types of reprisals suffered
  • Charge/Investigation/Prosecution: Charge/Investigation/Prosecution - General
  • Detention/Imprisonment: Release within a day
  • Travel restriction
Alleged/likely perpetrators
State actors
Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
No
Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
No
Government response dates
1 August 2025
Government response content
  1. Regarding Ms. Petchnamrob and her conditional temporary release, including the prohibition on traveling abroad, the Government noted that Ms. Petchnamrob’s case remains under judicial consideration. Therefore, it falls within the discretion of the court to determine whether such permission will be granted, which may include taking into account the nature of the offense, the severity of the possible penalty, and the risk of flight.
Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
No
Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
No
Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
No