A former city council member of Bang Khen district was arrested last night for resharing a music video mocking Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on the LINE application with his friends and family.
Narong Roonthanawong, 39, was charged with violating article 14 of the Computer Crime Act, which relates to spreading “false computer data into the system in a manner that is likely to cause damage to another person or the public.”
Narong told Chok Chai police he received the music video “For our beloved uncle,” which contains lyrics criticizing Prayuth, from a chat group on the LINE application, and that he passed it on to friends and family.
Prayuth is sometimes referred in the local media by the Thai nickname “Uncle Tu.”
Narong said he wanted to apologize to the prime minister and was willing to face punishment.
Police said the arrest came after they were tipped off that Narong had passed around the video.
They warned the public that spreading false information online could result in a criminal charge, The Nation reported.
Narong could face up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of THB60,000.
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