This Man Faces 32 Years in Prison for “Liking” a Facebook Photo

Did you know posting the photo above could get someone 15 years in prison in Thailand?

But a better question might be, why are national leaders always such big sissy babies?

Americans forget sometimes all the reasons why the First Amendment is so important. Reasons like absolute and total tyranny. Reasons like a man getting arrested for insulting the president online. (Can you imagine how overcrowded our already overcrowded prisons would be if every person who insulted Obama was put in jail for it?)

Now a 27-year-old factory worker in Thailand might be sent to prison for 32 years. His horrible crime?

He “liked” what was deemed an insulting photo of  88-year-old Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Facebook, and then, according to military officials, he shared it with 608 friends on the social media platform.

Dun dun DUUUUUN!

In effect since 1908, Thailand has some of the strictest laws that prevent lèse-majesté, or the crime of “violating majesty”. Not only can insulting the king, queen, heir or regent land a person in prison in Thailand, but apparently the person is not even allowed to appeal his charges, either.

But really, what kind of king gets his feelings hurt because of something someone said online???

The worker also reportedly dared to post an infographic accusing top government officials and the army of corruption in building the billion-baht Raja Bhakti Park tourist attraction.

Another woman who posted this same graphic online has been charged with sedition.

What does this really prove? Well, first and foremost it shows that in Thailand, police spend their time trolling social media and chat rooms just looking to bust people who would dare insult their leaders online.

That’s actually a real job there. Wow. Amazing.

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