Deputy Prime Minister Insists on Accountability for Defamatory Statements

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Phumtham Wechayachai has emphasized that anyone who makes dishonest and untrue criticism will be held accountable. He stated that he has authorized his lawyer to file a defamation lawsuit against Thanaporn Sriyakul, director of the Institute of Political Analysis, over charges of advertising. Phumtham has made it clear that he will sue anyone who damages others' honor and dignity, causes confusion, or is a threat to the country's problems, regardless of whether they are individuals or organizations.

Key Takeaways:

• Phumtham Wechayachai has authorized his lawyer to file a defamation lawsuit against Thanaporn Sriyakul over charges of advertising.
• The Deputy Prime Minister stated that anyone who makes dishonest and untrue criticism will be held accountable.
• Phumtham emphasized that he will sue anyone who damages others' honor and dignity, causes confusion, or is a threat to the country's problems.
• The Deputy Prime Minister denied previous criticism without lawsuits, stating that numerous lawsuits have been filed in the past.
• Phumtham emphasized the importance of questioning perpetrators, not victims, and that critics should be held accountable if they use false information.
• The lawsuit is up to Phumtham's lawyers, and he has not ruled out the possibility of an apology from Thanaporn.
• Phumtham stated that anyone who is irresponsible in their speech will be sued.

Statistics:

• No specific statistics are mentioned in the article.
• The article only mentions the authorization of a lawyer to file a lawsuit, but does not provide any further details on the number of lawsuits or the outcomes.

Sources:

• Thai News Agency, 21 Aug 2025