The elderly man who just couldn’t anymore with Thailand’s most renowned gadfly was slapped on the wrist with a THB1,000 (US$30) fine yesterday.
Weerawit Rungruengsiripol, a 62-year-old Redshirt activist, was fined by the Criminal Court for socking Srisuwan Janya this past October as he was on his way to file his 80,000th legal complaint, which concerned a comedy special that he didn’t like.
While we deplore violence in pursuit of silencing or stifling even the most annoying people – Srisuwan provides a study in the gadfly’s descent from truth-chaser to narcissist – the nation was so happy to see him punched in the face that people donated millions of baht for Weerawit’s legal defense.
Srisuwan was about to file a complaint to the Technology Crime Suppression Division about anti-government jokes told by stand-up comedian Udom “Note” Taepanich when Weerawit rained a flurry of punches on him.
Udom, a beloved comedian, had sharply criticized the Thai government in his latest comedy special.
Srisuwan filed an assault complaint with the police.
Weerawit said he had grown “intolerant” of Srisuwan’s frequent and frivolous legal complaints against those with different political stances.
Legal crusader turned gadfly Srisuwan goes at popular comedian, gets punched in face (Video)
Srisuwan once fought against government corruption and for environmental causes. Five years ago, he was detained by the military after filing a complaint about the disappearance of a plaque commemorating the 1932 revolution that ended absolute monarchy.
Since then, he became known for taking ultraroyalist and nationalist positions, filing complaints against those who dissent against or pose a political threat to the ruling government and monarchy.
In his October special, Udom reversed years of conservative posturing in his Deaw 13 comedy special, in which he criticized Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and his government. Note said anti-government protesters were “doing the right thing.”
