A popular transgender YouTuber is facing lese majeste and computer crime charges, after she allegedly criticized the dress designed by Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana for Thailand’s Miss Universe entrant and replied to her own post using a picture of the king’s daughter.
Wanchaleom Jamneonphol, who has more than 400,000 subscribers for her lifestyle YouTube channel, has not yet met with the police to accept the charges as of press time.
Thailand’s lese majeste laws, which date back to 1908, make it illegal to say anything that might “defame, insult, or threaten” the king, the queen, the heir-apparent or the regent, with violators facing prison terms of up to 15 years.
The incident sparked from drama initially involving another dress — the red evening gown by Thai designer label Asava — which was worn by Miss Thailand Sophida Kanchanarin in Monday’s final competition and had been widely criticized as unflattering.
Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, who runs her own high-fashion house, Sririvannavari, had designed a blue dress for Sophida to wear at a gala dinner earlier in the competition.
On Monday, Wanchaleom posted a Facebook status about the lack of criticism of the princess’s design: “So dramatic … you criticize Asava’s dress but all of you are silent on Sirivannavari’s Thai dress. Haha.”
Then she replied to own post with a picture of the blue dress in question and wrote: “Speak.”
The YouTuber then commented with a stock picture of the princess and a caption, which seems intended as a reaction meme: “Looking at these commenters.”
While that may not seem that outrageous in the grand scheme of things, Wanchaleom got enough negative feedback that she subsequently thought twice about the posts, and proceeded to delete the Facebook post and comments and publicly apologize, emphasizing she “did not have an intention to insult or disrespect” the monarchy.
“I merely did not know better in writing my posts and comments, which caused damage to Your Royal Highness and the royal institute,” she wrote.
“I immensely feel guilty, and I’m sorry about what has happened.”
However, Wanchaleom’s apology was not enough to resolve the matter for some.
Thai millionaire businesswoman Kitjanut Chaiyosburanato took screenshots of the social media post and comments to the police yesterday, demanding the police charge the YouTuber under the lese majeste and computer crime laws.
“Going viral and then apologizing for it … if this keeps happening, no one would learn a lesson from it,” she told reporters.
“I think an action should be taken so no one would imitate such behavior.”
Putting herself in spotlight, Kitjanut has also been criticized, with some suggesting her intention is politically motivated, since she’s reportedly running for MP under the Mahachon Party banner.
For the time being, it’s unclear if charges will actually be filed.
Pol. Col. Chusak Kanadnit, who accepted the complaint, said only that police will have to investigate the case before Wanchaleom can be charged.
