Amphon Tangnoppakul, who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for lèse majesté, has decided to withdraw his appeal on the case, and will seek a royal pardon, said his lawyer Anon Nampha on 2 April, citing his old age and health problems as the reason.

The lawyer will ask the court to withdraw the appeal on his client’s behalf today.

The Appeals Court has rejected Amphon Tangnoppakul’s bail request, saying that it ‘does not believe that the defendant will not flee.’  The public prosecutor has been granted yet another month to appeal Joe Gordon’s case.

On 10 Dec, about 100 activists gathered at the Victory Monument to join a ‘Fearlessness Walk’ to protest against the lèse majesté law.

Singapore-based political scientist Pavin Chachavalpongpun, launched an on-line campaign on Wednesday to free Thailand's latest lese majeste law prisoner 61-year-old Amphon Tangnoppakul, aka Akong, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison last week for allegedly sending four SMS messages defamatory to the Queen and the monarchy to personal secretary of then Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The campaign is catching on and Pravit Rojanaphruk asked Pavin through the internet as to why he is doing it and what's his expectation.