On10 Feb, 19-year-old first-year Thammasat student Kan Thoop (her cyber nickname) learned from reporters that police at Bang Khen Police Station had indefinitely postponed her summons regarding alleged lèse majesté offenses, scheduled for 11 Feb, and the police might decide not to prosecute her.

According to Matichon, Pol Maj Gen Nares Nanthachote, Acting Deputy Commander of Metropolitan Police, who is overseeing the Kan Thoop case, said that the case had been delayed during the floods and personnel in the police investigating team had been changed.  On reviewing the case, the police investigators found that there was an issue that needed more investigation from IT experts, and decided to postpone the summoning of the alleged offender. 

So far, no charges have yet been made, and this has followed legal procedure, he said.

“The police work in a straightforward manner and everybody is under Thai law. […] At this point, more investigation is underway into several issues, which require asking for clearer information from website experts’, he said.

Pol Maj Gen Nares said that the police needed to verify whether Kan Thoop had really committed the alleged offenses.  Before interrogating her, the police first have to collect witnesses and clear evidence.

Kan Thoop told Prachatai that upon learning the news from reporters about the postponement, she was quite surprised and confused as she had not been informed directly by the police.  She still felt uncomfortable and uncertain about the prospects for her case.

She decided to cancel all planned activities regarding her case, and would instead go to give moral support to Panitan, the son of Somyot Prueksakaemsuk, who had vowed to go on hunger strike at 4pm for 112 hours in front of the Criminal Court to free his dad.