Oklahoma man faces prison in Thailand, family fights for freedom

An Oklahoma man is fearing the threat of spending 15 years in a Thai prison, while his family in the United States fights for his freedom. 

Paul Chambers, who is originally from Norman and went to OU, has been a professor in Thailand for more than 30 years. 

But, a week and a half ago, Thai authorities announced he would be arrested related to accusations of insulting the king. 

“The severity of the accusation doesn't seem to merit the evidence they're showing,” said Kit Chambers, his brother. 

According to Kit, Thai authorities took issue with a website affiliated with a larger academic program Chambers was a speaker in. 

"He didn't write that webpage,” Kit said. “That webpage was authored by the institute’s people." 

Since his arrest, Paul was initially denied bail and spent one night in jail and one night in prison. He was ultimately granted bail and is now on house arrest with an ankle monitor. 

"Anyone who is considering traveling to Thailand as a tourist should look at this and say, ‘Wow, look at how that could happen to him?’” Kit said. “Something silly could happen to anyone over there who is traveling and winds up facing prison time; it's just unbelievable.” 

In a statement, the Department of State announced it was closely following the case. 

“This case reinforces our longstanding concerns about the use of lèse majesté laws in Thailand,” the agency wrote in a statement online. “We continue to urge Thai authorities to respect freedom of expression and to ensure that laws are not used to stifle permitted expression. As a treaty ally of Thailand, we will closely monitor this issue and advocate for the fair treatment of Paul Chambers.” 

Kit said his family is concerned for Paul’s health, and has been in touch with congressional delegates from Oklahoma and Texas. 

"We hope the resolution is something that happens quickly, and if it winds up being a deportation, so be it,” Kit said.