BANGKOK — The founder of Yellowshirt movement, Sondhi Limthingkul, was convicted of fraud today and will spend a day in the prison where dozens of Redshirt activists are currently being held, an official said.

"He will be held at Section One, where Redshirt prisoners are also held," said Sorasith Chongcharoen, director of Bangkok’s Remand Prison. 

Mr. Sondhi was found guilty of fraud and falsifying loan documents by the Court of Appeals today and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The court rejected his request for a release on bail, forcing him to stay in prison until the Supreme Court rules otherwise. 

In 2006, Mr. Sondhi founded a protest group known as the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which later became known as the Yellowshirts for adopting yellow – the King of Thailand’s personal colour – as their symbol. A power struggle between the Yellowshirts and a rival political faction known as the “Redshirts” has destabilized Thailand's politics for almost a decade.  

However, Mr. Sorasith said he believes Mr. Sondhi "will have no problem" during his stay in Bangkok Remand Prison despite the presence of rival political activists. Prison wardens will be able monitor the movement of inmates via CCTV cameras installed the cells, Mr. Sorasith said.

"The officials will be on alert to prevent any conflict that arises from the cohabitation.”

He added that Mr. Sondhi will only spend a day at Bangkok Remand Prison.

"He will be moved to Klong Prem Central Prison because his term is longer than 15 years," Mr. Sorasith said. "It is beyond the jurisdiction of Bangkok Remand Prison."

According to Mr. Sorasith, Mr. Sondhi has already been given a manual about life in prison and a bag of "essential equipment.”

Section One of Bangkok's Remand Prison has held dozens of political activists in recent months, including anti-coup protesters, alleged lese majeste offenders, and militant protesters associated with the Yellowshirt movement that campaigned against the government of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra earlier this year. 

Sombat Boon-ngarmanong, aka the Dotted Editor, was arrested in June for organising anti-coup protests and spent several weeks in Section One. After he was released on bail, Mr. Sombat wrote an account on Twitter describing how many Redshirt and Yellowshirt inmates mixed amicably inside the prison’s walls. 

Mr. Sombat also described meeting and befriending a Yellowshirt-allied activist, known as the “Popcorn Gunman," who has been accused of shooting at Redshirt protesters on 1 February, 2014. 

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BANGKOK — Buddhist monk and former anti-government activist Buddha Issara has filed criminal charges against two men responsible for an anti-royal video.

Buddha Issara was accompanied by a dozen supporters when he met with police officers at the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok today and urged them to take legal action against the men in the video.

In the video clip, posted on Youtube on 1 August, two unidentified men in suits say they are members of the "Thai Alliance for Human Rights" and read a statement with negative remarks about His Majesty the King. The video was blocked in Thailand as of Thursday. 

Criticising the Royal Family is prohibited under 112 Article of the Thai Criminal Codes; those found guilty of lese majeste (insulting the monarchy) can face up to 15 years in prison.

"This action is an unacceptable insult toward the king," Buddha Issara said today. "I believe that Thais can't accept this. I want the police to investigate and find out who the two people in the video are."

The monk added that he would offer a 500,000 baht reward to anyone who has information about the two individuals. .

Pol.Lt. Chalit Maneeplao said the police have accepted Buddha Issara's complaint. The case will be forwarded to the Technology Crime Suppression Division for further investigation.

Buddha Issara was a prominent leader of the protest movement that sought to topple the government of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra starting last November. The campaign ended after the Thai army staged a coup on 22 May and dissolved what was left of Ms. Yingluck's government. 

BANGKOK — The King of Thailand is spending a second day at Bangkok’s Siriraj Hospital for his annual medical checkup, according to statement from the Royal Household Bureau.

The 86-year-old monarch arrived at the hospital at around 8:40 pm last night. Hundreds of well-wishers lined the roads leading to the hospital and cheered "Long live the King"  as his royal motorcade passed. 

King Bhumibol was accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen, who waved to the crowds of loyal Thais along the way. 

One of the onlookers, Wanida Daeng-ngarm, a 35-year-old resident of Nakhon Pathom province, said she was visiting a relative at the hospital when she heard that the King was coming and decided to join others to see his motorcade pass.

"It's my first time. I feel really joyful to have seen His Majesty at such a close distance," Ms. Wanida said.

The Royal Household Bureau said in a statement yesterday that King Bhumibol is undergoing his yearly health checkup, which requires specific equipment at Siriraj Hospital. 

It did not say whether His Majesty's stay at the hospital will be a long one. Today officials at the hospital placed a guestbook for members of the public to leave get-well wishes for His Majesty the King.

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn also arrived at the hospital at around 9 pm last night to pay a visit to her father.  

Since 2011, His Majesty the King has spent many months at Siriraj Hospital to undergo surgeries and other medical operations. He was released from the hospital on 1 August 2013 and has since been recovering at his summer retreat, Klai Kang Won Palace, an approximately two-hour drive south of Bangkok.

The king has rarely appeared in public during his stay at Klai Kang Won Palace, but made a brief appearance on 22 July when he endorsed the 2014 interim charter. 

King Bhumibol's frail health is a cause of great anxiety for many Thais, though the issue is mostly discussed in private because of Thailand's strict lese majeste law, which criminalises any remarks considered negative towards the monarchy.

In November 2009, two businessmen were arrested and prosecuted under the Computer Crimes Act for spreading false rumours about the health of His Majesty the King that negatively affected the Thai stock market. 

BANGKOK — Sondhi Limthongkul, the founder of the “Yellowshirt” political movement that campaigned against government corruption, was convicted of fraud and falsifying loan documents today.

Mr. Sondhi and two other executives of Manager Media Group, of which Mr. Sondhi is a founder, were deemed guilty by the Court of Appeals today for falsifying an internal memo that allowed the company to guarantee a 1.078 billion baht loan from Krung Thai Bank to the The M Group, a company that Mr. Sondhi held shares in.

The M Group later defaulted on the loan, forcing Manager Group to pay back the massive debt.

In 2000, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Mr. Sondhi and his associates, Saowalak Teeranuchanyong and Yupin Chantana, for deliberately hiding the loan guarantee from the financial statement the company filed to the stock market. The other executives of Manager Group were not aware of the transaction, the SEC said. 

The lower court found the defendants guilty, sentencing Mr. Sondhi and Ms. Saowalak to 42 years in prison, while Ms. Yupin was sentenced to 32 years.

The defendants appealed the ruling, but today, Thailand's Court of Appeals ruled in favour of the lower court’s verdict, dismissing the defendants' claim that they had no intention of committing fraud. According to the judges, the defendants' actions were a grave violation of Thailand’s stock market regulations. 

The judges also reaffirmed the prison sentence handed down by the lower court. However, as Thai laws only allow a maximum of 20 years in prison as a punishment for civil cases, the defendants' jail sentences have been accordingly reduced to 20 years.

Mr. Sondhi contested the ruling and is currently awaiting the court's decision on whether he will be granted a bail release, according to his lawyer, Suwat Abhaibhakdi.

After his political talk show was axed from the state-owned Channel 9 TV, Mr. Sondhi embarked on a campaign against the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2005. 

Mr. Sondhi founded the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which later became known as the Yellowshirts for adopting yellow – His Majesty the King's personal colour – as the group's symbol. Mr. Sondhi accused Mr. Thaksin of corruption, abuse of power, and plotting to overthrow the monarchy.

Street protests led by the PAD eventually led to the military coup against Mr. Thaksin on 19 September 2006. Mr. Sondhi returned to the political spotlight in 2008 when he led the PAD campaign against the pro-Thaksin government of former PM Samak Sundaravej.

The PAD achieved its victory when the court issued two rulings that removed both Mr. Samak and then the next Prime Minister, who was also allied to Mr. Thaksin, from office. 

Mr. Sondhi later announced the disbandment of the PAD in 2009 and has kept a low profile ever since. 

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