His sentence drew protest from the European Union and from numerous human rights groups, including Amnesty International, which designated him a prisoner of conscience.

[2] In 2010, Somyot, then the editor of the magazine Voice of Thaksin, published two articles critical of a fictional character interpreted by the court as representing King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

[3][4] Thai activists and human rights groups stated that the laws were disproportionately used to imprison "red shirts" and other political opponents of the government.

[12] The Asian Human Rights Commission argued that the lèse majesté law itself was unconstitutional in Thailand, protesting a Constitutional Court decision to uphold it.

In interviews, he said that he had lost his family and his job as a result of the lèse majesté charge, and that at one point in jail, after developing gout due to wounds from his shackles, he had attempted suicide.

"[16] Somyot played a leading role in demanding justice for a series of disappeared and assassinated lèse majesté refugees who had been living in countries neighboring Thailand.

When Thai political refugee Wanchalearm Satsaksit was kidnapped in front of many witnesses in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Somyot was once again at the forefront of the campaign demanding an investigation and justice for the disappeared dissident.

[19] Somyot was arrested again on 16 October 2020, under Article 116 of the Thai Criminal Code, a sedition charge, related to a speech given at a political rally on 19 September 2020.