Remarkably, the post was made while Piyarat was in custody at the Region 1 Border Patrol Police Headquarters, after his communication devices had been seized. The case against Piyarat, also known as Toto, was based on a Facebook post criticizing a police crackdown on a pro-democracy protest on 31 December 2020, which also allegedly referred to the monarchy. A Thai Enquirer Facebook post states that the Criminal Court has acquitted People’s Party MP Piyarat Chongthep of lese-majeste and computer crimes. In addition, the Facebook page was administered by five people, and it was impossible to verify who made the post. As it could not be proven that Piyarat posted the message himself, the Court gave him the benefit of the doubt.