Royalist wants Miss Universe Thailand punished for ‘insulting’ flag

Nothing annoys social conservatives as much as a confident woman in possession of her sexuality, and mixing haughty sex appeal with a national symbol has driven a royalist into a fit of outrage.

Sonthiya Sawasdee vowed to file a complaint this afternoon with the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau against Miss Universe Thailand for allegedly violating three sections of the 1979 Flag Act in a promotional image.

Sonthiya, a staunch royalist, alleges that Anchilee Scott-Kemmis desecrated the sacred symbol in an image showing her astride the Chao Phraya River atop the flag colors – a no-no among those obsessed with the shame of the feet – although this is an obvious digital background.

His crimes, he alleges, include displaying the flag in an “inappropriate manner” – we’ll assume it has to do with the chest sticking out of his sleeveless speed suit – and insulting the flag. Section 118 of the law provides for up to two years in prison and a fine of THB 4,000 for those who insult state flags or symbols.

Sonthiya, 61, was a member of the military-backed ruling Phalang Pracharath party. Her other recent successes include threats of sanctions against any lawmaker supporting an attempt to decriminalize pornography, and demanding that the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra be subjected to a preemptive corruption investigation before she is banned. ‘have the slightest idea of ​​running for office. In 2015, he orchestrated a police investigation into the former US ambassador for “insulting the king”.

The Anchilee photo in question was part of a themed set Unity tricolor. Three colors and a real body published last week, promoting his trip to Israel next month to seek the international crown on December 12.

The photo has been removed from the Miss Universe Thailand social media feed.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Sonthiya was a lawmaker. In fact, he is a former member of the ruling Phalang Pracharath party, backed by the military. We regret the error.