Thailand jails man 2 years for selling yellow ducky calendars

A Thai court yesterday sentenced a man to two years in prison for selling yellow duck calendars after judges deemed that they defamed the monarchy. 

The 26-year-old defendant, who was only identified by his nickname “Tonmai,” was found guilty Tuesday by the Criminal Court in Bangkok’s Taling Chan district on a royal defamation charge for selling a rubber duck calendar. 

The court ruled that the depiction of the yellow duck was a mockery of Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn. He was sentenced to prison for two years without parole. 

Yellow rubber duckies became an unofficial mascot for pro-democracy protesters in late 2020, when a movement to reform the monarchy coalesced publicly. They gained attention when protesters first used them as shields against chemical-laced water cannons.