Thai Supreme Court Overturns Ban on Shakespeare Must Die, Signaling Film Censorship Shift

The Supreme Administrative Court of Thailand has reversed the 2012 prohibition on the film Shakespeare Must Die, determining that it infringed upon individual liberties. Directed by Ing Kanjanavanit and adapted from Macbeth by Manit Sriwanichpoom, the film was previously banned for supposedly inciting division. However, the court concluded that its themes were not likely to promote national discord. As a result, financial compensation was granted, and the film is currently being shown at Cinema Oasis in Bangkok, alongside Dog God: My Teacher Eats Biscuits (1997). This decision reflects ongoing reforms in the film sector under the Pheu Thai-led coalition government since August 2023. Ing Kanjanavanit's political views are apparent in her 2016 documentary Bangkok Joyride. Political strife persists, as evidenced by the recent dissolution of the Move Forward Party amid calls for lèse majesté reform.