The court said in a statement that NMG director Adisak Limprungpattanakit’s Facebook post regarding an acquisition of NMG shares by SLC and related parties was an honest opinion, not a libellous statement as accused by the plaintiff.

In the December 23, 2015 lawsuit, Arluk alleged that the Facebook post had caused damage to his reputation.

However, the court said Supinya Klangnarong, a commissioner with the National Broadcasting and Telecom Commission (NBTC), had testified that there had been a petition for the regulatory body to launch an investigation into alleged wrongdoing regarding the acquisition of NMG shares, which could be unlawful.

As a result, the opinion expressed by Adisak in the Facebook post as a member of the media was legitimate, the court ruled.