Pro-democracy activist Chanoknan "Cartoon" Ruamsap fled into exile on Sunday, ahead of arrest by military order. She was charged for sharing a BBC profile of His Majesty the King on her Facebook account.
She is the second person charged with the offence, out of more than 3,000 Facebook users who shared the article. The first, Jatupat "Pai Dao Din" Boonpattararaksa, is in prison in Khon Kaen. Jatupat, who has staged several anti-junta protests, was arrested in 2016 and sentenced last year by the Khon Kaen military court to two and a half years in prison.
Ms Chanoknan told friends on Sunday she had left Thailand after learning she would be prosecuted under Article 112 of the Criminal Code for defaming the monarchy. Her summons specifically cited her sharing of the controversial 2016 BBC article on Facebook.
Ms Chanoknan has previously joined critics of the regime who say the lese majeste laws have been used to silence opponents. They have gained support from the United Nations and international rights groups.
According to the pro-activist website Prachatai, who spoke to her on Sunday, Ms Chanoknan is in an Asian country. However, she asked them not to reveal her exact whereabouts.
She wrote on Facebook that after learning of the regime's summons, "almost everyone told me to leave.
"But in the end, it's me who made the decision...I had less than 30 minutes to decide whether to stay or to leave. It was difficult because this time I wouldn't be able to come back.
"I went to say goodbye to mum and dad. Everyone was shocked but they agreed. No one wanted me going to jail for five years just for sharing a BBC news story."
