Note: This interview series is part of the book “Feathers on the Scales”, which features ten interviews that explore the lives and experiences of human rights lawyers advocating for civil and political rights in Thailand. The book was published by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) in February 2025 and was later translated into English.
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“A gun in the hands of a revolutionary and in the hands of a thief will lead to different outcomes. If a gun is in the hands of a dictator, it will be used to suppress the people. The same goes for pleading a case. We must use technique, and we must fight against injustice.”
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Without wanting to dig too much into the skeletons in the closet, Krisadang Nutcharus or “Lawyer Dang,” was born into a family of civil servants. His grandfather’s side originally came from Ang Thong Province. Most of his relatives graduated from Thammasat University and went on to serve as civil servants. His grandfather was a provincial governor. His father studied at Thammasat University’s Preparatory School in the 7th cohort before enrolling in the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy. After serving as a commissioned officer, he returned to study law at Thammasat University during the “Marketplace of Knowledge” Era in 1958.
His mother’s side of the family was Chinese from Uthai Thani Province, working as gold traders, watchmakers and opticians. His father met his mother while serving as a civil servant clerk at a district office. After marriage, his mother left her business to become the wife of a civil servant. Just before Lawyer Dang was born, his father graduated from the Royal Military Academy and was stationed in Bangkok, assigned to the Military Police Battalion in the Samsen area.
For primary school, Lawyer Dang studied at Pantha Suksa School, a Christian school. Later, he passed the entrance exam to attend Suankularb Wittayalai School for his secondary education. From a young age, he was determined to study at Thammasat University, setting his sights firmly on pursuing law. He never considered studying anywhere else, believing that Thammasat was the only place where lawyers should be educated.
“My parents and relatives loved Professor Pridi Banomyong, and I inherited that sentiment. After finishing high school, I entered Thammasat University in 1975, during the time when Professor Puey Ungphakorn was serving as the university’s president,” Krisadang said.
Reading the works of Seni Saowaphong made him feel that a lawyer like Sai Seema could help many people. Another source of inspiration for him was Damri Nutcharus, his biological uncle. Being a Thammasat graduate, he had served as an assistant chief district officer before becoming a lawyer and settling in Saraburi Province, where he later became president of the Thammasat Association of Saraburi.
“I saw his life. First, he was wealthy. Second, he had freedom, while my father, as a civil servant, had to take shifts and go on military drills. My uncle was a real, living lawyer that I knew. His house was huge and even had a library,” Krisadang recalled, reflecting on a past that has shaped his present.
From his very first years at university, the young student already had the idea of becoming a lawyer in mind.
“I didn’t like the idea of being a civil servant. Even though my father was a military officer and later became the chief district officer at Thung Chang and Mae Sot, whenever high-ranking officials visited he had to bow, shake hands respectfully, and take orders. Civil servants have no freedom to express their opinions; they just have to follow the system. The chain of command takes away their independence.”
In addition to studying law, the young man was interested in political activism, a passion that began back when he was still at Suankularb Wittayalai School. It was sparked by the events of 14 October 1973, when young people stood up to oust Thanom Kittikachorn. As the political atmosphere of 1974-1975 intensified, it drew Lawyer Dang even further into joining protest marches. During that period, there were activities every day. Villagers came to raise their concerns daily at Thammasat University’s main auditorium, as if the student movement had become a government itself, until the tragic events of 6 October 61976.
“Thammasat University was shut down and only reopened on 20 December 1976, because it was exam season, and soldiers were stationed everywhere to maintain control.”
When it comes to political struggles, Lawyer Dang believes that the generation of Kulap Saipradit in the 1940s faced even harsher conditions, as they lived under a full dictatorship and had to flee to China. “Did I immerse myself in his writings or ideas? I supported him, but wasn’t captivated by him. If there’s a writer who truly influenced my life, it would be Albert Camus. He was sharp, especially in The Stranger — a book which revealed to me what real life is where we see the world as it truly is and come to understand every shade of black and white,” Krisadang said.
When Lawyer Dang graduated in 1979, the legal system at that time did not yet require a lawyer license examination. Instead, one had to be a member of the Thai Bar and have a certifier. A year of internship was required, and the certifier had to be a lawyer with at least 15 years of licensure. With that, one could apply for a license to practice. Krisadang received his license in November 1979 and then began practicing law earnestly. He initially trained in Bangkok for a while before relocating to Saraburi to work alongside his uncle for about 6-7 months.
“At that time, I felt I still had a lot to learn, so I stopped working with my uncle. In Saraburi, he was a prominent lawyer. When he went to court, I would simply observe. He believed the general principle that one learns by watching, but I was confused by everything,” Krisdang recalled his early days as a new lawyer.
One day, he decided to continue his training with a senior who had been active during the October 14 uprising. That senior was Sawat Pittanon. Later, he moved to work with Apitham Paosong, a highly skilled lawyer. Apitham was from the same generation as Adisorn Piangket, an activist who later became a politician. After Adisorn left the jungle, where he hid for some time after being accused of being a communist, he also trained as a lawyer officer for several years.
Lawyer Dang learned the fundamentals of litigation there before resigning around 1982-1983, when a wealthy friend started a company. He joined to work in the company’s credit and legal departments. He stayed there for about a year before leaving due to the company’s financial troubles.
He then set up his own law office under the name Santichon Law Office, a name given by his older brother. The office was first located in the Surawong area, then moved to the Khlong Prapa area for 2-3 years, before he partnered with friends to open Thammarat Law Office.
In 1986, he got married, and the following year, in 1987, he opened an office in the Si Phraya area under the name Krisadang Office. It was successful at handling both civil and criminal cases, but did not deal with cases related to politics. The office had around 6-7 lawyers on staff. However, the office also served as a space for the activity commemorating the 20th year since the October 6, 1976 massacre. Lawyer Dang personally attended the October 6 memorial event every year.
“In the first few years after the killings, I was the president of Thammasat University Student Union. I still organized the memorials for October 6, but all we could do was give alms to monks and hold a small exhibition,” Lawyer Dang recalled.
After some time had passed, he began taking on political cases. In 1991, when Suchinda Kraprayoon staged a coup, more than ten students from Ramkhamhaeng University were arrested for public speaking in a Hyde Park-style, and were charged with defying the junta’s orders. Thongbai Thongpao, a veteran lawyer and journalist, called for a team to defend the students. In the end, however, Suchinda dropped the charges.
“But in truth, I had been following the October 6 case for a long time. Back when I was a student, I used to attend military court hearings. That, more than anything, became a major source of inspiration. I knew then that I had to become a lawyer.”
Lawyer Dang described that when he began practicing in 1979, it was a time when there were no political cases in Thailand. This was because the economy was booming, and the country was under what he called a “half-democracy.” It was an era focused on making money. After the October 6 massacre, the country had to maintain stability as the international community withheld recognition of the new government due to the lack of elections. This was during the same period as the presidency of U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who emphasized the cardinal importance of human rights.
When speaking about the legal profession in general, one difficulty for the owner of a law office is how to best protect the client’s interests. In civil cases, for example, “If we’re representing the plaintiff and aim only to win the case, the client might end up not getting any money back. If we’re defending the accused in a civil case, the question is whether we should minimize the damages, or entirely avoid paying them?”
No need to even talk about criminal cases. “In an assault case, if you hit someone in the head in the middle of a market with witnesses around, the question is, how can you minimize the damage? How can you reduce the prison time as much as possible? One day, [a defendant] might have to kneel and surrender, but the defendant will later realize that what I said was in [the defendant’s] best interest. The greatest challenge is how to achieve the most mutually beneficial outcome for the client.”
In Krisadang’s view, being a lawyer isn’t about winning or losing. “You have to step into the mind and body of the person being charged. You need to understand what they really want, but they won’t always tell you directly. Especially in Section 112, if a client wants to confess, I can help facilitate that. But I won’t go beyond my own limits. For example, I won’t take a client to write a letter begging for forgiveness. If they want to do it, go ahead and do it, I won’t be angry. But I absolutely won’t be the one to lead them. There’s a price I have to pay.”
Coming across the word ‘justice’ is unavoidable when working within the judicial system. However, for Lawyer Dang, the concept of justice is too abstract, almost intangible.
“For me, it doesn’t exist,” Lawyer Dang stated clearly. “Right now, there’s only one principle, something rooted in modern Roman law: Thai courts must begin with the presumption of innocence, they should fully adopt this, and uphold it at every stage. The Criminal Procedure Code says police have the authority to investigate both the guilt and the innocence of the accused. That means you must also actively search for innocence.”
He has consistently emphasized that reforming Thai laws within the justice system alone is not enough. Even with legal reforms, those in power will still find loopholes to oppress others, because the real struggle is against those who hold social and institutional power. He cited the case of Bang Kloi villagers, who were arrested by forestry officials but later released on bail, with the condition that they not return to live in their village. “That implies they had done something wrong before – you’ve already presumed guilty,” said Lawyer Dang.
Regarding the legal profession, especially the new generation of human rights lawyers, Lawyer Dang stated: “I believe these people are driven by compassion and already committed to fighting for others. What they lack are the tools to engage in that fight.”
Lawyer Dang likened human rights lawyers to a revolutionary force. “Every morning we wake up and go out to fight for the people, but sometimes we don’t know how to use our weapons. I think we need to strengthen our effectiveness.”
There’s a fine line between being cunning and being strategic, a fine line between retreating and tactical withdrawal. “It’s like how I disagree with calls for amnesty. I’m someone with a stake in the matter, I fight for my clients. But to then ask the enemy to grant them amnesty would mean I’m the one gaining from it,” said Lawyer Dang.
That means the defendant has no other way out, amnesty is the only option left. In truth, amnesty isn’t about who’s right or wrong, it’s about granting forgiveness.
Lawyer Dang explained that political cases are essentially regular criminal cases concerning national security. One must understand that these cases are being fought on a legal stage, so we need to understand how the legal system works and then adapt our approach accordingly.
“It’s like a gun: an M16 gun in the hands of a revolutionary versus in the hands of a criminal leads to different outcomes. If it’s in the hands of the military under a dictatorship, it becomes a tool for suppressing the people. It all depends on how you understand that M16. It’s the same as litigation, you need technique, and you need to fight against injustice.”
A lawyer must thoroughly understand the law, while also mastering the techniques of connecting with people and uncovering the truth. “Many clients lie to you, and you need to be able to make the right judgment and figure out what they really want. When cross-examining witnesses, you must understand their character and know how to turn their answers to your advantage. Good cross-examination means asking questions where, no matter how the client responds, the answer still works in your favor. You should never give a witness a way out.”
The above describes an effective lawyer, but as for a good lawyer:
“Doesn’t drink alcohol, doesn’t smoke, and loves his wife,” Lawyer Dang laughed as he listed the qualities of a good lawyer from his perspective.
In Lawyer Dang’s view, Thai universities are just law schools, not law faculties. They don’t teach jurisprudence or legal studies.
“When we study the Criminal Procedure Code, we focus on memorizing the statutes and preliminary examinations, but we forget that the structure of criminal procedure is about proving innocence and proving guilt. That is its core, based on the principle that the accused is presumed innocent.”
In the style of Lawyer Dang, it would be phrased as: You need to know how to use the gun. Human rights cases are not just criminal cases.”You have to file lawsuits about global warming, oil spills in the ocean, and forest encroachment. Do you understand these issues? It’s good to know at least half of it. You have to read extensively. When I take on cases outside of my area of interest, I read a lot.”
For the advancement of the justice system, reforms such as allowing women to wear pants in court or having judges rule strictly by the law may not be enough. “Let’s say they allow women to wear pants in court, which they have already done, but they block male or female lawyers from expressing their opinions. That’s wrong. Better be naked instead.”
Regarding his desires, Lawyer Dang explains, “I want to fix everything, starting with the election of judges. Judges and prosecutors shouldn’t fear their superiors, and investigators should be independent. But this cannot be done unless you reform education, because educational reform will fix every system.”
Lawyer Dang believes that if education is reformed and intelligent students who love justice come to study law, they will become good lawyers. There would be no need to even amend the law. He shared before expressing his frustrations.
“Because Thai law is based on German Law, it already states one is presumed innocent. Thailand is a signatory to the ICCPR, aiming to make a name in the world. But what does that really achieve? Thai law graduates, after passing the bar exam, become lawyers for two years and then take the judge exam. What do they really know about how long one day in prison is for an innocent person, and what they have to face?”
A senior lawyer advises that young lawyers must be patient with the challenges they face, such as the strictness of senior lawyers, the expectations of their organizations, or the pressure from opposing parties.
Being a lawyer today isn’t just about arguing in court, you also have to be something of a psychologist. Some clients come in distressed and need help processing their situation. For example, if the court sentences someone to death, the lawyer standing in front of them becomes like a drifting log in the water, a last piece of support for someone whose world has just come crashing down.
“The way to comfort someone depends on the individual. For me, I simply explain the reality of the situation. For example, in many Section 112 cases, I often say, the worst case scenario is a three-year prison sentence. But you have the right to appeal. Still, you won’t be granted bail. So, before the verdict, you have to decide, because you won’t get bail. If the appeal takes five years, you’ll be in prison for five years. If the political situation changes, things might get better.”
For anyone who comes and asks how to become a lawyer, “I usually look at their face first, ask a couple of questions, then tell them to go get some training. I advise them that they need to be patient. It’s harder than you think. You have to be patient with yourself and with the pressure around you.”
Lawyer Dang used to train other lawyers on how to cross-examine witnesses, including how to overcome fear in the courtroom. “I admit, even today, I still feel afraid. But I have to endure it. I take a deep breath before I speak, then no one can punish you for that. I’ve always used this method. And remember, we are fighting for the people.”
Another important point is that a lawyer must be highly skilled in their work and committed to protecting their client’s interests. “Don’t make the client’s issues our own. That’s how to get through it. Most importantly, we must be reasonable. If the facts show that we have the right, then stand our ground and not take advantage of our clients.”
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