Welcome to the inquiry. I'm Charmin Cozier. Each week one question, four experts and an answer.

On a cold day in December 2015, 27 year old Thai factory worker Tanagon Suripaybon got a knock on the door.

Outside a team of soldiers and police stood waiting to arrest him.

He was taken from his modest home in the Samut Pracam province of Central Thailand and transferred to the capital Bangkok,

where he was reportedly held in secret military custody.

For days his family and lawyers had no idea where he was and were worried for his safety.

His crime?

Posting a photo and sarcastic comment about the King's dog on Facebook.

Tanagong faced up to 15 years in prison charged with insulting the monarchy. The country's laws are among the strictest in the world and come with heavy

penalty. Yet recently hundreds of thousands of protesters have taken to the

streets across Thailand openly criticizing the king and calling for reform.

So this week we're asking, what's happening in Thailand?

Why are people protesting against the Thai monarchy?

Part 1, Siam Smiles.

King Bumipone was an exceptionally beloved leader in Thailand. King Bumipon ruled for 70 years. He was succeeded in 2016 by his son, the current King Wachir-Alun.

My name is Tamara Luce. I'm the chair of the history department at Cornell University and I'm also a

professor of history and Southeast Asian studies there. In order to

understand why the protests are so significant Tamara says you need to know the story of the Thai monarchy.

Thailand was the only Southeast Asian country to avoid European colonial rule during the 19th and 20th centuries,

and monarchs were credited for protecting the country's independence.

That image of King as Protector became embedded in official history lessons and personal identity.

Thai citizens are taught that they owe their very survival as a free nation to their kings, which makes it much more difficult

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