Thai court rules election winners violated constitution on royal insults law

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's Constitutional Court on Wednesday ruled a plan by the biggest party in parliament to amend a strict law against royal insults was "tantamount to overthrowing the democratic regime of government with the king as head of state".

The opposition Move Forward Party won last year's election on a progressive platform that included a once unthinkable proposal to amend strict Thailand's lese majeste law, which carries penalties of up to 15 years in jail for each perceived insult of the powerful crown.

The court ordered the party to abandon those plans.

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng, Panarat Thepgumpanat and Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Martin Petty)