U.S. citizen pleads guilty to insulting Thai monarchy

[The Northerner]

(Reuters) - A U.S. citizen pleaded guilty on Monday to insulting Thailand's monarchy, an offence that carries up to 15 years in prison, but he called on Washington to help release him to support freedom of expression.

Thailand has the world's toughest laws on lese-majeste, or insulting the monarchy, and many of its people regard King Bhumibol Adulyadej as almost divine.

Thai-born Lerpong Wichaikhammat, 55, was charged with using the Internet to disseminate information that insults or threatens the monarchy after he translated an article and posted it on his blog.

He was also accused of providing a web link to a controversial biography by an American author of 83-year-old King Bhumibol, a book banned in Thailand.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/10/us-thailand-lesemajeste-idUSTRE7990TE20111010

[ZombieHorde]

1. Yikes! I hope they release him into our custody. nt

[msongs]

2. amazing how stupid some societies can be about irrelevant nonsense nt

[ButterflyBlood]

3. This is a BIG no-no in Thailand, everyone there knows that

Bang all the hookers you want, you can even buy and sell weed and drugs too as long as you're a tourist and rich or have the right connections but you DO NOT insult the King.

This guy should and probably will be released and the draconian sentence is ridiculous, but I see this as kind of like trafficking drugs in Singapore. You're just an idiot if you do it.

[The Northerner]

6. +1

[MADem]

4. Ask him to dance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdyqmN5cnRQ

I am not a fan of royalty, particularly ones with no sense of humor about themselves. The last "King of Siam" to do Thailand any good was Yul Friken Brynner!

[Warren DeMontague]

5. I went to Thailand years ago, absolutely LOVED it. Nice people, GREAT food, not too much $$$

but the one thing everyone said from the get-go: "DON'T MAKE FUN OF THE KING"

Fair enough. Their place, their rules.

[msongs]

7. shirley you jest nt