WORLD BRIEFING / THAILAND
A few lines in a novel that sold just seven copies brought Australian writer Harry Nicolaides three years in a Thai prison.
Nicolaides, 41, was sentenced for insulting King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 81, and Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn in his self-published 2005 book, “Verisimilitude.”
Shackled at the ankles and handcuffed, Nicolaides said, “I would like to apologize,” adding that he had not intended to insult the king.
The offending passage in the novel -- described by Nicolaides as a commentary on contemporary Thai political and social life -- described the turbulent marital relations of a fictional prince.
The prosecutor warned reporters that the law prohibited repetition of the material.
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