As discussed in a post a few months ago which attracted some comments from people unable to post as freely as they like, or even get information in a country where the internet is censored on these topics, it is still possible in Thailand to be arrested for offending the monarch. The Economist has described the lese majeste laws in Thailand as the most ferociously-enforced in the world.
In the case of Harry Nicholaides, an Australian writer, their protection from any word of criticism includes not just the revered King, but the Crown Prince.
The news for Harry Nicholaides that the new Thai Prime Minister is an Old Etonian 1st class honours graduate of Oxford University may bring him some sparkle of hope. I hope those hopes are not dashed by the huge number of other priorities the new Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, now has on his plate following the kinds of violence and political division which has threatened to bring the country to its knees in the past few months.
