THE KING, ABOVE ALL

If you ever want an example of how important His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej is to the Thai people then you only have to look at last week's story where a Swiss man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for spray-painting posters of His Majesty whilst drunk. The original 20 years sentence was reduced because he admitted his guilt under charges of lese majeste, which translates to injury to the majesty.
This happened on the occasion of His Majesty's 79th anniversary last December in the northern city of Chiang Mai, and highlights the fact that any criticism of the Thai Royal Family is strictly forbidden and enforced. There has also been little coverage of this story in the Thai media because of its sensitive nature.
This guy has reportedly been living in Thailand for 10 years so should have known better. In my short time here I have learned just how much respect the Thai people have for all members of their Royal Family, and to be honest there is no excuse for what this guy did.