An Australian author, who pleaded guilty to insulting the Thai monarchy, has been sentenced to three years in jail.
Monday, Bangkok's Criminal Court sentenced Harry Nicolaides, author of the novel "Verisimilitude", for violating lese majeste laws.
The novel, published in 2005, contained a brief passage referring to an unnamed crown prince, and has reportedly sold just seven copies. The book, written during his two-year-stint in the southeast Asian country as a teacher of the Mae Fah Luang University, is a commentary on the political and social life of contemporary Thailand.
Now a Melbourne resident, Nicolaides has already undergone five months pre-trial imprisonment in Thailand.
Broken, the 41-year-old writer told reporters Monday that he would like to apologize.
He said he had endured "unspeakable suffering'' during his detention.
The octogenarian King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-serving monarch, enjoys only a ceremonial role in the country's politics.
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