you really think thailand is the only place they do this?

and try not to think "backwater holes"... think along more western lines. ie. The USA or UK? Both have had and have been extending laws that allow arrest without charge in some cases for just this sort of thing for years! since the war on terror began these laws have been spreading to other western countries with frightning speed.

Now, all I am trying to say here before the flames start is before you start banging on about how horrible and draconian a country is and ho much of a "backwater hole" it is, look at your own first and how yours treats it's people (ALL of them) and it's laws. If it's a truly fair and equitable/humanitarian system THEN maybe you have the right to start looking at others.

thats my 2c

Regarding the Post of Number 1 is the King

Brainwashed? Controlled? Do you even know how a country is run? A King in a Constitutional Monarchy CANNOT touch the law or government. Since This is the Case, this answers your question about the vandal. The King's Law or Code of Conduct of the King of Thailand Forbids it. Therefore, even if HE WANTED TO, he simply cannot because there will be more conservative people around him not allowing him to know of the matter or be able to do so.

The reason WE Thais believe the King is supernatural and superpowered, is simply because of the great deeds that he has done for the people. Brainwash you say? Well, if the current King was an abusive, foolish, evil king, then no one would be listening to him or living him as to gather in the hundreds or maybe thousands on his 60th anniversary since his ascention the throne. WE choose to love and cherish our king because unlike some of your country's kings, presidents, and prime ministers, our king stepped out of his comfortable palace to help the people, to make the lives of all Thai people better, even just by a little bit.

Believe you me, the people CAN criticise the king, we simply choose not to. Even if there is a law, even if there is NO law against it, we will never ever think of betraying our King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It is OUR choice to believe so, even if deep down inside we know it is not true.

But hey, this is all just a comment by a law student, listening to many influential people or people used to be influential to Thailand going on and on about how OUR COUNTRY, though may seem as not so advanced, was blessed by a great king. In other words, we may not be as advanced as the countries you so call 'advanced' or 'civilized', but we have a long history with our kings, and a living proof of our kings' great lineage and deeds in the current king of Thailand. So to you who say we are brainwashed from childhood, WE KNOW IT FOOL. WE KNOW IT, BUT WE LET IT, BECAUSE THE KING REALLY IS GREAT!

Number 1 is The King!

The King, is number 1 in Thailand, because they are all brainwashed at a very young age to think he is the best, and he does no wrong. Recently the King spoke about he is NOT above the law, and that if people can't criticise him, then he is not human.

Well i would like to see the King of Thailand get off of his throne and tell the people to reduce this guys sentence, to something abit more normal for vandalism.

This will not happen, because then the Thai's may doubt their king being all powerful and super natural.

The king can do NO wrong in this country, even if he physically got a gun and shot 1000 people. The people would still love him.

But the guy who did this horrendous crime of defacing the king, had been living in Thailand for over 8 years, so he knew the score, he knows about the holidays as well as the stupid drinking laws out here. so he got what he deserved for being a prat.