Royal pardon for lese majeste

Suvicha Thako, 34, was released on Monday from the Klong Prem Prison, where he had been detained since the Criminal Court sentenced him to 10 years in jail on April 3, 2009, the department's deputy director-general Kobkiat Kasiwiwat said.

Suvicha, who once worked as a mechanical engineer in an oil-drilling company, was arrested last January in Nakhon Phanom for posting messages on the Internet that were deemed derogatory to the monarchy. He confessed to the crime and the court reduced his original penalty by half. While in prison, the man sought a royal pardon and was later granted it.