Aussie pardoned for insult

Australian has gone home after being pardoned for insulting the royal family by Thailand’s king

Australian Harry Nicolaides has gone home to Melbourne after being pardoned by Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej and released from a Bangkok prison. Nicolaides was arrested in August and sentenced to a three-year jail term last month after pleading guilty to a charge of insulting the royal family. The charge referred to 12 lines Nicolaides wrote in his self-published 2005 novel, Verisimilitude, which referred to an unspecified crown prince’s love life. Nicolaides, 41, said a royal pardon was issued.