A Swiss man has been jailed for 10 years for spray-painting portraits of Thailand's revered King.

A Swiss man has been jailed for 10 years for spray-painting portraits of Thailand's revered King.

Oliver Jufer, 57, was initially condemned to 20 years in prison for lèse majesté, insulting the monarch, but the court in Chiang Mai immediately halved the penalty because he had confessed.

"The court sentences him for defaming the king, which is the most serious crime," said judge Pitsanu Tanbuakli.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who marked 60 years on the throne last year and is the world's longest-serving head of state, is deeply respected in Thailand, but the severity of the penalty is as much a reflection of politics under the country's military dictatorship.

Prison terms for lèse majesté are unusual in Thailand, and even more so for foreigners, but the Thai authorities have become more sensitive to anything that might be interpreted as criticism of the royal family after last September's coup.

The military takeover is seen as having taken place with the approval of the palace.

Jufer, who was dressed in a brown prison uniform and had his ankles shackled, did not say anything to reporters as he entered or left the court.

According to evidence read out in the hearing, Jufer was drunk when he sprayed black paint over five posters of the king, four of them near his home.

The case is so delicate that an earlier hearing, at which he confessed, was closed to reporters, and Jufer, who has lived in Thailand for a decade and married a Thai woman, has been abandoned by those any accused might hope for help from.

His court-appointed defence lawyer, Komkrit Kunyodying, said the sentence was "appropriate for the crime he has committed" and the Swiss government said it would not make representations on his behalf.

"Our compatriot was arrested on the basis of clearly established legislation," said a foreign ministry spokesman in Geneva.

"The Swiss government does not intervene with authorities in cases where the procedure followed conformed to basic judicial principles."

Yesterday the government announced it was closing Sanam Luang, a parade ground in the centre of Bangkok, for a week to prevent demonstrations against the coup by supporters of the ousted prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra

Shackled and dressed in prison uniform, Swiss national Oliver Rudolf Jufer, 57, walks to a prison van at Chiang Mai provincial court yesterday after being sentenced to 10 years. He was convicted of spray-painting graffiti over images of Thailand's king. PHOTO: APr>

Oliver Rudolf Jufer, 57, who had pleaded guilty to five counts of lese majeste, or insulting the monarchy, had faced a maximum sentence of 75 years in prison. Shackled at the ankles and dressed in an orange prison uniform, Jufer was expressionless as the verdict was read and made no comment to reporters as he was ushered from the courtroom into a prison van.

Judge Phitsanu Tanbukalee told the court that Jufer was given a reduced sentence since he had admitted his wrongdoing. He has a month to appeal.

Jufer was caught by surveillance cameras on Dec. 5 spray-painting black paint over five outdoor posters of King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Chiang Mai, where he lived, police and prosecutors said.

According to earlier testimony read aloud in court yesterday, Jufer had been drinking with a friend that night and drove his motorcycle home to pick up a can of spray-paint, which he had bought to paint his dog house, court clerk Nahathai Bachai said.

He drove up to a municipal office where a large poster of the king was hung outside and climbed a ladder to spray paint over the image. He then defaced four other posters near his home, the testimony said.

Bhumibol is protected from reproach by strict laws that forbid any criticism of the monarchy.

The vandalism coincided with Bhumibol's 79th birthday, which was celebrated across Thailand with fireworks and prayers. Millions of portraits of the king, who is the world's longest serving monarch, were hung late last year around the country to honor his birthday.

Jufer, who has lived in Thailand for 10 years, faced a penalty of three to 15 years for each of the five posters he defaced.

Bangkok's Criminal Court said its national database, which goes back a decade, showed that no foreigner had been convicted of lese majeste charges in at least 10 years. A handful of foreigners have faced similar charges in the past, but most were eventually deported to their home countries.

Jufer's court-appointed lawyer, Komkrit Kunyodying, called the penalty "appropriate for the crime he has committed," adding he did not yet know if his client planned to appeal.

The Swiss embassy in Bangkok said that it respected the Thai justice system, but that the verdict was a "tough" one.