Thailand: Not Fit for a King

Kings and queens may be relatively rare in the modern world, but the crime of offending the dignity of a monarch remains a serious one in Thailand. Deputy Interior Minister Veera Musikapong resigned last week and faced charges for offhand remarks he had made during his country's July parliamentary elections. Campaigning for a fellow candidate, Veera, 38, quipped that he wished he had been born a prince: "I would be drinking whisky instead of standing here getting pains in my knees." To stress his point, Veera used Sanskrit words that are normally employed only when referring to royalty.

Objecting to both...