Thai PM Samak: 2 year prison sentence upheld by appeals court

Thailand's previous prime minister is having a bad run of luck. Earlier this month he lost his job as PM because state prosecutors convinced a court that Samak had accepted payment for several guest appearances on a cooking television show. The Financial Times reports:

On Thursday the appeal judges said they had found no reason to overturn a lower court decision that convicted Mr Samak of defaming the deputy governor of Bangkok in another television appearance, this time on a political talk show he hosted in January 2006.

Thailand has criminal liability for civil cases. In Western countries you cannot be sentenced to jail for losing a civil law case. Rather, the losing party of a civil case pays damages to the offended party.

At least in this respect, the Thai legal system is a disgrace. Poor Samak.