BANGKOK: A Thai court sentenced a comedian and renowned "Red Shirt" supporter to two years in jail Thursday for insulting the kingdom's revered monarchy during a speech at a mass rally in 2010, his lawyer said.

Yosawaris Chuklom, 54, who goes by the stage name Jeng Dokchik, was found guilty under Thailand's strict lese majeste law, which punishes anyone convicted of defaming the Thai king, queen, heir or regent with up to 15 years in prison.

The comedian, who is also facing separate terrorism charges for his role in the 2010 Red Shirt street protests in Bangkok, which ended in the deaths of scores of people, is applying for bail while he appeals the verdict, his lawyer Thamrong Lakdaen said.

"Initially he was sentenced to three years but the judge reduced the sentence to two because of the evidence he gave," he told AFP.

The royal family is a highly sensitive subject in Thailand. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 85, is revered by many Thais but has been in hospital since September 2009.

Rights campaigners allege that the lese majeste law has been politicised saying many of those charged are linked to the Red Shirt movement.

Thailand has been roiled by political divisions since a 2006 coup deposed then-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who draws on the support of the mainly rural and poor Red Shirts.

In March 2010 tens of thousands of Red Shirts converged on Bangkok demanding immediate elections.

About 90 people were killed and nearly 1,900 were wounded in street clashes between demonstrators and security forces, which culminated in a bloody military crackdown and the arrests of the movement's leaders. - AFP

• Politics of development pays dividend
• A thematic play seen
• Sarawak counters hogging the limelight
• Getting GST acceptance will be tough
• A yen for the unloved dollar standard
• Bitten by the music bug
• Up close and personal with Datuk Richard Curtis
• Make our pastime profitable
• Should citizens boycott
• Tasty Facebook party poopers
• First-half 2013 figure seen to surpass that of the same period last year
• More can be done to promote private retirement scheme
• Tycoon may be planning IPO of football club Cardiff City
• MFEA sees sales of home-made furniture abroad declining 10%
• YKGI eyes Indonesian, Thai markets

• Report: Google eyes emerging markets networks
• IMF chief avoids charges in French payout scandal
• Seven months after Sandy, New York beaches re-open

• Squash: Matthew offers a message with a warning
• Golf: Molinari leads but Ryder Cup colleagues crash out
• Tennis: Djokovic blocks Nadal path to Paris super eight
• MSSM meet: 15 records in five days augur well for M’sian athletics
• Indonesian Rexy's advise to M'sian team: Stick together as a family
• Yongbo: Beat us if you can, not good for China to win all the time
• Thai Ratchanok wins many hearts with her gritty display
• Squash:M'sian Nicol beats New Zealander in straight sets to reach last four
• Basketball: Warriors have no problem taming Dragons in Jakarta
• National hockey juniors fare badly in tourney
• MHC: No way we will scrap age-group tournaments
• Selangor Hockey Association to hold two-day trials
• Youngster Zaqhwan surprises himself with a new lap record
• Woman Natasha racer bids for first MSS win with her father
• Australian Marques leads at 111th Malaysian Amateur Open (MAO)

• Please wait.

• Living through your midlife
• Politics of development pays dividend
• Klang Valley a haven for UOA Dev
• More can be done to promote private retirement scheme
• Robber shot dead after picking on wrong ‘victim’
• Misif: Mergers vital for local steel millers to compete
• Who has the better chance of bagging that high-salary post?
• Syndicate linked to IC deal busted
• Eye on stock
• Getting GST acceptance will be tough