However, Dr Wisut has said he will seek a pardon from His Majesty the King.

The Supreme Court agreed with the verdict of a lower court, which established that Dr Wisut had a motive to murder his wife. They were reportedly in a bitter marital conflict after Dr Wisut allegedly had an affair with a female patient.

Although there was only forensic and circumstantial evidence, the Supreme Court believed Dr Wisut murdered his wife. She was last seen leaving a restaurant with Dr Wisut in February 2001. Her body has never been found.

His lawyer Apirom Saikhlai said Dr Wisut had the right to petition the King for a pardon within 60 days of the verdict.

The petition, to be submitted through Justice Minister Charnchai Likitjitta, will mention Dr Wisut's record of providing medical assistance to inmates during his detention at Bang Khwang Prison. The lawyer believes the petition process will take about a year.

Dr Wisut arrived at the Bangkok Southern Criminal Court yesterday morning looking cheerful as he greeted court officials. The smile soon faded from his face, however, as he listened for two hours to the 72-page verdict.

Dr Phassaporn's father Chote Wattanachet welcomed the verdict. Her younger brother, Thanapong, said from Chiang Mai that justice had been served.

Dr Wisut, formerly a well-known gynecologist at Chulalongkorn Hospital, and Dr Phassaporn, also a gynecologist working at the State Railway of Thailand Hospital, were married in 1981 and had two children.

According to the verdict, their marriage became rocky towards the end of 1998 when Dr Phassaporn discovered her husband had been having an affair. On July 1, 1999, Dr Wisut moved out of the home they shared in the Makkasan area. After the separation, their conflict continued.

Dr Wisut made an appointment to meet his estranged wife at a restaurant at the Siam Discovery shopping center in Pathumwan on February 20, 2001.

He reportedly told his wife they needed to settle issues about their home.

He is believed to have drugged her during the meal. Dr Wisut was seen escorting his wife, who looked drowsy, out of the restaurant. She has not been seen since.

That same day, Dr Wisut checked in at Witthayaniwet Residence Hall at Chulalongkorn University, where he is believed to have killed his wife and dismembered her body.

The following day, he left the university accommodation and checked in at the Sofitel Central Plaza Hotel. He had booked the room over a week before on February 13, the court verdict said.

The court believes Dr Wisut disposed of his wife's remains by cutting up the flesh and flushing the pieces down the toilet at the university accommodation and later at the hotel.

Pieces of flesh were found in the septic tanks at both sites and DNA tests confirmed they belonged to Dr Phassaporn.

Just before the restaurant appointment, Dr Wisut had bought packages of small and large black plastic bags, 30 sedative pills and a large amount of toilet paper and odor-controlling tablets. The court believes he used the items to cover up the murder.

gynecologist a doctor who studies and treats the medical conditions and diseases of women estranged no longer living with your husband or wife pardon an official decision not to punish someone for a crime reportedly according to what some people say bitter (or arguments, disagreements, etc.) very serious and unpleasant, with a lot of anger and hatred involved marital conflict a serious disagreement within a marriage allegedly stated as a fact but without giving complete proof petition to make a formal request to someone in authority

submit to give a document, proposal, etc., to someone in authority so that they can study or consider it inmates people living in a prison detention imprisonment; being kept in a place, especially a prison, and prevented from leaving faded gradually disappeared rocky difficult and not certain to continue or to be successful; the marriage became rocky affair a sexual relationship between two people, usually when one or both of them is married to someone else settle to end a disagreement or argument issue a problem or worry

escorting going with someone, usually helping them or protecting them drowsy tired and almost asleep dismembered cut a dead body into pieces accommodation a place to stay, work or live in disposed of got rid of flesh the soft tissues between the skin and bones of animal or humans septic tanks a large container, usually underground, that holds and treats human wastes from toilets sedative a drug that makes someone go to sleep or makes them feel calm and relaxed odor a smell, especially one that is unpleasant