Trafficking trial verdicts years away

A Thai court's examination of 500 witnesses in a case against 88 suspected human traffickers will take as long as two years, a court official said on Tuesday.

This means verdicts in a case that sparked an international outcry are even further away.

The defendants, including a senior general, were brought before a Bangkok court on Tuesday for examination of evidence and witnesses following a crackdown on Thailand's lucrative smuggling syndicates.