• OPINION

  Let's stick to EC poll date

  News, Editorial, Published on 22/08/2018

  » The regime has decided to continue its confusing, piecemeal attitude towards elections and free speech. The latest declarations on a general election emphasise shortcomings all across government and the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). By law, setting an election date is the exclusive duty of the Election Commission. When the EC did just that, the regime immediately stepped in, first to accept it, then to negate it and finally to mark it out as an open-ended and conditional option.

• OPINION

  The strong arm of the law

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 05/08/2018

  » The most heavily armed military member in Thailand in the most heavily armed unit of the Royal Thai Armed Forces is the head of the Judge Advocate-General (JAG) office of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

• OPINION

  Cracks widen as govt goes to S44 extremes

  News, Atiya Achakulwisut, Published on 28/02/2017

  » When Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha invoked Section 44 of the interim charter which gives him absolute power over the legislative, executive and judicial branch in late 2014, he promised to use it "constructively".

• OPINION

  NCPO props up 'wall' that divides Thais

  News, Atiya Achakulwisut, Published on 22/11/2016

  » The scandal regarding motivational speaker Orapim "Best" Raksapon may be just another small brick but it could go a long way in reinforcing the wall of divisiveness that continues to rise in Thai society.

• OPINION

  Confusion reigns after deadly blasts

  News, Atiya Achakulwisut, Published on 16/08/2016

  » This is supposed to be illuminating: Following a spate of bomb and arson attacks in seven provinces last week, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of security affairs Gen Prawit Wongsuwon said yesterday the strikes were definitely about domestic issues and not linked to other countries.

• OPINION

  Bomb probe in disarray

  News, Editorial, Published on 22/08/2016

  » It is almost two weeks since the Mother's Day bombings in Prachuap Khiri Khan and six provinces in the South and the investigations are not going well. Many of the errors in the Erawan investigation that drew widespread criticism are being repeated. Diverse agencies of the police, the armed forces and even the intelligence community are giving the impression they are competing to solve the case.

• OPINION

  Led into a false sense of stability

  News, Editorial, Published on 29/05/2016

  » From crisis comes opportunity, as the saying goes. And there is no greater way of seizing an opportunity than controlling the crisis. Savvy and cynical political operatives have learned not only how to exploit troubled times, but how to create them. The model example is arguably Gonzalo "Goni" Sanchez de Lozada's use of US consultancy firm Greenberg Carville Shrum in his 2002 campaign to return from the political wilderness to win a second term as Bolivian president. It was the subject of a documentary about the power of confecting chaos for political gain. "The theme for us is crisis. That's our brand," one of the strategists told the campaign team. "I really think there's a lot of opportunity there."

• OPINION

  Unhappy crew of shipmates

  News, Published on 27/02/2016

  » The outlook for political parties over the next year or so looks uncertain, although for some, changes could happen even before the country enters the election period.

• OPINION

  Referendum must be fair

  News, Editorial, Published on 12/02/2016

  » It is a welcome sign that the military government has allowed proponents and opponents of the 270-section draft constitution to conduct campaigns in accordance with their beliefs ahead of the referendum tentatively set for the end of July.

• OPINION

  Postbag: Dig up the treasure

  News, Published on 04/11/2014

  » I’m sure Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and many other career civil servants or military or police officers in the cabinet or National Legislative Assembly who have become wealthy earned their income honestly, and without using inside information. Still, I’d be most interested in finding out how they did it, so that we might hold them up as role models.

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