• OPINION

  Thailand's political landscape rivals that of 'Hamlet'

  News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 02/06/2015

  » I was recently invited by the British ambassador to attend a performance of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' organised by The British Council and the British embassy at Chulalongkorn University. I must admit to never having seen Hamlet but I'm glad I finally did because it rather reminded me in parts of what's happening here in Thailand.

• OPINION

  Thailand needs an informed citizenry

  News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 11/06/2015

  » The concept of citizenship is fundamental to the principles of democratic governance. The two go hand in hand. The democratic state can basically be reduced down to the citizen, and citizens can only exist under the auspices of a democratic state. Without delving into political theory, it is this "social contract" which defines the relationship between a citizen and the state.

• OPINION

  Let's face it, the chickens are coming home to roost

  News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 25/06/2015

  » No single Thai administration is capable of solving the country's most chronic and deeply embedded problems. Any administration that says it can is talking absolute tosh and insulting the nation's cumulative intelligence.

• OPINION

  The silence is deafening

  News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 07/07/2015

  » What kind of society is the junta creating when the peaceful "New Democracy Movement" protesters, all in their early twenties, are jailed without due process, to have their fate decided on by a military tribunal? Without any doubt the junta's behaviour in this matter is utterly deplorable. But what is soul-destroying is the comfortable silence from certain sections of our society. You can almost hear a pin drop. The leader of the Democrat Party? Not a sound. Venerable statesmen? Not a squeak. Or maybe the rector of Thammasat University would like to voice his objection? Not a single word. Ladies and gentlemen, right or wrong, the only people that have demonstrated any courage at all through this episode are the 14 kids in jail, while the adults hide.

• OPINION

  Thailand on global trial

  News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 15/07/2015

  » As a direct result of the military coup in 2014, all international observers have their eyes on Thailand. We are in the spotlight, but not in a good way. Instead of proudly taking our place on the world stage with dignity and honour, Thailand finds itself on trial by the international community.

• OPINION

  Thailand urgently needs to tackle development traps

  News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 28/07/2015

  » About two weeks ago while having supper with my family, my wife received a phone call from former prime minister Anand Panyarachun. So far, so good. But when my wife turned the phone over to me and said, "Khun Anand wants a quick chat with you", my instincts told me I had written something irritating and was about to be lectured by a former prime minster. However, my concerns quickly dissipated, because to my surprise I had just earned a different kind of lecture: an invitation to the Amartya Sen lecture series which was held last Tuesday at the Intercontinental Hotel in Bangkok. Phew! Dodged another bullet.

• OPINION

  Without change the Democrat Party faces irrelevance

  News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 04/08/2015

  » Does anybody really think that political progress is conceivable without also reforming the Democrat Party? As they say, "honesty is an expensive gift, so never expect it from cheap people". Well, here is my gift of honesty.

• OPINION

  Thailand needs a new constitution free from fear

  News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 18/08/2015

  » In the entire history of the world, human beings have come up with some pretty outrageous ideas, like the man who solved the problem of his low ceiling by chopping off his legs. In my view, the Constitution Drafting Committee's (CDC) so-called crisis committee, inserted in the draft constitution, is a far worse idea. The Borwornsak draft constitution has hit a new low, because the crisis committee will essentially attempt to institutionalise military coups. It will seek to legitimise the illegitimate and make lawful what is inherently unlawful, which is an abomination to the very concept and study of law. It is nothing less than constitutional heresy!

• OPINION

  Charter to deal us a crippling blow

  News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 01/09/2015

  » After scanning through what might be Thailand's 20th constitution in more than 80 years, I have to say, in my view it is a nasty piece of work. Imagine the most conniving characters in all of fiction, like Cruella de Vil, Fagin, Lex Luther and Hamlet, got together and decided to write a new constitution for Thailand. This draft would easily be something they could have come up with.

• OPINION

  We need a British governance model, not North Korean

  News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 09/09/2015

  » Last week I was honoured to have been invited to speak at The Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT), along with distinguished panelists like Khun Burin Kantabutra and ML Nattakorn Devakula. It was an evening of insightful discussion on the uncertain future Thailand faces, especially in light of the new constitution, which was evidently stillborn on Sunday.

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