Showing 1 - 8 of 8
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.
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.
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!
The constitutional merry-go-round revolves once again
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 23/05/2015
» So finally we’re going to have a referendum on this draft constitution. Hooray! This makes it 20 constitutions since 1932. That’s one constitution every four years on average if you do the maths. Therefore, it will come as no surprise to foreign observers that Thais have very little emotional investment in this document, because it’s more than likely we’ll be rewriting, redrafting, rewinding and reinventing another constitution in a few years time. Thailand has become a serial murderer of constitutions and the more constitutions we put to death, the less meaning each one has.
Setting the record straight on my conservative roots
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 05/05/2015
» On Thursday, the United Kingdom will go to the polls in what looks to be one of the most closely contested general elections in British history.
Democracy must be built on mistrust of 'good people'
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 28/04/2015
» Thailand's new draft constitution has set a new world record. At 131 pages, it's officially the longest love letter in the history of mankind. It's also a galactic demonstration of unadulterated vanity because it's a letter written by a group of people, to themselves. That's right, essentially it's a love letter written by the "good people" to the "good people" telling the "good people" how extremely "good" they are. To all you self-absorbed, emotionally detached Thai men out there (myself included), this is how you write a love letter!
Charter court proves a worthy adversary
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 23/11/2013
» I am going to attempt to cut through the legal jargon and make a citizen's interpretation of the Constitution Court's latest landmark judgement. The court's ruling on the draft charter amendment to change the composition of the Senate deemed the proposed changes unconstitutional for basically two reasons. Firstly, the amendment violates Section 291 of the constitution, which governs the correct procedure for charter reform, and secondly it violates section 68 of our constitution which speaks to "intention".
Some things Thailand can really do without
News, Songkran Grachangnetara, Published on 07/04/2012
» I would like to start by apologising for my prolonged absence from the Bangkok Post because I needed that time off to care for a growing family.