Showing 1 - 10 of 10
Time is on our side
Life, Thana Boonlert, Published on 15/08/2022
» Win or lose, a protest is a process of trial and error. To put it simply, it is disruption, innovation, or something in between, just the way the now-defunct but shape-shifting Future Forward Party was in 2019 because it is born out of a spirit, not a person or a party. If the student-led demonstration goes down in history for demanding the boldest political reform, including the role of the monarchy, its resurrection last week proves that the pro-democracy movement is coming of age.
Long overdue history review
Oped, Editorial, Published on 05/11/2020
» If the Education Ministry has its way, the subject of Thai history in the Basic Education Core Curriculum will be overhauled, with the revised version available for the 2022 academic year.
#BehindTheHashtags
Guru, Pornchai Sereemongkonpol, Published on 06/03/2020
» Many student protests that were partly set off by the dissolution of Future Forward Party over the past two weeks has also ushered in new hashtags into the lexicon of Thai social media. At the time of writing, it has been reported that there are 28 hashtags associated with campus protests. Some are humourous while others carry strong political stances and sharp gibes. Whether you agree with these students who've chosen to make their voices heard, it's better to get used to their protest hashtags as more student flashmobs are on their way (but many speculate that the designation of Covid-19 as a dangerous communicable disease may be used as a tool to suppress them). Not to mention, an online campaign calling for people to wear black on Fridays as a symbol to oppose dictatorship began last Friday.
Future Forward Party -- whose future?
News, Published on 01/11/2018
» Branding itself as a choice for first-time voters, both the "red" and "yellow" middle-class Thais who are tired of the military regime and colour-coded conflicts, the newly formed Future Forward Party is by far one of the most prominent parties in Thai politics.
The kids are all right
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 28/10/2018
» Prathet Ku Mee is no slapped-together concert song. It wasn't made, so much as crafted. The accusatory lyrics are set against the shameful, hovering background of the 1976 dictators' massacre at Thammasat University. The rap song's finale brings the background image of the hanged, beaten student to the front of the picture, before fading out to the hopeful message, "All people unite".
Sucking the wind out of the elections
News, Kong Rithdee, Published on 05/05/2018
» The verb of the week is "to dood".
Billionaire activist holds out hope of new era
News, Surasak Glahan, Published on 05/03/2018
» Canada has 46-year-old Justin Trudeau as prime minister. France has Emmanuel Macron, 40. New Zealand has Jacinda Ardern, 37. What kind of a national leader will Thailand have after the election next year?
Humour best weapon against strongmen
News, Published on 13/02/2017
» When Egyptians gathered in Tahrir Square to protest against the regime of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, they brought with them a sense of humour -- a weapon of fun against the guns and tear gas of the military. They carried cartoons, sang parodies and renamed the central garbage heap after one of the president's agencies.
Coming to terms with a brutal history
News, Kritsada Supawattanakul, Published on 06/10/2016
» Neal Ulevich's awarding-winning picture of a man who was about to beat a dead man hanged from a tamarind tree as a group of people looked on in Sanam Luang is one of the most recognised records of the brutal crackdown on pro-democracy students that took place 40 years ago today.
Stamping out criticism only foments gossip, mockery
News, Achara Ashayagachat, Published on 10/03/2015
» On the surface, Thailand appears quiet on the political front, with relative peace and order as it enters another stage of the political roadmap.