Showing 1 - 10 of 13
A bad week
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 25/02/2018
» Bad week for the military regime. The antediluvians in green absorbed punishment from foreigners galore. Worse, at home, protesters judged to be disloyal Thais went on the streets. And after three years, eight months and some days, the courts put on their steel-toed boots and confronted the regime's rules.
The big issue: The US-Thai nexus
Alan Dawson, Published on 17/07/2016
» The Law of the Sea Tribunal demolished China’s claims about the nine-dash line, historical ownership and even — this one is quite out of the blue for everyone involved — the claim that rocks, outcroppings and shoals are "islands" that can belong to a country.
The big issue: 301 hypocrites
Alan Dawson, Published on 01/05/2016
» Thailand got on the United States list of the "dirty dozen" worst pirates in the explored galaxy for the ninth consecutive year. By doing that, it stayed off the list of worst hypocrites.
Abu Sayyaf beheading deadline nears
Alan Dawson, Published on 25/04/2016
» Asia's most vicious terrorist group has set a deadline of 2pm Monday (Thailand time) to behead at least one of three foreign and one Filipina hostages it holds in the southern Philippines.
The big issue: The terrorists who didn’t
Alan Dawson, Published on 27/03/2016
» The suicide bombs at Belgium brought heightened alert to Bangkok’s airports and embassies, while police on overtime patrolled tourist-friendly areas of the country, just in case.
The big issue: The week in terrorism
Alan Dawson, Published on 29/11/2015
» Around the world and around the country, we were all Belgians. Brussels lowered the national terror alert on Friday from “imminent” to “serious and credible”. (Fact check: True. Reality check: Who could make it up?) One day it was “be very afraid” and a mere day later it had dropped to “be afraid”.
The big issue: When terror spreads its wings
Alan Dawson, Published on 22/11/2015
» The first time Airports of Thailand announced a spiffy new security system, the top song was Change Clothes by the exciting new rapper Jay-Z. George W Bush was not only US president, but he was in Bangkok, and he urged prime minister Voldemort (later Lord Voldemort) to put in this new system and bring Don Mueang, the official international airport, up to date with the rest of the world.
The Big Issue: Bigger than an ambassador
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 19/04/2015
» The whole system of rotating US ambassadors is broken. When we might lay eyes on Ambassador Glyn Townsend Davies in a limousine flying US fender flags is a mystery as great as when Mr Obama was finally going to officially name him as the replacement for Kristie Kenney.
Freebies for rice farmers
Alan Dawson, Published on 05/10/2014
» It's not a bad job, all things considered, to be a member of the military government. The pay's fine, the perks are outstanding, you don't have to put up with any of that "democratic protest" nonsense like Beijing's flunky in Hong Kong suffers.
The Big Issue: Cleansing the deep South
Alan Dawson, Published on 13/04/2014
» The week before Songkran was no holiday for Yala. The provincial capital was hit by coordinated bomb attacks on Sunday, and more on Monday. The large, destructive bombs killed one person and wounded 28. Clearly, the attacks had goals other than murder.