Showing 1 - 10 of 54
The hand that feeds them
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 03/03/2019
» When the columnists and panjandrums and degree-clutchers come to analyse the state of Thailand in mid- and late May, it's probably this past week that will fascinate them.
Scum of the Earth
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 24/02/2019
» At the Bangkok Post Forum on Feb 7, Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit said it would be splendid if Thailand had green shirts with four stars who favour democracy. He called for a review (English translation: cancellation) of the recent, 2.3 billion-baht purchase of 14 more Chinese main battle tanks. Oh, and Thailand should halt conscription.
Into the political fray
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 30/09/2018
» Last June 30, the sometimes-accurate online Wikipedia updated the opening line of its entry on the general prime minister. For the first time, the introduction read, "Prayut Chan-o-cha is a Thai politician..." Before that, according to Wikipedia, Gen (Ret) Prayut was just a retired army general and head of the military junta -- which is what he claimed to be.
Inching towards legalisation
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 26/08/2018
» Getting a sensible new law into the books is an extremely difficult task. But it's lightning compared with getting sensible changes to your great-grandfather's laws still on the books "because that's how we've always done it".
A walk in the Park
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 24/06/2018
» So the latest unchangeable, confirmed, guaranteed date of the 2015 Thailand general election isn't "definitely in February" after all, but some time in the next 371 days. To put it another way, voting will be, in the words of the country's official political cartographer, "early in 2019", or by Sunday, June 30.
Big Brother's poll watch
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 10/06/2018
» The next election, in 2019 or 2020 or so, will not be your grandfather's election. Or your mother's election or your elder sister's, either. Plans for the next election are more familiar to Cambodia's Hun Sen and survivors of Indonesia's late Suharto than to any Thai voter.
Art of the graft
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 03/06/2018
» Coup leader Gen (Ret) Prayut Chan-o-cha first mentioned his programme concerning corruption in late May, 2014, not long after seizing power. It was so long ago that there wasn't even a National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). It was still called the National Peace and Order Maintaining Council (NPOMC).
It's the corruption, stupid
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 27/05/2018
» After promising the nation a Mercedes Benz C-500 of an anti-regime protest, activists produced a three-owner 2007 Toyota Corolla gathering. It impressed and struck fear into the hearts of, well, no one.
Subtle moves on poll theft front
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 15/04/2018
» Fabulous week for election thievery, last week was. It was so slick you have to think it was either an accident or proof that the general prime minister should seriously stick around and break the service record for the post (Plaek Pibulsonggram, 9 years, 161 days).
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.