• OPINION

  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).

• OPINION

  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.

• THAILAND

  Peak army

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 29/10/2017

  » We have seen Thais come together so many times, but never like that.

• THAILAND

  Prayut fires warning shot

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 11/12/2016

  » What a huge surprise it wasn't that authorities went for the jugular of the BBC when perusing foreign news coverage of succession to the throne.

• OPINION

  Rice pledging scheme deja vu

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 06/11/2016

  » In the early 1980s, as a post-Vietnam war peace took shape in Southeast Asia, Thailand made an important decision. To be more correct, Thailand decided not to decide about rice.

• OPINION

  Go to Plan B

  Alan Dawson, Published on 13/01/2019

  » Normally notable for his silence, the Minister of Interior and inflatable blimp expert Gen Anupong Paojinda released the cat from his bag. His drones and workers, who had already begun setting up election facilities and security barriers, downed tools.

• OPINION

  Independence muted

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 09/12/2018

  » The famously annoyable general prime minister was annoyed last week. The country's two largest political parties politely RSVP'd his invitation to a prayer meeting but declined because of the raucous nature of the worship.

• THAILAND

  Uniting the nation

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 03/12/2017

  » The general prime minister has once against shown his power to unite the country. He doesn't need Section 44. He doesn't need fun, fairs and games. He definitely doesn't need the minister of truth by his side.

• THAILAND

  What is Tu to do?

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 31/12/2017

  » Uncle Tu took the cabinet upcountry yet again, and yet again they came back wondering why the heck they didn't stay in Bangkok, where they're obviously more comfortable and no one expects them to do awkward, ethnic stuff.

• OPINION

  Section 44 is forever

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 16/04/2017

  » There exists in exceptional Thailand a force so powerful it only can be used for good or for evil. The men (exclusively) who run the country insist the power of Section 44 is (exclusively) designed and used only to produce positive results. Not everyone agrees.

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