• OPINION

  Life without populism

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 06/05/2018

  » Once upon a time in a land very, very far away with a "government by the people, for the people" there was a plan to fix recalcitrant taxi drivers and make them pick up passengers, politely, and then to reward the drivers with a fare increase. And that plan was carried out in the faraway country, and passengers were happy to reward deserving, hard-working, uncomplaining taxi drivers.

• THAILAND

  Live and kicking

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 11/03/2018

  » They say Thailand is an ageing society. Thailand's getting older, they say. At one end, old farts and fartettes live longer, they point out, and at the other these young couples today, you know, they say a lot of them don't even want to have kids. All true, too.

• OPINION

  Kra me a river

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 17/09/2017

  » They say that in 1677 King Narai the Great came up with the idea of excavating a ditch for a canal from Songkhla to Burma. His French engineer de Lamar travelled to the South, looked around and reported back that it was impossible.

• OPINION

  The big issue: We must 'do something'

  Alan Dawson, Published on 10/01/2016

  » A police constable summed up the situation perfectly after tough enforcement failed to stem the New Year’s holiday road slaughter. “People are absolutely not getting the message,” the constable told reporters from a TV news station. In Toronto.

• OPINION

  As Paris carnage outrage dries up, let's look to Canada

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 19/11/2015

  » Never again? Please, don't make us laugh.

• OPINION

  The big issue: We’re all dissidents now

  Alan Dawson, Published on 15/03/2015

  » Last week the green shirts created political unity that others could only dream of during the past 10 years of division and violence. Not only did Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his government get more than 80% of the vote on his side, he did it twice.

• OPINION

  The big issue: Flip-flop of the year

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 28/12/2014

  » Our betters of the Constitution Drafting Committee went into last week with a single issue on their minds. It was whether the Thailand of tomorrow should elect its next prime minister like the US and other republics elect their presidents — directly and nationally. The CDC's sub-committee on elections said "yes", great idea.

• OPINION

  The big issue: Foreign affairs

  Alan Dawson, Published on 13/07/2014

  » For months, if not years, prior to May 22, most Western and some Asian governments had lobbied the Thai military hard, stating or plainly warning that a direct overthrow of the government would bring strong reactions, some measured punishments and loud recriminations from overseas.

• THAILAND

  The BIG STORY: Happy New Year?

  Alan Dawson, Published on 20/04/2014

  » The end of Songkran brought the urgency right back to politics. But not for long. The ear-splitting, street-bursting, epithet-howling weekend mobs didn't happen, as the judges and investigators suddenly came over all coy, and delayed all the important stuff — maybe for a few days, maybe for longer.

• THAILAND

  Lo Hsing Han: the life and crimes of Asia's heroin king

  Spectrum, Alan Dawson, Published on 21/07/2013

  » Lo Hsing Han, who was buried in Yangon last week, led three exciting lives in his 80 or so years.

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