Showing 1 - 10 of 12
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.
A right royal confusion
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 10/02/2019
» So a petite, 67-year-old woman stood against the tanks and the many-starred green shirts of the Royal Thai Army, and she whipped them. Public opinion agreed on that, and public opinion is how the nation's going to settle it on March 24.
Fairness needs to be ensured
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 27/01/2019
» In sports, as in politics, they call it a "tilted playing field". One or many tiny modifications to the game area give advantages that don't absolutely guarantee that the home team wins, but help to make it more likely.
Rule by law
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 18/11/2018
» As RoboCop said to arch villain Clarence Boddicker in the climactic scene of the original movie: "I'm not arresting you any more." Rather than bringing them to justice, the green shirts now hope to be able merely to bring the world's only brother-sister fugitive ex-prime minister duo to heel.
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.
Man for all reasons
News, Alan Dawson, Published on 16/07/2017
» If you really were up against it, had to stop all the generalising and nonsense political talk and get down, really seriously down, to one set of reforms in one tough place that really, really needs reform, where would you choose?
The big issue: The secret plan
Alan Dawson, Published on 17/04/2016
» It could be the least-welcome support ever for the general prime minister and the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).
The big issue: Time for truth: Life isn’t fair
Alan Dawson, Published on 02/08/2015
» For Malaysia and Cuba it was a good week, locked for the moment in the embrace of The Superpower, and off the hook for human trafficking. Rewards favoured the member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership for higher drug prices and the worst human rights violator in the entire Western Hemisphere.
The big issue: The TIP-ping point
Alan Dawson, Published on 29/03/2015
» The annual March campaign to pass laws, speak sternly and promise sincerely began last week. It will run until the April announcement by the United States to cut the talking and start writing the new human trafficking report. That will be published in June.
The big issue: Fight or flight
Alan Dawson, Published on 22/02/2015
» Thailand has once again strutted into the Guinness World Records. Everyone knows "world's longest kiss" (58 hours 35 minutes, 58 seconds) is cool and "most people in a seven-minute hula-hooping session" (4,483 young and young-at-heart) is awesome and "most Santa's elves in one place" (Bangkok, 700) is inspiring.