• News & article

  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.

• News & article

  Living the high life

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 24/12/2017

  » A week ago today we told a first-time visitor from the beautiful US state of Colorado to forget about seeing "the real, so-called authentic Thailand" because there isn't a square centimetre where tourists do not tread. The next day we set out on a family trip to places with not a foreign face in sight (one obvious exception).

• News & article

  The Intimidation Game

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 22/10/2017

  » The military government has a propaganda unit. People know this, including reporter-people, which includes us, and editor-people. But they still call the chief manipulator of regime propaganda a "government spokesman". A two-star general whose sole task is to justify military actions without ever admitting an error was possible is also, on all front pages and news broadcasts, a military "spokesman".

• News & article

  Vale of Tiers

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 23/07/2017

  » It was a great trial. But rather than prime the pumps for a lift out of the basement, it actually illustrates why Thailand is stuck at that Tier 2 (Watch List) level on the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons (TIP) list that obsesses the general prime minister and millions more including the media.

• News & article

  You had one job

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 09/07/2017

  » Today's media control tip is when the Royal Thai Navy can't get the job done, send in the army and the Ministry of Interior. (More on the navy in a moment.)

• News & article

  Carry on killing

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 09/04/2017

  » The new constitution promulgated on Thursday by His Majesty the King re-inserts a section tossed out immediately after the May 2014 coup by the general prime minister when he decreed an interim charter with the precious Section 44. The new supreme law has an actual ban on torture, beating people to death, use of meat hooks during discipline sessions. And so on.

• News & article

  The more things change

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 19/03/2017

  » A military regime is in power. It is driving Meechai Ruchupan's new constitution and passels of laws through its handpicked National Assembly to enable and ensure military hands on power even after it nominally returns to the barracks to allow elections the red shirts will probably win again. It has a new Computer Crime Act to intimidate and if necessary incarcerate infuriating pests complaining about lack of democracy. Oh, and almost forgot: it's not 2017.

• News & article

  The war bringer

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

  » The southern rebellion against the government begins its 58th year tomorrow. It will be the first time the anniversary is marked without any of the original 1960 instigators but in particular it will go on without its primary leader, better called the godfather of the southern conflict.

• News & article

  The Big Issue: A torture culture

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 05/03/2017

  » Ravina Shamdasani, a human rights officer for the United Nations Human Rights Council, says Thailand has a torture culture.

• News & article

  The Big Issue: Those pesky tourists

  News, Alan Dawson, Published on 26/02/2017

  » If you need to watch a rant or even start a hot dispute, pick an expatriate, any expat, and say "double pricing".

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