Tag: thailand
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No More Uniform Thinking
The Oxford Dictionary defines ‘uniform’ as remaining the same in all cases and at all times; unchanging in form or character. Thailand’s thinking on school uniforms has remained, if you may excuse the pun, horrendously uniform over the past couple of decades. Bangkok Christian College, a prestigious private school, launched an experiment to allow students…
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The Story of Thai Democracy: Lessons Learned
Thailand, today, remains mired in a political crisis. The country is still as divided as ever. Conflict over what Thai democracy should really be like remains. Trouble seems to continue to loom by the time the next election comes around. In these circumstances, it would be probable that many would now be dusting off their…
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The Story of Thai Democracy: Black May
This post is the ninth post in the series ‘The Story of Thai Democracy’, covering the political history of Thailand since the transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy. You can see the rest of this project here. The era of Generals Kriangsak Chamanan and Prem Tinsulanonda had been peaceful and stable, but what did not…
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The Story of Thai Democracy: Premier Prem
This post is the eighth post in the series ‘The Story of Thai Democracy’, covering the political history of Thailand since the transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy. You can see the rest of this project here. The period between the twin October tragedies had been chaotic even by the standards of Thai politics. True,…
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The Story of Thai Democracy: Octobers of Tragedy
This post is the seventh post in the series ‘The Story of Thai Democracy’, covering the political history of Thailand since the transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy. You can see the rest of this project here. The death of Sarit Thanarat left a vacancy in the post of prime minister. Aside from the scandalous…
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The Story of Thai Democracy: The Triumvirate
This post is the fifth post in the series ‘The Story of Thai Democracy’, covering the political history of Thailand since the transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy. You can see the rest of this project here. On 29 June 1951, prime minister Plaek Phibulsongkram (Phibun) was aboard the US navy ship Manhattan to attend the…
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Welfare State Woes
What do Mitch McConnell and Prayut Chan-o-cha have in common? Not much at first glance. One is the Republican Senate Majority Leader of the United States, a masterful tactician who many in Washington fear. The other is the prime minister of Thailand, who came to power by means of a coup and is now preparing…
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The Question of Reconciliation
There are a few “buzzwords” in Thailand that have been very popular for a few years now. “Reform” and “reconciliation”; these are two of the main ones; politicians, generals and the media certainly enjoy sprinkling them into their speeches and slogans. In this post, I’d like to talk a little about the latter word- the…
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Trip to Nakhon Sawan
I’m just back from a trip to Nakhon Sawan province. Nakhon Sawan really isn’t a major tourist city in Thailand, probably due to the lack of the irresistibly ‘Thai’ attractions such as white beaches and golden palaces, but it is a major city nonetheless, due to its prime location resting between the central plains and…
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As Protests Continue, Thaksin’s Power Erodes
‘I came from elections’, ‘the majority chose me’; these are some of the favorite catchphrases of Yingluck Shinawatra. Indeed, constant and predictable victory in national elections is where the Thaksin regime derives its legitimacy. Despite the fact that democracy is so much more than just voting at the election booth, the government continues to position…
Ken Mathis Lohatepanont 