Making Sense of Thai Juntaland: A glossary
Fifteen months on, life under the Thai junta has changed quite a bit from the life we were accustomed to before the fateful coup on May 22, 2014. In some […]
Life under the Thai junta in 2014 (6 months anniversary)
*I wrote a three-part series in late November 2014, on the six months anniversary of living under Thailand’s latest junta and martial law. The series was first published on Siam Voices blog on […]
In Thailand, collective responsibility is the best tribute to rape victims
The brutal rape and killing of a 13-year-old schoolgirl on the Surat Thani-Bangkok overnight train has shaken Thai society to its core. Nong Kaem (not her real name) was on […]
Likhit Dhiravegin Interview – Part 3: On Article 7 and appointing a new PM
On May 9, 2014, the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) kicked off its “all-out final battle” to oust the “Thaksin regime” by occupying state TV stations and telling them to […]
Likhit Dhiravegin Interview – Part 2: On the orchestration of a political vacuum
On May 7, 2014, the Constitutional Court ousted caretaker PM Yingluck Shinawatra from office for abusing her power in transferring the former national security chief Thawil Pliensri. The Court said in its […]
Likhit Dhiravegin interview – Part 1: On Suthep’s ‘sovereign power’ grab
Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the Thailand’s anti-government protest movement and secretary to the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), caused quite a stir when he declared on April 5 his plan […]
Thais are losing humanity and reason in consuming hate
In Thailand’s increasingly polarized and desperate politics vitriol and invective have become common, and virulent sexism and hate speech is showing a dramatic spike. Vile sexist, racist, dehumanizing insults and […]
The Thai Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
I wrote this article nearly four years ago in April 2010, just before hell broke loose a few weeks later when the red shirt protests ended bloodily with the brutal […]
Thailand’s amnesty fallout: Hubris, hatred and hidden agendas
I posted this article on Siam Voices, Asian Correspondent on Monday and added an update on Tuesday. The political situation has been fast changing. By Wednesday night the street protests have […]
Constitutional amendment and the guardians of Thai democracy – Part 2
As discussed in Part 1: Constitutional Court and constitutional amendment, the Constitutional Court and independent agencies have played crucial roles in Thailand’s protracted political conflict between the old establishment and the […]
Thai Woman Talks - Language, Society, Politics & Love 