Thai Official Who Stole Hotel Paintings Freed by Japanese
BANGKOK — Japanese authorities on Friday freed a Thai bureaucrat who was arrested for stealing three paintings from a hotel he was staying in Kyoto, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Opinion: What Do Lisa Blackpink, Elephant Pants, and Somtum Have in Common?
Observing all the adoration accorded by Thai fans to rapper, singer, and dancer Lisa Blackpink (Lalisa Manobal) as she and her three Korean girl group members entertain the huge crowd at the National Stadium in Bangkok last week, I could not help but wonder where this 25-year-old Thai singer’s musical career would be today without the decade of training, grooming, and promotion by her South Korean record label YG Entertainment company.
40 Years After Genocide Came Knocking, Hate is the New Apathy for Some Thais
Although I was too young to be held or feel responsible, I often wonder what Thais, as neighbors to Cambodia, did or did not...
Analyzing Prayuth’s Latest 2018 Election Promise
Good news! Our beloved junta leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha has graciously announced on Tuesday that there will indeed be general elections in November 2018.
Opinion: If You Need Proof of How Police Failed Pattani, Just Look at Its...
After living in Pattani downtown for many months, I still cannot figure out what services the police render to the community.
Can We Properly Learn from Our Ugly Past?
In Berlin, one can accidentally walk past the Holocaust memorial near the Brandenburg Gate or parts of the remaining Berlin Wall. At leafy Tier Garten, one notices a memorial for killed Roma people. Just in front of Humboldt University’s Law Faculty, one can stare through a glass square into a white room full of empty bookshelves, as a reminder of the banned books burnt during the Third Reich.
Opinion: Don’t Ask Chinese Tourists What’s Wrong with Thai School Uniform
The new fad among some relatively young female Chinese tourists to Thailand for dressing like Thai school girls in uniform perplexed many Thais, including the local media which claim it is Thailand’s new soft power.
Opinion: When Society Curbs Its Own Freedom of Expression
In Thailand, limits on freedom of expression are not only imposed by various laws on the book, but also by members of society themselves. Two recent incidents in demonstrated my point.
Thailand Should Not Talibanize its Past
The mysterious removal of 1932 Revolution Plaque has opened up a Pandora’s box. The news about the removal of the brass plaque – marking the spot where the revolt which ended absolute monarchy in 1932 began with a declaration – led to debate. Not just over the merit of the historical object itself but over a re-assessment and rediscovery – particularly among younger Thais – of the Promoters, also known as People’s Party, or Khana Ratsadon, which overthrew absolute monarchy 85 years ago.
Junta Thanks Compliant Thai Media With Gift – a Muzzle
After nearly three years of serving as unpaid junta apologists, many Thai media outlets this week had a very rude awakening. The junta’s appointed National Reform Steering Assembly wants every media professional – journalist, TV host, radio voice – to have to earn a license. They also want top bureaucrats to sit on a national media council for further regulations, or restrictions, depending on one’s point of view.