Word: thais
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October 1973: a 9-year-old boy, cloistered in a Bangkok compound, flips on the television. No cartoons for him. Instead, the box broadcasts images of Thai students and workers flooding nearby streets to protest the autocratic generals ruling their nation. The boy finds the scenes enthralling, sparking a political awakening unusual in any kid, much less the scion of a privileged Thai-Chinese family. Just three years later, a violent military crackdown would bring this brief experiment in Thai democracy to an end. But by that point, the boy, Abhisit Vejjajiva, was studying overseas in Britain. "I experienced...
...generals has won a 58% approval rating in a referendum on Aug. 19, the junta appears committed to carrying out its pledge to hold elections by year's end. But Thaksin, who has been charged with corruption, is in exile, living mostly in London, while top members of his Thai Rak Thai Party have been banned from politics after a junta-appointed tribunal convicted them of electoral fraud in May. That leaves the Democrats in their strongest position since losing power to Thaksin back in 2001. Hardly a cocky politician, Abhisit is predicting success in December. "I believe that democracy...
...policy geek's exuberance for subjects as esoteric as tapioca-derived alternative fuel and campaign-finance reform, Abhisit resembles a certain heavyweight from the U.S. Democratic Party. But there's one big difference: unlike Bill Clinton, Abhisit didn't grow up in trailer-park country. Although the patrician Thai Democrat can count on support from the urban middle class, as well as residents of Thailand's largely Muslim south, Abhisit will have a tougher time convincing the rural masses that he feels their pain. Thailand's agrarian northeast, in particular, was the voting bloc that delivered a huge mandate...
...Thai media outlets, which have generally supported the country's military leaders, sniffed disapproval at Thaksin's populist tactics. thaksin's subtle political war from abroad, ran one headline in the Nation newspaper. But Thailand's ruling generals could use a little positive spin themselves. Although the junta has promised to hold elections by the end of this year, the draft constitution up for referendum this weekend rolls back certain democratic reforms introduced in the previous charter. And despite promises that the military would withdraw from politics, a junta aide has hinted that coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin might throw...
...junta has designated the following Monday a national holiday. But the generals didn't foresee a rather unfortunate scheduling conflict: Aug. 19 happens to be the very day when Thaksin's team hosts its crosstown foe, Manchester United - a match that will be available on cable in Thailand. Thai soccer fans won't want to miss the game, especially given how popular United is in Southeast Asia. No points for guessing which team Bangkok's military brass will be supporting...