Two quotes for the day. The first from Thailand’s “coup” constitution:

The interim mechanism is also aimed to restore love and unity, the economy, the law and order, to create strong system to check and investigate corruption, to establish good ethical system, to promote and protect the rights and liberty of the people, to have the country respect the UN treaties and treaties and agreements with other countries, to promote the country’s ties with international communities and to promote Thais to adopt the self-sufficiency economy.

And the second from Kasian Tejapira’s New Left Review article on “Toppling Thaksin” (before he actually was toppled) previously featured on New Mandala:

After the 1997 crash royal-nationalism was supplemented by a concept of Setthakij pho-phiang, or economic self-sufficiency, in which the King promoted a simple way of life over consumerism and materialist values. Estimates of the Royal Family’s personal assets range from $2bn to $8bn, managed by the Crown Property Bureau, with equity stakes in companies such as Siam Cement and the Siam Commercial Bank. Around 36,000 of the CPB’s properties are leased or rented to third parties.