All strength to Atiya Achakulwisut of the Bangkok Post who, today, has joined Jakrapob in making a brave attack on Thailand’s traditional patronage system. Referring to PM Samak’s dismissive attitude to the youthful Abhisit, Atiya writes:

That somehow summarised how PM Samak’s logic works and that’s about all he cares – conformity to the phuyai-ruled and phuyai-knows-best norms. PM Samak has the kind of mindset and attitude that belongs in the past, in the older, more tradition-bound version of Thailand which no longer exists. Today, merit is becoming as important, or even more so, than seniority. You get by in your job not because you are old enough, but because you are proven to be good at it. PM Samak won’t get this. He will find the notion unbearably arrogant.

Once the Democrat-except-when-you-can’t-win-an-election-and-then-a-coup-is-OK Party translators get their hands on this it will be dynamite! And linguistic deconstructionists in the Thai academy will be smacking their lips in anticipation.

Let’s hope this brave voice is not silenced by a lèse majesté charge!