According to the Thai Wikipedia entry for “р╕Др╕Ур╕░р╕Бр╕гр╕гр╕бр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Ыр╣Йр╕нр╕Зр╕Бр╕▒р╕Щр╣Бр╕ер╕░р╕Ыр╕гр╕▓р╕Ър╕Ыр╕гр╕▓р╕бр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Чр╕╕р╕Ир╕гр╕┤р╕Хр╣Бр╕лр╣Ир╕Зр╕Кр╕▓р╕Хр╕┤” Medhi Khrongkaew was indeed appointed as a NCCC Commissioner by the military junta 3 days on September 22 2006 – 3 days after the coup.
So this is a person who has been appointed to a position by a military dictatorship, which has stolen at gunpoint the government and the national budget paid for by the Thai taxpayer which should rightly be administered by elected politicians.
So Methi’s salary while serving on the NCCC is paid for by the dictatorship. And we are supposed to take his pronouncements on corruption seriously? What about his own moral corruption at accepting a powerful, official position while the Thai electorate has held at gunpoint with large areas still under martial law?!
Indeed, he is “well placed to speak on this topic…” because he owes his position on the NCCC to the royalists and the military!
It is worth asking now, coming on top of its hosting of the CNS’s propaganda team a few months ago, whether the ANU’s National Thai Studies Centre is an overseas branch of network monarchy.
Since the September 19 2006 coup has the NTSC invited ANY member of the former democratically elected governement to give their version of the story?
Well, the FES guys seem to believe that dialogue with the Burmese leadership is the way forward. It seem the head of the Malaysia Office made three mistakes:
1. He believed in dialogue with a regime that is totally alien to the outside world.
2. He allowed the regime to use the FES delegation visit for propaganda purposes.
3. In view of the situation on the ground and the recommendations by the EUC every normal FES head of office would have called the event off. Not so Dr. Pasch.
Dr. Pasch would be well advised to resign. His lacking political senses might do harm to the newly established Bureau in Malaysia. However the FES is a left wing organization par exellance. Strong network ties, political consideration and bonding dictate internal policies on personnel. This occurence is prove that a supposed elite-approach lets one wishing.
One needs to mention that Hauswedell is a retired diplomat, who is fortunately without any influence these days.
Sir,
I have been working and living in South East Asia for about half of my life since 1983 (first time in Thailand 1981), having written, among others, a guide about Bangkok in German language (just re-issued in ist 5th edition) and several other books, most of them with historic content.
The importance of Paul M. Handleys Book, in my opinion, simply cannot be underestimated. It is a great, even brave work, because it is clear that Paul Handley will definitely not, as quite a few of his and my collegues like to do, retire in Thailand some day.
And, to answer a question which Handley asked himself in this very interesting interview with additional information, this is exactly the reason, why nobody wrote a book like this before. You cannot expect anything near this book from 99 % of all editors, correspondents and free lancers in Bangkok. The reason why there are so many “journalists” in Thailand is simply that beeing a “journalist” is, besides divemaster, one of the easiest ways to get a Thai working visa.
Indeed, what Handley wrote about the Thai King and especially about his family, about family corruption and about the criminal record of a highest member of this family who is even suspectied of being a brutal killer, is NOT new to insiders in Thailand. Given this record, in any European country, the press would have made royal life hell since at least the 1970s. But not so in Thailand.
Also, one cannot praise enough Handleys efford not only to put down names the royal family members in connection to index words like “corruption” and alike, but also to name some of the entourage politicians and military strongmen who have made all this possible.
As for the many deeply corrupt dinosaur politicians that reappear in Thai politics at this very moment, it is extremely interesting to look for these names in the index of The King Never Smiles and follow their tracks since the 1970s.
Take for instance right wing Samak Sunthornvej (who writes himself now Samak Sundaravej and is nevertheless actually pronounced “suntho:nvé:t”), the newly found leader of the former Thai-Rak-Thai Party members.
It was indeed Samak who was personally responsible for the 1976 and 1992 massakers. At this moment, it is only thanks to Paul Handley, that the footsteps of this and other corrupt politians with blood on their hands now can be easily followed up by anyone who likes to understand how Thai politics works.
The index of this much-needed book can, in my opinion, be read like a dictionary of Thai elite corruption during the last 60 years.
I hope, that the King Never Smiles will not only be re-printed many times but also be re-edited and actualized soon so that also some minor mistakes (especially about the Thaksin years) can be improved.
Last not least I recommend to add a short chapter or at least a small appendix about the correct spelling and pronouncation of some of the extremely confusing “official” royal names. THAIS TEND TO TAKE PEOPLE MORE SERIOUS WHEN THEY KNOW ABOUT THEIR LANGUAGE. For instance, the King’s name is actually pronounced Phu:miphon Adunlayadé:t and his sister, who is NOW written officially Galyani Vadhana, is Ga:nlayani Watthana. It surprised me, that Handley did nowhere in his book mention the fact, that the King’s name was actually written according to its correct pronouncation in most of the international press well until the 1960s. The reason for the official change to Bhumibhol Adulyadej, which, unlike Phumiphon Adunlayadet, no Thai can understand when a foreigner pronounces it, would best be included in the chapter about the revival of ratchasap, the royal language.
Kind regards and good luck to this great author.
(Next, by the way, I would like to read a biography of the Sultan of Brunei from Handley…)
hmh.
Another great interview. It is interesting to read his views on the changes in academia. I am not as sanguine as is Achaan Thak relative to the greater stress placed upon theory in the social sciences as being outside academics I have watched these theories come and go to the point that I am now agnostic relative to any social science theory. But I really enjoy these interviews with people whose academic works I have admired for decades, keep them coming.
Thanks. That was an interesting mix of commentators and some new faces, like Coclanis studying the emergence of world rice markets during the colonial era, Mala Htun, exiled monk Ashin Nayaka teaching history at Columbia, a call to boycott the China Olympics, still it all seems very far away from here in Southeast Asia.
If they held a democratic vote and asked people in ASEAm, India, and China whether they would abandon all previous and future investments, i.e. boycott Burma, which would require sometimes, financial sacrifice, I really doubt they would vote for it.
Far away in the West where hardly anyone has ever had any interest financial or otherwise in the place, where economic sanctions are essentially financially painless and abstract, you would get democratic support. At least giving the Dalai Lama was putting human rights in the abstract before real economic interests. Maybe more pressure on China would work, or maybe they’d just do an indignation at Dalai Lama award number.
“…Professor Medhi Krongkaew has been an NCCC Commissioner for the past year, and is well placed to speak on this topic…”
Could someone clarify this for me. If Medhi Khrongkaew has only been an NCCC Commissioner for the past year then I assume he has been appointed to the position by the royalist-military dictatorship. Is this correct?
There are a few great shots of these amusing bike lanes in 2bangkok website. If GovernorApirak really wants to make this work, he should take over the road traffic surface NOT the pedestrian footpath. But that would take too much political will (and risk) and Bangkok’s footpaths and roads are actually managed by different agencies. I think KhunApirak is already making a bold move with the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, the first route to begin service next year – as that actually reclaimed vehicle traffic lanes. Fingers crossed that it works, becomes popular and there are extensions of the system…
Thanks for this wonderful interview. You get a sense of connections that develop between two countries like the US and Thailand that sadly Burma lacks.
Don’t understand how he could have become what Craig Reynolds terms a “White Orientalist Gentleman” or what this would have entailed, elaboration on this point would be most interesting.
Things certainly seem to be a lot more complicated than this nowadays. Take for instance University of Hawaii professor Michael Aung-Thwin’s book “Mists of Ramanya” that argues that early Mon history is just a creation of European orientalists. He terms this a “Mon paradigm” but in the end posits a “Pyu Paradigm” which actually mirrors the most extreme Burmese nationalism. Aung-Thwin claims to be part genetically Mon in the book, supposedly as racial justification for erasing the history of (his own) minority group. He doesn’t read Mon, much less study their ancient historical manuscripts (that would make him an “orientalist” I guess).
Anyway, this was a major point of discussion at the international conference on Mon history and culture at Chulalongkorn University last week. In the end, I really do sympathize with the Mon, but of course this perhaps opens me to “white orientalist gentleman” potshots from genetically Burmese and Mon Aung-Thwin, “white orientalist” does seem to be a little bit of a red herring nowadays.
Furthermore, who are the junta friendlies in this list?
I don’t see any at all.
Mary Callahan? Josef Silverstein?
David Steinberg is a political scientist with an obligation to treat his subject matter with some degree of objectivity, not as an activist.
Part of the problem is that the situation **is** too polarized and there is no one in the middle to credibly mediate this conflict.
PTT stated clearly that it wasn’t budging on its natural gas pipeline that accounts for $2 billion and 40% of official exports from Burma.
I talked to Burmese people who clearly expressed an opinion that they wished the conflict would end soon with or without the junta. They didn’t care. They just wanted this 20, 40 year low intensity conflict to end so their families could get on with their lives.
Some may think that Thant Myint U’s book is pro-junta, but this sort of willful blindness just gets in the way of effective activism.
Even though I may be an idealist and wish across the board effective sanctions by all states, this clearly looks like it is not going to happen for reasons of Asia’s own choosing (China, Malaysia, India, Singapore, Thailand) even if the UN demands it.
Has Cornell given the ANU some advertising money for this? Transparency now! 😉 – Other than that, thanks for the interview. It was interesting to read his thoughts on disciplines merging and also the summer stipends for those who had completed two years of language study… if only!
Yes, my comments about cash cropping (garlic and contracted crops) relate to the dry season. During the wet season rice is by far the dominant crop. As a result of improved rice varieties the village enjoys very good rice yields.
Ajarn Thak: A footnote about sufficiency economy. I first heard the concept many years ago enunciated by Dr. Puey at a meeting at the Asia Society in NY, not long after he had been forced to leave Thailand. He did not used the term “sufficiency economy” of course, but put the idea forward as a Buddhist objective intended to avoid Thai adoption of Western consumerism and hyper-materialism. The analogy he used was an ever-ascending escalator for material acquisition. I would certainly never attribute to him any motive of encouraging the poor to quietly accept the rise of the rich.
On a personal note, I am sorry we have never met. I worked for Dr. Snoh at NESDB during the Prem years (and made good use of your book on Sarit when I did my own bo0k, “The Fifth Tiger” ).
Best regards. Bob Muscat
[…] ┬ Chris Baker has prepared a preliminary translation of the revised Internal Security Act and has provided the following comments. Thanks very much Chris! (His comments on the previous version are here.) […]
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Corruption in Thailand
According to the Thai Wikipedia entry for “р╕Др╕Ур╕░р╕Бр╕гр╕гр╕бр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Ыр╣Йр╕нр╕Зр╕Бр╕▒р╕Щр╣Бр╕ер╕░р╕Ыр╕гр╕▓р╕Ър╕Ыр╕гр╕▓р╕бр╕Бр╕▓р╕гр╕Чр╕╕р╕Ир╕гр╕┤р╕Хр╣Бр╕лр╣Ир╕Зр╕Кр╕▓р╕Хр╕┤” Medhi Khrongkaew was indeed appointed as a NCCC Commissioner by the military junta 3 days on September 22 2006 – 3 days after the coup.
So this is a person who has been appointed to a position by a military dictatorship, which has stolen at gunpoint the government and the national budget paid for by the Thai taxpayer which should rightly be administered by elected politicians.
So Methi’s salary while serving on the NCCC is paid for by the dictatorship. And we are supposed to take his pronouncements on corruption seriously? What about his own moral corruption at accepting a powerful, official position while the Thai electorate has held at gunpoint with large areas still under martial law?!
Indeed, he is “well placed to speak on this topic…” because he owes his position on the NCCC to the royalists and the military!
It is worth asking now, coming on top of its hosting of the CNS’s propaganda team a few months ago, whether the ANU’s National Thai Studies Centre is an overseas branch of network monarchy.
Since the September 19 2006 coup has the NTSC invited ANY member of the former democratically elected governement to give their version of the story?
European scholars tour Burma
Well, the FES guys seem to believe that dialogue with the Burmese leadership is the way forward. It seem the head of the Malaysia Office made three mistakes:
1. He believed in dialogue with a regime that is totally alien to the outside world.
2. He allowed the regime to use the FES delegation visit for propaganda purposes.
3. In view of the situation on the ground and the recommendations by the EUC every normal FES head of office would have called the event off. Not so Dr. Pasch.
Dr. Pasch would be well advised to resign. His lacking political senses might do harm to the newly established Bureau in Malaysia. However the FES is a left wing organization par exellance. Strong network ties, political consideration and bonding dictate internal policies on personnel. This occurence is prove that a supposed elite-approach lets one wishing.
One needs to mention that Hauswedell is a retired diplomat, who is fortunately without any influence these days.
Interview with Paul Handley
Sir,
I have been working and living in South East Asia for about half of my life since 1983 (first time in Thailand 1981), having written, among others, a guide about Bangkok in German language (just re-issued in ist 5th edition) and several other books, most of them with historic content.
The importance of Paul M. Handleys Book, in my opinion, simply cannot be underestimated. It is a great, even brave work, because it is clear that Paul Handley will definitely not, as quite a few of his and my collegues like to do, retire in Thailand some day.
And, to answer a question which Handley asked himself in this very interesting interview with additional information, this is exactly the reason, why nobody wrote a book like this before. You cannot expect anything near this book from 99 % of all editors, correspondents and free lancers in Bangkok. The reason why there are so many “journalists” in Thailand is simply that beeing a “journalist” is, besides divemaster, one of the easiest ways to get a Thai working visa.
Indeed, what Handley wrote about the Thai King and especially about his family, about family corruption and about the criminal record of a highest member of this family who is even suspectied of being a brutal killer, is NOT new to insiders in Thailand. Given this record, in any European country, the press would have made royal life hell since at least the 1970s. But not so in Thailand.
Also, one cannot praise enough Handleys efford not only to put down names the royal family members in connection to index words like “corruption” and alike, but also to name some of the entourage politicians and military strongmen who have made all this possible.
As for the many deeply corrupt dinosaur politicians that reappear in Thai politics at this very moment, it is extremely interesting to look for these names in the index of The King Never Smiles and follow their tracks since the 1970s.
Take for instance right wing Samak Sunthornvej (who writes himself now Samak Sundaravej and is nevertheless actually pronounced “suntho:nvé:t”), the newly found leader of the former Thai-Rak-Thai Party members.
It was indeed Samak who was personally responsible for the 1976 and 1992 massakers. At this moment, it is only thanks to Paul Handley, that the footsteps of this and other corrupt politians with blood on their hands now can be easily followed up by anyone who likes to understand how Thai politics works.
The index of this much-needed book can, in my opinion, be read like a dictionary of Thai elite corruption during the last 60 years.
I hope, that the King Never Smiles will not only be re-printed many times but also be re-edited and actualized soon so that also some minor mistakes (especially about the Thaksin years) can be improved.
Last not least I recommend to add a short chapter or at least a small appendix about the correct spelling and pronouncation of some of the extremely confusing “official” royal names. THAIS TEND TO TAKE PEOPLE MORE SERIOUS WHEN THEY KNOW ABOUT THEIR LANGUAGE. For instance, the King’s name is actually pronounced Phu:miphon Adunlayadé:t and his sister, who is NOW written officially Galyani Vadhana, is Ga:nlayani Watthana. It surprised me, that Handley did nowhere in his book mention the fact, that the King’s name was actually written according to its correct pronouncation in most of the international press well until the 1960s. The reason for the official change to Bhumibhol Adulyadej, which, unlike Phumiphon Adunlayadet, no Thai can understand when a foreigner pronounces it, would best be included in the chapter about the revival of ratchasap, the royal language.
Kind regards and good luck to this great author.
(Next, by the way, I would like to read a biography of the Sultan of Brunei from Handley…)
hmh.
Manau analysis from Mandy Sadan
Every interesting.
Would like to see an abstract — i.e. a bit more detailed than this one — of symbolism of the manau posts and
designs.
And the differences, other than the obvious, between state sponsored and community generated and traditional.
Thanks,
Kyi May Kaung
Interview with Thak Chaloemtiarana
Another great interview. It is interesting to read his views on the changes in academia. I am not as sanguine as is Achaan Thak relative to the greater stress placed upon theory in the social sciences as being outside academics I have watched these theories come and go to the point that I am now agnostic relative to any social science theory. But I really enjoy these interviews with people whose academic works I have admired for decades, keep them coming.
More academic commentary on Burma
Thanks. That was an interesting mix of commentators and some new faces, like Coclanis studying the emergence of world rice markets during the colonial era, Mala Htun, exiled monk Ashin Nayaka teaching history at Columbia, a call to boycott the China Olympics, still it all seems very far away from here in Southeast Asia.
If they held a democratic vote and asked people in ASEAm, India, and China whether they would abandon all previous and future investments, i.e. boycott Burma, which would require sometimes, financial sacrifice, I really doubt they would vote for it.
Far away in the West where hardly anyone has ever had any interest financial or otherwise in the place, where economic sanctions are essentially financially painless and abstract, you would get democratic support. At least giving the Dalai Lama was putting human rights in the abstract before real economic interests. Maybe more pressure on China would work, or maybe they’d just do an indignation at Dalai Lama award number.
Corruption in Thailand
“…Professor Medhi Krongkaew has been an NCCC Commissioner for the past year, and is well placed to speak on this topic…”
Could someone clarify this for me. If Medhi Khrongkaew has only been an NCCC Commissioner for the past year then I assume he has been appointed to the position by the royalist-military dictatorship. Is this correct?
Riding away from common sense in Bangkok
Thanks Sidh,
I have found some of those pictures on the 2Bangkok site.
For everyone else – they are certainly worth a look, and a chuckle!
Best wishes to all,
Nich
Academic commentary on Burma uprising
[…] post updates my previous effort to┬ bring together┬ some of the statements that have been made by academics on the uprising in […]
Riding away from common sense in Bangkok
There are a few great shots of these amusing bike lanes in 2bangkok website. If GovernorApirak really wants to make this work, he should take over the road traffic surface NOT the pedestrian footpath. But that would take too much political will (and risk) and Bangkok’s footpaths and roads are actually managed by different agencies. I think KhunApirak is already making a bold move with the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, the first route to begin service next year – as that actually reclaimed vehicle traffic lanes. Fingers crossed that it works, becomes popular and there are extensions of the system…
Interview with Thak Chaloemtiarana
Thanks for this wonderful interview. You get a sense of connections that develop between two countries like the US and Thailand that sadly Burma lacks.
Don’t understand how he could have become what Craig Reynolds terms a “White Orientalist Gentleman” or what this would have entailed, elaboration on this point would be most interesting.
Things certainly seem to be a lot more complicated than this nowadays. Take for instance University of Hawaii professor Michael Aung-Thwin’s book “Mists of Ramanya” that argues that early Mon history is just a creation of European orientalists. He terms this a “Mon paradigm” but in the end posits a “Pyu Paradigm” which actually mirrors the most extreme Burmese nationalism. Aung-Thwin claims to be part genetically Mon in the book, supposedly as racial justification for erasing the history of (his own) minority group. He doesn’t read Mon, much less study their ancient historical manuscripts (that would make him an “orientalist” I guess).
Anyway, this was a major point of discussion at the international conference on Mon history and culture at Chulalongkorn University last week. In the end, I really do sympathize with the Mon, but of course this perhaps opens me to “white orientalist gentleman” potshots from genetically Burmese and Mon Aung-Thwin, “white orientalist” does seem to be a little bit of a red herring nowadays.
Academic commentary on Burma uprising
“I am afraid this is already dated, and a bit inclined too much towards junta friendlies.”
Actually, this list came out the very day that protests reached a climax.
You missed Michael Charney’s piece at the new Statesman:
http://www.newstatesman.com/200709260003
Furthermore, who are the junta friendlies in this list?
I don’t see any at all.
Mary Callahan? Josef Silverstein?
David Steinberg is a political scientist with an obligation to treat his subject matter with some degree of objectivity, not as an activist.
Part of the problem is that the situation **is** too polarized and there is no one in the middle to credibly mediate this conflict.
Two weeks after the protests, the conservative opinions of ASEAN, for instance George Yeo, Singapore’s foreign minister were expressed clearly.
http://www.digitalnpq.org/articles/global/210/10-08-2007/george_yeo
PTT stated clearly that it wasn’t budging on its natural gas pipeline that accounts for $2 billion and 40% of official exports from Burma.
I talked to Burmese people who clearly expressed an opinion that they wished the conflict would end soon with or without the junta. They didn’t care. They just wanted this 20, 40 year low intensity conflict to end so their families could get on with their lives.
Some may think that Thant Myint U’s book is pro-junta, but this sort of willful blindness just gets in the way of effective activism.
Even though I may be an idealist and wish across the board effective sanctions by all states, this clearly looks like it is not going to happen for reasons of Asia’s own choosing (China, Malaysia, India, Singapore, Thailand) even if the UN demands it.
Riding away from common sense in Bangkok
Looks like a great idea – a ride-through market!
Interview with Thak Chaloemtiarana
[…] Thak Chaloemtiarana, in Nicholas Farrelly. Interview with Thak Chaloemtiarana. Retrived on […]
Interview with Thak Chaloemtiarana
[…] Thak Chaloemtiarana, in Nicholas Farrelly. Interview with Thak Chaloemtiarana. Retrived on […]
Interview with Thak Chaloemtiarana
Has Cornell given the ANU some advertising money for this? Transparency now! 😉 – Other than that, thanks for the interview. It was interesting to read his thoughts on disciplines merging and also the summer stipends for those who had completed two years of language study… if only!
Contract farming
Yes, my comments about cash cropping (garlic and contracted crops) relate to the dry season. During the wet season rice is by far the dominant crop. As a result of improved rice varieties the village enjoys very good rice yields.
Interview with Thak Chaloemtiarana
Ajarn Thak: A footnote about sufficiency economy. I first heard the concept many years ago enunciated by Dr. Puey at a meeting at the Asia Society in NY, not long after he had been forced to leave Thailand. He did not used the term “sufficiency economy” of course, but put the idea forward as a Buddhist objective intended to avoid Thai adoption of Western consumerism and hyper-materialism. The analogy he used was an ever-ascending escalator for material acquisition. I would certainly never attribute to him any motive of encouraging the poor to quietly accept the rise of the rich.
On a personal note, I am sorry we have never met. I worked for Dr. Snoh at NESDB during the Prem years (and made good use of your book on Sarit when I did my own bo0k, “The Fifth Tiger” ).
Best regards. Bob Muscat
“No warrant, and no reporting”
[…] ┬ Chris Baker has prepared a preliminary translation of the revised Internal Security Act and has provided the following comments. Thanks very much Chris! (His comments on the previous version are here.) […]
NM Interviews
[…] NM Interviews […]