Big Joke, no joke

Re: David James Wong’s comments in his Sept 25 letter that Big Joke did not go far enough. Big Joke represented all that is harmful to Thailand’s politics, its reputation, the tourist industry and to those living in Thailand on various visas. His policy to encourage Thais to report any “suspicious Westerners” was a page out of a Russian Komsomol handbook during the Stalin era in the old USSR.

While visiting Myanmar many years ago, I was cautioned to be super careful about what I said near students, children and those adults who casually introduced themselves in the streets and at the Shwedagon Pagoda. The students reported what they heard, the children reported what their parents talked about and those “casual adults” were security staff on the look-out for any tourist who said anything unfavourable. Yup, Big Joke would have gone full Monty, given enough time and leeway. The PM is right to be wary of any politicians, police or generals who consider themselves indispensable, and declare themselves the true guardians of the nation and the preservation of national interests.

FLOPSIE