1946
Let me refer to the royal family (chao nai). In the past they went in one direction and I went in another direction. But many of these old royal family members aim for the common benefit of the nation, not for themselves. In the end we can team up to work together well in the service of the nation, and love one another more closely than someone who uses the nation as a cover but really pursues personal interest. There are those who give an external appearance of loyalty to the king, but internally have a personal objective or benefits to be obtained. Their dissatisfaction is personal, hence I fear that these people may turn whichever way gives them greater personal gain.
-- Pridi Banomyong, leader of the 1932 revolution, addressing the National Assembly, 7 May 1946
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1956
All this presenting of gifts to newly ordained bhikkhus, this performing of ceremonies, including all sorts of celebration - this we are foolish enough to call Buddhism! Furthermore we choose to make much of it, thinking nothing of spending all our own money, or other people's on account of it. This 'Neo-Buddhism' is so widespread as to be almost universal. The Dhamma, the genuine teaching that once was paramount has become so overlaid by ceremonial that the whole objective of Buddhism has been obscured, falsified and changed. Ordination, for instance, has become a face-saving gambit for young men whom people have been pointing at for never having been ordained, or a prerequisite to finding a wife (as having been a monk is considered a sign of maturity), or is done with some other kind of ulterior motive. In some places an ordination is regarded as an opportunity for collecting money for which job there are always people on hand to help. It is one way of getting rich. Even this they call Buddhism! And anyone who goes and criticizes this is considered to be ignorant of Buddhism or opposed to it.
--Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, modern reformer of Thai Buddhism, from his Handbook for Mankind
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1957
We the people's artists are ready to take on our historical duty to create a new and better society that will lift Thailand above and beyond its hoary past!
-- Chit Phumisak, declaring a manifesto for Thai artists in his highly influential book Art for Life, Art for the People (1957)
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1959
Destruction or Moving of Property
Clause 14 Destruction of property or moving of property, powers granted thereof:
1) In times of war or in conflict with royal enemies, the government has the power to burn homes if deemed necessary. If evidence of enemy activity is apparent after the army has retreated, then the power extends to complete destruction.
2) In order to build and maintain stability the military leadership has the power to chart the national territory and re-arrange houses, villages, towns and cities as necessary to fight enemy activity.
--Thai government anti-Communist decree, 1959
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1966
The Thai people, guided by the Thai Communist Party and oriented by Marxism-Leninism, have taken up arms and are defending themselves by heroically demolishing enemy encirclement. Although the armed forces of the Thai people are newly formed and small in number, we shall fight with all our forces for our final aim—the achievement of the socialist revolution and the building of Communism in Thailand.
-- Central Committee, Communist Party of Thailand, communiqué to the Albanian Workers Party, 6 November 1966.
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1972
Dear Thai citizens,
We, the students, who are also your children are co-operating with one another to refrain from buying Japanese goods during the Anti-Japanese Goods Week.
The reason is that Japan is taking advantage of us by using various business ploys to cheat us and also because the trade dominance of the Japanese in Thailand has increased alarmingly during the past 10 years, putting Thailand gradually into a position as 'Japan's economic slave.'
We are also not pleased with the Japanese who take job opportunities from us, by violating the law and also with government officials' apathy towards the situation.
The National Students Centre therefore asks you to sacrifice your happiness and conveniences, and to save the money you may spend from buying and using Japanese goods and services during the Anti-Japanese Goods Week, November 20-30, to show that the Thai blood runs thick and cannot be looked down on by anyone.
--Letter from the National Students Centre, 16 November 1972, during the anti-Japanese trade movement
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1973
Flowers, blooming flowers
Innocent and bold …will bloom in your heart
White … colour of youth desired
Straight and sure, lighting the fire of faith.
Learn … then fight delusion
Step forward and look out for the people
Life dedicated to sacrifice
Fighting confusion for the people.
Flowers with the kind quality
That blooms slowly but lasts long.
Here and elsewhere
Flowers, stay fresh for the people.
--Lyrics by Jiranan Pitpreecha, leading Thai intellectual, for 'Flowers (Dokmai),' a 1973 song emblematic of the 1970s democracy movement
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1973
No matter how a government comes to power—through popular vote, inheritance or through arms—that government must have moral authority in order to continue to govern the country. Without moral authority, even if the government continues to rule with the help of arms, it will find itself on the opposite side from the people.
---MR Kukrit Pramoj, respected Thai academic and former Thai prime minister, in his Siam Rath column, 3 May 1973, in reaction to news of illegal government hunting trips in national reserves
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1976
Today there was a great tragedy, one of the saddest times in Thai history. Following four to seven days of demands and negotiations, the students and the government have come to an agreement, yet the bottle bombs and tear gas continue, which has only given rise to further confrontation. Many people have been injured and the violence in our city seems to have increased with no end in sight. Hundreds of Thais have given up their lives.
I would like to firmly request that everyone on all sides concentrate on refraining from all further violence so that our country can return to normality as soon as possible.
In order to help obviate the incidents, Field Marshall Thanom Kittikajorn has asked to resign from his position as prime minister this evening. I have therefore transferred the rank of prime minister to Mr Sanya Thammasak.
-- King Bhumibol, speaking on 14 October 1973 in reaction to violent incidents between government forces and student demonstrators.
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1976
Why did I advocate the withdrawal of American forces, as indeed I did, from as far back as 1961 until the last day of my tenure of office in November 1971?
To begin with, the introduction of foreign forces is not something that should be desired. It can only be tolerated so long as it serves the national interests of the host country or at least if such interests coincide with those of the sending party. If and when the military presence serves only the interests of the latter and ceases to be advantageous to the host, then it loses its raison d'etre and justifications.
--Thanat Khoman, commenting on American military withdrawal from Thailand, at the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs, Singapore.
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1977
Forty years ago in the wake of a transition from Absolute Monarchy to democracy, a momentous event took place in Thai history when there was a drive to build Thailand into a 'Great Power' under a plan laid down by Field Marshal Pibul Songram, the leader of the nation. Although this wave of changes lasted only about five years it had an enormous effect on all aspects of life in Thailand and though many of the policies were later abolished several have lasted and form integral parts of Thai life.
The plan for building up Thailand was based on a leadership theory not far different from those of Hitler and Mussolini with the Field Marshal being the sole architect, theorist and implementor [sic] of the plan according to his beliefs and ideas alone.
--Thamsook Numnonda, noted academic, from 'When Thailand Followed The Leader,' in the Review of Thai Social Science: A Collection of Articles by Thai Scholars.
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1978
The solution to your problems is not something that the Americans can do, or the Japanese. It's something that you ought to do, and will do.
--US Ambassador Morton I Abramowitz, speaking to the Thai press about American military withdrawal from Thailand and reduction in economic aid.
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1984
'Made in Thailand', our land,
we've kept it since the ancient times, there's been many good things.
Since the eras of Sukhothai, to Lopburi, Ayuthaya, Thonburi,
through to modern day Bangkok.
The city where people fall down the open drains (don't blame them for it).
'Made in Thailand', made in our own land,
the land of the meaningful songs and dances.
Foreigners secretly are admirers of Thai products, but Thais don't see their worth.
Scared of being looked down upon, that liking Thai products isn't fashionable.
If it's 'Made in Thailand', who's going to give the guarantee for them?
(I think someone should accept responsibility for this.)
'Made in Thailand', and all it's admirers understand.
That these are products produced by Thais, made by Thais.
the shirts, trousers, and jeans,
are sent abroad on planes, and then imported back.
It's the Thais who gain face (but it's the foreigners who get the money.)
'Made in Thailand', and when put up in the shops.
They put the 'Made in Japan' labels upon them.
Then they sell well, sell for high prices
and the wearers then brag they've got imported clothes,
the latest fashions, from the magazines.
It wasn't the foreigners who cheated us.
But it was us who cheated ourselves...oh....
--Lyrics for 'Made In Thailand, from a top-selling album by Carabao, Thailand's most famous 'songs for life' band. The song became a hit in several neighboring countries as well.
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1988
What elsewhere one sees only in travel brochures, one finds in Thailand daily. It often seems, in fact, as if ancient gods -- Bacchus, Neptune, Zeus and Venus -- conspired to make the land a composite of holidaymakers' fantasies. Here is a never-never land built on solid ground; a fairy-tale monarchy ruled by a Renaissance King and his classically beautiful Queen; an orchid-scented garden of scintillant temples, lush jungles, palmy white beaches and a capital built along tree-shaded canals; and a gentle Buddhist retreat filled with smiling, gracious people who make "tourist industry" sound like a contradiction in terms. The most pressing problem with the "Land of Smiles" may be simply that it is too hard to resist.
--Pico Ayer, 'The Smiling Lures Of Thailand,' Time magazine, 17 October 1988
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2003
On 28 January 2003 Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared a three month 'war on drugs' in an effort to eradicate the trafficking of a type of methamphetamine known in Thai as ya ba, or 'crazy drug'. The campaign began on 1 February, when four people were shot dead and 264 arrested, according to the Royal Thai Police.
The police stated that by 15 April 2,245 people had been killed in the campaign, 51 of them by the police. According to experts in the criminal justice system in Thailand, during 2002 the average rate of murders per month was approximately 400. However, during February 2003, the first month of the 'drug war.' the authorities reported over 1,100 people as having been killed in the anti-drugs campaign.
The authorities repeatedly asserted that the vast majority of the deaths were as a result of drug traffickers killing one another. Prime Minister Thaksin appeared to condone such killings in various public statements made during the three month campaign. For example on 25 March he was quoted as saying, 'There are two places for drugs traffickers: in prison or in the temple,' in reference to the Buddhist practice of cremating their dead in temples.
--2003 Amnesty International report on Thailand
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2005
On his 78th birthday King Bhumibol addressed the nation saying he was not infallible and was ready accept criticism:
'If someone offers criticisms suggesting that the King is wrong, then I would like to be informed of their opinion. If we hold that the King cannot be criticised or violated, then the King ends up in a difficult situation.
'Saying that the King can do no wrong is an insult to the King, as it shows the speaker does not regard the King as a human being. Actually I want criticism. I have to know if people agree or disagree with me when I'm doing things.
'[Regarding those who violate Thailand's lese majesté law] if they get sent to prison, I pardon them. If they don’t go to prison, I won’t sue them, because those who rebel against the King and are punished are not the ones who are in trouble. It would be the King who was in trouble. It is strange, but the lawyers like to send people to prison [for allegedly criticising the King].'
--King Bhumibol's birthday address, 4 December 2005
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2008
Country Celebrates Becoming World’s Oldest 'Fledgling Democracy'
BANGKOK – With the promise of the 1932 coup that ended absolute monarchy and gave birth to Thailand’s first constitution still miraculously unfulfilled, politicians, military leaders and academics rejoiced today as Thailand officially became the world’s oldest 'fledgling democracy.'
76-year-old Sombat Boonyarat, who was born in 1932, said he had waited a lifetime for this day. 'It has been difficult. But now I know the 17 coups, 17 constitution drafts, 37 states of emergencies, 53 house dissolutions, 29 years of martial law and 163 cabinet reshuffles have not been in vain.'
Millions of Thais joined Sombat in celebration after learning that the Guinness Book of World Records had officially sanctioned the record.
'It is a great day for Thai-style democracy,' declared Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda. 'There were some worrying times when the world seemed prepared to call us a full-fledged democracy but we persevered.'
--Satirical article from Not The Nation, a web publication dedicated to Thai news parodies, 19 December 2008
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2008
People's Alliance for Democracy Announcement 27/2008
The People's Alliance for Democracy has been rallying for 192 days since May 25, 2008 for the two objectives, which are to oppose attempts to amend the 2007 Constitution and to drive out the proxy-killer government in order to pave the way for new politics.Throughout the 192 days of protest, the longest protest seen in Thai history, the PAD has carried out its duties of protecting the nation, religion, the Monarchy and the Constitution. It is an achievement of the PAD in being able to protect the 2007 Constitution, leading to the possibility of the Thai judicial system being able to prove the wrongdoings of politicians... The Constitution Court's verdict leads the People's Alliance for Democracy to realize the two goals of its protest. The PAD now declares that the victory it attained in meeting the objectives of its gathering on December 2, 2008 is a 'victory of the people.'
Now that the PAD has achieved its goals and on the auspicious occasion of His Majesty the King?s birthday, the PAD realizes there is no need for it to continue its rally.
Therefore, the PAD calls an end to its rally at Government House, the Suvarnabhumi Airport, and the Don Muang Airport on December 3, 2008. As the current period is now a period of a political vacuum in the country, the PAD would like to call on whichever side that attains power to run the country to find a solution for the current problems and not to create conditions for another political turmoil in the country. Do not bring to power people from the Thaksin regime. Address the wrongdoings conducted by those in the Thaksin regime. Join with the people in making new politics a reality. The PAD would like to make the following pledges.1. If a proxy government of the Thaksin regime is set up again or if there is an attempt to amend the Constitution or the law to whitewash the wrongdoings of those in the Thaksin regime, to benefit politicians, or to lessen the power of the King, the PAD will return. 2. From now on, if there is any government which comes into power but is insincere in its efforts to launch new politics with the people, the PAD will return. We would like to sincerely thank the people for being part of this historic event. Until we meet again when the country needs us. With deepest respect, People's Alliance for DemocracyDecember 2, 2008
---Announcement from the PAD after the fall of the People's Power Party in 2008.
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