<p>From a report by the National News Bureau of Thailand, part of the Public Relations Department (stop giggling there, of course news is subordinate to PR):</p> <p>‘Thailand’s Army Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha has asked the public to stop making comments or criticisms about the controversial bomb detector GT200 procurement.’</p> <p></p>

<p><em>My word how things change.</em></p> <p>When I came to Bangkok, I remember there were 3 buildings of more than 7 storeys. One was the tapering triangular structure of the Dusit Thani, which set an aesthetic example which later high-rises studiously ignored. The second was the glass-and-steel Chokchai building, whose construction on Sukhumwit suffered the hiccup of a bankruptcy until the CIA was rumoured to have quietly helped with the financing so it could stick its satellite dishes on the top. And the third was Thai Daimaru at Pratunam, which was so nondescript it has long since been demolished in favour of something much taller and equally nondescript.</p> <p></p>

<p>A 30-year-old resident of the US who was born in Bangladesh was beaten up in the Bronx on the day of the Boston Marathon bombings. A group of 3 or 4 men, described by the victim as Hispanic looking, had decided that the bombing was the work of Arabs. They then assumed that the Bangladeshi looked sufficiently Arab and ‘took revenge’. The Bangladeshi man hadn’t even seen the news at that point and had no idea why he was being attacked.</p> <p></p>

<p>Dear Bill,</p> <p>Action stations, old man, just got word that She Who Must Be Obeyed has finally popped her clogs and will be with us in a jiffy just as soon as she clears celestial passport control and Lord help St Peter if he decides to ask her too many questions. (Though I suppose in this case the Good Lord will be handy if needed.)</p> <p></p>

<p>Those readers with no interest in Premier League football may be in ignorance of the controversy surrounding the sudden appointment of Italian Paolo Di Canio as manager of Sunderland. &nbsp;The team’s owners hope that with 7 games to go, he can save them from relegation (they are currently 1 point above the danger zone).</p> <p></p>

<p>In a landmark ruling, the Criminal Court on Thursday found Mr Pracha Sangkhom guilty of trespassing on his own property.&nbsp; While noting that the verdict was expected, observers saw the case as heralding a severe erosion of rights and liberties in the country.</p> <p></p>

<p>That’s it with Thai schooling, isn’t it?&nbsp;</p> <p>‘A Peace to End All Peace’, David Fromkin’s magisterial account of how the modern Middle East was created from the breakdown of the Ottoman Empire before, during and after the First World War, has recently been re-published 20 years after the original version came out.&nbsp; And while I’m telling people what a cracking good read it is, the comment I almost invariably get from Thais is:</p> <p>What does the title mean?</p>

<p><span id="internal-source-marker_0.13989656102566772">The Scene: The Election Strategy and Excuses Section of the Democratic Party’s Central Planning Committee. &nbsp;A younger member is enthusiastically expounding his latest Great Idea.</span></p> <p>No, no, hear me out. &nbsp;This one’s a winner. &nbsp;We’ll never have to lose another general election again.</p> <p></p>

<p>The Bangkok Post Sunday columnist Voranai Vanijaka has a reputation for being fearless and forthright. &nbsp;Which perhaps says more about the pusillanimous pap in the rest of the Post than anything else. &nbsp;But he does write some interesting 500-word pieces wrapped up columns that are three times that length.</p> <p></p>

<p>Laboratories in Europe are racking up inordinate amounts of overtime as they test more and more samples of ‘beef’ products.&nbsp; &nbsp;A small percentage turn out to contain something else, the something else in most cases being horsemeat.&nbsp;</p> <p></p>

<p>And there I was thinking it was just uninventive students who believed that any amount of perspiration could disguise a complete and total lack of inspiration.</p> <p></p>

<p>WARNING!&nbsp; This article has been written so as to conform to the restrictions on freedom of expression imposed by Thai law and its normal interpretation and practice.<br /><br />That should do it.<br /></p>