<p>Every lawyer in the world must be shock by the news about the arrest without bail of the 8 victims who were charged of a computer crime against the national security for drawing a caricature of the Prime Minister and posted online.</p>

<p>But the newspaper article said this form was not mandatory.&nbsp;</p> <p>Who says so?</p> <p>It quotes Deputy Commissioner of Immigration Pol Maj Gen Chatchawan Wachirapaneekhun, whose name is also there as the person who ‘designed and arranged’ this form.</p> <p>Well, that’s right, it is not mandatory.&nbsp; But if you want to extend your visa or do your 90-day report, you are required to complete the form.&nbsp; Voluntarily.</p> <p>Because if I don’t, …</p> <p>You won’t get your extension and we will fine you for not doing your 90-day report.</p> <p>I see.</p>

<p dir="ltr"><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-38463b5f-5725-cf83-bb08-07ce4601d4ec">Foreword</span></strong></p>

<div>There is little to be gained from further interpretation and evaluation of Meechai Ruchuphan’s draft constitution. The drafters felt no need for concealment or obfuscation concerning who they want to hold power and who they would prevent from gaining power. On these points it is the clearest of any constitution we’ve ever had, so clear that interpretation is hardly needed.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The contents of the draft are not as interesting as are its intentions and political objectives. </div>

<p>As the global climate crisis worsens, the actions of the leader of the G77, now 134 countries, will go down in history. The representing of members' economic interests and the coordination of member countries as a negotiating bloc is the main purpose of the G77 and the main concern of its chair. Global climate change will strip billions of dollars from the G77 members' economies. But, fusion will replace all the world's nuclear fission reactors and make medium-to-large coal power plants obsolete.</p> <p></p>

<h2>&nbsp;</h2> <h2>Part 1: Chronology&nbsp;</h2> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>It is not unusual for Patani Malay Muslims to receive a bilingual invitation card printed both in Thai and Malay (in Jawi script) for a fund raising tea party, usually organized by a local mosque, aimed at collecting donations from well-wishers. These events, called ‘makae the’ (drinking tea) in the local Malay dialect, are often held as one of the most effective traditional ways of public fund raising in the community. </div>

<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3cb7fe9c-2805-9f43-062c-ec9d80cf08e4">That General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the supreme military dictator of Thailand, has instructed his cabinet to read Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s book, </span>The Governance of China, because its reforms apparently suit Thailand’s conditions, is a revelation, one recently reported by noted Thai journalist <a href="http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1460541191">Pravit Rojanaphruk</a>.</p>

<p>Who is doing this to our Dear Leader?&nbsp; General Prayut trots off to the US in search of more ‘oh look I’m in the same room as other world leaders so they must accept me’ photo ops and it is all promptly ruined by another burst of rampant paranoia.</p> <p>He told VOA he ‘met representatives of many countries’ (see, they do talk to him so Thailand is not the international pariah that some critics claim).&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>My speech at a hearing on </strong><strong>“</strong><strong>Obstacles to Democratisation in Thailand</strong><strong>” </strong><strong>at the French Senate, Paris, 5 April 2016</strong><strong>.</strong></p> <p>I would like to focus mainly on current politics of Thailand, particularly on obstacles to Thai democratisation in the aftermath of the 2014 coup.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1717/26335873516_670095a5c9.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 375px;" /></p>

<p><em>I have been detained and banned from travelling abroad for challenging militarisation. Those who refuse to kowtow to Thailand’s junta are paying the price</em></p> <p></p>

<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d4288dfe-dfe8-a8b7-481b-1963702aea06">Today, April 5, is the birthday of Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya, the eldest child of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. Unfortunately, this is also the week Ubolratana Dam, named in honour of the Princess, ran dry, the first of the royal dams to do so in living memory.</span></p>

<p><em>(</em><em>In a luxury condo in Nakhon Si Thammarat</em><em>.)</em></p> <p>‘Geraldine darling, who’s Geralgine?’</p> <p>‘Mmm?’</p> <p>‘This web page lists the details of all the foreigners living in the south of Thailand and it says there is a Geralgine living at this address.’</p> <p>‘What?’</p> <p>‘Somebody’s been posting data from Immigration on the internet.’</p> <p>‘But getting it wrong at the same time.’</p> <p>‘Well it is Immigration.’</p> <p><em>(</em><em>In a rented room in deepest Sukhumwit</em><em>)</em></p> <p>‘Ahmed, look at this.&nbsp; Somebody’s given us a map of targets.’</p>