<p>The rampant confusion over the putative secessionist movement calling for an independent state of Lanna in the north of Thailand is no more than you can expect in a country besotted with acronyms.</p>

<p>Well it’s a full house here at the Impact Arena for the live televised debate between Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Suthep Thaugsuban, head of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee.&nbsp; There’s a few minutes to go before that starts so I’ll turn to Khun Somchai here.&nbsp; Khun Somchai, explain to the viewers, what is the background to this debate?</p>

<p>I am a resident of Din Daeng. For my daily exercise I go to a public aerobics programme that takes place at the Thai-Japanese Stadium every day at 6:30 pm except Mondays.</p>

<p>The Thai political crisis has shown no sign of subsiding. Indeed, the rise of political violence becomes more evident. And since Thailand is an important part of the regional economy, its protracted crisis has produced far-reaching effects on the country’s partners. Japan, a major economic partner of Thailand, has felt the political heat too.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3737/12810034623_a950149da4.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 327px;" /></p>

<p>On February 18, the world that watches the BBC saw a grenade thrown at police at Phan Fa bridge which a police officer unsuccessfully (but ‘heretically’, according to a PDRC tweet and I hope that’s just a blooper and he meant ‘heroically’) tried to kick away.</p> <p></p>

<p><em>A recent Supreme Court verdict has set a man free, while setting a troubling precedent about acceptable defences in lèse majesté trials.<strong> Myles Gough </strong>reports. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</em></p> <p><em></em></p>

<div>For Little Uncle Bandit Aneeya, 73-year old poor writer and 112 convict</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>What kind of Thai society does Uncle Bandit &nbsp;Aneeya dream of coming true in even in the last stages of his life? His dream is that in a land of wisdom and justice every single person is equal. &nbsp;I think this kind of dream is worth fighting for.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Yet he struggles, harder than other people his age. &nbsp;He has overcome difficulties and troubles since he was a child. </div>

<p>Violence again has struck a PDRC protest site, though it appears that for the first time in many months of protest, no external attack was involved. </p>

<p><em>The conservative establishment’s nigh decade-long putsch to turn back the progress of Thai democracy and the empowering advances it has made since late in the last century has backfired on them with epic irony. Their illiberal acts have been designed to demolish popular electoral democracy and return the nation to a state of corrupt and ineffective government open to easy exploitation by the traditional elite.</em></p>

<p><strong>The 'Lao Question' becomes the 'Thai Lao Question' as Thai society realizes ethnic identity matters</strong></p> <p>Thailand has been described as a paradise by its own people, most famously in terms of the Ramkhamhaeng Inscription. It describes a land with fish in the water and rice in the fields. Thailand has also been marketed as such to foreigners: Amazing Thailand, the Land of Smiles.</p>

<p>Professor Thirayuth Boonmee raised the question on the television news whether or not respect my vote applied to respect the crook as well.<br /><br />This is a very bizarre question. It is as if Professor Thirayuth has been convinced that the voters have already decided whom they will select, and no matter whom they select, they will all be crooks (since the Democrat Party has boycotted the election).<br /></p>

<p>The big issue for the ‘we’re never going away no matter how many deadlines we miss’ PDRC protesters is clearly corruption.&nbsp; This to them is the number one problem facing the nation. &nbsp;It is also the number one failing of the Thaksin clan of cronies and clones, and the reason why the kingdom must be rid them.</p> <p>Now it may come as a horrible shock to anyone who has followed Thai politics for the last 20 years, but Thaksin has not been convicted on a criminal charge of corruption.&nbsp;</p>