<p>Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said Thursday his government was right to confiscate the bank accounts of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra as it was a separate matter than her malfeasance trial, which has yet to render a verdict.</p>

<p>A recent comment on the New Mandala blog said of the Pheu Thai rice-pledging scheme: ‘It stripped wealth out of Thailand to about 800 billion baht, on a criminally stupid rice scheme and maybe another similar amount to the Thaksin and cronies.’</p> <p>OK, you have to excuse the ‘and cronies’ stuff.&nbsp; The poor dears who make comments of this ilk seem obligated to use such flaming language.&nbsp; I am beginning to suspect they have a programme on their computers that waves red flags if they fail to include ‘crony’ or ‘clone’ or ‘fugitive from justice’ or the like.&nbsp;</p>