IN this issue of the BigChilli, we’ve featured the fascinating memories of Roy Howard, who was responsible for THAI Airways International’s many brilliant advertising campaigns during the ’70s and ’80s. This was known as the golden age of flying. Certainly THAI deservedly ranked alongside the world’s best carriers back then. And for airline passengers everywhere, it was an exciting time. Thirty years on, flying has lost much of its romance. These days, it’s all about busy airports, endless queues, invasive security checks and ever-smaller seats on huge 500-seat aircraft whose makers spend millions of dollars telling us that bigger is better. How wonderful it would be to go back to those heady days when THAI ruled Asia’s skies.
NO matter who eventually prevails in the current political standoff, the outcome is likely to be the same: a long list of new names and faces taking up important government posts and making lots of promises, along with a raft of apparently tougher checks and balances supposedly to keep politicians from misbehaving.
Can we expect this new regime to give Thailand the better society and economic stability it desperately needs, or will the politicians end up being just as devious and greedy as those they have replaced? Ensuring this does not happen is perhaps the greatest challenge facing Thailand. Can it be done? How do you change a country that has always shown an astonishing level of tolerance for a political system that becomes ever more corrupt? And how do you eradicate a deeply entrenched and highly influential patronage system that encourages bribery, intimidation, bullying and exploitation? It’s not going to be simple, for Thai people are famously easy-going and remarkably forgiving. But real and lasting change can only come from them and via some very serious soul-searching. And that’s only possible through radical reform of the kind of education that should be taught in Thailand. But who’s going to be responsible for teaching young children about morals and the evils of corruption? While the obvious candidates include the government, schools and universities, the clergy, the media and families, none of these institutions seem up to the task. If Thailand fails to educate its people, nothing will change – the revolving doors of corrupt politicians will continue, and this country will be in danger of repeating the mistakes of a past that has seen the relentless rise of tyrants and dictators. And mass protests. THIS may be the season of predictions, but few are being brave or unwise enough to forecast what’s going to happen in Thailand over the next 12 months. As it stands, the political situation is on lockdown. And everything else hinges on it.
Realistically, there’s only one person who can solve the impasse, and prevent this country from a fate that only military leaders have so far espoused. And that’s Thaksin Shinawatra. If he renounced his political and other ambitions, and those of his family and closest associates, then Thailand can move on, or at least begin a period of reconciliation acceptable to all sides that would lead, hopefully, to a radical overhaul of what has become a political system riddled with corruption. There’s no sign of that happening, of course. Quite the opposite, in fact, with the Pheu Thai party announcing a very pro-Thaksin line-up of candidates for the next elections, supposedly to be held next month. The man himself is clearly determined to get his revenge, money or destiny, or whatever else he wants to call it. He’s not for turning. So, the stalemate looks set to continue, which does not bode well. Surely Thaksin and his team must have watched with considerable concern the recent anti-government demonstrations in Bangkok involving hundreds of thousands of so-called middle class Thais, and wondered how on earth these masses would react if the PT party is returned (which is likely), and Thaksin is eventually forgiven and brought back into the fold. |