THAILAND'S MOMENT OF TRUTH - ZENJOURNALIST
THAILAND'S MOMENT OF TRUTH - ZENJOURNALIST
THAILAND'S MOMENT OF TRUTH - ZENJOURNALIST
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CONTENTS<br />
PROLOGUE.........“THE DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY PICNIC”<br />
I....................... “A WATERSHED EVENT IN THAI HISTORY”<br />
II..…..................................“LOVE <strong>OF</strong> FLYING AND WOMEN”<br />
III....................... “FEAR AND LOATHING FOR THE QUEEN”<br />
NOTES<br />
There are several ways to transliterate Thai into English, and there is little agreement even on basic<br />
ground rules. The U.S. cables often use eccentric spelling for Thai names, and often use several different<br />
spellings, sometimes even within a single cable. Quotes from the cables and other sources are reproduced<br />
verbatim, even if this means conflicting spellings in the text of the article.<br />
I have followed three rules in my redaction policy for this story: 1. If the source of information is a<br />
player in the game, their identity is not redacted. 2. The exception to this is if identifying the source could<br />
subject them to significant risk of physical harm. 3. If the source is not a player in the game, their identity,<br />
and other information that could help identify them, has been redacted. Xs in the text signify redaction. It<br />
should be noted that the number of Xs used has been deliberately randomized. Counting the number of Xs<br />
will not provide any secret insight into the source.<br />
My name is Andrew MacGregor Marshall. I am not based in Thailand. There is an excellent Bangkokbased<br />
freelance journalist called Andrew Marshall, who writes for Time magazine among other<br />
publications and authored a book on Burma, The Trouser People. He has nothing to do with this article<br />
and obviously should not be held responsible for anything I write.<br />
This story is dedicated to the people of Thailand and to the memory of my colleague Hiroyuki Muramoto,<br />
killed in Bangkok on April 10, 2010.