Thailand – The crown and the crop top: the king of Thailand in six objects | 1843 magazine | The Economist
Article summary
WhatsApp T he monarchy has long been treated with deference in Thailand. Until recently, people rarely mentioned the royal family in public except to proclaim their loyalty to it. […] Friends with benefits Beware expensive gifts Western powers have long played a role in boosting the status of the Thai monarchy. […] Information about the bureau’s activities is limited, but it is known to control large amounts of property in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand, some of it highly prized (the bureau was reported to have demanded only peppercorn rent for a sprawling plot it leased to the American government for the ambassador’s residence). […] In 2018 the bodies of two Thai campaigners against the monarchy were found in the Mekong river in Laos, close to the border with Thailand.
