At this massage shop, about 15 minutes’walk from my place, I am known as Robert.
That name has stuck since my first visit a few weeks ago. It is not real name, but my last masseuse must have misheard me.
She passed it on to other female and kathoey masseuses at the shop, so ‘Robert’ I became.
Tuean was bearing down on my back. She had just asked me what I do for a living, which in an indirect way sparked a discussion about politics.
‘The economy would go down again. Thais would not stand for it,’ I said.
Tuean agreed. ‘My family is hurting so much at the moment. At this massage shop, customers have fallen away, because they are saving money. The cost of living keeps going up, but politicians can’t stop attacking each other,’ she complained.
‘Politicians like to tear everything apart,’ I said.
Police want to charge a man who served as PM’s Office Minister with lese majeste, for a speech he gave about Thai politics and patronage.
A busy-body investigator at Bang Mod police station in Bangkok was the first to lay a complaint about Jakrapob Penkair’s speech.
The opposition Democrat party saw their chance. Claiming his speech was a veiled attack on the monarchy, they seized on the issue as an opportunity to appear at one with the people, and attack the government at the same time.
Jakrapob, whose speech to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club was conducted in English, has now quit his post. The charge carries a potentially lengthy jail term of up to 15 years.
A lively side-debate opened about what he really meant to say. Jakrapob’s English is not perfect, but the average policeman has even less idea.
At least three translations into Thai have been sought by police as they assemble a case against the MP. They can’t rely on what the meaning might be in English- the language in which the speech was given – but insist on translating it into Thai. Only then will they know what he really intended to say.
Tuean and I decided that Jakrapob deserved sympathy, not necessarily because of what he said, but the way the system appeared to be victimising him for having the courage to say it.
now, see part 2
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