Watana’s puerile threat to station police outside motels only highlights the blind hypocrisy in Thai society. Thai society’s almost voyeuristic obsession with teenagers’ sexual activity and the inane public debate that accompanies it is both unhealthy and counterproductive.

REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE: Why the fate of Anocha deserves to be known

Sukham Panjoy and Teruaki Masumoto have something in common: they share the unfathomable suffering of having had a loved one taken from them. Both a sister of Sukham and a sister of Masumoto were abducted by North Korean agents in 1978. After having talked to both in Bangkok last week, I was struck by stark differences in the treatment received by them from their respective governments, countries and communities.

The South? C’est moi!

The prime minister has offered a new interpretation of the troubles in Thailand’s far South: they are all part of a plot to get rid of him.

Downsides of Fed independence

Alan Greenspan attained an almost iconic status as governor of the US Federal Reserve Board. So, as his term draws to a close and his mantle of infallibility is passed on to his successor, it is worth examining whether his legacy will measure up and what we can expect from the new Fed chief, Ben Bernanke.