Spreading misconceptions about coups

Two recent expatriates’ letters – Arthur Chancellor’s “The best constitution Thailand has ever had” and Barry Kenyon’s “No country has eradicated terrorists entirely” – help put Eric Bahrt’s latest offering in perspective. However, he is still mistaken on the following points:

The high number of coups does not warrant sarcasm that there can never be permanency in political rules in Thailand. Fortunately, most Thais are not as presumptuous as Bahrt. Some of us take comfort from the words of Thomas Edison: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  

Also, Bahrt’s contends that the military could have stepped in without staging a coup in 2014. If they had done so, General Prayut and his colleagues would have been charged with treason and slammed in jail for violating the constitution. That constitution had to be overturned first to legalise their seizure of power. I do wish Mr Bahrt would be more careful with his words and not invite such misperceptions about the coup among foreigners.

Songdej Praditsmanont