A sinking ship

摘要

"Thailand [could] sink more than 4,000 metres under the sea. Irretrievable. We would not be able to rescue it." So, on April 26th, said King Bhu-mibol Adulyadej, expressing his fears about the political crisis into which his country has slipped, and urging its most senior judges to come up speedily with a solution. A week later, they had not, and the ship of state was riding ever lower in the waters (see page 66). Under the constitution, Thailand should have convened a parliament within 30 days of its election on April 2nd. But that deadline has now expired, parliament has not convened and nobody knows what comes next. Thais are paying a heavy price for the opposition's dismissal of April's election result.