Prospect reads: first rate, brave Economist article on Thailand

Institutions central to developing world economies are often treated with kid gloves. Pakistan's army, for instance, is the most powerful force in the country. Pakistani media don't mention it. It's almost as if there is a media black spot hovering over Rawalpindi. The western media broadly follow suit, not rocking the boat and making the (understandable and often reasonable) calculation that being overly inflammatory will limit their ability to report on other, important issues. The role of Islam in the Gulf, the private lives of Arab sheikhs, or the role of the Indian army in Kashmir; all follow the same pattern. But few of these are as poorly reported as the Thai monarchy.

Thais revere their monarch to a degree I still find implausible. Like England in the 1920s, it simply isn't done to criticise. Visting Thailand a few years ago i made the mistake of joking about the king looking "geeky" on a bank note—he does, complete with Jarvis cocker glasses—to a Thai friend. Despite being liberal, western bred and western educated she looked utterly shocked. (I compounded the error by teasing her about it;  this was not done either.) Visiting again last year I remember a friendly journalist telling me he and his wife would discuss the king in public only using code—"Rex is unwell again, I see…"—to avoid reprisals. In general, the world media didn't do too much to rock the boat by criticising the king, or offending Thai sensibilities.

Which is what makes this week's Economist special report, A right royal mess, all the more admirable. It's a brave, truthful look at the less-than-benign impact of a Thai monarch, perhaps overly revered for his good judgment and stable hand. The report was written by Peter Collins, the Economist's southeast Asia chief, as his final act before moving back to London. I'm told the Economist might, in future, no longer have a southeast bureau in Bangkok. The two acts may not be related. Nonetheless, I'm tickled by the idea of Collins-as-Zola, bashing out his final "J'accuse Bhumibol Adulyadej," before dashing out the door and bolting to the (now protestor-free) airport. This flight of fancy apart, I'd recommend the piece. It is the best article about Thailand in years. From our lowly perch, Prospect warmy congratulates the Economist for running it.