April 30, 2023: As one of several striking “firsts” of the ancient ceremony, people watching the upcoming Coronation in England will be invited to join a “chorus of millions” to swear allegiance to the King and his heirs.

The BBC reported that the public will be given an active role in the ceremony for the first time, with people around the world set to be asked to cry out and swear allegiance to the King.

This “homage of the people”, according to BBC, replaces the traditional “homage of peers” where hereditary peers swear allegiance to the new monarch. Instead everyone in the Abbey and watching at home will be invited to pay homage in what was described as a “chorus of millions”.

The BBC said the order of service will read: “All who so desire, in the Abbey, and elsewhere, say together: I swear that I will pay true allegiance to Your Majesty, and to your heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.”

A spokesman for the archbishop’s office was quoted by BBC as saying: “The homage of the people is particularly exciting because that’s brand new.

“That’s something that we can share in because of technological advances, so not just the people in the Abbey, but people who are online, on television, who are listening, and who are gathered in parks, at big screens and churches.

“Our hope is at that point, when the Archbishop invites people to join in, that people wherever they are, if they’re watching at home on their own, watching the telly, will say it out loud – this sense of a great cry around the nation and around the world of support for the King.”

April 29, 2023: A lot of people are asking how best to spend $125 million (roughly Bt4.2 billion plus). Sign some great players, Liverpool and Manchester United fans may answer. Buy food, poor Africans must be saying. Purchase vaccines and give them for free, the World Health Organisation will certainly suggest.

Or use it to give King Charles III one unforgettable coronation next weekend, some in UK seem to think.

For all the denouncing of colonialism and its atrocities, Charles’ preaching that the monarchy must be more sustainable and pared-down with less pomp and ceremony, and talks about already-strained pockets of Britons, it is estimated that the upcoming three-day coronation (celebration included) will be at least $125 million. That’s a stripped-down version, mind you.

The figures are not final, and critics suspect that when all things wrap up, they can go up further. And as it is a state event, taxpayers’ money will be used to fund it.

This is roughly twice the cost of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953. Although England has insisted the ceremony and celebration were bigger in the previous one, inflation and security have been cited to justify this year’s spending. And the UK government is defending it as once-in-a-lifetime experience that will bring joy to millions and boost the economy through, among various things, tourism and longer pub hours.

April 28, 2023: The two biggest opposition parties may be competing for sympathy votes by presenting themselves as victims of military influences in politics, some analysts say.

“It’s a We-have-suffered-more race,” said a political news journalist in an article. He was referring to the latest uproar sparked by Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat’s apparently-confusing statements regarding his father’s funeral which happened to coincide with coup-imposed travel and financial restrictions.

On campaign stages and on TV, both parties have been telling stories about activities and incidents that they say went against them in their “fights against dictatorship”. The theme of the competition is increasingly important because both Move Forward and Pheu Thai are wooing the same electoral market.

Pheu Thai had been a clear favourite to win the May 14 election but recent polls have shown Move Forward to be breathing down its neck. Many believe Pheu Thai was being forced to rule out the possibility of joining hands with the pro-military Palang Pracharath Party.

“Who says coups are useless?” said the same article. “They are providing absolutely priceless campaign materials.”

April 27, 2023: Bangkok-based EU envoys have been told that Thailand does not regard dissolving political parties as a way to fix national problems, as doing so would only make dissent more widespread.

Public Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul gave the message to the ambassadors of 15 EU nations who paid a courtesy call on him and were eager to know if the upcoming election would be marred by a party dissolution again, considering the frequency of dissolving political parties in Thailand.

Anutin said he told the visitors that only a party’s executive board can practically be disbanded, whereas its public supporters remained and would back any reincarnation. In fact, the political base of a “dissolved” party would only get bigger due to dissent and sympathy, he said.

“It’s a problem and never a solution,” Anutin said.

It must be noted here that he only said it wouldn’t help. That’s a little different from saying it absolutely would never happen. He did tell the diplomats, though, that the upcoming election would be as close as it could be to what they consider a genuine democratic exercise.

Anutin added that the ambassadors were also curious about his Bhumjaithai Party’s post-election plan, specifically how it would choose its allies. He said he told them the party had not yet talked to anyone in particular and its future plan would be up to international standard.”

April 26, 2023: Much has been said about Joe Biden’s age, and here’s some more.

He has announced that he wants to serve another four years in the White House, but many Americans are not so sure. According to a recent NBC News poll, 70% of those surveyed – and 51% of Democrats mind you – think he is too old to seek re-election.

Already the oldest president in US history, Biden could be inaugurated (again) at the age of 82 and finish his second four-year term at 86. According to US government actuarial tables quoted by BBC, the average life expectancy for an 82-year-old man is 6.77 years, with an 8% chance of death within the next 12 months.

Too much for comfort, that?

He could be up against Donald Trump who, now at 76 himself, will have looked incredibly young standing beside him at the presidential debate, which could be a strong, real-life rebuttal of “No Country for Old Men” the movie. Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, both of them around 70, should have sipped tea in the backyard with Biden while in reality the trio would, provided that Biden wins re-election, think about troop and nuclear deployment and activation as well as how to keep their worlds in order instead.

April 25, 2023: The world is hearing that Russia is causing world arms expenditure to jump, but details might make it sound puzzling.

Truth is the global increase in military spending had been consistently there year after year before the Ukraine war, and that Russia last year had a far smaller arms budget than that of the United States.

According to the well-known global think tank, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russian military spending grew by an estimated 9.2 per cent in 2022, to about $86.4bn. The United States remained the world’s largest military spender — up 0.7 percent to $877bn in 2022 — which was 39 percent of total global military spending.

SIPRI, however, implied that Russia was to blame. The US increase was largely driven by “the unprecedented level of financial military aid it provided to Ukraine,” SIPRI’s Nan Tian said. Last year Washington gave a total of $19.9bn to Ukraine in financial military aid.

Meanwhile, Europe, which has recorded the biggest spending rise in decades, was reacting to “aggression” of the Russians, said several western news agencies while reporting the SIPRI information.

The agency reported that world military spending reached an all-time high of $2.24 trillion in 2022, with fears of Russia fuelling a sharp jump primarily in Europe.

China was reported to remain the world’s second-largest military spender, allocating an estimated $292bn in 2022. When budgets of China and Russia are combined, it’s still less than $400 billion.

The US, China and Russia account for more than half of the world total, which is $2.24 trillion.

By some comparisons that should take per capita numbers into account, Russian figures must be relatively pitiful in the years preceding the war. There is, however, a lot more math to be done before one can jump to any conclusion.

April 24, 2023: Findings of political opinion surveys usually favoured the Pheu Thai Party, but not this time.

Super Poll’s large-scale work, conducted just last week involving more than 8,000 eligible voters across the country, saw Move Forward surging way past it among the opposition’s fan base while the much-promoted scenario of a single-party Pheu Thai government did not make it to the top-four list of most-preferred government coalition formulas.

Among admitted opposition supporters, 24.4% would vote Move Forward for the party list, compared with just 5.9 % less than a month ago, according to Super Poll. Only 11.2% would vote Pheu Thai, a sharp drop from 36.9% last month.

On the government side (government supporters), the Democrat Party saw a remarkable rise, from 13.4% a month ago to 23.6% now. It was Bhumjaithai who are the strongest, though, having 23.9% support compared with 19.1% between March 20-25. Both Palang Pracharath and Ruam Thai Sang Chart both are struggling, with the former getting just 4.1% backing (10.1% in March) and the latter 3.7% (7.3%).

People surveyed were also asked about coalition government formulas. A total of 34% preferred the existing one (Bhumjaithai-Democrat-Palang Pracharat plus Ruam Thai Sang Chart), 29.2% wanted a Pheu Thai-Move Forward combination, 13.4% a Pheu Thai-Bhumjaithai government and 5.6% loved to see the talk-of-the-town union between Pheu Thai and Palang Pracharath. Almost 18% wanted some other formulas.

If the changes are really palpable, does Pheu Thai notice them? Some analysts believe the party having been vocal against Palang Pracharath lately was being motivated by worrying popularity numbers. Those analysts are convinced that the “frenemy politics” is fast becoming a real and tumultuous showdown.

April 23, 2023: Reporters have bombarded Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidate Srettha Thavisin with questions that Jatuporn Prompan must love.

“Why did you leave it so late?” Srettha was asked during his election campaign in Phetchabun about his headlined statement that Pheu Thai would not join hands with Palang Pracharath after the election.

His reply was practically that denials had been frequent and regular but somehow they did not make news. “I always said Pheu Thai wanted to set up a single-party government (which should have automatically ruled out Palang Pracharath),” he said. “We weren’t too slow in doing that or anything. We always told the public the truth and our true intention.”

Reporters surrounding him were not satisfied, though. “Was it (your statement about not working with Palang Pracharath) meant for people who had been waiting for clarity so they would vote Pheu Thai (instead of Move Forward) in the election?” he was additionally asked.

To which Srettha responded that “clarity” was Pheu Thai’s policy all along, and that political parties’ priority contest should be about whose public service projects are better. “We seek votes by publicising what we plan to do regarding poverty and equality,” he said.

April 22, 2023: There’s something about fractious Sudan, where a civil war is looming and threatening the entire nation and evacuation talks among expatriates are getting louder.

Here’s a summary of the conflict “faultlines” as reported by The Guardian:  A “central” cause of tension is now the civilian demand for oversight of the military and integration of a powerful militia network into the regular armed forces. Civilians have also called for the handover of lucrative military holdings in agriculture, trade and other industries, a crucial source of power for an army that has often outsourced military action to regional militias.

According to The Guardian, another point of contention is the pursuit of justice over allegations of war crimes by the military and its allies dating back to 2003. The international criminal court is playing a part, seeking trials for a number of Sudanese suspects.

“Justice” is also being sought over the killings of pro-democracy protesters in June 2019, in which military forces are implicated by rivals. Delay in official investigation angered activists and civilian groups. In addition, “justice” is being sought for at least 125 people killed, allegedly or else, by security forces in protests since the 2021 coup.

April 21, 2023: Any attempt to re-impose old restrictions that could make cannabis slip back legally into the old narcotic notoriety will be met with mass protests, growers and those advocating medical potentials of the controversial plant are warning.

Easing the restrictions has been a tumultuous hallmark of the Prayut government, but the policy has been targeted by the current opposition parties, who stand a good chance of switching places with the power holders after the election.

At a major gathering of pro-cannabis groups in the South this week, a warning has been sounded that the global pharmaceutical status quo benefiting from keeping cannabis away from unorthodox innovators and researchers who could have otherwise made earth-shattering medical discoveries might try to demonise cannabis yet again.

“If the next government tries to revive the old narcotic myth against cannabis, there will be protests like never before,” Akaradej Chakjinda, a key member of one of the networks, was quoted by Thai Post as saying.

Doctors joined activists and old community “wise men” at the Green Cannabis Krabi event earlier this week, Thai Post said. Amid exhibitions and tutorials, they all hailed medical potentials of the plant which they say could upend the orthodox and lucrative pharmaceutical industry.

“It’s just a plant, which like all others has both benefits and drawbacks, depending on those who use it,” said “Uncle Dam”, a community leader. “We should jointly explore it, not jointly paint the bad light over and over again.”

A key message was that Thailand shall not step back. In a joint statement, the network said western modern drug makers have campaigned against wide public use of cannabis for fear that benefits of the plant could become more well-known and eat into massive profits of the industry. The western campaign against cannabis is undoubtedly targeting Thailand now, the network said.

April 20, 2023:  Amplifying the controversy over its rival’s “digital wallet” policy, Prayut Chan-o-cha’s political party has released a “We know how to spend state money” election campaign clip.

The main message in the clip is that Ruam Thai Sang Chart has a more concrete plan to find money to spend, like concentrating efforts on trade, tourism, investment promotion and smart engagement with foreigners. The focus is different from “Left pocket, right pocket” approach of a rival, who Ruam Thai Sang Chart says also faces the possibility of earning not enough for a grand spending plan requiring something in the region of Bt550 billion.

That is the first of Ruam Thai Sang Chart economic clips. More are expected before the election day, and all of them, the party says, will carry the same theme of “We know how to spend wisely.”

April 19, 2023: Don’t believe everything AI chatbots are saying, because they may have been programmed to perpetuate political falsehoods, spread biases or even rewrite histories, according to Elon Musk, one of the best-known technology tycoons who has turned critical of “uncontrolled” and exponential advancement in scientific innovations.

Just weeks ago, he was reported to be among many high-profile alarmists who signed an open letter calling on developers of AI technology “to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4,” citing “profound risks to society and humanity.” A few days ago, he upgraded skepticism into something that sounds like an explosive allegation.

“They are training the AI to lie,” Musk told Fox News, which, of course, is largely against what is going on under the Biden administration.

The tech world calls AI-generated falsehoods “hallucinations”, said Fox News, which implied that it could be dangerous when AI generates responses that seem factual, universally correct and properly written whereas in fact the system simply reflects the mindset and ideology of the creators. The Fox News conclusion came after a number of interviews that involved academics and experts.

Battle scenes in The Terminator series come to mind when talking about humans’ “War against machines”. But the reality can be a lot more subtle than people ducking for cover from super-sophisticated killing drones, because, if guys like Musk are really onto something, the machines can manipulate our heads and save themselves lethal laser beams.

April 18, 2023: She hates coups. She admits she can get very emotional talking about them. But Paetongtarn Shinawatra is too smart to rule out a union with Palang Pracharath, and has still relied on the clever reason why she won’t bang the table and say “No.”

If she is keeping Pheu Thai’s options open, today she gives the best political reply possible to the Palang Pracharath question. If she is speaking her heart, it represents a real democratic spirit.

Today she has said once again that she personally abhors taking power by force, but she pointed out one more time that election results are still not known yet.

The “We respect voters” reply is not new. In fact, it has long been Pheu Thai’s public stance when confronted with the Palang Pracharath issue, while the unbendable ally, Move Forward, has unequivocally and unmistakably ruled out working with coup advocates.

But Paetongtarn today utters the “We respect voters” line in a tough, paradoxical yet heartfelt context. It matters less what I hate, as what voters want matters more. She apparently says so.

What needs to be read between the lines is what will happen if election numbers indicate the public want what she hates or what she hates is the best way to go.

“I never like the coup,” she said. “But I won’t give a straightforward answer (to the Palang Pracharath question) because I honour (the will of) the people. Election results are not there yet. But if you ask me if I want to join hands (with Palang Pracharath), I think everyone already knows the answer. It’s not my policy to say it emotionally, though.”

April 17, 2023: America’s analysis of the Russia-Ukraine war does not read well for those hoping it could end soon.

Among key summaries of leaked US intelligence documents regarding the military conflicts is that neither the Russians nor Ukrainians have the clear-cut advantages that can bring the war to a conclusion this year, CNN said after reviewing the highly-classified content.

What is possibly bewildering is CNN’s decision to report that Ukraine’s military was planning an offensive. If the Russians had been unaware of that, they are now. One possible explanation is that the leaked documents are “out there” now and there are great chances that Russia already is aware of it anyway. (It’s a “We know you know” face-saving kind of thing.)

Here’s what the pro-Ukraine US news network said: “The 53 documents reviewed by CNN provide a snapshot of capabilities and vulnerabilities as perceived by the US Defense Department in the first quarter of this year.

“Snapshots are inherently risky: Circumstances change, as do resources and intentions. But the documents tend to confirm that Ukrainian forces are preparing for an offensive and that Russia is putting extensive effort into holding what it already has, while looking to aviation to blunt any Ukrainian attacks.

“And if the Russians were unaware of the way the Ukrainian military would design its counteroffensive, the documents may have given them some useful indicators.”

On how longer the war will last, those writing the content did not expect it to end in 2023. China’s military help was also suspected by America.

The leaked documents seem to suggest that the Pentagon does not believe the war could end this year with a Ukrainian victory that Ukrainian officials have frequently spoken of.

One document says, according to CNN, “Russia’s grinding campaign of attrition in the Donbas region is likely heading toward a stalemate, thwarting Moscow’s goal to capture the entire region in 2023.” Another says that the damage done to Russian forces means that Moscow’s goals will be frustrated, “resulting in a protracted war beyond 2023.”

April 16, 2023: If only southern Thailand could determine who wins the next general election, a senior member of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party bemoaned, albeit a little hopefully.

Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a well-known cheerleader of Prayut Chan-o-cha and deputy leader of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party, insisted that a South-specific popularity survey would have yielded a different result compared with opinion polls conducted nationally.

Despite being a Democrat stronghold, which saw glimpses of Palang Pracharath’s rise in the previous general election and which has shown a significant Pheu Thai infiltration currently, Prayut is a clear go-to choice when it comes to who should be the next prime minister, said Thanakorn.

“If polls had been conducted (exclusively in the South), there would have been a different big lead,” he said. Prayut’s supporters have been dismayed by Pheu Thai’s comfortable lead in all national surveys, but Thanakorn said he has been encouraged by “newly-founded” Ruam Thai Sang Chart’s gradual but steady rise.

“Don’t panic,” Thanakorn appeared to send a message to Prayut’s fans. “In politics, things can change overnight.”

April 15, 2023: Nine part-list candidates and one prime ministerial nominee have been disqualified by the Election Commission because they failed to meet basic constitutional requirements.

A total of 63 people were nominated as prime ministerial contenders by 43 parties. One of them has been disqualified. Rattha Pirawich of the Rathvithee Party does not have a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent as required.

Nine party-list candidates, all of them belonging to little-known or absolutely unknown political parties, are chalked off. One is not old enough. Several others apparently had not registered as members of their respective parties. Some had  failed to vote in community elections.

Some of the disqualified party-list candidates had been aware of their problems and tried to pull out. They could not withdraw, though, because there is no legal process for individuals to unilaterally drop out of party lists.

No political party has been disqualified.

As for the affected candidates and prime ministerial nominee, they can lodge appeals with the Supreme Court within seven days.

April 14, 2023: America’s media are now saying that French President Emmanuel Macron should focus on his own national problems, but that is exactly what he is trying to say that is causing a major backlash _ everyone should worry about his own business.

This is what CNN said, in a Macron-bashing analysis whose headline calls him tone-deaf: “He might have hoped to focus this week on what may prove the biggest domestic test of his leadership, as France’s Constitutional Council prepares to rule on whether or not he can push ahead with controversial pension reforms.

Instead, he finds himself grappling with international blowback from last week’s friendly visit to China – and in particular from comments that have made him rather unpopular both in Washington DC and with some of his allies in Europe.”

If ones look at Macron’s words carefully, he would have loved concentrating his energy on the pension reform controversy, which is getting hotter and hotter.

He told the media on his flight back from China: “The question Europeans need to answer … is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the US agenda and a Chinese overreaction,” Macron said, adding that Europe must not get “caught up in crises that are not ours, which prevents it from building its strategic autonomy.”

Strategic autonomy refers to the EU having geopolitical independence, which relies largely on Europe being able to become a third power and not get thrown back and forth between the US and its perceived enemies, in this case China.

April 13, 2023: Hollywood-style conspiracy plots are being alleged by a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist.

According to Seymour Hersh, quoted by several news websites, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars that the US allocated for the purchase of war fuel. Some money went to the Russians and Hersh’s headline read “Trading with the Enemy”.

The same journalist recently alleged that the US government played a leading role in the “sabotage” of Russia’s Nord Stream gas pipeline. Former US president Donald Trump, facing what his ardent supporters insist was political persecution in the form of criminal indictment, is keeping the earth-shattering charge alive by saying one more time that it could be true.

The latest allegations by Hersh are also dramatic. He practically said the Ukrainian and his entourage illegally embezzled at least $400 million in funds transferred to Kiev for the purchase of fuel. “CIA analysts estimate that at least $400 million was embezzled last year,” Hersh wrote in a post on his Substack page.

“What also is unknown is that Zelensky has been buying the fuel from Russia, the country with which it, and Washington, are at war,” the journalist said.

It’s too Hollywood to be true, but google Seymour Hersh and see for yourself. Whether the claims have anything to do with recently-reported leaked “highly-confidential” Pentagon information remains to be seen.

As for Trump, he was giving the first sit-down media interview since the indictment. Asked who blew up Nord Stream, he replied:  “I don’t want to get our country in trouble, so I won’t answer it. But I can tell you who it wasn’t was Russia.”

He added: “But when they blamed Russia, you know, they said Russia blew up their own pipeline. You got a kick out of that one, too. It wasn’t Russia.”

April 12, 2023: Ideological divide aside, the Pheu Thai Party’s promise to create “digital wallets” for most Thais is becoming the biggest financial and monetary controversy of the May election.

Opponents call it the most blatant electoral “bribe” Thailand is seeing, while genuine concerns have been voiced by more neutral economists who say the pledged programme looks like a major emergency scheme which is warranted only during a major economic crisis and which can put the country’s financial and monetary discipline in jeopardy. Pheu Thai, meanwhile, has been vehemently defending the idea, strongly advocated by one of its prime ministerial candidates, Srettha Thavisin, insisting that it would boost the sluggish economy and eventually expand Thailand’s tax base. The debate is getting louder.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has been the most cautious among the critics, avoiding directly mentioning the digital wallet promise during interviews, but he is talking about monetary discipline very often of late. Academics, particularly those on his half of the political polarisation, have pulled no punches, saying the vow appears like a promise of direct financial rewards if one party wins an election.

Regarding the observation that election campaign offers by other parties are more or less the same, the critics insist that it’s one thing to promise better welfare for particular groups, but it’s another to say that practically every Thai will get Bt10,000 in his or her account if a party wins the election.

Pheu Thai’s plan means that some 55 million Thais would have the digital money, which would be valid for six months and could be used only at assigned community shops within a four-kilometre radius of their home addresses as stated in the ID cards. A mega real-money budget will be required if the “coupons” _ as some critics put it _ are cashed all at once by vendors who receive the digital payment, it is said.

April 11, 2023: When the Kentucky massacre happened in the United States on Monday, maybe another mass shooting, albeit one less tragic or dramatic, occurred in the country but went unreported.

Data provided by the US-based Gun Violence Archive, a non-profit research body, said there have been at least 146 mass shootings across America so far this year. The organization said the number of mass shootings has risen alarmingly in recent years. In each of the last three years, there have been more than 600 incidents that can be classified as mass shootings, almost two a day on average, CNN quoted the organisation as saying.

American government officials may dispute that. There is no official definition for “mass shootings”, but the organization says the term “mass shooting” is an incident in which four or more people are killed or wounded. The “two-a-day” conclusion comes from the organisation’s own definition of mass shooting.

The organisation’s definition means at least 146 mass shootings have taken place in America in 2023 and at least 15 since the start of this month.

Husbands fatally shooting their wives with legally-acquired firearms, and vice versa, doesn’t count, of course, because the magnitude of such crimes doesn’t fit the unofficial definition.

April 10, 2023: In a few days, one of the country’s most celebrated criminal suspects, Chaiyaphol Wipa, may come face to face with a famous newscaster who, according to both admirers and haters of the former, “started it all.”

Phutta Apiwan (This is what he’s called for short as his real name, Phutta-apiwan Ongphrabaramee, is relatively long) has moved from Amarin TV to Channel 8 and his potential encounter with “Loong Phol” after Songkran will be closely watched.

Thanks largely to the newscaster, Chaiyaphol or “Loong Phol” became one of the most famous household names after a three-year-old girl in Mukdahan disappeared and was later found dead in 2020. After Amarin TV coverage implied heavily that Loong Phol was framed, an ordinary rural man has drawn large sums of donations, become rich, turned into a social media superstar, graced catwalks, appeared on concert stages with women young and old shouting his name, had songs written for him which were watched by millions on YouTube, mingled with star-makers in the entertainment industry, set up his own company selling beauty creams, built a giant naga statue, bought vast plots of land as well as a family van and surrounded himself with loyal YouTubers fiercely attacking whoever blamed him for the girl’s death.

Loong Phol (Uncle Phol) is facing a court hearing on the girl’s death and a Criminal Court ruling is expected late this year. If he’s innocent, he will be Phutta Apiwan’s proudest journalistic achievement. If he’s guilty, he will undoubtedly be the biggest dent in the newscaster’s career.

Now that Phutta Apiwan has moved from Amarin TV to Channel 8, an arrangement has been made for the two to meet again. It will be a very curious encounter because things have never been the same for the duo. After gaining his fame and surrounding himself with YouTubers, Loong Phol has practically shut out the mainstream media and there has been a major fallout between him and Phutta Apiwan, whom he called “Poodle” in a secretly-taped phone conversation.

“I’d rather be a pit bull. When I bite, I would never let go,” Phutta Apiwan reacted to the audio clip at the time.

That was after the newscaster’s name was put in a famous song glorifying Loong Phol, though. That song is called “I want to be Pa Taen” (Aunt Taen is Loong Phol’s wife) and can still be watched on YouTube.

April 9, 2023: The plot has thickened in the controversy involving a lucrative plot of land in Sukhumvit that Chuvit Kamolvisit insists he still owns despite allowing it to become a public park years ago.

It turns out that Chuvit did not just give verbal consent for public use of the land. An appeal submitted to the Supreme Court in late 2015 stated unequivocally that the land, featuring in a case leading to a jail sentence, was to become a public park as part of a goodwill gesture.

The appeal has been published by The Manager, which vowed to take the Bangkok governor to task if he gave in to Chuvit’s attempts to reclaim the land.

The appeal sought leniency from the highest court after he lost a case in which bulldozers were used to demolish his tenants’ businesses in 2003. The “beer bar demolition” case lasted years before coming to a conclusion in mid-2016. The Supreme Court cut his sentence from five years to two years thanks to the appeal.

In the document, the defense stated that Chuvit had agreed to “give up” financial benefits the land could have generated, let the property become Bangkok’s lung, and that his philanthropy “will continue.”

According to The Manager’s Sondhi Limthongkul, who is a journalist, activist and business tycoon rolled into one, the appeal was clear that the land was being “given up”, not “loaned” to park-starved Bangkokians. Sondhi added that there is a Supreme Court legal precedent which says that what is donated for public use stays donated for public use.

Regarding possible argument that Chuvit did not state he would give up the “whole” land, Sondhi said that after the appeal had been submitted, the defense added an aerial photo and details of the whole plot to the initial document.

April 8, 2023: Another “ideological assault” by the Republicans has begun, according to US President Joe Biden. Another Democrat claimed that similar assaults had been and would be spreading like a malignant tumour.

That was after a Trump-picked federal judge in Texas last week issued a hold on federal approval of abortion pill mifepristone. This, the Democratic government said, was a key step in an intensifying campaign to turn back the clock regarding women’s rights to terminate unwanted pregnancies.

The Justice Department plans to appeal. An Obama-picked judge in Washington has issued what is regarded as some deterrence, effective in several states. There is no need to say that extremists in both the liberal and conservative camps have been up in arms again. Words such as “setback”, “victory”, “inflammatory” and “Grievous overstep” are dominating the long-standing showdown.

It is believed that abortion pills account for more than half of pregnancy terminations across the United States.

Initially, the heart of the resurgent debate was primarily about safety. It has snowballed into a full-scale women’s right showdown.

The federal judge in Texas has said he would suspend the approval of mifepristone, a drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and which the pro-abortion camp insists has been shown to be safe and effective for more than two decades. However, he was pausing his ruling for seven days so the federal government can appeal.

The lawsuit from anti-abortion advocates claims that the drug is not safe and that the FDA didn’t study it enough to approve it. The other court ruling in Washington helped form a backdrop of conflicting opinions among the country’s judges.

Make no mistake, abortion is always political. In cutthroat politics, though, it can be extremely combustible and explosive.

The Supreme Court awaits, as those in the pro-abortion rights camp attempt to gain lost ground following the Supreme Court‘s June 2022 decision that practically ended the nationwide abortion freedom.

The decision in Texas was quickly decried as “deeply harmful” by America’s largest abortion rights group, Planned Parenthood.

April 7, 2023: In criticising the Pheu Thai Party’s plan to put Bt10,000 worth of “digital money” in accounts of the majority of Thais, Jatuporn Prompan has actually helped add some perspectives not harmful to the biggest party.

Jatuporn, who seems to have turned completely against the hands that fed him, said Bt10,000 valid for six months is equivalent to just about Bt55 a day, “nothing” compared to welfare promises of other parties made during this election campaign.

Some promise goes as high as Bt100 a day. What Pheu Thai offers, therefore, is “not exciting at all,” Jatuporn said.

So, those crying “Here comes another pretentious populist programme of Pheu Thai” may have to think twice, as other parties are having their own offers that seek to woo voters and require huge budgets. However, Jatuporn’s criticism that the Pheu Thai plan is economically risky because it more or less involved “unreal” money should be heeded.

April 6, 2023: The idea is that Bt10,000 of “digital money” is wired into the account of every Thai aged 16 or older, who has to spend it in his or her neighbourhood within six months. It is strongly advocated by the Pheu Thai Party’s prime ministerial candidate Srettha Thavisin and questioned by many.

During a recent election campaign, property development tycoon Srettha said the digital money could only be spent at community shops within a four-kilometre radius of users’ home addresses as stated in the ID cards and would be valid for six months. Those at the receiving end (vendors) will be able to exchange their digital income for real cash at state banks.

The plan is meant to stimulate the economy and hopefully increase the tax base.

Skeptics foresee a few problems. As with the “Half-Half” money that the Prayut government put in accounts of those who successfully registered, the digital wallet of practically everyone will be emptied at the end of the six-month timeframe. If all vendors who get paid by the digital money want all cash at the same time, some Bt550 billion will be needed. That is equivalent to the emergency state borrowing to cope with the economic impact of COVID-19.

Moreover, while a four-kilometre radius is nothing downtown, when assigned community shops are concerned, it’s not the same in many rural areas.

It is not immediately clear whether Pheu Thai wanted to implement it on an annual basis or how many tweaks are around the corner, if at all. One thing is for sure, if Pheu Thai is in the next government, its potential allies and economists will have big things to say about the programme.

April 5, 2023: Reality: Donald Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts. Worst case scenario: He goes on to compete for presidency and win it.

To be an American presidential candidate, one only has to be a natural born citizen, at least 35 years old and a resident of the United States for at least 14 years. So, even if he is convicted, that can’t destroy a strong political resolve.

However, the world order with an indicted or convicted US president will look like a yarn ball after it spent a day with a dozen hyperactive kittens.

For sanity’s sake, therefore, he has to change his mind. If he doesn’t, he should lose the primary. If he wins the primary, he must be defeated in the ultimate presidential race. If he returns to the White House, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping will roll on the floor laughing.

April 4, 2023: As if assigned numbers can determine the outcomes of the May election, there are long faces and big smiles today when it was announced which party got which number for the popular vote.

Prayut Chan-o-cha looked happy after the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party got 22 as its party-list number. It’s undoubtedly great for hand signal, which is important in election campaign parades, and he tried corresponding gestures immediately.

Prawit Wongsuwan’s Palang Pracharath landed 37. Too awkward for hand signal but he found something auspicious to say about it. Three plus seven equals ten and he likes it, he claimed. He said he wouldn’t mind it being “too deep” down the list in the ballot. (Parties love early numbers because it’s believed voters can find them easier.)

Pheu Thai was handed 29. Its leader, Cholnan Srikaew, said placements of  numbers on the ballot is as important as the numbers themselves. What he meant was a party being at the bottom of the first row might not be too bad. As for hand gesture, he admitted that 29 was difficult.

Bhumjaithai received 7. “It’s my lucky number,” said leader Anutin Charnvirakul.

Move Forward would not bring too much auspice or divine power into it, for obvious reasons. The number it got, 31, can be symbolic, though. The three-finger salute was widespread during anti-establishment protests and Move Forward’s stance regarding the demonstrations was clear. The assigned number can come in handy.

The Democrat Party was keeping a poker’s face after getting 26. If certain parties are disqualified, realignment in the list may change, leader Jurin Laksanawisit pointed out. “Real fans remember you regardless of the numbers,” he said, quite rightly.

April 3, 2023: Today’s colourful parades, flowers, music, smiling chants and harmless shouts at the Bangkok youth centre may belie what lies ahead.

There were photos and footages of politicians’ happy faces and beaming supporters. One intriguing image is that of Prayut Chan-o-cha and Prawit Wongsuwan sitting side by side. At times they were awkward. At times they giggly teased each other like a young couple in love. It must have been a far cry from their toughest days in the military.

For once, political rivals were respectful toward one another. Everyone looked hopeful and pledged utmost services for the nation.

On the one hand, it’s a beauty of democracy. What happens next, however, can be an irony, when the knives that were kept firmly behind the backs today are nakedly out and when what’s at stake far exceeds the drawn candidacy numbers.

April 2, 2023: An open letter signed by alarmists that include some scientists does not predict a Terminator-type Armageddon, but it’s hair-raising anyway when the exponential development of artificial intelligence is concerned.

Elon Musk is among them, reported the Deep Dive website which is one of several outlets covering the warning. The letter calls on developers of AI technology “to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4,” citing “profound risks to society and humanity.”

Leading the campaign is Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit focused on reducing global catastrophic and existential risks facing humanity, specifically the existential risk from advanced artificial intelligence, the Deep Dive said.

Warnings reflect general fears that AI systems could become human-competitive at general tasks. But many statements are hard-hitting and scary: “Should we let machines flood our information channels with propaganda and untruth? Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? Should we risk loss of control of our civilization?”

It comes amid fresh anxiety regarding ChatGPT, an even newer version of it, and unmistakable signs that China and the United States are in an AI race, not just arms race.

The Deep Dive reported that the petition has so far been signed by former OpenAI board member and billionaire/tech enthusiast Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak,  2020 presidential aspirant Andrew Yang, CEOs of AI firms Conjecture and Stability AI, and over a thousand other people including tech leaders, and scientists.

Musk has made a U-turn, from AI strong advocate to serious doubter.

He has tweeted a few days ago: Old joke about about agnostic technologists building artificial super intelligence to find out if there’s a God. They finally finish & ask the question. AI replies: “There is now!!”

April 1, 2023: For months, ChatGPT made positive headlines, but doubts are creeping in, starting in Italy.

The country’s reported ban on the AI marvel is probably overshadowed by other key world events at the moment, particularly the indictment of Donald Trump, but it is significant enough to prompt other nations and a growing number of users or experimenters to take a second look.

It’s fun when you chit-chat, like asking what gifts to buy for your high-maintenance girlfriend. This type of topics made it a sensation, due to the smoothness and promptness of the human-like replies. However, when delving into serious matters ones may feel, rightly or wrongly, that something is amiss, or doubt whether, when it comes to certain issues, the thing is following a script programmed into it.

The Italian data-protection authority reportedly said there were privacy concerns relating to the model, created by US start-up OpenAI and backed significantly by Microsoft, reported the BBC, which said the regulator planned to ban and investigate OpenAI “with immediate effect”.

Microsoft has reportedly spent billions of dollars on it. Reports said a version of the technology will be present in popular Office apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. It’s smart, quick, very dependable and the main reason why a lot of people are thinking that well-researched writing can be taken over from humans soon.

According to the BBC, “there have been concerns over the potential risks of artificial intelligence (AI), including its threat to job and the spreading of misinformation and bias.”

A popular question to ChatGPT today must be “What made Italy ban you?” Or, possibly, “Why was there congressional scrutiny of TikTok but not you?”

Daily updates of interesting local and international events by Tulsathit Taptim