Thailand's Indefatigable Commentators: Meet the pundits

Thursday, September 3 2015
"My fondest wish is to search and search for some injustice to write about -- and find none," says Burin Kantabutra. He fired off his first letter to an editor in Florida half a century ago to protest the injustice of racial segregation, and has never looked back. Burin reckons he has penned thousands of letters since, mainly to the editors of the Bangkok Post and The Nation and almost always on the subject of good governance. His name is instantly recognizable to many--even Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on one occasion. "Are you the letter writer?" he asked.
Burin is one of a handful of gutsy, principled individuals who regularly speak up on matters of public concern that deserve a better airing. A younger generation is keeping Burin's flame bright. In his broadcasts and writing, Nattakorn Devakula has never been shy about a good debate, and on one occasion verbally decked a former Thai foreign minister on an international TV talk show. Songkran Grachangnetara's wise, elegant, and entertaining columns have acquired such a loyal following that even former prime ministers circulate them to the salons of Bangkok.
If you have ever wondered what motivates these public-spirited individuals to share their thinking on Thailand and the world, this is your chance to find out more. What do they talk about, what don't they talk about, and why?
Burin Kantabutra was educated in the US and has pursued a career mainly in research. He taught at the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA ), worked for a number of securities companies and banks, and was founding president of the Securities Analysts ' Association. His last job was with the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Since a few years before retiring in 2014, Burin has been vice chairman of the Books for Thailand Foundation which works with the Asia Foundation to distribute textbooks.
ML Nattakorn Devakula is a former Bangkok Post columnist and host of The Daily Dose on VoiceTV, the country's only hour-long nightly news commentary program. A graduate of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, he has so far run for Bangkok governor once.
Songkran Grachangnetara is a regular contributor to the Bangkok Post opinion pages, and has been published in The Straits Times. Educated mainly in England, he graduated from the London School of Economics, and went on to New York's Columbia University. Songkran has been a visiting lecturer at Thammasat University's political science department, is chief executive of his own property development company, and is a passionate hobby farmer. Sirin Farm, his heritage farm in Chiangrai, is named after his daughter with actress Kathaleeya McIntosh. The couple also have two sons, Siri and Siam.

[@eng034]

K.Songkran should be the minister of education. This man really sees the problem of thai education..

[@lyradm1]

There is still hope with open minded and articulate people like him.

[@wjameszzz186]

@@lyradm1 An "open minded" that has an avatar of a genocidal racist like Churchill.

[@chathall574]

A very interesting and engaging discussion. All three panelists were articulate and reasoned, and I found The Bangkok Post opinion writer Songkran particularly erudite! As a fellow Thai, although currently residing in the UK, I wish more public figures and opinion makers voiced their concerns about what is happening to our extremely fragile democracy under this disgraceful and dangerous junta dictatorship...

[@MrPleaser2009]

Just came across this & think brilliant

[@jidapavilawan1723]

ช่วยคุณธนาธรด้วยเถอะค่ะ

[@yeeyee2486]

หนึ่งในบุคคลอันตรายต่อประเทศชาติ

[@iamunited5685]

ใคร..มึงกับลุงมึงหรอ เออใช่

[@roseblink.9172]

บุคคลอันตรายต่อประเทศชาติคือไอ้ประยุทธตั้งหากแดกบา้นโกงเมืองจนประเทศชิบหารแต่ประชาชนทั้งประเทศเอาผิดมันไม่ได้เพราะสภาบันให้ทา้ยถือหางมันอยู่ไอ้ประยุทธตัวสรา้งความเคือดรอ้นให้ประชาชนตอ้งตกงานกันทั้งประเทศเค้าถึงออกมาประทว้งไล่มัน

[@roseblink.9172]

ไอ้ประยุทธคือบุคคลอันตตรายต่อประเทศทำบา้นเมืองชิบหายประชาชชนลุกฮือออกมาประทว้ง