BANGKOK – The Thai Foreign Ministry has announced that deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s legal name has been officially changed, to assist domestic and international press coverage in more correctly covering Thai politics.
The new name, which translates loosely to “convicted fugitive republican bad man” is intended to assure that all subsequent press stories provide adequate background on the situation for uninformed readers who might otherwise be tempted to conduct their own research, which Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya calls “a threat to national unity.”
“Convicted Fugitive Republican Bad Man Shinawatra has been convicted in the courts, so he’s a criminal,” explained the minister. “He’s run away from justice, and is thus a fugitive, and it has been well-documented that he wanted to overthrow the monarchy and become president.”
According to Kasit, this makes Convicted Fugitive Republican Bad Man Shinawatra a bad man whose effect on Thai society is thus unambiguous and must be condemned. “We feel by changing his name to reflect his evil, we can help guide people to the right point of view.”
Although legally changing a Thai citizen’s name normally requires the person’s written and notarized consent, the Foreign Ministry has declared Convicted Fugitive Republican Bad Man Shinawatra’s case to be exceptional. Having already revoked his passport, the ministry has also assumed full power of attorney over his legal personhood. This was done as part of the government-sanctioned seizure of Convicted Fugitive Republican Bad Man Shinawatra’s assets, making the name change legal in Thai court.
Reaction from the domestic press was mixed, with Thai Rath and Thai Post editorials cautiously supporting the measure, and Matichon opposed to it. The English-language Thai press was generally positive, with the Bangkok Post only complaining that the name was too long, while The Nation enthused that its editorial policy already included referring to the ex-PM in almost identical terms.
“The only thing we’ll have to change is ‘Thaksin’ to ‘Shinawatra’,” said Nation managing editor Thanong Khanthong. “Today is a great day for journalism.”
The international press has been far more critical, with many organizations such as The Economist and the Straits Times refusing to use the new legal name in their stories. However, Kasit dismissed their concerns as further evidence that outsiders did not understand Thai culture.
“For us it is normal and desirable to have titles in people’s names to indicate something about them,” he said. “For example we call our beloved king His Majesty so that we all know right away what he represents to us, and we use the word ‘phii’ in front of people who have higher social standing so we know to submit to their rank. Convicted Fugitive Republican Bad Man Shinawatra is simply getting the same treatment.”
Leaders of the Convicted Fugitive Republican Bad Man Shinawatra-supporting UDD vowed to not only refuse to use the new name, but promised to retaliate with “totally truthful” names of their own, including Prime Minister Not Really Elected Homosexual Vejjajiva, Privy Councilor Fascist Snake-Head Foot-Face One-Testicle Tinsulanonda, and PAD leader Baby Raper Heroin Dealer Water Monitor Limthongkul.
