Learning Thai

Last week we (along with every other household in Thailand) received a copy of the draft of the new constitution. After the coup last September the 1997 constitution was annulled and the country has been under an interim constitution since then. I've found it interesting to observe this process and to read a little bit about the history of constitutional democracy in Thailand. Coming from America, where throwing out the constitution seems unthinkable, it is surprising to see how differently this whole process is viewed here. The preamble to this new draft explains "The democratic rule with the King as the Head of the State has been going through a process of evolution for more than seventy-five years in Thailand. Constitutions have been written, changed and replaced to better suit the changing times and circumstances that befell the country." I believe that this will be the 18th new constitution since 1932. There's certainly something to be said for the stability of American politics - but I also have to admire the ability of the Thai people to adapt, improvise and maintain a general sense of order in spite of all the political turmoil.

Thanks to those of you who are continuing to pray for our visa situation. I met today with the lawyer who is helping us and as far as I can tell everything is progressing as planned. I will see him again on Friday and we'll start planning for advertising an English class in our neighborhood.

And now, for those of you who agree with Candice and think that an entry about the Thai constitution is less than interesting, here's a picture of Claire from today:

-Tom