ธรรมาธิปไตย <is this a political party?

Not a political party, but a system of government: "ธิปไตย" is equivalent to the English "-cracy" i.e. a ruling body, and "ธรรมา" is "dharma" i.e. the teachings of Buddha. So ธรรมาธิปไตย would be "dharmacracy", a system of government in which the Buddha's teachings are supreme.

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Edited January 19, 201115 yr by a51mas

That sounds like a Chamlongian ideal. Sounds good and is dressed up as something good, but is really a dictatorship.

That sounds like a Chamlongian ideal.

Yes, it's certainly a Santi Asoke thing... (for those interested in Santi Asoke, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santi_Asoke).

Sounds good and is dressed up as something good, but is really a dictatorship.

The difference from the current system being...?

That sounds like a Chamlongian ideal.

Yes, it's certainly a Santi Asoke thing... (for those interested in Santi Asoke, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santi_Asoke).

Sounds good and is dressed up as something good, but is really a dictatorship.

The difference from the current system being...?

Well, the current system is pretty abysmal but this would be a move from one extreme to the other. My concern is more about how it would impact the life of the average citizen. I may be way off the mark, but believe such a system would greatly impinge on personal freedoms (at least much more than now). I can see it now, Thais not allowed to cross the border to go to the casinos, (gambling is a sin), the sale alcohol only allowed between 7 and 8 p.m. (if at all), the sale of meat forbidden on certain days, etc. Scarey, but will never happen.

I used to really like Chamlong and was very happy when he became governor of BKK, but he seems to have gone a bit loopy since then, more extreme if you will.

Back to Thai language. Sorry for the hijacking.