Second half of 2017: Passing of the torch

July: Thais are a nation of extremely ambivalent people, or at least that’s what Dusit Poll showed us. According to its much-publicised survey, 57.76 per cent of respondents were “afraid” that the next general election could be postponed, while 68.70 per cent find politicians untrustworthy. In other words, most Thais don’t trust politicians – but they are also worried that an election to put the politicians right back in office may not be on time.
One sensible assumption is that our military rulers have succeeded in discrediting both the politicians and themselves.
Meanwhile, a small incident on the road sparked social media uproar and underlined why Thai traffic problems are such a mammoth issue. A Mercedes-Benz owner overreacted when a boy riding a motorbike bumped the rear of his car. The driver slapped and verbally bullied the youngster, ignoring his apologetic, mumbling excuse that he was late for an exam.
The incident was captured on smartphone cameras, and the rest was history for the Benz owner. He offered his humble apologies, which satisfied irate social media users – who remained oblivious to the question of why on earth a boy too young to ride a motorbike was doing exactly that on a busy street. 
There was light at the end of the tunnel for the boy’s future great-grandchildren, though. Scientists in China, around the time he hit the Mercedes-Benz, moved the world another step closer to realising a science-fiction marvel. Their success in teleporting a very small object on earth into orbit was a far cry from the “Beam me up Scotty” Star Trek scenario, but is very significant all the same.
August: Blind optimism about technology isn’t always wise. Where the “teleporter” news excited you, this report should horrify. Sci-fi movies are often superseded by reality, and the latest Hollywood household name in danger is “Skynet” of the Terminator series, when news reports emerging from Facebook Inc revealed mild panic. The cause? Two “intelligent” robots named Bob and Alice seemed to be talking to each other.
Needless to say, the “bots” were shut up. Whether they were “angry” about that and whether we pulled the plug too late, our great grandchildren may find out.
September: Aung San Suu Kyi sealed her own political doom years ago, as soon as she agreed to share power with the military in Myanmar’s half-baked “return to democracy”, but this month seemed to cap her downfall. During all those years under house arrest, what she thought about the ethnic Rohingya didn’t matter, but that changed as soon as she entered the corridors of power. What was widely perceived as her failure to protect the persecuted but politically charged minority group from a military crackdown culminated in calls around the world for her Nobel Peace Prize to be revoked. 
Meanwhile what did I tell you about Thai athletes excelling at “individual” sports? Srisaket Sor Rungvisai stepped into a hostile arena in the United States and knocked out one of the world’s most renowned boxers in the fourth round to become king of the super-flyweight division.
October: Thais said a historic, wholehearted and final farewell to their beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had passed away a year earlier, marking the cremation ceremony with a massive, unprecedented and collective tribute that captivated the whole world and focused its attention on the monarchy’s role in the country. King Rama IX left behind an enduring spirit of devotion, tolerance and selflessness, handing over a precious torch to all Thais.
November: Political news returned to the front pages, thanks largely to the announcement kicking off the countdown to a general election, supposedly one year away. The political war zone was murky, with the Democrats, the military and Pheu Thai manoeuvring for a three-way battle. Adding to the uncertainties are “smaller parties” readying to influence the outcome. Simply put, everyone will be watching his own back while keeping his own knife carefully concealed.
Rock star “Toon Bodyslam” – real name Artiwara Kongmalai – began his charity run at the beginning of the month, triggering a nationwide fever. The most important question was not whether he would finish the run from deepest South to northern border, but whether the spirit of sacrifice and sharing he embodied would have a long-lasting impact on the national psyche.
December: As this article went to press, Toon was in full throttle in Lampang with the money raised approaching Bt900 million. He should be able to finish his remarkable feat around Christmas. The man will have done his part, and it will be up to the rest of us to carry his spirit forward into the new year. The old one is ending with hope, but even the “Thai Forrest Gump” can’t be totally optimistic about 2018, when that overpowering, soul-tainting thing called politics threatens to take over.