August 04, 2021
Thai celebrity Nisamanee Lertworapong dressed as Katniss Everdeen.
Instagram/nisamanee_nutt
First it was a charge against a teenage rapper, next the threat of defamation suits against celebrities trolling the Thai government over its stalling vaccine roll-out, then finally a ban on all media reporting “false messages” over the coronavirus response.
Thailand’s notoriously thin-skinned prime minister, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, appears to have become especially sensitive to his critics as the coronavirus runs rampant, sinks the economy and exposes his administration to accusations of incompetence over its vaccination campaign, even from his one-time fans.
Since April, a third wave of infections has left nearly 4,900 people dead, with daily cases hitting a record 18,000 over the weekend. On Monday there was another record, with 178 people dying of the virus as more restrictions were imposed across over half of the country.