Thailand is a country with one of the most complicated political systems in the world, and one way of understanding it is through Thai political slang, which for the uninitiated can be just as complicated. Perhaps as you read this section, you will see how crazy Thai politics is and be inspired to work as hard possible to avoid it from happening in your country.

Ngu hao (งูเห่า) or ‘cobra’ in Thai political culture means renegade politicians who betray their colleagues or the trust of people who elected them, in order to reap the benefits from joining a government coalition. The term originates from “The Farmer and the Viper”, one of Aesop's Fables, which is widely known in Thai culture:

“The story concerns a farmer who finds a viper freezing in the snow. Taking pity on it, he picks it up and places it within his coat. The viper, revived by the warmth, bites his rescuer, who dies realizing that it is his own fault.” – Wikipedia

In the Thai version, the viper of the Aesop version is turned into a cobra, maybe because it fits better in the context of a South East Asian agricultural society. Even if the details are different, the moral is generally the same: kindness to evil means betrayal or death to the benefactor.

https://prachatai.com/english/node/8059

sigmoid wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2019 2:13 pm Restoration of the absolute monarchy would eliminate this problem, not only in Thailand but also in many other countries where unscrupulous politicians have gotten out of control.

Absolute monarchy with a king that is worth 30 billion you mean?