Thread: Burma's coup leader and new dictator, Min Aung Hlaing was one of "Prem's children" (ลูก ”ป๋า”), meaning he had a close relationship with the now deceased Thai elder statesman, who was the central architect of Thailand's royalist-military establishment. #รัฐประหาร

You could say that Prem was like a godfather to the Burmese general.

Another interesting Thai-Burma connection, at least symbolically, is the powerful local political godfather, Newin Chidchob, of Buriram Province. #รัฐประหาร

Newin is the de facto leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, who are key coalition allies of the pro-military government, led by former coup leader and dictator Prayut Chan-o-cha. #รัฐประหาร

Newin was given his unusual name by his father, in honour of the Burmese coup-leader and dictator General Ne Win, whose "strength" and "power" Newin's father respected. #รัฐประหาร

Despite the convenient role Thais and Burmese play as each other's "historical enemies", the Thai elites in fact share a mutual respect and, very often, a close relationship with their Burmese counterparts. #รัฐประหาร

They enjoy these close relations while helping to create distrust, hatred and discrimination between the people of each country (e.g. policies to migrant workers, nationalist historiographies, movies like The Legend of King Naresuan). Don't be fooled by it. #รัฐประหาร