January: 2017 began with America and the rest of the world still trying to come to terms with Donald Trump’s shocking election victory. “Russian interference” was what his opponents and much of the media claimed, which raised eyebrows about the planet’s “strongest democracy”. February: Thailand appointed a new Supreme Patriarch, bringing a potentially explosive controversy to a peaceful conclusion. May: A tense stand-off, the first of several, occurred between Dhammachayo’s followers and those who wanted the elusive monk arrested. Tune in next week for a stroll through the second half of 2017.

Source: The Nation Bangkok December 12, 2017 18:46 UTC