What's new? That's what my reaction was when I learnt about the plagiarism allegation levelled at Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag over the winning design for Suvarnabhumi airport's new terminal that has been ongoing over the past week.
Plagiarism has had a comfortable place in Thailand for as long as I can remember, in music, literature, design, education and even politics. Thai society's tolerance toward plagiarism has just helped foster its very existence.
So, it was not surprising to see Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha -- who himself became a subject of a similar, lighter plagiarism accusation last week -- recently talking to the press about him ordering authorities to probe the design controversy without stuttering, or looking awkward or embarrassed.
