Thailand's military bosses pursue some incomprehensible policies

Tropico 5 is the latest version of a video game that allows participants to play alternate ways to run and govern an island, with options ranging from democracy to dictatorship.

Constitutions can be written along the way, policing and administration tweaked according to players' preferences. So, why would anyone want to ban this game? Well, the military junta that has taken over Thailand since late May has done precisely that.

Nobody is very sure why the ban has been imposed, least of all the game's developers and distributors, who scratch their heads and say that two earlier versions are still in the market without any hassle. Thailand, known for its relaxed ways and accommodation to tourists, hides a bit of steel under all that gossamer and silk.

It censors media routinely and chops off anything perceived to be remotely political or pornographic from films. Images of alcohol and tobacco are censored in TV and a wide variety of social issues are out of bounds.

Thailand's long running border dispute with Cambodia is also a taboo subject. But what probably takes the cake — or dumplings — is last year's decision to ban a local version of Shakespeare's Macbeth. The government was apparently worried that a centuries-old play about warring Scottish clans could foment trouble in the land earlier known as Siam.