Asia Sentinel won a prestigious award for excellence in explanatory reporting on Wednesday from the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) for four stories on the unfolding political crisis in Thailand. It is the second year in a row that Asia Sentinel has been honored by SOPA. Now in their 16th year, the awards are the top journalism prizes in Asia.

The stories went behind the headlines to identify the reasons for Thailand’s political crisis, the motives of the contending forces and the likely outcomes. This year's winning stories are:

• Thailand’s Opposition Democrats Go Rogue

• Thaksin’s Enduring Appeal

• Thaksin: The Thai Monarchy’s Savior?

• Thailand: Land of Snarls

By necessity, the stories carried no byline because Asia Sentinel pulled no punches in talking about sensitive issues like the monarchy. The award was presented at a gala dinner in Hong Kong and was received by editor-in-chief John Berthelsen.

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