Since news of his passing yesterday (Apr 18), an outpouring of condolences to his friends and family, and his partner Thai journalist Chutima ‘Oi’ Sidasathien, has flowed online.
Alan came to Phuket in 2002, fresh from Hong Kong, where he worked reporting directly online for CNN.
He joined the Phuket Gazette, where he made immediate impact tackling critical issues, delivering a switch of pace for local news with page one stories like ‘The Devil Rides Out’.
The seminal article spotlighted the surge in road accident deaths across the island during a time when Phuket was on its rise to becoming the most dangerous province in a country that was soon to hold the title of the most dangerous country in the world for road accidents.
Alan left the Phuket Gazette to launch Phuket Wan with Chutima, through which they continued to tackle issues critical to the island, and then beyond.
As the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand noted, Alan is best known in Thailand for the courageous stand he and Chutima took against the Royal Thai Navy, after they were prosecuted for criminal defamation in late 2013 over a story on the trafficking of Rohingyas posted on Phuket Wan.
The pair faced up to seven years in jail, but still refused a deal which required them to apologise, and after much international attention to their plight were eventually acquitted in September 2015.
Alan and Chutima shared regional SIPA awards for Investigative Reporting and Human Rights Reporting over the issue.
Following up with Alan and Chutima on their understanding of the Rohingya trafficking in Thailand and the pair’s local connections, Reuters reporters ended up being bestowed a Pulitzer Prize for their reports.
Alan already had two Walkley Awards for his reports working with the The Age newspaper in Melbourne.
Alan’s wry sense of honour and at times wicked way of antagonising people into spirited action was often seen clearly in his response to comments on Phuket Wan, provoking people into deeper thought or even testing them to challenge their own understanding of issues in play.
His motto, oft repeated: “Comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable”.
Phuket was lucky to call Alan Morison one of our own. Like him or not, he was one of our best.
Our sincerest condolences to Chutima and all who knew Alan well. He will be missed.
Chutima is continuing her fight with her own health issues. From the bottom of our hearts, we wish her the very best in her recovery.