The plot that nearly toppled Prayut

Thailand's prime minister was shocked when one of his closest comrades tried — and failed — to stab him in the back. Here's the inside story of what happened, and why, and what comes next.

“My fist is big, so is my heart,” boasted Prayut Chan-ocha, beating his chest with pride, as he swaggered out of parliament on September 4 after comfortably surviving a vote of no-confidence. “My morale is also high.”

But behind his bravado, Thailand’s prime minister was reeling from a stunning blow to his authority. He had been blindsided by a plot that…