Protests update [Archive] - Sawatdee Gay Thailand the oldest and most popular gay forum on Thailand and South East Asia

Oliver

June 24th, 2014, 14:40

Thailand or Egypt? which has the more repressive military government? Probably Egypt though it's hard to say for certain since there appears to be little "news" available to Thais who don't read English.
And who is the more inane, Sisi or Thailand's very own Dear Leader? That's a hard one, though Prayuth's recent pronouncements (such as why a certain Thai woman has been "disappeared" for re-education...assuming she's still alive ) suggest that he regards himself as some sort of kindly father disciplining errant children. A dangerous man.

For those who were prepared to take the events leading up to the coup at their face value- that is, according to the Suthep spin- the recent comments from that pompous murderer have let the cat out of the bag....the coup was planned years ago.
Meanwhile, it becomes ever more obvious that the sort of democracy that we in the west usually support- one person/one vote- will have no place in the Brave New Thailand; the peasants/Redshirts/buffaloes/workers cannot be trusted to choose their national government; their votes will be restricted to the elections for village chiefs with no significant powers.
And finally, for those posters who are inclined to say "so what? the go-go bars are still operating", I suggest caution. The fascists that now run a country some of us love are not content with power for its own sake; they wish to transform society in ways that gays and liberals- not to mention democrats- will find uncomfortable.

http://thediplomat.com/2014/06/what-wil ... look-like/ (http://thediplomat.com/2014/06/what-will-thailands-post-coup-democracy-look-like/)

Up2U

June 24th, 2014, 15:09

Oliver

June 24th, 2014, 16:23

Happy indeed!
Appropriately so in a week when 1984 is banned....you recall the end of the novel, when Winston Smith has undergone re-education (sic) and decides (of his own free will) that he loves Big Brother. It's amazing how the captives in Thailand uniformly praise their oppressors.....very touching.

TAT is apparently being inundated with requests from tourists as to whether carrying a copy of 1984 is illegal. So far, it has issued no response. I suppose it has to wait for the Dear Leader to decide in case its officials also disappear for re-education....only to reappear full of love for Army.

Oliver

June 25th, 2014, 14:45

fountainhall

June 25th, 2014, 14:59

TAT is apparently being inundated with requests from tourists as to whether carrying a copy of 1984 is illegal
Looking at the story in Hong Kong's South China Morning Post rather than the local media, it seems this is not a case of just one random individual being arrested.

Handfuls of anti-coup protesters have staged several silent readings of the book in recent weeks, saying its indictment of totalitarianism has become relevant
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1 ... ce-bangkok (http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1538616/protesting-thai-reader-orwells-1984-dragged-police-bangkok)

Apparently all the arrests took place in and around the Paragon Department store. I have been there twice in the last 10 days and seen no army or increased police presence. Same has been true of visits to Terminal 21, and the Sathorn/Silom/Chongnonsi areas. In one thread someone posts about checks at Saladaeng BTS station. Not that I have seen. No checks at any Skytrain stations that I have been to. There are checks at every subway station, but these have been in force for well over a year and are not specifically related to the coup. Little change that I can see in the centre of Bangkok. Thai friends who live in the north of the city and across the river in Nonthaburi also tell me they have not noticed any change. I am off to Isaan tomorrow and will let you know what I see there.

Up2U

June 25th, 2014, 17:32

While posters obsess over the life and death of Neal, there are profound changes taking place in Thailand which affect our boyfriends and their families and- although many seem unaware of this- the lives of gay expats and gay visitors. Surely someone has something to say?
Most posters here have a different set of priorities. When you travel half way around the world to get laid the last thing on your mind is local politics. If you are like me and have a bf and see his country's future stolen from him then you see things in a different light. When traveling here I was told Thailand's government was a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. Wonder how many still believe that lie.

bkkguy

June 25th, 2014, 19:59

While posters obsess over [....], there are profound changes taking place in Thailand which affect our boyfriends and their families and- although many seem unaware of this- the lives of gay expats and gay visitors.

and when in the last 10 years, or even the last 50 years, would this quote not apply?

Surely someone has something to say?

you're obviously the best one to lead the chorus ... 1..2..3.. the sky is falling, the sky is falling ...

I am not trying to deny that there are currently some significant issues but in the last 10 (or 50) years Thailand has never been the Utopia, and has not now suddenly switched to being the dystopia, that you and your Thai friends seem fixated with

bkkguy

Up2U

June 28th, 2014, 13:42

If you have a Thai friend they had best be careful:

http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/2 ... ary-rulers (http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20140627/4-absurdly-harmless-acts-now-criminalized-by-thailands-military-rulers)

Oliver

June 28th, 2014, 15:59

Thankfully, my boyfriend (a Red shirt supporter though not an activist) lives in a remote area of Kamphaeng Phaet. Were he in Chaing Mai or Bangkok, I'd be very concerned for his welfare. After all, he's not a member of the middle-class elite...and with dark skin, just the sort of Thai the comic-opera generals fear.

I spoke to a number of old friends during my recent stay in Pattaya, most of them from Isaan, about the situation; I'm surprised that more falangs aren't (apparently) aware of what's going on beneath the surface of everyday life in the city. Don't they ever listen to what the guys say? or is "politics" banned from their conversations?

If that is the case- and I hope it's not- they/we are playing into the hands of the bufoons who have seized power and whose aim is to disenfranchise the majority of Thai citizens....including most of those whom we meet on our adventures.

fountainhall

June 28th, 2014, 16:09

I'm in Loei Province for the week-end. The only sign of a military presence has been one road block on the main road during a 70km trip. From the little I have observed, the coup seems rarely to be mentioned. But then I don't speak much Thai. Also, I'm in a small village rather than Loei city. I noticed 2 machine gun toting military at Don Mueang when I left on Thursday - but then I have also seen them several times at London's Heathrow on normal travelling days.

Up2U

June 28th, 2014, 17:25

My point is be sure our Thai friends use precautions and not wind up in a military re-education camp for their own happiness.

bkkguy

June 28th, 2014, 18:53

he's not a member of the middle-class elite...and with dark skin, just the sort of Thai the comic-opera generals fear.

I wondered what the soldiers were doing in Siam Square this afternoon with a paint colour chart in one hand, a bullwip in the other and roundup music blaring from their trucks

I suppose the next thing the fascists will do is get the Thai FDA to ban skin whitening cream

I'm surprised that more falangs aren't (apparently) aware of what's going on beneath the surface of everyday life in the city.

I hate to be the one to break this to you but you and your red shirt friends don't have a monopoly on awareness

My point is be sure our Thai friends use precautions and not wind up in a military re-education camp for their own happiness.

I mean it is not like our Thai friends are all buffaloes incapable of making an informed decision by themselves or anything but they do need our superior understanding to guide them on the right path! perhaps someone could set up a Skype relay in Dubai for us to send our messages through to give them more authority?

bkkguy

June 29th, 2014, 13:12

Surely someone has something to say?What will expressing our opinions achieve? I had a very long chat about the situation in Thailand with a Thai ex-pat last night, a person who has experienced life outside Thailand through settling in a Western country. In summary: "You will never understand Thailand. You are not Thai. You think too much."

A number of people have posted elsewhere about gay life in Thailand over the last thirty years, but Thai political life over that same time scale is a cycle: democratic government followed by a coup followed by military-imposed government. Repeat. Every single coup has had "Stamp out corruption" as its rationale. Clearly either the Thai Army is completely incapable of stamping out corruption, or that is merely an excuse. Perhaps the answer is that it is both of those.

To assume however that "This time it's different" and that the army really did strike merely to redress Thaksin's corruption shows the truth of the things clever and not so clever people have said about history, in particular "Men learn nothing from history" (Henry Ford). I just laugh when I see the ex-pat community parroting all the Yellow Shirt propaganda about Thaksin, assuming somehow that the Yellow Shirts will do it any differently, let alone any better, as if Thaksin is the first Thai politician ever to be accused of corruption by his political opponents.

What would Thailand be without corruption? One thing's for sure, it wouldn't be Thailand. The Thais love corruption, it's in their DNA. IMHO that's the only opinion worth expressing. A friend of mine has tried to work out all the kick-backs the management of his condo is getting from various service providers when the management on-sells to the occupants, but admits he'll never be completely sure. It's just "This Is Thailand".

Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow it will be the same all over again as this excellent commentary (http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_306485/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=h5UbkijI) makes clear.

lego

June 29th, 2014, 15:30

Surely someone has something to say?
Yes. You will see new incarnations of the same "profound changes" you're seeing now for a long time to come. Eventually, even you will lose your interest and join the ranks of those who are complacent (or "unaware", as you'd probably say).

Up2U

June 29th, 2014, 20:53

.............
Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow it will be the same all over again as this excellent commentary (http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_306485/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=h5UbkijI) makes clear.
The author could very well be right but my sense is the world, Thai society and culture has changed too much since the last (and previous coups).
Here's another opinion arguing we can't go back:

https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/56755

bkkguy

June 30th, 2014, 19:13

here's a quick game for you, below are quotes from the "About Us" page of the two publications that the two articles linked to above are from - can you guess which belongs to which article?

About Us #1:

?????? is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. ?????? is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, as a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members, it can maintain its single-minded focus on newsgathering and its commitment to the highest standards of objective, accurate journalism.

??????тАЩs commitment to independent, comprehensive journalism has deep roots. Founded in 1846, ?????? has covered all the major news events of the past 165 years, providing high-quality, informed reporting of everything from wars and elections to championship games and royal weddings.

About Us #2:

In these days of growing media concentration, ?????? is a proudly independent voice committed to human and civil rights, global peace and environmental sustainability, democracy and equality. By printing the news and ideas the mainstream media won't, ?????? exposes the lies and distortions of the power brokers and helps us to better understand the world around us.

??????, launched in 1990 by progressive activists to present the views excluded by the big business media, is now Australia's leading source of local, national and international news, analysis, and discussion and debate to strengthen the anti-capitalist movements.

it is always useful to be exposed to a broad range of opinions and on the Internet that can be done quite easily, but there is no point in accepting all opinions indiscriminately, so the problem is separating the wheat from the chaff, and for most people - including me - that often comes down to selecting sources that support your existing point of view, but it is hopefully more analytical than just that

anyway, no points for guessing which article I found more astute in its analysis, kommentariat and Up2U have already indicated their preferences, and the preferences of a few other posters here should not be that hard to guess either

bkkguy

Up2U

June 30th, 2014, 21:32

Bkkguy, you are so perceptive, the link clearly says greenleft.org and the author says he belongs to the socialist group left turn organization and lives in exile since the 2006 coup. Full disclosure. I have also posted Mr. Heinecke's open letter and David Streckfuss rebuttal so readers get both sides. If you chose to get your news spoon fed, censored,from Thai tv, from publications with a long history of bias then you are living in the right city and it shows on how you think and what you post. I always read and try to understand all sides of complex issues.

fountainhall

July 1st, 2014, 13:51

Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow it will be the same all over again as this excellent commentary (http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_306485/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=h5UbkijI) makes clear.

A lot in that commentary has been aired before, but some key points tend to get forgotten.

"Thais have never learned about democracy, never really compared democracy with dictatorship to see which is better," he says. "They just look at what's in front of them and see a hero, but a hero never lasts long" . . .

The traditional Hindu-Buddhist culture - emphasizing deference to authority in a hierarchical system, acceptance of one's fate and avoidance of confrontation - runs against emerging individualism, egalitarianism and rule of law. The old values also breed power brokers who dole out rewards to subordinates whose loyalty flows to them rather than to state institutions.

"Patronage relations dominate all aspects of Thai society and have a crippling effect on democratic institutions and political culture," said Marc Saxer of the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung, a German foundation promoting democracy. "Never mind the democratic facade, key decisions are made by a network of patrons in the backroom."
I cannot imagine what it is like not to have many of the freedoms I enjoy. But I grew up in a country which went through many centuries of democratic development and where universal one-man-one-vote was introduced only in 1948. In Australia it was only in 1962. Across the pond, America was founded on the very basis of individual freedoms and every American takes these absolutely for granted. Yet one-man-one-vote was only achieved in 1965.

Much of Asia has millennia of different forms of non-democratic autocratic rule where individualism has been actively discouraged. The group takes absolute precedence. As recent events in the Middle East are showing, you cannot suddenly impose democracy without spending time first putting in place the various democratic institutions that will make democracy flourish. That only results in the "democratic facade" referred to above. Is Iraq a democracy? Libya? Egypt? Similarly real checks and balances need to be in place before you have a chance of getting rid of the hierarchical system and old values.

As westerners with our freedoms, we think we can place ourselves in the minds of Thais. We cannot. Thai logic is totally different from almost any other I have encountered and I still fail to understand it. We can promote our own values and project them on to the Thais. In the end, though, the Thais will find their own solutions without paying too much attention to the outside world.

bkkguy

July 1st, 2014, 19:24

the link clearly says greenleft.org and the author says he belongs to the socialist group left turn organization

I was not accusing you of hiding the source of the article, I was merely pointing out that if you read the mission statement the content of the article will be much easier to understand!

I always read and try to understand all sides of complex issues.

and this helps you to understand the current situation in Thailand does it?

What is necessary for the first time in Thailand since the mid-1970s is secret organisation. We have a lot to learn from the Communist Party, both from their failings and their achievements.

What we need now is not armed struggle. That would be hopelessly destroyed by the military. What we need is mass movements with links to the organised working class, with internal democracy, that discusses the political situation and agrees on strategy. That has to be done underground.

I would mention wheat and chaff again but ultimately I suppose you are right - Green Left was only launched in 1990 so arguably it does not yet have a "long history of bias" which you would like to dismiss other sources for being guilty of!

bkkguy

frequentfliers

July 4th, 2014, 22:10

where have all the yellow shirt protesters gone. they were so visible before their army friends took over.

Up2U

July 5th, 2014, 11:21

where have all the yellow shirt protesters gone. they were so visible before their army friends took over.

Why would they be visible when their plan is being implemented?

July 5th, 2014, 14:17

I see investigations have not found any evidence of corruption in the Rice Subsidy Scheme one of the main reasons for the coupe. Keep looking fellas http://asiaprovocateur.blogspot.com/201 ... andal.html (http://asiaprovocateur.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-faked-rice-subsidy-scheme-scandal.html)

July 5th, 2014, 14:18

where have all the yellow shirt protesters gone. they were so visible before their army friends took over.They would be partying except that gatherings of more than 5 people for politicle purposes have been banned.

Oliver

July 5th, 2014, 14:32

I wonder if they are still being paid their wages by their masters? We now know that it wasn't just Suthep and his loony-royalists dishing out the cash; more sinister military men were in the background.
Of course, the ones I saw harassing Thais near Lumpini have probably returned to their day-jobs as mafia thugs.

fountainhall

July 5th, 2014, 14:46

I see investigations have not found any evidence of corruption in the Rice Subsidy Scheme one of the main reasons for the coupe
22 million tons? IsnтАЩt that strange! Funny how that blogger failed to note that less than four weeks ago the Chaiyaphum Provincial Court sentenced a rice miller to 20 years in prison for a rice fraud conspiracy involving a тАЬmissing 750 tonnes of paddy and rice from government stocks.тАЭ

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/rice-m ... ng-frauds/ (http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/rice-miller-gets-20-years-jail-rice-pledging-frauds/)

The failure is more pertinent given that 100 teams set up to carry out the nationwide checks of the governmentтАЩs rice stock pile only began work two days ago. Their work is not scheduled to be completed for 45 days. Many commentators have estimated the losses through corruption and poor warehousing to be not less than US$15 billion. Even The Economist magazine declared of the scheme in August last year, тАЬIt is a fiasco.тАЭ And the blogger has the chutzpah to call it the "Faked Rice Subsidy Scheme Scandal!"

Rice has been a subject for corruption for years before the pledging scheme came into operation. Last month the Samut Prakhan Provincial Court sentenced a rice businessman to six years in jail after finding him guilty of embezzlement and fraud re failure to deliver a Bt. 200 million rice shipment to Iran.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politic ... 37044.html (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Sia-Pieng-sentenced-to-six-years-in-jail-for-fraud-30237044.html)

lego

July 5th, 2014, 16:53

I see investigations have not found any evidence of corruption in the Rice Subsidy Scheme one of the main reasons for the coupe.
Your conclusion comes prematurely at best, checking the warehouses to conduct a full audit will take about one month until it's completed.

And after a mere two days, quite some "irregularities" have been found already, see http://bangkokpost.com/most-recent/4190 ... ice-stocks (http://bangkokpost.com/most-recent/419032/panadda-disappointed-with-rice-stocks)

Up2U

July 5th, 2014, 21:09

For those who feel the military junta has gotten the short end of the stick in the court of world opinion, here is some welcome support:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/lite/topstor ... om-myanmar (http://www.bangkokpost.com/lite/topstories/418896/general-approval-from-myanmar)

http://asiancorrespondent.com/124439/my ... ign=buffer (http://asiancorrespondent.com/124439/myanmar-cambodia-hail-thai-military-junta/?utm_content=buffera5745&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer)

July 6th, 2014, 05:00

Up2U

July 6th, 2014, 08:59

A human rights defender test case in Thai court:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/4 ... r-promises (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/419105/rights-activist-says-criminal-case-will-test-military-foreign-labour-promises)

http://www.lrwc.org/thailand-judicial-h ... statement/ (http://www.lrwc.org/thailand-judicial-harassment-of-human-rights-defender-mr-andy-hall-statement/)

fountainhall

July 6th, 2014, 10:20

The blogger was commenting on a report on the audit results that have been reported, not the ones that have not.
He was still totally wrong! By merely taking 22 million tonnes of rice that has gone missing in Ayutthya and projecting that nationwide, he comes up with a "fake" headline and a false conclusion, To fit his own agenda - quite clear when you look back at his earlier blogs - he totally fails to mention the earlier Chayaphum case, but then that would have severely dented his argument. I clearly pointed out the Chayaphum case involved both rice and paddy. Read more carefully and you will note that the amount of rice was in fact 129 tonnes. So in two of the first investigations, 151 tonnes are missing. Not a massive amount, to be sure. But considering the vast quantities of rice that remain to be checked, for any writer to conclude at this very early stage -

it is for that 0.009% the junta staged their coup and the PDRC terrorised Bangkok?
is quite obviously utterly ridiculous!

July 6th, 2014, 13:40

Thank you Khun Suthep sorry I mean fountainhall.

fountainhall

July 6th, 2014, 14:41

Thank you Khun Suthep sorry I mean fountainhall.
I suppose you think that amusing. Enjoy your fantasies.

July 6th, 2014, 15:02

Thank you Khun Suthep sorry I mean fountainhall.I suppose you think that amusing. Enjoy your fantasies.It's clear that you disagree profoundly with your Lord and Saviour, General Prayuth. He has been happy to publish the results of statistical samples of a typical cross section of the Thai population in the form of opinion polls. You however don't (want to) believe in the results from a representative sample of audits on the rice storage. Or perhaps you don't believe they're representative, in which case I'd be interested to hear why. Statistical sampling overall has a long and proven history with typical populations of data. Or is it that from living so long in a third world country you have acquired a third rate mind?

Oliver

July 7th, 2014, 14:45

There appears to be no trustworthy Thai news source in English at the moment; the Bangkok Post has all but given-up being anything other than a moutphiece for the Dear Leader, while The Nation is.....well, The Nation. Those "opinion polls" are risible.

July 16th, 2014, 12:00

I am shocked to the core of my being to read in today's paper that The General's boys and girls have been purloining rice from the scheme

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politic ... 38527.html (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Army-staff-implicated-in-missing-rice-30238527.html)

mahjongguy

July 16th, 2014, 14:20

Aren't you going to grudgingly praise the military for prosecuting one of their own?

Oliver

July 16th, 2014, 14:29

Fascists always fall out with each other once they've grabbed power. The Dear Leader is, at this moment, looking over his shoulder to see who wants his job. Money and power, power and money.... an intoxicating prospect for any military thug.

July 17th, 2014, 04:27

I'll be praising the junta when they start referring cases to the anti-corruption bodies where military officers are complicit in padding construction contracts or granting monopolies to their mates rather than through a transparent tender process

July 17th, 2014, 10:06

We will know the junta is serious about anti-corruption when we start seeing stories like this one from Australia http://m.smh.com.au/national/australian ... ztwb2.html (http://m.smh.com.au/national/australian-federal-police-officer-charged-with-corruption-20140717-ztwb2.html)

lego

July 17th, 2014, 13:48

Fascists always fall out with each other once they've grabbed power.
Wow, so they're just the same like communist revolutionaries! Who WOULD have thought...

July 19th, 2014, 05:19

Fascists always fall out with each other once they've grabbed power.
Wow, so they're just the same like communist revolutionaries! Who WOULD have thought...
Oliver's assertion is true for politicians generally, both democratic and non-democratic, and whether they've grabbed power or merely hope to do so.

On a slightly different point I read recently that General Tasty has got his underlings working on how they can prevent future governments from implementing "populist" policies.

Oliver

July 19th, 2014, 15:31

July 20th, 2014, 07:49

They will have to restrict the vote to those considered trustworthy....that is by class. This was always Suthep's aim. He couldn't do it with his pathetic little gang in Bangkok and so the fascists took over. As planned, the South American banana republic was imported to Thailand. El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatamala most recently (thanks Hillary!) Honduras. The only element missing was the CIA torturers in their dark glasses....probably.Come along Oliver, join the real world. You obviously don't know your Mao - "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun". Stop whining! General Tasty and his merry men are here to restore the status quo ante and make sure that if anyone's going to benefit from corruption it will be the right people, not jumped up nouveau riche like Thaksin. Thailand doesn't need to import the banana republic model (banana kingdom, surely?), it's not going to be more than a tin-pot Third World country in our lifetime, and always has been a banana something. (Cue for Thai pun on banana vs. penis by modulating the tone, a favourite with every Thai boy).

Oliver

July 21st, 2014, 14:54

July 21st, 2014, 15:11

lego

July 22nd, 2014, 03:02

Yes.
Thailand desperately needs its own Hugo Chavez
In his current form, I wouldn't mind.

Smiles

July 22nd, 2014, 05:05

Yes. Thailand desperately needs its own Hugo Chavez to depose the generals and begin a massive redistribution of wealth....decent hospitals and schools for the poor, criminal law applied to the rich as well as the poor, no more posh kids in BMWs allowed to mow down peasants with immunity....
Absolute nonsense:

Corruption: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_Venezuela
Murder rate: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/2 ... 06363.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/26/venezuela-homicide-rate_n_4506363.html)
Economy: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/wor ... d/follows/ (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/venezuelas-economy-on-the-edge-of-the-apocalypse/article16845406/#dashboard/follows/)
How Venezuelans see their own country: http://www.gallup.com/poll/167663/venez ... tests.aspx (http://www.gallup.com/poll/167663/venezuelans-saw-political-instability-protests.aspx)
The general state of Venezuela: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/moises-na ... 74523.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/moises-naim/venezuela-unrest_b_4874523.html)

These few links speak for themselves. But there's lots more, most of which carry the same basic theme: Mr. Chavez was a disaster for the country. Him croaking relatively early in life (he was 58) was perhaps a godsend . . . now hopefully there is some wriggle room to fix things up.
Chavez's new crowned prince is the same kind of paranoid incompetent as his boss, but somewhat more free of the bloated bombast.

The dictatorship of the proletariat dreamworld Oliver lives in carries on apace ... getting dreamier as he ages. Next thing we'll hear from him is his favourite list of hosannas regarding Mr. Mugabe's little thug-run fiefdom, Zimbabwe.

Oliver

July 22nd, 2014, 14:27

Argentina? No; Venezuela has its own oil reserves; which is why the US industrial/military complex has always been so determined to reinstate the neo-con establishment who can return to their favourite past-time of screwing and disenfranchising the poor. It's money in the bank for them.....and US tycoons and their friends in Washington.

christianpfc

July 22nd, 2014, 14:30

Chavez at least had Argentina's oil revenues to rely on.
Venezuela's oil revenues.

July 23rd, 2014, 07:27

Frankly the only thing that interests me about anywhere in South America is James Rodriguez and I'd like to fuck his brains out.

"anywhere or anyone"

Smiles

July 23rd, 2014, 11:59

Frankly the only thing that interests me about anywhere in South America is James Rodriguez and I'd like to fuck his brains out.
"anywhere or anyone"
I hear ya!!
Just for you: https://www.google.ca/search?q=james+ro ... B650%3B500 (https://www.google.ca/search?q=james+rodriguez&tbm=isch&imgil=773lk11ggL7W8M%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252F encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9 GcTqVNRsFd24Eg9el-HAkgB-yaoSl3eO_irtQVUxBbjK5TxSrAB7iQ%253B650%253B500%253 BbuUzitEPCfiEmM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.m ycolombianwife.com%25252Fjames-rodrigues-blessed-scorer%25252F&source=iu&usg=__6DGpuiZZQt0Jlg2n1QiRieQT9MQ%3D&sa=X&ei=20DPU4H-FOrwiQL55ICoDw&sqi=2&ved=0CL4BEP4dMBE&biw=1366&bih=643#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=773lk11ggL7W8M%253A%3BbuUzitEPCfiEmM%3Bhttp% 253A%252F%252Fwww.mycolombianwife.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2014%252F06%252Fcolombia-world-cup-2014-brazil-2014-311.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.mycolombianwife.c om%252Fjames-rodrigues-blessed-scorer%252F%3B650%3B500)

Up2U

July 23rd, 2014, 13:13

For those singing the praises of the junta, here is another one to consider:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... -to-kowtow (http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/421872/teaching-our-children-how-to-kowtow)

Oliver

July 23rd, 2014, 15:05

What a ludicrous bunch.....Thailand needs a Jonathon Swift (as well as a Hugo Chavez) to mock their idiocies.

Still, it's good to see the BP having the courage to publish. I wonder when they will be censored? and the journalist imprisoned?

July 23rd, 2014, 16:07

What a ludicrous bunch.....Thailand needs a Jonathon Swift (as well as a Hugo Chavez) to mock their idiocies.You need to be careful there Oliver. Those who mock are among those most commonly labelled "trolls".

Oliver

July 23rd, 2014, 16:44

Up2U

July 24th, 2014, 16:47

Some recent news, the King endorses the temporary constitution (video) :

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 96153&_rdr (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10152540361346154&id=627196153&_rdr)

and the Voice of America take:

http://m.voanews.com/a/thai-junta-unvei ... 63363.html (http://m.voanews.com/a/thai-junta-unveils-temporary-constitution/1963363.html)

July 24th, 2014, 17:36

I want to know who that young flunkey is, so I can add him to my To Do list.

scottish-guy

July 24th, 2014, 17:55

I want to know who that young flunkey is, so I can add him to my To Do list.

Hate to burst your bubble - Nirish Guy already has him on a monthly retainer

:ymparty:

thaiguest

July 25th, 2014, 02:16

Thailand desperately needs its own Hugo Chavez to depose the generals and begin a massive redistribution of wealth....decent hospitals and schools for the poor, criminal law applied to the rich as well as the poor, no more posh kids in BMWs allowed to mow down peasants with immunity....Chavez at least had Argentina's oil revenues to rely on. What's Thailand got? Sex tourists?
Tourism accounts for only about 5% of Thai revenues. What % is the sexy bit I don't know but I'll do the research on the gay portion if someone will pay accommodation and exps. for me around Silom, Ch Mai and Pattaya etc.
"OFF" fees will come under the general heading of FEELWORK.

July 26th, 2014, 06:41

Sorry. I forgot.

I must remember Swift's epitaph in St Patrick's Cathedral....
"Here lies the body of Jonathon Swift, Dean of this Cathedral, where savage indignation can no more lacerate his heart.
Go traveller and emulate , if you can, his strenuous vindication of Man's liberty."

Savage indignation indeed. The hallmark of a Sawatdee Troll.You do need to be careful, Oliver - if you are reading widely (http://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/2014/07/25/amm-at-vice-on-lese-majeste-madness/) you'll know already.

Up2U

July 26th, 2014, 10:03

Let's hope the NCPO doesn't get the two Oliver's mixed up!

lego

July 26th, 2014, 11:29

Well, as a foreign fool, Oliver probably would just get deported in case he is caught. I wouldn't worry about his safety and well-being too much. Sadly, the same cannot be said for those Thais who simply have a genuine interest in exercising what should really be their civil rights, without sharing the same delusional communist agenda. They, indeed, have my sympathy.

Oliver

July 26th, 2014, 15:11

Don't worry; I shall be in Palestine in a few weeks and only get to Thailand in October if I survive the Israeli "Defence" Force. I am over twelve so I'm pretty confident that I shall.

July 27th, 2014, 06:22

Don't worry; I shall be in Palestine in a few weeks and only get to Thailand in October if I survive the Israeli "Defence" Force. I am over twelve so I'm pretty confident that I shall."Foreskins at 10 paces"?

lego

July 27th, 2014, 13:43

Don't worry; I shall be in Palestine in a few weeks and only get to Thailand in October if I survive the Israeli "Defence" Force. I am over twelve so I'm pretty confident that I shall.
Well, in that case, all the best of luck! Quite a mess there.

Oliver

July 27th, 2014, 14:27

Thanks. I know my way around after twelve years of staying but it can be frightening. My Palestinian friends take good care of me and, when I'm on my own, traditional Arabic hospitality means that everyone is warm and helpful- they appreciate the fact that I'm there in solidarity. There is always someone to talk to in the buses and while waiting for hours at checkpoints.

Surprising as it may seem, much as I have loved Thailand (and my teerak!), if I were to relive one day in my life it would be the one when I was with the people of Bethlehem marching from Daheisha to Aida (two of Bethlehem's three refugee camps) to commemorate the 1948 catastrophe when Palestinians lost their homes to invaders.
Though desperately poor and oppressed, the young people had such optimism, determination and an overwhelming zest for life. It was an immense privilege for me.

That was five years ago. I wonder how many of those bright youngsters have survived the settlers and IDF?

July 27th, 2014, 17:30

Oliver Quixote, I presume.

Up2U

July 30th, 2014, 16:57

The new Thailand - Myanmar axis:

http://thediplomat.com/2014/07/the-new- ... nmar-axis/ (http://thediplomat.com/2014/07/the-new-thailand-myanmar-axis/)

July 31st, 2014, 07:27

I've been waiting anxiously for fountainhall's "take" on the latest update on the "corruption" in the rice-pledging scheme. Keen readers will recall it was one of the reasons the coup leaders gave for their actions. Here's the latest from the Bangkok Post (http://www.bangkokpost.com/most-recent/422709/4298-sacks-of-pledged-rice-missing-in-ne), well-known as a bastion of Red Shirt support: "After the completion of the inspection [in 14 north-eastern provinces], it was concluded that 4,298 sacks of rice from a total of 23,235,449 stored at 297 warehouses had gone missing. The amount was only 0.018% of the total and did not exceed the 5% margin of error fixed by the committee set up to check the quantity and quality of rice." However perhaps fountainhall is off with his hero (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/420689/suthep-takes-up-a-monk-life) seeking holiness?

lego

July 31st, 2014, 18:24

I'm rather unimpressed with the reports on lost/stolen/rotten rice so far, too, I have to say that.

August 1st, 2014, 16:31

The sort of headline that's in the nudge nudge wink wink category http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2014/08/01/ ... it-gallery (http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2014/08/01/thailand-stroke-stroke-queen-sirikit-gallery)

August 3rd, 2014, 06:51

Great story in todays online papers no the Thai ones of course about how the junta are torturing political prisoners it makes me proud to be a tourist in this great country

August 3rd, 2014, 07:55

The junta are doing everything possible to encourage tourism as this story reveals

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/4 ... e-campaign (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/423807/military-claims-success-in-2am-bar-closure-campaign)

Oliver

August 3rd, 2014, 15:24

Torturing dissenters? Of course they do; that's in the nature of Right-wing military dictatorships. It's patriotic....and fun, too. The victims' lives are as worthless to these thugs as those of Palestinians are to Zionists.

August 4th, 2014, 15:11

The victims' lives are as worthless to these thugs as those of Palestinians are to Zionists.As those of Palestinians are to Hamas, surely? In this current conflict I'm firmly with the Egyptian government.

Oliver

August 4th, 2014, 20:47

What a surprise! another military dictatorship that has massacred and imprisoned thousands of its citizens for dissent. Pinochet another hero?
Perhaps those sexy uniforms appeal.
Best to avoid puerile references to Hamas; you don't know what you are talking about. Second-hand regurgitation of Fox News doesn't cut much ice. Too many dead children, Yet again.

Oliver

August 5th, 2014, 14:08

Intemperate response; apologies. I'm in daily contact with friends in Palestine...too many worries as to whether they and their families can survive. But no excuse for rudeness.

August 6th, 2014, 16:10

Second-hand regurgitation of Fox News doesn't cut much ice.My sources include Prospect magazine here in the UK, hardly a right-wing publication. I don't watch Ratbag TV aka. The Fox Network. This article includes an excellent discussion of Hamas - http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/opini ... ant-refuse (http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/opinions/hamas-might-get-an-offer-they-cant-refuse)

Surfcrest - you might consider pruning the last few posts into their own thread; I should hate to pollute a discussion on Thailand with one about the intractable problems of the Middle East.

Oliver

August 7th, 2014, 14:10

And I've been staying in Palestine for eleven years, shortly to return. I can only report on what I have actually experienced and what I have learnt while I'm there. I measure foreign analyses against my own experiences among Palestinians. The same as when I comment on Thailand or Bali.

I commend the writings of the Victorian philanthropist John Ruskin; "We did not travel for adventure, nor for company but to see with our eyes and to measure with our hearts."

August 7th, 2014, 15:21

If you're limiting your commentary to what you can personally experience then what you have to say about the geopolitics is quite simply worthless.

Oliver

August 8th, 2014, 14:39

Combining study with personal experience of what life is like under occupation in Palestine adds authority to what I write on the subject, whether or not you agree with my conclusions.
The Israelis certainly agree with me, as evidenced by the ludicrous efforts they make to discourage travel in Palestine. They are fully aware that the reality conflicts with the image of their occupation that they like to project in the US and Europe. Sadly, some are prepared to accept this "hasbara".
Perhaps the truth is too dangerous or distressing. I assume that this is why the New York Times still relies on this chief correspondent.

http://electronicintifada.net/content/c ... bble/13685 (http://electronicintifada.net/content/candid-video-reveals-nyt-bureau-chief-jodi-rudorens-zionist-bubble/13685)

bkkguy

August 8th, 2014, 19:06

Combining study with personal experience of what life is like under occupation in Palestine adds authority to what I write on the subject, whether or not you agree with my conclusions.

some people have an inflated assessment of the value of their "study" and "personal experience" and become legends in their own mind for their depth of knowledge and authority on a subject despite their actual shallow understanding and biased viewpoint.

I am sure there is no need for you to fall into the trap of hubris by trying to claim authority for your writings on Palestine, Bali or Thailand - I am sure others reading the forum have already done their own assessment

bkkguy

August 9th, 2014, 08:28

Combining study with personal experience of what life is like under occupation in Palestine adds authority to what I write on the subject, whether or not you agree with my conclusions.I've never really thought of marshaling "evidence" that supports a preconceived "conclusion" either as "study" or as adding "authority" - unless of course one wishes to pose as being objective, something well beyond my ambitions.

I repeat my earlier request to Surfcrest - these last few posts don't really belong to this thread nor in the Thailand forum at all, and should be broken off into another thread in another Forum.

August 9th, 2014, 08:40

And now back to Thailand. I recently read Perry Link's review of Evan Osnos' Age of Ambition (http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2014/aug/14/evan-osnos-exposed-corrupt-china/), which is about corruption in that other authoritarian Asian society, China. It's worth reading the review and substituting "Thailand" every time "China" is mentioned. Same same, as the Thais say.

I particularly liked his comment "The intensity with which the Chinese [read "Thai"] authorities censor [in China's case a writer but I'm sure we can all think of an offence of political expression in Thailand equally prone to censorship and criminal penalties] is evidence of their judgment that [those] ideas would have strong appeal if they were allowed out." Or, as Shakespeare almost put it in Hamlet "The General doth protest too much, methinks".

August 13th, 2014, 18:21

One of the arguments that the anti-Thaksinites put forward is that an "independent" judiciary has frequently found against Thaksin and his supporters. Now it turns out - and the Thais are surprised (!!!) - that the "independent" judiciary can be bought.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... he-benches (http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/426077/judge-sackings-send-shockwaves-across-the-benches)

Up2U

August 13th, 2014, 21:58

She's back, can't make up my mind if she is dumb or brave.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/eas ... n-schedule (http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/easy/426148/she-back-yingluck-returns-on-schedule)

joe552

August 13th, 2014, 22:11

She does her own grocery shopping? I don't believe it.

Up2U

August 21st, 2014, 17:34

Wonderful news that surprises no one. The NLA also unanimously approved a budget with no debate that cuts funding for rural areas.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/4 ... y-voted-pm (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/427925/prayuth-unanimously-voted-pm)

Up2U

August 21st, 2014, 17:36

Oliver

August 22nd, 2014, 15:00

Our Dear Leader has even less credibility than General Sisi in Egypt....at least there was a pretence of an election there, even if most Egyptians treated it with contempt. Thailand is a military dictatorship not a democracy and, as is usual in such systems as we know from the banana republics of the 20th century, the first victims are the dissenters and the second, the rural poor.
On the subject of dissent, I note that discussion of this topic is banned on Gaybutton. I can sympathise with GB's nervousness- after all , he actually lives under a military dictatorship- but isn't it disturbing that an expat feels so intimidated by the junta that runs his adopted country? What hope is there for ordinary Thais to express their views?

bruce_nyc

August 22nd, 2014, 16:06

He has good reason to be cautious. The laws ( or arbitrary whims ) apply to him as well as to Thais.... as well as to foreigners! Try pissing them off and see what happens the next time you step off the plane at BKK.

We're not somehow immune to their power.... just because of the color of our passport or the color of our skin.

bkkguy

August 22nd, 2014, 17:48

isn't it disturbing that an expat feels so intimidated by the junta that runs his adopted country? What hope is there for ordinary Thais to express their views?

Gaybutton has had exactly the same attitude regarding forum posts that violate l├иse-majest├й or libel laws in Thailand for all of the years that the country was run by various democratically elected Thaksin related governments, as indeed have many other expat and Thai web forum owners or posters on social media

did you find expats and Thais feeling so intimidated then just as disturbing as it is now? or is it just your bias for one Dear Leader over another?

bkkguy

Oliver

August 22nd, 2014, 20:38

August 23rd, 2014, 09:04

Do stop whining Oliver. Hundreds of thousands of Thais prayed and protested fervently for this moment, egged on by gullible farang who believed the propaganda the anti-Thaksin side was pumping out. Millions have been made happy. (Mind you the visa runners among the gullible farang are perhaps rethinking their enthusiasm for change, after all it was supposed only to impact the lowly Thais not the superior white man). What's a few dozen political prisoners when weighed against such overwhelming gains? Remember the saying "Red Shirt corruption bad, Yellow Shirt corruption good".

lego

August 23rd, 2014, 13:39

LoveThailand

August 23rd, 2014, 13:44

Under any scenario a tourist boycott would first and foremost harm common people for obvious reasons.

Oliver

August 23rd, 2014, 15:33

"Most Thai people don't want democracy...."
You must live a very sheltered life... in Bangkok, I assume. I'm sure you are right about the pampered elite who fear that the "buffaloes" will demand to be treated as citizens, not as cheap labour. I can assure you that it's not true of the north. I recall much the same argument being used in the US during the Civil Rights days. Not to mention in the banana republics of Latin America. That's the problem with the poor and disadvantaged; they have a tendency to vote out of self-interest, unlike the blessed middle-classes who never think of themselves.
As for the Suthep mob, the crowd that I looked at in Lumpini and Silom included plenty of hired thugs whom I saw intimidating local people.

Patanawet

August 23rd, 2014, 16:57

As for the Suthep mob, the crowd that I looked at in Lumpini and Silom included plenty of hired thugs whom I saw intimidating local people.

Really????? --- or are you making that up?

bkkguy

August 23rd, 2014, 18:42

"I'm sure you are right about the pampered elite who fear that the "buffaloes" will demand to be treated as citizens, not as cheap labour. I can assure you that it's not true of the north. I recall much the same argument being used in the US during the Civil Rights days. Not to mention in the banana republics of Latin America. That's the problem with the poor and disadvantaged; they have a tendency to vote out of self-interest, unlike the blessed middle-classes who never think of themselves.

Who writes your scripts for you? it can't be Amsterdam himself - he is too busy on Skype - one of his junior partners perhaps?

bkkguy

Up2U

August 23rd, 2014, 21:19

A climate of fear. Thais I know say nothing as they know the military uses paid informants.

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSK ... 2?irpc=932 (http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0GM08L20140822?irpc=932)

August 24th, 2014, 12:39

Most Thai people don't want democracy and their wish has been granted.Quite so, lego, and I'm full of admiration for the Generalissimo adding the word "democracy" to the Index of Banned Words during Friday evening's Fireside Chat. There's nothing like the firm jackboot of the Army to put these "democrats" in their place. Still, given that, as you assert "most" Thai people don't want the opportunity to have a say in how they are governed, you have to wonder why he thought it necessary. I guess Father Knows Best.

Up2U

August 24th, 2014, 22:52

Not exactly; I wonder what the junta's response would be to a few thousand Red Shirts behaving like the Suthep mob did in Bangkok?
It's no use running away from the fact that Thailand is now a military dictatorship, whatever the perceived shortcomings of previous governments. There is imprisonment without trial, torture and media censorship on an unprecedented scale....and who believes that the junta will ever willingly allow free and fair elections?
And no, as I said in my post, I don't blame GB for being nervous. If my boyfriend weren't a Thai, I'd stay clear of the place entirely. Tourist boycotts would bring the junta to its senses....but I'm not holding my breath.
We saw Red Shirt mobs in Bangkok before, so we know exactly what the response was and don't need to speculate. In my opinion, the initial leniency shown back then was part of the problem, for if you let a mob entrench (literally) itself in the heart of your capital city, you'll ultimately need deadly force to expel them. That's exactly what happened in 2010, law enforcement was too lenient in the beginning and then weren't able to break up the occupation without bloodshed.

The PDRC protests were much different, at least from my personal impressions: They didn't entrench themselves, they didn't intimidate people living or working in the areas they occupied, they didn't loot any shops and there was a street carnival atmosphere more than anything else. Without the cowardly grenade attacks on harmless protesters including little children, all this would have been a very peaceful affair, although "bad for business" because it did cause quite some inconvenience to many residents.

There won't be any tourist boycott and you know it. Even if the lies you're spreading were true, which they aren't, most people wouldn't give a damn as long as they can still go about their holiday unharmed. Most Thai people don't want democracy and their wish has been granted. Get over it.
My recollection of events is more inclusive than yours. I remember the PAD mob (forerunner of the PDRC, yellow shirts) holding the two airports hostage, tourists by the thousands with vacations ruined trying to escape the Land of Smiles. All the time, military did nothing because these were their buddies. Oh yes the recent PDRC camp at Lumpini was like a festival but the actions of this mob, taking over the Government House, physically blocking and attacking people from exercising their right to vote, was deplorable. Can you imagine the parliamentary buildings in western democracies coming under this attack and the military doing nothing. And now the man who could have done something but didn't, has basically "elected" himself the new PM.

I would not necessarily draw conclusions about Thais feelings towards democracy based on a totally Bangkok perspective. Outside Bangkok, the local elections of village chiefs, officials is very important and taken seriously. Of course, people don't have that right but they haven't forgotten.

lego

August 25th, 2014, 16:09

As for the Suthep mob, the crowd that I looked at in Lumpini and Silom included plenty of hired thugs whom I saw intimidating local people.
Isn't it strange how people always seem to see exactly that what serves to confirm what they've known all the time? Granted, it's very difficult to compare mass gatherings (mobs) in a fair and objective way, but I think the observation that the PDRC protests were more carnival-like and less confrontational towards regular local residents than the 2010 Red Shirt protests is shared by many who have witnessed both.

Can you imagine the parliamentary buildings in western democracies coming under this attack and the military doing nothing.
See, I guess that's exactly the point: Thailand simply isn't a Western democracy! And I doubt that most Thais would want to live in a country that resembles a Western democracy. In fact, ever since I moved to Thailand, I've been seeing countless things that would never happen in any other country I had lived in before (all of them Western democracies, to be clear). From little things all the way up to the country as a whole, I see "Thainess" first and foremost. I can only assume that's how the Thais want to run their country, and unlike others, I respect that.

I might add that Western democracies typically have a clear-cut distinction between police and military, so it's the police first and foremost that would have to deal with such a protest in a Western country. Once the military of a Western country will have to protect that country's infrastructure against a mob the police forces can no longer control, you can probably call this country a failed state.

I would not necessarily draw conclusions about Thais feelings towards democracy based on a totally Bangkok perspective.
Me neither. But your perspective seems to be that of a Westerner who thinks Thais should aspire to follow the Western lead. They don't seem willing, neither in Bangkok nor in the countryside.

Oliver

August 25th, 2014, 20:43

Once again, we hear the perspective of the Bangkok elite who, for the thousandth time, are not representative of the Thai people.
Time and again Thais have voted for parties that seek to create a fairer, more equal society. Each time, the same, dark forces- the ones with power, guns and the money- remove the elected government and replace it with a bunch of ignorant , right-wing militarists and royalists.
Some of us respect Thais enough to support their right to choose. I appreciate that most Thais are poor, particularly in Isaan and the north and that they haven't the power of the conservatives. But the demand for their voices to heard is not the application of western values but of universal human rights.

The disturbing truth is that the dark-skinned and the poor are regarded in much the same way as the Africans were by the Boers. The same arguments were applied then; democracy isn't suitable for the Blacks ; they need firm government by a benevolent (sic) white minority.

Which, by the way just happens to benefit that race/class financially.

latintopxxx

August 25th, 2014, 22:55

I really dont care who is in power. The only reason I preferred the Thaksin bunmch was that they didnt mess with the sex tourist trade, this army general turned politician is fat too moralistic. I will miss not seing the fuck shows when I visit in October.

August 26th, 2014, 15:07

Up2U and Oliver, you are wasting your breath. "Group Think" is rife in the ex-pat community, and remember their only source of information is via the Bangkok Post and/or The Nation, both of which are mouthpieces for the Establishment. Then the ex-pats feed off each other via The Wankers' Forum (Thai Visa). Most of them have no idea of what Thailand was like before about 2000, if that, and speak as if corruption was something invented by and imposed on Thailand by the wicked Dr Thaksin.

Thailand has been one of the most corrupt countries in the world as long as anyone can remember. All Thaksin did was take away the levers of corruption from the traditional elite by realising he could entrench his position by winning election after election. He did that by instituting populist policies that appealed in particular to the most populous and most alienated (from Bangkok) part of the country, the North and North-East. What the traditional elite has done throughout their many military and judicial coups this century is to re-calibrate how the spoils of corruption have been divvied up.

At least the latest coup is some senses the most politically honest, since Prayuth has said in effect "Our side can't win elections so we're going to abandon them" also known as "Democracy doesn't work for Thailand" - exactly the line that lego is parroting.

And speaking of short memories, latintopxxx's comment "the only reason I preferred the Thaksin bunmch was that they didnt mess with the sex tourist trade" is complete and utter nonsense.

lego

August 26th, 2014, 19:46

Hold your horses, kommentariat, this game is just starting to get interesting. While the General PM might well concede that "his side" couldn't win elections, I'm quite convinced that he thinks he can.

If he decides to pull a Sisi and to embrace the populist poison a tiny little bit (let's not forget that he's made some interesting decisions already), all bets are off. He's no Abhisit, that's for sure.

Oliver

August 27th, 2014, 14:51

Sisi won because Morsi's supporters boycotted the poll after their party was banned. You are right; that's the way forward sic) for the Junta- offer a choice between two far-right parties and ban the others.

August 27th, 2014, 16:56

While the General PM might well concede that "his side" couldn't win elections, I'm quite convinced that he thinks he can.

If he decides to pull a Sisi and to embrace the populist poison a tiny little bit (let's not forget that he's made some interesting decisions already), all bets are off.LOL - I take it you missed this story (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/418810/ncpo-eyes-populist-policy-ban) about Prayuth and populism then, lego. A recent op-ed in the Bangkok Post by a Thai suggested that all the evidence points to Prayuth being less interested in democracy than Premocracy, with himself as Prem Mark 2.

It doesn't take the proverbial rocket scientist to infer that the junta's timing was to ensure that the Army is in complete control when the event that we can't mention occurs. Informed gossip out of Bangkok today implies that that is possibly only a few days away.

Up2U

August 27th, 2014, 22:04

Looks like the junta is starting their social order campaign. So much for any discussion, sounds pretty draconian to me as it has far reaching implications.

http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=4387

Oliver

August 28th, 2014, 14:50

Chiang Mai is Red Shirt country of course....I wonder whether the businesses in Bangkok will be similarly targeted?

I was a amused by the apparently important role played by a "Second Lieutenant"; in the British Army, such soldiers of that rank tended to be young and inexperienced. Just out of Sandhurst Military Academy. I wonder what delights other "Second Lieutenants" have in store for us? running (sorry advising) air traffic control? the hospitals?

lego

August 28th, 2014, 18:31

LOL - I take it you missed this story (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/418810/ncpo-eyes-populist-policy-ban) about Prayuth and populism then, lego.
Don't worry, I'm not missing any stories, even those published by the Bangkok Post. And, shock horror, I actually met the man himself yesterday. I'm sure you can figure out the event I'm talking about, even if all you ever read is the Bangkok Post. Anyway, this being Thailand, what he has been saying and what others have been writing about him doesn't matter much. It's his actions that matter, and before we'll see more, we can all just keep speculating. Not a bad way to kill some time. Just like you've been speculating about the imminent death of someone else since forever. Given his age, if you keep posting your "within days" predictions often enough, you will certainly be right at some point. Just don't expect that we'll call you a genius for that prediction come true when the day comes.

In that spirit: My guess (!) at this point, as per my previous post, is that the General PM ultimately has the desire to be elected. And I mean that literally, it's probably not a desire to compete against someone in a tight fight and come out on top. That Oliver felt that he had to point out that Sisi couldn't win fair and square is simply hilarious - I'd bet nobody knows better than Sisi himself.

gregvc

August 29th, 2014, 16:47

Crazy Rose, the anti Junta person living in UK was attacked on a train in London by other commuters after trying to assault another passenger. A video was taken of the altercation. I don't agree with her views and sadly I think she has many other problems apart from believing the Junta is after her.

August 29th, 2014, 17:57

And, shock horror, I actually met the man himself yesterday. I'm sure you can figure out the event I'm talking about ...I certainly can, lego - it was your investiture as a member of the Order of the Brown Nose (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_regular_mini-sections_in_Private_Eye#Order_Of_The_Brown_Nose_.2 8O.B.N..29)

lego

August 30th, 2014, 15:10

If anything, I've been a member since 2006, do check your facts. So, what's your suggestion? Should we pull out of Thailand anytime the armed forces choose to stage a coup here?

Not going to happen! Both domestically and even more so internationally, a military coup in Thailand - as a corrective measure whenever the political system ends up in a deadlock - is pretty much a non-event at this point and at the very least tacitly tolerated, if not openly accepted or welcomed. On the international level, pretty much nothing at all has happened. Nada. Sure, some backbenchers and other useful idiots were sent out to decry the latest coup, but that's pretty much worthless if not followed up by real sanctions of any kind. Nada. Yet, you seem to suggest that the foreign business community in Thailand, of all potential candidates, should make a stand on their own. Boycotting an event hosted by the PM, huh? Some Chinese and Japanese companies would thank us.

Up2U

August 30th, 2014, 16:28

Protesters get reduced jail time.

http://www.prachatai.org/english/node/4305

Up2U

August 30th, 2014, 17:01

From the Economist, Thailand 's triple crown winner.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2 ... e-minister (http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2014/08/thailands-military-prime-minister)

August 30th, 2014, 18:23

Yet, you seem to suggest that the foreign business community in Thailand, of all potential candidates, should make a stand on their own. Boycotting an event hosted by the PM, huh? Some Chinese and Japanese companies would thank us.Who has made this suggestion? Certainly not me - I don't believe in boycotts. I equally don't believe in taking anyone at their own inflated value. You trot along, you go through the motions, you just don't sell your own values out by thinking it has any meaning apart from keeping the junta happy. That is, after all, what Machiavelli would have done under the circumstances, and he is my political hero.

However it's clear that your hero does, in fact, have a highly developed sense of humour, as evidenced by this story "No room for corruption in Thailand (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/webmobile/politics/No-room-for-corruption-30242116.html)" in The Nation.

Up2U

August 30th, 2014, 21:12

To provide some balance to the discussion - In praise of the junta ;)

http://www.chiangmaicitynews.com/news.php?id=4402

August 31st, 2014, 10:01

To provide some balance to the discussion ...The writer should learn from lego, whose morality in this matter is identified completely with the wholly commercial viewpoint of his employer.

lego

September 2nd, 2014, 16:02

You trot along, you go through the motions, you just don't sell your own values out by thinking it has any meaning apart from keeping the junta happy. That is, after all, what Machiavelli would have done under the circumstances, and he is my political hero.
That's all very well, but what Machiavelli has in common with many great men is that he's as dead as a doornail... Thailand needs a PM right now, and given the dreadful choices, I think it could be far worse than it is. That doesn't mean that the General PM is my hero, as you insinuate, at least it would be very premature to call him a hero at this point. Then there's another problem, the more successful he is, the less I will probably like the resulting version of Thailand. :))

Up2U

September 2nd, 2014, 16:15

UN wants to investigate charges of Human Rights Violations.

Http://www.fidh.org/en/asia/thailand/15 ... nvestigate (Http://www.fidh.org/en/asia/thailand/15955-thailand-un-special-rapporteur-s-visit-is-urgently-needed-to-investigate)

Up2U

September 2nd, 2014, 16:36

The human rights event scheduled has reportedly been canceled by the military.

http://fccthai.com/items/1472.html

September 2nd, 2014, 16:42

That's all very well, but what Machiavelli has in common with many great men is that he's as dead as a doornail.So is the Buddha and countless others we could name. Does death somehow invalidate their insights? Do great ideas now come with a "use by" date?

September 2nd, 2014, 18:33

Thailand needs a PM right now, and given the dreadful choices, I think it could be far worse than it is.You really done wanna face facts do you lego? Whatever he or his toadies call him Mr. P is the military dictator of a corrupt third world banana republic.

As kommie says if you have to lick his arse then do so but then you go home afterwards have a very very very long shower and use lots of Dettol.

September 3rd, 2014, 14:17

Eloquently put, as always, brisbaneguy.

Oliver

September 3rd, 2014, 14:46

Agreed; and I repeat my warning that, before long, those expats and tourists who think that their individual pleasures, concessions and interests will continue as before may be in for a shock. And that's not taking into account the possibility that the supporters of the government turfed out by the junta don't get their act together and use their vast numbers to restore democracy....by any means necessary.

Up2U

September 3rd, 2014, 17:20

National Geographic - Divided Kingdom

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/ ... ts-670.jpg (http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2014/09/thailand/nachtwey-photography?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=link_fb20140902ngm-thailandpics&utm_campaign=Content&sf4422100=1#/15-dead-malay-muslim-insurgents-670.jpg)

September 4th, 2014, 07:31

You maybe right Oliver I see Mr. P announced recently he's here for the long haul and there is no election timetable.

September 4th, 2014, 17:09

I read recently that the US Supreme Court (http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2014/04/22/highlights-from-the-supreme-courts-affirmative-action-ruling/) has held that "Democracy does not presume that some subjects are either too divisive or too profound for public debate".

That must be the basis for lego and other farang junta supporters very kindly on behalf of all Thais deciding that Thailand and democracy are incompatible.

bkkguy

September 4th, 2014, 19:35

"Democracy does not presume that some subjects are either too divisive or too profound for public debate"

but as Justice Kennedy continues "It is demeaning to the democratic process to presume that the voters are not capable of deciding [an issue] on decent and rational grounds" - an opinion I am sure Oliver would be happy to support but lego and the junta possibly less so?

but then the linked article (http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2014/04/22/highlights-from-the-supreme-courts-affirmative-action-ruling/) is not about democracy per se, it is about SCOTUS interpreting the US Constitution and the First Amendment, neither of which apply to Thailand

however justice Kennedy's comment that "Freedom embraces the right, indeed the duty, to engage in a rational, civic discourse in order to determine how best to form a consensus to shape the destiny of the Nation and its people" highlights something sorely missing in the Thai political and social process, something that neither side of the political/power spectrum wants to see, and even without getting into discussions of the more esoteric attributes of democracy like respect for the rule of law and equality under the law etc may explain why Thailand's patronage society is incompatible with democracy

but then the same applies to most western democracies I suppose!

bkkguy

Up2U

September 8th, 2014, 16:57

The latest from Andrew MacGregor Marshall.

Up2U

September 10th, 2014, 09:10

BP: New Crackdown on Criticism Has Ominous Overtones

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... -overtones (http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/431257/new-crackdown-on-criticism-has-ominous-overtones)

Up2U

September 10th, 2014, 09:23

Words of wisdom from the General.

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandal ... l-prayuth/ (http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2014/09/08/wisdom-of-general-prayuth/)

September 10th, 2014, 14:24

Words of wisdom from the General.A rather superfluous use of adjective Up2U. Surely every word the General uses is a wise one?

Oliver

September 10th, 2014, 14:36

I'm no admirer of Gilbert & Sullivan operettas but the Dear Leader surely deserves one of his own. ....Thailand's very own "Modern Major-General."

September 10th, 2014, 16:02

I'm no admirer of Gilbert & Sullivan operettas but the Dear Leader surely deserves one of his own. ....Thailand's very own "Modern Major-General."I cannot agree. Prayuth is Pooh-Bah, surely?

Up2U

September 11th, 2014, 15:35

NYT: Human rights abuses reported.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/wo ... &referrer= (http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/world/asia/human-rights-abuses-reported-in-junta-ruled-thailand.html?_r=1&referrer=)

Up2U

September 11th, 2014, 15:40

BP: Amnesty international launches anti-coup report.

http://bangkokpost.com/news/local/43158 ... oup-report (http://bangkokpost.com/news/local/431583/amnesty-international-launches-anti-coup-report)

Up2U

September 12th, 2014, 16:09

Junta to AI "get your facts straight"

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSK ... 1?irpc=932 (http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0H618G20140911?irpc=932)

Up2U

September 12th, 2014, 16:13

BP: Pricey toys raise doubts.

http://m.bangkokpost.com/opinion/431641

September 13th, 2014, 06:01

It looks like the Great Dictator is softening the people up for the realisation that he's there for a long stay http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... ong-tenure (http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/431619/prayuth-tactical-transfers-pave-way-for-long-tenure)

But then we all know it's always been about the Army wanting to control the royal succession.

Oliver

September 13th, 2014, 15:00

A Certain Person was in the UK during the coup....obviously forewarned. Is he now back in Thailand?

Up2U

September 13th, 2014, 15:43

He came back and left again.

September 13th, 2014, 15:56

He was there to preside over the puppet convention that "chose" a new government - daddy being so completely gaga that they weren't game to wheel him out.

Up2U

September 16th, 2014, 11:24

Thaksin erased from erased textbooks but from people's memory or hearts? NYT.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/wo ... &referrer= (http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/09/16/world/asia/loved-and-hated-thaksin-shinawatra-former-premier-of-thailand-is-erased-from-textbook.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1&referrer=)

Up2U

September 16th, 2014, 11:26

Up2U

September 23rd, 2014, 15:19

US waives human trafficking sanctions against Malaysia and Thailand.

http://asiancorrespondent.com/126824/us ... d-thailand (http://asiancorrespondent.com/126824/us-waives-human-trafficking-sanctions-on-malaysia-and-thailand/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=us-waives-human-trafficking-sanctions-on-malaysia-and-thailand)

Up2U

September 23rd, 2014, 15:25

Military junta raids university seminar on democracy.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 45933.html (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/thailands-military-junta-raids-university-seminar-on-democracy-arresting-seven-9745933.html)

Oliver

September 23rd, 2014, 20:45

Up2U

September 23rd, 2014, 22:00

That tipping point is a long, long way off (if ever) and it certainly will not emanate from Bangkok. Just kick back, relax and watch this circus.

lego

September 24th, 2014, 14:57

Any signs of a popular revolt against these thugs and imbeciles? Surely there must be a tipping-point when the vast majority of Thais, who voted overwhelmingly for the deposed government, say "enough is enough"?
Keep trolling, I think you know exactly that nothing will happen. I'm not getting the impression that there's a lot of built-up anger and desperation within the Thai populace at large at this time. Are you? Or is a revolution on Thai soil more like a wet dream of yours that doesn't have anything to do with reality? Governments change, life goes on.

I'm feeling charitable today, so I'll give you something else to foam about:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/webmobi ... 43892.html (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/webmobile/national/Richest-0-1own-half-of-nations-assets-30243892.html)

All under the watchful eye of "overwhelmingly elected" governments in recent years. Shameful, isn't it? =))

September 24th, 2014, 15:40

I'm feeling charitable today, so I'll give you something else to foam about:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/webmobi ... 43892.html (http://www.nationmultimedia.com/webmobile/national/Richest-0-1own-half-of-nations-assets-30243892.html)
All under the watchful eye of "overwhelmingly elected" governments in recent years. Shameful, isn't it?What an overwhelming naive comment lego.

The whole point about "overwhelmingly elected governments in recent years" is that the old order made damn sure they were not able effectively to do very much at all. When they did, the screams from the Bangkok NIMBYs about wasting "their" taxes was so overwhelming it gave impetus to the current situation. As for "your impressions", since you live in the cocoon of Bangkok and spend your time sucking up to the junta, your ideas about what "ordinary" Thais think is neither here nor there.

Perhaps you haven't read recent political commentary. Here's something for you to mull over:
AbhisitтАЩs administration was among the most corrupt in living memory due the presence of the Bhumjai Thai party of notorious politician Newin Chidchob in the coalition. To reward Newin for switching sides, his party was given control of the three most lucrative ministries тАФ Interior, Commerce, and Transport and Communications тАФ and embezzled a staggering 25 percent of ministry funds.HereтАЩs some more:
In 2011 тАж believing that poorer Thais have no understanding of politics and just sell their votes at election time, the Democrat Party encouraged their Bhumjai Thai coalition partners to launch a massive vote buying campaign in north and northeast Thailand. The electorate rejected this cynical gambit and overwhelmingly voted for the Pheu Thai party.

Up2U

September 24th, 2014, 21:54

Don't box me in.

http://prachatai.org/english/node/4355? ... m=facebook (http://prachatai.org/english/node/4355?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook)

lego

September 25th, 2014, 16:38

The whole point about "overwhelmingly elected governments in recent years" is that the old order made damn sure they were not able effectively to do very much at all.
Sorry, but you don't really think I don't know that, do you? That is an outright trivial observation, and it would be pretty obvious even without airport occupations, the Government House sieges and "judicial coups".

Still, and that is really something to think about, revolution isn't in the air. That you and Oliver have been dreaming of it since years (and most likely with your panties all wet) is one thing, but what does it have to do with reality? You keep claiming that I'm out of touch with reality and ordinary Thai people because I live in Bangkok, yet it has been you who has been making nonsensical claims about events that are supposedly "imminent" but then have failed to happen, time and again. I remember all these silly "get out before it's too late" posts from almost one year ago all too well, and yet here I am, safely going about my day at the very same Bangkok office building. That doesn't mean that I don't talk to Thai people who aren't from Bangkok, by the way.

I'm careful with predictions and, for the most part, merely observe the situation and describe it as I see it, without too much regard to what way I would like it best myself. In my opinion, living in the real Bangkok beats living in a lofty Fantasy World where the poor, enslaved Thai people resemble brave and determined revolutionaries who fight the good fight for their right to be represented by an "overwhelmingly elected" government that is just, free of corruption and overall pure goodness. In your funny little Thai utopia, a civil war or revolution is (always) imminent, I know. We shall see.

PeterUK

September 26th, 2014, 10:28

I'm careful with predictions and, for the most part, merely observe the situation and describe it as I see it, without too much regard to what way I would like it best myself. In my opinion, living in the real Bangkok beats living in a lofty Fantasy World where the poor, enslaved Thai people resemble brave and determined revolutionaries who fight the good fight for their right to be represented by an "overwhelmingly elected" government that is just, free of corruption and overall pure goodness. In your funny little Thai utopia, a civil war or revolution is (always) imminent, I know. We shall see.

I'd give that a 'like' if there was a button.

September 26th, 2014, 14:43

Sorry, but you don't really think I don't know that, do you?You little rascal, lego. I suspected you might be yanking Oliver's chain and now we all know you were.

I bet you were one of those people who read some of Roubini's commentary in 2006 and said "Financial crisis imminent!? Pshaw. I don't see it. The bellhops are all piling into the interest rate swaps market. What could possibly go wrong." Mind you, Steve Keen began predicting the GFC in 2005. It arrived in 2008. Whether something is "imminent" is relative to the perspectives and prejudices of the observer.

I've made a lot of money in my life by being a contrarian investor and assessing the probabilities in order to determine the risk (or the odds, if you like) of various events. A few days ago I tried to get some bookies to offer me odds on a certain event happening within a defined timeframe. Most declined, citing last week's photographs of individuals being driven away from hospital. One bookie offered shorter odds than those for the No side winning the recent Scottish referendum. As you say, we shall see.

Up2U

September 26th, 2014, 15:46

Oliver

September 26th, 2014, 16:15

My Thai links are in the north and, to some extent, Isaan. The perceptions of an elite in Bangkok are not shared elsewhere. And it seems that the junta itself is nervous of what lies around the corner after a noted person's demise. Governments that are confident of the support, or at least acquiescence, of most citizens, do not not need to stifle dissent so crudely. But then an army which depends on conscription of the sons of the very people who are being oppressed has every reason to feel insecure.

Up2U

September 26th, 2014, 21:51

Thailand is so fortunate to have such a talented leader.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/ ... &referrer= (http://mobile.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/09/26/world/asia/26reuters-thailand-politics-dramas.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0&referrer=)

lego

September 26th, 2014, 23:26

You little rascal, lego. I suspected you might be yanking Oliver's chain and now we all know you were.
I assume y'all realized that when I threw him the wealth distribution bone for no good reason whatsoever. Coming from me, that would have been offensive even without any further comment. I went to high school with wannabe communists, reading Oliver's posts makes me feel happy in a strange way. Seriously, I'm glad that people like him still exist, and besides the amusement he provides me with, he seems to be a really nice guy considering his good work in Palestine.

Back to you. In general, not talking about any particular person, I agree with you that betting that an octogenarian with a mounting medical history won't live much longer is a bet you're eventually going to win. That's precisely the reason why I cannot give you much credit for that particular prediction of yours (and why the bookies are increasingly reluctant to take your bet, accepting that cute anecdote at face value); you keep making it every once in a while and one day you'll be right, yes. But once that happens, your correct prediction will be tainted by your false "within days" predictions of the past, so please allow me to remain a skeptic as far as your qualification as a soothsayer is concerned (otherwise our dear PM might have given you a call already, from what we could read). Personally, I also think that such a bet or prediction is in bad taste, and it does make me feel a little bit sick in my stomach - but of course there's no accounting for taste. More interesting is your prediction on what will happen "thereafter" anyway, so allow me to focus on that in the future.

My Thai links are in the north and, to some extent, Isaan. The perceptions of an elite in Bangkok are not shared elsewhere.
Point taken, but there's one trivial thing to remember: While a good part of Thailand's "elite" is indeed concentrated in Bangkok, even within our shiny metropolis they're just a tiny part of the population and pretty isolated from the rest. There's no shortage of regular people from all the other parts of Thailand to talk to, right here in Bangkok. They come for work or education, typically maintain a strong connection to their families back home and - for the most part - acquire no affiliation whatsoever with the dreaded "Bangkok elite". That's why claiming that you cannot hear a broad range of opinions in Bangkok is so flawed! Coincidentally, I've met the most overzealous supporter of then-PM Abhisit in Nong Khai and more than a handful of Thaksin fanboys in Bangkok.

Also, note that I'm not claiming that the North and North-East are happy with the disposal of "their" government. I'm merely claiming they won't stage a revolution anytime soon.

September 27th, 2014, 04:42

Personally, I also think that such a bet or prediction is in bad taste, and it does make me feel a little bit sick in my stomach - but of course there's no accounting for taste.How very lower middle class you are, lego. I've just got off the phone from a friend who's an actuary for a term life insurance company in New York. It gave us a giggle. "Taste"! And you claim to be a business executive. No "key man" insurance at your company? Or are you too far down the tree for you to matter to your masters?

As you leafed through yesterday's Financial Times did your eyes fall on David Pilling's op-ed "Why corruption is a messy business (http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/598aa4dc-426d-11e4-9818-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=intl)"? Here's an excerpt in case you missed it.
... in Asia managers are obliged to spend time and energy figuring out how to avoid paying bribes or, at least, how to pay without being caught. Some multinationals hire middlemen to deal with the messy realities. That gives senior executives a degree of distance.

Such [anti-corruption] measures are welcome. Yet they raise questions. One is whether courts can be trusted to administer justice impartially. If not, there will always be an air of arbitrariness about prosecutions. Cynics might suspect that those who find themselves in court have paid too few bribes rather than too many.So, do you have underlings who look after that sort of thing for you? Or do you get into the muck yourself?

lego

September 27th, 2014, 23:31

Nice try, kommentariat. All of your questions will remain unanswered, let's not pretend that I care what you think about me or my work. If you had asked for advice, however, I'd have recommended to hire Thais to deal with the Thai officialdom, for several reasons. In other words, I don't find any fault with what you've quoted from that article. Educated Thais can deliver a much more eloquent defense in a Thai court than even the most educated foreigners, considering that they master the language brilliantly. Seriously though, let's focus on what this thread really is about. I know there isn't much happening at the moment that you can get all excited about, but it won't stay that calm forever, as you well know.

September 28th, 2014, 06:19

All of your questions will remain unanswered, let's not pretend that I care what you think about me or my work.Surely as a self-acknowledged chain yanker yourself you would have realised my agenda?

Up2U

September 28th, 2014, 15:37

I wonder if the El General is watching the events in HK:

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/27/world ... -students/ (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/27/world/asia/china-hong-kong-students/)

lego

September 28th, 2014, 21:26

Surely as a self-acknowledged chain yanker yourself you would have realised my agenda?
Surely. It was a "nice try", just like I wrote.

I wonder if the El General is watching the events in HK
My bet would be yes. A certain Thai newspaper web site yesterday had an headline reading "Government building under siege" or something like that, without giving any additional context like saying it's taking place in Hong Kong. They did that on purpose, certainly, since most people's first reaction would have been similar to mine. ;)

Up2U

September 30th, 2014, 18:05

General Tanasak, odd man out.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/4 ... orld-stage (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/435050/tanasak-the-odd-man-out-on-world-stage)

September 30th, 2014, 18:28

General Tanasak, odd man out.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/4 ... orld-stage (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/435050/tanasak-the-odd-man-out-on-world-stage)God, who cares what a bunch of appalling old waxworks (as Prince Charles once described the Chinese leadership) thinks. Was it Obama who recently remarked that when nations seek help they don't call Beijing or Moscow first, they call Washington? "Pivot to Beijing"! Has he taken his hand off his cock yet!

Up2U

October 2nd, 2014, 19:58

The New Mandela has published a piece by guest contributor, John Blaxland, "Thailand's Prayuth, not just another coup-maker. To me it is full of half-truths, propaganda and misstatements as expressed by the elite and some on this forum. Be sure to read Andrew MacGregor Marshall's retort in the comments section.

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandal ... oup-maker/ (http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2014/10/02/thailands-prayuth-not-just-another-coup-maker/)

Up2U

October 3rd, 2014, 08:15

I thought this to be an excellent analysis. The Introduction, pages 1 and 2, says it all.

https://www.academia.edu/8591086/Thaila ... nterregnum (https://www.academia.edu/8591086/Thailands_Twilight_of_the_Gods_Understanding_Thai_ Politics_in_the_Interregnum)

Up2U

October 3rd, 2014, 12:17

IF Thailand had elections, this by even the General's definition would qualify as vote buying.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politic ... or-farmers (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/435594/critics-slam-freebie-for-farmers)

Up2U

October 6th, 2014, 18:56

Bangkok Post opinion page, NLA and the reporting of assets.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opin ... t-harms-pm (http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/434869/nla-lawsuit-harms-pm)

bkkguy

October 7th, 2014, 18:02

do try and keep up - the NLA assets declaration story has moved on considerably since that historical archive piece from 29 Sept! eg from the Post front page today

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/social/ ... sset-probe (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/social/436254/outcry-builds-for-nla-asset-probe)

bkkguy

Up2U

October 7th, 2014, 18:35

The junta winning the hearts and minds in Issan (Khon Kaen).

http://isaanrecord.com/2014/09/28/recon ... -villages/ (http://isaanrecord.com/2014/09/28/reconciliation-trainings-target-northeastern-villages/)

Up2U

October 7th, 2014, 20:46

The Reform Council apparently stacked with engineers of the pre-coup protests.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... 6&section= (http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1412681511&typecate=06&section=)

bkkguy

October 8th, 2014, 19:31

The junta winning the hearts and minds in Issan (Khon Kaen).

I did quite like the comment from one reader:

Fascist Buddhism. Everything the dictatorship touches it drags down into the mud and the slime that it calls home.

I am sure he will be in for re-education soon, but I am also sure you didn't include the article just for the responses!

while there are many points raised in the article that I don't disagree with one of the telling issues was I think:

The soldiers devoted one session to the Sufficiency Economy, a royally-backed initiative that encourages farmers toward sustainability and moderation. ... But according to the community leader, his village knows well the tenets of the Sufficiency Economy, and he and his neighbors are impatiently waiting to hear how the new government will support their agricultural work...
тАЬVillagers donтАЩt know who to depend on now,тАЭ said the community leader.

these comments seem to display a significant misunderstanding of the fundamental tenets of the Sufficiency Economy, and I see little evidence anywhere of Thai rice farmers in the north or northeast, regardless of shirt colour, trying to do anything to improve their lot through anything other than government handouts!

the Chaipattana Foundation has what is I think a fairly succinct introduction to the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy (http://www.chaipat.or.th/chaipat_english/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4103&Itemid=293) - is this just a tool used by the old elite to subjugate the red shirt farmers? or point me to press reports about significant numbers of Isan farmers actually "doing it for themselves" and implementing these principles if they understand them so well!

bkkguy

October 12th, 2014, 10:21

The "sufficiency economy" is just a slogan that these Asian kleptocracies spin to keep the lower orders in their place while the leadership grow rich. The Kims in North Korea have a similar notion - juche. Your family doesn't, after all, amass a fortune now estimated in the tens of billions of dollars by practising the simple life. Avarice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_deadly_sins#Greed) has always been one of the Seven Deadly Sins

lego

October 12th, 2014, 13:32

Speaking of the Kims, do we know for sure that Fat Boy Kim Junior hasn't been fed to the dogs already? I've missed his handsome full moon face and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

October 12th, 2014, 14:35

Speaking of the Kims, do we know for sure that Fat Boy Kim Junior hasn't been fed to the dogs already? I've missed his handsome full moon face and I'm not ashamed to admit it.Your fetishes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_fetishism) never cease to amaze but are you sure you've got that around the right way? "Dog meat is also consumed in North Korea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_meat_consumption_in_South_Korea), but the extent or form of this activity is currently unclear". Or is circular? Dog eats Kim, Kims eat dog?

Up2U

October 12th, 2014, 16:38

From the Diplomat, Thai Junta beset by corruption scandals (including the General's brother)

http://thediplomat.com/2014/10/thai-jun ... -scandals/ (http://thediplomat.com/2014/10/thai-junta-beset-by-corruption-scandals/)

Up2U

October 13th, 2014, 16:07

I couldn't make this up even if I wanted to.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... 1413179452 (http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1413179452)

lego

October 13th, 2014, 21:01

Your fetishes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_fetishism) never cease to amaze but are you sure you've got that around the right way? "Dog meat is also consumed in North Korea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_meat_consumption_in_South_Korea), but the extent or form of this activity is currently unclear". Or is circular? Dog eats Kim, Kims eat dog?
Personally, I don't have any problems with people eating dog meat (as long as it's not undercooked or 'harvested' from someone's stolen pet dog). I don't even have to travel as far as North Norea to find them - two of my Thai acquaintances, one from Sisaket and the other one from Sakon Nakhon, partake in a nice little Dog BBQ every now and then when they're back home. What I was referring to, however, was the rumor that Fat Boy Kim Junior has fed his uncle to the dogs. Probably nonsense, but since he's gone missing himself recently, who knows what's really going on in that beautiful country of theirs...

I couldn't make this up even if I wanted to.
I'd dismiss it as just the usual braindead phrases that consistently ooze from the TAT regardless of the state of affairs at the time, but at least the timing is really appalling this time around. That gruesome double murder is still all over the news, along with many other reports about rapes and robberies. Yet they make it sound like Martial Law has been a boon to tourists' personal safety, when in reality it probably has had no such effect at all. They should suggest reintroducing the curfew, that did have an effect and didn't go unnoticed.

October 14th, 2014, 13:29

What I was referring to, however, was the rumor that Fat Boy Kim Junior has fed his uncle to the dogs. Probably nonsense, but since he's gone missing himself recently, who knows what's really going on in that beautiful country of theirs...Oddly enough I worked that out for myself - the jungle drums of Asia reach even as far as this cold climate. At any rate, I see he's turned up again (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11160410/Kim-Jong-un-appearance-scotches-coup-rumours.html). Undoubtedly he felt you'd suffered enough.

However your phrase "that beautiful country of theirs" piqued my interest. You've been to North Korea then? How were the boy bars?

Up2U

October 17th, 2014, 12:12

A scholarly review of recent events in the Indo-Pacific Review titled Retrograde: Junta policies set Thailand back.

http://www.indopacificreview.com/retrog ... ytsa7.dpbs (http://www.indopacificreview.com/retrograde-juntas-policies-continue-set-thailand-back/?fb_action_ids=10204237453950750&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B638938826222722%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D#sthash.nPqytsa7.dpbs)

October 21st, 2014, 18:02

I saw a report to day that consumer spending has dried up. The poor don't have money to spend, the rich won't spend their money. It looks as though it could be bargain basement time for boys. Mind you, the Thais have the mentality that you put your prices UP when the number of customers goes DOWN. I'm sure latintopxxx will give us the full SP.

October 29th, 2014, 13:33

What I was referring to, however, was the rumor that Fat Boy Kim Junior has fed his uncle to the dogs. Probably nonsense, but since he's gone missing himself recently, who knows what's really going on in that beautiful country of theirs...Apparently Fat Boy's absence has now been explained (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11194484/South-Korea-solves-mystery-of-Kim-Jong-un-absence.html) (away). Just as well he wasn't at Siriraj or the real story would never have leaked, if you get my drift.

latintopxxx

October 29th, 2014, 20:13

kommenteriat...not even sure what sp stands for....but I really tend not to take any notice of price advice given over this forum....i start low and work my way up...to date have no problem with this biz model.

Up2U

October 30th, 2014, 09:29

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSK ... 9?irpc=932 (http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN0II2DQ20141029?irpc=932)

Thai youth fear junta's school reforms.

Up2U

October 30th, 2014, 16:34

http://asiancorrespondent.com/127763/th ... -good-men/ (http://asiancorrespondent.com/127763/thailands-reform-process-a-few-good-men/)

Thailand's post-coup reform process; only a few good men at the helm.

October 31st, 2014, 09:05

kommenteriat...not even sure what sp stands forGood lord, latin, and I had you pegged (http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/peg) as the Arthur Daley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minder_%28TV_series%29#Arthur_Daley) of this board! The "full SP (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The%20full%20S.P.)" is a slang term meaning the complete story - since there is no more accurate estimate of a horse's odds to win a race than its starting price.

Up2U

October 31st, 2014, 17:14

Thailand loses bid to join UN human rights body.

http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/as ... man-rights (http://www.rappler.com/world/regions/asia-pacific/72690-thailand-un-human-rights)

Up2U

November 1st, 2014, 10:53

Our dearly beloved ex-General is a millionaire (in dollars) on a General's salary of $43,000, gee I wonder how that happened?

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_306485/conten ... d=qM12y7DS (http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_306485/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=qM12y7DS)

November 1st, 2014, 11:07

Thailand loses bid to join UN human rights body.They've only just finished a three-year stint. These things are usually decided on the basis of Buggins' Turn (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Buggins's_turn).

November 2nd, 2014, 07:55

Our dearly beloved ex-General is a millionaire (in dollars) on a General's salary of $43,000, gee I wonder how that happened? Apparently he can't remember the details but he's absolutely certain that it was all legit. Perhaps lego could enlighten us as to the bribes his company pays to do business in Thailand?

I'm still waiting to see how the army handle the economic crisis that some Thais think is coming. Remember it was economics that drove the Tienanmen Square event in China, not politics. Boonchai Bencharongkul, a wealthy Thai industrialist, is reported as saying (http://bambooinnovator.com/2013/07/05/three-thai-tycoons-are-warning-of-a-nascent-economic-bubble-blaming-policies-that-have-encouraged-consumers-to-take-on-debt-while-the-government-borrows-hugely-to-spur-the-economy/) of Thailand in 2013 тАЬI think the current situation is worrisome. As one of those who had such an experience, I can smell it now. People are rushing and competing to buy condos while more and more people are driving Ferraris. These are the same things we saw before the 1997 crisis occurred.тАЭ

Mind you economic activity has, by all accounts, slowed since the General and his boys brought happiness to Thailand. Perhaps fewer Ferraris are being bought.

Up2U

November 3rd, 2014, 17:21

The leader of the the "Good Peoples" cabinet claims he can justify his treasure, can the others and his brother?

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politic ... his-wealth (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/440736/pm-says-he-can-justify-his-wealth)

Up2U

November 4th, 2014, 06:42

Isaan human rights activists denounce the legitimacy of the coup.

http://prachatai.org/english/node/4460? ... m=facebook (http://prachatai.org/english/node/4460?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook)

lego

November 4th, 2014, 16:35

Just as well he wasn't at Siriraj or the real story would never have leaked, if you get my drift.
I get your drift, but you wouldn't believe how leaky Siriraj is. Whenever something newsworthy happens there, I read about it on Line hours before it hits the regular news channels. Don't forget how many ordinary people work there and live nearby. As for Nuke Korea's Fat Boy, I'm certainly glad he's back. Next time he should come to Bangkok for treatment to promote Thailand as a medical hub. If you happen to be here at the same time, you could even treat him to your hallmark "cock-down-the-throat" program to keep the peace.

MiniMee

November 5th, 2014, 19:33

...you could even treat him to your hallmark "cock-down-the-throat" program...

I always thought that kommie was more of a "tongue-up-the-arse" kind of a guy.

November 6th, 2014, 15:35

As for Nuke Korea's Fat Boy, I'm certainly glad he's back. Next time he should come to Bangkok for treatment to promote Thailand as a medical hub. If you happen to be here at the same time, you could even treat him to your hallmark "cock-down-the-throat" program to keep the peace.Fat Boy's principal private secretary has assured me that were Fat Boy ever to travel to Bangkok he would have eyes only for you. His dear friend Tasty has assured him that you are the #1 brown-noser in Bangkok for authoritarian regimes and Fat Boy wants to experience this first-hand.

November 8th, 2014, 04:43

It's comforting to read that both Their Majesties are compos enough to designating the grand chamberlain to float their krathong http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/majest ... ast-night/ (http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/majesties-krathongs-floated-chao-phraya-river-last-night/)

Up2U

November 8th, 2014, 21:24

High school students activism under martial law.

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/10/3 ... rtial-law/ (http://globalvoicesonline.org/2014/10/30/thailands-high-school-civic-activism-in-a-time-of-martial-law/)

Up2U

November 13th, 2014, 16:48

Andrew MacGregor Marshall's book "A Kingdom in Crisis" has been officially banned by the junta. Can be purchased on the Internet from Amazon Kindle.

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/kingdo ... ok-banned/ (http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/kingdom-crisis-book-banned/)

November 14th, 2014, 07:33

Andrew MacGregor Marshall's book "A Kingdom in Crisis" has been officially banned by the junta.Apparently for "insulting the royal family". From what we know about them ...

Up2U

November 14th, 2014, 15:45

It wasn't a good week for El Generalisimo at APEC.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... at-summits (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/443192/regime-hears-harsh-words-at-summits)

Up2U

November 14th, 2014, 17:43

Military summons activists and human rights defenders.

http://prachatai.org/english/node/4476? ... um=twitter (http://prachatai.org/english/node/4476?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)

Up2U

November 15th, 2014, 05:48

Thai junta: we don't limit freedom of media but freedom must be within limits.

http://prachatai.org/english/node/4483

gaymandenmark

November 15th, 2014, 23:40

Banning books about the Royals in Thailand, has been done for years. Also under other governments and regimes of different colours.

November 16th, 2014, 06:17

Banning books about the Royals in Thailand, has been done for years. Also under other governments and regimes of different colours.SOP for personality cults.

Up2U

November 16th, 2014, 07:20

Banning books about the Royals in Thailand, has been done for years. Also under other governments and regimes of different colours.
Like Paul Handley's book The xxxx Never Smiles the banning now becomes a badge of honour and must a read if you are going to live in Thailand.

fountainhall

November 16th, 2014, 12:22

Remember it was economics that drove the Tienanmen Square event in China, not politics

With respect, economics played only a relatively small role in that event. I was in Beijing in May and July of that year and spoke to quite a number of people - although none was directly involved in any of the demonstrations. The initial spark that resulted in the Tiananmen student movement was a memorial service in April 1989 to mark the death two years earlier of the popular reformist leader Hu Yaobang whom Deng Xiaoping had made General Secretary of the Party. Hu had sided with earlier student protests about the need for greater democracy. He was forced to resign in 1987. The memorial service two years later resulted in 50,000 students marching to Tiananmen Square to protest the low profile given to that service. The fire had started.

A few years after the madness of the Cultural Revolution had left the country a total basket case, Deng finally re-assumed power and was determined to reform the system to allow much faster growth and pull vast numbers out of dire poverty. To do that he had to loosen the reigns of state control. He permitted some freedom of speech, for example, through the opening of the democracy wall in 1978. Here thousands came with crude posters espousing the need for greater democracy and a more transparent rule of law until it was closed the following year. Hu had wanted to move a number of reforms faster than Deng and some of his colleagues would allow. Students especially admired Hu for his stands against corruption, the need for greater freedoms and at least a degree of democracy, the continuing rigidity of China's economic system, and government secrecy. On Hu's death, there were student demonstrations in universities around much of the country.

By 1989, student grievances had grown, notably about their own conditions within the universities, especially the lack of adequate university accommodation. Eventually Beijing students joined a strike and refused to attended classes. In late April they marched to Tiananmen Square to protest their grievances and join those already there. Similar student demonstrations in the Square had occurred throughout the earlier part of the 20th century. So it was initially nothing unusual. But as had happened in the Cultural Revolution, they were soon joined by their contemporaries from other parts of the country.

This was no organised movement. It just happened. The students as a whole had no specific agenda, merely a series of grievances they wanted discussed and aired. It was only on May 4, the 70th anniversary of an earlier student-led protest, that the movement gelled into one for greater democracy and political reforms to parallel the economic reforms. But the core of the movement was political, not economics.

The tragedy which ensued had a somewhat bitter irony in that not only Hu but also his successor, Zhao Ziyang - also put in place by Deng, were in total sympathy with the students' aims. Zhao, perhaps aware of the growing anti-protest influence of the hardliners in the leadership, even went to the Square on 19 May begging them in tears to return home. He was stripped of his post after June 4 and spent the rest of his life under house arrest.

Up2U

November 18th, 2014, 06:27

Asiancorrespondent.com will be posting articles all this week, 28 weeks post-coup Thailand. Here are the The Intro and the Economy.

http://asiancorrespondent.com/128290/st ... -thailand/ (http://asiancorrespondent.com/128290/start-of-a-week-long-series-28-weeks-later-in-post-coup-thailand/)

http://asiancorrespondent.com/128311/ec ... ary-junta/ (http://asiancorrespondent.com/128311/economic-stability-comes-at-a-cost-under-thailands-military-junta/)

Up2U

November 18th, 2014, 14:52

Continuation of post above, Part 2,

http://asiancorrespondent.com/author/siamvoices/

November 18th, 2014, 18:54

Like Paul Handley's book The xxxx Never Smiles the banning now becomes a badge of honour and must a read if you are going to live in Thailand.I had always thought that Pa Kettle was born in America but now we find he's actually an Australian and named after a brand of beer (http://http://www.xxxx.com.au/)

Up2U

November 20th, 2014, 06:12

Protests plan derails showing of the Hunger Games. 5 student protesters challenge the General in Khon Kaen.

http://m.utsandiego.com/news/2014/nov/1 ... t-thai-pm/ (http://m.utsandiego.com/news/2014/nov/18/protesters-flash-hunger-games-sign-at-thai-pm/)

Up2U

November 20th, 2014, 13:57

Student activists not charged in Khon Kaen but Rajprasong News reports arrests in Bangkok (Paragon) of Thais when leaving theater after viewing Hunger Games.

http://prachatai.org/english/node/4508? ... um=twitter (http://prachatai.org/english/node/4508?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)

Oliver

November 20th, 2014, 15:18

I admire those young people. It can't be easy for them when their right to education is being threatened by the military morons who have taken over Thailand. Their time will come.

Up2U

November 20th, 2014, 20:23

More parts to the week long series from asiancorrespondent.com.

Part 3. An education fit for a zombie.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/128354/th ... tion-coup/ (http://asiancorrespondent.com/128354/thailand-education-coup/)

Part 4. Are the Thai people really happy after the coup?
http://asiancorrespondent.com/128390/28 ... -the-coup/ (http://asiancorrespondent.com/128390/28-weeks-later-are-thai-people-really-happy-after-the-coup/)

Part 5. Thailand's junta and the war on corruption.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/128345/28 ... orruption/ (http://asiancorrespondent.com/128345/28-weeks-later-corruption/)

Part 6. PDRC myths and Thailand's privileged "new generation".
http://asiancorrespondent.com/128417/28 ... eneration/ (http://asiancorrespondent.com/128417/28-weeks-later-pdrc-myths-and-thailands-privileged-new-generation/)

Part 7. Thailand tourism down, but not out.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/128429/28 ... t-not-out/ (http://asiancorrespondent.com/128429/28-weeks-later-thailand-tourism-down-but-not-out/)

I found the part 6 video of the girl disturbing and shallow, full of mistruths. Buddha help Thailand if she represents Thailand's future. Compare her with Khon Kaen student activist who was detained and released.
http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/4505

Up2U

November 22nd, 2014, 10:35

From the General..... don't ask for democracy.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... section=11 (http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1416573561&section=11)

Oliver

November 22nd, 2014, 15:33

Up2U

November 22nd, 2014, 17:08

Thanks for your posts, Up2U. It is important that those of us who love a Thai, or Thais, or indeed Thailand itself, are kept up to date. I have the impression that there are some who prefer to avoid the subject.
In all fairness, to those who come here for their annual or occasional holiday and are ambivalent or just don't care about Thai politics, I understand. When I first visited as a sex tourist, local politics, feelings about the monarchy, the military, politicians was the last thing on my mind. Having fun was number one priority. Your perspective changes completely, when you have retired here, have a vested interest economically, have a Thai bf, been embraced by an Issan family, understand Thai class structure and how those on lower rungs get screwed. I truly hope this country gets its act together but I see nothing on horizon, no light at the end of the tunnel, but one must never give up hope.

bkkguy

November 22nd, 2014, 17:40

understand Thai class structure and how those on lower rungs get screwed

particularly useful if one is to get maximum enjoyment from one's time in Pattaya!

bkkguy

joe552

November 22nd, 2014, 18:26

Up2U, I also appreciate your continuing updates from Thailand. I may be regarded as an annual sex tourist, but since I spent the holiday of a lifetime with an Isaan boy and his family for 3 weeks touring that area, about 10 years ago, I have a deep affection for the country and its people. I can't see much light at the end of this tunnel, though.

Keep the posts coming.

Up2U

November 22nd, 2014, 20:20

There will be an International Human Rights Day event at Khon Kaen University on December 10th, invitees include the Canadian Ambassador, British Ambassador and representatives from the embassies of Sweden and the USA. There are rumors that the junta may cancel this event but we will have to wait and see.

Up2U

November 23rd, 2014, 09:44

British Ambassador asks Prayuth to restore democracy by end of 2015.

http://prachatai.org/english/node/4518

Up2U

November 25th, 2014, 21:03

Bangkokpost reporter retracts interview with Yingluck.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... section=11 (http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1416915075&section=11)

lego

November 27th, 2014, 01:51

Bangkokpost reporter retracts interview with Yingluck.

A shame, that was without a doubt the best interview with a Thai politician I've read in a long time. I guess I wanted it to be real, I rather like her in the Jeanne d'Arc role. I think she's got great potential there, although she's getting on a bit (especially considering when the final curtain fell for poor Jeanne d'Arc). Aging gracefully and hoping for the best isn't an option, as Aung San Suu Kyi could tell her if she were honest. She has probably said all that has been reported, and more, just not given that one perfectly structured interview at what looked like exactly the right time.

November 27th, 2014, 14:36

Bangkokpost reporter retracts interview with Yingluck.Her interview with Al Jazerah this time last year revealed her to be a total bimbo, completely out of her depth. However I could never understand the hostility it provoked in the Thai expat community. After all, their thesis was that she was a glove puppet for her brother, so her bimbo-ness was irrelevant.

Oliver

November 27th, 2014, 14:43

It was pleasing to see that, today, The Guardian has a report from Thailand on the delay (sic) to the election while our Dear Leaders do their best to wipe out opposition.
The more attention that is paid to them, the better.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/n ... mentpage=1 (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/27/no-return-election-democracy-thailand-until-2016-minister?commentpage=1)

Up2U

November 27th, 2014, 16:01

The junta has blocked the Human Rights Watch website. (HRW).

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... bsite-page (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/445752/thai-junta-blocks-human-rights-watch-website-page)

Up2U

November 27th, 2014, 17:20

November 29th, 2014, 05:57

Some insight from TIME, martial law will continue, no elections for a year and half. http://time.com/3608619/thailand-milita ... -chayapan/ (http://time.com/3608619/thailand-military-sommai-phasee-pongpat-chayapan/)For those who think the old Yellow/Red Shirt rivalry has gone away with the coup, much of the commentary outside Thailand centres on the Army being Yellow Shirt centric and the Police (Thaksin's old power base) being Red Shirt centric. In addition the recent arrests of senior police have all been focused on one faction within the police and is unlikely to be the precursor of a crackdown on police corruption
Deposed CIB chief Pongpat is known to be close to the Crown Prince тАФ he frequently wears a pin with a photo of the royal coupleтАЩs son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti тАФ and three of his associates arrested Wednesday are relatives of Vajiralongkorn's wife, the Royal Consort Princess Srirasm, including her brother, Natthapol Akkharaphongpricha.If you're waiting for a general crackdown on corruption, that will be flagged when senior Army officers are arrested for all the rackets they are running,

November 30th, 2014, 02:41

As an update to the police arrests saga, Thai PBS reports the following. It's the family of his third wife it's talking about:
The Bureau of the Royal Household on Saturday issued an announcement instructing the Ministry of Interior to scrap the " Akrapongpreecha" name bestowed by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn as family name for a family and all those family members returning to use their former family name.

The order to the ministry was signed by Air Chief Marshal Sathitpong Sukawimol, secretary of His Royal Highness performing duty as the director of the Internal Activities Division of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Earlier the Bureau of the Royal Household also issued another announcement, No 428/2557, dated November 23, dismissing Mr Narong Akrapongpreecha, a civil servant under Internal Activities Division of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, from office for serious crimes he committed, and for exploitation of the Royal Family for personal gains.

At the same time, the Royal Security Guards Command of His Royal Highness also issued Announcement No 657/2557 sacking Sergeant Master Sithisak Akrapongpreecha from office and striping of the rank after committing serious crimes, and seriously violating military discipline, and seriously breaking laws of the country.

Up2U

November 30th, 2014, 07:36

A follow up to the post above.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... -withdrawn (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/446153/family-name-withdrawn)

November 30th, 2014, 07:41

In that fine old English comedy Staircase about a couple of gay hairdressers, the character played in the film by Rex Harrison remarks triumphantly "How's that for Holy Week" after a (paid) fuck with the DJ he's picked up in a disco. One might therefore say of these recent events "How's that for Father's Day week"

Up2U

December 3rd, 2014, 20:52

Thailand Unravels - commentary from the Wall Street Journal.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/thailand ... 1417572686 (http://online.wsj.com/articles/thailand-unravels-1417572686)

December 4th, 2014, 17:27

I'm going to paying close attention as Pa Kettle does his party piece on Friday. I imagine there are 60 million other people with the same interest in the performance rather than the substance.

December 5th, 2014, 12:46

I'm going to paying close attention as Pa Kettle does his party piece on Friday. I imagine there are 60 million other people with the same interest in the performance rather than the substance.So ... not sick, just not well enough. The sceptical might say "It was never going to happen so why was it ever announced" while the suspicious might say "That was the plan all along".

Up2U

December 6th, 2014, 12:07

Crisis group predicts more unrest in post-coup Thailand.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... 1417672444 (http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1417672444)

Up2U

December 6th, 2014, 13:02

Freedom House has downgraded Thailand's internet ranking from "partly free" to "not free".

http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/4566

Up2U

December 12th, 2014, 13:11

Activists call for a return of human rights.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general ... man-rights (http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/448897/activists-call-for-return-of-human-rights)

Up2U

December 12th, 2014, 17:48

Issan people use Human Rights Festival to air grievances.

http://isaanrecord.com/2014/12/11/isaan ... ensorship/ (http://isaanrecord.com/2014/12/11/isaan-people-use-human-rights-festival-to-voice-grievances-in-period-of-martial-law-and-censorship/)

lego

December 12th, 2014, 21:19

December 13th, 2014, 02:50

Activists call for a return of human rights.Quite hilarious, considering that there wasn't a time in the past when human rights ever existed in Thailand, what's there to return? I mean, truly existed, enforceable even by - for example - a stateless hill tribe activist. What is really meant instead of human rights, I suppose, is citizenship rights.Like voting, you mean? How can "citizenship rights" (whatever they are) be enforced without governments accountable to their citizens?

Your ignorance of Thailand, the wider world and political institutions has been much on display recently. When I wrote about "civil society", you decided that meant "civilization"; here it appears you're unaware of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Now you're claiming "there wasn't a time in the past when human rights ever existed in Thailand"; in another post you are proud of your ignorance of the events of 1976 and 1992. Have you not heard of the 1932 revolution? :))

Up2U

December 13th, 2014, 15:13

Activists crash Human Rights awards ceremony.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.ph ... 1418375456 (http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1418375456)

bkkguy

December 13th, 2014, 18:02

Issan people use Human Rights Festival to air grievances.

the recent US court case seeking human rights for chimps failed - is the buffalo likely to be a more successful cause in Thailand?

bkkguy

bkkguy

December 13th, 2014, 18:33

Quite hilarious, considering that there wasn't a time in the past when human rights ever existed in Thailand, what's there to return? I mean, truly existed
Your ignorance of Thailand, the wider world and political institutions has been much on display recently ... here it appears you're unaware of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Now you're claiming "there wasn't a time in the past when human rights ever existed in Thailand"

perhaps you can share with us your more extensive knowledge of "Thailand, the wider world and political institutions" and the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/) and indicate when and which exactly of the 30 Articles of the declaration have ever been well respected in Thailand - either before or after the "1932 revolution"

bkkguy