smileydude

Go for it and hope the Democrats join.

Hopefully it will be as fair as fair can be.

No handouts. No ghost ballots.

So we can see the degree of public change in sentiment for this government once and for all.

Last time PTP won 16 million to 12 million votes for the other parties.

Curious to see if the "perception" of corruption that exists in Thailand changes and is reflected in this round of votes.

I just attended a TDRI hosted public forum on corruption and monopolies and the stats from Transparency International indicate a downfall from Thailand's previous rankings of 63 to 78 to 88 and currently 102.

Transparency International bases a lot of its analysis from interviews on "perception" of corruption as they are unable to actually get data on something that the government does not accurately gather up to date info on.

Pretty difficult since corruption has no receipts. I noted that the last independent research study on corruption was done over 10 years ago. Interesting thing is this "perception" is based on corruption that the common people experience, be it police checkpoint bribes, government office bribes (think land department, customs, etc). It seems the so called "perception" of corruption that exists in Thailand has been lower over the past 15 years and I agree as most common government related procedures like your ID or drivers license has been streamlined and is more efficient with less bureaucracy and thus less need for bribes. This is petty corruption.

Problem is high level corruption has increased and thus Thailand's fall in rankings.

It seems the level of "organized and systematic corruption" has increased in major ministries such as Transport, Telecommunications, Finance, Commerce and our current favorite Agriculture.

Most of the systemic levels of corruption involve concessions that allow for monopolies like the 4G bidding by the NBT, High speed railroad, and exclusive oil processing by PTT to name a few instances. On the surface it seems like a fair bidding process but in reality there is often collusion by the bidding parties.

The levels of corruption are no longer simple puddles but span oceans.

Interestingly the reason why corruption still exists on such massive levels is the lack of political will and that the mindset of the average Thai is that "corruption is okay as long as there is progress".

The light at the end of the tunnel is that this mindset is changing especially among the younger generation and private businesses.

The attempted passing of the Amnesty Bill was a trigger and the first protest response was by students as we all saw.

Now everybody is getting onboard, be it businessmen to farmers. Usually it has to hurt your own pocket before we start caring.

We obviously all know that those in power do not want to reform and seriously tackle corruption and just offer lip service.

Hopefully the mindset of Thai people will start changing and people will refuse to take vote bribes and see politicians for what they are. Self-serving maggots.

Wishful thinking in my lifetime? I hope not.

I'm sure every day Thaksin and Yingluck regret they ever linked up with this guy.

Old Mr. T owes Chalerm big time and old Chalerm has plenty of blackmailable stuff on his buddy.

Who do you think helped T make his first billion?

Yingluck never "linked up" with Chalerm. He was forced upon her by P'Thaksin.

Is it coincidental that people who often have stuff on Mr. T are conveniently eliminated by supposedly anti-red snipers? Think Seh Daeng and Kwanchai Prapaina?

Strangely this topic is void of our regular TV red shirts community.

I was hoping for some enlightening views on how the government should help the farmers.

Or are these farmers not worth helping because they're not from the Northeast?

As much as I dislike the police these kind of street justice pics aren't going to help the cause.

Once infiltrators are identified take some pictures and ask them to politely exit the premises.

Bigger cracks have already appeared between Yaowapa and Pojamarn Shinawatra during their meeting with Big T in Myanmar.

Both apparently blamed each other for causing the fall of PTP's popularity.

I wonder who Big T will side with, wife or sister?

Hmm... is this akin to giving her a tipoff?

But then again her bags were packed long ago.

Doesn't solve the plight of the farmers yet though.

I really hope this has been a lesson to those who actually believe a free lunch exists.

It is because of the level of cynicism and critical nature of humans that we don't and will never get along.

And this is only a sample at TV.

Imagine the red shirts, yellow shirts, no shirts (mr underwear), PTP, Democrats trying to get along. Impossible if not?

Everybody thinks the other is up to no good.

Will we ever find common ground or do we have to ground the other side into smithereens before we're satisfied?

I hope Abhisit is sincere in trying to find common ground.

Both sides will have to make compromises if any progress is to be had and neither side has the upper hand. They only think they do because they are holding different groups of people hostage.

Looks like I've caught the cynicism bug myself..... shame.

Chatuchak is teeming with potential strange bedfellows (aka pets).

The ones that come to mind:

Hedgehogs

Chinchillas

Chameleons

Iguana's

Fly river turtles

Indian Star Turtles

Galapagos turtles

Spider monkeys

Assorted gibbons

Sand fox

Amazonian stingrays (polka dots)

and my favorite "Peacocks"

Mind you many of these are on the list of endangered or protected species.

Trying to build the same conditions as their natural habitat is probably what I think is most challenging otherwise it would be akin to animal cruelty.

I'd really like to get a peacock. Most beautiful thing nature has created. Problem is their mating call can be heard several blocks away and sounds like a screaming banshee, literally.

Let us know on what you decide.

I am no apologist for Communism, but being born into a 'middle class' family does come with underlying 'entitlements' that are often denied the 'working class'.

Easier access to a higher standard of education

Better health provision

Higher incomes and far better housing conditions

A greater respect in Thai society, whether earned or not

Opportunities to travel

Often the capacity to engage servants to carry out menial tasks around the home

Clearly these 'entitlements' are not your fault, they arrived as a consequence of the family you were born into, but, if I fall into your category of a 'red shirt farang' it is only because I would like to see some narrowing of the gap between the haves, the have little and the have nots in Thailand

We should not be pigeon-holed into anything based on what class of family we are born.

There are royalty who would like to see the poorer folk do better.

There are poor people who would only like to see themselves do well and don't give a hoot about others.

Professor Esther Duflo of MIT said it well in her book "poor economics"

The reason poor people remain poor is because of the mentality of hopelessness.

It isn't their fault but their surroundings have molded them into this state.

The ones who make it out of poverty do so because they are were mentally stronger and able to lift themselves out of this mentality and try to better themselves.

Like the saying, don't give them fish, teach them how to fish.

Same saying, don't give them handouts or a million baht per tambon. Don't give them rice subsidies.

Give them access to healthcare so that with physical strength they have the opportunity to build mental strength.

Teach them to farm more efficiently. Provide them the opportunity to learn how to apply local knowledge to increase yields. Don't give them technology they don't understand. Don't assume on their behalf that we know what they need.

Its the mentality that opportunities exist and that with and only with your two hands can you lift yourself from poverty.

Bridging the gap between the have's and have nots should not come at the expense of the rights of the haves.

If we took away all of what the have's (which is probably everyone here at TV because you all have computers, internet access and a place to sleep tonight) and re-distributed it according to communistic principles would you all be fine with that?

I think a better idea is to stop corruption and all that money distributed to politicians and re-distribute it via better healthcare, low-cost housing, safe roads and free access to education.

I can understand how a lot of people on TV do not like Suthep or the PDRC for their hard core tactics of blocking streets, invading government offices and the seemingly undemocratic vote block etc. but am I assuming correctly many of these Suthep critics also support PTP and Thaksin? Or do you support the red shirts?

The protest movements we are seeing are a result of people being fed up with corruption and tyranny from the current government.

It started with the student protests and Guy Fawkes masks and gained momentum with Suthep joining the fray.

But it is not about Suthep or any single person. It is about how a group of politicians who were elected in by the majority of the population in the North and Northeast and financially supported by Thaksin abused their powers as can be seen by the passing of the Amnesty Bill in Parliament and the rice-pledging scheme to name a few instances.

The government run by Yingluck and the PTP clearly showed their incompetence, poor governance and lack of ethics.

This government is supported by the red shirts. How does reflect on the red shirts if they insist on supporting PTP and Thaksin?

Is there not a clear line between right and wrong here?

I'd really like to hear a good argument from all of the supposed detractors of Suthep on how Thai's can get rid of a very corrupt government elected into office? In any other developed country I think they would have all resigned in shame but not Thailand.

Can the red shirts and majority in the North and Northeast not fathom the level of corruption? Right now the farmers are feeling it.

If we insist on using our voting rights who do we vote into office? PTP? Democrats? Who?

you dont have to like or dislike anybody its all down to a democratic process which they want to overturn by thuggery .the voters can decide who is fit to run the country

This is not about liking or disliking anybody.

This about right and wrong.

But the majority don't seem to see this or maybe they (the farmers) do now.

I think we both agree on the democratic process.

How about the process of good governance and prosecuting corrupt politicians?

Lets discuss that instead of the democratic process because we have no disagreement there.

Great news. I bet the others are less cocky now. I have a bottle of champagne waiting for the day I see Suthep in leg shackles.

Pretty much the whole of Thailand have a bottle of champagne ready for that. (except for a handful of grandmas at the protest sites and a few other neo-dictationship oddballs)

Hopefully they distribute a High Definition 1080p, 60 frames per second slow motion version of his imminent arrest, conviction and jailing, with a zoom in on his face.

One can only hope once Dear YK and her merry bandits are shown the door, that the "fascist" Suthep rounds up all the "Red Farangs" and deports them, and petitions their home goverments to prevent further international travel on the basis of stupidity

From your 13,000 posts I have ascertained you know very little about what goes on here. The group you refer to as 'red farangs' are simply people who believe in equal opportunities, level playing fields and whatever else brings down an heirarchical society that Thailand is.

We have being debating with anti government supporters for the best part of 5 years and honestly winning most arguments. All this achieved with both arms tied behind our backs...unlike you.

I see. So you believe this is a people's war over the hierarchical society? You believe in leveling the playing field?

So if 16 million voters (your presumed majority in a democratic society) want to vote PTP and Thaksin into power to level the playing field, they need not listen to the other 12 million who voted for other parties? So its okay to be corrupt, embezzle money from the rice pledging scheme and use taxpayers money to give free handouts as long as the cause is won?

Your ideas sound very noble but are severely flawed. Democracy and the law of the land is only just and good if people have ethics.

Haven't you seen many instances of those in power who have used better lawyers to play the interpretation of the law to their benefit?

I'd really like to hear how you think you are winning the arguments. Has the level of corruption as overseen by the OECD been lower in Thailand since PTP and Thaksin have been in power? (I think not) What other indicators of human development support your argument that what the PTP led government has achieved has improved the lives of Thai people? According to the World Economic Forum we are sliding down the competitive index. Our level of education has been ranked poorly in SE Asia.

Castro, Che Guvara and many of the communist ideologists had noble causes in mind. Many ex-members of the Communists Party of Thailand are currently in the red shirt movement. But communism has shown many flaws. Too much power in the hands of the state and leaders and a repressed population. I cannot think of single communist country with a thriving population.

Personally I am all for decreasing the level of income disparity and equality for all and a non-hierarchical society.

I was raised in a middle class Thai family and have never been born with any form of entitlement.

But I am not convinced nor has their been any concrete proof that Thaksin and the Red shirts have the best intentions of the people in mind.

Great news. I bet the others are less cocky now. I have a bottle of champagne waiting for the day I see Suthep in leg shackles.

Pretty much the whole of Thailand have a bottle of champagne ready for that. (except for a handful of grandmas at the protest sites and a few other neo-dictationship oddballs)

Hopefully they distribute a High Definition 1080p, 60 frames per second slow motion version of his imminent arrest, conviction and jailing, with a zoom in on his face.

One can only hope once Dear YK and her merry bandits are shown the door, that the "fascist" Suthep rounds up all the "Red Farangs" and deports them, and petitions their home goverments to prevent further international travel on the basis of stupidity

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They're called "nok gow wow". Nok meaning bird and gow wow I'm assuming comes from the sound it makes?

They drive me crazy too with their ascending pitch and loudness but after a while you get use to them just like gecko's.

I know airports use noise to scare away birds such as recordings of their natural predator's screech or even sonic cannons.

My housekeeper suggested firecrackers but I don't see that as feasible long term unless I want my neighbors to give me the stink eye.

Thais unfortunately are not exempt from the human weakness of racism.

The racism you experienced is a type of prejudice Thai people have against certain skin colors born from sterotypes.

For example there is a rather ignorant Thai saying passed down for generations that goes like this :

"if you see a snake and an Indian, hit the Indian first"

I know this seems extremely racist and any South Asian would be rightly offended but unfortunately I guess someone's bad experience that an Indian cannot be trusted (even less then a snake) was passed down until it became embedded in Thai folklore.

Thai's have likely picked up the most of the stereotypes portraying colored people as being criminally minded and violent from Hollywood who have probably single-handily influenced stereotyping of all races more then any other forms of media. Think dumb blond, sassy redhead, all asians know kung-<deleted>, middle-eastern terrorists, Russian KBG spies, South African mercs, etc etc and I could go on and go.

Stereotypes exist everywhere but the degree varies with each culture. Zatoichi said it well when it comes to education and what schools are trying to sell.

The positive thing I can say about racism in Thailand is that it is not born out of hatred unlike what many colored people have experienced in the the US even up to today. Some people here may think lighter skin personifies superiority but thats pretty much its limit. No underlying element of hatred unlike what we see committed in homophobic or religious related crimes.

Once Thai's get to know you I'm sure you will see their prejudiced views disappear as fast as they came.

Racism here is superficial.

I think the questionable recruitment standards reflects on the quality of the school to a certain degree.

So let it be their lost that they let go a qualified candidate because they judged a book by its cover.

I fail to see what laws the hotels or their executives are breaking for letting people rent their rooms.

It is not the same as harboring a fugitive because Suthep has not been sentenced by any courts only arrest warrants.

Of course Thaksin is a wanted criminal found guilty by both the NACC and several courts so aren't Dubai, Montenegro and Cambodia guilty of harboring a known fugitive?

Kittirat has got to stop covering for his boss.

As TDRI already said the rice-pledging scheme was bankrupt even before it started.

The breakdown:

The government buys rice from farmers for about 30 baht/kilo (guaranteed 15,000 baht/ton).

The government sells its rice stocks to middlemen (in cohoots) for 10 baht/kilo

The middlemen sell it to rice millers for 20 baht/kilo.

The government and the middlemen split the 10baht/kilo profit.

The government will never be able to pay off all the farmers because they are selling it at a loss of 20 baht/kilo.

Want to sell the 10-14 million tons of rice in stock? (I doubt there is that much actually in storage)

Tough because the quality of rice in storage is unreliable with the high quality stuff mixed with low quality and moldy weevil infested stuff.

Local buyers are not willing to pay over 15 baht/kilo because they have to hedge the risk that after sorting the quality of rice they are left with an unknown quantity of quality rice.

Foreign markets don't trust the quality of thai rice because they know of our corruption problems and of the storage quality problems.

G to G sales? All fake as the G to G to China was never a real. How could China commit to buying 5 million tons of long grain rice over 5 years = 1 million ton/year when their national quota is approximately 2.6 million tons of long grain rice/year and they're buying from India, Pakistan, Vietnam and many other countries already?

The NACC has already found out that the G to G with China was fake and not officially authorized by the Chinese government. It was all a ploy to skim profit off selling government rice stocks to middlemen.

This was all testified by witnesses (rice millers) called up by the NACC and on record.

Waiting for the NACC verdict.

Tough crowd here at TV.

Abhisit may not be perfect but he's a got a lot more intelligence then the average MP and his responses don't reflect being "ripped apart".

Intelligence though is usually not enough to be politically competent which involves a lot of deal making, compromises, hand wringling, fund-raising etc etc.

Put Yingluck on here and most interviewers just leave the room with a completely puzzled look on their face like "what the hell was that?"

Abhisit's weakness is often being a one-man think tank.

Yingluck's weakness is being a thinkless tank.

So who would you all suggest as the best candidate for Prime Minister?

Look at his face: it is the face of a man facing a death sentence.

And given those circumstances, why would this snake not come out of its hole and spit venom.

This snake has infested the Thai Parliament for at least 20 years

We're talking about Suthep, right?

I can understand your dislike for Suthep but how could you possibly defend PTP's competence to lead the government when they choose the likes of Chalerm and his kind?

In all sincerity I'd really like to hear rational reasons why we should have confidence in letting PTP lead Thailand.

I understand the benefits of the 30 baht Universal health coverage. I work in the system and though it is a noble gesture it is losing money and in the long term without copayment it does not promote self-responsibility for taking care of one's own health as everything is free.

I am all for decreasing the gap between the have's and have-nots but the gap has only increased and if you talk to economists its because a major bulk of income in this country comes from land ownership. And who owns the land? Surprise surprise, the largest group is Senators followed by politicians, military/police, palace, and businessmen. Do you believe that the people we vote in or powers at be will actually crack their own honey pots?

As for equal representation, some countries go by constituents in proportion to the population as everyone has to pay taxes. What if the majority has an income below the taxable level. What are your thoughts?

Advise tourists to avoid Bangkok and tourism will be fine. All they'll miss is the dust, smog and shopping and quite possibly extend the life of their lungs by a few years.

The real solution is to go to Chalerm and ask how much will it cost to extend my visa?

I'm thinking one pink Bentley, several cases of 1972 Romanee-Conti and maybe some cash.

Chalerm is fond of his pink cars and sips.

He'll just forward in his memo to Tarit that it was all a misunderstanding. Case Closed.

Great collection of information.

Now only if we could get it inputed into the GPS navigation systems so we can get warnings like:

"You are about to enter a shitty road, please slow down to avoid potholes, cracks and chickens crossing the street. Have a nice day"

I hope he actually tries to go through with his genius-in-his-own-mind plan so that he can get the crap kicked out of him by the protesters.

I expect him to crap in his pants when he does get kicked because he's so full of it.