Thanet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The monies were paid to the farmers not those running the rice pledging scam scheme.

 

Shame on you sir.

 

Surely you aren't insinuating that it was the farmers that were corrupt are you, and as a result of course the power's that were were indeed totally innocent of any misdeeds?

 

I stand to be corrected by you, but the money was paid out in exactly the same way as it was done under the PTP Govt. If that is the case and there is corruption in the scheme, then the good General is every bit as guilty as YS. Maybe why he let her leave the country...... also he has an amnesty.....

 

 

The PTP stopped paying the farmers what they were owed in September 2013 so yet another lie nailed down.

 

Can you explain as an avid PTP supporter just WHY they stopped paying the farmers?
 

 

 

The old government was strangled financially by the coup plotters. Parliament was prevented from operating and passing the annual budget, and banks 'refused' to lend because the government's position was made so tenuous by street protesters who were 'allowed' to run amok.

 

As soon as the NCPO took over, they passed the budget, and paid the farmers from the budget that they themselves approved.

 

Easy when you have the power.

 

 

Yet another lie.

 

The 2013, 2014 budget was passed and operable at the time of the dissolution of the house, in fact that budget is still in operation.

 

PT never made provision to pay the farmers before they dissolved the house in spite of saying there was money available to pay them... They lied.

 

The banks and other institutions refused to lend money after the house had been dissolved because there was no way to ensure they could ever be paid back, there are complex reasons for this and if you kept up with these things in the news at the time you would understand.

 

But then truth and understanding would spoil things for some.

 

Wow - such pompous statements "Yet another lie." "But then truth and understanding would spoil things for some."  Why do you people who support the propaganda machine have to shout and deride any contradictory opinions? Is it the only way you can make yourself heard? Can;t you have a sensible conversation, where opposing views are welcomed and debated?

When the parliament was disabled by the rioters, it stopped functioning and all lines of credit to it were stopped too. The knights in shining khaki armour then stepped in to "save the day", and save it they could - they had the guns.

As other posters here have mentioned, why on earth the NCPO would continue reviled "populist" rice subsidy programs, and subsidies of fuel, the world cup and the like beggars belief. They forbade such behaviour in their own interim charter. There were photo ops of cash being dished out to the peasantry, almost as if they agreed to the practice.

Double standard, perhaps?

 

 

 

smutcakes post # 22.

 

If there was corruption in the rice scheme, what did the NCPO do to close these loop  holes before paying the 90 bn baht that the farmers were owed?

 

 

 The monies were paid to the farmers not those running the rice pledging scam scheme.

 

Shame on you sir.

 

Surely you aren't insinuating that it was the farmers that were corrupt are you, and as a result of course the power's that were were indeed totally innocent of any misdeeds?

 

 

I stand to be corrected by you, but the money was paid out in exactly the same way as it was done under the PTP Govt. If that is the case and there is corruption in the scheme, then the good General is every bit as guilty as YS. Maybe why he let her leave the country...... also he has an amnesty.....

 

 

The PTP stopped paying the farmers what they were owed in September 2013 so yet another lie nailed down.

 

Can you explain as an avid PTP supporter just WHY they stopped paying the farmers?
 

 

The old government was strangled financially by the coup plotters. Parliament was prevented from operating and passing the annual budget, and banks 'refused' to lend because the government's position was made so tenuous by street protesters who were 'allowed' to run amok.

As soon as the NCPO took over, they passed the budget, and paid the farmers from the budget that they themselves approved.

Easy when you have the power.

NACC < NCPO

They'll nail her somehow - she doesn't agree with them.

Expecting people to carry around their original passport wherever they go is completely ridiculous, and is probably just going to be used as a ruse by the authorities to fleece unsuspecting tourists.

Given Thailand's reputation abroad for pickpockets and scams, most tourists will of course keep their passports in a hotel safe or other secure location, and would never carry them around.

What a disgrace.

Quote ... "My issue is how much money should she have in her bank account when applying for a tourist VISA?"

Well ... if you are going to 'Financially' sponsor her ... Bt 1

If you are skint ... then maybe a guideline might be a minimum of Bt 10,000 per week ... if you are supplying her accommodation ... but Bt 15,000 per week would be better.

But an important thing is to focus on her reason to return to Thailand.

May I ask, what job does she have?

Photo?

How long have you two been together physicially, one presumes in Thailand?

Does she have a Passport?

Has she travelled anywhere outside of Thailand?

From her job, can she get holidays?

How long are those holidays for?

Does her stay in Australia corrospond with her holidays granted?

I'm just starting on the questions ...

.

Together physically in thailand - about 9 months at least.

She doesn't have a job

Her parents will give her 200 000 Baht

She has a passport but has not travelled abroad.

She has a 2 story house in Korat which she lives in and the property is in her name.

Immigration may take issue with the following:

1) Neither of you have a regular job. Immigration sees payment of personal income tax a civic duty, so (as taxpayers themselves) they won't at all like your 'cash only' excuse. Proof of a job means payslips, letters from employers and so on

2) She's very young - young people (statistically) tend to flout visa rules and work illegally - more chance of her disappearing

3) There is a significant age difference between you, and her very young age statistically makes the relationship less stable - more chance of her disappearing

4) She doesn't have a regular job, meaning that there is less for her to want to come back to - more chance of her disappearing

5) Just having enough money for your trip us not enough. You could be planning to migrate for all they know - more chance of her disappearing

6) You have only spent 9 months physically together, and are not married. They may see the relationship and new and more risky - more chance of her disappearing

Be prepared to be asked to provide information to satisfy immigration on the above. Remember also that they make decisions on a 'balance of probabilities', which means that the overall picture of an applicant needs to be of a type that will (statistically) abide by the conditions of the visa - tourism in this case - and that the visa holder is statistically unlikely to breach any of the conditions.

If he was so boring, then why did you order another pint?

Just curious.

The OP is rather gullible if he believes that the junta will end corruption.

Juntas, dictators and tyrants the world over, usually snatch power on the premise of stamping out corruption, restoring 'real' democracy, freedom, and so forth. They appear to make the right moves when they start out, but none can seem to resist the temptations that absolute power brings, not to mention the need to extend platitudes to others to remain in absolute power. The Republic by Plato contains an extremely insightful commentary on the psychology behind this degeneration of good intentions.

The present Junta model themselves on that of Sarit Thanarat. Do a bit of Googling on recent Thai history, and see if you feel so confident then about how corruption is a thing of thee past.

I hope that this Junta really is as good as it says, but history has a habit of repeating itself.

Stayed from 1978 until 1987. Used to go to Penang, getting Non O visa without any problems year after year. Yeah, that silly 180 days rule about tax. Although, I only have been send back twice to Surat Thani to get that tax form but a change of shirt and 500 THB in the passport, did the job too. Sadao border used to be closed from 18:00 until I believe 08:00 in the morning.

Georgetown used to be a pretty nice town, Batu Feringi an empty beach with just one hotel being build. I used to love Georgetown, especially the food market but that is well before the Compta Center was build and the market destroyed.

Yeah, I do remember the "No Hippy" sign at the Thai border. Customs even asked very politely "Are you a hippy?" :-) Suppose at that time, Samui only just got developed and only a hand full of bungalow places on Koh Phangan, so customs didn't have to deal with hordes of unruly travelers and used to be much, much friendlier although, they mostly still are.

Now, I wonder, does any of those long timers still remember the sign over the pier in Samui, "Welcome to the Island of sex, drugs and Rock'nRoll"? Good old times when the Lamai Inn was the only Bar/Disco on the island. Does anyone still remember that girl in Samui, her nickname was "Frog". Wonder how many farangs she married over the years ;-)

Yeah, good old times when Thailand was still "the Land of Smiles".

Ah yes, the Tax Clearance Certificate - I remember that. In those days, leaving the country (having spent a total of more than 180 days in any year here) meant an interview at the Revenue Department and payment of tax if they decided that you owed them some. A time consuming and tedious process that was, as a certificate was required for each and every exit and the queue was often very long.

Thankfully, this was abolished around the same time that the old tax office at Ratchadamnoen Road (where I used to go for my certificate) was burned down by anti-Government protesters, around 1992 if I remember correctly.

Even though Penang was the only choice by land back then, which became boring after a while, visas have got so much harder since those days. I feel sorry for people who have fallen in love with Thailand, and are now scrambling for ways to stay here.

I did a couple of visa runs 25 years ago Penang was the only reasonable option by land. This meant a very long train ride, followed by a short ferry trip to Penang island. Penang was a nice place, with lots of good food and cheap places to stay. I usually met interesting people on the train too,and enjoyed a few beers in the days when you were allowed to drink on the train, which was usually full of other visa runners.

Getting the visa was easy - apply for it one day and pick it up the next. There was an Indian guy who would do it all for you.

In those days, a letter from a language school was all you needed to get an ED visa. double entry was the norm, triple if you were lucky, and single in the occasional crackdown.

Flying (or a train) to Hat Yai, then a taxi to the border was how we did visa runs that required just a turnaround.

With Laos and Cambodia closed, there was no other way of doing it back then.

I'm on the other side of this fence. For those never being in the scene its easy to call it stupid. I grew up street racing. Its sort of a passing. Some kids grew up being book worms, some play school sports, others did nothing, some learn how to tune and race cars and motorcycles on the street.

Going out and picking fights with people who don't look like me, and setting hobos on fire, and stealing cars for joy rides are rites of passage, too. I, too have fond memories of stuff I did that could have ended up as tragedy for innocent people. Young, dumb and bulletproof, we were. Yet, not all of us survived our teen years. (Most of what we did involved drinking until senseless, before, after, and while driving)

If the participants want to kill themselves, so be it. If it puts bystanders at risk, it needs to be stopped. Cordoned off areas and tracks are a great idea.

You set hobos on fire???

Rite of passage???

I'm shocked!

And so the cycle of hopelessness that is Thai politics enters another round.

The poor man. I hope that it's nothing trivial.

Yet another non-story, based on pure conjecture of what people may or may not do in future.

I reckon TV should close close down the "Thailand News" section. Journalists aren't allowed to say anything any more.

funny, we've 'gone that far'. Final interviews and all. Just waiting for a minister to be appointed.

Final count....5000 odd baht from memory.

I'm glad you are a superior human. Heres 5 baht. Call someone who cares.

Do let us know when the happy day will be, you may get a Thai passport but you will never be accepted as Thai.

Acceptance is a two-way street.

 

This sends a clear message to General Prayuth that he's staying out of politics for the time being, which is a good thing anyway anyone looks at it.

 

Why does he need to send a message? He's played his part in the plan, and is no longer needed.

 

That is likely the long and short of it.

By his own admission, he was part of the plan.

 

What a fake he is.   

We are all fakes in one way or another,its what makes us so amusingly human

 

So we are all the same then? No good and no bad because all people are fake?

Suthep Joins Ranks of Activists Seeking Safety in Monkhood
By Khaosod English


Former anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban surprised many by appearing as a monk in Surat Thani, 16 July 2014.

SURAT THANI — Former anti-government protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban surprised many by appearing as a monk today, raising speculation that he is joining a long tradition of political leaders seeking asylum through the monkhood.

Many villagers in Lamet district were baffled to see Mr. Suthep in saffron robes with his head and eyebrows shaven, as is the Buddhist tradition, collecting alms alongside other monks near Than Nam Lai Temple in Surat Thani this morning.

Mr. Suthep and other monks walked for about one kilometre to collect food donations before returning to their secluded temple. Only one temple assistant was seen accompanying Mr. Suthep throughout the journey.

Starting last November, the former deputy chairman of the Democrat Party spent six months as the firebrand leader of the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) in its effort to topple the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and replace it with an unelected people’s council to carry out unspecified “national reforms.”

Mr. Suthep, who is now known by his Buddhist name "Paphakaro," did not announce his intention to be ordained as a monk. Media reports also indicate that people close to Mr. Suthep were surprised by the sudden move.

Monkhood as asylum

Although Mr. Suthep has not publicly stated his reasons for becoming a monk, Thailand has a history of political leaders joining the monkhood to avoid assassination or revenge following periods of upheaval in the country’s politics. Killing monks is considered a grave sin in Buddhist cosmology.

Prominent examples in Thailand's pre-modern history include King Maha Chakkraphat, who briefly sought exile in the monkhood in 1538 after a coup was staged against his dynasty, and King Rama IV, who spent 27 years as monk before he was crowned King of Siam to avoid a conflict of interest with his brother, King Rama III.

A more recent example is Sondhi Limthongkul, the controversial leader of the ultra-royalist People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the predecessor of the PCAD that campaigned against Ms. Yingluck's brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, starting in 2005.

Mr. Sondhi entered the monkhood in 2007, a year after Mr. Thaksin's administration was overthrown in a military coup that the PAD's protests helped engineer. Prior to his ordination, Mr. Sondhi made controversial remarks claiming that members of the Thai Royal Family were supportive of the PAD's quest against Mr. Thaksin, who the PAD had accused of being an “anti-monarchy tyrant.”

Mr. Sondhi eventually returned to secular life and nearly died life in 2009, when unknown assailants fired a full magazine of bullets from an automatic rifle at his car in Bangkok. The perpetrators were never found.

Many critics of Mr. Suthep have likened his ordination to that of Mr. Sondhi. Last month, Mr. Suthep caused an uproar when he told a gathering of PCAD donors at an exclusive club that he had been conspiring with army chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha to overthrow Thaksin-allied governments since 2010.

Gen. Prayuth, who led the coup against Ms. Yingluck's government on 22 May, insisted that the coup was necessary to prevent further bloodshed and maintained that he did not take any sides in the country’s political conflict. However, since seizing power, the military junta has taken up the centerpiece of the PCAD’s platform: instituting a series of “national reforms” before the next election is held.

According to Gen. Prayuth, an interim government will be formed in September and tasked with reforming the country’s constitution. A year later, elections will be held if conditions are deemed stable.

Ekkanat Prompan, a close aide of Mr. Suthep during the anti-government campaign, was also ordained as a monk shortly after the 22 May coup.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1405500727

[khaosod]2014-07-16[/khaosod]

Ah got it - the monkhood is the best suit of armour.

Again and again and again.

Why is it that the Thai police can only enforce the law during crackdowns?

Houses and condos in Thailand are treated just like cars - people all want new ones and they depreciate with age.

Only buy a house here if the land on which it sits is reasonably priced - it's the only part of the deal that will go up in value.

this down to the massive pedo scandal that is about to explode ..(he was in charge of an investigation years ago that basically was a cover up)

It could well be, this is on my list of suspected reasons.

Hmmmm ... perhaps we should assume innocence until guilt is proven here. He could be leaving for a whole bunch of other reasons

Phuket does seem to be the "hub" of transformer fires.

Because there is no load planning. Everyone just hooks up to the transformer supply, more building,bigger buiding = overload.

You'd think that the would be designed to trip out when overloaded?