Thanet

This NRC charade will go on forever. It's just a ploy to keep the dictator in power.

A ridiculous position, aimed at garnering support from the UKIP fraternaty.

He knows he has to pay it, I suppose its a bit like asking someone to pay a utility bill within a fixed time. But in order to really get this entitled ass to understand the point, its like having to pay your club membership fees.

Of course one rule for tory elites another for the plebs.

The bottom line is that the UK get more out of the EU than they put in. Right now the UK couldn't drop out even if they wanted to. There is a recession going on and they simply can't afford it.

Right - Cameron's just a gasbag PR man.

None of what he says he will do is going to happen.

No billionaires as in the last cabinet.

Give them a chance - they haven't been in power long enough yet.

He's Suthep. so he'll be let of the hook one way or another.

If God had intended us to be vegetarian, then why did he make cows out of steak?

Shame on the US if this is true.

One rule for them, another rule for everyone else.

What a bunch of hypocrites.

I think the democracy that the Greeks had did not allow women to vote. Also, Ancient Greece had a whole load of slaves, and they weren't allowed to vote as well. So Greece was a place that most of the adults in society did not have the right to vote.

If everybody in Ancient Greece had the right to vote, what would have happened ?

Actually, teaching patriotism to children. Well, this ia actually important. Any nation is surely built on patriotism and pride for the nation, on nationalism. Without this, well, what is the point of being a nation ? You might as well not be a nation.

Well said.

Teaching Patriotism involves teaching reality. Some thing the school system has been ignoring. Also many posters are ignoring and some out right opposed to it.

But what is being taught? Patriotism or jingoism?

Hey, Bruce, our new 'Dear Leader' doesn't like us to call it a coup. So 'intervention' is OK. 'NCPO' is spot on. And of course he is a real 'PM' too.

The Thai people are now 'happy' and we are enjoying 'reconciliation' and making 'reforms'.

Saying anything else can get you an 'invitation' to special 'retreat' and be 'entertained' by our friends in khakis. Normally it is only one week, but you can 'volunteer' for an extended stay.

I can't wait to see the new history books.

BTW, who is Orwell?

Intervention---I love it. Why, it gets all the apologists screaming mad. It is that drastic according to them all Thai people are being dragged off the streets for speaking, tortured for loving the Shins, and now are to be taught the 53rd version of democracy in schools. 5555555555555.

It's pigged them off because today free dental treatment was given here in UDON Thani. Farrangs included. when in the last 3 years have Thais been given that and farrangs.

You must be pretty hard up, if a free filling is the only thing that motivates you. Has your pension pot run out already?

Being one of the party faithful I'm sure that you refused the free dental care anyway. Naked populism - very Thaksinite, and the army hates it.

Salute thy dictator, and ignore the toothache.

I think the democracy that the Greeks had did not allow women to vote. Also, Ancient Greece had a whole load of slaves, and they weren't allowed to vote as well. So Greece was a place that most of the adults in society did not have the right to vote.

If everybody in Ancient Greece had the right to vote, what would have happened ?

Actually, teaching patriotism to children. Well, this ia actually important. Any nation is surely built on patriotism and pride for the nation, on nationalism. Without this, well, what is the point of being a nation ? You might as well not be a nation.

As you correctly allude, Ancient Greece was not a democracy as we would understand. It was, by its own definition, a timocracy, which is s system of government where people of material wealth and certain social classes only could vote.

Plato's 'The Republic', written at that time, is considered to be an authority on this matter, then as well as with political scientists and psychologists nowadays. It deals with the degeneration of the nation State from aristocracy, to timocracy, to oligarchy, to democracy, and finally to tyranny. It frames this degeneration within a superb definition of justice, as well as drawing parallels to this degeneration within the human mind, the latter being a mini nation State . It's a very compelling and interesting read - just as pertinent to political science, and the way people relate to one another, now as it was then.

Taking this degeneration of the nation State as an example of Thailand's recent regression, where we see a sudden slide from an oligarchy (under Thaksin) to what more resembles a tyranny (under Prayuth).

In an age when information is so easy to get hold of, returning to timocracy (as the army clearly wants to do) would mean nothing less than winding back the clock, and unlearning all that the people have learnt. The army fancies that it can do this -- the 'reforms' where only 'good people' have political rights have many parallels with the definition of timocracy in Ancient Greece. Thailand had such a system of government for many years, which brought with it stability at that time.

What the army fails to realise is that Thai people are simply too sophisticated now for a timocracy to work any more. Having given people a taste of freedom, they bitterly resent having that freedom taken away. Had the army not interfered, this very freedom and creativity would have defeated the oligarchs and led to the establishment of a democracy, via the demand for class equality.

With a return to timocracy impractical, tyranny is the only other choice of government, as far as the army is concerned. That's a shame, because as Plato rightly said, tyranny is the most degraded system of government. It robs people of hope and it stifles creativity and free thought.

I wonder what these re-written history books will contain?

Australian Citizenship application

Residence requirement

The residence requirement is based on the time you have lived

in Australia and the time you have spent outside Australia. The

Residence Requirement Calculator on the citizenship website

can help you calculate whether you meet this requirement.

General residence requirement

Permanent residents must:

• have been living in Australia on a valid Australian visa for

4 years immediately before applying which must include the

last 12 months as a permanent resident, and

• not have been absent from Australia for more than one year

in the past 4 years, including no more than 90 days in the

year before applying.

Worth noting here is that the Resident Return visa may only be granted to those who have spent at least two out of the past five years in Australia. If not, then the grant of this visa is discretionary.

People have lost their PR by not spending enough time in Oz.

It depends on the location.

Aggressive dogs should be put down.

Far as I know the cards valid till expired and then my wife who got a temporary card had it automatically updated.

So it should just keep updating itself in your case, long as your an Aussie citizen.

Then it's a piece of cake to get if you had to again anyway.

Medicare is not travel insurance if that's what you are thinking. Means zero overseas.

not quite - while not a substitute for travel insurance Medicare has extensive reciporcal agreements mainly across the EU and NZ. UK probably being the most commonly used one (that'll get the resident whinging TV brits going!!).

Ok that's interesting and good to keep in mind.

Still I won't travel without the best travel insurance I can find. Would make a good topic who is best but we always use AAMI.

Participating RHCA countries

• Belgium
• Finland
• Italy
• Malta
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Republic of Ireland
• Slovenia
• Sweden
• United Kingdom

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/reciprocal-health-care-agreements/participating-rhca-countries

Interesting, and I wonder when they add Thailand to the list ...

You don't know much about politics, do you.

All the general is hearing is that he has 93.3% approval.

You mean he's not in control

He is "living in a bubble", much the same way George W did.

Emperor...

New clothes...

Right - his recent trip to Europe reminded me of a rabbit blinking at oncoming car headlights.

Talk about a fish out of water!

So the earlier mentioning of an election in a year actually meant "an election in 1 year if 100% of the population cooperates completely"? It does sound a lot less sexy so I understand why they left that part out.

Convenient by the way that this can also always be used as an excuse for delays: "yes, sorry, we also needed input from Somchai who sells vegetables around the corner but he refused to cooperate so we need another year before we can make a roadmap to democracy as his input is critical for the country".

By the way, your posts seem to follow a certain pattern that makes me believe you are (becoming) blind for the facts, the steps you often show:

Q1: is what the junta is doing representing Thailand in a good way?

If no: point out that Yingluck would have done it worse and your job is done (no need to put a critical note how the junta is operating)

If yes, continue to Q2

Q2: is what the junta is doing a misuse of power?

if yes: point out that Taksin is a (convicted) criminal and your job is done (no need to put a critical note how the junta is operating)

if no, continue to Q3

Q3: is what the junta is doing is harmful for the economy:

if yes: mention 700++ billion baht (over and over again) and your job is done (no need to put a critical note how the junta is operating)

Well said Bob. I particularly liked the 'Rube logic in 3 questions' part at the end. We could even turn them into a flow chart, so that Rube can understand the procedure more readily.

Rube seems to have been completely taken in by this whole NLA / NRC obfuscation thing, as if these NLA / NRC structures actually meant something and had any independent power. More and more people are beginning to realise that the NLA / NRC is just a charade, there only for the sake of appearances, and that the result of these so called reforms is a foregone conclusion: taking political rights away from the citizenry and placing it solely into the hands of the traditional elite.

As you say, the election can be postponed indefinitely, because of some pretext - one person or another not yet satisfied with the progress so let's take another year ...

Rube gets himself buried in all this phoney process, while forgetting that the NCPO control everything and will of course dictate the outcome to their own, and their buddies', benefit.

It seems there has been a change of tactics. Instead of trying to discredit the contents, now concentrate on discrediting the poster. Spell in out repeatedly. I'm looking forward to the colourful graphics.

Of course I cannoy prove much, but the same goes for those who are against me. "NLA/NRC charade", "reforms forgone conclusion".

One thing though, luckily obstruction by TVF posters has no effect on the NRC / reforms defining process. I doubt Thainet bothered to register for a position even though having possibly studied in Australia he might fit the profile of people looked for.

I especially like the "will of course" in the last sentence. Obviously and clear for all to see. It's almost as if Thainet is seeking to apply for a position in the NCPO and it's dependent organisations. Surely They'll be happy with all suggestions on what some Thai think they should do

Hypocritical post - you begin with consternation that I am attacking the poster, then you do the very same thing.

My point is that NRC / NLA were put there as a front. They are both staffed by party faithful, and are subordinate to the NCPO. Yet you believe that they will come up with some kind of independent reform process that benefits the citizenry as a whole. If that's the case, then why can't the citizenry have a say?

Apart from Prayuth's promises, as reported by an unabashedly censored press, why would you believe all this on face value? Why would you choose to completely ignore the historical precedence of military governments in Thailand?

You are either very gullible or very naive.

It would seem you confuse your opinion with 'facts'. Furthermore saying my arguments contain falsehoods it like telling me I lie. Without any proof as well.

Furthermore your logic is very faulty and your arguments are rambling. You state as if you tell the truth as delivered to you inscribed on golden plates.

The NRC has to collect input from a broad spectra of the Thai population. With people willing to provide that input the NRC might be able to formulate reforms which may be acceptable by most Thai. The less input they get and the more obstruction the more likely it is that this will drag on for a while. You as Thai (assuming you really are) are a good example of the near uphill battle the NRC faces. Some seem to have been more than happy with a government controlled by a criminal fugitive abroad. A government which left the Thai tax payer with a 700++ billion Baht debt guaranteed by the Yingluck Government and now to be slowly paid off by this and coming governments which of course means 'us, the taxpayers'. I guess that makes you really happy because it was done by your 'elected' government.

So the earlier mentioning of an election in a year actually meant "an election in 1 year if 100% of the population cooperates completely"? It does sound a lot less sexy so I understand why they left that part out.

Convenient by the way that this can also always be used as an excuse for delays: "yes, sorry, we also needed input from Somchai who sells vegetables around the corner but he refused to cooperate so we need another year before we can make a roadmap to democracy as his input is critical for the country".

By the way, your posts seem to follow a certain pattern that makes me believe you are (becoming) blind for the facts, the steps you often show:

Q1: is what the junta is doing representing Thailand in a good way?

If no: point out that Yingluck would have done it worse and your job is done (no need to put a critical note how the junta is operating)

If yes, continue to Q2

Q2: is what the junta is doing a misuse of power?

if yes: point out that Taksin is a (convicted) criminal and your job is done (no need to put a critical note how the junta is operating)

if no, continue to Q3

Q3: is what the junta is doing is harmful for the economy:

if yes: mention 700++ billion baht (over and over again) and your job is done (no need to put a critical note how the junta is operating)

Well said Bob. I particularly liked the 'Rube logic in 3 questions' part at the end. We could even turn them into a flow chart, so that Rube can understand the procedure more readily.

Rube seems to have been completely taken in by this whole NLA / NRC obfuscation thing, as if these NLA / NRC structures actually meant something and had any independent power. More and more people are beginning to realise that the NLA / NRC is just a charade, there only for the sake of appearances, and that the result of these so called reforms is a foregone conclusion: taking political rights away from the citizenry and placing it solely into the hands of the traditional elite.

As you say, the election can be postponed indefinitely, because of some pretext - one person or another not yet satisfied with the progress so let's take another year ...

Rube gets himself buried in all this phoney process, while forgetting that the NCPO control everything and will of course dictate the outcome to their own, and their buddies', benefit.

So, with obstruction by politicians and protesters of a few colours the PM doesn't feel obliged to commit to a certain date. Somehow that makes sense.

Would you like to explain just how your statement above makes sense,rubl? What obstruction from politicians and protesters of a few colours is stopping him from his roadmap to "democracy"?

He has a handpicked "government" aka the NLA that votes unanimously for everything he puts forward, he has a handpicked NRC that is coming up with "reforms" that will remove any chance of opposition (well maybe they will one decade, all we've heard so far is talk) an interim constitution that gives the junta absolute power, and a handpicked group of 250 sycophants that will write the new constitution that will ensure that power is concentrated in the "right" hands.

I'm sorry, rubl, but I don't see much wriggle room for obstructing the juntas march to "democracy", perhaps you can (re)educate me?

I also see at least Jatuporn saying he has told his red-shirts and Pheu Thai people to not co-operate. As a variant on "better dead than red" I guess. So the NRC will have problems getting all the input they need to ensure they can formulate reforms most Thai could accept. Consequently with work not completed PM Prayut cannot commit to a date. Maybe he doesn't want to get reforms which a part of the population didn't get the chance to give input on ?

The falsehood in your argument is in saying that the NRC has to formulate reforms that Thais will accept.

Take a look at what has happened recently - with the military coup, the NRC placed subordinate to the NCPO and all that. Did the army ask people what the would and wouldn't accept before sending in the troops to overthrow a democratically elected government and muzzle the press?

The NRC is merely a façade to placate fools, while the NCPO calls the shots.

They don't trust their staff.

Right - the CCTV and the cash register stop working during a power cut.

I have noticed that lately there are some appliances available that keep them working.

Think they're called UPS or something.

If they use a UPS to supply power to the CCTV and cash registers, then that would solve the problem. Not sure whether they use them though.

They don't trust their staff.

Right - the CCTV and the cash register stop working during a power cut.

165 out of 220 voted to indefinitely postpone? The Corruption Commission will now go after these 165.

Most definitely! It's dangerous to vote in Thailand!

If you must have this fun then please phrase correctly "dangerous to vote the wrong one"

Anyway, personally I'm disappointed in some posters here who time and again have tried to convince me of the slavishly obedience and servile nature of the NLA, If you cannot even trust your fellow posters who can you trust

I'm sorry but what's your point? None of us are entitled to a point of view? What would I think my posts would convince you of anything and vice-versa? In an interim constitution that gives the NCPO the ultimate power over every aspect of Thai society, makes every edict of the NCPO lawful, and confers immunity on every action of the NCPO, why would I ever conclude that the NLA is not a robust legislative body that will only bring additional happiness to Thai people? At least you agree it's dangerous to vote the 'wrong' one. Maybe we just don't agree on what's wrong?

Well said mate.

If you must have this fun then please phrase correctly "dangerous to vote the wrong one"

Anyway, personally I'm disappointed in some posters here who time and again have tried to convince me of the slavishly obedience and servile nature of the NLA, If you cannot even trust your fellow posters who can you trust

I'm sorry but what's your point? None of us are entitled to a point of view? What would I think my posts would convince you of anything and vice-versa? In an interim constitution that gives the NCPO the ultimate power over every aspect of Thai society, makes every edict of the NCPO lawful, and confers immunity on every action of the NCPO, why would I ever conclude that the NLA is not a robust legislative body that will only bring additional happiness to Thai people? At least you agree it's dangerous to vote the 'wrong' one. Maybe we just don't agree on what's wrong?

Chill out, man.

Oh, and try not to ask questions if you're not interested in getting answers because you'll give your own answers.

Actually I didn't even agree with the 'dangerous to vote' part and least of all the suggestion by voting like they did those NLA members will now be investigated. It seems a bit of trying to put fear in people, suggest more than proof, hint at something obviously sinister. IMHO

You are patronising him in telling him to 'chill out man'? What are you smoking?

All he was doing was putting forward an opinion, in a forum where people put forward opinions.

Fact is the NLA is the NCPO's puppet. The NCPO wants to make it look like it has some internal opposition, for the sake of this or that façade, that's what will happen. Decision time - the NCPO will tell the NLA what to decide or override any decision that the dictator doesn't agree with. It's in the constitution.

a survey by the Thai Researchers in Community Happiness Association has found.

Enough said.