Baerboxer

16 minutes ago, Katipo said:

This sudden change of tact could be related to the protests. Corruption is one of the major issues. If the Government finally achieves something with relation to this case, they might hope it takes pressure off the more sensitive/difficult part of protesters calls for reform. "Hey look, we are doing something, you can go home now". And who knows, if they successfully take action in this case (and hopefully on other issues too), it make be enough... at least for a while.

Hopefully, action will be taken as you elude to. But this is only one of many many high profile well reported internationally cases that either have been left unsolved or reached somewhat unsatisfactory conclusions for many observers.

If this sets a new standard, terrific. If it's a one off sop then not so good.

20 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

Not sure how Interpol reacts to the political posing and posturing of a coup leader.   As much as this person represents some of the things we do not like about the stellar wealthy in Thailand, will he get a fair trial?  Why now and not when the good general usurped power from the country?  The man is an embarrassment to the nation. 

Total nonsense. 

35 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Tad naive on your part. The CCP leadership has been successful in guiding China to prosper economically, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty, creating a substantial and comfortable middle class with expanded personal (if not political) freedom. China leadership has managed to ensure a relatively long period of political stability with orderly leadership transitions. In fact the Chinese people see democracy not fairing too well and have flaws in poor leadership choices and transition filled with anxieties and often turbulent. 

Indeed. Rather hard to control and direct a population of over 1 billion whilst thoroughly modernizing the country, vastly improving education, living standards, etc etc.

I always compare China to India. Both over a billion populations. Both independent after WW11. One Communist, one self proclaimed "the world's biggest democracy". 

Which has faired better, progressed better and uplifted the living standards of the bulk or the population best?

Having lived and worked in both, I know my answer! The advances in social development in China since I first visited in 1990 are astounding. India, not so. 

She is always so gorgeous! And a good actress.

If she needs any personal martial arts coaching from a totally over the hill, way past-it, oggling old git - I'm up for it!

Seriously, can't wait and hope it's a big success!

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Your own intelligence should tell you that what immigration says has no validity at all, as the rules are set by the government and immigration merely acts upon what they are told - except when they make up their own rules of course. It should also tell you that the government, not immigration, has amended the amnesty period in the past, and there was no logical reason it would not do so again as circumstances are virtually unchanged.

 

The government has made no statement whatsoever about a further amnesty one way or the other, but based on previous action it is perfectly reasonable for people to have assumed that, with the situation almost unchanged since the first amnesty was granted in March, a further amnesty would have been granted. There is no reason at all that it shouldn't have been, if circumstances are unchanged. But, for reasons only known to itself, the government has decided that people who have been doing no harm at all to anyone, and who have been contributing to the economy, must leave.

 

Others, and there are many, who regularly cross the border to other countries such as Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore etc have been unable to refresh their long-term visa situation, and must now or are looking at having to deposit a considerable sum of money in a Thai bank. Some, who have been living perfectly comfortably without a need to do that, might find that sum difficult to raise for any number of reasons. They haven't needed it and don't need it to live on, but the government says they need the foreign currency to be deposited anyway.

I don't think the government has decided anyone must leave. Rather they are saying that to continue to stay, given the the current very good control of the virus in Thailand, you must now follow the immigration procedures rather than simply extend a blanket amnesty.

Immigration have been reminding people of this and of the deadline for some time. 

16 hours ago, YetAnother said:

sums up the overall state of thai immigration; should have sorted out this mess and publicized it long ago; o, sorry , i forgot, that requires intelligence

Thai Immigration have been reminding people of the deadline and encouraging them to get things sorted for sometime. 

All the "last minute Charlies" leave it and then expect to be treated as the sole applicant that day.

Get real. The lack of intelligence is on those who can't be bothered or kept hoping for more and more extensions of the amnesty.

16 hours ago, Caldera said:

Spot on. Most Thais would be much better off today and the country wouldn't have lost 14 years of development. Saddening.

 

Maybe, maybe not.

The PTP regime were trying to borrow 2.2 trillion ThB as a loan; which they intended to spend off book, out of parliamentary scrutiny and without the usual checks and balances (Yingluck said this was to ensure they could act swiftly and urged people to "just tust us" 555!).

Had they succeeded in securing this loan to themselves, and in bringing the big boss back totally whitewashed, how much do you think would have mysteriously been unaccounted for. The book keeping on the Rice Scheme gives a clue at likely transparency!

Now, how long would a public debt like that take to pay?

Potentially, Thailand would've been milked dry, for very little result, and bankrupted. Only the Shin wealth would have grown in more mega. 

18 hours ago, jerolamo said:

If you don't see any difference, it is because you are looking only your own situation.

Thai people, and most probably the poor ones, explain me how much things was changed when Taksin came on power.

They are talking about his fight against drug (they killed many dealers of drug) and child crime and slaves.

Before him, child was scary to go at school. When they heard a mini van, they threw themselves into the gutter to hide for fear that they would be removed. There was a lot of child abduction history before Taksin.

He also construct a social national assistance for people that never exist before. Now people seek go to hospital and just show there ID card.

 

You can not deny the history, but you can stay stupid to know nothing, but it is never good for yourself.

Thaksin's war on drugs, and the summary executions of many without trial who were never proved connected to the drug trade, is well documented.

But please confirm the links to the reports on Thaksin's crusades to prevent child abduction and slavery as this seems to be not so well documented.

Thanks in advance. 

8 hours ago, impulse said:

 

The difference being that he was one guy and could only steal so much.  The problem today is that there's a thousand guys each stealing all they can.   Because there's nobody controlling the trough and "turning against corruptions he can't take part of".  So it's a free-for-all.

 

 

Actually, not one guy. There was his whole extended family; plus close associates; plus the hangers on and cronies; plus the lowly party workers and civil servants etc etc. All needed to grease the wheels of the kleptocracy.

But your're right - he was the main man took the lion's share.

 Hardly a surprise.

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

A hypocritical opinion.

Do you think Biden's flip from his stance in 2016 to a complete reversal in 2020 is also hypocritical?

4 hours ago, Tug said:

Not panic just fact trump has actively solicited foreign interference he and his cronies are actively trying to skrew up the post office he himself is spouting the russan line of disinformation ect ect he is what he is we need to put him behind us 

Can you please provide references to the proven fact that Trump has actively solicited foreign interference please?

Thanks

7 hours ago, stevenl said:

Good to see you have friends, very important friends even who know the Russian foreign policy better than US intelligence.

Based on the performance of the politicized US intelligence world, my cat probably understands Russian FP better!

1 hour ago, Morch said:

 

What "silent majority"? Or for that matter, what majority? Trump did not win the majority of votes in 2016, the Democratic Party got the majority in the House of Representatives following the 2018 elections. Even if Trump wins it's unlikely to be through the majority of voters supporting him, but rather due to the way USA election system works.

Interesting point. If the system was purely who got the most votes, 2 or 3 states might effectively decide who was President which the other 47/8 might not want. As it is, winning the popular vote is not a guarantee of winning.

How that is changed, if it is, remains to be seen.

Are we on the cusp of a change of world leader / policeman? A US break up? A more central Federal government state? 

If you've got money you can buy a new nationality easily. Buy one from a EU member state and you're free to roam in the EU too.

Corrupt politicians, businessmen and very wealthy criminals - all seem to be able to purchase nationalities and avoid all the bank checks imposed on us mere mortals at will.