FarangTalk

Not unprecedented, it is that it is more open than before.

Do you mean that corruption is the only thing transparent about the PTP and BIB??????????????????????????? I've been here 26 years and I will take any government prior to the Shin Clan, over the current thugs that do nothing but get useless articles and photo's in the newspapers and on the television.

Even though Thailand's most prosperous and stable times during that period were between 2001 and 2006 when Thaksin was in power?

Bizarre.

You will be old enough to remember the dictator Suchinda's coup, and his 'cabinet', which contained a certain Mr. Vejjajiva, the corruption plagued and inefficient Chuan Leekpai cabinets of the 90's including the bitter medicine policies that alienated the Thai electorate or perhaps you preferred the government of Slippery Eel?

People tend to forget the previous corrupt governments and how corrupt they were.

Agreed, they seem so spaced and ineffectual that as an opposition they do not so far seem to even register. They need a top class marketing team and get a professional strategy in place that really THUMPS home their message. Or is it that they feel that all the Agencies who should be investigation all their suspicions are tightly under PTP control, therefore they will loose, even before they start? Or they need a new Leader and Executive who are capable of making noises and doing a bit of rough housing to get the message across.

It's who they are aligned with and what they represent that is the problem. All the gloss in the World couldn't polish that turd.

Thailand isn't poor, not even close.

And please check which are the richest families/clans here. They've been raping and pillaging the country a lot longer than the Shinawatras, yet posters here are so obsessed with Thaksin you'd think they didn't exist.

The Shinawatras have been raping and pillaging the people for several generations. Thaksin just moved up from raping and pillaging Chiang Mai to raping and pillaging the country.

His father lost all his wealth and had to start from next to nothing, which makes this dynastic rise even more fascinating and compelling.

Does "raping and pillaging" mean having a successful businesses such as 'Shinawatra Silk'?

Or do you have evidence that scholars such as Pasuk and Baker have missed when researching the Shinawatra clan history that points to pre-Thaksin era corruption in the family businesses?

No they're doing the right thing and opposing letting your crook of a father return a free man and also get back the billions he's conned.

Every coin has two heads. The Red idiots just one the side with the Dubai criminal on it.

Neither Thaksin or his son know anything about coins, all their money is in notes. Billions and billions, and where exactly did it all come from ????

One of the poorest countries in the world with so FEW getting to be amonsgt the richest. How might that be Mr Oak?

Thailand isn't poor, not even close.

And please check which are the richest families/clans here. They've been raping and pillaging the country a lot longer than the Shinawatras, yet posters here are so obsessed with Thaksin you'd think they didn't exist.

They have a bad case of iwantitis in Thailand, and there's no cure.

In the majority of cases the disease is often fatal and life threatening, but others emerge unscathed and with vast wealth.

He was a scumbag, and like many here, really just a coward.

Jakkrit was taken into custody after his 65-year-old mother, Boonchit Panichpatikum, and 36-year-old wife, Nithawadee Phucharoenyot, accused him last week of intimidating and assaulting them. In a complaint filed with the Social Development and Human Security Minister, Boonchit and Nithawadee said Jakkrit had abused drugs after returning from the Olympics.

Jakkrit was charged with attempted murder, assault, committing violent acts and illegal possession of firearms. Police said that they would press four additional charges against him – resisting a blood drug test, intimidating others, carrying firearms in public space without sufficient reason and owning banned firearms.

http://bangkok.coconuts.co/2013/07/16/olympian-breaks-down-after-being-denied-bail

The Police were disinterested because there was no money in it for them.

The father is 71 and looks old while the children are very young, perhaps that is what triggered the incident.

The alleged kidnapper seems to be a do-gooder and tried to intervene to 'rescue' the children, thinking there was no way the couple were the real parents given their age. With Thailand's notorious reputation as a trafficking hub and destination for pedophiles it appears this woman was trying to act like a heroine, with disastrous consequences.

Doubt it was a serious attempt to kidnap, just an unstable, opinionated woman intervening in a situation she had created of her own making.

The girl's father is 36. The girl's mother is 35. The girl's grandfather is 71.

Try again.

From the article: "The scuffle ended when Naomi's father, Barry Lewis, 71, stood between the pair and pushed the woman aside."

Lol, I was going to congratulate him for having kids at his age.

I have special contempt for the uneducated rice planting idiots who keep voting for the same corrupt regime. Morons.

That says a lot about you.

The Democrats, their supporters and all those who oppose the authoritarian,inept and corrupt capitalists in this terrible government must take to the streets.

It's their only option, to try and force another coup, because they will never win a general election.

The Thai people are not as politically naive as the posters here, the fully understand what a vote for the Democrat party represents.

What does a vote for the Democrat party represent?

You really don't know?

The Democrats and their backers will be doing everything in their power to stir up nationalist sentiment to try and undermine this government if the ruling goes against Thailand.

Expect further protests at the temple and its surrounds. This has been their clear aim from the beginning; to destabilise the country sufficiently to prompt military intervention.

Traveled with Nakhon Chai Air last week (great service ..) .. BKK to Surin .. wore seat beat all the way ..these days madness not to ... just hard braking could throw you out of your seat not to mention anything more serious .. and not just in Thai ...

Best coach I ever traveled on was in Estonia (daily scheduled service ..) - TV screen built into the back on every seat, wi-fi (never dropped out ..), plug-in for your device, toilet and free coffee .. and of course seat belts .. and if you are over 60 you get a discount ...

Still shocked over the Laos plane crash and the earthquake in Bohol/Cebu in the Philippines ... both places there earlier in the year ..

Travelled by coach in Turkey recently and many of the coaches there had the TV screens, wifi and seatbelts. Yep, this is the 21st century ... although it feels like 1975 in Thailand.

You won't get any of those extras on intercity buses in New Zealand. They don't even have toilets. Intercity buses in Thailand are far superior to those in NZ.

Did you check the link on page 1 to the UK news story ?

The assertion was many buses are manufactured in back street garages, shiny they may be, safe is debatable....

Thai buses certainly look impressive, but that is Thailand all over; all smoke and mirrors and one big illusion. The reality as we know is far different.

The buses are often made with wooden frames and are built with no engineering input or safety testing whatsoever.

It was an uninformed comment, and watching the video is certainly recommended.

Let's hope the remnants of yellow shirts and the Democrats abide by the court's decision.

If it goes against Thailand, they will no doubt try to stir up nationalist fervour once again.

^^^ I may be wrong, but I think that you are overestimating the desire for any real change among the majority of Thai people. I also don't think that Thaksin wants to change the current system (at least, not for the better!), he just wants to change the players.

Based on his actions over the past 15 or 20 years (not his words) He has no commitment to a more open, egalitarian society, he just wants to be the one on top and will say or do whatever is required to get there.

Change is an inevitability.

It's what happens after that change and which faction prevails is what it's all really about.

FYI, it isn't about Thaksin, but he's a political figure so he will have his role to play when the time comes.

Aranyaprathet to Bangkok many years ago the bus was full and they sat people including foreign backpackers in plastic chairs in the aisle.

Money number one before anything else and that is the reason so many people die on Thai roads.

Let’s just forgive and forget and we can all start afresh once again.

Ask the families of the 2,500 odd "drug dealers" that were murdered on his watch and see how they feel about that. And while you are doing that ask the protestors at Tak Bai and the other massacres in the south feel about Thaksin coming home free as a bird.

I am 99% certain that if he comes back what was seen in 2010 is nothing compared to what WILL come.

It will split Thailand and polarise the country for years to come.

There was and is already a split in Thailand but it is not about Thaksin.

Thaksin is however on one side of the divide.

Thaksin could die tomorrow and the conflict still remains inevitable.

It is worrying the paranoia that clouds the Thaksin obsessives on here.

It's all about him, him, him.

Hoping for military coups to remove elected government.

Please get a grip people.

http://bcove.me/elwuc8xx

Dodgy rice for an equally dodgy train,still suspect the Chinese

will come out on top.

regards Worgeordie

Which Chinese? PRC or the locals that run the country?