15Peter20

Junta fans take the events of the last 20 years as the context of their arguments. Anti-junta fans take those of the last 80 years or more as theirs. Which is more relevant? You decide.

"The under-the-table fees amount to 1.8 million baht a day and it is not known who have pocketed them."

How hard is it to ask the immigration guys at the counters where it goes, and then follow the trail? It's not too difficult so clearly they just don't want to do it.

I wonder if this guy had as shocking a time in police custody as the Koh Tao pair claimed they'd had.

If the "corruption busting" junta had any sense of shame, they would be hanging their heads in it right now. Sadly, they don't, corruption is viewed as normal so long as it is their own team doing it. It's all proof that the coup was a mistake - a mistake in the sense that although the Shin cabal needed removing, to replace it with another same-same me first bunch was a bit silly.

Indeed. And most of the less naive posters here - as well as most Thais, in my opinion - knew well at the time that this would be the case.

Good. More vermin and scum behind bars.

And make sure they end up in a jail with a high yellow shirt population.

I doubt such a jail exists.

Why does he not just come out and name the people he has in mind? We all know anyway...

Because he is an adviser to the king and they don't mess in the daily politics.....That he says that much is already a surprise.

555 "don't mess in the daily politics"? They're setting the agenda for the daily politics, dear boy.

Now they just need the tuk-tuk driver to positively ID him and case closed....

If it's really him, then well done RTP. Let's wait and see though. The images above are grainy and it looks like a disguise. I wonder if they'll conveniently find the same clothes and arm-pad things he's wearing in the photos.

Let's hope Andy Hall also gets justice, as these two have done. Congratulations.

Don't worry, Somyot will do all the talking for him....

He turned down going to the Erawan shrine not for his own safety of course, but for the safety of his bodyguards and entourage. I therefore assume that his armored car is big enough for all of them too.

At face value of course, this would seem like the actions of a coward. So I guess he's a coward.

I never realised that the skills required to forge passports could so easily be transferred to making bombs. Remarkable!

So they're replacing Thaksin policies with....Thaksin policies. The longer the junta stays in power the more similar to the Great Bogeyman it becomes.

Forget it luv, men with big guns have got it in for you.

Just say something worth 200Bt has been reduced from 5000Bt to 1700Bt. You'll need less customers that way....

I give them a fighting chance of figuring out who will have been responsible for the simulation. But you never know with this lot...

NIDA was heavily pro-yellows during their demonstrations and is now squarely in the pockets of the ruling class.

Huh? What? Say again please..

I think its something to do with the proper implementation of propaganda....

I think the location is significant. There would be plenty of places in Thailand tourists could be targeted in greater numbers with fewer surveillance cameras around (eg night spots like in the Bali bombings).

The Erawan shrine is significant to Thais more so than to tourists. The area also saw political violence a few years ago. I don't think its religious fundamentalists. I think its political. Sh!t just got real.

I agree but I think its probably not going to endear the perpetrators side to anyone. Unless this is the clarion call for a larger coordinated reaction. Which might explain closing all the stuff tomorrow.

I can't imagine anyone will take responsibility, for the reason you gave above. The junta is now in a position to eventually identify the perpetrators, which is not a weak position to be in given the public backlash that would follow. Sadly, I think a rubicon has been crossed and we may well see further unclaimed attacks in the coming weeks and months. Reconciliation - which arguably has been paid only lip service by the junta to this point - is now seen for what it has been all along. Pretty much non-existent.

I think the location is significant. There would be plenty of places in Thailand tourists could be targeted in greater numbers with fewer surveillance cameras around (eg night spots like in the Bali bombings).

The Erawan shrine is significant to Thais more so than to tourists. The area also saw political violence a few years ago. I don't think its religious fundamentalists. I think its political. Sh!t just got real.

"Paiboon said Thaksin was entitled to his opinion."

But only because Thaksin's outside the country. Were he in Thailand, he of course would certainly not be entitled to sharing his opinion in this way, just like the rest of those who would question the junta's actions.

Isn't it the civil servant's job to implement the policies of the current ruling government, regardless of political persuasion?

Just asking...

Not when he is a copper, and the current ruling government's policy is ti ignore criminality. Just how little do you know of democracy and the pillars that support it?

Justice - Attempts to ensure that all people are protected

and treated fairly and equally according to law.

Clearly, I know very little of democracy and the pillars that support it

Isn't it the civil servant's job to implement the policies of the current ruling government, regardless of political persuasion?

Just asking...

"“The question today is not who will be in the government? But who are the real owner of democracy – the people or just the elites,” said Natthawut."

Spot on.

According to Isranews his net worth is 962 million baht.

http://www.isranews.org/investigative/investigate-asset/item/40589-juktippp_333.html (but its in Thai).