15Peter20

He has learned well from Thaksin. Sue those who criticize. Mwahahaha!!!

Of course he has to be nice to the rain seeding people. They have a rather important sponsor. And their success rate can not be measured by independent parties.

"If we keep recording everything on paper, that would rather undermine democracy," Thienchay said.

Oh dear.....

"Prayut said the authorities were working carefully on this, but denied that he wanted to help anyone in particular."

Haha - yeah, no one in particular. Just the winning team as a whole...

It is a defining characteristic of underdeveloped countries that they let stray cats and dogs run riot in urban areas. The turds attract flies which spread disease. If Thailand wants to appear more developed, they need to crack this one.

I think Somyot's learnt from his outpourings in the wake of the Koh Tao murders to not start speculating too wildly. Now he's gone to the opposite extreme, which is saying what is obvious.

Another government attempt to gain international recognition for Thai unity and its own legitimacy. Dubious on both counts.

I'm gonna do you guys a favor and break it down to the bare bones. History provides the context. Democracy is viewed in more than one way here. ----- counsellors themselves have argued in the past that a ------- is actually an effective expression of democracy since if most people were dissatisfied with a man they could change him. Words from a man's mouth decades ago. Diplomatic dispatches as well as public announcements have conveyed this and there is nothing private about it.

People at the highest levels have ring fenced the fallibilty of such and protected it so that what once was ostensibly changeable is no longer so. Thus, with an available constant which purportedly transcends political shenanigans there is always available a way to gain control for those closest to it for the reason of national security. The exploitation of political disagreement to remove control from political parties.

That part of Thainess which so many of us love - tolerance, 'mai pben rai', acceptance - have been the enablers on a societal level, as well as religious and moral overtones. Political players come and go, but they are just the flotsam and jetsam on the tide I am trying to describe. If this post makes no sense, either you haven't been here long, or the generals and 'families' of the past 50 years have done a good job on you.

The first line of the article refers to Thailand as a dictatorship.

Surely this is against Thai Visa rules and must be censored so that we simple folk are protected from divisive thoughts entering our heads.

They'll probably end up giving him antibiotics, antihistamine, tylenol and a couple of other overpriced drugs. The standard medical response to all common ailments.

Thais are famous for excelling at many forms of handicraft but I don't think making silk purses out of sows ears is among them.

But we know they'll try Chok dee!

I'd say there were no more than a couple of thousand in that picture. Maybe the 'tens of thousands' turned up at another time.

"I am thinking about it. But I don't want to create impacts. Cabinet reshuffle or not, if I talk about it today the economy and security may be affected and there could be conflict," Prayut said...

Haha! Then he'd have to arrest himself for potentially causing conflict. If his own laws were being applied equally to all, of course.

Of course the PM blames so much on Democracy. It takes power away from him and his backers.

"the former minister said that stopping people to talk and to express their opinions through the barrel of the gun will not lead to sustainable peace"

I bet Suthep is smirking when reading this. It is what the red shirts did to his protestors in 2013/14.

Watana is right though as it does not lead to sustainable peace which is exactly why the military had to step in.

Well done for inadvertently justifying the coup.

"It is what the red shirts did to his protestors in 2013/14."

That statement is so detached from reality I don't know where to begin in refuting it.

"Watana is right though as it does not lead to sustainable peace which is exactly why the military had to step in."

The military staged a coup and banned freedom of expression at gunpoint indefinitely, which you agree does not lead to sustainable peace. So why do you support them?

I'm guessing its because he married into the family of a high ranking military type and is currently enjoying a relatively high standard of living because of it. Either that, or his car got scratched during a red shirt rally 5 years ago. And they were subsequently rude to him.

16 million visitors and they still can't get names right.

Cabinet ministers are not eloquent enough to go on TV to explain themselves? I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Being dealt with in accordance with the law. A fate reserved exclusively for those out of favor with this government.

Quick, Suthep! Get back in that temple!

According to the BP, there were about 30 'students'. Certainly not dressed in school uniform, as their pic showed. Looked more like a rabble of the yellow/red guards when they were doing their thing.

Still, they're supporting the guys with the biggest guns so they get to do their demonstrating without suffering state sponsored violence followed by 'legal' action.

“The problem was that water management then was in the hands of politicians not the professionals,” said Mr Niphon.

So now its in the hands of soldiers and not the professionals. Are we any better off?

He says 'Pro-Monarchy', they say 'Anti-Thaksin Activist'. Patayto, potarto.....

That's it Prayut - give them a fish each day but never teach them how to fish. Power kept. Subservience assured. Mission accomplished.

Prayut has to keep making up excuses to stay in power until the very important thing has happened. Since no-one knows when this will happen, we all have to indefinitely remain as participants in this ridiculous, unspeakable national charade which is stunting the social development of the country as effectively as the most incompetent/impotent Thai government ever did.

He had the guts to stand up to the criminal, animal family of the Shinawatra tribe and its lackeys, bully boys, thugs, thieves, money grabbers and hangers on.

Like that was his only motivation 55