Hugo6

The sad part about all this is the use of the word 'democracy' is spat out, flaunted and used as an excuse in just about anything with no heed as to what it truly is. Democratic process, i.e. votes, puts the Govt in power. Once in power, it is given the keys to the bank and the house and the pigs start feeding. At that point they care nothing about 'democracy'. They have a limited time at the trough and like what they represent, the feeding frenzy continues as the country wallows from one deed of corruption to another.

Pitak Siam is a newly formed political party. A minority. The Pareto Principle applies and if any party wishes to get into power, they simply have to appeal to the larger percentage. Even if they do not care about the actual voters, the lip service has to address those who have the power to cast the vote in their favour and the spin doctors work overtime with 'policies' (lies), about what they will do once elected.

Toppling this corrupt govt will be very difficult. Due process of law is not handling it well, Thaksin is a wily seasoned politician and a convicted criminal and still running the country from exile. He knows by using his money, a few hundred Baht here and there, he can buy the votes. As the majority of voters are poor, it does not take much to gain their allegiance. Give them a red T Shirt, a clapper and a picture to hold and some Baht for Mekong, it's an easy recipe. Censure motions may help, a coup also, but right now, leaving 'democracy' up to a voting uneducated public majority willing to accept a 'donation' will leave this country stagnated and being stripped from within.

It may well be Pitak Siam is a far better option than the Dems, but can they get the numbers and the support and if empowered will they be any different from the other pigs at the trough? Or do we wait for military intervention once again? Either way it is simply a roll of the dice and democracy has nothing to do with it.

Toppling this corrupt govt will be very difficult.

it is not difficult. it's called voting.

your comments on the thai electorate indicate where the lack of education is really found. and it looks like you do not like democracy in thailand. do you like democracy in your own country? do they always check with you before approving the results of elections to see if you agree?

this p-s group is not an option to the democrats, it is not even a party, and so far their contribution to the thai democracy has been to call for a coup.

you may not like the red shirts and they may adore their fearless leader in dubai, but they are the ONLY group in thailand calling for elections when the going gets tough. that is a fact.

in my country we just finished an election where the republicans did everything in their power to prevent certain people from voting. it was racist bigoted and disgusting. sounds familiar.

Why does this witty character only have 1 friend on his Facebook page?

.

Why did you have to go to the length of researching that ??

Your obsession or merely general interest and the pursuit of knowledge ???

stalker, man, stalker.

Joint Thai-US military partnership signed

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Nov 16 – Thailand and the US have finally signed a joint vision statement for a new defence alliance between the two countries.

Thai defence minister Sukumpol Suwanatat said after the signing ceremony with his US counterpart Leon E. Panetta that the 2012 Joint VIsion Statement for the Thai-US Defence Alliance focuses on a partnership for security in Southeast Asia, promotion of stability in the Asia-Pacific region, strengthening of efficiency in bilateral and multilateral operations, and development of cooperation on all levels.

He ruled out any discussion on the highly-criticised request by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to use Thailand's U-tapao airport in Sattahip for its atmospheric studies.

NASA made the request once but cancelled its plan in June when the government could not make a decision in time for the mission.

ACM Sukumpol added that Myanmar has been invited to observe the Thai-US Cobra Gold joint military exercise next year after a proposal from Thailand. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-11-16

Love the foam cut out signage like a cheap wedding. is this obsession with foam signage an exclusively Thai thing? Can't they make a banner?

I don't know, looks ok to me. It's a one day thing.

bet neither the cutout nor the banner would be recyclable

Looks naff to me.

I reckon it's so dodgy men have a plausible alibi. But honey, look at the picture.

I mean honestly, for who's benefit is it?

naff?

honestly, who needs the sign anyway. I mean really. I know that it's not a big deal but they could have just pulled a couple of large flags out of the closet as a backdrop and been done with it.

'real piece of', 'weaseling', '<snippin>', 'complete loser'

For someone who proclaims to give a 'f' about Abhisit, you're surely very vocal. At least it looks like that, that is, seemingly only

And the point to realise is that he seems to be a very capable leader of the Opposition. Whether or not he is the leader of a majority Government doesn't detract from his present competence.

Hardly a loser.

Shame the ruling party aren't showing the same competence in parliament. Perhaps the leader of the ruling party is actually 'the loser'

with him at the helm of the opposition do they have ANY chance of coming to power or forming a government (elected, that is)? If you recognize that fact as does the rest of Thailand, then why would you call him an capable leader of the opposition?

And maybe the leader of the ruling party was elected to that post. that's called "the winner" where I come from.

but there is a thread just next door that is about her, and you guys are piling the shi+ on pretty hard for her having a good idea, so head on over and join the party. you outta be welcomed with open arms.

Hardly.

You haven't acknowledged he is performing a competent role as leader of the Opposition. Whether he is electable based on this (in your opinion) does not negate what I believe to be true.

My comment about the PM does not warrant your crude and offensive post "piling on the shit". I do not "pile on the shit", I merely post my own views and opinion.

I was merely pointing out that a man performing his role competently cannot be considered "a loser".

In the same way, a PM failing to perform her duties cannot be considered "a winner".

If you want to disagree, feel free, but keep your gutter language where it belongs.

< < < Inflammatory baiting comments removed, post in a civil manner or don't bother posting > > >

I didn't acknowledge him doing his job competently because I hardly think that he is doing it competently and he is widely recognized as unelectable. If the party doesn't dump him and change their policies and tactics, then they will be losers in the next election too. I personally don't give a flying - you know, gutter language - but maybe his party does. But they voted him right back in, so maybe they don't care about being electable.

As for the current leader of the ruling party, well whatever you want to say is just fine. Don't seem to be any limits about what you can say about her anyway. People write bald faced lies all the time. But that is still in the thread next door... this one is about the whiner filing a lawsuit because an investigation called him out for forging his papers about 3 decades ago.

Joint Thai-US military partnership signed

By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Nov 16 – Thailand and the US have finally signed a joint vision statement for a new defence alliance between the two countries.

Thai defence minister Sukumpol Suwanatat said after the signing ceremony with his US counterpart Leon E. Panetta that the 2012 Joint VIsion Statement for the Thai-US Defence Alliance focuses on a partnership for security in Southeast Asia, promotion of stability in the Asia-Pacific region, strengthening of efficiency in bilateral and multilateral operations, and development of cooperation on all levels.

He ruled out any discussion on the highly-criticised request by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to use Thailand's U-tapao airport in Sattahip for its atmospheric studies.

NASA made the request once but cancelled its plan in June when the government could not make a decision in time for the mission.

ACM Sukumpol added that Myanmar has been invited to observe the Thai-US Cobra Gold joint military exercise next year after a proposal from Thailand. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-11-16

Love the foam cut out signage like a cheap wedding. is this obsession with foam signage an exclusively Thai thing? Can't they make a banner?

I don't know, looks ok to me. It's a one day thing.

bet neither the cutout nor the banner would be recyclable

I'm sure that millions of Americans will sleep better tonight knowing they now have the military might of Thailand to protect them.

Yes, and at US taxpayer expense. It's a certainty that "extra" cash changed hands.

what kind of stupid comments are these : taxpayer expense, extra cash and defending the us?

they signed a document that just says how they will work better together.

what? you want the us to just sail back home and not spend any "taxpayer money" on maintaining their national interests or working better together with allies?

the us does what it darn well pleases and what it thinks is in its national interest, and sometimes it even makes sense.

I don't take it wrong. I even said that the facts could be wrong. It's not like these websites give real information or do accurate reporting. But he is still a real piece of work weaseling his way in to the top spot and getting the boot at the first chance by the electorate. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he faked his papers and all of this is right.

And it also wouldn't surprise me if this were all just nasty Thai politics.

And for the moment, it looks like he's just reaping what he sowed and if that's the way it is, then he deserves it. And to be honest, I don't give a f about this guy. He'll never be elected to anything more than he is now and he is just frickin irrelevant to Thai politics. He should get his hat and head home. Maybe then the party could get its act together. For all the good it did him being born raised and educated in merry ol england he is a complete loser.

'real piece of', 'weaseling', '<snippin>', 'complete loser'

For someone who proclaims to give a 'f' about Abhisit, you're surely very vocal. At least it looks like that, that is, seemingly only

not sure you make sense there man. but yeah, he is a complete loser. If he did it and is gonna get reamed for it, then happy days.

But this suing back stuff makes him look like a whiner. OK, I know that thai politics is pretty ugly and petty, but still. There are more important issues to tackle and he should just finally take himself out of the spotlight like he promised after he lost the election. Not that his party would change its colors if he left, but at least they would have a chance.

oh yeah, and "weaseling", he looks like he's champion at that. At least if this army thing is true, it shows that he's been good at it for a da.. long time.

When did he promise to take himself out of the spotlight.

Sent from my HTC phone.

right after the <snip> election. you really don't have google on your pc do you?

I don't take it wrong. I even said that the facts could be wrong. It's not like these websites give real information or do accurate reporting. But he is still a real piece of work weaseling his way in to the top spot and getting the boot at the first chance by the electorate. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he faked his papers and all of this is right.

And it also wouldn't surprise me if this were all just nasty Thai politics.

And for the moment, it looks like he's just reaping what he sowed and if that's the way it is, then he deserves it. And to be honest, I don't give a f about this guy. He'll never be elected to anything more than he is now and he is just frickin irrelevant to Thai politics. He should get his hat and head home. Maybe then the party could get its act together. For all the good it did him being born raised and educated in merry ol england he is a complete loser.

'real piece of', 'weaseling', '<snippin>', 'complete loser'

For someone who proclaims to give a 'f' about Abhisit, you're surely very vocal. At least it looks like that, that is, seemingly only

And the point to realise is that he seems to be a very capable leader of the Opposition. Whether or not he is the leader of a majority Government doesn't detract from his present competence.

Hardly a loser.

Shame the ruling party aren't showing the same competence in parliament. Perhaps the leader of the ruling party is actually 'the loser'

with him at the helm of the opposition do they have ANY chance of coming to power or forming a government (elected, that is)? If you recognize that fact as does the rest of Thailand, then why would you call him an capable leader of the opposition?

And maybe the leader of the ruling party was elected to that post. that's called "the winner" where I come from.

but there is a thread just next door that is about her, and you guys are piling the shi+ on pretty hard for her having a good idea, so head on over and join the party. you outta be welcomed with open arms.

I don't take it wrong. I even said that the facts could be wrong. It's not like these websites give real information or do accurate reporting. But he is still a real piece of work weaseling his way in to the top spot and getting the boot at the first chance by the electorate. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he faked his papers and all of this is right.

And it also wouldn't surprise me if this were all just nasty Thai politics.

And for the moment, it looks like he's just reaping what he sowed and if that's the way it is, then he deserves it. And to be honest, I don't give a f about this guy. He'll never be elected to anything more than he is now and he is just frickin irrelevant to Thai politics. He should get his hat and head home. Maybe then the party could get its act together. For all the good it did him being born raised and educated in merry ol england he is a complete loser.

'real piece of', 'weaseling', 'frickin', 'complete loser'

For someone who proclaims to give a 'f' about Abhisit, you're surely very vocal. At least it looks like that, that is, seemingly only

not sure you make sense there man. but yeah, he is a complete loser. If he did it and is gonna get reamed for it, then happy days.

But this suing back stuff makes him look like a whiner. OK, I know that thai politics is pretty ugly and petty, but still. There are more important issues to tackle and he should just finally take himself out of the spotlight like he promised after he lost the election. Not that his party would change its colors if he left, but at least they would have a chance.

oh yeah, and "weaseling", he looks like he's champion at that. At least if this army thing is true, it shows that he's been good at it for a da.. long time.

A planned speech in English - which was to have been broadcast live - by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at an event at Government House during Obama's visit on Sunday has been cancelled. Officials feared that a recurrence of her verbal mishaps and mispronunciations, if witnessed globally in real time, could be exploited by her critics and political opponents, as has happened in the past, a Government House source said yesterday.

Now that is really funny.

what's really funny is that it looks like that is not mentioned by any news source except this one. and this one forgot to mention any other details like it is part of a trip to the ASEAN summit. don't laugh too hard, it just shows you that they have their heads up their backsides

The visit with the king is important. The visit with the PM is important. It is nice to see that he will visit the wat pho - really a great site.

The right wing will now be accuseing him of being a buddhist instead of a muslim.

they don't care (or know) which religion it is. It's enough if he bows to anyone

Odd that you would consider my post as voicing concern of Varathep as "menancing". It's more a case of being ridiculously funny given his history. The electoral fraud conviction is second fiddle to the conviction for lottery scammer (which I noticed you not-so-subtly avoided addressing).

If you consider those as good qualifications for someone to run a pie-in-the-sky get-rich scheme, that's up to you. I doubt most would agree.

Shame she couldn't find someone else in her illustrious cast for the job, but she has to work with what she's got.

Still, we'll have to wait and see if Varathep can withstand the Senate and Court investigations to even keep his job long enough to "spearhead" this scheme.

.

The trouble is - does anybody, apart from you that is, take any notice of such a plainly political "conviction" when one is just part of 111 so called convicted electoral fraudsters. Especially when , at the time the Attorney General recommended that the democrat party should have been dissolved as well. Even more so when, in the real world of politics there is serious discussion going on about one of the first constitutional changes will be to get rid of this ridiculous law and not a lot of dissent (apart from, of course, the democrats. They have to rely on constitutional laws like this as they know they cannot win an election where people are allowed to vote).

The lottery scandal

When Thaksin was prime minister, his government changed the state lottery system, allegedly to bring the underground lottery, which takes bets on two-digit and three-digit numbers, into the state system. The state lottery is based on a six-digit system.

Critics of Thaksin's rule claimed the lottery change was improperly carried out and was done for corrupt purposes.

http://news.monsters...lottery-scandal

&lt;deleted&gt;!

Please tell me what was so super criminal about the lottery scandal - I think I must have missed it?

jeez - who cares about the <snippin!> lottery anyway? Besides, looking through your link just shows that 3 of 46 were found guilty and they were let off with a kick in the butt. Then the gem here

The court acquitted the 43 other defendants, including Newin Chidchob, a powerbroker behind the establishment of the current coalition government.

Had Newin been found guilty, the government's stability would have been threatened, political observers said.

just goes to show that the whole thing was Thai politics as usual. Courts or no courts, it's still all just political bs

It is really astonishing that an expressed intention to raise the quality of life for Thai people is met with derision and scorn from the usual suspects............

It isn't the expressed intention that is being derided.

nah, it is just the intention to raise the quality of life that is being met with derision and scorn. yeah, I know, its subtle.

choices he made as a young man come back to haunt him - imagine that. Never happens to anyone else.

You're missing the point.

He's not 'Red', so he must be held accountable for anything he may have done

what? like that doesn't happen to the red shirts? That's no point.

The guy f'd up and now he's being called on it. doesn't matter if it was last week or last century. My only question is about the reality of his skipping out - it's not like the information here is all that accurate. For now I take it that he dodged his service as accused, but I don't take it as gospel.

You take it wrong. He performed his military service, but because of a mistaken date on a document, it is being argued he had no right to perform his service in that manner, and now wish to declare his service void. Whether they have the right to do this 20+ years later is a matter of dispute.

No-one has yet stated (AFAIK) that if the correct date was on the document, it would have precluded him from serving in this manner.

I don't take it wrong. I even said that the facts could be wrong. It's not like these websites give real information or do accurate reporting. But he is still a real piece of work weaseling his way in to the top spot and getting the boot at the first chance by the electorate. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he faked his papers and all of this is right.

And it also wouldn't surprise me if this were all just nasty Thai politics.

And for the moment, it looks like he's just reaping what he sowed and if that's the way it is, then he deserves it. And to be honest, I don't give a f about this guy. He'll never be elected to anything more than he is now and he is just <snippin> irrelevant to Thai politics. He should get his hat and head home. Maybe then the party could get its act together. For all the good it did him being born raised and educated in merry ol england he is a complete loser.

A new poll today released by Suan Dusit Poll found that 45% of Thais were excited and honored by the President's visit. 26% believed it would further strengthen ties, and 15% thought it would help strengthen the economy. 48% thought it would boost foreign direct investment and tourism.

So, as much as American detractors of the President insist his trip is a waste, it appears Thais are looking forward to seeing him.

* By forum rules not allowed to quote source.

Thanks for the info - not really a surprise is it?

no time to look into it, and in any case I am guessing that it will bubble up in the (real) news when he makes the trip, but I am curious about what is behind coming to SE Asia for the first trip after the election, if anything.

ouch - jeezuz ... that hurts. What the h are people doing for vanity?

Why not, you falsify documents, dodge a draft and than you sue because retroactive measures are imposed. Never mind, if he wins they should put him on the service and let him crawl to the mud with teenagers. Anyone who is rich and belong to the elite gets away with everything, military service is only for losers, the losers are the poor. Shame on Abhisit.

choices he made as a young man come back to haunt him - imagine that. Never happens to anyone else.

You're missing the point.

He's not 'Red', so he must be held accountable for anything he may have done

what? like that doesn't happen to the red shirts? That's no point.

The guy <Snip> up and now he's being called on it. doesn't matter if it was last week or last century. My only question is about the reality of his skipping out - it's not like the information here is all that accurate. For now I take it that he dodged his service as accused, but I don't take it as gospel.

Laughing at all these people commenting that have absolutely no concept of foreign relations.

Wahhh, he doesn't come to our country.

Wahh he's coming to our country.

Wahh he didn't stay long enough.

Waste of tax money?

He brought his own security.

How is reminding Americans that Thailand exists a bad thing?

How is showing Thais that American respects them a bad thing?

Can't believe some of you came all this way just to be the same ignorant trolls you were back home.

It seems that there is an entire "colony" of Thai Visa users whose very existence revolves around reading every story and trying their very best to find something negative in the story that they can whine and moan about. It's either Obama or Yingluck or Taksin or taxi drivers or the weather or the food or the bar girls or the traffic or the thai people in general or you name it. It must be a very sad life to live NEVER being able to find something positive to say about anyone or the country you have chosen to live in and the world that we all share. Obviously the "power of positive thinking" is something that has completely eluded many of these "nattering nabobs of negativity".

while your post is not technically about the obama visit, it is the most honest post on the thread. it's dead-on on my opinion.

what a bunch of slackers. Three pages of BS, attacks on the PM, and hardly a word on the actual plan or the goal.

Sounds like a lot of pissed off retirees wanting to take cheap shots at Yingluck because she has an idea that makes sense for Thailand. In case you haven't read news outside this li'l yellow bubble, there is a race to the top happening in ASEAN.

This plan probably means that you retired Falang will have to find a new, cheap place to live when Thailand becomes a richer country in 15 years. Wait, whta am I thinking - retirees, 15 years? Never mind, you guys just stay put. It'll be OK.

E, well sorry to disappoint, but I am not a retiree and I have certainly read about ASEAN, have also seen the incompetence of the current PM as well.

Have a nice day

well, Mr "toad" since you think that yingluck has no plan and should just be packing lunch boxes, we know how intelligent your contributions have been.

what a bunch of slackers. Three pages of BS, attacks on the PM, and hardly a word on the actual plan or the goal.

Sounds like a lot of pissed off retirees wanting to take cheap shots at Yingluck because she has an idea that makes sense for Thailand. In case you haven't read news outside this li'l yellow bubble, there is a race to the top happening in ASEAN.

This plan probably means that you retired Falang will have to find a new, cheap place to live when Thailand becomes a richer country in 15 years. Wait, whta am I thinking - retirees, 15 years? Never mind, you guys just stay put. It'll be OK.

I think you are probably right and of course articles like this (link below) are conveniently overlooked, probably because they represent the truth.

Thailand is moving forwards, better accept it, because it is for the better well being of the people.

Like it or not, Yingluck has generated far more international recognition and credibility than previous PM's and, apart from the playground criticisms on here, is doing a pretty good job.

http://asiancorrespo.../bangkokpundit/

Ha! playground criticisms is an understatement!

just a short article on this topic in the real world pointed out this

To reach goals set out in the NESDB’s strategy, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration is aiming to increase research and development investment to over 1 per cent a year of GDP, compared to 0.24 per cent in 2011.

In order to achieve the jump in average income, average economic growth of 5 to 6 per cent a year with have to be maintained over 10 to 15 years compared with average growth of 4.2 per cent from 2002 to 2011.

The last part just might explain to the other posters here why the hell yingluck spends her time traveling, promoting thailand, and welcoming heads of foreign governments to Thailand. I figure she understands her job better than most of the idiots on this forum.

The government has it's work cut out for it, but it's hardly rocket science to invest in the country and the Thai people.

what a bunch of slackers. Three pages of BS, attacks on the PM, and hardly a word on the actual plan or the goal.

Sounds like a lot of pissed off retirees wanting to take cheap shots at Yingluck because she has an idea that makes sense for Thailand. In case you haven't read news outside this li'l yellow bubble, there is a race to the top happening in ASEAN.

This plan probably means that you retired Falang will have to find a new, cheap place to live when Thailand becomes a richer country in 15 years. Wait, whta am I thinking - retirees, 15 years? Never mind, you guys just stay put. It'll be OK.

That would be because there *is no plan* to comment on. And the goal, you'd have to be an imbecile to credit that.

need to get out and read different news. This article is empty. Just a title and bs. oh, and several pages of posters ragging on Yingluck for no good reason.

Reality is that income inequality is a real issue. Not just in Thailand - my home country is the most unequal in the developed world. Stiglitz recently wrote an informative book on it. For the government to at least attempt to address the issue is admirable.

For a bunch of falang to ream the pm because she wants to do the right thing for thailand is stupid and disgusting.

what a bunch of slackers. Three pages of BS, attacks on the PM, and hardly a word on the actual plan or the goal.

Sounds like a lot of pissed off retirees wanting to take cheap shots at Yingluck because she has an idea that makes sense for Thailand. In case you haven't read news outside this li'l yellow bubble, there is a race to the top happening in ASEAN.

This plan probably means that you retired Falang will have to find a new, cheap place to live when Thailand becomes a richer country in 15 years. Wait, whta am I thinking - retirees, 15 years? Never mind, you guys just stay put. It'll be OK.

Why not, you falsify documents, dodge a draft and than you sue because retroactive measures are imposed. Never mind, if he wins they should put him on the service and let him crawl to the mud with teenagers. Anyone who is rich and belong to the elite gets away with everything, military service is only for losers, the losers are the poor. Shame on Abhisit.

choices he made as a young man come back to haunt him - imagine that. Never happens to anyone else.