rickirs

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Careful what you wish for, how many democrats have taken to the PDRC stage speaking loosely over 'overthrowing' the govt.

The PDRC has never talked loosely about overthrowing the government. It has always been very explicit about it. But these so-called independent agencies that got their origins from the Democrat government seem very focused solely on the PTP and give the PDRC a pass on its very blatant efforts to overthrow the government through unconstitutional means than through democratic means. NACC's latest probe is just another further abuse of its own powers.

The Election Commission, National Human Rights Commission, Office of the Ombudsman, and National Anti-Corruption Commission are currently or recently been engaged in bringing charges against the PTP government to cause their removal and are surprised that the government rejects their solutions to the political crisis? This is not just a matter of saving face, it's a matter of undemocratic political defiance. And for all the charges they bring against the government for operating against the Constitution, it seems that is exactly how these independetn agencies are operating. They would be more effective to sue themselves so their agencies can be reformed to a more democratic system of oversight.

"...only a third of them will have been converted to new systems by April 8."

Anyone know who these banks are?

I support the professionalism and effectiveness of the military presence on Bangkok streets, especially when it comes to dealing with moonlighting armed soldiers who are involved in the protest events. However, I disagree with the military leadership's open hostility to PTP supporters; it should remain unpolitical. But the SOE was the legal means for their presence and prior to the SOE, the military repeatedly refused to occupy Bangkok stating that there was no legal cause to do so despite the violence taking place on public and government property.

Now the military refuses to leave its street bunkers claiming it is the one who decides their occupation. Is this not abuse of power and violation of the Constitution? And if the military cannot be removed by legal means, isn't it in effect committing a coup by its abrogation of Thailand's legal system, its Constitution without accountability? Anyone considering reforms for Thailand politics and government should seriously look at the independent power of its coup-prone military.

I've followed all these numerous "anti-corruption" ideas about changing how government and independent agencies are elected, selected, and operated. And the common thread to all these ideas seems to be that substantial changes must be made to the Constitution. So wouldn't it be consistent with the criminal charges brought against the PTP leadership for violating or defying the Constitution that the PDRC and all involved in these forums be charged as well? Of course not because part of the PDRC game plan is to suspend the Constitution via its people committee like Egyptian President Morsi did when he came to power. Then the Constitution would be written by an unelected, elite group of people largely representing the political aspirations of Suthep and the PDRC. This is a dangerous path for the people of Thailand and potential loss of the minimal democracy that it holds.

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Glad to see that the security company did a sterling job of checking the id of all people coming in and out of the mooban.

AK-47 is the best ID one can have.

If Thailand Tourism industry doesn't want to be overshadowed by other countries celebrating Songkran, the answer is to raise the ante on Thailand's celebrations. Create special Songkran fesitvals like a New Orleans-style Mardi Gras patterned on water instead of trinkets, evening events like performing Las Vegas-style fountains and fireworks, special entertainment events, etc. Use imagination, not international lawsuits and copyrights.

Do the PDRC leaders fear arrest and conviction to the extent that they evade the police warrants and judicial hearings? They fear injustice by the same Courts that pursue Government and PTP leaders. How can they represent themselves to Thailand as being for law and order when they themselves show complete disrespect for the law; the law is not one person but systematic rules of law to protect the public from criminal behavior. And yet PDRC is so critical of PTP and government leaders for committing alleged offenses and not giving themselves up to justice. The law does not exist for only one people and not other people. It applies to all equally and this is why PDRC will fail in its so-called reforms for corruption in that itself is as corrupt as those it purports to oppose.

Biofuel from human-generated organic wastes is used to generate either ethanol or methane. Ethanol requires complex organic/chemical processes and purity of organic inputs; it is not cost effective for an island economy.

Methane requires only the decay of human-generated organic wastes found typically in "mature" landfills (5 years+)where methane is collected throughout the year from the landfill for electrical generation. To maintain efficient production of methane requires landfill materials be limited to largely human-generated and industry organic wastes. To that end a transfer station is needed to allow for segregation of human-generated organic wastes from nonorganic/nondecomposing materials; a TS is particularly needed where the culture does not support (lack of education, practice, laws) segregation of garbage. Figure additional 300-million baht for a TS.

Phuket would do better to barge its wastes to the mainland for a much larger scale biofuel facility.

Mediation is not conducive to Suthep's plans for a dictatorship backed by the elitists and wealthy. Why do people keep pursuing the idea. Hope springs eternal I suppose.

Thai Air Force decision process to release radar information related to disappearance of MH370:

1) It's PTP's fault?

2) It's due to Yingluck's neglect of duty?

2) It's the result of the rice program failure?

3) It's unconstitutional?

4) It's subject to fines?

5) Are Navy Seals involved?

That's why it took ten days to release the information.

I am sorry but Mr. Wiwat Yordprasit is currently involved in PDRC anti-government protests protecting the public and not available for arraignment. This message has been approved by Suthep who has experience on these matters.

Somchai said he will end his attempt to mediate political conflicts if the proposal of six independent agencies to solve the crisis is rejected by the caretaker government and anti-government movement. Seeing as these two parties are the only ones that matter in any political resolution, does he have any other choice? It's like saying that if I can't jump across a 1,000 foot canyon, then I will discontinue my attempts. These six independent agencies have one thing in common and that's their egos fed by their very independence. They flop around with meaningless ideas and uncreative "suggestions" knowing they are secure in their positions and have no accountability for their ineffectiveness. Some might say such a condition is also professional "corruption."

This is a good move for PTP. Given Gen. Prayuth's chip on his shoulder for PTP leadership, no doubt he was going to go overboard with unnecessary military enforcement against the PTP demonstrators because he "didn't like" the new UDD leader. While the police are compleyely ineffective in any law enforcement role, they are at least ineffective equally with all parties. Thailand doesn't need military looking for a fight to prove their political superiority.

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What is Thailand going to do with them? If the U.S is so concerned then send a plane over to pick them up and take to the U.S to live. If they are not prepared to do that then they should keep their noses out of it and let Thailand decide what to do.

For those who are Turkic-speaking and Muslim why can't the Thai government contact the Turkey embassy about offering those people assylum. Perhaps Malaysia and Indoneasia may also offer assylum.

"Katasila....said the organisations should simply announce tomorrow their intention to carry out their duties impartially."

I'm sure that will settle PTP's perception of bias in these agencies (sarcasm). Katasilla is essentially saying BS to the PTP concerns but the PDRC will deride the PTP as being uncooperative. Somehow PDRC seems to believe mediation or cooperation is the other side being completely compliant to whatever the PDTRC wants. Either arrogant, naive, or stupid. I'll give PDRC credit for all three.

Just plain stupid, even if given permission to use voting card by the cardholder, especially with the opposition.

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The CCTV footage released Friday was captured at the Rama VIII bridge on Feb. 24 showing suspects in a truck negotiating with the cleaning officers because the bridge was close for cleaning at the time

So a killer(s) dragging around a body, negotiate (with maintenance workers and witnesses) there way onto a closed bridge to dump a body? Really?

When you got a job that needs to be done, it's got to be done! On the plus side, PDRC will get the transparency it always wanted.

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Whats the point of having CCTV cameras,if those are the best images

they can produce, I suppose they were bought at a price that included

a commission,hence the very poor quality images.

regards Worgeordie

More than likely they ar eintended to monitor vehicular traffic and not individuals on foot. You don't need high resolution for that purpose. Where a bridge has a history of suicides, then high resolution cameras would be worth the cost for public safety.

"... there is no law in Thailand prohibiting foreigners from handing his or her own passport to another person to hold as per their own agreement.”

Such a law is unnecessary. Get a law then that prohibits vendors for holding passports? If the foreign tourist can't otherwise provide satisfactory security (how about that Roelx watch?), then there is no rental. If a vendor is found holding passports, they get fined. Or the police can enforcing the existing law that requires foreign tourists to have their passport (or copy?) on hand and fine them if they do not.

It seems polic ejust want to avoind the whole issue. And so the probelm continues and so does Thailand's shame.

"...a provincial "people's council" that would scrutinise the work of the elected governor and would have the authority to impeach the governor should problems arise."

So Suthep's idea is to decentralize his dictatorship. Now that makes it so much easier for Suthep to govern Thailand using mini-Sutheps.

"...chiefs of those agencies would hold a joint press conference on Monday about their proposal at the Office of the Ombudsman in the Government Complex." Do they have PDRC's permission to use the Government Center or will PDRC lock the gates and/or invade the permises to dusrupt "peacefully" such a meeting? I would imagine that if Suthep thought he had a lock on an agenda (no doubt already leaked to the PDRC) that would put him back into power either directly or indirectly, he would support the meeting. But as the article says, PDRC reserves the right to veto any agency agreements with the government. Can't let power slip away.