rickirs

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No shocks there, has any rich powerful person in Thailand. Ever been accountable. Or punished?

Yes Thaksin was sentenced to 2 years in the dungeons! He escaped and went in exile, hoping he could buy/intimidate his way out of his situation.

So far: the more he digs, the deeper his hole.

Wasn't he tried in absentia? In which case there would be no "escape."

Suthep is ready to talk with Yingluck only if he controls the agneda, location, attendance, etc. He'll probably insist that Blue Sky studios be used as well. He is such a dignified politicain that it brings tears to my eyes. From laughter.

This is just frustrating! Once again the EC doesn't seem very confident that it knows its authority and again reaches out to the Constitutional Court. You can't run a government with day-to-day runs to the Constitutional Courts for guidance. But perhaps there is something more basic happening here than disappointment with performance of the government, the Democats, all the independent agencies, and the Court. And that is Case Law.

Case law is created out of a history of court decisions on the application of law to various similar situations that, if the decisions follow a general consistent pattern of court decisions, in effect create law. If the Constitutional Court has been rarely used for constitutional decisions, there will be few decisions that could establish any relevant case law.

So maybe the repeated filings with the Constitutional Court by the Government, the Democrats, and all the independent agencies on fundamental legal issues are a good thing to build records of case law (assuming lack of corruption or conflict of interest within the court), albeit a frustratingly slow and inefficient process. I just hope that Thailand is given enough civil history so that case law can be established over time.

It's irrelevant as to what documents were or were not missing or when they existed or didn't exist, an experienced purchasing agent should know that paying Bt3.9 million per piece of equipment to contractors for equipment worth about Bt125,000 per piece was criminal. But did this OEC official raise any alarm or question the billing? Obviously not and that leaves a serious question as to this person's integrity. Unless further evidence points to he rinnocence, Kudos to her firing.

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The Thai press should be pounding the table for party nominations and elections. The Thai press looks like a joke following blundering protesters and their supporters before the world. The Thai press is blatantly supporting a sabotage of a popularly elected PM in favor of a "people's council" with 185 handpicked by its own insiders to the exclusion of ordinary Thais. Does the Thai press actually believe that this is the right thing to do? Does the Thai press actually believe that the international community will view this as anything but "propaganda?"

Thank you. One more to add to my growing list of agenda driven broad section of opponents of the PTP. Not many left that are actually supporting the PTP anymore except a very narrow cross section called rice farmers and they are jumping ship now. Time to listen to the majority even if you don't like it.

Anyway enough chatter. Here is the list….Of course with your nomination added at the end. Thanks again.

World bank, Moody's, UNHCR, Human Rights Watch, the Environmentalists, the corn farmer, rubber farmers, rice farmers, medical association, rural teachers, academics, Supa, global economists, IMF, private banks, GSB, the EC, AoT, the courts, military, bangkok middle class, business owner, state enterprise staff, Buddhist monks, civil servants, labor unions, Green Politics group, Thai Constitution Protection Association and finally The Thai press.

Amazing how this broad cross section of society can be wrong yet the PTP are right.

Gotta love that PTP ministry of propaganda.

And yet despite having such ALLEGED overwhelming support, the PDRC can't take the chance of another election until it controls the government through its people's committee and all the riff raff, uneducated, low class people can be eliminated from voting until they have been "re-educated." The Suthep proganda machine has proven much more effective than PTP.

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Sounds very suspicious, given her profile , having a hairdo so close to an anti -gov protest.... She,s up to no good..

Good thing you guys cant vote.

regardless of your opinion , she has the right to walk the streets of her country with out being kidnaped, illegally detained, questioned, and harassed.

It would appear that the PDRC has more police powers than the police.

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The brave Thai pack mentality, it takes b/w 10 and 20 men to intimidate, harass and assault one lone woman. Cowards and scum that is all they are..

I disagree. She is a THAI woman afterall. They were lucky she was not much older or the assult mob would have been outnumbered.

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As the police have done nothing till now, hope the army will help to prevent more shootings and killings.

Well snark, snark, then sandbags will really help prevent shootings and killings. Maybe better to spread the sand over the streets and parking areas so people will feel like they're on a beach and party instead of protesting.

Any visitor (whether foreign or Thai) to a public educational institute should be expected to conduct themselves in a courteous manner and be respectiveful to the people who work and learn there. But they should be provided with sufficient guidance and direction on what that means on the property. This is especially important for people who, through a lack of cultural experience and/or freedoms in their own countries (eg., China), may have no little or no knowledge of proper conduct in other countries and their institutions.

The University's solution sounds reasonable without a heavy sense of security and a moderate fee helps cover the costs of visitors to the campus. I hope a handout is given to the visitors in multiple languages to assist in them in having a pleasant visit. There should be areas on the campus where students and faculty can intermingle with visitors for opportunities of informal cultural exchange and practice foreign languages. But such interaction should be done without numbers of visitors overwhelming the student population.

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Anand supported the 2006 military coup that abrogated the People's Constitution and overthrew the government of Thaksin Shinawatra. Anand had been a sharp critic of Thaksin for several years prior to the coup, and he blamed the coup on Thaksin. He also stated fears that the military junta would fail and that Thaksin could make a comeback. "When the [Chatichai] government disappeared from the scene [after the 1991 coup] there was no fear it could make a comeback. But over the past five years Thaksin and his party have become too powerful. They have consolidated their hold over the government machinery and certain sectors of the armed forces and parliament. So I think it's a more precarious situation." Anand claimed that the coup was well received by the people and that the military junta's ban against opposition or political activity would not last long. He also noted surprise at the international community's condemnation to the coup.

He is my Man.

Hardly someone that would be nuetral. He obviously is anti-Thaksin and pro-Democrat and supported the Democrats becoming very powerful during its control of the Government. At best only a tribunal type of interim PM could best serve the nation in the most unbiased way. However, such an interim PM has no precedent, may not be constitutional without PTP agreement, and abrogates the electorial process. It has a great potential to lead the nation to a dictatorship.

In response to the UN's suggestion that it assist in the mediation between the Democrats and Pheu Thai parties' conflicts, Suthep rejected that quickly out of hand. Tovichakchaikul's subsequent acceptance of the UN's offer to mediate the escalating political conflict in Thailand, regardless of whether mediation is led by current Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of South Korea, former Secretary General Kofi Annan of Kenya, or some accreditated NGO, was a great strategic manuever that takes advantage of biggest Suthep's political weakness - a fixation on overthrowing the government and replacement with his own People's Committee.

I know some will say, "Thais don't care what the outside world thinks about Thailand's political disruption." Not exactly true as Suthep bothered to write President Obama to explain his side of the "story." But there are more complex actions that might come into play.

The Government may have (I'm sure to become the subject of a Suthep lawsuit) the authority to ACCEPT a mediator to attempt mediation between the PTP and Democrat parties without asking for Suthep's concurrence. Should Suthep continue to refuse mediation, he will within the eyes of the international community become an instigator and not a victim, unlike the anti-protesters in the Ukraine. In the lack or failure of a martial law by the Thai military, the Government might further request (no doubt the subject of another Suthep lawsuit) UN military intervention over the continued deadlock that could foster a Bosnia-style mediation . I could see a lot of Western Countries and the UN itself being given a chance that they did not have as a pre-emptive mediation opportunity in the Ukraine. Such action would not bode well for Suthep.

Thai Courts appear to be a little too independent.

Thailand Trial Court does not have a jury system like in the United States. There is only a judge or judges who specializes in the dispute at hand (ie., Criminal, Civil, Labor) to determine innocence or guilt. The judge(s) alone decides the issues of law and fact. Rulings from the Trial Courts can be appealed to the Appeals Court, then onto the Supreme Court for furhter review of laws or facts being called into question.

If judges have been politicalized or have a conflict of interests, a defendent will have little or no alternatives to a fair trial, ie., judgement by a jury of peers. Application of "facts" at every level of the Thai judicial system can differ in terms of importance as well as to the facts themselves. There is no stipulation as to facts that would establish consistency of facts used in court judgements as a defendent moves through the appeals process.

Any Thai, whether a public official or an private eindividual, should be concerned with lower court judgements and the appeals process lacking deterents to inconsistent rulings, fair and unbiased rulings.

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This was all tried before and the EC rejected it, then we get a week of public threats to sue the EC for various issues relating to the fail elections that the government have a huge hand in that matter.

Obviously a prelude to forcing a positive decision out of the EC. This is what their answer is to the farmer problem?

The EC has allowed the government to spend Bt712 million from the central budget to make overdue pledging payments to 3,971 farmers in five provinces: Chachoengsao, Prachin Buri, Uthai Thani, Phetchabun and Ayutthaya.

So these were all the farmers that were on their way to swampy airport last week.

So there we have a strong message going out to the remaining of the 1.4 million farmers.

If you want your money, take the airport.

This government are making a rod for their own backs constantly and then blaming everyone else when it goes wrong time after time. I hope the EC tell them they can't do it, and as far as the bonds are concerned, I doubt they would fetch 5 Bn, they are as worthless as the farmer's vouchers.

Print more money? Have you any idea of the fallout from doing that? The USA may do it, but they have the finest economical minds on the matter and they know how to offset the effects of it. Does Thailand have anyone of any caliber to be able to run fiscal system to recover?,,, they are hardly of the mentality of 'best man for the job'... They only have nepotism, cronyism and cash for favors that put bums on seats, never do they go for the best person for the job which is why everything here is a complete mess.

Your last "para" about money printing in Thailand is incorrect, Thailand has an independent currency and therefore free of any rule from an other country, the negative aspects of Q.E. (quantitative easing) will of course be some national inflation and a reduction of THB in FX. value.

During the financial problems of the western countries which began in 2008 the US and the UK printed many, many billions of their currencies in order to solve their financial mishaps of their country and matters began to be resolved,

Other western counties with the same financial problems could not print money for themselves because their currencies was the EURO, as a result they had to ask the E.C.B. and the I.M.F. for money and they all received many billions in order to save their country financially, economically, and above all morally.

If sufficient money is not available in Thailand to pay the farmers in order solve the farming problem, then Thailand can create a certain sum by implementing "Q.E" - if they do not wish to do that then they can and could contact "I.M.F". in order get the needed amount of money.

But there might also be an other solution, Thailand is morally close to China, and they might ask China to help them in their current financial problem.

Just a minor point regarding the US printing currency to cover its financial collapse. US economic collapse was primarily caused by the loss of access to any credit that in turn was triggered by the huge loss in equity in every commercial and private sector in the US. The US chose a strategy of monetary infusion into the economy to create a short-term artificial bubble of credit through the sales of treasury bonds with ZERO to NEGATIVE interest rates in order to revive economic growth. And the world investment community couldn't beat a path fast enough to purchase those bonds that enabled the U.S. Treasury to print currency backed by proceeds from the treasury bonds.

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Thailand is heading into a financial crisis after this non-working rice scheme. Investment risks with Thailand is even higher than the risks of the neighboring countries.

It is important that the farmers get paid even it is a partial payment. We don't want them to come to Bangkok to close the airports.

However the government should pay them in full ASAP.

The government can print the money just like China does.

Baht has been strong for the past several years but it will be nice to see US$1 = 40 THB again.

"Investment risks with Thailand is even higher than the risks of the neighboring countries." Patently untrue so far. Reveiwing credit ratings by Standards & Poors, Fitch, and Moody there are no ratings for Mynamar and Cambodia from Fitch and Moody; S&P also has no rating for Mynamar. All three credit rating organizations (CRO's) rate Thailand higher than Indonesia and Vietnam. S&P rates Thailand higher than Cambodia. Fitch rates Thailand equal to Malaysia while S&P and Moody rate Thailand one level lower than Malaysia.

Thailand like every country in the world can print money; but like every country it does so through the backing of proceeds from the sale of treasury bonds, in essence proceeds are borrowed funds that must be paid back to bond holders with interest. The interest rate is influenced by CRO ratings and in turn affected by the percent of debt to Gross Domestic Product.

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Yingluck will no longer be caretaker on 3rd March.

I think that is when negotiations start.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Suthep has made it clear he will not negotiate with anyone associated with the Pheu Thai party and that means he will only negotiate when the government is overthrown and in the hands of his People's COmmittee. Then he will graciously negotiate with himself.

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Do these guards have the authority by law to detain people at will now?

She was detained on a public street, not on private property. Siam Square doesn't belong to the Suthep militants.

Sick bunch of people.

I would have thought that Sunisa once she was cornered by whistling protesters was thankful for the intervention of the guards which was clearly for her safety.

I bet they also knew that in doing so, there would be many idiots slamming them with 'kidnapping accusations' etc....

They would have been right.

Maybe they should have just left her to her fate.

Wonder what would have happened had a Dem spokesperson wandered into a red shirt camp????

She was taken by guards to be inside the Bangkok Museum for a while for fear that she might be harmed by some angry protesters.

The guards later took her to the car park of Siam Paragon and released her.

If you consider this as 'kidnapping' what would you consider all the crimes this government have openly committed not even mentioning all the crimes Thaksin has committed against the public with his slaughterings

So is the Siam Paragon shopping mall now considered Suthep territory? And anyone who is there, ie., "on shopping errands," they are subject to kidnapping and physical abuse by the Suthep mob? Is Suthep now a government onto his own? I appreciation the humanity of Suthep's guards to help her escape from the scene but shouldn't they rather had refrained the mob from its incivility and criminality against this woman? And I note with curiosity that the force used against this woman and the force used by the guards to assist in her escape would have been ruled illegal by the Civil Court had the guards been police instead.

For almost five months Democrat supporters have had unopposed takeover of highways and streets in Thailand for their protests. This has deprived the public their right to free assembly in and movement through these occuppied areas. And everyone seems okay with that. But have the PTP supporters take the same action, albeit on a very limited basis, and everybody cries about how the PTP protesters are being criminal. As there is no longer the rule of law in Thailand that provides for police law enforcement vis a vis the Civil Court, PTP occupiers should no less be entitled to their occupations as the Democrats enjoy.

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The wonderful, wonderful, dizzying world of Khaosod.

" ... allegedly ... "

" ... reportedly ... "

" ... rumours soon surfaced ... "

" ... allegation ... "

" ... suspects ... "

" ... allegation ... " ( now two times )

" ... previously accused ... "

" ... allegation ... " ( now three times )

" ... claimed ... "

Khaosod, let's the put the record straight once and for all, shall we ? Suthep pointedly said as recently as two days ago that there was no campaign to " kidnap " Yingluck. Do yourselves a favour. Quote people directly.

And Suthep always tells the truth and never changes his mind? He is a savy, ruthless political mastermind who knows what he wants (power) and will sacrafice and manipulate anyone towards his goals. He is "connected" in Thailand's elite class and exhibits degrees of corruption equally on par with alleged corruption of Thaskin. He is the Yin to Thaskin' Yang.

Surachai said. "We call for police officers who are directly responsible for society's peace and order to do their best to protect people without any bias."

And the Court added, "without force." So what does "do your best" really mean in a practical sense? Surachai obviously has no idea or he would have made a more definitive and guiding statement. And even if he did provide more direction, so what? The police are not under the command of the Parliament and the Government can't direct police to do anything that the police themselves would want to do. So far, "doing their best" seems to consist of being in uniform, avoiding direct eye contact with anyone, and taking frequent breaks.

I (sacrastically) think that the police have misinterpretated the State of Emergency provision that says "demonstrations of more than five people shall be dispersed" to say that "police deminstrations of more than five people shall be dispersed." At that police have been very effective. The only time you seem to see police gathering with more than five people are at assembly areas miles from protest sites. Maybe they heard the proverb that "there was safety in numbers" and thought it meant in kilometers and not people.

Shouldn't there be some kind of licensing to sell and purchase cancer causing substances like sodium hydrosulfite and formalin so that there can be no abuse of their use? Typically, licensing requires accountability for sales and who the end users are, ie., commercial processors and manufacturers. Market food vendors shouldn't be using these substances but if they're readily available from suppliers, effective public monitoring and control becomes impossible. Focus should be on the suppliers for more effective control than going after countless food vendors. Remove access of these dangerous substances from vendors and you remove them from public consumption.

Everyone seems to overlook this statement: "The NSC chief responded by saying certain people were 'using violence to justify the existence of the anti-government protesters' and that these people were also behind the attack in Trat, because they had a 'similar purpose'."

He gives no evidence behind this stunning allegation, but then no one else has been giving evidence of cupability for violence but many ThaiVisa readers seem perfectly happy to assign blame for all violence on the PTP. From a modis operandi viewpoint, an anti-government protest led by the former democrat deputy prime minister Suthep accused of killing PTP protesters in 2010 would seem more than reasonable to kill his own protesters for political power than what the PTP would gain.

Suthep would benefit by a collapse of the country, especially if the final elections do not occur. It will be like a "If I can't have it, no one can have it." I think Suthep is willing as another last resort to take a chance that he will gain a political edge through the nation's collapse no matter how many people are injured or killed. He has played political roulette before with people's lives in 2010 to keep power, why not again?

I can't recall where the UN has mediated any political disagreements with nations successfully without bringing in UN armed forces to bring all parties to the negotiating table like it did in Bosnia. It sat passively during the Ukraine protests without the same offer that would have seemed more relevant than with Thailand; the Ukraine Parliament came up with its own solutions.

PTP should jump at the offer for "mediation" is reaching a resolution satisfactory to both sides; it's not arbitration. Since Suthep will continue to insist on non-negotiable terms such as immediate abdication of the PM and interim cabinet followed by placement of the interim government into his people's council for an unspecified term before elections are held again, he will immediately refuse or quickly kill negotiations. I think you'll not hear from Suthep on the UN's suggestion; he's too involved in the protests to find time.

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Pretty disgusting using the farmers, who actually have a real grievence, as pawns to further their own attention seeking status.

How about shutting your pie hole Issara and let the leader of the farmers talks for themsleves and not for you!!

Sad to say they are just pawns and equally dispensable to those who are using them to promote their own anti-democratic aims. Ironically, if Suthep had allowed the Dems to field candidates and allowed all those folk in the south to vote, we might now have a different party leading the government, albeit a coalition. But being elected into government through the democratic process is not and never was the real aim.

When you want to be dictator you can't have coalitions. It's Suthep's way or no way.