rickirs

"expert relic hunters helped choose the five particular objects"

Are these hunters still in Thailand?

How about asking the children, "What are the 12 steps to democracy?"

Answer: "In Thailand there are no steps."

The very first thing that should be actioned, is to take away her passport(s).

Will they? I doubt it.

Sorry I can't remember the specifics. Didn't Thaksin get a passport from another country? The Maldives maybe? >>

In April 2009 the new Democrat-led government revoked his Thai passport but he was able to travel on passports from Nicaragua and Montenegro. In October 2011 the Yingluck administration issued him a new Thai passport through the Thai embassy in Abu Dhabi. If the military can once again hand the government to the Democrats, no doubt Thaksin's passport will again be revoked.

With the NACC finished with Yingluck's impeachment, maybe it has the time now to move on to Abhisit and Suthep impeachments for abuse of power while they led the government during the murder of protesters in 2010.

Both had arrest warrants against them issued by the Administrative Criminal Court during the Yingluck regime, received bail from the court, and were formally arrested by Gen. Prayuth after the military coup. However, the Supreme Court then ruled that the charges were inappropriate because Administrative Criminal Court was not the proper venue for the charges, and so charges were dropped. The Supreme Court ruled that the NACC was the appropriate authority to determine whether charges should be brought against Abhisit and Suthep since they were government officials at the time the alleged crimes of murder were committeed.

I have visions that in 2017 Thailand will have its rail line to Laos, then nothing onward to China because of complications between China and Laos. Meanwhile Thailand will be paying its debt service on the line to China.

"Europe's ailing economy will get a major dose of stimulus from the European Central Bank — a bond buying program designed to make loans and exports cheaper so companies can hire and expand."

Compare EU's plan for economic growth to Thailand's plans:

- Borrow billions from the Chinese

- Deny government stimulus is needed (NCPO)

- Initiate more Price and Profit controls

- Encourage more household debt

- Initiate populist subsidies and public "gifts"
- Insist that neighboring countries get financial aid instead of Thailand

- Vow a strong economic performance

Will the RTP file a defamation suit against Time? If it doesn't, then that is a tacit admission that Time is reporting the truth.

Is this going to be deemed another suicide?

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maybe good idea for USA to stop import from EU if they continue to be arrogant

Not going to happen.

from POTUS Obama State of Union address on February 12th:

-The EU countries combined rank 2^nd as an export market

-The EU countries combined rank 5^th as an Ag Export Market

-The US/EU economic relationship is responsible for 6.8 million jobs

The US has a trade DEFICIT with the EU and needs to increase exports, not withdraw.

In the last month there seems to have been a revolution in The Nation's reporting - it seems more fact-based and critical, especially towards the Junta. It seems less hell-bent to criticize capitalism and democracy that have been the stated anthema of the Junta. The timing of the reporting changes seems very coincidental with the hostile takoeover of the news media by an independent company. A takeover that is being vigorously opposed by the management of The Nation and its major shareholders.

I wonder if some reporters have decided to show a little independence to the Junta-happiness propaganda in case the takeover succeeds. They might become more marketable under new owners and keep their jobs.

subsidy for farmers is common (i.e. buying at higher prices) so I see it as a 'budget offset' not a 'loss' but I try not to be too pedantic as the sun is shining and it's a lovely day and politics will be politics (a nasty business where truth is the first casualty)

The RPPS was not a subsidy which had a reserved budget within the National Budget and there being part of the deficit. NO, Ms. Yingluck c.s. positioned their RPPS as 'self-financing' scheme and still managed to make it lose 700 billion Baht.

You're right, truth is the first casualty. Don't fear though, you won't be charged, just displayed as the .... you are.

Yingluck did not "lose" Bt700 billion in the RPPS.

The NCPO did.

The Yingluck administration had intended to payout the pledged price to farmers through sales revenues over time. When it had only sold about 20% of the inventory (which included pledged rice inventory from the Abhisit administration) in 2013, the government was under pressure from farmers, Democrats, and the PDRC to immediately pay the full amount due to the farmers.

The only way for the Yingluck administration to do that was to borrow the funds from issuance of treasury bonds and from the Government Bank loans (aka “debt”). However, the PDRC and EC prevented those options. And Yingluck was unable to make any further payments; thus, unable to incur further debt.

After the military coup, the NCPO having control of the government with no opposition, did unilaterally borrow the remaining 80% from issuance of treasury bonds (aka “debt”) in order to pay the farmers. The NCPO could have refused to make the payout with no further impact on the treasury. There was no obligation for the new government to pay more than what the rice was worth in the marketplace.

Under the 2007 Constitution, the Yingluck administration as a caretaker” government could incur new significant debt without permission of the EC. This article allows a new government to be unburdened by last minute borrowings of the old government that might serve as a financial “poison pill.” The Junta had no such qualms about damaging the economic ability of any successor government. And by paying off the farmers the Junta could point the blame for the cost (but not the benefit) at Yingluck.

Gen. Payuth should have been tried for impeachment by the NLA, at least as a co-defendant. Then we'd see just how fair the NLA can be.

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Thank you Prayuth for giving high speed railway to Thailand.

You are truly the father of modern Thailand modernization.

Actually, all General Prayuth has given Thailand is the Memorandum of Understanding and $12 billion in foreign debt. It is the Chinese who are supplying the technology, design, and construction of the dual rail system. And so for the next twenty years, China will own the system.

Thank you Prayuth for selling out the nation.

"In the first two years alone, the strategy is going to require a budget of Bt240 billion"

Not a problem - the Junta-led government can get an MOU with China to lend Thailand the funds to pay China to build the projects. Another Junta success story!

"To protect consumers, Saree said the NBTC must take action and strictly follow its own regulations."

EXCEPT when the Junta decides the matter. Then the NBTC must goose-step to the Junta's marching orders.

It won't matter how "perfect" this constitution is made, nor who wrote and approved it. It's only good until the next military coup abolishes it.

Eight years ago:

"Thailand unveils possible drafters of constitution" (Posted 2006-12-19)

- "...a new assembly [the National People's Assembly] made up of 1,982 Thais handpicked by the ruling junta and tasked with selecting people to draft the kingdom's post-coup constitution.... "

- "The 1,982 members come from the public, private, civil and academic sectors, and were selected by a committee headed by Air Force Chief Chalit Pukbhasuk, one of the coup leaders... "

- "The National People's Assembly will ... nominate 200 of its own members to write a permanent constitution."

- "The junta will whittle the 200 down to 35, who will have until the end of 2007 to write a new basic charter."

- "putsch leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin ... insisted that the new constitution would be drafted transparently and fairly. "We don't have any intention of staying on longer"

- "The military has justified its takeover by claiming that systemic corruption under Thaksin had undermined Thailand's democracy.They want a new constitution to improve the system of checks and balances and to strengthen anti-corruption watchdogs."

- "Members of the National People's Assembly, you must do your jobs with honesty and fairness to get the constitution drafters," said [unmentionable], who presided over the assembly's opening.... I am asking all of you to realise your great duty with determination, careful consideration and judgement," [unmentionable] told assembly members."

While the Thai military frequently shoots itself in the political foot, it will never shoot itself in the head.

"... actor Pakorn Chatborirak bought "in good faith" from Pada Buakhao, another suspect in the embezzlement case"

Take the car. It was obtained by stolen property and its value should be returned. Pakorn's "good faith" is irrelevant as to legal ownership. But Pakorn is also a victim and he can file a civil suit against Pada for misrepresentation. But Pakorn's loss has no bearing on the criminal investigation and its consequences. Maybe if enough Thai celebrities become victims in 3rd party luxury car purchases, it will impact the criminal industry.

In order to prevent the threat of national political conflict, the Thai military will overthrow the government, impose martial law, suspend freedom of expression, delay the next elections, .....

Wait, already been there and done that. Regardless of the outcome of Yingluck's impeachment, there will continue to be the confinement of democracy in limbo.

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It may be time to start finding alternatives to the taxis at the airport. They are really acting up, and behaving like spoiled brats, and the discipline is not forthcoming. As to be expected with an impotent government.

Maybe a rail link could be built as an alternative........

There is a Disneyland of make-believe in Thailand now?

A Chinese-based company pays for 51% of the stock in a Thai-based company and gets only 45% of the stock. Foreigners in Thailand pay 100% of Thai-based company stock and get 49%.

What are the Chinese complaining about? They got a great deal!

"Between 2010 and 2013, private operators had to reward politicians or civil servants with a commission of 25-35 percent to secure a business deal....
The amount of commission has continued to drop since June last year during which period businessmen were found to have paid a commission of 15-25 percent on average. In December, the amount of gift money dropped by five to 15 percent."

Seriously, if these rewards are being tracked, why not go after all the involved parties and get the gift money to ZERO percent?

"... each percent of tea money reduction represents an amount of 10 billion baht which will remain in the state coffers."

So it can then be frittered away by the Junta-led government as "gifts" to the people. If there is one thing that remains a constant in corruption, it's the use of financial power to sell an ideology. The Junta takes lessons from no one!

Cuba calls for the U.S. to end "exceptional treatment" of covert cuban immigration to the US.

If Cuba simply allows free immigration, the USA doesn't need such an immigration provision. But that is not Cuba's real concern. It's that it will suffer "brain drain" of most able-body and educated Cubans from the country so long as it remains communist. Maybe an immigration quota could be done to satisfy both sides.

And those 10,000 Cuban prisoners in the US can be held in Guantanamo Bay detention camp on behalf of the Cuban government - for a fee of course.

At least both sides can now talk about solutions. However short the timespan, diplomacy has been established. I hope the best for the Cuban peoples.

Asteroid 1999 AN10 will pass as close as 19,000 miles from Earth’s surface. That will be the one to watch!