rickirs

The Isaan poll won't matter.

Yingluck will be impeached and Royal Thai First Army Area Advisor Noppadon Kannika will immediately roll out a “Master Poll” survey of 1,200 people throughout the country conducted by his Thai Researchers in Community Happiness Association to show that 95% of Thai people support the impeachment. The NCPO will say, "We told you so - just another successful day in reforming politics."

Thailand - the Hub of Reruns

When you deal with a Chinese-based large, wealthy company, you are dealing de facto with the Chinese government. Those kind of businesses only exist in China with the cooperation and perhaps even partial investment of the Chinese ruling class. So the dispute between the Thai company and the Chinese company will quickly evolve into a contest between the Thai and Chinese governments. That is a conflict deserving of these two undiciplined partner governments.

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Oftopic but as i remember Sovietunion had a peace agreement with Hitler, and retaliated only because Hitler attacked USSR. And USA was passive until they saw that Hitler was a real threat that would eventually visit USA in a near future. Many countries in WW2 waited until Hitler came to close to their borders. Its same as today. Everyone cares about their own ass.

it may have been the fact that immediately after Japan officially declared war against the US that Germany did the same.

You'd think that Souhtern Thailand would be perfect for a similar international medical industry. But all the political investment there is with the rubber farmers. Rise of a competing industry, particularly one suitable to Muslems, would not bode well for the Democrats/Elitists. The Thai military needs to keep the four million Malay Thai population contained and controlled, not propserous and free-thinking.

"Pretending it's not here won't make it go away."

It's true. I've tried that with Jindal, now Romney.

"Higher level Khmer and Thai authorities agreed to resolve the issue, Gen Udomdej said, and his delegation would not mention demarcation matters on the trip."

Gen. Udomdej is supreme commander-in-chief of the Thai military succeeding Gen. Prayuth, is a member of the NCPO and of the military clique Eastern Tigers that includes Gen. Prayuth. Only Gen. Prayuth as Chief of the NCPO stands higher than him as a Thai "authority." Yet, Udomdej is unable to "mention demarcation matters?"

No, it's more a matter that the Thai military continues to hold a grudge against Cambodia over the UN Court decision that placed sovereignty of the Preah Vihear Temple area with Cambodia. As Gen. Prayuth has said of South Thailand peace negotiations, the Thai military does not give up sovereignty. Now that the Thai military isn't burdened with a civilian elected government, it can resort to military aggression, ie., "misunderstandings," to deal with Cambodia. And that is not something a commander would want to publicize.

The only reform needed is for the government of Thailand to stop sponsoring Buddhism as a State religion. Then let existing criminal laws be enforced equally to all Thais regardless of faith.

Dear General, can we start with Buddha Issara's amassed wealth please? Thank you

Or Buddha Suthep?

"Russel will pay an official visit to Thailand on 26 January 2015 as part of a tour of South East Asian countries."

This trip is no surprise.

The USA Departments of State, Commerce, and AID will lead a business delegation to the Lower Mekong region meeting to highlight regional energy security and sustainability. The delegation will complement the Extraordinary Meeting of the Friends of the Lower Mekong (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, USA) together with Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Mekong River Commission, ASEAN Secretariat, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bankwith to discuss regional development strategies. There is no Chinese representation.

Following the tour the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host the 7th Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) Regional Working Group (RWG) Meeting on 29-30 January 2015 in Bangkok. Hopefully, General Prayuth will stay away from the meeting so participants can focus on action plans for the benefit of all countries in Friends.

The Junta has been talking of prosecuting Buddhist criminal behavior by establishing another government agency. All it really needs to do is use existing criminal laws and disassociate Buddhism as the national religion that requires government intervention. Good luck with doing the latter in the new constitution.

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I think,slowly ,that Monks will come to realize they cannot

just get away with anything,they are not above the law.

regards Worgeordie

Shhhh. Please Monk Suthep might hear you.

You can bet the Junta is getting out its Chinese check book to make some more "gifts" to farmers. All in the name of happiness - that is being happy with the Junta's handling of the Thai economy. The Junta will accomplish an economic feat comparable to only a select number of countries like Greece: increase national debt while decreasing GDP.

I wonder if the Junta leaders in 20/20 hindsight wished they'd held off the coup until 2015. Then it could have blamed the failing economy on the PTP, then promised a recovery in 2016. As it is the Junta deserves FULL credit for its failings. Somehow 12 Values doesn't put food on the table nor pay household bills.

Just a week ago Gen. Prayuth’s deputy prime minister in charge of the economy Pridiyathorn said exports had "stabilised" and the government had “already factored the uncertainty surrounding the global economic recovery into its economic forecast.” Really! Pridiyathorn said “the export sector will expand by around 2 per cent this year ... A GDP expansion of 4 per cent in 2015 is definitely achievable.”

I guess IMF didn’t get his memo.

The Junta has doubled down on exports to China and Russia to save the Thai export economy. With Russia’s ruble collapse – forget about it. Now China’s economy is predicted to contract in 2015 by another 10% following slower growth in 2014 – forget about it!

Abused Thais in Israel is outrageous!

What is the Thai government doing? The Thai government should make a complaint to the UNHRC to investigate and call for trade sanctions against Israel. Thailand should bring those Thai workers home and give them employment in the fishery industry where there is a labor shortage.

But the Thai government won't raise an objection. It was only in 2012 that Thailand signed a Trade Agreement with Israel. Given its failing exports, Thailand needs every trade partner. As far as calling for trade snctions against Israel, the EU would be a critical supporter - Thailand though is not currently on good terms with the EU. It also really doesn't want those workers back in Thailand under a human rights cloud and, with its own human rights issues with the UN, it would be duplicitious for Thailand to complain.

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They should expand more......

No British, No Americans, no other Europeans allowed.........except Greeks.

So they could all go back to Issan and live a happy life thereafter, eating and drinking all day.

And the traffic on the streets of BKK, will be much better alt=thumbsup.gif>

Greeks can always come in by the backdoor.

Thai military service -

Are you in a hurry to get Thai citizenship? In the year you turn 30 you become exempt from military service.

You can search TV for further discussions such as http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/108387-luk-krungs/?&p=1164947

Without a measure to stop the mining operations from environmental pollution, anything else is only a stop-gap or meaningless measure. It looks like the Junta isn't going to intercede on behalf of the welfare of Thais but support the continued assault on these people's health and welfare.

Vision of government by Thai elite never seems to equate to democracy:

Thailand unveils possible drafters of constitution
Posted 2006-12-19 04:22:19

"Thailand on Sunday unveiled a new 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 National People's Assembly will on Monday nominate 200 of its own members to write a permanent constitution.

Coup leaders who ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra on September 19 suspended Thailand's 1997 constitution.

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

The process is timed to coincide with elections promised by the military leaders.

"Members of the National People's Assembly, you must do your jobs with honesty and fairness to get the constitution drafters," said Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, who presided over the assembly's opening.

"I am asking all of you to realise your great duty with determination, careful consideration and judgement," he told assembly members.

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.

Pro-democracy protesters last Sunday expressed concern that the junta was seeking to cement its power using a handpicked constitution-drafting council, which they said excluded public participation.

But putsch leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin on Saturday insisted that the new constitution would be drafted transparently and fairly.

"We don't have any intention of staying on longer, as critics have alleged," English-language newspaper Sunday Nation quoted Sonthi as saying.

He said one key question for the drafters of the constitution to consider was whether a prime minister should be limited to two terms.

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.

In the meantime, they have imposed a temporary constitution that curbs civil liberties and enshrines their role as the final authority in government, including the power to sack the prime minister."

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Suphachai must feel betrayed for all the EC's efforts to contain and stymie the Yingluck administration, only to have its power removed and demoted to agency level. It will now have to find ways to keep its relevance, aka modicum of power. No doubt its members will suddenly become fountains of ideas and election reforms that will rely on its unique "expertise" to implement and maintain.

The EC's diminished role also affects it in times of an interim government. In the past an interim government needed EC's approval for any out of budget expendictures. It effectively blocked the Yingluck's administration from borrowing funds to payoff the rice farmers involved in the rice pledge program. As an agency under the PM's cabinet minister, the EC will have no such power over the government budget. It will become merely an organization of schedulers and "bean" counters.

Another Assembly!

That brings to four assemblies:

National Legislative Assembly

Citizen's Assembly

National Citizen's Assembly

People's Assembly

And aside from all these assemblies is the proposed National Confederation of Morality responsible for setting standards, ethics and good governance of public figures and state agencies. Then there is the NACC.

Once the Junta has everything is in place for an elected government, the next government won't be able to exercise any changes to how the nation is governed - what a surprise.

Both China and Venezuela use price controls to stem high inflation. But Thailand is not suffering from high inflation and may in fact suffer from deflation (GDP growth <2%) by the end of 2015. Failing an economic rationale for the Junta's price controls, the only reason is POLITICS. By preventing price increases the Junta keeps its promise of happiness to the people, albeit at the cost of capitalism. And yet one of the major factors to a recovering economy would be private capital investment. This recent instance of price control is just another example of the Junta's propensity to make decisions based on political necessity and not economic practicality.

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May the leaders choose good directions for the country, and may the people learn to have more love and respect for each other. May we all remember to enjoy feeling that we have "enough" in this moment, and strive to focus on the good while finding ways to improve where there are problems. It's nice to read this and see that though there will be rocky times, the leadership is working hard to address all the many complex issues.

Yes, may the unchosen leaders choose good leaders who chose good leaders for the goodness of those who have no opportunity to chose for themselves.

"powerful nationalist interests in Thailand"

That would be the Thai military Junta. Oddly it never seems to accomplish any better than an elected civilian government for all its brassiness.

Raided today is the Asia Fortuna Electronic Co. Tomorrow it will be the Lucky Slots Electronic Co., followed by the One-Armed Bandit Co. It's all in the name.

Sadly, this accusation is not a BIG DEAL.

Conflict of interest is a common element in the conduct of the Prayuth administration and I don't see why the NACC should be any different. None of the military officers appointed to the NLA (52% of the NLA ministers) resigned their commissions. General Prayuth didn't resign his commission when he became PM - even as PM he wore his general's uniform.