rickirs

If sovereignty of the nation belongs to the 65 million Thai people (Article 3 - Interim Charter), how is it that a group of five generals called the NCPO can unilaterally impose martial law upon them without their consent? It would seem then that the NCPO, regardless of its justifications, has illegally deprived Thais of their right of sovereignty. Who holds the NCPO accountable for its illegal transgressions? No one can. The NCPO holds itself above the Rule of Law (Article 44 - Interim Charter) while it purports to reform the rule of law.

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Hey Minister, has BMTA reduced their bus fare from 8 to 6 baht to reflect the fall in diesel prices?

Au contraire.

Just announced is that the blanket Bt8 fare for conventional city buses under Mass Rapid Transport Authority concessions will be increased by Bt1, while fares for air-conditioned buses will go up by Bt1 for every step of service distance.

Like the Dual Rail System, the Junta does NOT seem to want to make any significant investment in Thailand's infrastructure. Apparently, Thailand made an initial investment in the Thailand-Myanmar partnership of 6 million baht. If you want peanuts, that's great but obviously not even a teardrop towards the 60 billion baht needed for the project. Now it hopes to get Japan to invest 100 million baht that would give Japan 89% interest in the partnership. Obviously, if more foreign countries make a partnership investment, Japan's share will shrink but Thailand's share will never increase. The Junta is basically farming out Thailand's soverneignty to get foreign investments . Good for GDP growth of foreign investors, bad for Thailand GDP growth.

Why would the ONCB office be based at the Thai Embassy in Myanmar? Because it lies on sovereign Thai soil, ONCB would be staffed solely by Thai citizens and its access by Myanmar is restricted, not subject to examination any 3rd party from Thailand or any other foreign organization. This setup does not appear to promote any JOINT Thailand-Myanmar operation.

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Govt may tap funds locally for rail project
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The government is mulling whether to borrow money from local financial institutions to fund the Bt400-billion Thai-China dual-track rail project if a funding deal cannot be reached with Beijing.

"Thailand needs lending interest rate below 2 per cent annually. If the negotiations [with China] do not succeed, we can borrow from local financial institutions as we have enough domestic liquidity for the project," Transport Minister ACM Prajin Juntong said yesterday after the second meeting of the Thai-Chinese joint committee on cooperation for the rail project.

He made the comment after the Chinese administration offered loans for the project, but at an interest rate and with conditions Thailand reportedly deemed unacceptable.

The meeting aimed to set the stage for the final meeting between the two governments in China from Wednesday to Friday next week.

Prajin said the upcoming meeting would finalise the investment details and he expected the design and survey work to start this or next month if there were no problems.

Deputy PM Pridiyathorn Devakula said there would be no problem getting loans from local financial institutions to fund the project.

After meeting Li Yong, head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Pridiyathorn said Li had praised the government's attempts to improve the industrial sector.

He also briefed Li on a proposal by the Chinese government for the two countries to jointly seek a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China to fund the dual-rail project, but the offered interest rate was higher than what had been offered by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in the past, according to MCOT.

The Chinese bank had offered a loan with an interest rate ranging from 2-4 per cent and a four-year interest-free period with the following conditions: Use Chinese technology for the project, give China responsibility for the design and civil work and let China manage the routes, MCOT said. Thailand maintained it must manage the routes, it said, noting that the JICA interest rate for the Airport Rail Link was only 1.5 per cent.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Govt-may-tap-funds-locally-for-rail-project-30253616.html

-- The Nation 2015-02-07

"If the negotiations [with China] do not succeed, we can borrow from local financial institutions as we have enough domestic liquidity for the project"

NO.

Those are commercial financial institutions and they charge for profit. Their interest rates are usually PRIME (set by Bank of Thailand) + MARKUP. The GOVERNMENT can borrow from itself at Prime through issuance of treasury bonds and save on payment of institution interest markup. Thailand's below 50% debt to GDP gives it adequate collateral not to have to go to commercial institutions and not to have to pay high interest on its bonds. The Junta shouldn't have agreed to let the Chinese finance 80% of the rail cost over 20 years in the first place; it does not add to Thailand's GDP growth rate, only to China's growth rate.

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Get rid of the Shins, then the Military and Thailand may just have a chance.

You know the song, "99 bottles of beer on the wall, take one down, pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall?" Still plenty of families to be taken down after the Shins and military. Thailand doesn't have a Buddhist chant.

In a one-party system such as in communist China, North Korea, and Cuba there are no politics. This is what the Junta wants to achieve at every level of Thai society.

No one needs to wait on the police or the courts. If the Junta government wants the documents, it needs no subpeona or due process to get them under Article 44. As in other incidents it can just send soldiers in unannounced and gather want it wants. The fact that the Junta hasn't gotten very involved directly in this huge act of corruption related to the M* doesn't seem favorable to KMITL.

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The premier acknowledged that some people spread false information without knowing they were doing that, but he asked people who used social media to reduce the level of political hatred.

Political hatred! He staged a coup to get rid of a democratically elected government.

A government that was in caretaker mode, whose "official" PM had been removed by a court, that was openly controlled by a fugitive criminal and that had lost control of law and order or was actively condoning illegal violent acts.

Remember the threats of a Lanna republic, civil war, democracy defense volunteers marching on Bangkok, war drum meetings (where few turned up), etc etc.

Some government, elected or not.

NCPO Interim Charter:

Articles 1 and 2 "Thailand is a unitary and democratic monarchy."

Article 3 "Sovereign power belongs to all Thais."

Truth is not where you expect it.

Article 44 The NCPO leader is empowered "to issue any order for the sake of the reforms in any field, the promotion of love and harmony amongst the people in the nation, or the prevention, abatement or suppression of any act detrimental to national order or security, royal throne, national economy or public administration, whether the act occurs inside or outside the kingdom". The orders so issued are all deemed lawful, constitutional and final."

But Truth can be unwelcomed when you find it.

"But the student source said those preparing political satire for today's event would not be deterred."

I envision a float with the USA Statue of Liberty (in honor of the Chinese) with three fingers (in honor of the Junta) instead of the torch of liberty raised high in the air.

But I could settle for a copy of the Nara Daibutsu Buddhist statue.

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I would imagine very few participants on either side could pronounce the word, "Strike".

How about the word "occupied?" I expect to see Chinese troops stationed in Thailand before the next elections - to assist the Junta in the event of any internal "strife."

Just a matter of time before you see Chinese military based in Thailand to better protect the Junta (not to be confused with Thais people) from both external and internal enemies.

This military alliance goes beyond the Junta's "spat" with the USA. It goes to the heart of what is most dear to the Junta - preservation of its power and wealth no matter the cost. Considering the ideology of the atheistic communist Chinese regime, constitutional monarchies and Buddhism are not any more compatible in such as regime than is democracy. This agreement marks a very sad day for Thailand's future as a free nation. Maybe Thailand now should be called "Chailand."

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Oops guess the suspects aren't red shirts then. Hush,hush secrets. The guy who posted on social media has been public ally identified as a red-shirt.

Quite possible who knows.. might be better to wait a bit. But if they really do keep it a secret then even a junta lover like me will smell a rat. But on the other hand they might have learned something.. that its better to keep things a secret during an investigation. That is the way professional police forces work. I think chooka can vouch for that.

Then you can also vouch for the police use of secret safe houses and being questioned "extensively" also as professional police work. Given the Junta has the nation still under martial lawlessness, human rights are a danger to national security. There is no check and balance to police behavor except to the dictates of the Junta.

There is still options available to Greece without another bail or relief of debt - neither of which it will get considering the precarious economic situation now with Spain and Italy. Latest is that ECB is open to extending Greek's junk bonds 10-18% interest rate) into essentially perpetuity and provide additional funds under "emergency provisions" that would give Greece about one year's breathing time to organize additional austerity measures.

But eventually a financial day of reckoning must come and the majority will not be able to avoid the consequences of their choice for national leadership. If the new regime can spin the crisis to work within the framework of the ECB and convince Greek constituency it has done all it can, it will see a vote of confidence for another two years. If not, well there may be no government remaining to get elected.

"All things good to know are difficult to learn."

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Obama will micro-manage his newly appointed head of the Pentagon like he does all his loyal yes men...either align yourself with the POTUS agenda or be gone...

A Head of State, Head of Government, and Commander-in-Chief micromanaging his Secretary of Defense who is nominated by the POTUS? I would expect that in a Presidential system. Certainly an alien concept to Thailand's constitutional monarchy or whatever one really wants to call it, but it has served the USA well for almost 250 years through many wars.

Hate Rodents , Love Cats...

correct me if I am wrong but isn't a cat a dirty rodent

Of course you could check yourself for the correct answer. The short answer is "yes, you are wrong."

A simple lack of structural similarity should be your first clue and "dirty" is not a biological term.

Both cats and rodents are mammals, the same as man, elephants, and whales.

Rodent Cat

Kingdom:

Animalia

Kingdom:

Animalia

Phylum:

Chordata

Phylum:

Chordata

Class:

Mammalia

Class:

Mammalia

Superorder:

Euarchontoglires

Order:

Carnivora

(unranked):

Glires

Family:

Felidae

Order:

Rodentia

Subfamily:

Felinae

Genus:

Felis

Species:

F. catus

"The recent bombing of the skybridge in the centre of the capital city has also signalled political instability and caused worry among Thai and foreign tourists,"

While any bombing might be the Junta's wet dream, it is a nightmare for the business sector NO MATTER THE CAUSE OR REASON.

The Junta has actually created an insecure environment when it refused to lift martial law, blatantly exercised its absolute power against the sovereignty of the Thai people, made a mockery of democracy with its North Korean-style reforms, and showed a complete inability to make critical economic decisions for the GOOD OF THE NATION. While the military reacts with almost academic disinterest with continuous violence in South Thailand, it's ready to instantly war with individuals and factions in the Central and North given the slightest provocation.

So yes, the bombs are unlikely to have a serious impact on consumer confidence. But only because the Junta has already done a lot of real damage to consumer confidence. In another two months the Junta will be wishing for a spate of bomb attacks so it can try to divert the public's attention to its own leadership failures.

" it said more than 90 per cent of countries had one agency in charge of elections."

So then put the EC entirely under the Minister of the Interior. Problem solved. But I suspect what the EC wants is to do is continue being its own independent agency, accountable only to the supreme court. Nice misuse of statistics if they are accurate.

It also said that "if it lacked authority over civil servants and politicians, it may not be able to ensure clean and fair elections."

But notice it didn't provide any statisitcs to show that 90% of countries allows their election commissoin to have any such authority. Nice selective use of statistics. In fact why should any [democratic] country allow an independent agency to decide when and where elections should be held and who can be a candidate. If a country has sufficient laws in place to address such issues, it need only to enforce the law with existing governmental authorities.

The EC members do not want to lose their powers!

"I believe there is a high chance the constitution would be disapproved or shot down by the NRC if the CDC does not amend the draft in accordance with NRC political-reform suggestions"

Let's be honest and call these suggestions what they really are - NCPO directives. Why does the Junta continue to play the game "Now you see democracy, now you don't?"

If this seminar is going to be truly an open and free discussion of the proposed constitution, why not televise it live to the whole Thai constituency? Especially if there is no referendum planned by the NCPO on the draft constitution. The Junta is seriously misleading itself to believe that a constitution created under its tutelage has any kind of mandate from the Thai electorate that will not ultimately seek to amend or dissolve its provisions.

"The government should invest in job creation to enable people to earn incomes, Dr Thanavath"

The frustration of the Thai business sector is building into a panic!

Despite the Junta being in power for seven months, there is a concensus in the business sector that urgent government stimulus spending is needed. A week ago Don Nakornthab, director of the Bank of Thailand Macroeconomic Policy Office called for "massive government investment on basic infrastructure projects" as the private sector stagnates. At the same time Kritsada Jinavijarana, the director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office predicted that the baht will fall to 33.06 baht per USD due to deflation unless there is "massive government spending in infrastructure projects ..." On the same day Chantana Sukumanont, an adviser to Siam City Cement, said, "If there's no ground-breaking [on government investment projects], I do not believe in anything. One recommendation I have for the government is to 'just do it'. There's enough talk already,"

However, the Junta seems adverse to stimulus spending despite Thailand's low debt to GDP rate. The Junta's biggest infrastructure to date, the dual rail system, is being financed largely (80%) by the Chinese and not self-financed by Thailand. Good for China, useless to the immediate Thai economy. The Junta is free with the Treasury when it comes to giving out low budget "gifts" in the form of short-term subsidies, grants, and consumer product price reductions but when it comes to making serious stimulus investments, the Junta only offers committees, plans, and promises.

Gen. Prayuth has stated, "I don't want to create a burden. There is no debt. Only one year [in power], I will do what should be done." His NCPO advisor Somkid Jatusripitak believes gross domestic product should grow on its fundamentals, not from an injection of capital. Prayuth's Finance Minister Sommai Phasee believes that capital spending is something only Thailand's neighbors need. Destruction of the Thai economy is as much a form of corruption as is a bribe or embezzlement. If the Junta can't pull Thailand back from its economic brink, perhaps it should re-examine its place in Thai society.

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Typical US foreign policy. Schizophrenic. They've no problem with Egypt's Junta (who hates the US) or many others but love to drive their friends into their enemy's arms. Thailand does more trade with China and this short-sighted policy will cause Thailand to bond more closely with China to the detriment of both Thailand and the US. If the US State Dept. knew the first thing about Thais, they would know you don't get anywhere with ultimatums. Very disappointing.

Scholars rank US Secretary of State John Kerry dead last in terms of effectiveness.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2015/02/05/scholars-rank-kerry-dead-last-in-terms-of-effectiveness/

And this is from a newspaper sympathetic to the Obama administration.

Right or wrong , Egypt Junta is keeping the Muslim Brotherhood and all that they are capable of, out of power, the same with many dictatorships the US supports. Thailand doesn't have scary terrorists that need a iron fist to keep them in line with a Junta, just a load of Farmers , Factory workers and housewives who want to vote for their own Government

Why Egyptian Columnists Are Calling Out the State Department for ‘Double Standards’ on Terrorism — and It Involves the Muslim Brotherhood

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/02/05/why-egyptian-columnists-are-calling-out-the-state-department-for-double-standards-on-terrorism-and-it-involves-the-muslim-brotherhood/

State Dept. met with affiliates of Muslim Brotherhood prior to call for violent Jihad

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2015/02/state-dept-met-with-muslim-brotherhood-prior-to-call-for-violent-jihad--111125.html

The US plays both sides against themselves and they are stirring dissent within and without Thailand (also Egypt and elsewhere). Wise countries get what they can from the US but use a 'long spoon' (Thai term) and never trust them.

The Junta only knows the Demitasse spoon that it uses with its Chinese green tea.

This artcile stirs conflict among the Thai people and mocks the effectiveness of the Junta! NCPO should immediately demand a retraction and send the author to an attitude adjustment camp.

Or does the Junta tolerate pro-coup supporters with double standards of behavior? Chi.

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I would like to reassure forumers that the bombs timing, coming hot on the heels of Yingluck's impeachment, is purely coincidental. The red elite's frothing is also no doubt coincidental. There is no evidence or precedent that shows Thaksin would sponsor violence to further his clan's riches,power and face. Even though he is a convicted criminal fugitive on the run, the man could not be so crass and selfish, could he?

Yes.

He will never give up trying to get back into power by whatever means he can, he showed by instigating and funding the 2010 riots that he has no consideration for the lives and property of others or for this country.

His amnesty bill only reinforced this as it would not only have got him back free of any charges but would have forgiven all corruption from his time in office up to the time of the bill, should it have been passed.

Meaning that all those who had engaged in corrupt practices could have kept the money or power they gained from corruption and could never have been brought to justice.

Fortunately the good people of this country saw through his dastardly schemes and came out in protest putting a stop to his plans.

Hmmmm. Using amnesty to get back into power. Why didn't the Junta think of that? Wait, it did!

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They lost 600k jobs?

Wow. That is a horrendous number.

And still maintained an 0.1% unemployment rate! Thai economics are truly amazing.

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Typical US foreign policy. Schizophrenic. They've no problem with Egypt's Junta (who hates the US) or many others but love to drive their friends into their enemy's arms. Thailand does more trade with China and this short-sighted policy will cause Thailand to bond more closely with China to the detriment of both Thailand and the US. If the US State Dept. knew the first thing about Thais, they would know you don't get anywhere with ultimatums. Very disappointing.

Scholars rank US Secretary of State John Kerry dead last in terms of effectiveness.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2015/02/05/scholars-rank-kerry-dead-last-in-terms-of-effectiveness/

And this is from a newspaper sympathetic to the Obama administration.

And Thai scholars and every national survey rank General Prayuth first in terms of effectiveness. But at least the people in the USA can put their vote where their mouths are. What can be said of the Thai people?