DiNiro

What would have happened if you were driving and the Thai was injured I wonder?

I believe their were some shady deals in his business past. Sure. This is Thailand.

He did come across as more competent than most. I think that was his downfall.

He scared the wrong crowd. Stepped on some toes and even rubbed their nose in it.

Bad boy. Had to go.

Isn't it insulting that people more corrupt than him threw him out? Especially after winning the elections so decisively.

There isn't a clean candidate. Not one.

Democracy is supposed to solve that.

Most of his businesses were failures before he got his big break with a police computer deal and then a monopoly telecom deal.

He was certainly competent in corruption. Not really so in business.

20 years ago, the guy was launching satellites, had companies listed on the stock exchange & you are saying he was incompetent in business.

Funny.

Everyone is quite aware that he was corrupt before he entered politics.

According to the banned reading material, corruption was not the reason for the coup.

Have you read the facts?

Sad, but the ones that have written the story had to flee Thailand and their work is banned here.

In fact, the coup was run by the super corrupt in Thailand protecting their interests.

Scoundrels that can't win an election, pay off the army & would have you jailed for even mentioning the facts.

Why would anybody support this group?

I didn't say anything about the coup. I was just pointing out how he became a billionaire before he became PM.

He continued that corruption while he was PM.

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As usual on this forum opinion expressed on Thaksin's pre- politician wealth completely ill informed and downright wrong.By Thai standards it was legitimate and certainly not illegally earned.Monopolistic certainly and tied to political links, certainly - but not corrupt.

I have summarised the explanation given by Pasuk/Baker in their "Thaksin".

His success arose from ability to synergise politics and business.He was persistent and had a flare for risk taking.He understood that political regulation of business is the source of abnormal rates of profit.His great fortune built up over 5 years from 1990 was the result of the booming economy and the state's abysmal failure to expand landline or mobile networks.The monopoloistic concession allowed new mobile suppliers to charge high prices with enormous profit margins.TOT constructed a built in market advantage for Thaksin because it suited them in their competition with CAT.Finally the stock market pumped up by financial liberalization and world wide entusiasm for emerging markets transl;ated high profits to higher net worth.

My own view was that Thaksin's corruption related more to changing the rules of the game to suit his interestrs.This was really more apparent after he made his first fortune.

You are right about him taking advantage of the dismal telephone company service in Thailand around 1990.

Had to pay a fortune or wait years for a phone line. Scoundrels.

Them bam. Thaksin was there with the pagers, then cell phones, satellites, info services, etc.

But I will argue if he changed the rules to favor his businesses as PM, then why did his companies returns only mirror the SET?

The reason for the coup is in the banned reading.

I'm not sure what Surayud means here.Is he calling for unity among all Thais or unity among the proto fascists like Pitak Siam? I assume the former.

In any event who cares? Surayud is yesterday's man, a charming and decent old codger certainly.However his quisling administration after the criminal coup d'état was noted for its lethargy and sheer incompetence.

How can Thai army general be a decent old codger?

What was his salary and what is his net worth.

He had a weekend home in the National Preserve for gods sake.

How low can you go?

Everyone is quite aware that he was corrupt before he entered politics.

According to the banned reading material, corruption was not the reason for the coup.

Have you read the facts?

Sad, but the ones that have written the story had to flee Thailand and their work is banned here.

In fact, the coup was run by the super corrupt in Thailand protecting their interests.

Scoundrels that can't win an election, pay off the army & would have you jailed for even mentioning the facts.

Why would anybody support this group?

I didn't say anything about the coup. I was just pointing out how he became a billionaire before he became PM.

He continued that corruption while he was PM.

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

I believe their were some shady deals in his business past. Sure. This is Thailand.

He did come across as more competent than most. I think that was his downfall.

He scared the wrong crowd. Stepped on some toes and even rubbed their nose in it.

Bad boy. Had to go.

Isn't it insulting that people more corrupt than him threw him out? Especially after winning the elections so decisively.

There isn't a clean candidate. Not one.

Democracy is supposed to solve that.

He was on the Forbes billionaire list earlier. No. 2 or 3 in Thailand in 1999?

He owned 60 companies. He was building skyscrapers & launching satellites around 1993. The Bill Gates of Thailand.

Since he was in telecommunications his stocks got crushed in 2000 tech crash so his 2001 declaration might be close.

(I think he wisely hid some of his money since the army had a history of coups and stealing it all....)

Now you would be right in quoting The Nation saying he doubled his money in 2003 while in office!

Robbing the country blind!! Right?

The facts are the stock market went up 103% that year.....

How did his stocks perform while in office? If you read The Nation you would think he outperformed the market SET.

Fact is, his companies listed on the market mirrored the SET while he was PM.

He stepped on a few toes and they just threw him out is what happened.

Day in and day out, for the last ten years, The Nation trashes the guy on their front page yet he is more popular than ever.

Funny.

When you have been through the Thaksin direct-rule years and seen the rape of the country's finances with a few Baht handed out to poor people - before and after elections - in order to get them to vote for you, It's hardly surprising that any alternative looks good.

The choice facing Thailand now is one-man dictatorship or a coup. Given that lousy choice, I'd take the coup because at least it's not one person running the show.

Coups will become a rarity here when a proper democratic system is in place. Political parties with some sort of foundation - left or right of centre, centrist, agrarian, green or whatever - are needed to give people a real choice. The current 'choice' is which party will give the most handouts, subsidies or bribes - a woeful choice.

I have written a fair amount about democracy here on various TV threads and strongly disagree with those shallow-thinking Farangs who think that the democracy of their home country can be applied or imposed on a developing country like Thailand.

Thaksin's first administration was the most stable the country had been for decades. The problem with the majority of the Thaksin obsessives, is that they weren't here during the really bad Democrat governments of the 90's and the bloody coups of 1976 and 1991 and haven't experienced anything else. They just don't have the experience to comment constructively.

Coups will only become a rarity when the generals and more importantly the people that control them are brought to justice.

The mere fact that it's forbidden to have any discussion of that subject, should tell you where the problems really lie.

The 2006 coup was engineered by those very same people who want to prevent democracy, not establish it!

Exactly right.

If you read The Nation, you would have no idea he was a billionaire before politics.

It is actually illegal in Thailand to discuss the truth.

Giles Ungpakorn, a political science professor at Chula wrote a book about the last coup but had to flee the country.

Everyone is quite aware that he was corrupt before he entered politics.

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

According to the banned reading material, corruption was not the reason for the coup.

Have you read the facts?

Sad, but the ones that have written the story had to flee Thailand and their work is banned here.

In fact, the coup was run by the super corrupt in Thailand protecting their interests.

Scoundrels that can't win an election, pay off the army & would have you jailed for even mentioning the facts.

Why would anybody support this group?

Thailand is not producing the vital components such as suspension, engine & brakes.

I heard the handlebar is made in Thailand and once heard the wheels & wiring harness are Thai made. Not sure.

I have compared the Thai Monster 795 (490.000BT) against the imported Italian Monster 796 (680,000BT).

The 796 has the nice swing-arm, upgraded wheels and seat. Anything else?

Other than that, they look identical to me.

Of course, their super-bikes are in another class. Stunningly beautiful craftsmanship.

an anti-coup law is an oxymoron

General A: Let's have a coup.

General B: No, sssshhh, there's a law.

General C; No problem, we can give ourselves amnesty, rewrite the constitution, stack a political court with the PMs enemies, force him into exile, then confiscate the billions he made as a telecommunications tycoon.

O yea, how about an 80 billion baht raise for us too while were are at it. Ha ha ha ha ha.

When you have been through the Thaksin direct-rule years and seen the rape of the country's finances with a few Baht handed out to poor people - before and after elections - in order to get them to vote for you, It's hardly surprising that any alternative looks good.

The choice facing Thailand now is one-man dictatorship or a coup. Given that lousy choice, I'd take the coup because at least it's not one person running the show.

Coups will become a rarity here when a proper democratic system is in place. Political parties with some sort of foundation - left or right of centre, centrist, agrarian, green or whatever - are needed to give people a real choice. The current 'choice' is which party will give the most handouts, subsidies or bribes - a woeful choice.

I have written a fair amount about democracy here on various TV threads and strongly disagree with those shallow-thinking Farangs who think that the democracy of their home country can be applied or imposed on a developing country like Thailand.

Thaksin's first administration was the most stable the country had been for decades. The problem with the majority of the Thaksin obsessives, is that they weren't here during the really bad Democrat governments of the 90's and the bloody coups of 1976 and 1991 and haven't experienced anything else. They just don't have the experience to comment constructively.

Coups will only become a rarity when the generals and more importantly the people that control them are brought to justice.

The mere fact that it's forbidden to have any discussion of that subject, should tell you where the problems really lie.

The 2006 coup was engineered by those very same people who want to prevent democracy, not establish it!

Exactly right.

If you read The Nation, you would have no idea he was a billionaire before politics.

It is actually illegal in Thailand to discuss the truth.

Giles Ungpakorn, a political science professor at Chula wrote a book about the last coup but had to flee the country.

If you're looking for good value for money then stick to the Lek or Apex buffets.

I went to both of these places ...one time.

YUK. Depressing.

Cheapest ingredients prepared by people that do not care....

The artificial light would need to be polarized too, no?

I recall reading that in an article about photographing oil paintings that have lots reflective areas.

I don't know their specific ingredients but there are a few places I know where the bread looks good;

LaBoulange, Naklua.

Twins Bakery, Cosy Beach.

Two Chefs, Jomtien-Chayrupruk Rd.

Over to you.

I recall a Kenyan won the Rome marathon...in his bare feet.

You can't really compare this with a ER6-n beyond the fact that they are both twins.

O yea. The Italians know how to do it.

Nice.

I was reading that some fuels react with the plastic gas tank and causes problems.

On the Ducati Sports Classic forum, many have had issues due to the type of fuel.

Is this an problem in Thailand too?

Wonder what I would do if I was hungry and had no cash? Shoplifting would probably get me in trouble. Begging may be the best option.

Lucky me, I wake up each day with enough to pay the bills.

Pensioners that landed here years ago have seen inflation, increased farang pricing and their currency get crushed.

Could be the guy is poor and needs to scrounge a decent meal now and then.

The Japanese bikes are more practical but that Ducatii sound is so nice.

Even the 795 with nice pipes sounds awesome.

Made in Italy and assembled in Thailand.

Good bikes.

The D-Zone in Pattaya sells riding gear and had a Monster for rent.

You may want to try one for a day or two.

Area in front of Walking Street must have been packed then.

Today they started cleaning up outside Garden Plaza , so all the hookers sitting outside waiting for customers was forced to leave the area......

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They will migrate back to their breeding grounds in the completed areas.

If she can get into a Taxi just take one. They will ask for 1,500 baht but will accept 1,200 baht. Just ask if that includes tollways fees. If not then the tollways aren't much. Maybe 80 baht.

By this I mean just go to the place where all the taxis are and to the Kiosk that sells tickets and that is 1,500. If you talk to a taxi driver and he agrees on 1,200 he will tell the girl that but might be polite to give her 100 baht as I do

Give that scammer girl a 100Bt tip? No way.

She is a scammer agent for the taxies. Let them tip her.

This place should raise the price and up the quality. It's the Hilton.

The cheap buffet attracts to many bargain hunters stuffing their face.

Who has decided the Government is off the rails?

You read The Nation I presume.