Plus

I don't think people of Sakhon Nakhon thought they were electing evil of any kind. They just genuinely believe Thaksin and Yobamroongs are looking after their interests. Just look at the high turnout.

These poor folks are their own worst enemies.

I just want that the spirit of any form of modern democracy is fulfilled - that the government gets a electoral mandate in addition to their parliamentary mandate, which was reached by defections of MPs, that may, or may not express the wishes of the electorate.

But electoral mandate and parliamentary mandate are one and the same under current system.

If you mean to say that Newin MPs cheated their voters when they switched the camps - fine. But then it was their right under the current system, and they don't have to go to the polls to exercise it.

Do you think they should have by-elections in constituences affected by party dissolutions and not only in constiencies that lost their MPs due to bans?

How far will it go? Protesters sure want the electricity but it's someone else who has to suffer the presense of the power plant. What if those guys put up their protests?

NGV buses, power plants, state railways - nothing can be done anymore, democracy is everywhere to make sure nothing works.

Do you think they should include "the government must run elections to recieve not only parliamentary but also popular mandate" clause?

God, no!

If i may ask for such an inclusion PAD may be forced to occupy my house for several months because elections are undemocratic.

So you think there's discrepancy in parliamentary system and the will of the people gets lost in the process and we need direct elections?

Do you think Thailand should switch to a presidential system?

Is it part of the red agenda? Part of PTP agenda? Or do you want to change the system to accomodate your wishes just this one time, because you don't believe Abhisit's govt is supported by the majority of the population?

I'm just trying to find any consistency and logic in red demands, so far they remain elusive.

Right now SRT can balance their train operations with profits from renting their land.

What will happen if these two businesses are separated?

Is there any way to improve train services without jacking up the prices to the point that no one can afford them anymore?

For now it's practically a free service for the poor. What will happen to them? Does the country really need top notch trains for the vast majority of its passengers?

So a wife of a guy caught for buying votes wins an election, and Thaksin makes personal phone calls - what a day for democracy indeed!

Will these people ever learn anything?

Very good, then lets have elections now, to see if this government has not just a parliamentary mandate, but also a popular mandate.

According to which consitution?

Reds do not recognise 2007 version and the amendment process has only started.

Do you think they should include "the government must run elections to recieve not only parliamentary but also popular mandate" clause?

What exactly is it for?

Could it be a pimped up discussion board?

I don't even see how thai can say that they have thai food , because all thei food is simply south chinese food.

I'm afraid it has become typical of Cambodian views - raise an unrelated point and try to offend as many Thais as possible.

I know I sould give them the benefit or doubt, but I've yet to come across a single sane Internet post arguing for Cambodian side.

Don't forget that all this training might go to waste as only pickups are guaranteed to have manuals while cars offer them on the cheapest, stripped of all features versions as carmakers assume that only people who are very short on funds would choose manual over auto.

Hopefully that woul put a leash on Newin. On the other hand, Dems might want to reconsider the plan to get some Phea Thai MPs to vote for the government - it's a big moral booster for the opposition.

It's a grey bag with red Toyota letters, contains jump leads, tow cable and a flashlight.

Does it depend on the dealer?

Thai senators sent a letter to Unesco a YEAR ago with complaint about breaking their own rules in Preah Vihear case, so there's nothing new in this position, it got in the news only because of the next scheduled world heritage meeting.

I'm not sure Suwit is well prepared to present the case, btw.

Rahu swallows the moon, it's tail, Ketu, swallows the Sun.

People buy cars to drive, not to tow them around, so they might not see the usefulness of manuals for that purpose

People don't buy cars to push start them either. I've never seen anyone push starting his car here, only an ad for M-150 or something. Maybe they should buy manuals to enjoy that bonding activity. Are they missing a lot?

Ever heard the term......' shit happens '. A friends got a brand new Automatic Honda Jazz but within a week he had accidently flattened the battery ! Had to go out and buy jump leads and get his neighbour to jump him.

Toyotas usually include emergency kits with every car, so no need to go and buy jump leads.

Neighbour, btw, was probably happier to let him start the car off his battery than push that Jazz down the soi himself.

Cambodia DID NOT apply with the Unesco BEFORE to have signed an agreement with the Thai gvt in April 2008. They would not have applied if Thailand had not agreed first.

What are you talking about?

Joint listing was in the works for years until Cambodians decided to cut off heritage sites on Thai side of the border sometime in 2007. From that point on Thai position was "no" to listing on such conditions and they staged several high progfile walk outs with the goal to subvert Cambodian bid that was scheduled to be discussed by Unesco well in advance.

Noppadon signed agreement was already declared illegal when Unesco approved the bid.

So yes, Thais have all the rights to question Unesco decision.

I don't think the issue is about the Khmer Rouge, but about the mentality that exists among the Cambodian population. They have experienced a significant amount of violence and as such, this is incorporated into their psyche. The Thais, on the other hand, have not and they really don't have much stomach for it.

Thai soldiers in general or in that particular area?

In general Thais have daily battles with Southern insurgents and Burmese drug traffickers, and those are games for keeps.

On Burmese border they don't even give warning signals to drug convoys - it's all about who can shoot first.

What about pedestrians who don't respect zebra crossings?

On some roads they even have to put wires and barriers to direct them to official zebras, but that's only in downtown Bangkok, elsewhere they cross anywhere as the please and pay even less attention to zebras than drivers.

There's a stretch of four lane Wat Lad Pra Kao road that has zebras every hundreds meters but no one ever walks up to them, people just cross wherever they happen to be at the moment.

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Normally people wait for a little crowd to get motorists attention. Sounds fair - equal number of dirvers stop for equal number of pedestrians.

He was appointed Deputy PM or something shortly after baht devaluation and lasted several weeks in office before Dems took over the government.

European brands didn't invest in supporting industries, they assemble cars here form imported parts and so pay higher tax. If they manage to source some 80% locally, don't know the exact number, they could compete with Japs on price. Before 1997 BMWs and Pegeouts could be had for little over 1 mil.

Protons are fully imported but within Asean import tax is only 5%.

I believe local BMW is their only plant outside Germany. Other Euro brands use Yontrakit plant or Thai Auto something that builds Benz here, among others. Fully imorted models usually cost about half mil more than locally assembled ones.

I think in some ways Thais are more advanced than Americans/Westerners. They are a lot more cynical about politics and democracy while 200 million Americans go ga ga over Obama like they've never been duped before.

As for revolution led by Thai youth - this is the first time I see anyone having any hope in that area. They are as apolitical as humanly possible - the cynicism of their parents rubbed of on them really well.

Most of Thai music is produced according to modern production technics, it's entertainment, not art, you don't need talent, just a bit of training. That's another thing they picked up from the West.

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EnhancePlus, in 1992 popular uprising led to downfall of a coup maker who didn't want to relinquish power. It was led by the same people who led PAD protests for the past couple of years. This time they got rid of Thaksin - another victory for the people.

really dislike this kind of general description of 60+ million people. If you had said most thais or most drivers, fine.

This thread from the OP down is about generalisations and we all understand that there are exceptions, don't get so worked up about it.

The invisible hand.

They have the right to voice their demands and the society has the right to ignore them.

I believe we live in the age where no particular group can dictate the rest of the country how to live.

Thais are not racers, they don't care if manual will let them oversteer at 5,500 rpm. In fact they'd be shit scared if that happens.