ronnie50

I just completed this quiz. My Score 16/100 My Time 270 seconds  

I just completed this quiz. My Score 60/100 My Time 131 seconds  

I just completed this quiz. My Score 40/100 My Time 114 seconds  

I just completed this quiz. My Score 33/100 My Time 102 seconds  

I just completed this quiz. My Score 50/100 My Time 131 seconds  

Guess those hand-wringing timid lefties aren't all quite the snowflakes you guys figured on..

Regarding Bangkok Bank, it's been under control of a HiSo Chinese-Thai family since the 1940s. The president is always from the same family and it's the only Thai bank that has a "local bank" presence in China. It has a big presence there and is (I think) the biggest Thai bank by capital in Thailand (could be wrong). So there may be pressure against westerners for some unknown reason coming from a third party, as it seems to be just Bangkok Bank causing trouble. Having said that, the Board of Directors has some well-respected invidual members like Amorn Chandarasomboon who is widely touted as the key drafter of the 1997 Thai Constitution, seen as the most egalitarian so far in the country's history. He's in charge of oversight.

It's also, IMHO, why your country needs to outlaw money in politics - particularly from the nutjob right wing lobby groups like NRA, Israel - but get rid of ALL donations. That's step 1. Step 2 is to abandon the Electoral College and step 3 is to create multi party democracy (e.g. end the choice between only Rep/Dem, which in reality are two sides of the same coin - example US federal minimum wage is 7,25/hr and has been that way for more than 20 years, regardless of who holds power). Multi-party democracy (at presidential level) should mean runoff elections (not just a single vote) where those with lowest votes are disqualified and then the scond vote takes places, rinse and repeat in round 3 until a winner receives 50%+1 or more. They do this in many countries. Well-established and more democratic than what you have now.

Yes, I thought the same. What I still can't figure out is Hun Sen though. Maybe 'they' told him if he played along with this, they would ensure no casinos were built in Thailand and the Thai investigation into the scam call centers would be dropped? Anyway, notice how the whole border thing has gone completely silent since Tacky went to jail? Only 24 hours and that could change I guess, but interesting.

It's not strange at all. The establishment runs the show here. Red Bull's family are among the richest and most powerful and well-entrenched in that circle. Their kid was never going to jail. Thaksin - at one time part of the establishment - has been an outlier since his re-election 20 odd years ago, and then made enemies among the most influential members of the establishment. That's why he was targeted with dubious criminal charges - which he eventually had to flee - then in recent years he did a deal with some of them to come back to Thailand. Fast forward to this Spring and his party (and himself) lost their usefulness to the HiSo's and so as they were no longer needed and Thaksin never liked by them, so they jailed him. (but started a phony border war first to weaken the government). I reckon they fooled him by saying he wouldn't go to jail for the more serious charges he faced a few weeks ago - for which indeed he was aquitted. Then they sprung the trap - telling him he wouldn't go to jail for this charge either - so he showed up in court thinking he still had allies in the establishment camp. Surprise!

Some of them, though not all, hail from small time business families that emigrated to Thailand and weren't Buddhist to begin with. They 'practised' the religion (publicly) to fit into society and seek opportunities, including marrying their sons/daughters into influential and wealthy Thai families, eventually securing the right to buy land, etc. Then, once firmly in power, that group inter-married and made sure no other foreign group could follow the same immigration/business path. Hence we have the property laws today which prohibit us from owning any kind of land. It's a careful stitch-up that's been cultivated over 50+ years. Thai husband and wife scholars Pasuk and Baker have written about this. Google.

Is it the same court that ruled Thammanat could become a cabinet Minister even though he was convicted of heroin smuggling in Australia and served time in prison there for that offense? The court's reasoning, as I recall, to allow his appointment was because he was convicted in another country - not Thailand! So all good then!

From the song of old... "Hitler, he only had one b@ll!" (updated with...) Trump, had two hands, but they were small. Himler, had something similar, and poor old JD had no b@lls at all!"

It doesn't mean anything, other than the conservative elites and their various aparatus can bring down democratically, majority elected, governments and their leaders at pure whim. What would be truly 'historic'? I'd say the jailing of coup leaders who overthrew democratically elected governments would be truly 'historic' - but we'd be waiting forever for that to happen.

It's about 127 million is USD conversion. I think Thaksin might have been a USD billionnaire - but I could be wrong about that - he also might have been a THB billionnaire. In any case, it doesn't change your point, which is an underscore of how a small group of ultra-rich families run this country for their own gain and that of their close associated families (e.g. inner and outer circles of influence). Of course many other countries are like this too (claim to be democratic but are actually rigged in favour of the closed circle of elites). In this region, however, there are signs of hope. The South Korean people stood up to the military back elites and were victorious in getting a real democracy. Courts overhauled and now judges respect democracy - how many ex-presidents are now in prison there? The Philippines too got rid of the Marcos dictatorship 40 years ago without any major violence, though they've been backsliding a lot in last decade.

I just completed this quiz. My Score 60/100 My Time 100 seconds  

I just completed this quiz. My Score 100/100 My Time 117 seconds  

I just completed this quiz. My Score 30/100 My Time 194 seconds  

Okay. What should we call the appointing of the convicted heroin smuggler criminal who is now the Deputy Prime Minister? The Heroin Regulation?

Very true. Many countries do this (import levies etc., on foreign wine) to protect their own industry. Though in Thailand's case, I think the reality of the wine dutiy is just to get extra revenue. In any case, Trump is doing it now and the duty might well have been there before too to protect West Coast (e.g. California) wine. I don't like U.S. wine. I remember when Zinfandel was a hot up and comer. Everyone rolled their eyes with anticipation. I thought it tasted more like dirt than fermented grapes. Canada does the same protectonist racket and their wine is just as crappy - and even more expensive. A joke. Many restaurants there have nothing but Canadian wines on the menu - at stupid prices for what is almost always red plonk or battery acid whites.

well, since they are no longer the government, we'll need to wait and see what comes next... that two year tax-free trial balloon might have alerady popped.

I was in my SCB branch in early August and the teller told me they hope to have worked out the facial recognition for foreigners within this year. Still not clear why other Thai banks have been doing this for some months, but SCB still can't sort it.

So does this mean he already knows the verdict? I wonder.

Thanks, hadn't seen that one.

So did anyone actually see him? The plane touched down and 9 minutes later his car leaves the airport 'with him'?