Eric Loh

"said it would only be fair for the military government to give his group permission to discuss a topic of their choosing."

Typical red-shirt logic.

How about his group join in the discussion about reforms and maybe set up something to give their own input to balance what Suthep comes up with ?.

Vv

What about Sutherp join the UDD conference on red-shirted Bulbuts to initiate reconciliation.

Because red-shirts don't want reconciliation. They want the 'elite' kicked out then all their money shared out between them.

It's called communism and it doesn't work. You end of with an 'elite' far worse than things are now.

The only way forward for Thailand is to have electoral reform to avoid another Parliament full of dirty cronies then have another shot at democracy. But it's clear red-shirts much prefer to have their votes bought.

John, get professional help.............quick.

"said it would only be fair for the military government to give his group permission to discuss a topic of their choosing."

Typical red-shirt logic.

How about his group join in the discussion about reforms and maybe set up something to give their own input to balance what Suthep comes up with ?.

What about Sutherp join the UDD conference on red-shirted Bulbuts to initiate reconciliation.

How can there be a referendum on extending the junta's term without a debate and how can there be a debate without an opposition?

How can there be a referendum on extending the junta's term when there was no referendum on having the junta in the first place?

The only solution is to hold free and fair elections as soon as possible with the army guaranteeing that the victors be allowed to govern democratically without street thugs (Suthep) being allowed to undermine it.

The army should become the guardian of democracy, not its destroyer.

Fully agree with that. Not sure how likely it is though, I suspect a civil war is the only way to sort out the problems Thailand has.

It's been a long time coming but I think I saw the beginnings of an awakening of the phrae in 2010. Been a bit slow, I think we all know the reason(s) for that,

The awakening of the phrae started back in 2001 when Thaksin showed them that they do have a voice to decide their future. The genie is out of the bottle and will be hard to bottle it back if ever there is a free election. Now the junta and their establishment partners are trying to re-write the rules to make sure the phrae will be disadvantage in their choices and to give a better chance for their establishment politicians to tilt the balance and perhaps win the election. Basically create an non-level playing field to win as the will never win in a fair election.

Most NRC members support extension of Reform Road Map deadline

well of course they do. They're a pack of anti-democrats.

Next...

To be exact, the NRC is stacked up to the rafters with most of the 40 former appointed anti-Thaksin senators and PDRC sympathizers. They will follow the drum beat of their supreme leader Sutherp and delay the election in 'guise of reform before election by continuous re-drafting of the constitution. Prayuth should be proud of them.

they are really both on the same side

Not really. In the local vernacular, Prayut is merely the jockey, who was hired by the trainer (with the owner's and investors' blessings). Jockeys are replaced once their usefulness and abilities have been stretched. And there will be no compunction on the part of the trainer when replacing the jockey. Suthep represents the investors, and Prayut probably senses it's nearing time for him to dismount.

This is what was explained to me by a well educated Thai: The country is controlled by a coalition of three elites - the military elite, the monarchists and the business elite. The most powerful of them is the military elite and the most powerful people in it are Prayut and his inner circle. Second are the monarchists which contain many ex generals and their families. Last is the business elite. All three need each other to function. With this in mind it is reasonable to suggest that compared to Prayut, Suthep, a non elite and more Luca Brasi than Don Corleone, has nothing like the power the present Prime Minister wields. The army calls the shots so to speak.

Your power and control ranking is all wrong. The military is more like Luca Brasi, the enforcer and Suterp is just a handy man or water boy; a Fredo Carleone.

Can't stop the insinuation and speculation when we have the two principals openly declaring they are on Skype and one talk about carrying the load when the other was tired during the Bangkok chaos. And this double standard in allowing the foundation to meet and violated the 5 person gathering restriction while the other have birthday celebration curtailed.

Christ, talk about calling the pot black, any previous Ministers from right back to Khun Chuan's day should keep a low profile and tend to their roses , there are too many skeletons in the proverbial closet and too many ready to send it all back in kind, twice over.

Excepting Korn. They should definitely bring back Korn

Oddly enough I was just going to mention Korn Chatikavanij as he was the best Minister of Finance of Thailand, certainly during the last 15 years.

He was, and still is, vastly superior to Surapong and many others of that ilk, nor did he lie to the public as other FMs did.

Your "best MF" has been snubbed by the junta for Somkid. That blow your hypothesis wide open. He lied about his Adminstration not taken any off budget loan and he is still under a cloud of suspicion regarding the fire sales of post '97 assets. Vastly superior? Doubtful at the least.

Give him credit for not blaming anyone or anything for the problem.

There will be no reconciliation as long as the same divisive players keep coming back for more. You know considering the BKK elite are supposed to be the 'educated' ones they seem incapable of learning from their own mistakes.

Suthep was hated in his own party for his level of corruption. Thaksin may as well be sitting right next to him talking about 'reforms. It's a load of horse poo frankly.

Yes, those too make a good pair. Just wish Thailand could be rid of them, and others like them.

BB agree with you. Just that one seem easy to rid and the other seem to be teflon coated and immovable. Working for the establishments do have its benefits.

Thailand don't need another divisive politician. Worst this one got the most powerful establishment on his side. He now have carte Blanche on every thing he does while others will be harassed and jailed.

Led all the way. That's a laugh considering who dare to get in front of him.

Reuters reported that Malaysia was being upgraded to tier 2.

I won't be surprised if Thailand is as well

Thailand will get the upgrade as soon as we get an elected government. Bone of the issue is just that.

I see another donation drive to set up the vocational school. Doubt the possibility of Phra Sutherp donating from his personal wealth.

After the biblical flood, all rats didn't survive or have they?

Hail royalist warrior.

Should have combine the happy and rain dance. At least one will be useful.

Good move General.

Let's not applause so quickly. Got to see how the system works and justice fairly served when the deliquents are from hi-so influential parents and the workshops belong to the powerful.

Commerce Minister Chatchai Sarikulya said the baht's weakness should boost export growth in the second half of the year after facing a contraction in the first six months with June shipments estimated to be down 6-7 per cent year on year.

Tough luck as the other competing export countries also have their currencies depreciated in tandem with the USD strength. Not a smart dude.

"The new economic cabinet should concentrate on firming crop prices and cutting production costs for farmers while increasing government assistance for small and medium enterprises, as the latest measures have arrived too late."

They can't "firm up" crop prices. It's a global market. Learn nothing from rice scheme? Cut production prices for farmers? How about decent water management, which is a legit thing for government to do. Lowering taxes might help too. More help for SME's? Assist by crack down on all the bureaucrats meddling, brown envelopes, restricting work permits, etc. When SMEs depend on government rather than marketplace to ensure survival they get fat, stupid, lazy and eventually bankrupt. Put their efforts into removing government as much as possible from gumming up the works of free market might be a worthwhile endevour.

There is an easier way. Have an elected government.

The problem with populist policies is that once the money has been spent, it's gone. Thailand will have to live with the legacy of Pheu-Thai for many years to come. Thank God they didn't manage to take the mega-loans off-budget.

Thai people live for today and don't even think about next week, never mind next year. Have they have learned anything or would they vote for someone who promised to do the same again tomorrow ?. Answers on a postcard please.

Topic is about car sales slump in 2014, 2015 and next year.

ISOC should author a book to be called "How to make the best out of the worst situation". Their boss can write the foreword.

Again?....this is news?

On my first assignment in BKK in 1988, in converstaion with the military attache at the Bristish Embassy, one of the things he told me was:

Parts of Bangkok and nearby provinces were at great risk of sinking in the next 15 years if no action is taken to prevent it.

or something along those lines.

So Bangkok should have sunk back in 2003 or maybe it never will. Can someone point me to a serious research someone has done on this and not some blog?

I have done serious research on this since 1982 when JICA started drawing up the action plan which became the King's Master Plan for Bangkok. There have been 4 master plans so far but essentially they are the same plan. There was to be a complete wall along the Chaophraya River Bangkok which is partially complete and a sea wall. A barrage from the West to the East side some distance from the mouth of the river on the lines of the barrages in the Nederland. I recommended that all pumping of artesian water by industry and the MWA cease in 1994. As far as I understand this was done. Certainly MWA ceased all pumping of underground water. Most of Bangkok now sinks by less than 10mm/year so in 100years it will have sunk by 1metre. However the construction of high rises, roads and infrastructure necessitates leads to the raising of the land levels within Bangkok. Indeed the BMA and MOT have already lifted the road levels in many areas by 1metre. I made a power point presentation for AMCHAM, but I don't think I can attach here. If you are really interested you can find much of the information by searching AIT & JICA web sites or going to their libraries. The BMA and MWA also have similar presentations. All the essential flood prevention works should have been completed by 2010 prior to the last disastrous floods, but the major part that this expert is alluding to, was put on hold when Thaksin was removed by the 2006 coup.

I think the last master plan was done in 2004 and was quite comprehensive. 6 provinces around Bangkok were designated to become satellite cities. Banna district in Nakorn Nayok was to become the new Bangkok with connecting roads and rail and all the necessary infrastructures. As you said correctly, all could have been completed by 2010. Problem is that governments never have enough tenure to complete any major projects.

Trying to educate the ignorant and ill-informed is like trying to clean the Augean stables, especially when equine anus' keep feeding them more horse shit. Allowing them to interfere with decisions regarding which they have plenty of opinions about exaggerated and unlikely effects, but very little knowledge, is simply a waste of time and money and one of the worst facets of a so called "free society".

Everybody should be allowed an opinion, and it should be given weight commensurate to the level of knowledge that led to it. Qualifications, experience and scientific studies add a lot more weight than claims of "the sky will fall" or "we'll all be ruined" no matter how many take up the cry. Not so long ago, the vast majority believed the Earth was flat and the sun revolved around it.

EGAT's position is that new power stations are required to replace older stations and to meet growing demand. Natural gas reserves are being depleted. Coal fired power stations are still the cheapest and most reliable way to generate electricity, and until richer countries can develop better technology, must be high on the option list.

Where are they wrong?

Halloween, just asking if you will say the same strong condemnation of the activists back in September 2011 protesting EGAT coal fire power plant in Prachuap Khiri Khan.

Some experts claimed that Jakarta will sink 80 feet in the sea level elevation, Singapore 60 feet, Bangkok & Manila 40 feet and Hong Kong 20 feet due to a combination of earth change and pole shift. Don't worry Bangkok, the whole region will sink with you.

Not in the carefully crafted OP is a typical curt retort by Prayuth that if protestors don't need the power plant, they can walk around in lanterns.