Eric Loh

Wonder why the comrades from the Shins' propaganda brigade are so quiet today? Sheltering for the incoming heavy artillery shells fired by the NACC? Or, a miracle, common sense etching in their brains at last? Can't be because the paychecks have not arrived, cause they're all idealists...

Ins't it obvious that no one really bother about this Micky mouse agency and what they are doing?

Police state in the making.

Deeds not words. Start by having a fair representation of the NLA, NFC and the NCC across all political divide. Allow freedom of expression and last but not least, lift the martial law.

Once again, the NACC is doing an investigation on demand. Who is to investigate the NACC for their selective investigation.

Reform, my ass. More a purge to get their own cronies in key positions. Corruption just change hands.

Would be interesting to know who was the mastermind...

Give you a clue. Authorization using live rounds must come from the government.

I don't really care at all about these people. They are just typical red-shirt thugs who will fire grenades into innocent people for a couple of thousand baht. There are plenty of them out there and these scumbags are nothing special.

What we really want is to know who put out the order for them to start the shooting. Who gave the order to reject Abhisit's offer of elections and guarantee the bloodbath which would surely follow if they attacked the Army in the manner they did ?. Whoever that might be is responsible for every death which occurred and is a murdering terrorist just as much as anyone who fired their M79.

There is no way the UDD would make such an extreme move without orders from the very top. You have to be very dim indeed not to be able to work out where the order must have come from.

Who give the order to reject Ahbisit offer? Below from Wiki explain:-

On 23 April, Red-Shirt leader Veera Musikapong offered to end the protests if the government agreed to dissolve parliament within 30 days and hold elections within days. "If the government accepts and is open to the talks, we are ready to disperse to restore peace in the country," he said.[87] He further implied that protest sites must not be attacked during any potential negotiations, and that an independent inquiry into the recent violence must be conducted. The offer marked a change from the protesters previous demand that parliament be dissolved immediately.[87] After talking with the opposition, Abhisit rejected their offer ..

Just love the staged photo in the OP!!

Almost as high class as the re-enactment circus on Koh Tao!!

Of course the suspects had been wearing their black outfits for more than 3 years, just waiting for the police to arrest them??

Justice and Thailand should not be mentioned in the same sentence!!

Only red fanatic shirt believe Men in black don't exist, all other Thai know the true, Men is black come from red movement

The Laksi popcorn shooter was a man in black. Even the man in black on top of the Ministry of Labour building during the PDRC clash were confirmed to be police officers. Will Smith was also a MIB. They exist but who are they really? You know??? Or you just putting on your yellow tainted glasses and speculate.

It was only the million Bangkokians that turn out to protest the amnesty. Put this through a nationwide referendum and you might see a different outcome.

You obviously wernt around at the time were you.

There were people from all over the country protesting including those from red heartland, even the PT MP, commy, red shirt leader Weng abstained from voting for the bill, which was as close as a protest against it as a PT MP could get.

There were also protests in other centers outside BKK, I have photos as proof of this.

The PT 2011 election platform was loudly announced to include bringing Thaksin back. People responded and gave them the majority of popular vote and that is the closest to a referendum that one can get. Photos of scattered resistance is really small bean compare to the big picture. Must give credit to Suthep to made capital gain to his people in Bangkok. To me it may not represent the nation consensus.

Given only 48% voted for PTP that would indicate that a majority did NOT want Thaksin back.

Of course, that is ignoring the many other reasons that people might have voted for PTP beside Thaksin.

That 48% gave them the majority in the legislative branch to introduce bill and that's as good as an indication of support by the people. That's all probability and all I am saying is the Bangkok protest was not indicative of the country feelings. Not judging the good or bad of the amnesty too.

It was only the million Bangkokians that turn out to protest the amnesty. Put this through a nationwide referendum and you might see a different outcome.

You obviously wernt around at the time were you.

There were people from all over the country protesting including those from red heartland, even the PT MP, commy, red shirt leader Weng abstained from voting for the bill, which was as close as a protest against it as a PT MP could get.

There were also protests in other centers outside BKK, I have photos as proof of this.

The PT 2011 election platform was loudly announced to include bringing Thaksin back. People responded and gave them the majority of popular vote and that is the closest to a referendum that one can get. Photos of scattered resistance is really small bean compare to the big picture. Must give credit to Suthep to made capital gain to his people in Bangkok. To me it may not represent the nation consensus.

It was only the million Bangkokians that turn out to protest the amnesty. Put this through a nationwide referendum and you might see a different outcome.

Got lucky on his first day at work with fuel price down and likely to stay soft next 3 months. No excuse not to turn TA around.

A billionaire who can't pay a 120M Baht debt. Just don't add up. The ordinary people will never ever know the true story.

She talks too much. Glad the appeal court shut her up.

The very people who are negotiating are the ones who torpedoed the last lot of peace talks.

No credibility !

Possibly that's true, but those talks were never going to succeed. The govt was not negotiating with all groups involved and could never have achieved a peace treaty.

You keep harping the same theme that the government was not negotiating with all groups. Please tell us in your wisdom who are the groups not negotiating. The RKK, BRN and the NBR, the biggest of the insurgent groups were involved at one stage or another. No one really know the smaller splinter radical groups. You know??

why does thailand need to reinvent the wheel, perhaps it would do much good by following the law for once. The constitution is pretty standard and works, its just that no politicians wants to enforce the laws written, no police / judge wants to punish these people who swore by it. Hence the problem is not with these election system, its simply law enforcement.

I agree with you. Thailand keep tinkering with the constitution for umpteen years and this will not be the last. Keep the 1997 constitution and allow the electoral process to decide on the people' s mandate for both houses. Only through a election process will the chosen parties gets elected while the weak will have to work harder and win the next election. That's is meritocracy in motion. Strengthen the judiciary system and the corruption agencies so they can be just and not bowed to political interference. These institutions have been the sources of most past problems whether it's enforcing the law or idioscrantic interpretation of the law, not so much the colour divide.

Welcome to another new problem of parties horse trading to form the majority coalition and more Parliment drama. Next reform probably to stop smaller parties selling their alliance to the highest bidders and cross overs. The fun never stop.

4% improvement over this year. That's a soft target considering this year export is flat.

Seem some part of the not too pleasant news of PM Prayuth visit have been omitted. Shouldnt be a suprise.

Reform or re-group. Easy to fool many.

Really nothing to shout about even if we achieve 4% GDP growth next year coming from low base of about 1% GDP this year. The service sector which is the largest component of GDP is expected to be sluggish and the second largest industrial output unlikely to be firing all cylinders considering the softness of the export EU, China and Japan economy. Agriculture which is a small contributor will not be enough to help much. The heavy lifting has to be done by domestic economy and that's why the disbursement of money into the various infrastructure projects and populist policies will be key. Let's pray that oil don't spike up and become an inflation problem. Things will turn very ugly if the cost of living shot up.

Most people do not understand anything about economic situation in Thailand because the not suffer yet, soon there will be more and more unemployment and companies leaving Thailand, tourism way down and maybe then they will not be supporting the Junta anymore.

I don't think you are in touch with the business people. Businesses in every sectors have been suffering since last October onwards. I am in the thick of it and suffered a 25% drop in revenue and most business friends said I am lucky. I blamed it on the PDRC shutdown and the coup. It can only get better after the next election.

Really no brainer that political instability is the bane of all investors. Those who falsely believe that the coup has brought back political stability are out of touch with reality. The longer the junta stay in power and delay the election, the more damage it will wreck to the economy.

The coup is addressing long ongoing problems that have developed into the fabric of Thai culture and will require extended corrective measures before they become ingrained.

The corruption must be "Replaced" with a new way of doing buisness. Thats from almost, ahem, the top to the bottom. Without a complete "Cleanse"

The remaining contagious infection < corruption> will begin anew. This process is sure to take time(4 years at least) before any effect on GDP. As for "Brought back"

please mr Loh, tell me which (20 years would be adequate ) period of political stability are you refering to in this great nation. Would you consider the Yellow shirt mobs

and the red shirt mobs building up to the inevitable battles in the street to be preferable to what is happening now??? Please enlighten me. I am open minded.

My current belief is the longer the current government is in charge, the more stable the next government and the next two decades at least will be in Thailand.

Investors ????? oh the allready superrich who want to increase the disparity in wages between workers incomes & the income of the megarich... ... ...

The popular defination of political instability is the propensity of a government to fall due to coup d' etat or political violence. Every investors fear abrupt change of government especially staged by the military for the simple reason that they fear uncertainty of the changes especially in a climate where public participations are restricted.

You keep a optimistic view of the future which is unknown to you. Well that's your perogative. History has not been kind to your optimism as all coups have never improve or stabilized the political divide.

Not that it is bad to have political divide. It is only bad when you don't allow the people to made the decision to stand behind the political divide and chose for themself who they want to be the government. Coups don't give you any choice.

You ask when did Thailand has political stability last 20 years. I would say that the year between 2001-2006 where the change of government was through a democractic election. That period also saw our economy strong to allow us to pay back all IMF loan and debt reduced to 41%.

By the way, if you care to read, there are lots of empirical studies on the relationship of coup and poor economic performance as against sustainable democracy and improve economic performance. Japan and Indonesia are good examples.

Doubt the current government is taking any advise from the Anad or the Privy Council. Power have shifted.

Can the smuggling and corruption in the restive south carried out over the years where there is an emergency law and large military presence? Will be interesting to see how this investigation will develope and who else will be implicated.