Eric Loh

If we know Thailand, we can expect this case to be a non event. In a normal situation when the 2 houses exist, the NACC verdict will lead to senate impeachment and currently there is no upper house and Yingluck is no longer PM. The NACC can also opined that Yingluck is prima farcie and send case to Supreme Court Criminal Division For Person holding Political Position but I doubt they will find evidence of purposefully commiting an dishonest act and moreover she already out of office and not a threat to the junta. I believe that the NACC will hear the case, go through the motion and let her off on technicalities.

I think Suarez has just the 2 shots in the whole game and he scored both. Lethal and deadly.

So is the new NCPO scheme of giving 8-9k Baht a price pledging or price guarantee and is forcing vendors to drop prices accounts to manipulating market forces. Seem like just moving the goal posts an inch or two.

Nero fiddled while Rome burned

PTP fiddled (literally) while Thailand plummeted into the abyss

Last I heard Thailand maintaining its BBB+ credit rating, debt well managed, SET at record high, record BOI investment, full employment, steady currency and full employment. Doesn't seem heading into the abyss.

I agree that these steps are positive for Thailand, and if they continue, puts Thailand on the path of decreasing corruption. However, it is important for these institutions be open to public inspection. Thailand needs to publicly show the compensation of government paid salaries and to allow the media to cover all aspects of government without fear of prosecution or imprisonment for fact-based reporting.

Absolutely and should also include the military institutions. As soon as I hear that the General is embarking on an army reform, I will start believing in the coup.

What the HEL# do you think he is doing--picking his nose ??? he is trying to pave the way to doing what you stated, so for starters try to believe a little Thailand has nothing to lose by doing this.

You dont change my mind with the nose picking analogy. I want to see deeds, not words. I want to see total reform, not selective. Every coup started with the same excuses of breaking political impasse, bring back happiness, corruption too rampant and ended with an agenda. Then we start the cycle all over again. I cant be a believer if we had precedents like past coups. I am not an easy believer like you too. This coup may be different but yet to run its course. I will reserve judgement till then.

Good start mate, I want the same as you for Thai people. BUT our difference is I am cautiously optimistic and relish the clean up.

I fear a little in your approach, TIME is needed Every coup does not have to be the same, so reserve judgment by all means, Have patients--these were the words spoken by Yingluck after 1 year, Thais had that trust then look what she did ??? But I will do what Thais did I will try to be patient, if no fruits are to bear then start to bash.

Yes mate, we do want the best for Thailand. As a businessman with investment here and 7 months of lousy revenue, I do share moment of relief when the political impasse was broken. I was hoping it was the election that broke the impasse, not necessarily a coup. I still believed in the electoral process that will bring change and reform and that should be done by the electorate themselves. Anyway, water over the bridge and if the general can start the building blocks to cure the ills of the nation and enact policies and laws to ensure that future governments will follow through, then perhaps Prayuth is a new age coup leader, worthy of praise.

I agree that these steps are positive for Thailand, and if they continue, puts Thailand on the path of decreasing corruption. However, it is important for these institutions be open to public inspection. Thailand needs to publicly show the compensation of government paid salaries and to allow the media to cover all aspects of government without fear of prosecution or imprisonment for fact-based reporting.

Absolutely and should also include the military institutions. As soon as I hear that the General is embarking on an army reform, I will start believing in the coup.

What the HEL# do you think he is doing--picking his nose ??? he is trying to pave the way to doing what you stated, so for starters try to believe a little Thailand has nothing to lose by doing this.

You dont change my mind with the nose picking analogy. I want to see deeds, not words. I want to see total reform, not selective. Every coup started with the same excuses of breaking political impasse, bring back happiness, corruption too rampant and ended with an agenda. Then we start the cycle all over again. I cant be a believer if we had precedents like past coups. I am not an easy believer like you too. This coup may be different but yet to run its course. I will reserve judgement till then.

A benevolent dictatorship is superior to a corrupt democracy.

Know of any benevolent dictatorship that you can qoute?

Thailand---unique in this type of administration.

If the junta stop calling in and arresting people who has a different point of view and answered for those missing after the coup,then perhaps we can call them benevolent. Still I do like the way they look at corruption, straighten up the SOE and took care of economic matters. I also hope the NCPO will have a look at unions and rid the militant leaders who have political allegiance rather than taking care of their members. Early days though and can only judge when all the reforms are completed. Hope he keeps the momentum and not relent to more powerful forces.

Now these are the kinds of subsidies I agree Thailand would be better off without!

As do I, we only differ on the farmers (permanent) subsidy, a temporarily one to change crops.. methods or to get out of farming (in the Netherlands they paid fishermen to stop fishing) would be more to my liking as it solves something instead of keeping them dependent on the government.

I wonder how many people are still against the junta.. though I am the first to admit they made a stupid mistake with facebook and those lies. I also don't like that there is less freedom of the media. But I gladly suffer those two points to see all the positive things they do.

Not the least getting rid of Taksin and tackling loads of real problems.

Is Taksin gone? Agreed that the coup broke the political impasse, a dis-functioning government and tackling economic bottlenecks.

A benevolent dictatorship is superior to a corrupt democracy.

Know of any benevolent dictatorship that you can qoute?

Before we give the General a standing ovation, let see just who will be appointed as SOE board members. Let see he walk the talk and chose meritocracy instead of loyalty.

Expect Australia to park the proverbial bus and frustrate Holland to a scoreless game.

Australia need a win, Holland doesn't.

A draw in this game would be the same as a win for Australia.

Our only hope this game is to throw caution to the wind and make attack our defense. We don't have the goal scoring options for that really anyway.

Expect a thrashing. 4-0, 5-1 to the Dutch

Only chance to score for the Aussie is to break on a counter attack. Think they will go 4-5-1 and use the middle fielders as a defence buffer and also attack if chance break for counter.

Expect Australia to park the proverbial bus and frustrate Holland to a scoreless game.

NACC will need to do a lot more to demonstrate to the general public that they are apolitical, impartial and not do the bidding for certain groups. Their track record of lobsideness in only pursuing selective targets are damaging their image as an independent corruption agency.

Still think land reform is the answer. Too many farmers don't owned land and rent at high prices from rich land owners. Bring back the old legislation set at 4 hectares limit on freely acquirable agriculture land. Forced the large agriculture land owners to sell their land to a land bank and re-sell to farmers. The old law of farmer cultivating only on their own land should be resumed. Past governments failed to implement land reform as most large owners are politicians. Now is no better time to enact land reform as NCPO has absolute power.

Had a Hitachi fridge slight damage during the 2011 flood. The ice making apparatus broke down. Technician came after 2 months appointment, checked and said he will come back with spare part. Waited till 2012 and sold it and change to Mitsubishi.

Will be hard for some who has no PT to blame for floods.

Hundreds lost their life saving because of his pyaramid scheme. Skip the country when convicted for corruption. He has many business and personal enemies. Too insignificant for any political assination. Case close.

Still trying to defend Thaksin by deflection, you really are an outstanding sheeple of the highest order ! Yes Akeyuth was a nasty piece of work, but the facts in his disappearance speak for themselves. Don't try and defend the murderers, there is no defence for it !

Nope furthest from my mind to defend Taksin and by the way, what has this case got to do with him. Akeyuth, ponzi mastermind who defrauded hundreds of investors was a scumbag and anyone who have waited to take their revenge. He is loud and arrogant and a show-off and would attract any undesirables to cash in on him. As for political reason,I am trying very hard to find a motive. Honesty, just how many know or even heard of him before the 4 seasons and his murder. He is an irritant but insignificant in politics. He is not even in politics or hold any position in any high profile agencies or organisation. What big political gains to get rid of him. Why that so hard to see.

This military government has done so much more in the last 3 weeks than all the other political parties in the last 10, 20 years! If they continue, uncorrupted of course, I hope to hell they STAY.

The army really have done nothing much accept to review and approve all the plans done by previous government. They can with absolute rule while previous government cannot due to the tyranny of the minority with help from the courts and independent agencies. The army has lots of convincing to do all this without corruption. Jury still out there.

Hundreds lost their life saving because of his pyaramid scheme. Skip the country when convicted for corruption. He has many business and personal enemies. Too insignificant for any political assination. Case close.

Look no further for the last coups of our ASEAN peers and see just much they have developed leapfrogging Thailand who is now becoming the sick man of Asia. Philippines last coup in 1989 and was the original sick man of Asia and now becoming the darling of investors. Indonesia last coup was in 1966 and was land of intense corruption, feudalism and cronyism, is now fast becoming a tiger economy. Even our neighbor Mynmar, last coup in 1962 is changing rapidly to embrace democracy and free economy. Little secret in all these countries but allow democracy to progress and flourish and allow people the intelligence to chose their destiny. We can't have a paternalistic culture of inviting the army to solve all our political impasse. Every intervention stunt our democratic growth and creat an outlook of instability for investors.

The reasons for the coup was given as necessary to unite the nation after months of political turmoil, unprecedented rift in society, widespread corruption, nepotism, interference in independent agencies crippling them so they can't function. Coup was needed to seize power to control the situation, restore normalcy and creat unity. That was the 2006 coup. The same explanation for the this coup and probably for the next coup. The '06 coup and previous coups failed despite all their good intentions and people are skeptical of repeated failures. Thailand must wean themself of this paternalistic reliance on the military to step in every time democracy reach an impasse. Maybe this time the General can get this right and the jury is still out there. For sure, Thailand needs tough medicine and let's hope the General can deliver.

A good post Eric. For once I agree with most of what you said, but he is doing really well so far with no signs of delusuions of grandeur.

History really not on the side of the General. I can't name any coup that happen in our planet that bring any good to their respective country. Maybe this time we may have the first in history. Will see.

I do like what he is doing uptill now but the proof is in the implementation not rethoric and the success that follow. I like his tough approach which remind me of my previous PM, Lee Kuan Yew. He went after corruption, law and order, civil servant discipline, police ineptness, jailed the dissentients and straightened up the unions. His method was rough and tough as he shook up the whole system of Singapore.

Kuan Yew did all that and transformed a small island to what it is without absolute power. Imagine what the General can achieve if he is selfless with no illusion of grandeur.

Why even bother as the Dem will split into 3 factions. Suthep, Alongkorn and Ahbisit will break off with their supporters while other disgruntled MPs will either join other parties or contest as independent. The Dem Party unlikely to survive as a party intact by next election.

Some evidence, please. Or are you merely gazing into a crystal ball?

Eric is one of those who frequently gazes into crystal balls. He tends to see things that most members of the TVF community are surprised to hear anyone has ever seen.

Actually it came from a news clipping not long ago. I will try to find that link and have it posted. If you analyse the current situation and the new found popularity of Suthep and the disagreement he has with some senior leaders of Dem plus the low probability of Dem ever winning an election, reasons enough for him to break away. Look he is one of the biggest financier and his return is meager so why continue throwing money.

Alongkorn is really a no brainer. He is forward looking and pushing for party reform but getting no where. If Suthep break away, he will follow suit.

See, not that hard to crystal ball and I will try to find that link.

Why even bother as the Dem will split into 3 factions. Suthep, Alongkorn and Ahbisit will break off with their supporters while other disgruntled MPs will either join other parties or contest as independent. The Dem Party unlikely to survive as a party intact by next election.