Eric Loh

He can be blunt but he simply can't ignore the problem. One way or the other, he will have to come up with a plan whether to subsidies or welfare. No one in Thai history ignore the farmers plight as it is dear to the king's heart.

Now waiting for more information on how those 3 trillion Baht will be budgetted. I would assume a larger part of it spread over the 2015 - 2022 yearly National Budgets.

Rube, Excluding high speed Hi So BKK Chiang Mai service----YES Good. All that money to be got to be paid back over 50 years has been halted.

Out of national budgets and "private" no 50 year debt that the Shins had planned. They would have been well in the trough and then sod Thailand, who would have had this interest to pay back...it would have totally ruined the Kingdom.

The Thai government budget is +- B 2,8 tn per year. If they want to finance this through the budget it would be +- B 430 bn additional per year over the next 7 years. As the budget for next year was already approved by the junta and this 2015 budget is inline with the last budget, it is clear that they are going to finance these projects off budget (through bonds and loans), the same as what PTP proposed. Due to the limitations to my freedom of speech I will stop here, but anyone with more than one brain cell can see whats going on.

Good points. Prayuth did promised a balance budget in 2017. It will be an off budget loan. That way, the government can negotiate for a better loan term. Will the Dem petition the Constitution Court to kill the loan and rule it unconstitutional? What a bunch of losers.

Pad Thai

Pad See You

Cow Pad Gai

Guay Diaw Moo Sen Lek Naam Sai

Khao Soi Gai

The above will come as a single plate dish, no need to order anything else.

Below are a few dishes that usually come in a dish without rice, so you'll need to order a plate of rice (khao suai nueng jaan), although some can be ordered "laad khao" which means "over rice" and works out cheaper but you get less.

Dom kha gai

Gaeng Kiaw Waan

Gaeng Henlay

Dom Jued

Pad Gai Med Mamuang

Pad Gai Briaw Waan

Khaw Mun Kai is not Thai food. It is a Singapore food.

You have to distinquish between forest teak and plantation teak. Thailand started growing plantation teak after most of the forest teak were logged some 40-50 years ago. Plantation teak do not have the same characteristics and durability as forest teak which is very expensive and difficult to obtain. What you see mostly in shops are plantation teak products. Also careful as parawood (rubber wood) can be stained to look like teak. The color in the photo seem very uniform and could be just stain to look like teak. My 2 cents.

Isn't this from the original infrastructure plan? Just the locations have been reduced. The original plan is for 4,000 km of dual track and TDRI proposed just 767 km. We have presently only 300 km of dualtrack and additional 767 km seem inadequate and will not improve the logistic cost by much. Cannot understand why Nong Khai not in the proposal as this route is very important to expand the border trade which is growing rapidly. This route also connect Southern China and Laos and link to their railway.

With my company being focused entirely upon flood prevention and water management, having spoken at and attended many flood related conferences and seminars in Thailand, your comment could not be more correct. One of the common problems, in addition to flood prevention and mitigation, is the lack of a long-term consistent government for this country, which has a plan which will be implemented and then not changed due to politically motivated reasons when another gov't takes over. Just look at the number of PMs and gov't's Thailand has had over the last 12+ years. There is no consistency on national policies for floods or other critically important national issues. This is one reason that the last gov't wanted to go outside of the regular Palimentary budget cycle for some mega-projects so the MPs could not kill such budgets based upon a new gov't coming into power. There are floods every year, with different intensities dependent upon many factors, with people suffering and property damage. The current coup gov't can either wait to investigate all factors and contractors for the 350 Billion National Water Management Plan, along with environmental reports and local hearings, or take some action immediately to prevent loss of lives and property. In some cases, fast tracking decisions are necessary.

Excellent post. Infrastructure projects have long tem gestation period and also long term financing. Truncated tenureship of government and inconsistency as you stated are a bane to long term infrastructure projects. The problem here also extend to the courts who play government and intrude into the legislative wing. People don't understand that infrastructure projects need long term financing and projects have gestation lag before it start to yield revenues. Annual budget is just not suitable for long term financing and doesn't give government chance to negotiate for better loan terms.

People complain about the WFMC exerting dominance. The opposite can happen when projects accommodate too much suggestions and recommendations and nothing can be done. Then whose suggestions and recommendations are you going to accept. So this goes on and on.

The previous government has completed a plan and even detailed down to modules, cost analysis and evaluation. The current administration would do well to review and modify, subject to EIA evaluation but will be foolish and time wasting if they hope to initiate something different and new. I believe the good general has better common sense than anti government activists.

A basic breakdown of the former governments proposed flood prevention works and costs involved can be found here http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/19/us-thailand-flood-fb-idUSTRE80I0C320120119

One thing that is usually glossed over in the rush to condemn the spending (calculated to raise the ratio of public debt to GDP by 2-3 percentage points) was the fact that the Flood Agency (in theory at least) pulled together all the disparate agencies concerned with water management in Thailand.

Water retention management in Thailand has to deal with the three demands of Irrigation, Power Generation and Flood Control with all the different agencies and different viewpoints that go along with those disciplines.

Remember the political spat played out between the Flood Agency and the "Democrat" Governor of Bangkok? Now multiply that by 17.

As part of its water management plan, the Government has established a single command center for unified operations in water management. The single command authority is responsible for coordinating water management work, and 17 agencies dealing with water management in the country are now working in the center.

http://thailand.prd.go.th/view_news.php?id=6761&a=2

If the Junta get rid of the Flood Agency on the behest of the EIT the replacement better be able to take on this role. I suspect that the willy waving by the EIT has something to do with the relationship between the Flood Agency and the various other agencies involved - sounds like they didn't like being told what to do after decades of inefficient isolation.

Pramote Maiklad, former director-general of the Royal Irrigation Department, said the NCPO should set up a new organisation to handle water-management issues instead.

According to Suwatana, the WFMC has exerted dominance over relevant government agencies to a point that they become worried about making clear decisions.

"So, we need a new organisation that will encourage joint management, not to constitute interference in the works of existing agencies," Suwatana said.

He said his institute would submit its recommendation - including its proposed solutions to the country's water problems - to the NCPO.

Hope Suwatana will made his recommendation soon as he provide no time frame. Also hope his confidence in getting all the agencies to work together will be realized. For a fact, government agencies never work cohesively in Thailand. As a army man, General Prayuth understand the value of a central command in getting long term, multi facets and coordination done in an efficient and effective way.

The Village Fund was continued and adopted by Ahbisit government. He see value in that fund too.

This is not 'crochet', this is pure 'lace', artwork! The way you succeed in bending and twisting, adapting, re-inventing, the reality of facts is really 'top'. I would applaud, when it would not be aimed at des-informing people. Are the Shins such great people in your opinion, or do you just do a, good, job for them? I wonder where you studied, you would have made a great penal attorney, why did you choose for this kind of 'things'?

Are you always so nice. Thanks for the laugh. BTW, do you have twin brothers who think and write like you?

Thailand have been talking about water management for decades while every year we have floods and drought. It's exactly that. Lots of talks, opinions and recommendations but none have the guts to implement and put something on the table. We can continue to have panels after panels of discussion and accomodate evey activists opinions for more years to come while the common people endured the hardship. The educated talk and the uneducated suffer.

With my company being focused entirely upon flood prevention and water management, having spoken at and attended many flood related conferences and seminars in Thailand, your comment could not be more correct. One of the common problems, in addition to flood prevention and mitigation, is the lack of a long-term consistent government for this country, which has a plan which will be implemented and then not changed due to politically motivated reasons when another gov't takes over. Just look at the number of PMs and gov't's Thailand has had over the last 12+ years. There is no consistency on national policies for floods or other critically important national issues. This is one reason that the last gov't wanted to go outside of the regular Palimentary budget cycle for some mega-projects so the MPs could not kill such budgets based upon a new gov't coming into power. There are floods every year, with different intensities dependent upon many factors, with people suffering and property damage. The current coup gov't can either wait to investigate all factors and contractors for the 350 Billion National Water Management Plan, along with environmental reports and local hearings, or take some action immediately to prevent loss of lives and property. In some cases, fast tracking decisions are necessary.

Excellent post. Infrastructure projects have long tem gestation period and also long term financing. Truncated tenureship of government and inconsistency as you stated are a bane to long term infrastructure projects. The problem here also extend to the courts who play government and intrude into the legislative wing. People don't understand that infrastructure projects need long term financing and projects have gestation lag before it start to yield revenues. Annual budget is just not suitable for long term financing and doesn't give government chance to negotiate for better loan terms.

People complain about the WFMC exerting dominance. The opposite can happen when projects accommodate too much suggestions and recommendations and nothing can be done. Then whose suggestions and recommendations are you going to accept. So this goes on and on.

The previous government has completed a plan and even detailed down to modules, cost analysis and evaluation. The current administration would do well to review and modify, subject to EIA evaluation but will be foolish and time wasting if they hope to initiate something different and new. I believe the good general has better common sense than anti government activists.

Sorry mine was taken out of a newspaper report. Yours was a personal opinion and a BS no doubt.

"The reason for the additional funding is to enable the funds to expend the memberships and elevate them to become a bank"

Please provide link to said newspaper report on the intention to turn the village funds into a bank. Thank you

Actually came out in TVF in 2012.

www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/593640-yingluck-marks-10-years-of-village-fund/

It is a community bank or a despository institution. Very much independent and for banks who have limited funds.

Eric Loh post # 42

Sorry mine was taken out of a newspaper report. Yours was a personal opinion and a BS no doubt.

So in your eyes and personal opinion Mr Loh another persons personal opinion is B.S. yet a fourth estate opinion is beyond reproach?

You really should think before you post comments.

The BS reference was only my respond to a post directed at me containng the word 'BS". In no way I equate personal opinion as BS. If it sound that way, I apologize.

and because of the Village Fund success the Pheu Thai promised to restock it with another 1,000,000 Baht when they would be elected. Not because the village funds really needed restocking of course

You shouldn't not take information out of context. The reason for the additional funding is to enable the funds to expend the memberships and elevate them to become a bank. This fund started as a social project and the elevation to a bank will allow more innovative initiatives to provide to their members. See, sounds much more balance than truncated information.

A bank, yet another State Owned bank? Banking license, Tier I and II capital, Basil I/II/III, etc., etc.?

BTW the village funds didn't start as a social project, but as a Thaksin election gift which was squandered away in many cases.

See, that sound harsher than your BS, but the truth is not always nice

Sorry mine was taken out of a newspaper report. Yours was a personal opinion and a BS no doubt.

What could possibly go wrong with a conduit like Nalinee running the show?

Women Empowerment Fund

7.7 Billion Baht

Scheme run by PM's Office Minister Nalinee Taveesin AKA "Crony" of African Strongman Mugabe

http://www.icij.org/offshore/mugabe-crony-among-thai-names-secret-offshore-files

Everyone can have a chance to be a born again good guy and walk in the path of righteousness following the fine example of Kamnan Suthep.

The Village Fund was continued and adopted by Ahbisit government. He see value in that fund too.

Or he just did not have the power to stop it, knowing people would rise up.

Now we got someone who is not afraid of red threats and the fund can be really examined. If it is good please keep it.

I bet me and other people on the side of light love reading everyday how all the crap that Taksin did is slowly being destroyed how his power-base gets destroyed so he can never ever come back. The guy overreached.. gambled and blew it all getting his whole clan into trouble (actually the whole country) just for his amnesty.

Don't think that was the reason as the loans only reaches about 30% of all households. I think he allowed the scheme to continue because the fund have been steady and don't need any infusion of government funds. The scheme has been running well as a microcredit financing and is socially correct so why stop as it cost nothing to his government. I have strong believe that the NCPO will continue this scheme which really has won lots of praise from local and international peers.

and because of the Village Fund success the Pheu Thai promised to restock it with another 1,000,000 Baht when they would be elected. Not because the village funds really needed restocking of course

You shouldn't not take information out of context. The reason for the additional funding is to enable the funds to expend the memberships and elevate them to become a bank. This fund started as a social project and the elevation to a bank will allow more innovative initiatives to provide to their members. See, sounds much more balance than truncated information.

Attitude is all wrong with you to repeatedly condone that PAST regime.

If I went on this adjustment course I certainly would not want you to adjust anything for me. Knowing how your brain works with all your high level propaganda posts.

Why did you get involved with the disputed CLOCK figures were you defending the monies spent --and why ??? I didn't comment because most of the PTP contracts were flawed but this is putting it in a nice way.

So you run along and get your scan to find out why you condone lousy governing. your incredible -astounding-pre programmed propaganda.

All my Rants as you call them were for control and transparency here in Thailand not SHIN total control as now we are seeing what damage that has done.

You view is yours, but please do not keep knocking posters that opposed the PTP. accept what happened, as we all did when PTP were elected, until the monkey business started then people kicked back harder than Yingluck expected, then she thought she could get away with the Feb election, to regain more Shin income.

I mentioned your scan treatment because of your silly suggestion for me to attend a attitude adjustment course.

I'll continue "knocking" posters who post erroneous information. How can that be a propaganda post - perhaps you missed this statement by me in your haste to decry any post you see as harmful to the "cause"

the clocks were bought by the office of the secretary general of parliament for a still stupidly high price of 62,500 baht each which includes a satellite link.

Does that sound like, as you call it, incredible -astounding-pre programmed propaganda to you?

Well, obviously it does, hence my suggestion of some attitude adjustment. It might help you to think before posting.

I am relating to you whole attitude towards the defending, now your on the same mode in the scrutinizing senators post, denying all the time my question to you is why. Because a poster gets something wrong about bits and bobs there is no reason to jump in to defend -as it always seems to be political anti PTP posts---that's what stands out to me and others.

I accept what Suthep has done in the past and do not jump in to defend him, it all comes out in the wash--Problem is the more you defend the past admin the more problems you will get when bad money admin is revealed and there is a vast amount to yet be brought into the open.

Any thing that is quote " harmful to the cause" in Thailand should be criticized. Government or posters.

I am far from this perfect attitude but I do have my morals about right, I was brought up that way, and would never dream to defend evil, evil is a bad word really but when a government is trusted to govern properly and does the opposite, I suppose the record is bordering evil.

Evil as in insane amount of vile, inhuman and grisly acts? You may not like the government or their governance but remember they are royally endorsed and is disrespectful.

700 million baht is worth it.

A small price to pay to make Thai people happy.

A failed election in February has cost 3 plus BILLION, and almost ended up in a civil war, plus many people killed and injured. It make Thai people very UNHAPPY.

The rice scheme was also to make Thai people happy. Even the election can end happy if the establishment wanted it. So obvious.

Thailand have been talking about water management for decades while every year we have floods and drought. It's exactly that. Lots of talks, opinions and recommendations but none have the guts to implement and put something on the table. We can continue to have panels after panels of discussion and accomodate evey activists opinions for more years to come while the common people endured the hardship. The educated talk and the uneducated suffer.

The Village Fund was continued and adopted by Ahbisit government. He see value in that fund too.

Or he just did not have the power to stop it, knowing people would rise up.

Now we got someone who is not afraid of red threats and the fund can be really examined. If it is good please keep it.

I bet me and other people on the side of light love reading everyday how all the crap that Taksin did is slowly being destroyed how his power-base gets destroyed so he can never ever come back. The guy overreached.. gambled and blew it all getting his whole clan into trouble (actually the whole country) just for his amnesty.

Don't think that was the reason as the loans only reaches about 30% of all households. I think he allowed the scheme to continue because the fund have been steady and don't need any infusion of government funds. The scheme has been running well as a microcredit financing and is socially correct so why stop as it cost nothing to his government. I have strong believe that the NCPO will continue this scheme which really has won lots of praise from local and international peers.

Just wondering if we get the same happy and positive response if it is the Yingluck's government asking the NCTC to dig into research and development funds. Probably another lawsuit and marches on the streets are more likely to happen. Hyprocrites?

The Village Fund was continued and adopted by Ahbisit government. He see value in that fund too.

Head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) said politicians who have their hands in running the country wrongfully in the past must be held responsible for what they have done to the country.

Well that's practically everyone bar Mark.

And I agree, but to be fair, that is the Thai way. The whole system is set up for the take and until they change the culture a bit, it will always be that way.

If Mark can clear the allegation regarding the 42 B corruption tainted "strong Thailand" projects and answer doubts raised regarding the fire sales of cheap assets from the financial crash plus the charges by NACC and DSI, then we can exclude him. Seem all these cases are frozened in time.

Those small black plastic boxes which did nothing, and cost around 1 million baht each. Ah yes. You and I knew early on they were a worthless scam, but several Thai administration along with a slew of gov't, police and military brass either didn't know they were bogus or WENT AHEAD AND BOUGHT THEM ANYWAY.

Even if they functioned, what would be their value? More than a laptop computer, at Bt. 9,000 each?

The plastic box fiasco is symptomatic of how gov't and military do business. Yingluck's gov't went and spent Bt.572,000 each for clocks. How much would you or I spend on a clock to hang on a wall? Perhaps Bt.1,200.

Government expenditures are too important to be left to gov't or military. They only know how to spend waaaaay too much, and their choices of projects/equipment is suspect. But then again, who can be trusted to spend big money wisely? In a Thai perspective, I honestly cannot answer that. Mr. Korn (Abhisit's Finance Minister) is smart, but he's not even being considered for a decision-making role now.

Not in any way a justification but let's just quash your ridiculous claim of the government buying clocks at 572,000 baht each. Complete nonsense, the clocks were bought by the office of the secretary general of parliament for a still stupidly high price of 62,500 baht each which includes a satellite link.

Wrong, again.

Yinglucks govt spent 15 million baht buying 240 clocks.

15,000,000 / 240 = 625,000B per clock.

Total crooks that deserve every second of their post coup trauma.

I just love the way ginjag likes any post that that supposedly counteracts one of my posts, whether he has checked to see if it's correct or not. I'm suprised djjamie's not got on the bandwaggon too - maybe he can perform simple arithmetic.

So, jaidam, ginjag would you like to get out your calculators and then come back and apologise....................

I doubt it.

How much did she spend on that watch, shopping abroad, expensive dinners. And who supported that?

I think the poster is just annoyed by what it is that compels an expat to try and justify the behaviour of a few liege lords in a developing country who shamelessly plunder and think only of their family's benefit, and use populist policies to lead the poor to believe they'll be tossed a few goodies, but in reality they are just (or were) wrecking the nation for their own personal gain. What drives an expat to sit there and come up with fantasies about how these swindlers are so grand, these chinese shinawatra scoundrels?

Seem some feathers were ruffled. Ouch.

Don't think about it. The more you think, the more you feel burdened. Only a number. Live life.

Apart from the probation, good job. I raise a glass to the military government and their continued efforts to set Thailand back on the right course. 6 months to Asean, 6 months to get it all straightened out, they have made a cracking good start..

The case was opened and prosecuted under the previous government not the junta.

Is this true ?????????????????

Well is it ?????????????????????????????????

As stated by tingtongeesood..........The case was opened and prosecuted under the previous government not the junta.

Can anyone verify and i mean verify that this is a true and accurate statement ?

You are right. First reported on June 26 2013 when the Governor of Chaiyaphum instructed PWO to take urgent legal action against the rice miller for embezzlement. Documents contained counterfeit signatures of PWO officials and produced to the authority even before the rice was transported to the warehouse.

The military may be the "least" corrupt organization in Thailand...good for them...taking on many of Thailand's problems...forward thinking...and trying to bring about stability...integrity...and cohesion to governing Thailand...I like it...

It's definitely a watershed. Even in this short time they have managed to achieve at least partial reforms that most would have thought nearly impossible, or at least decades in the making.

The hangers-on and outright pigs will continue to squeal in protest for some time, but the changes taking place right now are sure to bring about a better life and higher standard of living for the vast majority of the population.

I have no doubt that the name Prayuth will be revered in textbooks and political analysis for many generations to come.

Bravo General. Bravo!

I guess if there are people who agree with spilling the beans on civil servants who express unconstructive ideas, education reform for ban on junta criticism and attitude adjustment for people who disagree, then it's truly Bravo General.

like laos, cambodia, burma and vietnam??

I would say Malaysia and Singapore did benefit in some way, because of the British there is a high level of English proficiency there and there is also respect for the constitution and the rule of law to some extent.

From my conversation with my friends in both countries, the best thing the British left behind is the Common Law and the civil service structure. I agree with them.