Eric Loh

Paying the farmers was not a problem before Suterp started his personal crusade. Agree rice scheme must be reviewed but it has nothing to do with payment which has been hampered by the PDRC intimidation tactics.

Surapong just confirming what we already know. I viewed the speeches every chance I have and noticed that they not showing the crowd like before; just focusing on the speakers. Let them run the course and wither away slowly. Anyway love the photo. More curious than sympathetic crowd.

Forget about Ahbisit initiatives. The EC and the caretaker government have decided on the election date. Unimportant what Ahbisit will do from now. He just need to decide if he will participate in the 20th July election. Suterp and his PDRC is a spent force and can be neutralized and contained. Ahbisit has to sweat out a decision and either way he risk offending some people. The smart guy is not so smart after all.

Just how did Ahbisit able to remain at the helm of the Dem Party after all the failures tells just how feudal the party system is. Nice sounding name but no doubt in mind that there is never democracy in the party itself internally and externally. Ahbisit is annointed and chosen by the incumbents elders in the party and he can continue to fail and be an ambarassment to the party; he still will be the leader. Party is doomed.

Sorry Ahbisit, no one take you seriously and you really have no right to dictate the electoral process. You have turned your back on democracy and conspired with undemocratic forces twice and is someone who can't be trusted by the public. Show some sense of responsibily by resigning from the party to allow reform to be initiated.

They are all politicians, looking after themselves only and not after the good of the country they represent.

At least, Sutherp, vowed that he will quit politics when his goals are achieved.

At the moment nothing has been achieved, because of the stubbornness of Thaksin and Yingluck.

Everyone else is letting him down for their own personal benefits.

I, admire this man, for his believes and strength of character.

And you will believe every word that Suterp said including his infamous " in 30+ years in politics, I never lie or cheat".

I think this is it, Suterp finale. All signs do point to some sort of ending in May.

1. The EC relenting and suggest an election date on 20th July

2. The military chiefs agreed that an election is necessary

3. Ahbisit realizing that there really has no legality in Suterp push for neutral PM & his reform plan

4. Prem sideling call for royal intervention

5. Behind scene talk between Korn and Taksin's people

6. Softening of stance by Taksin agreeing reform

Last chapter will be written when CAPO use special force to arrest Suterp.

Stop holding the economy to hostage Khun Somchai. All my business associates and myself are suffering because of you playing politics. What's the difference holding within 60 days and 20th July. It still will be harassed by the PDRC. Get the police and soldiers to protect the polling booths. If that's not enough, have the polling booths in police stations or army barracks. Better if before the election, Ahbisit can straighten Suterp up and tell him that there are no laws for a neutral PM or have the special force arrest Suterp and all the PDRC leaders. Anymore delays in forming the government, the economy will continue to suffer and along with the citizens. Thank you.

Big significance if special force used. Special force would either from army special division or navy SEAL. Both from the military and may mean the military is finally not supporting the PDRC after many incidents of military personel injured by their guards. That will be enough to dash some hope for Suterp.

The army has not been supporting them. They have a neutral stance - they are there to try and stop acts of terrorism against the protestors because the police are unwilling to do so. If you would just get over the fact that people who are not supporting you side are not necessary on the other side you may sleep better.

Partly agreed that the army did overtly come out as neutral lately but not so the navy. Anyway, the navy was put right by the military chiefs. The PDRC may have themselves to blame for not allowing the police to do their job. Honestly I sleep much better knowing that the army is serving the government. You should sleep better too when all this is over and we get an elected government.

Big significance if special force used. Special force would either from army special division or navy SEAL. Both from the military and may mean the military is finally not supporting the PDRC after many incidents of military personel injured by their guards. That will be enough to dash some hope for Suterp.

Had this same problem back around Jan when Thailand had a cold spell. Then my air-con temp was set at 25C. I guess the night was down to about 21C. Middle of the night, water started to drip on to my bed. I guess condensation as when I set AC down to 20C next night, nothing happened.

By next month, we should have the facist and the mad monk arrested and all protest sites returned to the proper authority. The summer sun will do the job of CAPO.

Why dont they move and stage their protest in Chiangmai. That will rattle the Shin family. Time to give the Chiangmakians a taste of what the Bangkokians have suffered for 6 months.

Listen to his great mass. More like great mess and he has not even got off his first block. Nicely scripted and inter-play by both actors. Suterp need an exit plan and Ahbisit need credibility. Put that together, Ahbisit gets an early election campaign and Suterp will still exit as a hero.

Hes just trying to keep himself in the press and seem like hes being productive, whilst the other day he avoided meeting with an excuse.

Just trying to put things on his terms to make it seem like hes willing when really hes anything but thats all ... usual fun and games

Your usual rubbish. He has kept a low profile (some say too low) in the last few months. Yet you accuse him of seeking media attention.

You know well the reason he didn't attend the meeting, it was a "prediction" by Yim who had accurately predicted an earlier deadly attack.

At least he has developed a blueprint that he's taking to the various parties. We'll see the details later.

Can you name a single person from the PTP side that has come up with a proposal that could solve the conflict?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

The solution expounded by PTP is an election. You don't need a fancy blueprint and play that to the gallery. Just take part, that is his solution.

Poor Ahbisit. No one really treating him serious. Got a lot to prove as his credibilty is near zero.

From your post immediately above:

Yeah yeah, the old 'it's a conspiracy' line. Don't believe it. Who are these mysterious shadowy 'powerful people' of which you mention ? The red sheeple continually bleat on about them but nobody ever names any names because there aren't any, it's all an imagining from Taksin's deranged mind.

Given your ignorance, of Thai society, culture, politics, government, I'll enlighten you here and now, for which I'm sure you'd be grateful because now you can have some notional awareness of things you hadn't ever known about Thailand: I am most pleased to educate you in this matter from your non-base of zero knowledge.

The following descriptions are sourced from Michael H Nelson of the Southeast Asia Research Center of the City University of Hong Kong, who was also a Visiting Scholar on the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, in his work, The Electoral Rules Concerning The House of Representatives in the 2007 Thai Constitution. The URL is posted at the conclusion of the post.

*** The informal socio-political networks (categorized as ammart) of leading bureaucrats, technocrats, and academics involved in politics and administration, who claim to possess superior knowledge as well as morality and thus consider themselves to have special rights in guiding the country's social, political and economic directions (this group is Thailand's version of Plato's true navigators).

*** The military as a self-interested and closed organization that also poses as the self-appointed guardian of national unity and survival, protector of the monarchy, and final arbiter about who is allowed to govern the country.

*** The politicians with their vast informal and exclusionary networks at the provincial, regional, and national levels (including their factions and political parties), who claim that they represent the people, and that constitutionally produced electoral success provides them with the democratic legitimacy to govern the country and dominate the other groups and models in terms of policy making.

Not the ammart, but indeed a core essence of Thailand are :

*** The people themselves, who are the supposed sovereign of the democratic political system. Their involvement in politics as citizens,voters, party members, target group of policies, civil society groups, protestors, and social movements has had a rather mixed record, but it has recently been put into focus by a substantial increase in politicization.

Mr Nelson also includes a description of the Thai monarchy which I omit from this post, not because there is anything controversial about it - it is a straightforward factual account by Mr Nelson - but because I personally prefer to exclude the mention or description of the monarchy from the contentious tones of this particular thread and topic.

http://www.academia.edu/2085351/Electoral_Rules_Concerning_the_House_of_Representatives_in_the_2007_Thai_Constitution

Can you stop with the personal attacks ? You call me ignorant ( again ) yet you have never met me and do not know anything about me. Why do you feel a need to look down on everyone who disagrees with you and be so constantly condescending ? Seems like you have some kind of inferiority complex. Get that chip off your shoulder.

As for your random boring ramblings, there is nothing in the least bit enlightening about any of it. All I hear is 'baa baa baa'. Go and preach to someone who wants to hear it and stop insulting my intelligence.

I as one of your TVF "bleeting sheeple" whose posts cause you to hear only "baa baa baa" am responding to your denials concerning the well established and well known Thai ammart.

(I actually don't know why I bother to say anything at all to you given that your only hear "baa baa baa" from posters whose views differ from those of your own. But I choose to reply to the core points of most of your posts so I reply in the ways that I do because of the offensive manner by which you present your posts. Your presentations are at best rude, crude, arrogant.)

Yes, I do apply the word ignorant to your views concerning the ammart. If it's the right word, as I believe it to be, then so be it. If it's the wrong word, as you believe it to be, you'd need to help me out here.

Do you deny the existence of the Thai ammart?

Or do you admit to the existence of the Thai ammart but deny the ammart are involved in Suthep's campaigns and programs?

Also, I'd be curious as to how you would characterize members of the NACC. What would you say about their socio-economic background (and their educations) and how they got to be appointed to the NACC?

And once again you are condescending and insulting. Calling me 'crude rude and arrogant' is in itself rude and arrogant. You are far more arrogant than I Can you make even one post directed at me without trying to insult me ? I know you dislike me because I keep pointing out your lies and spin to everyone, but come on,l et's keep things civil.

I do not deny Thailand has rich people and never did, and I do not deny a number of them are 'pulling strings' so to speak and never did. Thaksin is a prime example....

Thos whole business of the violent red shirts cries of 'Kill the ammart' because the red propaganda blames the rich Bangkokians for the ills of the country is extremely irritating. The 'reds' have a lot of so called 'ammart' too. This whole 'rich verses poor' stuff is utter rubbish. It is really 'Thaksin's red brainwashed verses everyone else'. Thaksin's enemies are so called 'ammart' so he has had the reds brainwashed to hate them because he hates them.

I wish more people would understand this.

Free your mind of spin and propaganda and see what is really going on.

Don't wish to get to get involved in your private debate but need to point out that the Bangkok Amart have the power and have used it to change government while the rich Northern Amart do not and only into making money. If coups are ills of Thailand, certainly the Bangkok Amarts are the culprits.

There are other millions who want her to stay. So who are you to made such a statement. That is why they have elections, in case you forgot.

Elections payed 500Baht a voter? In case you forgot.

Still the Dem can't win. Voters took their money and vote PT.

Is she Muslim? You have to convert if you wish to marry her.

Today, abhisit is meeting with Permanent Secretary for Justice and the Reform Now Group. Tomorrow, he meets the Supreme Commander, Thanasak Patimaprakorn for talks. He also plans to meet the Election Commission, the government, other political parties, as well as leaders of protest groups in a series of meetings over the next seven days.

Well that's a relief, obviously the seriously credible threat to his life has been averted................................overnight...............................after the meeting with the EC has finished..............................curious, that............................

Let's re-check the current situation. Ahbisit is trying to re-gain lost credibilities by trying to put forward a proposal, the chiefs of the armed forces agreed that election is the only solution and Suterp is saying April 30th is the final day. The rich corporates that support Suterp is reeling from months of loss profits and the amarts must be feeling that it is a lost cause. Days of Suterp are numbered and he will leave Lumpini with hs tail behind his legs. Bye and please don't come back Facist. You have ruin Thailand enough.

The sad thing is if you create enough hatred there are enough unbalanced people around to take up the cudgels. Why would they do this? Certainly for a personal feelgood factor and self-aggrandisement in the eyes of Thaksin, Thaksin's henchmen (and women) and off course fellow reds. There have been studies on why people would do this but the best of course is Reich's Mass Psychology of Fascism. We have seen an almost perfect example of how to build this type of movement over the past few years and Khun T seems to have got it off to a T (as they say). Very sad to see ignorant people supporting the anti-Abhisit line and even one farang of my unfortunate acquaintance praising the murderous tactics of extreme reds. Certyainly an undemocratic solution, I would say.

Switch "Suthep" for "Thaksin" in your little missive, and it would still sound exactly right.

Am I just totally naive? Or is a lifetime's involvement in human rights and the fringe of politics just been a waste of time? Are people really serious about Thaksin? Have people not understood the devastation that this man has heaped upon Thailand and the Thai Psyche? Do people not understand how sociopaths manipulate in order to satisfy their own thirst for power? Have people not followed international politics and seen how the Marcos, Amin, Saddam, Pinochet (and many many more) regimes have destroyed the lives of so many? Do people just turn their backs on history so that when another would-be dictator comes along they can humbly follow and not learn the lessons of history? I despair. I despair time and time again at the blind ignorance and the self-centred ideas that I see displayed in these forums as people are fooled into following Thaksin : someone whom Amnesty International has already lambasted as a serial human rights violator. Someone who is demonstrably running, or trying to, a hereditary dictatorship with classic attacks on anyone who opposes them. Is it not bleedin' obvious? How can anyone with even a tiny spark of humanity and understanding make the comment above. We all know who Suthep is. He's a stalking horse put out to try and overturn this idea Thaksin has of taking total, and I mean total, control of this country. I've never come here and said he's a great guy. But I have said that what he is doing is VITAL (shout!) for the future of Thailand. Then he can disappear as far as I am concerned. Shoot the messenger if you like. But don't under any circumstances shoot the main message.

Clearly you have very poor understanding of the political system of Thailand. Try looking up the meaning of Constitutional Monarchy. I don't even bother to stretch as far as dictorship; no Prime Minister except one could not even complete the full term. There are too many powerful forces for anyone even contemplate to serve another term less a dictator.

The threat of state enterprise support for Suthep's 'final push' has certainly forced the PM into her shell.

I wonder if we'll see the headline, "Protester's push bottles up Yingluck."

Picking up something from the PDRC daily stage foul diatribe? Classy as ever from the supposingly educated lot, at least that is what they claimed.

He has to keep his people motivated; judging from the dwindling supporters and funds and the fact that his guards are imploding. Trust me, 30th April will come and go as another day and he will still be in Lumpini Park. People who believe that he will surrender himself to the authority has too much sun. He will be gone before you can say Taksin.