lvr181

"Under the final push the PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban had announced to seize power in the name of “the people” and propose the name of a reform prime minister to His Majesty the King and countersign the appointment."

"Seize the power....." is what political parties want! And to hell with reform. Politicians, their minions and their cronies don't want reform only POWER. Since 1932 Thailand has had a chance to embrace democracy with accountability and TRANSPARENCY. And where is it?

Not one party has come out and clearly stated what reforms it will introduce. The "ordinary voter" (who may believe in the advancement of their country and NOT individuals) would know WHO to vote for if they knew WHAT they were voting for.

In the meantime, this screaming pack of threatening people (from all sides) just wants POWER and advances all sorts of "threats" why they should have it!

Unfortunately, it seems Thai peoples may get what they deserve and not what is good for their country.

In motor racing circles there is a phrase "when the flag drops the bull shit stops".

Street racing gangs can't cop racing without the bullshit! They are just "showoffs" who could not stand real competition.

From Australia, recently, a similarity in offence BUT NOT in punishment:

"A YOUNG father who punched a 50-year-old man unconscious outside a Perth service station, in front of the victim's daughters, has been jailed for more than two years. Dylan Edward Ghilardi, 23, was convicted after a trial of causing grievous bodily harm to Kenneth Akers in April 2013 after both men had been drinking separately. The Perth District Court heard on Wednesday that derogatory remarks were made about Mr Akers' daughters, aged 16 and 19, while Ghilardi and his friends were driving away, prompting him to shout out to them. In sentencing, Judge Anthony Derrick said Ghilardi was looking for a fight when he got out of the car and punched Mr Akers unconscious, causing him to hit his head on the ground and inflicting a brain injury, requiring him to spend six weeks in hospital. "You got out of the car because you took offence to the fact that Mr Akers had the temerity to respond to the derogatory remark that either you or one of your group had made about his daughters," he said. Judge Derrick rejected claims that Ghilardi had acted in self-defence."

Does anyone still support the Russian offender or think his "action justified?

I have no tips but I have no problems with anyone other than some certain Thais in uniforms, but I'm not complaining.

Sent from my mobile, whatever mobile it is.

. This is a Travesty... Just goes to show The Russians run things here, 1000 baht for drunk driving , in Pattaya it's 40,000 for DUI, my friend said the Russian Consulate go to police station and Ruskys are treated VIP, they are released immediately. Pretty soon Thailand will become Satelite State to Russia, or already is, Pack your Gear, This place is going to <deleted>.

This is how everyone should be treated by their country's embassy.

And yes, please pack your bags and leave, more room for those of us who can still enjoy Thailand.

P.S. Nothing against you, it's just too many here are complaining day and night but don't want to do anything about it (leave).

And what should farang constructively do, other than leave? If you know, pass on the tips and perhaps something can be done along with the efforts you have also initiated to bring about some real justice.

An apple a day keeps the websites away.

My iPad 3 is a little beauty, but it does need a bit of TLC every now and then. Closing all programs and rebooting every day seems to keep the little chap happy. But I do wish Apple would stick to the old maxim, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

According to the OP it is broke and therefore Apple should fix it. So I am not sure about your use of the "old maxim"?

You did read the OP, didn't you? It's a software "broke" - his responsibility is to understand why in this case, and we are all dropping suggestions to help him (closing programs, rebooting - comprendez?).

If the maxim is vague to you, think about the transition to IOS 7 and the confusion it caused. You'll find plenty of discussion about it on the web boards. Many things were changed that simply didn't need to be changed - hence, "if it ain't broke ..." etc. Many do not dispute that saying. The changes WERE totally unnecessary and - my opinion only - were just caused by geektards being ... well, geektards.

I appreciate the fact that people are trying to help.

Software or hardware can be "broke". How about the company that you paid money to, should fix it? Apple are fixing some iPhone 4's?

Now, if you consider an "upgrade" (and I use the term upgrade lightly) as fixing something that is not broke, then that is indeed very sad. Generally speaking, companies need to introduce new "product" (hardware or software in the world of IT) in order to increase or maintain sales.

Agree!

And @Benroon - if you didn't know, the roars are for the cars, don't want cars to drive too close to you or your family - stay out of the roads. Absent, clustered or damaged sidewalks do not give you any rights to walk on the road, period! You don't walk on the road in your home country, why do you think it's OK to do it here?

Damn, am I in the wrong country? Like nobody walks on the roads here? Motorcyclist don't ride on sidewalks either?

Open ur freeking eyes!!

When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

So the plumber from Qld won't be boarding one of those.

Damn! I wish he would try.

An apple a day keeps the websites away.

My iPad 3 is a little beauty, but it does need a bit of TLC every now and then. Closing all programs and rebooting every day seems to keep the little chap happy. But I do wish Apple would stick to the old maxim, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

According to the OP it is broke and therefore Apple should fix it. So I am not sure about your use of the "old maxim"?

Idiot Australian with stupid and lame excuse. Hope they lock him up for a few hours before sending home. He may "claim" a reason but it cannot be used as an excuse!

Choose what you prefer and live and let live. If I'm happy in Apple's walled garden, what's it to you?

If you're happy in Apple's walled "garden", why the question, "what's it to you"?

The OP was asking (for him/her) a legitimate question.

For a starter it is likely to cost less!

And don't listen to s**t about virus. Apple community love to say that PCs have more virus than Apple - that is because PCs still have around 85% of market therefore it is more productive to try and break into PC than Macs! Android phone sales outsell Apple in market place, once again it is more

likely to be a cost benefit in targeting android phones for information. It is a numbers game.

Apple phones are a closed community and therefore any "extras" going to cost you money!

And don't get caught out by fancy marketing term about "features" purportedly used only by Apple, many of these features have been improved by the android system and its manufacturers of hardware.

HTH with my "two bobs worth".

"They're fairly proud of the fact that they were never colonized."

The Japanese walked all over them during WW2. They could have colonised/conquered them if they did not have more important things on their mind. "never colonised" is just word play!

I believe the term is ally. The Japanese helped Thailand win their war against France (Franco Thai war); allowed them to attack and occupy parts of Burma and paid them for using Thai assets during the war.

Why did the Thais turn against their "ally" during WW2?

Maybe the Thai realised that Japan was not their friend or ally after all. Just a big bully who walked in and helped themselves as any colonialist/conqueror could have done.

They didn't turn against their ally Japan. Thailand surrendered and was occupied by British and Indian troops in 1946.

Thailand surrendered? Then they were "occupied"?. Apart from semantics, is it not a case of not being colonised (according to the Thais) but just allowing occupation by other countries? Either way they gave up their "rights" to an occupying foreign nation.

But enough word play, I still like Thailand, just have a personal problem with their ways of dealing with national problems (have the "blinkers" on?). Mai pen rai really does not advance their society in the face of other more aggressive asian economies.

"They're fairly proud of the fact that they were never colonized."

The Japanese walked all over them during WW2. They could have colonised/conquered them if they did not have more important things on their mind. "never colonised" is just word play!

I believe the term is ally. The Japanese helped Thailand win their war against France (Franco Thai war); allowed them to attack and occupy parts of Burma and paid them for using Thai assets during the war.

Why did the Thais turn against their "ally" during WW2?

Maybe the Thai realised that Japan was not their friend or ally after all. Just a big bully who walked in and helped themselves as any colonialist/conqueror could have done.

hopefully they even get a change to vote, and dont get blocked by fascist yellow shirt thugs this time.

So the "fascist yellow shirt thugs" do not want democracy? Or they want democracy only on their own terms?

Mmmmm,...... democracy means different things to different people!

"They're fairly proud of the fact that they were never colonized."

The Japanese walked all over them during WW2. They could have colonised/conquered them if they did not have more important things on their mind. "never colonised" is just word play!

Scarpolo - "I have a friend living here 15 years, he pays 700 baht a month rent for a big townhouse, and gets around his bubble very inexpensively, and he lives like a miser."

And where is this big townhouse for 700bht a month?

sorry, misquote

its 7,000 baht,

jet jet gow

I accept the misquote - and now, where is this townhouse located?

Scarpolo - "I have a friend living here 15 years, he pays 700 baht a month rent for a big townhouse, and gets around his bubble very inexpensively, and he lives like a miser."

And where is this big townhouse for 700bht a month?

every mall has decent free western toilets

terminal 21's bogs are world class

Agreed. If away from hotel and I can make it to Terminal 21 that is where I go. And I always carry my tube of Boots Cleansing Hand Gel.

I go USA in 3 weeks but considering just staying there. So done with this BS of a country. And my financials in the US are all secure.

Sent from my LG-D802 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Now your talking sense!

Those countries, such as Thailand, that are relatively peaceful and struggling with their nascent (80 year-old in this case) democracies would do well to look beyond their local problems and survey those countries considered to be developed democracies. What do you see?

Plato saw democracy as the son of a self-serving oligarchy gone soft and the father of an eventual tyranny. Thailand has seen enough coups to know how they happen, so let's look at how to stop the cycle of coups.

There is an interesting research paper, Why Democracies Collapse [http://ips.sagepub.com/content/26/3/291.full.pdf+html]. From their starting assumptions of 11 variables, the researchers narrowed it down to just 5, with the prediction that any country that manifests 4 of the 5 symptoms being very likely to see a collapse of its democratic system.

"The most crucial variables are: cleavages [or deep social divisions], a malfunctioning economy, unfavorable history [and specifically the social, civic and cultural history of democratic development], governmental instability, and foreign involvement. If four of these negative factors appear simultaneously, the democratic regime is almost doomed to collapse. Democracy is, therefore, neither fragile nor feeble, but, rather, a highly resilient regime type."

Setting aside their positive coda, one thing that surprised the researchers was that the actual type of democratic system (proportional, mixed, federal, presidential etc) that a nation employs did not strongly correlate with its stability. Democratic collapse, not just regime change and political instability, were more strongly correlated with the social currency of democratic principles than with the technicalities of the democratic process.

Those who seek to 'reform' Thailand may do well to read the article. Thailand is mentioned in relation to its chronic governmental instability and constitutional weakness.

So, ultimately, checks and balances only work in a culture that believes in checks and balances.

How does Thailand fare under those five variables?

Who writes/enacts "The Constitution"? The incumbent government, or Governments of the past? Knowing Thai peoples predilection for cronyism, is there ever going to be a Constitution written or amended with checks and balances that an incumbent Government will support? That a properly recognised and independent judicial system will oversee?

The current Government sure did make a huge mistake in trying to get Thaksin “amnesty bill” accepted. Majority rule should be about morality as much as about financial governance for the good of the nation (not just some select individuals).

Can Thai people and their politicians accept open, transparent and moral Government? Time will tell, but I cannot see it happening in the short term. Hope I am wrong.

Lady hub? Crime hub?

If you want a lady go to Thailand.

If you want to commit a crime, go to Thailand or Queensland. Which is part of Australia.

These are well known facts of life. Just saying.. . . not complaining.

Queensland? You must be a one-eyed Sydneysider.

Good observation, however I lived in Qld for a year. Had a good time and surfed National Park Noosa Heads for two days with 5 of us out.

Yes I am old.

My more recent education has been, 'attempting' to work with the Qld Police re a multi million dollar fraud conducted from there.

I have learnt a lot, which I cannot even mention. Its a horror story. and I repeat. Its a great place to commit a crime if you are into

that sort of thing.

Qld police, like Thai are very lenient and relaxed about that sort of thing.

haha.....thanks. Having lived in Queensland for the past 24 years there seems to be a surfeit of white collar crime here. But, then again, I am not sure how other states fare. I think we lag behind some southern states when it comes non white collar crime.

Having been to Thailand many times over a number of years, and not falling foul of the authorities, doesn't close my eyes to the criminal activities or cronyism of those in authority. I read enough about it in the Bangkok Post and other papers and various blogs. Therefore, I feel safer in Queensland (or anywhere else in Australia) than Thailand. Unfortunately, fervent prayers to Buddha doesn't seem to help Thai people. But, I guess, it soothes their collective conscience.

As a footnote, I must confess that I do remember falling foul of the authorities by overstaying, by one day, and having to pay a 1000BHT fine at customs on my way out. Oh dear! Que sera sera

Lady hub? Crime hub?

If you want a lady go to Thailand.

If you want to commit a crime, go to Thailand or Queensland. Which is part of Australia.

These are well known facts of life. Just saying.. . . not complaining.

Queensland? You must be a one-eyed Sydneysider.