PepperMe

Even so, would be hard pressed not to think Thailand backing China, as they are the rising star as a world power.

You have to be kidding. Other than nukes, and lots of people in China, China totally lacks technology and its weapons are antiquated.

The question was not who has the largest, or spends the most on their military. It was who would Thailand side with.

China, without a doubt, and maybe that is what has pissed off the US with this coup and their attempts to start interfering in the political situation here. What with their so called attempted meetings with UDD figures. There is a reason for the US supporting the Thaksin regime.

I doesn't matter what the political situation here, Thailand will Not support the US when they are potentially going to be surrounded by the Russia/China allies.

The firepower of all the Asia nations that will back Russia is enough to dwarf the firepower of what the US could afford to dedicate to their Asia campaign.

The simplest way to neutralize the US in SEA is to hit each ally with overwhelming force that they surrender one by one. Japan being the first, S Korea being the second, then go for Guam.

While at the same time the US need to be active in Europe with Russia and their Middle east allies, and also will need to keep themselves protected from all the Russian Allies in S America.

Not many military experts have tipped the US to win a war against a large Russian allied force..... At least they are realistic.

I think as far as economic matters go, Thailand needs the US more than the US needs Thailand, but military wise, I think the US needs Thailand more than Thailand needs the US.

The US just cut a deal to move back into Subic Bay and Clark Air Force Base in the Phils. It also has Diego Garcia and Guam. It also has 11 Nimitz class aircraft carrier groups.

Who needs Thailand?

Nobody is doubting what the US military hardware and bases are.

What happens if those bases are wiped out rather quickly?

The hardest part of winneng a war is not the hardware, it is the logistics and the US would be spread far too thin across the globe. It is NOT going to concentrate all its efforts in the western pacific.

If it goes off, the US, will have problems in that region. A single torpedo below the waterline and that is an aircraft carrier lost.

if Thai sides with the US, they got Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan behind them

if Thai sides with China, they got Russia, and prolly the Arab world???

US would also have S Korea and Phils.

Russia would have the entire Middle east barring Israel, most of North and West Africa, India, most of S E Asia and South America.

As far as man power goes, the US allies would be barely over a billion versus the rest of the planet population.

Eastern Europe would not be a guaranteed US set of Allies and would create problems as most of those countries would be split and end up in civil wars which would cause many problems for the US coalition.

China and Russia allies? You cannot be serious! Thailand wouldn't even be in the equation. Even so, would be hard pressed not to think Thailand backing China, as they are the rising star as a world power.

I agree.

Especially with the anti-US sentiment running high at the moment.

I think as far as economic matters go, Thailand needs the US more than the US needs Thailand, but military wise, I think the US needs Thailand more than Thailand needs the US.

Likely Russian allies in the region if a wider escalation took place would be most of SEA, and this could leave Thailand completely surrounded by enemies id it chose to stand up for the US. So the US is likely not even going to bother approaching Thailand for bases etc..... They would be wiped out pretty swiftly.

This is purely hypothetical and I didn't really start this thread to argue about whether their will or won't be a situation.

But let's say that the current situation between Russia, the EU and USA escalated into conflict. Which let's face it, is just as possible in the short future than it has been over the past 50 years.

W know that China is going to back Russia along with a few other countries that hate the west (and probably even some western countries).

The questions are up for debate.

Who would Thailand be more likely to align itself with?

Would Thailand likely play any role (bases, troops, barrier) etc....?

Are they likely to swap sides depending on who was gaining superiority?

Insert your own questions.

They think they can control the global rubber price?..... I can see another rice PTP style price trip up on the way.

But then again Malay and Indo are not as stupid as Thailand. Vietnam, India and Cambodia will be licking their lips waiting to take all the business.

Making yourself uncompetitive is business suicide, have they not learned this already?

I do seem to recall the Thais going ape and threatening with defamation lawsuits when these accusations were initially revealed.

So I wonder how long the whistle blowers will be waiting for an official apology???

Interesting. I've been back in my home country(US) for a while and doing some comparisons. I think most consumer prices are similar. Maybe a hair bit cheaper in the US due to WalMart. Only thing that in cheap in Thailand is the LOW monthly rent for studio apartments and the cheap restaurants. In the US I can't find any apartment for less than about $300 a month(10,000 baht) anywhere. But I can find good studio apartments for less than $150 a month in Thai. You can even find rooms for $50 a month in Thai still. So for me, Thai is still a bargain in the accomodation department. It's actually much for affordable to live in Thai for me. I've been priced out of my own country.

You should count yourself lucky. In the UK, you will not get a one bedroom apartment for less that $750 a month. For Brits Thailand is very cheap.

2 & 3 bed houses available around in a medium sizes town near the sea at about £400 p.m. 1.5 $ to the £ = $600 U.S. per month.

The same in Pattaya - for example 10,000 Baht / £203 / $305 U.S.

I currently pay £55 per month over 12 months for gas and elec. = 2700 Baht p.m. in a 3 bed house in the U.K.

Not as expensive as some would have us believe.

Obviously there are other considerations to take into account.

A condo for me paid recently for a full 12 months in advance cost me 5000 Baht a month. Cheap. But it does myself and the g/f who will move in when her teaching year comes to an end.

I was giving an average.

In London you can pay £3000 a month for an apartment and £6000 for a house.... In Middlesbrough you can get cheap rental, but it is the most depressed, recession hit place in the country with vastly high unemployment.... Why would you live their?

The average price in a town that has employment and decent infrastructure for someone to be able to lead a pretty average life will cost the figures I quoted.

Anyway, I own my house outright in the UK and in Thailand, so luckily I don't have to worry about it and I get £800 a month in rent from my UK home.

Stop using emails and start using facebook and Line, and voila...... you will have all the interaction you need.

Email is soooooooooo 2005.

You got to move with the times, or the times will move YOU.

Interesting. I've been back in my home country(US) for a while and doing some comparisons. I think most consumer prices are similar. Maybe a hair bit cheaper in the US due to WalMart. Only thing that in cheap in Thailand is the LOW monthly rent for studio apartments and the cheap restaurants. In the US I can't find any apartment for less than about $300 a month(10,000 baht) anywhere. But I can find good studio apartments for less than $150 a month in Thai. You can even find rooms for $50 a month in Thai still. So for me, Thai is still a bargain in the accomodation department. It's actually much for affordable to live in Thai for me. I've been priced out of my own country.

You should count yourself lucky. In the UK, you will not get a one bedroom apartment for less that $750 a month. For Brits Thailand is very cheap.

What a stupid thread.

I worked in Spain for 3 years and I can tell you now. The Thai police are worse than Spanish police on just about every level you can think of.

Anyway, why the hell should we care about what happens in Costa Del Anywhere?..... we are living in Thailand.

Comparing Spain with Thailand indeed....... Go find a hobby.

You can remove the leader, disband the party, "talk" to the hierarchy but you will never remove the sentiment of the 15 million Thai's that voted for the principles that they stood for.

They voted for the populist policies that almost bankrupted the country, they also sold their votes.

That 15 million was shaved down to 10 million in last Febs election and that was without any opposition.

So just goes to show how fast they became unpopular.

5 million voters went missing in 3 years.

The Dems would have walked that election.

Get educated mate.

No good, chief, just telling them.

Catch some of them taking bribes, punish them and then what you say will be heard by the others.

Unfortunately, bribery and corruption has been flourishing for many years in the RTP.

Fortunately, the new government is here to change things, and they will.

Give them time.......

Not much point.

All he can do is ask nicely and hope they will conform which they will not.

The problem is that anyone in this country who seriously attempts to stop any corruption in the police will find themselves dead within a month...... Accident or suicide of course, and this goes right up to the top.

That is what stops the crack downs.

It is why corruption will remain part of Thailand daily life, and will never be stopped.

Greece has never had the intention of pulling out of the EU. But it probably WILL pull out of the Euro.

The Euro only works for the larger economies, that has been proven and is completely unsuitable for the smaller ones such as Greece. The Euro has been a disaster for many countries and has led to mass unemployment and the bailout of several countries. Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Cyprus with Ireland rightly exiting the bailout.

The only way Greece can get back on track is to reinstate the Drachma and default. Even if this happens, the EU probably would not kick them out of the union, because it would start a topple. However, pulling out of the Euro, if even a slight recovery shows in the Greek economy, I would think the southern countries are likely to follow including Italy.

How the EU would respond then is anyone's guess.

He expressed his "sorrow and pride over the martyrs who fell in the airstrike," saying that Iran will continue to stand by the "Lebanese resistance."

So why not just declare war on Israel?

Oh thats right..... You would be wiped out in a month at the most and lose a nice big chunk of your country to Israel. Just like Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan and Syria failed to knock over Israel back in 47 and 67.

Nice bit of ivory behind him.

The EU is nothing other than the USAs decoy.

The US are pulling all the strings and need to have Russia completely taken out because it has the power with China to completely destroy the Dollar and the US economy creating a total breakdown of US society.

Russia has a lot more potential allies that dislike the US enough to build a huge coalition against this western aggression.

Europe will be the battleground if a war kicks off and that suits the USA down to the ground (as always).... Not in my back yard eh.