chachmarach

of course it's going to have serious effects on Thailand re. trade...that's why a list made up by the US has serious repercussions.

As the many posters here have said Thailand needs to know it's place in the world,that Thailand deserves it & hope there will be pain on the economy & the US & it's coalition will do it.

It's ok that the US is I believe the 3rd in the world for destinations for human trafficking, that they are tier 1 & no human trafficking problem or corruption connected there.

Or countries like Vietnam,Cambodia,Ivory Coast& others are only tier 2.

Obviously there is no connection of putting pressure on Thailand..

Thailand deserves it since they have the resources to deal with the problem...

not only that but there are brothels in Thailand...where women sell sex for money..

That would never happen in the West.

There is absolutely no way the US is #3 in the world for human trafficking. If you have a real source, please post it. Otherwise please don't make-up crap just to try and support your lame argument.

Well, I don't know about the assigning the label #3 to the US, but almost everything I've read on the subject seems to suggest that Americans are the largest purveyors of both porn and prostitution as well as the biggest consumers.

I recall reading a few years back that Atlanta was the centre of the illicit trade of sex slaves in the US (it was in a US newspaper) and a quick search on the internet has turned up these links for your perusal: http://www.examiner.com/article/sex-slaves-atlanta-man-and-woman-accused-of-forcing-women-into-prostitution

This one's a little dated, but not much has changed: http://www.salon.com/1999/11/02/modernslaves/

Then one simply need search a website like backpage.com to find a slew of carnal (yet illegal) activity stateside, like this page here: http://atlanta.backpage.com/FemaleEscorts/ (you'll need to agree to be over 18 in order to view it).

The point I'm trying to make is that the hypocrisy of some governments towards others (looking at you Uncle Sam) is astounding! They spout off about human rights when the issues they have in their own backyard is an order of magnitude worse than it is over here. How can I say that you ask? I say it from personal experience... I've travelled extensively throughout North America for the better part of the last two decades and have seen the scourge that is infecting American cities (some Canadian ones too).

At least in Thailand, they are open about the sex industry. It's not hidden in the shadows like it is in the western world. Countries like the US that espouse their self righteous BS about this country being a so-called "tier 3" country for human trafficking should get their own house in order before levying such claims. And those of you who think this problem is confined to countries like Thailand, please pull your head out of the sand because this issue is global, not regional.

Sorry for getting off track about the US but it is a concern to Thailand...

Since the history is now it's kinda difficult to know exactly what is going on behind the scenes.

But this is how it starts...you see reports in the media...and you can take it at face value...or try to see what's really going on.

Many posters here try to ridicule Thailand..all the Thainess jokes although I think they don't really know what that term means.

Thai are proud people and I would like to think of Thailand and it's future as the glass being half full...not half empty.

Americans are proud people too..I certainly don't consider myself anti American but consider that neo cons that control Washington as evil..even against the American people.

The military in Thailand in my opinion are doing a good job & hope it continues..if I am wrong, time will tell & the search for truth is important.

If outside forces are against Thailand's future I hope Thailand will prevail.

Yes, Thai's are very proud as are Americans.

Most obvious difference being that Thais have largely manufactured their pride. They've given scant little to the world. Other than a couple food dishes and easy sex.

Americans on the other hand. Well, I would say that's an obvious one I don't even need to get into. A country with many imperfections indeed but we can all contemplate how much it's contributed to the world.

The Thais will be in for a very rude wake up call if they want to play with the big boys. The US, EU and Japan can literally crush Thailand economically. Thailand needs to play its position.

As a fellow Canuck, I must respectfully disagree with both of your posts here PW. American pride is the result of their leaders/corporate masters feeding them boatloads of propaganda espousing their self righteousness and exceptionalism. Their pride is just as manufactured as it is here in the LoS.

The Americans have given the world a lot of good things, but they've also brought a bunk load of pain and suffering, which more than offsets the good they've done. The thing that pisses me off the most about this fact is that the vast majority of them (and, let's be honest, a lot of Canadians too... especially those who brought our current .GOV to power) are blissfully ignorant of the harm their government has/is inflicting upon the rest of the world.

I think (and I'm not alone) that the Thai military is playing its hand very close to its chest and is doing a brilliant job of restoring confidence and pride to the Thai populace. The American government on the other hand, is in complete shambles and they will likely get a severe dressing down from some Eastern powers sooner rather than later. The moment they lose reserve currency status, the country will implode under its own bloated policies. When almost 1/3rd of your population relies on their government to give them money each month so they can afford to eat, me thinks there won't be a happy ending (nor a happy meal ;-) ).

You say that Japan, the E.U. and U.S. can "literally" crush Thailand economically, but let's take a look at their respective debt to GDP... Japan: 227.20% D2GDP; USA: 101.53%; and Thailand: 45.27%. Last year Thailand exported about $15B more to the US than what they imported... with Thailand having a GDP of about $366B (2012 figures garnered from data provided by the World Bank - latest figures available), them losing 100% of their trade with the States would hardly "crush" this country.

And as for the EU, the countries in that monetary agreement will act in their own self interests if push comes to shove... just look at what Austria did yesterday whilst thumbing their noses at Brussels: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-24/putin-scores-another-historic-victory-austria-signs-south-stream-pipeline-deal-defia

I'd be more concerned with what would happen in OUR home country if the States were to implode... Canada is waaaay to reliant on the cross-border trade.

Purely selfish... How about BKK to YVR? I'd take the Thai service over pretty much any other Star Alliance carrier (except SIN Air).

Malaysia flies to YVR

If only they were part of the Star Alliance... I have status with AC so I like to get the points and use the lounges. But thanks for the info!

It will be no different than when all the airlines had expensive phones in the seat backs... this service (I've used it before) is not cheap! The internet connection I used was called Go-Go Inflight and If I remember correctly it cost in the region of $20.00 for the flight (about three usable hours.)

The service couldn't be used below 10,000 feet and was not fast enough to hold a video call on Skype... VoIP was fine though. Given the background noise in the cabin, I couldn't hear anyone's phone calls. The majority of the passengers couldn't be bothered to use the service (it was on Air Canada) and instead opted for the free videos on the screens in front of them.

This will be coming whether you like it or not. The service will get faster and undoubtably cheaper. Whilst I don't relish the idea of having some 16 year old, bubble gum-pop hipster douche bag yacking into their Ipoo for an entire flight, I know there isn't a lot I can do about it as the airlines will view this service as a major revenue stream. It's coming, prepare accordingly! How can you prepare? I find that my Bose earbud headphones work wonders at cancelling out even the worst of the worst noises onboard. Pang maak maak, but in my opinion, worth every penny!

Purely selfish... How about BKK to YVR? I'd take the Thai service over pretty much any other Star Alliance carrier (except SIN Air).

General Prayuth and his merry men have done more good for Thailand in under two weeks than almost anyone before them.

Yet the western press and especially America seem to want an election that could bring back Thaksin. Have they forgotten that Thaksin was the one who ordered the massacre of almost 3000 of his own people without due process, a basic human right in America, a basic of democracy.

Don't forget. America at the moment is the America of Obama and his ilk. You don't matter unless you are Muslim, or a wealthy liberal, williing to spend dollars to keep the libs in power.

HA! In America, you don't matter. Obumer is just a figurehead, just like the muppet before him; they both share the same policies and they both have the same backers. They are (were) the Teleprompter's in Chief. The biggest lie is thinking that it's Left vs. Right... it's not. More like, the .00001% against everyone else. They just own the message so they can spew whatever they want, whenever they want. Ahhhhhhh, the illusion of freedom, it's so tasty, ignorance is such bliss.

There may have officially been a curfew in Samui, but in practice, meh. Even the 7/11's and Family Marts started ignoring it after about four days. I have yet to see a soldier on the island... aside from a few Navy seamen over in Nathon.

I've been loving the mainstream media's coverage of this; from their headlines, you'd think the whole country has come unglued!

PTP led government did not delay paying the rice farmers. It was EC who tried to bargain with the government - delay election or no payment, and the dem and its pdrc blocking the payments. Threatened banks not to cooperate with the government to pay rice farmers. According to this report, they have been enough funds to pay them and other avenues that funds were available.

You might want to check your calendar .. August arrived a few months before January, same every year .. PDRC did not exist until long after the rice payments first became due. Yingluck and PTP didn not 'FAIL' to pay the farmers, they decided 'NOT TO PAY' the farmers and were confident that their 'redistribution' of funds would be covered by the Amnesty Bill.

Thumbs up to Prayuth, a man with balls and brains, a man who could quickly become the most popular PM in the democratic history of Thailand

... also, never a single word at the red stages to support the farmers not paid. It never was their real agenda. Instead these farmers were intimitated by the leaders of the reds.

In between now, the election for the European parlament got a setback for the corporate globalists too. Conservatives and right wings gained like never before. Their goal is to reduce the corporate globalists to rubbles and to reduce the Euro Parlament's power. Amsterdam will have fewer roads to travel, hahahaha ...

It's not against globalization per se but the enforcing corporate globalist elites with sinister further plans for the globe. Natural globalization is alright ...

Coming back to the rice scheme/scam it is save to say that this was staged by the corporate globalists so to slowely create social unrest after the political unrest and then followed by civil war so that they can get more power and control by sneaking in the back doors.

The awakening is global and not just here in Thaiand.

People are awake but the trouble is that we have a huge capacity for denial. If you think about the Arab Spring and the poor vegetable seller that was so humiliated by the corrupt authorities that he burnt himself to death, one can see how desperate you need to be before something clicks within you and you realise what an unjust system you live in. Shame can hold one back because we don't think were doing as well as we think we should, and shame also keeps our heads well below the parapets. I think it was reported here on Thaivisa that at least one rice farmer committed suicide.

To me Thailand should be a wakeup call. If you have an apathetic, passive, society that lets politicians, bankers, elites get away with things you'll end up with politicians, bankers and elites who will be more than willing to oblige. In New Zealand, and practically all the west, real incomes have been going down since the late fifties. In the UK, the 10 wealthiest families have as much as the entire bottom 20% of the country.

Inequality is growing world wide and will continue to do so until the general populace do something about it.

I agree with your assessment Teddy, unfortunately the old divide and concur tricks that TPTB have used for hundreds of years are still working today. The mainstream media is a propaganda machine that spews forth lies and rhetoric that conditions the populace into blaming each other, all while the upper echelon of society reap the benefits.

You watch... the PR machine is going to ramp up the war mongering and TPTB will use agent provocateurs to try to destabilize this country and the world into fighting another world war. I think USMC General Smedley Butler said it best when he said "War is a racket" here: http://www.warisaracket.com/

I love the fact that Thais have given the finger to the global establishment and were not content to sit around passively waiting to be raped by TS and his cronies. I have uber respect for this country and its people, especially the General running the show right now! I think Thailand IS the wakeup call and it's made the establishment very scared, because at the end of the day, Thais love their fellow countrymen and are led by their wonderful King, whom I have enormous respect for.

Farmers will be pleased to be paid. It's great. However, they will not forget that it was the old guard who blocked the payment in the first place.Nothing to do with the policy itself , just pure bloody-mindedness by Sutphep and the cronies.

How do you justify writing lies like this to yourself? You know very well PTP ran into difficulties with paying the farmers months before the protests against the corrupt amnesty bill forced them to dissolve parliament.

They were lying about having enough money months before any protest and then cocked up further by not bothering about paying the farmers before dissolving the house. They needed the 2.2.trillion to cover it all up.

Will be interesting to see what comes to light if/when the real books are found and audited.

Agree 100%!

I can't wait to hear what happened to another one of the Gov't schemes, namely the one involving the refunding of the excise tax for first time car buyers. My Mrs. thinks she's going to get it back, but it's been more than a year now and she has yet to see a single baht, let alone 110K+ (I've written it off).

She's holding out hope, but I can see the frustration building in her eyes... going to be a lot of PO'd people if the money for that one isn't returned (since after all, they've already paid it).

keep her as long as you want i would say 1 day for everyday the farmers went unpaid..give her time to reflect on how awful she has treated them....

I think you've got your facts wrong. It isn't Yingluck or the Redshirts that are responsible or the tardy payments to the farmers. It's Suthep and the Yellow Shirts. If they hadn't have gone on their seditious rampage to unseat the democratically-elected government the farmers would have all been paid within a couple weeks of their sales. If you want to blame someone for the farmers and the country's current miseries blame it on the Yellow Shirts.

Bwaaaahahahahahahahahahahaha.... my God! Thank you for the laugh!!! I needed that today.

Seriously though, who do you think it was that promised to pay (bribe) the farmers all that money at above market prices? I'll give you a hint... It was the Thai guy living in Dubai while running the country from abroad, but through his daughter (whoops, I meant sister, lol) and his lackeys here in Thailand.

I usually don't feed Trolls, but this one was too good not to give a few scraps to.

Democratically elected, (how much per vote did TS pay again?) I love that! I also love how the Reds were paid to go to BKK to protest (I was told by my Mrs. that some of the red protesters filed complaints with the police because their payment had not gone through... if I can find the link she showed me at the time, I'll add it) whilst the other side PAID to go!

I know I'm a newbie here, but damn!... how could anyone who's lived in this country for any amount of time over the past three years and who wasn't being paid to shill for that blowhard in Dubai not see that these elections are bought and paid for! I think (hope) that that's what the military is trying to reform. (Perhaps a bit of wishful thinking on my part, but one can hope.)

I see. You're a newbie here, but you know, just know, that the only reason rural Thais would vote for Pheu Thai is because some crook bought their vote. I can assume you don't have any idea what elections were like before 2001, and I'll bet you don't have any idea what the elections were like in 2007 and 2010. I'll bet you don't know anyone from Sara Buri or Lop Buri or Chainat or Lampang or Chiang Rai or any other province outside Bangkok. I'll bet you don't know anybody from the South. Do you know anything about Suthep's record? I dislike most of the inane babbling from the neofascist PDRC supporters here, but they're either pursuing a corporatist/ultra-royalist agenda or are delusional. I don't think you have either excuse.

Okay, I'll bite... I've been coming to Thailand for over a decade and staying each year for around six months at a time.

You're right, I don't know what elections were like before 2001, but I was here for the others. I've travelled extensively as that's what I do for a living. I've been to the North, North East (Issan) and pretty much all of the South (including the deep South) and currently live in Samui... but I go back to my Mrs. place in NakSiTam all the time. Oh yeah, my Muay Thai trainers are from the deep South too (Yala).

I'm not going to bite on your reference to any ultra-royalist agenda and I'd suggest you not bring that kind of thing up on these forums.

Judging by the info you have provided on your profile, you've likely been here a while given that you were born in 1937, which, BTW, is the same age as my father. But just like my father, you seem to have yet to overcome the cognitive dissonance that a lot of your generation has regarding how the world's governments have been usurped by that corporatist agenda you refer to. I bet you watch a lot of mainstream media and take whatever they say as gospel. I was a journalist 20 years ago, but couldn't stand the way the industry was moving towards consolidation. When the message is controlled by only a few big corporations, the truth usually falls victim to sensationalism.

Thaksin is a part of that group, his sister (daughter) was nothing but a figurehead, proxy if you will, for his policies and I believe had the military not stepped in when they did this country would have taken an even greater turn for the worse. Now the truth has come out... TS plans to setup a Gov't in excile (perhaps he can get some advice from Ben Ali of Tunisia as I referred to in a previous post.) And as for the ad homonym attacks in your post, may I present to you (and the forum) a little tidbit of information on how to try and win or shut down an argument: http://www.whale.to/m/disin.html#Twenty-Five_Rules_of_Disinformation__

I will end by saying, I may be a newbie on this forum, but I'm here to stay... both here on TV and in my new home, Thailand.

Chok dee Pee Acharn... Wanna hug it out? Let's hug it out...

As Thaksin has now announced he intends to form a government in exile which includes Yingluk, her detention may be extended and even downgraded.

so where are you getting your information from Suthep?

I thought it was from Mr. Amsterdam. Not surprising though. A self appointed fugitive criminal establishes a government and includes his sister whose just been removed for breaking the law and similarly faces more serious charges.

Sometime, a real journalist, not like Head or Peel but an investigative journalist, will do some digging on the Shin Clan and their mob. That journalist will have a field day.

If the US and UK support a convicted fugitive and his convicted sister in forming their own self appointed "government" in exile, then Putin save us!

I like the way you think Baer, well said! I'm also looking forward to what Edward Snowdon and "Da Boyz" are going to release this summer that will be aimed squarely at TPTB in the West! From everything I've read thus far, it'll scatter the roaches far and wide!

Lest we forget, TS is one of the Globalists... He kinda reminds me of that other dictator Ben Ali from Tunisia, you know, the one who fled his country for Dubai with 1.5 Tons of Gold. Dubai must be a great place to party if you're a dictator with mega bucks!

Totally unnecessary detention. She has been the voice of passiveness and tolerance. Unreasonable brute action.

She's been a great actress and done exactly what her brother instructed. Remember those tearful performances, the time she was caught smirking straight afterwards? The on/off torn ligament? The laughing hysterically with aides in the lift? The non appearances in parliament? The shamefully piss poor interviews? The history re-write speech delivered in Mongolia.

Some idiot lackey said she deserved an Nobel Peace Prize. Utter bollckos but she might be up for an Oscar.

Given the family's propensity for legging it with large numbers of large suitcases I'd suggest there is very good reason for her detention. We don't know what the General knows. And she still faces possible proceeding on numerous charges including murder.

No way she'd be up for an Oscar BB. Her performance was worse than JLo in Gigli! Perhaps a Razzie would be more appropriate eh?

keep her as long as you want i would say 1 day for everyday the farmers went unpaid..give her time to reflect on how awful she has treated them....

I think you've got your facts wrong. It isn't Yingluck or the Redshirts that are responsible or the tardy payments to the farmers. It's Suthep and the Yellow Shirts. If they hadn't have gone on their seditious rampage to unseat the democratically-elected government the farmers would have all been paid within a couple weeks of their sales. If you want to blame someone for the farmers and the country's current miseries blame it on the Yellow Shirts.

Bwaaaahahahahahahahahahahaha.... my God! Thank you for the laugh!!! I needed that today.

Seriously though, who do you think it was that promised to pay (bribe) the farmers all that money at above market prices? I'll give you a hint... It was the Thai guy living in Dubai while running the country from abroad, but through his daughter (whoops, I meant sister, lol) and his lackeys here in Thailand.

I usually don't feed Trolls, but this one was too good not to give a few scraps to.

Democratically elected, (how much per vote did TS pay again?) I love that! I also love how the Reds were paid to go to BKK to protest (I was told by my Mrs. that some of the red protesters filed complaints with the police because their payment had not gone through... if I can find the link she showed me at the time, I'll add it) whilst the other side PAID to go!

I know I'm a newbie here, but damn!... how could anyone who's lived in this country for any amount of time over the past three years and who wasn't being paid to shill for that blowhard in Dubai not see that these elections are bought and paid for! I think (hope) that that's what the military is trying to reform. (Perhaps a bit of wishful thinking on my part, but one can hope.)

Here in the US, the news stations are acting like Thailand has become a war zone and everyone is going to die. This is not helping my cause. Shut it, CNN!

In the US, 95% of the media is controlled by 5 corporations. Please don't drink the kool-aid they're selling, it's tainted.

All TV channels now blocked. internet will be blocked from 8pm. This is serious stuff. Trouble brewing with Red Shirts.

I'm on the internet watching CNBC streaming. 2230.

Whay would anyone want to watch CNBS? Zerohedge all the way baby!

Good night tourism.

I mean how does that even work now?

Many tourists enjoy the night life of Thailand. This is a nail in the coffin for tourism if they are going to be confined to thier hotel rooms after saving all year for a holiday.

Pfffffff.... no it's not. The hotels are handing out DVD's and VCD's for everyone to while away their time. Most of the hotels near my place in Samui still have their bars open so their guests can go there if they like.

Most of the tourists come here for the beaches and the daytime activities, despite what you (and others around the world) may think about the nighttime carnal festivities.

Actually, it kinda pisses me off when my buddies back in Canada spout the same old rhetoric about "Oooooo, mista, love you long time!" Yes, there's that side of things here, but it's only prevalent because it's not hidden in the shadows (or online) like it is in the West. That said, I'm not one to pass judgement on anyone if they choose to enjoy all that this country has to offer. In my opinion, you either pay for love up front (which is cheaper) or pay for it for the duration of your marriage ;-) but regardless, there's always a price to be paid.

And if you're so inclined to want a wee-bit-o-fun with a bargirl (or kathoey... if that's your thing - and nothing wrong with that if it is ;-) ) consider yourself lucky that a short time may turn into a long time for no extra cost, courtesy of the military. I would just say thank you and move along.

Havn't I read across here, everything is safe, now it is officially a coup'etat and curfew all over the country would like to see what tourist travels to a country with his children were life is regulated by armed men?

Many do every day.

USA - armed police.!

Singapore

UAE

India

too many to mention..

The curfew and martial law will stop many coming to Thailand because travel insurance is voided.

Travel insurance is still valid unless your malady is a direct result of the Coup. If it is then the insurance company can claim Force Majeure and yer hooped, otherwise no issues.