Srikcir

"Clip the wings of the Senate" - Kao Klai (KK)

How would that be done as any amendment to the Constitution requires the partial support of the Senate? 

Section 272 appears to have a 'sunset clause' in any event. It essentially only applies until after the period of 5 years from the date of the installation of the first joint national assembly (House & Senate). Nothing is said what takes place afterwards. 

PTP goes more to the heart of the matter with Section 256 wherein the Senate can vote on the election of the PM. But there is still the issue of Senate approval for any amendments to the Constutution. But KK going after 272 becomes a 'side show' in terms of political priorities. Maybe it just wants some political credit that PTP would otherwise dominant.

As an aside I see no reason why KK can't pursue a dual track to support amending both 256 and 272. But it should give priority to 256.

Issuing a new warrant is unnecessary.

Under current law just proceed to try him in absentia as was done with Yingluck. The rule of law must be applied consistently with no one above the law. 

(Not that I agree with the practice of applying new laws retroactively as was done with Thailand's trial in absentia law nor with the whole concept of trial in absentia - violation of human rights to defend oneself without fear of intimidation or threats and violation of international law)

Moreso, a new warrant does not change the statue of limitations and 'Boss' can just continue to ignore the warrant, ie., another year? But the government can say 'it checked the box' for prosecution.

"Not an extra budget"

In the five years that that Prayut Junta was in control, it funded trillion baht for the military, all properly authorized by Prayut's appointed NLA. 

Military purchases were typically made with loans from foreign suppliers, ie., China, over 5-10 years. As such the entire purchase is not funded by a single budget.

So yes, not an extra budget.

But what is budgeted EVERY year is the principle and interest on the loan. So in effect a continuous budget over multiple years.

There were significant water shortage issues in the region for farmers before Junta Chief Prayut expedited the EEC into the region through Article 44 over the objections of local authorities.

Article 44 overrode all environmental laws and regulations but apparently Prayut felt that the economic gain was worth the environmental price.

Since developing the EEC and related infrastructure, PM Prayut has I believe assured the farmers' concerns that the extra water demands of EEC will not impact water demands of agriculture, contrary to continued farmer concerns.

Annual area droughts in the region is not new and it seemed Prayut's strategy was that new water management will solve the conflict.

But now Prawit is worried?

Or should't it be PM Prayut to follow a consistent and coherent water policy? The ultimate plan might be to reduce EEC ambitions (not going to happen) or sacrifice some of the agricultural industry for environmental balance (likely to happen).

High value EEC industry supported by significant foreign funds vs low value agriculture industry supported by debt? 

3 hours ago, bendejo said:

Time for Donnie to break out the ol' rubber stamp

 

 

 

Curious though as that AG Barr must approve the arrest of Bannon. And Barr will protect Trump associates if directed.

Maybe allowing another Trump confederate to escape the law wasn't a message Trump wants to send with less than 100 days to the election

In the West vehicle transponders issued by the State linked to credit balance work at high speeds. 

"Intense public pressure"

Just a thought:

Maybe such pressure should be formalized through a formation of a Citizens Public Safety Committee or such of persons that have no connection to any government agency, National Police or political party and has the power of subpoena. Such committee should have immunity from defamation laws so as not to be compromised, ie., for publishing facts.

7 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

77% of flu infections are asymptomatic

Debatable:

"The role of asymptomatic or presymptomatic influenza-infected individuals in disease transmission may have been overestimated in recent articles dealing with pandemic planning. More definitive influenza transmission studies are needed." https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2646474/#__sec9title

And if a vaccine can be delivered to at least 70+% of the population, community spread should be negated to stall infection surges. Of course there is currently no vaccine for Covid-19.

I thought the measures of re-opening an economy was a steady (7-day?) decline in cases, hospitalizations and/or deaths. Not a leveling that means the virus is likely to surge. Infection of 6% of the population still allows continued spikes in community spread infections, especially from large indoor gatherings if mask and social distancing fail. What does Boris have to lose - Lives?

So Prayut will continue to act as Minister of Defense?

Got to "keep the ducks all in a row" in case of another National Emergency.

33 minutes ago, Bangkok Basha said:

Good to learn from this thread. Last year I got caught in the TransferWise shift to SCB Bank as the intermediary bank for all their transfers so my transfers in July 2019 showed as "domestic transfers". I had unfortunately waited until the last week before my extension expired, so chasing down a letter from SCB showing they'd received the funds from abroad and transferred them to Bangkok Bank (where my account is), took a full day, and by the time I got their letter, my extension had expired 48 hours before, and Chiang Wattana Immigration refused to look at it as I was on an overstay. I had to leave the country and apply for a new retirement (Non-OA) visa at the Thai embassy in Washington, and start over again when I came back. This year I've made sure all fund transfers are for "long-Term Stay in Thailand" and they show up as "International Transfers". I don't transfer the same amount every month, and in several months I've done 2-3 transfers- all totaling 65,000+/month. This means that the letter from Bangkok Bank listing the international transfers is longer and harder to check (my fault), but that's what it will be. I also get credit advices from the bank for each of those transfers as back-up. I have moved to Pattaya and it seems like Chonburi Immigration is less intimidating and less unfriendly as Chiang Wattana was, so wish me luck when I go there next week. 

I provided C-W an "Immigration Bank Letter" from CitiBank Bangkok summarizing my monthly foreign wire transfers. Charge for a CitiBank letter summarizing 12 monthly transfers is 2,000 baht. CitiBank said this letter was approved by Immigration to meet visa income method needs. 

IO rejected the letter saying it did not provide detailed information (?) for each transfer. IO referenced Kadiskorn Bank's Credit Advice Receipt as an example of wire details for a transfer (free to bank client as well as letter).

Back to CitiBank Bangkok (with whom I am not a client) to issue me Confirmation Letters for each transfer that details order and routing for the international transfers. Cost is an additional 200 baht each. So total cost for Letter and 12 individual Confirmation Letters is 4,400 baht. 

"Let's pass legislation on things we agree on"

Little noticed is the process to pass abiil in Congress.

Individually the House and Senate pass their version of a bill (ie., stimulus bill). If the two passed bills do not reconcile, they go to an existing Reconcilitaion Committee compised of Democrats and Republicans who have proven experience in bill reconciliation. 

The present problem is that the House did its job to pass a stimulus bill two+ months ago but the divided Republican-controlled did not in part by even rebuffing Trump's intersections and pronouncements. So procedurally, the House is under no obligation to hold informal talks with the Senate to reconcile a bill that both can agree when the Senate has no bill! 

The fact that now the House is in discussion, not with the Senate, but with the White House to reconcile a passed House bill with a nonlegislative Presidential Order is just bizarre. This points to leadership failure of the Senate Majority Leader and Trump who should be working towards passage of a Senate bill.

Fortunately for the nation, the Democrat-controlled House is trying in an informal bill reconciliation process that BYPASSES THE SENATE to get legislation agreed. Then Mitch can copy the agreement into a Senate bill (likely new version have to be approved by the House) and pass to Trump for execution.

But as we have seen in the past, Trump's approval in not guaranteed.

16 hours ago, Flemo said:

After 8 yrs you would think he would have read a full report

Windows 95 documents no longer producible?