Srikcir

Analogy - The Junta is redecorating the storefront window while leaving the building at risk from flooding.

It needs to get its priorities right - DEVELOP INFRASTRUCTURE

"one property developer has joined forces with Thailand Elite"

Any government deal with an individual or single business without following a transparent and accountable procurement process is CORRUPTION.

The government should extend this benefit to ALL property developers to be fair and just. This deal gives as a minimum the APPEARANCE of special treatment with a developer who may be suffering from financial stress and willing to do ANYTHING to sell properties in a depressed market.

Welcome to Junta Failed Reform.

The law predates the Junta

There is a law against disclosing a police checkpoint that is out in public view? Can you provide the citation for that law?

I think the violation comes under the law of "Whatever Suits the Police."

Committing a crime out of recklessness after drinking alcohol covers a lot of activities.

The great problem must be in what is going to be the questions in a referendum.

Although I haven't read the contents of the proposed charter (as other posters apparently have) I suspect there will be parts that are acceptable to everyone and others that certain sectors see as detrimental to them and they would be against for their own good.There could also be others which would be generally unacceptable.

So just to ask "Do you accept or reject" will not give a fair indication of what those who take part in the referendum really want.

Neither can I believe that everyone who would vote in such a referendum would understand the contents or consequences of what they were voting for or against.

A choice of going back to previous charters which politicians have already found ways to subvert would also be unacceptable.

"Do you accept or reject will not give a fair indication of what those who take part in the referendum really want."

It wasn't fair that the Junta abolished the 2007 Constitution without PERMISSION of the Thai electorate. The Constitution had a process for amending it but the military chose to bypass the democratic institutions as the only means to completely rewrite it in a manner that provided the elitists with UNFAIR advantages promulgated as law.

So too bad if it's all or nothing - seems very fair compared to the Thai people who have unwillingly lost their rights and liberties to a minority under the gun.

I personally have an issue with electrons having intrinsic angular momentum characterized by the quantum number 1/2.

It leads to twice the confusion.

"The Thai government has reportedly had difficulties in taking legal action against the perpetrators as the crime took place overseas."

It's difficult for Thailand to combat human trafficking when it's everyone else's problem. Maybe the solution for the Junta is to give all trafficked people a FAST PASS so they can travel through Thailand as quickly as possible without disturbing Thai society.

Some seem confuse as to what the Junta's reforms are. Let me summarize briefly:

2006 - Thaksin Enemy of the State

2014 - Yingluck Enemy of the State

2015 - 30 million Thai voters Enemy of the State

Maybe Thailand can build its nine "clean" coal-fired power plants in Myanmar instead of in Thailand.

once again we see why the thai press needs to be reigned in, the fact they have blatantly lied and used an old pic that was actually taken in Bangkok a year ago should be enough to have the paper concerned shut down with massive fines. They are supposed to report the truth not made up bullsh*t, this is definitely political as well as trying to cause conflicts and needs to be followed up with some very harsh punishment.

Unfortunately the thai press is not capable of doing any sort of investigative journalism and resorts to this sort of crap to sell their papers, truth would be something that would really go down well here but it will never happen.

What news media published this photo as happening in June 2015? Let's not confuse SOCIAL media with NEWS Media.

I agree that the Thai press is not capable of doing investigative reporting. The Junta suppresses such actions as it must control the result.

They would rather make them understand the current situation.

The Thai people have less sovereignty that North Koreans.

Unlike Thais, the North Koreans can at least "exercise power through their representative organs - the Supreme People's Assembly and local people assemblies at all levels." - 1972 Constitution, Article 4

Active military officers serving in the PM's cabinet, NLA, NRC and CDC get both military and government salaries but the Junta goes after a low income lottery vendor for charging a Bt20 fee for select lottery tickets.

How can this government be honest about solving wealth inequality when its is the biggest offender? As a general must know, you LEAD BY EXAMPLE.

Increasing borrowing and making more populist subsidies but cut revenues.

This government may run out of funds before the end of the year.

Say goodbye to the USD's in Thailand's foreign reserve.

The government's water policy has been to BEG farmers to cease water consumption for agricultural use and wait for greater rainfall later.

The farmers will plant when they decide. Especially so when Gen. Prayut's policy has been to pay the farmer's to delay their plantings.

NAAC might want to watch NBTC secretary general Takorn Tantasith's assets for any unexplained increase in wealth.

The Junta government has encouraged double standards in issuing broadcast licenses. The NBTC has effectively rendered license regulations moot.

Those channels that diligently paid their license fees in full and on time may want to consider withdrawing. The military has its own station and probably from Prayut's viewpoint, that's enough for the Thai people.

BOT has cut 50 basis points within the last four months. It's still a long ways to go before the end of the third quarter.

With the Junta-government increasing the pace of borrowing funds from China and Japan for domestic infrastructure, continuing (ironically) expensive populist economic policies, failing to improve the agricultural industry profitability, and making poor foreign policy decisions regarding exports, I expect at least one more cut before end of year.

Thailand's economy is a long ways from recovery. And potential national DISUNITY on the draft 2015 constitution and lack of elections will further unsettle investor confidence.

Maybe a disgruntled Secret Service Agent?

"China considers Myanmar strategically important as a gateway"

China considers Thailand politically important as a lackey.

Same purpose, different approaches.

If you follow the adage "Buy Low, Sell High," now may be the time to buy gold securities.

The USA Federal Reserve has no control over global events and the speculative value of gold is driven by world uncertainty. With Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China aggressively promoting transnational military agendas, global economic soundness may prove to have no calming effect on investors.

Maybe they should approach the Germans ?

I thought every country under the sun was chomping at the bit to invest in Thai infrastructure projects, why a loan ?

Looking at the interest terms, it seems that a loan might be cheaper.

Depending on undisclosed terms of the loan agreement, the effective interest rate might be much higher.

The cost of technology and materials might be inflated.

Japanese investors might receive commercial development rights along the rights of way.

There may also be auxilliary agreements not directly related the the rail projects that provide hidden benefits to Japanse investors.

"print and distribute 19 million copies of the draft to voters"

And will the copies be only in Thai?

For the referendum for the 2007 draft constitution the Junta did not allow it translated into Malay for the 4 million Southern Malay-Thais.

Only 19 million people eligible to vote ?

In the 2011 election there were 27,537,677 "valid votes."

But there may be more than one voter at an address.

"inflation rate has contracted for five consecutive "

That didn't stop Prayut from giving civil service employees a 5% pay raise. After all, what's a one-man government without employees?

"To set up a land bank to prevent land grabbing by investors"

This land bank isn't about government-owned property like the national forests. It implies that it covers privately-owned property wherein the current legal owners would be prevented control over their property. The government would decide how the land would be used and by whom.

A government committee in charge of such a land bank just spells CORRUPTION.

How do we know when the reform has taken place?

Simple.

When power of the minority becomes permanent without the need for future military coups.