Jon Wetherall

You have 2 chances at getting a seat at the Security Council. "SLIM and NON" and slim just left town

2 chances???

Actually, you are closer to the truth than you may realise. Thailand has a 50/50 chance of actually getting a seat!

Of the 5 non-permanent seats available in the 2016 election, one is for the Asia-Pacific Region.

Guess what - there are only two candidates (Thailand and Kazakhstan) contesting this Region.

Apart from the impact Thai domestic issues may have, the fact that Kazakhstan borders Russia and China (both permanent members of UNSC) may also have some bearing on the outcome.

Here it is read it and weep.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_election,_2016

Read it and wept.

It;s a funny old world sometimes, when people like this get taken seriously.

"Sek said Thailand retained a good chance to take the seat."

I don't know if that's true or not, I suppose stranger things have happened, but it certainly shouldn't be true. Thailand should get a good bit of mockery for having the cheek to push themselves forward, given their track record.

And as for "Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development", it's really difficult to think Prayuth might actually be serious. He has no sense of embarrassment it seems.

It's always someone else's fault and someone else's responsibility with this guy. Makes you wonder how long Thais will put up with him.

To make this clear: no journalist or editor (or anyone else, for that matter) should ever go to jail or attitude adjustment (or worse) for his/her opinion or reporting!

...but some paper just got to reap, what is sow...

It's tempting indeed to say som nam na to Yoon and the Nation. it really is the most appalling rag. But Pravit is one of the very few sane voices there.

There goes my internet connection again

And the electricity. Last week I had 19 power cuts in one afternoon and an average of 120v when there was any at all..

Thai expertise...

You seem to be suffering from a severe case of wishful thinking.

One Rai produces between 400-800 kilos of rice - 600 kg being sort of average - so the loss per Rai can be 4000-10000 Baht. 2000 doesn't come even close.

Problem here is that many farmers don't own the land they cultivate which cuts the profit in half. That is the real issue here. If things go pear-shaped, they loose money and go in to debt.

I would never want to be a farmer here. Hard work with little return.

You are quoting gross return, which is irrelevant. My point was that any handout will be limited, and I very much doubt it will be anywhere near B80,000 per household.

But why should rice farming be treated any differently to other businesses - because there is so many involved which gives them political clout. Every year there is some reason why they should get a handout, and the country has to import foreign workers while its own workforce is busy producing enough to keep them perpetually poor (allegedly). Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, the same crop is grown on broad-acre farms for a substantial profit.

Rubber and palm oil get their periodic handouts. This issue is not unique to rice.

Shhh. Don't tell them that, don't educate them, it's too entertaining the way it is.

Compensation would have to be at least 2000 baht per rai as that's the profit yardstick around here. The wife has 40 rai of paddie so 80k baht would be about right.

You seem to be suffering from a severe case of wishful thinking.

One Rai produces between 400-800 kilos of rice - 600 kg being sort of average - so the loss per Rai can be 4000-10000 Baht. 2000 doesn't come even close.

Problem here is that many farmers don't own the land they cultivate which cuts the profit in half. That is the real issue here. If things go pear-shaped, they loose money and go in to debt.

I would never want to be a farmer here. Hard work with little return.

By design. Nothing is accidental.

Just like your brother, haven't you been told that you are no longer involved in politics, your time has come and gone.

I expect she's waiting for the electorate to tell her that.

Or not.

That's the usual way in civilised countries.

"The prime minister will also focus on sustainable development, leaving no country behind," Werachon said.

the way Thailand is going they better hope that the world likes this idea

Intellectual giant that he is.

I was under the impression (and I could be wrong) that he and all members of the Junta were banned from the US and EU? If so, he can't even get a visa to get into the US, so how the hell will he address the assembly?

As I recall, the USA will issue a visa for the purpose of going to the UN only - under a special arrangement. They don't like it much though. Might be wrong but that's my recollection. Personally I'd be delighted to see him refused entry.

Another carefully-timed release by another one of Thailand's non-friends. Of whom there are many. There will be more.

I can't post links as some of the reports reference Thai royalty but a simple google search of 'Thaksin Shinawatra human rights watch' brings up a whole host of links of HRW slamming him, his government on the war on drugs and the handling of the southern insurgency.

So that's now you and EnglishJohn looking a bit silly. Do think before you post lads.

And they still do in the 2015 report:

The NCPO has shown no interest in launching criminal investigations of extrajudicial killings related to anti-drug operations, especially the more than 2,800 killings that accompanied then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatras 2003 war on drugs.

https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2015/country-chapters/thailand

Of course it hasnt, the drug war was soundly supported by a certain name the NCPO cannot and would not dare implicate in any way.

Not only supported but suggested. And Thaksin was fool enough to heed the suggestion and try to impress by how rigorous he could be. Crazy.

What upsets me is that the Thai current government are making the country look farcical. They are implementing knee jerk reactions without thinking things through. The ill thought move will only have a negative impact on the country when right now it needs a massive boost. I do wonder if they will ever learn.

That's always been the case though. Government by bright idea. It's almost as if someone has a brainwave while siitting on the po in the morning, and it's policy by lunchtime.

And yes, Thais look farcical with an alarming regularity. It's about the only thing they do well.

Input is the charters only survival , without people like Mark, experienced in this type of area , the CDC would only introduce a dictatorship type of constitution , something they, the CDC, know about fairly well.

Anything that Markie Mark says is not going to further democracy in Thailand by one millimetre. He couldn't win an election if his life depended on it - or he would already have done so.

The man's a complete WOFT and the longer he stays in charge of the 'Democrat' party, the happier I will be.

He ought to be worried that they do get to know him better

The way intelligence people operate in Embassies, every country excepting perhaps only a very few (Chad perhaps, or Libya), already know Mr Prayuth as well as they need to, The conference will not change any minds.

Not that Thais will get any kind of truth about it unless it's available on TV. Which it won't be - there'll be a soapie on instead. Screeching and caterwauling semi-intelligent bimbos will abound so it'll all be OK.

Even the yellow rag is getting fed up of this now.

What was his crime? Saying he and others weren't happy in Prayuth's supreme land of happiness?

A significant error while under pressure. Well done Mr P, true colours on display yet again.

Debt is synonym to a Thai farmer, when was a Thai farmer NOT IN DEBT? year after year, decade after decade, those farmers

are always in debt, why? a million reasons why, will it be better? no, not the way the keep repeating the same mistakes

over and over again and learning nothing from it......

It's not the farmer's fault there hasn't been enough rain. It's not their fault either that the government, acting under guidance, have kept farmers poor and stupid for decades.

The "I'm alright Jack so frack everyone else" attitude from some of the less-well-evolved people around here is really starting to grate.

'Tap water' is a luxury in Thailand. If the farmers need to make sacrifices for city folks to have water on tap, then, the country is in serious trouble. Most rural people collect rain water off the roof for drinking. Thai farmers need to gain control their own destiny, sustain only themselves, stop growing anything for the market and watch how the precious ones that make their 'money' off the farmers back enjoy the taste of 1000 baht notes.

LOL You think rural people collect rainwater to drink in the dry season?

Yes. We collect it when it rains and drink it all year round.

Indeed they do. I was surprised (shocked) when I first arrived but truth to tell, I haven't suffered any ill-effects. Tap water is only a recent thing and many people say it is more risky than rainwater.

Sneaked out of the country? Did he hide in a tin can? Or did he just cross the border like any other tourist leaving Thailand, with out without a fake passport or paying the immigration officials. He didn't sneak out they let him out.

He snuck out did he? These people are completely priceless.

Basicly the Prime Minister is to be elected by the People and cannot be appointed, being appointed for any reason can lead to nepotism , corruption and worst of all dictatorship ,not something the people want , something the present Junta understands pretty well.

The junta isn't going anywhere just yet, They're waiting for something and it hasn't happened yet. The problem is they think it's important to be holding power when it arrives and I'm not sure I agree. Seems to me its a lose/lose equation for this guy, I think he's nicely fracked whatever he does.

Still, I don't expect Mr P will be asking me for my opinion any time soon. Though it's probably smarter than his.

The only crisis is the Bankruptcy Crisis facing the corrupt PTP politicians who have had the thieving of government money stopped.

So you think it was only PTP politicians and they've all stopped it do you?

Is so, that is remarkably naive. Another member of the junta fan-club.

Yes I am a big fan of General Prayut.

There is nothing dumber than a Red Shirt falang !!!

And you don't see the delicious irony in your post it seems.

The only crisis is the Bankruptcy Crisis facing the corrupt PTP politicians who have had the thieving of government money stopped.

So you think it was only PTP politicians and they've all stopped it do you?

Is so, that is remarkably naive. Another member of the junta fan-club.

They are all corrupt politicians and belong in jail.Politicians are elected to support the citizens, but instead they rob, cheet and steal all the money they can get or themselves and their supporters. Another oxymoron is " Honest Politician "

A good question would be "why do they do this?" There is an answer, it is the example set by one person.

Still not admitting that the bombings were an act of terrorism, or that ISIL was operating an Uighur militant smuggling operation in Thailand.

http://www.todayszaman.com/anasayfa_china-claims-uighurs-being-sold-in-turkey-as-cannon-fodder-for-isil_393465.html

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/china-says-uighurs-being-sold-as-isils-cannon-fodder-in-turkey.aspx?pageID=238&nid=85298&NewsCatID=359

http://diplomacy.bgnnews.com/china-claims-turkish-envoys-giving-identity-papers-to-uighurs-to-join-isil-haberi/7603

They can't afford to if they want to keep pretending Thailand is safe for tourists. Always an eye to the buck...

The money would be better invested raising the competence and skill of Thai people. For as long as they need a calculator to take away 3 from 7, Thais will only be able to undertake simple tasks if ithe tasks are foolproof.