mfd101

Ask Putin. He'll tell you.

I'm not sure I understand the logic of this: A Thai citizen returning to Thailand uses a non-Thai passport to enter the country then has to conform to the rules for that foreign passport in Thailand as if he or she is not a Thai citizen with Thai ID. Why? What's the logic? Is a Thai citizen taking out citizenship of another country deemed to have renounced Thai citizenship? In which case her Thai ID card should no longer be valid ...

There are arguments on either side of this. Abolishing conscription seems like a good idea if - as in most 'Western' countries - you have a modern society that values education, including for its soldiers, pays its soldiers a decent salary (in Australia's case astonishingly high), and trains its soldiers as high-capability professionals. None of which applies to today's Thailand. On the other hand the argument about equality is different I think from that put by Nipit above. As I have seen with my own partner, the effect of 2 years in the military is quite marked on ignorant ill- or non-educated village boys. My boy saw life in Bangkok - and got to enjoy its pleasures every night after climbing over the barracks walls in search of food & fun - and he minded the colonel's dog, cut the platoon's hair, and even got to serve canapes on a silver tray to Q Sirikit. And he knows how to fight, quite ruthlessly (which comes in handy when you're hanging around outside the gay disco at 0200). Every time we visit Bangkok now he still knows his way around every nook & cranny ... All of which helped him to grow up and open his eyes to the wider world. His possibilities in life would have been much less had he not had these experiences. And had I not come along at the appropriate time, money in hand ...

Well, we hope it isn't. And we hope he is. But we don't actually know. TIT

You might wish to explain to the ignorant amongst us what a 'P shot' is.

There'll be the quick'neasy fixes, largely symbolic (cancel submarine, 10% rise in minimum wage, gay marriage, fiddle with the constitution, law enforcement including on the roads ... ) and then there's the real social & cultural change stuff that will take decades (corruption, police, military, education ...). As for this 'gay' (actually rather serious & sober) pensioner, the moment the gay marriage bit comes thru we'll do the deed to strengthen my position here in the event that my b/f (40 years younger than me) dies before me (which, given his driving skills, is not entirely impossible (sigh)).

Spoken like a statesman. If he actually makes it to PM and leader of a strong & cohesive government, he'll probably - as he moves up his learning curve - make a leader of Thailand of a quality & strength that noone has seen for many many years. People of good will can only wish him great success in this huge enterprise.

Good sign - a not-insignificant part of the bureaucracy preparing to welcome the new boss.

Must be my failing eyesight.

And The People let it happen because they're too lazy to line up to vote, and too lazy to protest. As in every country The People get what they vote for, or fail to vote against.

It's supposed to be an El Niño year, which - if it turns out thus - will mean a light monsoon. Whence the predictions from the meteorology people of not much rain in June & July.

I didn't recognize Yingluck. She looks about 25.

Talking to the police about police corruption is obviously a good start.

Yes but not before The People's stolen assets have been rescued!

Ukraine is after F16s. Though of course they would want them air- and combat-worthy ...

As you lie dying in the middle of the road you should make sure your wallet and credit cards are safely secured under your bottom.

Yes, which is to say that - at least till Future Forward/Move Forward came along - Thai politics has long been and still largely remains non-ideological. It's all about that basic Thai cultural concept: Status (= power + money + appearances). Are things at last changing to what to a Westerner seems like 'normal' politics (Left vs Middle vs Right, however defined)? We shall see ...

It's good to see justice being done. Meantime, in Thailand ...

The point of course is that very little that's good can come out of 2 months' interregnum. All it does is give the Unreconstructibles time to organize to prevent the new government from launching its program to move Thailand gently in to the C21st.

One obvious question is: Why does the Electoral Cmn take 2 months to officially 'declare' the outcomes of the national election, when it's already published who won what seat? [cf Australia a year ago: The federal election was on a Saturday. The leader of the new winning party (and therefore new government) was sworn in as PM the following Monday and immediately flew off to Japan for important security talks.]

The lower house could - if it has the guts - simply ignore the Senate on the basis that its very existence is unconstitutional, the current 'Constitution' was imposed unconstitutionally & undemocratically etc etc. And surrounded by 500,000 voters camped outside, the new government could begin governing. Who would cave in first? It's all a matter of guts and endurance.

Lelak! Lelak! Buddha in charge. Everyting OK.

(Yawn). Quelle surprise!

What any sensible person would do.

Why would the rich do that to themselves?