mfd101

I thought 'flux' was a tummy upset.

The people who display spectacular levels of ignorance are the people on AN who haven't a clue how these things work. After lengthy consultations at Embassy/diplomatic level (usually over months), the 2 countries agree that a visit by the German Head of State would be appropriate as a gesture to warm up relations between the 2 countries (& more generally the EU & The West) in light of the outcomes of Thai politics last year. Further discussions agree on mutually agreeable dates. The German Head of State arrives ... And people here expect him to launch in to a torrent of abuse about how awful Thai politics is, how they need to join the C21st or else I'll never deign to visit you ever again you each-way Charlies & toadies etc etc etc!

Um, I think your second sentence is more likely to be correct than the first.

In the broad I agree, but calling Thailand "the most miserable place on earth" is a ridiculous exaggeration. I live among the poor & illiterate Khmer peasants of Surin but they are infinitely preferable to (pick a country/place) Yemen, Gaza, Congo, anywhere in the Sahel, most of Russia, most of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, most of Iran, Bangladesh, Myanmar ....

That he apparently MET with Pita - as in the photo above - is both surprising and a bold step from the point of view of polite international relations and the fact that Steinmeier is a head of state, not of government.

Just as you do when you smile politely at the neighbours you detest.

The usual peculiar article full of non-sequiturs. Supposed to be about BKK to Vientiane, but the article is all about 20 minutes either side of the border, without ever quite connecting it all together. Still, at least there'll be a change of drivers at the border. Lao of course drive on the right.

So what's he supposed to do? Stand there smiling beatifically and waving to the adoring masses as if he were the British queen?

If every visiting head of state (in this case) or of government spoke the truth during an official visit, there wouldn't BE any official visits anywhere in the world. Or any unofficial ones for that matter.

You can have the land bridge but we want the submarines.

He needs to learn to talk less. Don't just jabber on to please the cameras!

We'll buy your land bridge if you buy our submarines.

No corporate body with half a brain will put money on the table. The only people who might possibly put money down are the Chinese government, for strategic not economic reasons (gives them a LITTLE extra wriggle room around a US-led blockade). But even then, I doubt it would be worth the candle for the Chinese.

Give me a double shot short black any day.

You have to have a will in your country of origin and a trustworthy and competent executor there to manage the transition and the longterm support to your Thai partner.

The question is: Why would they? Apart from strategic issues (power struggle) with China, it's not obvious that Thailand offers any advantages on just about anything you can think of: Productivity? what dat?

There is an argument that Thais - like all other peoples everywhere - get the government they deserve. Governments - even authoritarian ones - are enabled by and are the products of the culture of the people as a whole.

Well, it would at least be nice to be able to find out!

I take it that an 'either/or' account means what I would think of as a joint account opened in both names but either partner can withdraw funds at any time? As opposed to a joint account where BOTH partners must sign to withdraw? Is my understanding accurate?

Not entirely clear but I understand the issues - complex & longstanding - that they are trying to address. A minor example in my (very large) Thai Khmer family: When my b/f's oldest full-blood sister was born some 45 years ago, the government was far away they do nothing for us so why bother with registration? When the next child a boy arrived 3 years later (as all the later ones did, always on time), they thought perhaps they should do something so they - according to family lore rather than law - registered the baby boy and his 3-year-old sister together as twins. And "twins" they have remained ever since. Whether that's how they're actually recorded in the government computers (probably non-existent then) is unknown. Both parents are illiterate so couldn't tell anyway ...

I hope the last 12 months will have been good for MFP and its leader about to be reinstated. Namely, learning that being smart and quick-witted is not enough. In politics as in government and leadership you also have to be wise. And a good part of wisdom is knowing when to remain silent.

Great news for Thailand. For once ...

If true: Wooppeeee!!!

And the world - at least the democratic bits of it - will judge the Thai Constitutional Court.