bkkandrew

If you're acquainted with how Thai people think, you know that Thais MUCH prefer to deal with their own.

Besides the obvious language difficulties. Thais are easier to deal with - they comply, they don't ask questions of authority, their names can be typed in Thai (English typing is difficult for a Thai typist).

If the turnstiles for foreing entries aren't manned by enough Thai workers, it's for reasons of subjectivity, mainly. The few personnel who are qualified to deal with foreigners will try to find excuses for not manning the posts. So what if there are hundreds of travel-weary farang waiting in line. The other reason is lack of management acumen - which is an endemic problem throughout SUV airport.

One of the things I REALLY miss about Don Muang is that if you spoke Thai, asked politely & smiled genuinely, you could usually get through the Thai citizen turnstiles while other farangs stood by with gaping mouths. That game was firmly shut at the new airport. no can do.

Yes, so do I. You could get away with it in the first month or so after the changeover, but then this was clamped down on. My attempt last month was met with quite a rude remark. I will avoid in future...

So, let me see. Some goon came out with some rubbish yesterday that, if there were elections in the third quarter, this would lead to the economy growing in the fourth quarter (Mid presented his flying pigs for that).

Now, we are 10 days away from the start of said third quarter and it is proposed to keep the ban on political activities...

What kind of 'election' do they have in mind then?

The Army is more than the Junta like you said the thread is not entitled "Can't the government ...."

I don't know if you missed it, but in October there was a military Coup d'etat in Thailand. The Coup-makers were from the Army, Navy and Air Force and they formed the CNS. To date I am unaware of any Army (or Navy/Air Force) unit that has opposed the Coup and have seen no reports of inter-Army battles.

With this in mind, I think it is safe to describe the Junta as being the Army and vice-versa...

I am really unsure to why you are arguing with me over something so straightforward!

/edit spelling

Perhaps now those that refuse to admit the island is quieter than usual will now admit it?

So you mean that would-be Bangkok Air passengers are opting to fly on the pigs??

MORE than 4,000 foreigners have been stopped from sneaking into Britain by biometric visas, it was revealed yesterday.

Almost three-quarters tried to use a false name after earlier asylum refusals — but were found out after their fingerprints were matched to existing records held by immigration authorities.

Immigration minister Liam Byrne said: “We always thought our borders were at risk from people lying about their identity.

Evidence proves that — and biometrics are the answer.

Report from this mornings Sun. I guess this proves that the extra hassle in getting the missus over to the UK is worth it in the long run!

Iain

//Edit: see here for full article.

Enjoyed it - learnt something new..... get ready for the band of "whats this got to do with thailand" group ( who arbitrarily enact the rule - bit like thai police really )

But its entirely obvious what it has to do with Thailand. Why wouldn't they read the forum title?

Like the explanation why at UKVAC they will start taking fingerprints

No entende...

Care to expand?

Yep. It was great to have someone still around that was being banned by purist Councils up and down the land. He will be missed. Especially by those fans that enjoyed watching some overweight battleaxe woman councillor saying why he was being banned from a council-owned venue!

bkkandrew .....

that fails to address the earlier staements made that the situation has been GRADUALLY getting worse for the last 3+ years ... and the failures of the previous government to deal with it. I KNOW you want to make this about the Junta ... just as I know you don't care to give one single suggestion on how to deal wth it. Why? I would guess that it is because the only thing that matters to you is the Junta and not the south. (your other posts would indicate this too)

If yu cannot accept that there is NO SHORTTERM sollution to the south and that at least the group now has been trying ... well .... then there is just no point

Nonsense. The thread title is "Can The Thai Army Protect Anyone In Thailand", referencing the South. Therefore is specific about The Junta (The Army) and The South.

Understand now?

Also, I am well aware that Toxin had mad ideas about how to deal with the South and they were not exactly helped by his obsession to cling to power (in Bangkok) and flog telecomms companies to Singaporeans, via companies in the BVI. Again, proving that taking your eye off a problem will lead it to getting worse.

Dealing with the South effectively requires focus by National politicians. This has not happened for some time, due to the antics of Mr T and now the present mob, both of whom seem to place the importance of the subject off their top-10 'to-do' list.

/edit blo0dy grammar

How ironic that this military Junta, when playing governing, fails in this most basic of tasks and has let the situation in the South deteriorate...

Nice sound-bite ......

The question is .... what do you with your vast knowledge of the topic and even greater experience, suggest they do?

Sorry son, not my job. I did not stage a Coup d'etat, deploy tanks, soldiers and munitions in the capital city, in order to seize power. The Junta did that and now must exercise their power in an appropriate way. Sadly they are not doing this and are more interested in playing out games of counter-coups than solving problems.

At least I have enough knowledge and experience to not stage a coup here to put any theories of dispute resolution to the test!

Another nice sound-bite and again ... you are making it about the coup .. and not about the south ... a common trick used in debate ... but ultimatly a loser because it does not address the issue.

From a military standpoint these the CNS is comprised of 2 of the people that would have been responsible for the issues in the South already. The situation in the south was heading downhill as fast under Thaksin as it is now .... a slow progression into a regional civil war instead of an insurgency.

So instead of talking about the coup .... tell us about the south!

But you have answered your own question! Instead of concentrating on their job in the South, they play power games up here in Bangkok. Inevitably, with the CNS 2's snouts in the trough, the insurgents sense that they are not the focus of attention, which gives them the confidence to increase their murdering, maiming and burning.

again .. you focus not on the south .. but on the junta ... a regular one-trick-pony!

The 2 of the CNS are not the only folks that would have had any say over the south. Thay did assign their top counter-insurgency guy down there (not a nice fellow .. but he did help to end the communist insurgency if I have my guys right ((The head of the army would never be the guy that would be down in the fighting ... but you know that ... this is just another chance to rant about the coup))

Goodness me, its hard getting through to you. The two matters are inseperable. The Coup Leaders are in charge of the South. Nothing can happen there without their instruction or authorisation. They have bigger fish to fry in Bangkok right now, so the South goes to sh1t.

MORE than 4,000 foreigners have been stopped from sneaking into Britain by biometric visas, it was revealed yesterday.

Almost three-quarters tried to use a false name after earlier asylum refusals — but were found out after their fingerprints were matched to existing records held by immigration authorities.

Immigration minister Liam Byrne said: “We always thought our borders were at risk from people lying about their identity.

Evidence proves that — and biometrics are the answer.

Report from this mornings Sun. I guess this proves that the extra hassle in getting the missus over to the UK is worth it in the long run!

Iain

//Edit: see here for full article.

Enjoyed it - learnt something new..... get ready for the band of "whats this got to do with thailand" group ( who arbitrarily enact the rule - bit like thai police really )

But its entirely obvious what it has to do with Thailand. Why wouldn't they read the forum title?

How ironic that this military Junta, when playing governing, fails in this most basic of tasks and has let the situation in the South deteriorate...

Nice sound-bite ......

The question is .... what do you with your vast knowledge of the topic and even greater experience, suggest they do?

Sorry son, not my job. I did not stage a Coup d'etat, deploy tanks, soldiers and munitions in the capital city, in order to seize power. The Junta did that and now must exercise their power in an appropriate way. Sadly they are not doing this and are more interested in playing out games of counter-coups than solving problems.

At least I have enough knowledge and experience to not stage a coup here to put any theories of dispute resolution to the test!

Another nice sound-bite and again ... you are making it about the coup .. and not about the south ... a common trick used in debate ... but ultimatly a loser because it does not address the issue.

From a military standpoint these the CNS is comprised of 2 of the people that would have been responsible for the issues in the South already. The situation in the south was heading downhill as fast under Thaksin as it is now .... a slow progression into a regional civil war instead of an insurgency.

So instead of talking about the coup .... tell us about the south!

But you have answered your own question! Instead of concentrating on their job in the South, they play power games up here in Bangkok. Inevitably, with the CNS 2's snouts in the trough, the insurgents sense that they are not the focus of attention, which gives them the confidence to increase their murdering, maiming and burning.

There always seems to be the need in Thailand for various official to make soothing 'nothing to see here' style announcements when precisely the opposite is true.

Hope you lot up there have a spare set of wellies!

We live in our wellies, have gas masks permanently Super-Glued to our faces, and have 6-man Zodiacs ready to make our escape down the river to the tribal territories.....

Good to see you Andrew! See you on General often; are you thinking of getting out of that He...hole called Bangkok? Come up and visit, and bring your wall-climbing gear!

Regards,

McG

Thank you for your welcome! I Was planning to visit Chang Mai later this year in actual fact. You paint quite a picture. Will make my twice-annual visit to Issan look like a walk in the park!

Unless this is another case of the right hand not knowing what the left is doing (always possible over here), this smells of a Junta plot to bring all this to a head....

an answer to be expected , I simply suggested that there is an alternative .

I think you are right. The Junta are playing the long game, testing the water and have extending deadlines every step of the way since October. I think that pariah status would not concern them in the least. Much shrugging of shoulders and statements that end "this is Thailand", said with purpose...

Ok, guys, you have a limited point, and yes, I mistyped, the Piriah status would concern them, but I think they can cleverly scrap together a consitution, a democratic election AND STILL pull some heavy strings into the future. I don't believe for a minute that they would take the country into the abyss to hold on to a junta.

I was just joking about the fish...

Your scenario is actually more likely, with a puppet and a master. However, what I think Mid and I were saying, is don't rule out a total TIT, we know best, 'State of Emergency' that turns perpetual...

How ironic that this military Junta, when playing governing, fails in this most basic of tasks and has let the situation in the South deteriorate...

Nice sound-bite ......

The question is .... what do you with your vast knowledge of the topic and even greater experience, suggest they do?

Sorry son, not my job. I did not stage a Coup d'etat, deploy tanks, soldiers and munitions in the capital city, in order to seize power. The Junta did that and now must exercise their power in an appropriate way. Sadly they are not doing this and are more interested in playing out games of counter-coups than solving problems.

At least I have enough knowledge and experience to not stage a coup here to put any theories of dispute resolution to the test!

an answer to be expected , I simply suggested that there is an alternative .

I think you are right. The Junta are playing the long game, testing the water and have extending deadlines every step of the way since October. I think that pariah status would not concern them in the least. Much shrugging of shoulders and statements that end "this is Thailand", said with purpose...

your knowledge of local geography should suffice .........

Yeah, right, Thailand a military junta forever, ostrasized by the world a pirranha, trade embargoed, etc..?? Come on, get real.

Thailand, a savage flesh-eating fish?

I am

Best pour some cocoa and go to bed then.

Is the question "Are there EVER enough military to protect a civilian population from a determined insurgency?" ..... if so the answer is "NO!"

I didn't say the "civilian population [of South Thailand]"; I said the "schools". How many schools are there down there? Three soldiers with M-16s guarding each school x 3 =9 soldiers over a 24-hour shift at 3 soldiers per-shift rotation, per school???? The Thai army doesn't have the manpower and weapons for that? I don't believe it. THE CHILDREN ARE DYING DOWN THERE. How can the army be so incredibly incompetent in the protection of its (non-Bangkok) populus?

The answer remains the same ... "NO"

Overly protect the schools and then the bombings etc happen en-route. Increasing the military presence enough to make it impossible to make attacks is not possible .. not anywhere. There probably is no military solution to the issues in the south. I wish there were, but there are not any that I can see.

There may be a way through negotiations to put an end to this. Some semi autonomy ... some of the long awaited decentralisation of power. Official recognition in gov't offices of local language etc etc

The first duty of any government is to protect its citizens from foreigners and fellow citizens alike.

How ironic that this military Junta, when playing governing, fails in this most basic of tasks and has let the situation in the South deteriorate...

unfortunately the CNS Boss is on record as saying otherwise ......................................

And he is the big boss, top brass, top dog, organ grinder, big knob, gaffer, head honcho, grande fromage, poochakhan yai...

So, if I were Mr T, I would listen to him...

People dying must not stand in the way of having the ability to have a variety of types of Coup d'etat on demand.

Noticed a large number of army 'helping' the police in Dindaeng this afternoon...

A bit strange, but the BBC's market data for GBP - THB has remained at 0% change since the weekend.. This is dispite the fact that GBP has gone up about .7% against everything in the same period and XE.com has moved the THB quote by .8% in the same period.

The BBC is tracking all other currencies, however minor, quite correctly:

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/fds/hi/...78/intraday.stm

Has the THB officially slipped off the edge of the world??

Is there a vaccine for this?

That pump-priming has so far failed to stimulate investment growth, as most of the disbursements went toward bureaucracy salaries and state-enterprise expenditures.

they just can't keep their sticky fingers out of the pie can they ?

But I thought that the reason for the Coup was to tackle corruption.

Great tackle - stop the flow to to the old lot, increase the flow, award it to yourself!

There always seems to be the need in Thailand for various official to make soothing 'nothing to see here' style announcements when precisely the opposite is true.

Hope you lot up there have a spare set of wellies!

Dr. Naan,

You seem to enjoy taking shots at people but when your called on it - you always never reply - so - again - If you are such a great investor - then - why can't you afford a decent hotel room???

how much cheap booze friend Shochu? look at my home in Thailand known to a bunch of TV-members who have visited me and tell me why i would need a "decent" hotel?

Flower tub in foreground is at an awkward angle, making it aesthetically unpleasing. Shame on you. With your knowledge of all matters, these things should be dealt with..