John Drake

The history is this: today, people from all over eastern Europe are volunteering to go fight Russians in Ukraine. Why? Because Russians either brutalized them personally or killed, starved, beat, humiliated, or imprisoned their parents, grandparents, or great grandparents. Now they want payback, bub.

China doesn't hesitate to tell Thailand what it must do--or else. In the past, Putin has made similar threats as well. Unfortunately, the US and Europe have been pusillanimous, bragging about how they don't want to make Thailand or SE Asia choose. The result has been that Thailand along with nearly all of Asean has chosen to support Russia and go onside with China, albeit quietly. And now we see from your article that the Thai ruling class has also outwardly proclaimed its animus towards America and Europe. Okay, let them do so. But they need to pay the price for doing so. Let the elites send their children to study in China and Russia, not the West. Like the oligarchs, perhaps some freezes on Western bank and property holdings could come down the pike as well.

Whatever you want to claim there is only one clear message in all this: Ukrainians don't like you and yours and they're willing to kill Russians even if it means taking a bullet themselves.

Evading sanctions. Great way to get sanctions applied to Thailand in response.

Thailand runs a huge trade surplus with the US. Thailand meanwhile runs an almost as huge trade deficit with China. It also runs a sizable trade deficit with Russia. Plenty of US leverage there.

That's what "talk'n down" to someone looks like.

Not choosing a side means you have chosen Russia. Choosing Russia means you have chosen China. Not choosing a side, then, means you have chosen China.

I've had long waits with them. Alas, my US bank is Bank of America And Wise doesn't pull out ACH transfers except during banking hours. Then, when it comes to Thailand, it needs to wait until Bangkok Bank is open to make the transfer. One time I telephoned Bangkok Bank to ask them why I had not received a transfer as it was past noon here in Thailand. I got put through to their foreign currency transfer office and the woman there told me there were still 50 transfers in front of mine but that I would get mine within an hour. I did. But what that means for Bangkok Bank is that they are going through these transfers from the US individually and using staff to clear each transfer. So if there are a lot of transfers in front of yours, as there might be at the end of the month, then you just might have to wait some time.

I made a similar point a day or two ago. Putin is nearing 70 years old. He ditched his old wife for a trophy wife about ten years ago. Much of his persona rests on shoring up his literal shortcomings (he's a little over 5'1" according to some sources, although he likes to claim 5'7") through posing in all sorts of he-man outdoorsy settings. But pictures of him recently show a man with a puffy face, gray complexion, and decided weight gain. Put that together with the weird conferences, with Putin at one end and visitors such as Macron and then his generals at the far end of a table that looks 20 feet long or more, and things just appear wrong in a number of ways. Putin and Xi may both be trying to jump the timelines because they want to see their empires enlarged and enjoy the sight before they kick off. https://www.statista.com/statistics/971100/life-expectancy-at-birth-in-russia-by-gender/

And meanwhile, in Thailand.

Yes, I agree with that.

Yes, indeed. I think that is the point. And if American and other forces are drawn away from Asia and the Pacific, that gives China a clear opening. The maintenance and reinforcement of deterrence in Taiwan is vital. I think it's clear that Xi and Putin plotted to go for a one-two punch. Now that Xi sees Putin having trouble, the Chinese leader might be willing to double cross the Russians.

Which is why perhaps the Europeans have finally muscled up against Russia. They and everybody else realize that Taiwan is a far greater prize and perhaps the fate of the world would turn on China invading and then leapfrogging one island chain after another out from it. Europe can do nothing in Asia or the Pacific to protect their interests there. That is entirely up to the US and perhaps Japan and Australia. So I hope what is true is that the European resupply of Ukraine is all about maintaining the US posture in Asia and not abandoning a relatively defenseless Taiwan to China.

The point is no Thai would be losing a job to prison labor because those jobs would just go to more Burmese.

I didn't realize we made anything anymore, except maybe crash-prone jet airliners. At any rate, the boycott is nothing but fundraising PR for the organization behind it. KKFN at least hasn't sold anything to the US in several years. Their main customers are China and Indonesia.

Well, Cuba, still a Russian and increasingly a Chinese ally, is still there. If Putin takes the Ukraine, is the US free to move in on Cuba? Probably half of southern Florida would volunteer for the invasion force.

Apparently not from the US they don't. When is the last time they targeted the US in a travel ad campaign? Plus there are no direct flights between the US and Thailand, as there are between Russia, China, India, and Thailand.

Some people are getting carried away and losing their cool in this. Lots of fake images and captions being put online. https://twitter.com/ReutersFacts/status/1496871979701321729

Asean statement on Ukraine: FWIW, the Taliban issued a stronger response than this:

There are important reasons to maintain online connectivity, no doubt. But don't get carried away. At one point Ukrainian officials were asking people not to post photos or video online, because it might reveal their operations and movements to Russia.

Well, that's important. The most bloodthirsty and aggressive warriors are on Twitter.

Well, there is a worldwide coalition building against Putin, and they are mighty in numbers. The problem is they are all on Twitter.

Plenty of people work for KKFN. But most all those on the floor making nets are Burmese.

Never heard of her. She hasn't descended to my social circles, yet.

The Indian government currently is consulting with Russia for a work around SWIFT if there are SWIFT sanctions. They want to keep money funneling through to Moscow. It is surprising that so many people have been lulled into thinking that India was a possible alliance partner. Sure, they want help against China. But their primary and main backer has always been the Soviet Union/Russia. The price for that showed up a couple of years ago when a Pakistani F16 shot down two Indian Migs.