Toolong

Hell, yeah.....????! Right on brother. (Or sister!)

Anutin denies that there is any such plan. Ergo....there is indeed a plan. And you can take that to the bank. After all, I've used the simple, tried & tested calculus of discerning truth from fiction in the utterances of Thai politicians of the old guard: by inverting any claimed assertion in terms of whatever its grammatical polar-opposite representation might be. For example: 'We care about the people.' inverts to 'We don't give a flying **** about the people.' Similarly, 'We have no plans to form a coalition govt with Pheu Thai', becomes, once inverted, 'Coalition with Pheu Thai? Well, what else would any opportunist hustler like me do in the circumstances? ***k, yeah!'

The 'ideologies' in regard to my own views, as a 'foreign type', on how I see Thai political & cultural change happening for the best, ie, via MFP, appear to be shared by the 14 million Thais (forgive me if I've got that number wrong) who voted MFP, or by many of those Thais who voted for any other non-junta-aligned parties now in the coalition. You appear to want change, or at least regret that, in your view, it will never happen, but are rather cynical about those who do want to see it happen, especially 'foreign types'. Btw, you seem - imo - too quick to flippantly pass judgement on the understanding of Thai culture & social order, of such 'foreign types'.

You know the expression (modified somewhat here) about how 'if it looks like a duck, walks like ducks, it's a ***k*** duck'? Since those heady days post May 14.....all I've seen are ducks. More & more each day. Now too many ducks too count. Wissanu was always ever only engaged by the junta in the role that he's now finally fulfilling, to earn his reward for betraying his country and its people: Duck-whisperer-general. I pray he & those he serves will one day be held to proper account for their actions.

Thaksin.....I'm kind of on your side. Have been for a long while (since 2010, at least). Maybe because you led the only powerful political opposition to the establishment that hated you. An establishment that I hated deeply. The enemy of my enemy was somehow my friend.............that old thing. But always knew that you were a hustler, plain & simple. And then......FF & MFP came along. I had options. The Thais - more importantly! - had options. You've been getting unusually specific about the time of your return. To me, this means a deal has been arranged.....at all cost to MFP's chances of governing TH by unprecedentedly proper means....the country you profess to love & yearn to see again. Always had a feeling you'd pull something like this. But if you can make me eat my words I'll chow down with gusto.

Sorry, h90, I can't seem to make enough sense of your reply to reply adequately myself. Though...'third strongest party form the government. Nothing wrong with it'. Bhumjathai Party? Anutin? Well, there's plenty wrong with that, for starters. (Imho.)

The points you make are, in general, unarguably true. However, my 'naive' point about the 'will of the people' (wotp) was made in reference to, and from the perspective of, the people themselves, not from the perspective of the parties/govts they choose to vote for. In most cases, Thai govts have of course not ever given a fig for the wotp, true enough. (Pheu Thai under Thaksin, had a calculated crack at it....but only to get themselves in power.) But I say in 'most' cases, because - and here you might rightly call me naive! - I do actually think MFP have shown a genuine readiness to build their policies around that wopt. And intend to attempt to stay true to that, as much as is possible.....hence the stubborn refusal to blink (so far!) on the house speaker issue. And to be clear....the will of which people do I have in mind? Naturally, in this case, specifically those Thais who voted MFP......especially the young. I think history is being made here. Apparent Naivete is permitted imho. ????????

What of the 'will of the people'? What of their hopes? Of their right to see their votes count as having granted their chosen party the right to govern, in coalition or not? From the sewers of Thai politics comes - once more - that vile, all-too-familiar stench of corrupt power-trading. These hideous, 'old-guard' characters know more tricks than a cartload of monkeys. ????????

Good policies AND b**ls (⚽️????⚾️????????) Respect.

You got it. I got a whiff of BB/TC too. Right off the bat. Except I'd not be surprised if he was - beyond being 'proud' of these extreme yellow goons - up to his neck in being part of it.

5555....yep. After 30+ years here my reaction at those times is still exactly the same as your own!!

Right, I get it. ???? At times it's the same for me. (And even more than the excessive volume, it's the heavy bass settings (to the max!) that trouble me the most!????)

'For he's a jolly good fellow, For he's a jolly good fellow.......' Call me too bitter & twisted, but I've been here a long old time and always resented the beer monopoly thing.....until which point I could actually taste that resentment with each sip of the grudgingly-bought Sing. (Though the more sips I have, the quicker I seem to forget that resentment. Funny that....????)

Good luck, Pita. I really mean that. You're gonna have to cross minefields in the dark, with one hand tied behind your back, smears against you at best from all sides, a sham judicial kneecapping of all your (& Thailand's) aspirations at worst, and a possible usurpation of the position the will of the people has (for now?) granted you.....by others in your coalition......cobras. I'm way too old & cynical to be saying such stuff, but I think fate has marked you as someone who might well pull it all off the way you - and those truly progressive souls in your party - wish for, with the will of the people who voted 4 u at your back. ????????✊

Yes to all that. I'm naturally cynical as a rule and often at first doubt the virtues of those who appear to possess them. But so far, despite one or two slightly raised eye-brows at his decisions, I have been consistently impressed by this fellow. And yes, I too think he will 'stick to his promises', as very deftly displayed by his u-turn on certain decisions (ie, Korn) when he realizes it's a bad call, and then offers what appears to be very genuine & honest apologies and explanations for making those calls. (And I for one understand the pressure he would have been under to have considered bringing Korn's crew in. It's a 'numbers game' now.)

Quite a few on the street (well, loads actually) and many in malls. Advise looking for one that solely does watches, clocks & straps, rather than a place offering other services as well. The former often seem to do the job with great care and with an almost reverential interest in doing it well. After all, it's their trade. Good luck.

Versions differed from school to school, of course, but as a 60's schoolboy too, I might if I may, smugly boast that my school did the bacon & egg flan thing...but they mercifully raised its taste appeal by some considerable magnitude with the addition of a crusted cheese topping. Made all the difference. ????????

The establishment, on EVERY level, from bottom ALL the way up to its apex, appears to be becoming rather complacent about how to crack the very whip that will curl around their necks and choke them to death. But hey.....

Apologies for my indulgently cathartic comment made just to selfishly get something off my chest....but Wissanu's got serious mileage in terms of piloting the junta through the storm over these 9 years and worse, helped decisively to create the very effed-up 250 senator situation. (Think....a very creepy, vile version of Robert Duvall's mob lawyer in Godfather and you've got it.) In what direction and for what purpose doth this silk-safari-suited reptile now slither?

Is the bike a heavy drinker? Looking at those empty saddle-bags, I'd say not. You might wanna chuck a courtesy-can in there to keep it cool, each time you leave the pub. Just sayin'.

Good oversight. Well said. ???? (Sadly btw, it seems BJT, have taken their pieces of silver already. They now stand 4-square where I hoped they might not, but it is thus. ????)

My fingers are so crossed right now, and have been since Sunday night, that I'm having to ask other people nearby, every evening, to kindly open my beer cans, if they wouldn't mind.

I know the saying and its meaning, but don't quite get how you intend it to fit here. Not saying you're wrong, or that it can't fit...just that I don't get it right now (but I've had a long day and I'm pretty thick anyway as well, so.....????) If it is in some way critical of what I said, then fair enough, that's ok. We can leave it there. ????

So 250 employees of the junta finally get to earn their pieces of silver. And will forever, as Blake put it, 'forfeit fair reknown'.

Yes. I did refer to recently being displeased at his behaviour. Have been for long time. I am just giving him what is, imo, due credit for saying this. I still don't like the fellow, but he's right on this one.