Mr Meeseeks

On 9/21/2020 at 8:18 AM, canuckamuck said:

I was shocked to discover at the airport, that despite the hoops I had to jump through to get on the flight. I would be riding back with Thais that hadn't even been tested.

And people are asking why they are not extending visas for foreigners still stranded here. 

Behind the fake smiles this is one of the most insular, insecure and xenophobic countries on the planet. 

Not requiring Thais to be tested is just another part of the anti-foreigner sentiment this military government has been fostering since even before they seized power.

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Indeed, it would cost me 16 million baht to retire in the US, yet there are some US retirees here that complain about paying 500,000 baht for an Elite visa.

But you would have certain rights of abode in the US, which you wouldn't have in Thailand. 

15 minutes ago, CanterbrigianBangkoker said:

The explanation is simply that they lack common sense or a basic understanding of economics. This government could barely boil an egg between them, let alone forge and enact an effective economic policy regarding the current situation. Regardless of how lenient they have been on those who have been stranded here (and I would be the first to say they have been), Thailand is now facing its seventh month of near 0 foreign tourism, with a negligible number of tourist arrivals since April. Their economy will have shrunk massively by the end of the 4th quarter of 2020 and with no obvious answer to their dire economic woes on the horizon it does seem utterly insane to evict perhaps as many as 400,000 essentially foreign 'tourists'. People who will continue to pile money into the economy and potentially travel / continue to travel around the place providing some much needed support for near destitute tourist reliant business around the country. Furthermore the government would need only slap a 2k baht fee on creating and renewing 30 or 60 day visas for those who are here and have been since April (and therefore pose NO risk re: Covid) which is effectively what they are going to do for people ENTERING from the outside world - people who in their eyes at least, DO pose more of a risk, so I ask again - why not boost their revenue substantially by doing this, rather than booting out billions of baht that they sure as hell won't get back any time soon from any foreign tourists with a laughable 14 day quarantine and god knows how many other asinine hoops to jump through! Typical Thai government thinking I'm afraid - one word for it - woolly. 

It would, appear that way to the uninitiated but the Thais know exactly what they are doing.

The economic crisis will be more than mitigated by the face the regime will gain from defeating the COVID-19 virus and getting rid of all the foreigners hanging on is just an added bonus. 

46 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

You said it, they’re “Residents”, get one of the many visas available to you in Thailand & be a “Resident”.

 

Incidentally the only available Resident option available to me (UK Citizen) in the US is a $500,000 investment to live in a slum state... Maybe Thailand should do the same for US Citizens??? ... Thought not... 

 

Non-immigrant visas do not make you a resident. 

You are a visitor for purposes other than tourism. 

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Thai logic - kick out 100,000 1 month and import 1,200 the next - potentially

The STV is just a ruse to fool people into thinking foreign tourists are still welcome.

They are not, as evidenced by the continuing actions of the Thai government. 

But having a complete ban on foreign tourists (which is pretty much the situation now) upsets local industry leaders and gives Thailand a negative image. 

Actions speak louder than words. 

24 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Just in general: If one gangster exposes the crimes of another gangster do you think that is good news for society or bad news? Obviously it would be better if the two gangsters are prosecuted. But better one than none.

Problem was it was one jilted politicising the country's highest institution to militantly remove an elected administration because his mate at KTB bank was fired. A mate that forgave over a billion Baht of personal debt and I am sure many more billions of non-performing loans related to the media company. The media company which was latterly used to discredit the government administration that started looking into all this shenanigans.

In the process costing the country billions, untold damage to reputation and even human lives during a border conflict with Cambodia. 

To label Sonthi's crusade as an expose fails to understand what it was really all about. It fails to capture the utter insanity and mentality of the Yellow Shirt leaders. 

Just look at what Sonthi up to now... it is the same unfounded lies and the same conspiracy theory nonsense that was lapped up by Yellow idiots back in 2005. 

Straight out of Goebbels playbook. 

5 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Thaksin's war on drugs, and the summary executions of many without trial who were never proved connected to the drug trade, is well documented.

 

But please confirm the links to the reports on Thaksin's crusades to prevent child abduction and slavery as this seems to be not so well documented.

 

Thanks in advance. 

There was a certain speech from the most revered person in the land about this and not hard to work out why it was done. 

Overwhelmingly popular at the time with the Thai public and it was very successful at stemming the flow of yaba in particular into poor communities, where use of the drug was very destructive.

Important also to note that all the official studies condemning the war on drugs came from the military administration following the coup in 2005, so should be regarded with a certain scepticism. 

4 hours ago, Morch said:

 

The last couple of decades or so, most governments elected by the people weren't all that different from the current one, or even the coup governments/leadership. Different faces, different hot air, same conduct and failures.

 

That's not a reason to deny democracy, but worth keeping in mind what you get isn't always as advertised.

I can only conclude that you were not here and did not live in Thailand under the Chuan or Thaksin governments.

It was far better for the average Thai. 

18 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Anyone have shares in a razor wire company? your rich ????

 

Looks like East Germany in the 80's.

20 hours ago, Morch said:

 

I'm sorry, having difficulty following your reasoning and argument, maybe a language thing.

 

Picking a country where things turned out right after embracing democracy is fine, ignoring that in many countries things went pear shaped is another. Thailand's attempts at this cannot, IMO, be termed much of a success. More often than not, the governments elected in a democratic manner failed to live up to the ideals of democracy and/or exhibited other issues. Saying this time it's different is not a particularly strong argument.

 

I have already agreed with the position that the army's role in politics is a major problem. Then again, this also serves to make the previous point - if there's no army to intervene and political factions do not really respect the tenets of democracy, how are things to be handled?

 

I don't know that 70% of the Thai population support the protests, or at least, all of the issues raised on the protests. Kinda doubt there's that much of an actual consensus among Thais. The regime 50 years ago would have laughed at the current government being labeled a 'dictatorship'. That you try to claim it same same doesn't quite make it so. Nor does it lend much support for your 70% bit.

The governments elected in a democratic manner do not get a chance to govern quite simply because they are removed or hindered by the military.

The only one that governed effectively was during Thaksin's first term as the overwhelming majority of Thai people were behind it.

You are espousing the military being able to step in at any time to remove elected administrations which is the biggest problem as they will collude with malicious actors as we have seen evidenced during the last two coups.

In 2005 we saw a jilted media mogul (now a convicted criminal and disgraced conspiracy theory lunatic) use his media empire to force a coup to bring down Thailand's first ever twice elected prime minister and first prime minister to serve a full term. All because his personal friend and piggy bank at KTB was removed by the Thaksin admin for forgiving billions of Baht worth of loans. 

People of course believed the nonsense from this lunatic at the time as most are easily led and the lunatic politicised the country's highest institution to bring more people into the argument, splitting the country down the middle. 

There were of course other reasons for Thaksin's downfall but this was the catalyst and the main reason behind the Yellow Shirts.

The 2014 coup was well planned and conducted in collusion with a mafia godfather and confessed corrupt politician Suthep who's own Democrat Party colleagues openly called him the most corrupt politician in Thailand. A polly who brought down the Chuan Leekpai government in the 90's due to his corrupt activities no less. 

So your argument comes apart at the seams once examined I am afraid.

On 9/17/2020 at 10:53 AM, Poet said:

This is a country run by children with guns.

Harsh but true. 

Just another inadequate Thai male perv with no work ethic or morals. 

6 hours ago, simtemple said:

The protests are being driven by the CIA. Prayut's days are numbered. 

 

http://thealtworld.com/anthony_cartalucci/thailands-youth-protests-made-in-usa

That's what the disgraced lunatic Sonthi is claiming too. 

Sonthi gets out of jail Cartalluci pipes up again. 

Funny that. 

6 hours ago, Bell1234 said:

They simply do NOT have a clue.

Or they do know exactly what they are doing and they don't really want anyone coming at the moment but they have to look like they do. 

That's my take on it. 

19 hours ago, madmen said:

One big upside is condo owners are already approved. Downside is for poms and yanks won't be able to come regardless 

Or Aussies as they are not even allowed to leave their own country at the moment. 

Sonthi, the disgraced media lunatic, is out of prison and agitating again, blaming the USA and causing division on TV and social media. 

Remember it was he that started all this nonsense because the Thaksin government removed his pal Viroj from KTB. Sonthi of course was using KTB as his own personal piggy bank and was annoyed he wasn't getting his piece of the pie. Rest is history as they say. 

Hopefully these protests bring about real change. 

34 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

 

Have you an actual instance of that happening or did you just make it up? I'm guessing the latter.

Whilst the ID might see right through it, it is they who are stamping the passports. So your statement seem like your wishful thinking.

I know of a couple of instances of people being refused extensions at Chaeng Wattana in Bangkok on Education Visas, with officers requesting proof they are actually studying. One of the guys was a long termer but too young to get any other type of visa so he was dodging about on tv's and ed visas for ages. He's still here but sorted himself oput with Non-B and WP now.

Anyway... good luck to those still clinging on as they will eventually fall off the edge at some point. That much is obvs from current shenanigans.