MrMojoRisin

28 minutes ago, NONG CHOK said:

I've lived in Thailand with my Thai wife for the past 22 years. I walk 90 minutes around our large estate every day and I've never seen how much Thai people have changed. Maybe they're in despair thinking a vote for democracy won't change the Government. Let's hope they're wrong.

Household debt is through the roof.

Most people vote out of self interest, not on principles

Economic self interest is the reason Prayuth is going to lose in a landslide

There will be a change of government, the only uncertainty is whether the losers try to steal the election and force the people to take to the streets for one final battle or will the losers negotiate the conditions of their surrender peacefully.

So weak is the position of the anti-democracy side I see negotiations as the only viable option.....unless the crazies seize control and embark on a suicide mission.

We'll all know soon enough.

37 minutes ago, still kicking said:

And then you woke up

There has definitely been an awakening.

9 years of incompetent rule has the Thai people united unlike ever before.

In 16 days, wannabe fascism in Thailand is dead.

What on earth are you junta loving anti democracy expats going to do with yourselves?

3 hours ago, AgMech Cowboy said:

@Geir Rasch maybe you should listen to @OneMoreFarang.  I'm not going to review all the charges of which he was convicted.  Just one...  He threw out a completely legal bid and reward of that bid for some prime property in the Ratchadapisek area.  Shockingly, his wife won the rebid of the land parcel (and maybe for a lesser price, don't remember). Charged, Tried and Convicted.  There were other charges.  Thaksin made a  bunch of noise about the 'political' convictions, but as the international community has actually had time to read the charges and results he doesn't get that much support anymore.

You are completely wrong. Your post is a bunch of made up garbage.

https://www.newmandala.org/a-response-to-vanina-sucharitkul/

12 hours ago, soalbundy said:

I doubt that, Thais are apathetic in general regarding politics (Bangkok is perhaps an exception) I asked my wife who she will vote for, she said, nobody, they are all corrupt and it will never change, who cares if there is a coup it wont affect my daily life, in fact a coup would be good for us as the Baht would fall and my pension would be worth more.

You asked your wife?

For someone so apathetic about politics she appears to have a keen interest in economics.

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

A few weeks ago I was having breakfast with some family, educated and wealthy ones, they asked me the question who I think will win the election, I was just taking a guess and said Paetongtarn, to be honest I'm not really that interested, they all said no, 

Well then, no need for an election then, a handful of educated and wealthy Thais have spoken.
 

Out of curiosity, is it possible to be wealthy and uneducated or is it just the peasants and unwashed masses who are uneducated?

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Perhaps.

We'll wait and see.

 

 

Rest assured that the ruling elite ain't gonna roll over and play dead. 

Some fool (Apirat) will try his luck and get his ass handed to him. It almost needs to play out this way… the final exclamation point on a struggle that began in 1932.

10 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

Since the coup which started the close down of the Shinewatra political clan was 16 years ago, and the older generations are in exile, it is inevitable that Paetongtarn has little in the way of political experience.

 

Mind you, few if any of the others have experience of actually fighting and winning elections on policies or past performance - Prawit and Prayut anyone?

She has lived, practically her entire life, dead centre of Thai politics. She will no doubt be one of the best connected individuals in the country, she will know the true backstory and major players in every significant political event of the past 25 years. She has 3 family members who have been PM… that is 3 trusted (for blood is thicker than water) advisors she can rely on who have “been there, done that”. Additionally, her opposition, the old guard right wing elites are weaker and more divided than they have ever been. Long story short, after winning the election and becoming PM, she will go on to win re-election in a far more devastating and crushing landslide than Thaksin’s huge 2005 re-election win.

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

They're all crooked. 

Only a fool tars all with the same brush.

A jaywalker and a murderer have both broken the law - does lumping them together and labelling them criminals (as they both are) convey an accurate message?

3 hours ago, sidneybear said:

All governments do good and bad things. All I really want is a peaceful society that values its culture and heritage. Oh wait, that's what we've got now, so why all this change for the sake of change? We came to Thailand because we preferred it to the places we left. Many people here seem to want to turn Thailand into the (pretty ghastly) western world.

So cast your vote for the Junta and don’t deny others the right to cast their vote as they wish.

Most votes wins, losers go away, refine their message, and try again next election.

Methinks, Thailand is not for you anymore - time to start researching the visa situations in Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.

3 hours ago, sidneybear said:

We should at least make sure that changes are for the better, rejecting changes that aren't. Change for its own sake seems to lead to chaotic disintegration of societies, as we're seeing in the western world. 

Do the peasants get a say in what change is acceptable or desirable?

20 minutes ago, sidneybear said:

I first came when Prem was in charge. Some may say he wasn't too bad, but others would call him a military strongman. 

 

Who fits your definition of a proper politician? Thaksin jacked up the price of visas, and PR went up from 25k to 250k ....

Would you prefer a Thailand with 25k PR and no 30 baht (universal) healthcare?

A proper politician is a politician who holds office because of the outcomes of free and fair elections.

23 minutes ago, sidneybear said:

All I'm doing is forecasting the future, based on countless past experiences. Keep dreaming if it makes you feel better. 

Kinda like choosing last weeks winning numbers when buying this weeks lottery ticket.

The only constant is change.

8 hours ago, edwinchester said:

PT got 136 seats at the last election whilst Palang Pracharat came second with 116. PP got a slightly higher percentage of the popular vote because PT did not contest as many seats. The 250 army appointed Senators voted unanamously that Prayut be selected as Prime Minister......it happened once and could easily happen again.

Last time, after breaking more rules of the already rigged process, PP was able to cobble together a coalition that gave them a majority in the lower house.

They won’t get anywhere near a 250 seat lower house  coalition this time around.

PT will govern in their own right.

2 hours ago, h90 said:

yes it is pretty much a disaster

Not a disaster, the consequences of their own actions… karma.

1 hour ago, h90 said:

a) yes of course the opposition criticize the government, that is there job. Would be the Future Forward be in power Prayut would find 100 things they did wrong. State owned TV shows the opposition against government. Is also a good sign

 

b) Thailand lost some opportunities is not the dead of a country....Look at Sri Lanka or Myanmar or Haiti....that is the dead of a country, not loosing some position in the competitiveness index. Afterwards it always could have been done better Specially the Covid-19 management was not that great. But it is not the end of the country

 

Are they criticisms or facts?

People can survive for a long time with a terminal illness, but guess what, eventually…

12 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

How many of Thaksin voters worry where the money comes from which he gives to them or promises to give them?

How many people have even an idea how government spending works?

Stupid and uniformed people will vote for the person/party who gives them money. That's what they want.

There is no point of discussing what these people think. They don't.

That fact that your beloved junta is unable to outwit “stupid and uninformed” people indicates that they themselves are stupid and uninformed.

????????????

56 minutes ago, bannork said:

Thailand was never united under Thaksin. A poor public speaker, he turned down pre- election debates as he knew Abhisit would destroy him. What he had/ has is populist policies. That's why the working class voted for him, he himself lacks charisma.

All he understood was dominance, a good leader will be decisive but will also listen to all sides and will apologize when making an error. 

Thaksin never apologized for anything, the Tak Bai massacre, for example, he said the young men died because they were weak from fasting. 

His arrogance and frequent put downs of others made him many enemies. That's why I'll be surprised if he does come back. 

Maybe his daughter will be PM one day but not this time.

Settha has made it clear he only joined PT if he gets the PM gig. He's not interested in any other Cabinet position. 

Looks like it was pretty united to me.

2 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Why don't you just read what I wrote and try to understand it.

It is not necessary that you blow it up to whatever fantasy you have.

Thaksin never tried to unite Thailand. He always deliberately divided it. That is his mo, same as the orange guy in America. 

How inane.

Thailand was never more united than during the latter years of Thaksin’s term as PM. Thaksin won re-election in an absolute landslide, he was idolised by over two thirds of the country…. and that “off the charts” popularity terrified the old elites. Such was the adoration of Thaksin, that now, nearly twenty years later, Thais are still yearning for his return - Thaksin’s Housemaid would win an election if Thaksin put her forward. 
As for division???

Prayuth and Prawit can’t even get along with each other.

Anyway it’s all moot.

Next month, Thaksin’s daughter is PM and Thailand is back on the path towards freedom and prosperity.

15 minutes ago, sidneybear said:

Now you're just resorting to ad hominem attacks and rudeness, because you've lost the argument. 

I see you win arguments the same way Prayuth wins elections????????????