waza

"The government will also have to seek new revenue sources, given the its recent adjustment of the budget deficit to Bt469 billion from the previous Bt450 billion."
An anti corruption commission would raise billions

"Earlier there were speculation that Thaksin has bought a container port in China.....Thaksin is estimated to be worth between US$1.5 billion to US$2.5 billion.......A media in China just reported Yongluck has been appointed to the CEO status of a port "

good news

Kiwi Bar, Soi 8.  

The BP refers to his "two regular Thai passports". Why two?

How very peculiar, Kobkarn Wattanavarangkul on Monday said "The ministry has estimated that the combined tourism revenue of the first and second quarter will stand at 2.4 trillion baht"

However, the bureau of budget published.....

PHUKET: Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday she is ready to step down if the people want her out, but added that she had not discussed the possibility of quitting politics with her brother, ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, or other members of her family.....
Yingluck was responding to reports in which Thaksin aide Noppadon Pattama quoted the former premier as saying he was ready to "sacrifice his family" by ending its political career so the country can emerge from the political impasse and move forward.[/background]
See more at: http://www.phuketgazette.net/thailand-news/Yingluck-offers-to-quit-Park-chief-probe-over-missing-activist-Four-dead-from-swine-flu/

"Ms Yingluck said the team voiced concern about human rights and freedoms of speech and would like to see transparency"

Sounds like the kettle calling the pot black to me

Must be interesting for her to find out what was going on in her brother's pet scam.

Had she been impeached fairly instead of deposed, she would not garner so much attention in and outside of Thailand . Also, the junta's ineptness and heavy handedness plays in her and her brother's favor.

You don't know anything and apparently didn't follow what was happening just prior to what you called deposed. Yl quit her position as PM. And had a 90 day stench as interim PM. She refused to leave that position when her 90 days were up quoting her hold to democracy. She wanted to hold on to her power any way she could once she saw even her own followers were turning against her. Since almost all she did while in office had nothing to do with democracy and the one and only thing which did "her being voted into it" her statement was a joke. You can't say you are democratic after showing no respect for democracy or its laws.

and lets no forget that Yingluck wanted to resign as caretaker PM but her loving brother said she would do jail time if she did.

After the eighth car was damaged it was reported............"Boonchuai added that he also witnessed Jay smashing a car on Feb. 19, but he and other staff members were too afraid to intervene as he pulled out a spartan knife and threatened to attack them.....According to reports by Manager, Jay has not been arrested because he is related to a senior police officer in the province and his mom has so far dealt with her son’s rampages by paying compensation to the victims"

Ah the old carrot and stick approach. Join one of the 28 groups and you can grow rice and you will get low interest loans of 5 million each group. Just what farmers drowning in debt need. Or grow something else and remember we are watching you via satalite

Hmmm hygienic masks should solve that eye irritation

Hmm seems the deforestation issue has gained traction with the Thai netizens...........

Go for it but don't expect it to end well. The Chinese are terrible drivers going from my

experience in Vancouver and Toronto. And before someone pipes up that is a gross

generalization and unfair, that is what makes my statement accurate. I can't tell you

if a particular driver is not very capable, I can only make a generalized statement based

on my first hand personal experience. Thais are terrible as well, (although I know some

are good) it is just the Chinese are worse. When you combine that, with opposite hand

drive and over sized camper vans/RV's it will be an accident and traffic nightmare. Neither

country has a driving culture with drivers getting there license at age 16 and having years

of experience. They come to it late and most are terrible drivers.

I'm surprised there hasn't been more news of GrabTaxi drivers being attacked by the taxi mafia.

It's usually the first thing to get Thais up in arms if someone comes on their patch.

I would imagine that the deforestation of Thailand has a lot to do with the drought and flooding scenario. Barren land can't hold as much water a a rain forest. Just look at Google map Thailand looks like a desert compared to its surrounding countries

Dawei is in Myanmar not Thailand, why is the Thai deputy prime minister selling it?

Seems Thais are highly valued for their massage skills here in Australia.

My guess is the probe will identify the videographer so he can be charged with computer crimes.

It seem the BIB have ruled out terrorism, claiming the hot plate wasn't a suicide bomber, it was more likely to be a plain suicide.

Hmmm the Baltic dry index is now lower than it was during the GFC, so I don't expect any improvement in world trade for the forsee able future.

Abuse of power in this context is "a person using the power they have for their own personal gain".

Abuse of power is corrupt politicians voting for an amnesty bill to forgive themselves of all crimes of corruption since 2004.

Anyone crowing now who didn't say anything against the amnesty bill is not worth listening to.

The prosecution of Yingluck over a real event where 500 billion of a 600 billion budget was 'lost' is called accountability and justice in the rest of the world.

Hi John,

Abuse of power is also overthrowing an elected government and granting themselves an amnesty - the very thing they used as an excuse for the coup. Don't you agree, John?

No it isn't............

"Abuse of power, in the form of "malfeasance in office" or "official misconduct," is the commission of an unlawful act, done in an official capacity, which affects the performance of official duties. Malfeasance in office is often grounds for a for cause removal of an elected official by statute or recall election."

However it is a moral and just cause for a coup against a caretaker government, that cant govern. (even after sending their red supporters into violently breakup legitimate peaceful protestors.

I haven't seen the photo, but did he wear a shirt like this?

2012-05-19 new red Tshirt.jpg

Great another Thaksin attempt to put his cult followers into harms way while he bravely orchestrates it from overseas

A case of the tobacco and alcohol industry applying political pressure to blunt the teeth of a government watchdog promoting a healthy society

No Stalin said it, and its ironic that it applies to your comment. While the German economist Karl Marx said, "Religion is the opium of the people ". This applies to the Red cult as well and explains their unwavering support for thaksinomics and its corrupt criminal founder. But back to the topic, name me one free trade agreement that has a free market and name me one capitalist country that's doing well?

Free trade agreements are targeted agreements and they do deliver on what is agreed to. I see the repetition of the falsehood about NAFTA, so I will use NAFTA as an example. The intent of NAFTA was to eliminate trade barriers between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. In that respect, it unlocked the shackles on those operations which provided goods and services, making trade more "free". No one has ever claimed that there was a free market. A free market is one that has no regulations whatsoever. Anti dumping regulations, fair trade practices, intellectual property rights were strengthened under NAFTA. Trade barriers make goods and services more expensive than they need be and are an indirect form of hidden taxation which punish efficient and cost efficient operations.

You ask that we name a capitalist country that is doing well. That is a relative term. On the whole capitalist countries are doing much better than countries which are not. If capitalist countries are such failures, why are all those Eritreans, Arabs, and Afghanis running to the capitalist countries of the EU, USA and Canada? They aren't running to Zimbabwe, Russia, or the socialist utopias of Cuba or Ecuador or Venezuela are they?

Seems to me that capitalist countries like Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Canada etc. are all doing much better than non capitalist countries.

.

A free trade agreement is of advantage to corporation, or unlocks the shackles keeping corporation in check. It is of greatest advantage to the dominant countries, consider the US is the largest market in the world, what advantage would it get from reducing barriers to its market? The only advantage for the individual is they may get a minimum wage job working in a multinational manufacturing company that is paid his taxes back as incentives to situated that company in their country. Trade barriers protect local companies from the predatory actions of multinational company buy levelling the playing field, while the revenue from the tariffs add to the overall budget of that country. Furthermore, they act as an incentive for multinational company to set up shop in that country to avoid tariffs, an example would be the end of car manufacturing in the UK and Australia because the tariffs were reduced.

Your second point is a classic mistake of ignorance, you are confusing capitalism with democracy, they are not the same. They are running to these countries because they are democratic and have a good humanitarian record and are have a excellent social security safety net. Russia is a good example of a capitalist country with a debatable democratic political system and as you observed the refugees aren't running there.