wandasloan

Would have thought it should have been a bigger increase than that after all for the last 3 years rice has been withheld from the export market and this year the full crop for export should be sold, plus possibly some from the stockpiles.

Presuming of course that rice is included as food exports.

Rice is included but rice is cheap. Big ticket items are shrimp, chicken, fruit, vegetables, pork.... Two million tonnes of rice is barely seen on the bottom line (as you note).

Rice hasn't been withheld. Much more was at work than that. Last year, Thailand was a couple or three million tonnes below normal, but it sold very roughly 6.5 million tonnes of rice, and this year will sell about 9 million. That is not exactly "withholding". I'm not sneezing at that, don't get my wrong, I wouldn't mind a tiny cut. But in the Grand Scheme of things, 2 or 3 million tonnes of rice over a full year don't do a heck of a lot on the bottom line.

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Hot and dry in Jomtien.  Little 5-10 minute shower every other day.  Nothing to get excited about.

In upper Thailand (central to North and Northeast) the actual rainy season is July-October, and the start of it is marked the Wan Khao Pansa - the Buddhist lent, when men go into the monkhood for a short time, etc.

It rains before July and it usually rains after mid-October but that's the actual "official" rainy season. This year the start of lent and the rain season is July 11-12.

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Why?

Wasn't she right?

Since when is it not allowed to call an idiot an idiot, or a thug a thug?

Since when wasn't she allowed?

Back in the days when Thailand had freedom of speech, she used it. No one stopped her from using it. No one tried to stop her. No thinking person (sorry, General) would ever try to stop her. What's the problem?

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This article is about food exports. Thailand isn't even in the top ten in the world, no guessing required.

Are you certain? You should give Reuters a call then.

Yes, I know isn't it fabulous I gave you a gotcha?

Not so fast. You'd have to call the World Trade Organisation as well:

That said, my question wasn't about pure exports. It was about NET exports. There are very, very few countries that do that. The EU, just for example (and some EU members), exports a heck of a lot of food, but imports a heck of a lot more.

After the US, Canada, Australia, Argentina and Thailand, you're beginning to run out of countries that are NET food exporters of any importance.

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I have been here 10 years and learned after the second year to never, ever, buy "made in Thailand" if there is any other alternative. Even the local craftsmen do not use Thai parts when making repairs, ( air con, compressor from Japan ).

No Arrow shirts or Thai food then. And for sure no Victoria's Secret, too bad for your lady if you have one.

It's rather a silly view, although perhaps just uninformed. Thailand makes more auto parts for the world than almost any country, including for cars made in Thailand. You probably can't buy a car without some. Thailand makes more computer chips, including for smartphones and the like, than almost any country. You almost certainly can't buy any PC or smartphone without something from Thailand. Thailand makes massive numbers of air conditioner compressors, especially - but not exclusively - for export. They make air conditioner compressors for air conditioners assembled in Thailand from Thai parts. And so on.

All that stuff and one heck of a lot more seems to work okay. Around the world, Arrow seems to be doing all right.

Of course, unlike all the other countries, Thailand ALSO has lots of rubbish for sale. More seriously, it has more than its world share of counterfeits. But to never buy "made in Thailand" is both pretty difficult and also amazingly uninformed.

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Cambodia is as close to a military dictatorship as you can get. There is no need for a coup the one who is in control is already close to the army.

oh Cambodian never had the treat of a military coup read below. You lost all credibility.

I'm sorry, but there is only one award per day. Are you SURE you can't get closer to a military dictatorship than Cambodia. Absolutely certain? I'm pretty sure you can get one heck of a lot closer. Here's a small clue:

I didn't see the word "military" in your news of the Cambodian coup. Any reason you took it out? Or did you?

I know exactly how the cretinous Hun Sen gained, kept and enhanced his power. Exactly. For the latter, he used the heck out of his army. And not once, not for a Phnom Penh millisecond did his loyal army threaten a military coup to oust him.

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Aiming to be the hub of ASEAN food exports.

Take a guess how many countries in the world, including Thailand, export significantly more food than they import.

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Actually yes its good that accountants are going over it. They could certainly remove corruption from the last government.

I am not sure how they can remove corruption of the Junta as no money has been spend or calculated by them on new projects. But I am sure you can explain that to me. Maybe they should get a crystal bawl and look into the future.

But you love to try to put the Junta down but it won't work for now they are doing a world of good. They should all be declared holy for removing the Shins. A national holiday should be made to remember the day of the coup. Next thing on their list should be to expel all bias farang red shirt reporters. (just like how the CAPO bullied everyone who did not listen to them let others feel how it is) Then when the corruption is exposed it should be made known to the world how corrupt the Shins were.

But actually its already quite telling that even Cambodia won't host a government in exile for the Shins.

The water-scheme is real important and should be handled by experts.. not politicians out for money. So far you are constantly beating about corruption by the junta but there is no proof. (how could there be whey are in charge so short)

See, this is EXACTLY what I told George and his top aides, we need an award for Most Amusing Post Of The Day, and so what if one person dominates it?

I'm only answering, however, to say that one hopes that Cambodia AND NO ONE ELSE would ever host an exile government for Thailand. It's a ridiculous idea, and it's very telling that no credible political figure including "even" (as you say) the Great Lord Voldemort na Dubai has dignified it. I think Hun Sen is a dreadful man and a horrible prime minister but your "even" is uncalled for. Whatever he is, he is a Cambodian. He won't bend over to his (literal) saviours so he sure isn't going to bend over for this. And one hopes all others will do the same. Thailand does not need or call for anything like that.

This isn't Singapore, thank goodness with its elitist slash technocrat system. The water scheme and everything else should be "handled" by elected politicians. But of all the people who should NOT "handle" it, the military is at the very, very top of the list. In fact, it is the military itself who needs to be handled. In this particular case, it would be great if technocrats were to shoo away the boys in green and run the projects, but of course they can't, they're as powerless as politicians. They'll do, and they'll get, what they're told. And so will you and I if we know what's good for us.

Did you notice that "even" Cambodia has never had even the threat of a military coup? Or even worse Asean countries - Vietnam, Laos? What is it about the Thai military that convinces those puffed-up green monsters they can run a country? Especially after so many completely failed, bloodstained failures?

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Buddy. I used to work with the infamous "Swirly face" Chris Neil at an international school when I first moved here and he pulled the same charade... Always talking about boning bar girls and women. But the ugly truth was he was holding adolescent boys as sex hostages in his apartment. Now I don't know about the Chris you know, but the point is.... you NEVER know.

You KNEW THIS yet NEVER REPORTED HIM?

If what you're saying is true then you're slightly less guilty than he is for not reporting this to the police. How did you know this and why would you let it proceed?

I am absolutely fascinated how you got from A to B on this. Why do you think - or why DID you think - TimTang knew what Neil was up to at the time he worked with him? Is it just a reading problem or.... ? That's amazing.

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I know I was not against a water management scheme, I guess almost nobody is as I got flooded last time. I am however against how it was setup. Lets see if the Junta does it better. The thing that i saw from the Junta was that they put someone with knowledge on top of it from the royal irrigation bureau. No such thing was done by the PTP it was nepotism all around.

The best thing would be (not for your side of course) if the companies came out and told about the bribes they paid. Or get the bribes back from the previous government. Would be so nice to see more then a few PTP in jail.

Of course. I agree entirely with the second paragraph. Maybe we BOTH should head down to the beach to find a lamp to rub to get it to happen. Next to preventing corruption in the next iteration of this programme, exposing corruption in the last iteration is my favourite fantasy. And I'm the first to admit I may not be imaginative enough. All ideas on making either of these ideas come true are very, very welcome. Or exposing or preventing any other graft, ditto. Count on me to help spread the news.

Meanwhile, in the real world addressed by your first paragraph. Do you think it's pretty nifty that army accountants are reviewing the water management plans? If so, why? (I admit that's biased. I would be FASCINATED by anyone thought process that concludes these folks will remove the corruption part. I hope they explain their alleged "thinking" on that.)

FYI, the RID was intimately, closely involved in writing the PTP's flood project, as it has been with every flood project. The RID has *never* been in charge. When there's a government the government was in charge. Now there isn't one. Still, the RID is *not* in charge, the RTA's economic department is currently in charge. That was clearly stated in the junta's orders about this slick new skimming device.

All I'm after is if people think having the economic department at the Royal Thai Army headquarters in charge of the flood management plan as of Monday afternoon June 9 is a good idea. Some people never have an opinion, but this is a fact, and many thinking people have an opinion about it - or certainly should.

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On the subject it would sound like a honey-trap. Wonder if it will settle for a cash sum and disappear into the ether?

I sincerely hope it was a honey trap. That way, no one important ever was going to get harmed, only the creepy looking fellow in the photo and others with his intentions.

If they use one of the several available options to disappear him or get him to disappear, it would be equally fine by me. Getting rid of him is a better option - in my opinion of course - than listening to all the "innocent until proven guilty" bleating, followed by allowing him free room and board until disappearing him anyhow.

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Laptops, about 5 minutes. Had about half dozen of those

Ipad is going strong after 2 years though still

Yet another vote for "buy made-in-China".

I'm not sure it matters where it was made. I think that in general you get, if not exactly what you pay for, what you shop around for. A 3,000 baht DVD player that is actually worth 3,000 baht will almost certainly last longer than a 400-baht one that is worth 400 baht. The main point is you get a choice - cheap in price and quality, or NOT cheap in price and quality. If you pay high and get cheap, it's pretty well always your own fault for shopping like a man instead of taking some care.

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We have been hearing all the problems relating to floods and droughts for decades. The same frustrations are heard on poor infrastructure. Governments after government talks about this but do not have the fortitude to face the challenges and rather kick the can down the road except for Taksin and Yingluck. They have faults but in terms of vision, courage and determination, they are the only governments that get things down. Oppositions and political opportunists will obviously take aimed and will try to discredit the projects and these are the people who are holding the potential of the nation down. Yes, review the projects but for the future of Thailand, these water and infrastructures are needed to just play catch up with our peers.

This isn't to pick on your post, on the contrary, it's excellent. But your last sentence: How many times is it to be reviewed? And is the economic department at the Royal Thai Army headquarters really the perfect final review board? Really? Because?

Yes, I agree, it is really cute how many posters find the RTA competent and pure. But come on, how naive do you have to be to think that the army bean-counters are the most competent judges of water-management in Thai history? Even in techniques of skimming the non-liquid assets of such projects, there are better people. So how many reviews, by how many different offices?

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This is a good effort that will not accomplish anything.

Good sounds, but no music.

Huh? Kumbaya is mandatory. The one thing it has is music. 555

But it is the most hilarious error in the far-too-hilarious history of the Royal Thai Army, especially in the far South.

The "reconciliation" necessary is for Isoc to realise it is the most despised entity in the deep South. People aren't fighting people in that area. This is not Udon Thani or Surat Thani. This is EVERYONE in the region opposed to top-down management from the likes of the junta chief (and his predecessors of government for 50 years), and a tiny few taking up arms against him. The people in the deep South are of one mind about the source of the problems and terrorism and violence, and that main source is featured here in a huge photo.

You Muslim haters, please hit another thread. There's nothing for you to see here. Religion has no part to play in this serious, murderous security problem.

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Water scheme firms accept NPCO delay,! as if they had a choice,

Yes. On the other hand, it's a great day for the National Hypocrite Watching Society.

One: Will those hordes opposed to Yingluck's water-management scheme show up to oppose the junta's wataer management scheme?

Two: Will the huge crowds opposed to corruption in government programmes be watching this one closely, ready to expose the early signs of graft that were likely under an elected, civilian government and now are absolutely certain under an unelected regime?

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I think governments in other countries, including my own, should remember how they always bang on about how it's all about 'what the local people want' etc., etc., and then actually take a look around Thailand since the coup. They will not find people downtrodden or in despair that the pride of democracy, the PTP, have been usurped but will see a people who are largely relieved to be shot of all the useless politicians on all sides and the endless daily violence thanks to a group who actually want what is best for the country and not themselves and who happen to be the military.

Agreed. It is very similar to February, 2005, in fact. People were so happy with the pride of democracy, relieved to be shot of the useless politicians who had ruled them for so long. ESPECIALLY the people of Bangkok.

Then they got buyers' remorse. I don't blame them, don't get me wrong, but at some point the country will agree to live with even its bad choices until the next vote. Until then, messy and dependent on 10th Class referees to give them occasional timeouts like today.

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I have more knowledge of Thailand living here 32 years than you will ever dream about.

What I thought. You need to stick around for a while and get some experience, kid.

If that's actually your appeal to authority, 32 years, if that's actually the sum of it for you, then, 555 yeah, you have quite a way to go.

It doesn't actually work this way.

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So messes always get sorted do they. I am trying hard to think of good democratic countries that have to resor to this.

Super good run transparent countries do NOT have mega messes like this. Just depends on what you r interpretation of Mess is. ??

"MY" interpretation of mess? Do you think it might be different from yours? Blood on the streets and in the fields. Families torn apart. People fighting each other. People hauled away at 3am, never seen again. And those are the good part of such messes.

I can't think of a decent country that didn't have all that and more. I doubt you can either. Even if you cite Canada, you're wrong. But there might be a few. I suppose you might cite the upside-down people of the antipodes, but their histories are not exactly free of blood or turmoil, any more than Canada's. But note that in these three "best examples possible" the military at no time, in no way even threatened to lift a finger. Thank goodness.

For sure, the fabulously, extravagantly free and powerful, democratic-type countries we often cite today - the US, France, England, Germany, Japan, and more - these went though messes that were thousands and thousands of times worse than anything Thailand can even imagine, let alone experience. Korea and Taiwan are fabulous successes - after massive messes much worse than Thailand.

In the countries where the military figured they could do it best, the military ACTUALLY made it worse - Germany, Japan, Korea as examples. In countries where the military stayed out, there were incredible messes and, eventually, those great countries you cite.

Setting up a "super good run transparent country" is pretty well always an incredibly messy, bloody experience, often lasting many decades. There are several countries going through it now. I know Thailand will continue, I only hope it won't get as bad as it got in the icon countries.

Tell me honestly without making the excuse that elections would have solved this as we all know that is too ridiculous for words, what and who if not the army could have sorted out the mess ??? the red army verses the protesters ???

I'm not against no killings and I'm not against no rolling, roiling street protests. But the fact is that the army has no part to play in this "mess" and it will play no part in the solution, which won't happen in the next 15 months, that's a dead, signed, sealed, guaranteed, warrantied certainty.

Messes always get sorted out. Almost all countries have gone through this sort of mess. It is the deadly sin of military hubris that will bring down this coup as it has brought down every coup regime in Thai history. The army does NOT have the ability to "sort out" anything. I hope for the best - that the army won't create yet another bloodbath, and when the army again is driven back to the barracks by popular opinion, that the division in society won't be worse than it was a month ago. That's the very best scenario I can think up.

I know what the army wants - appointed legislatures, muted press, no freedom of speech. They can't and they won't get it, even if they are lucky enough to survive long enough to pretend that a constitutional assembly gave it to them. The question is whether, in their failure, they will tear this country apart irrevocably, or whether they will return it to its owners in good enough condition to allow getting back to "sorting out the mess" as they alone have the right.

I'm trying hard to think of a country that did NOT go through this sort of mess. I suppose there have been some. Canada? But getting a country that works the way people want and deserve *is* a messy task. The idea that a few puffed-up generals wallowing in 27% increases in military spending and millions of blank cheques to sign have a political solution would make me laugh except these old men aren't actually funny.

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Endorsement from China, Indonesia and Vietnam is hardly the dream ticket.

Not a bad start though. hell of a lot of clout there though.

Well it would be if there were such a thing. Let's kill this nonsense right here and now.

Indonesia spoke very strongly against the coup - very strongly. China and Vietnam made it clear they did NOT endorse the coup. In very similar language, both said they hoped Thailand would "very quickly" return to non-military rule.

These are interesting countries, now that you bring them up. Indonesia, like Thailand, is a former military dictatorship. But the communist regimes in China and Vietnam have always - always - maintained total civilian control over the military and there never has been even a slight whiff of a military coup in either of these countries. They may be dreadful regimes, but on this single issue, they are as far from a military coup as the US or Australia.

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Apart from other we do not know about, the Malaysian BOSS has just paid a friendly visit to see the general not a bad move, Western world please note--get more updated --get better reports sent back---Ms Kenny your words could work volumes in the USA if you have the heart to do it.

Except that he didn't. The Malaysian armed forces supreme commander (ceremonial job, as in Thailand) Gen Zulkifeli bin Mohd paid a visit for a few hours. Malaysia has civilian control of the military and the boss most certainly did not pay any visit at all. The only thing Prime Minister Najib Razak has said is that Malaysians should stay away from Thailand altogether.

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Thanks for straightening me out on the "Pic" actually being "Plc". Obviously you are correct, but how does True Visions make PLC stand for Public Company Limited? Shouldn't it be PCL? I swear, I think they try to confuse everyone on purpose.

You think too much. Plc does not stand for Public Company Limited. It stands for Public Limited Company.

In Thailand you will see both Pcl and Plc. There is no difference, it's the English translation of a Thai phrase, and both have completely equal weight. Don't let it confuse you and then it won't.

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