Insight

If the election comes down to who is running the more interesting campaign, then Thaksin Inc. is going to win hands down.

All day here (poor area of Bangkok) there are trucks cruising the streets full of dancing dudes and loud music -- no policies, of course -- and they are receiving an enthusiastic reception.

Are the ppl living in the area registered to vote in BKK or up country? No doubt the shows has helped secure their votes, but it's also significant where the votes are secured.

From what we've heard before about teaching at the "schools" these red shirts attend run by Thida & co, any vote not for Thaksin is a vote against democracy.

This will be intimidation, and nothing else.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has urged former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra not to threaten to mobilize supporters if the Pheu Thai Party wins the election but fails to form the next government.

He might as well have said its OK if you win the election but we cheat our way back in again. I fail to see how anyone can still support this man. Roll on July and good riddance to him.

You seem to have the word "election" mixed up with the word "poll":

The Democrat Party leader has called on former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to refrain from mentioning that he will organize a rally of red-shirt supporters if the Pheu Thai Party wins the poll but fails to lead the next administration.

You do understand how in a democracy a party can still win a poll but not be the winner of the overall election?

/edit - just another distortion from the opposition and its supporters, I guess.

Neither will the videos of Abhisit's snipers still shooting after they'd been ordered to stop because the unarmed protester had already been killed!

I'm still unconvinced army snipers were entirely responsible for red shirt deaths.

But after fortifying the CBD in global metropolis for two months solid, then burning surrounding buildings down while making your retreat, all things considered you guys got off pretty lightly.

Get over it.

I thought the interviewer was very subtle, yet also persistent and direct enough.

She still got him to babble and stammer and obfuscate.

Exactly. She could of given more of a hard line, but would ultimately risk loosing his participation (it wasn't a live interview).

Regardless, I doubt many in the western world would find his what he offered in defense convincing in the slightest. However owing to his sheer arrogance he probably believes it was a reasonable performance.

It's gonna be sad watching this place go pop if PT win.

If you think it is too expensive, don't go.

If you think the ads run to long time, complain and don't go until they shorten it.

Why does the government need to get involved?

I have no doubt a bucket load of complains have no doubt already been made. It's the lack of willingness of the cinema companies to act on these complaints which have probably prompted government intervention.

It's pretty much a given the film is not going to start until at least 30mins after the advertised starting time - me and the missus simply wait until then. Unfortunately we usually have to negotiate the poor brainwashed sods who have been made to suffer the commercial onslaught.

If he only asked 10 people it is hardly worth a reply. Where were these people and in what provence. I think the whole thing is made up as there has not been much news over the last few days on anything. Dont get sucked in.

Does it matter where and how many were asked? If people disagree with amnesty (and I can personally vouch for far more than those surveyed above), how on earth is it going to restore peace?

The simple fact is *will* do the direct opposite. Any attempt to exonerate the man in UAE is going to be met with resistance which will dwarf what the red shirts have attempted over the past years. Quote me if you like.

/edit to add - and what's far more concerning is that this time the man in UAE will no doubt be more prepared for this resistance than during 2005-2008. Judging by what we've seen from him so far, frankly I dread to think how this resistance is going to be handled.

It makes a big difference where and how many were asked.

If it was asked up north it would have been 8 for and 2 against. Did he ask the people in his street

And what is it you are vouching for.

It makes a big difference... how? All what the difference suggests is people up north are more prepared to forgive Thaksin than people in the city, down south or other areas of Thailand.

Just answer me this - Just because people up north don't mind if he is let off the hook, do you seriously think the rest of Thailand is going to stand by and let that happen?

I don't, and what's more I think Thaksin knows this. How it's going to be "handled" seriously concerns me.

If he only asked 10 people it is hardly worth a reply. Where were these people and in what provence. I think the whole thing is made up as there has not been much news over the last few days on anything. Dont get sucked in.

Does it matter where and how many were asked? If people disagree with amnesty (and I can personally vouch for far more than those surveyed above), how on earth is it going to restore peace?

The simple fact is *will* do the direct opposite. Any attempt to exonerate the man in UAE is going to be met with resistance which will dwarf what the red shirts have attempted over the past years. Quote me if you like.

/edit to add - and what's far more concerning is that this time the man in UAE will no doubt be more prepared for this resistance than during 2005-2008. Judging by what we've seen from him so far, frankly I dread to think how this resistance is going to be handled.

9. Wunnaphorn Luglam, motorcycle taxi driver, 22 years old

I agree, because people who are guilty should have the opportunity to change themselves. Many people in the society may not accept this, but we should give them a chance.

That's because many in society know exactly what they're dealing with, and can say with absolute certainty it won't "change themselves".

Newin's recent comments have set the cat amongst the pigeons, and apparently have not been denied by Yingluk - just skirted around.

Some good analysis right now on the unmentionable news website.

There was another red shirt rally in central Bangkok this week, one I wasn't aware of or I would not have found myself in that part of town when the masses in red were ranting about the ills and illegitimacy of the current government. Anyway, I ducked into a nearby 7 Eleven and while I was in there overheard a brief exchange between one of the staff and a red shirt. The red shirt was asked what this particular rally was all about, and his answer said it all to me - "Mai roo" which if you don't speak Thai means "I don't know" but the tone of the response suggested a more accurate translation might have been, "I don't have a clue!"

At the bottom of this week's Stickman weekly

(/edit - and if you click through, don't forget to pay attention to the top part of the article. Almost completely unrelated, but worthy of a read)

Stickmanbangkok.com the website for the expat family man community.

At the very bottom, just above the Sunbelt legal advice column I found the following recommendation:

"A good, accurate article titled Why Thailand's Sexpat Community Hates Taksin upset many this week, probably because it cut a bit too close to the bone for some!"

Yep, it's fair to say our Mr Stickman is a pretty balanced guy.

This is still my favourite however:

What I saw that night turned me against the red shirts. At that point in time it was being (erroneously) reported that the M79 grenade attack had caused 5 deaths and more than 80 people had been injured, numbers that were later revised down markedly – I believe there was only one death. But one death is one too many, not that the red shirts seemed to think so. When I arrived the reds were partying and celebrating like there was no tomorrow. They were singing, dancing and celebrating like demented demons, lighting lanterns that were launched into the sky, lanterns that are usually saved for the most special holidays and events. Squealing in delight at others' misfortune – deaths at their hands – was something I just couldn't accept and from that moment on I looked at the reds in a different light.

There was another red shirt rally in central Bangkok this week, one I wasn't aware of or I would not have found myself in that part of town when the masses in red were ranting about the ills and illegitimacy of the current government. Anyway, I ducked into a nearby 7 Eleven and while I was in there overheard a brief exchange between one of the staff and a red shirt. The red shirt was asked what this particular rally was all about, and his answer said it all to me - "Mai roo" which if you don't speak Thai means "I don't know" but the tone of the response suggested a more accurate translation might have been, "I don't have a clue!"

At the bottom of this week's Stickman weekly

(/edit - and if you click through, don't forget to pay attention to the top part of the article. Almost completely unrelated, but worthy of a read)

But okay, a few more people than "no-one" are interested. I didn't thought someone would take that for literally. only some trolls will maybe deliberate misunderstand this.

So "no one" doesn't actually mean "no one".

No one believes you.

You could look how much internet traffic the searches for different persons in Thai politics generate.

Google trend is a nice tool for it. but its not allowed to post links to it so you have to check it out by your own.

Abhisit heavily featured in the last eight years? You must really live in another part of the town.

But wasn't it you who noticed that here are nearly no Abhisit topics in discussion? what is heavily featured for you?

Remember that? That's your credibility, that is.

Usually I'd point you in the direction of a PR 101, but something tells me you already have a firm grasp.

Enjoy the reality your trying to sell.

Something here for certain - Yingluk's name is on seven of these threads, Abhisit's is on one. It's pretty clear who is putting more effort into the PR game.

Abhisit really needs to up the anti a bit more. Can't help but wonder if they are well aware of this and have something in store closer to the election date.

No-one is really interested in Abhisit.

I find that a quite remarkable statement, that nobody is interested in the current PM, can you offer any supporting evidence for it ?

Evidence for something that don't really exist?

Good job I'm sitting down. I must of imagined a person who has featured very heavily in the past eight years of my life, along with all her friends and family.

See that? That's your credibility, that is.

Something here for certain - Yingluk's name is on seven of these threads, Abhisit's is on one. It's pretty clear who is putting more effort into the PR game.

Abhisit really needs to up the anti a bit more. Can't help but wonder if they are well aware of this and have something in store closer to the election date.

No-one is really interested in Abhisit.

Me and you clearly live in different parts of town.

Something here for certain - Yingluk's name is on seven of these threads, Abhisit's is on one. It's pretty clear who is putting more effort into the PR game.

Abhisit really needs to up the anti a bit more. Can't help but wonder if they are well aware of this and have something in store closer to the election date.

David Bowie and Freddie Mercury can be heard in the distance...

Dum dum dum dum-de-dum dum.

Willing to wager my vote she'll have a nervous breakdown before the election date.

What in the name of Bonaparte's balls are you going on about now, man? Please clarify for the hard of mind-reading.

Going to have to leave you with your balls for now, hanuman1. Will all no doubt become clearer within the next few months.

How blind can you be not see through this charade?

A contract might have something to do with it...

?????

Maybe I'm wrong. It could be a "gentlemen's agreement"

How blind can you be not see through this charade?

A contract might have something to do with it...

Yingluck is being completely disingenuous. She knows dam_n well that amnesty will not result in peace. The only result it will have is another coup at best, and civil war at worst. Let us hope the PT are trounced soundly at the ballot box so we might finally have some real peace in this country.

I don't like the 'another coup at best', on the other hand having a taxi driver tell me today 'another civil war with people shooting each other may still come after the elections' doesn't sound good either. With Ms. Yingluck's 'amnesty will restore peace, but it's not a priority' we're not going in the right direction it seems

(edit: add: personally I also do not believe amnesty will restore peace, let's be clear about that)

The army moving on the red shirt camp last year was supposed to bring out all the so-called "watermelons" and plunge the country into civil war. Didn't happen. Just the well-coordinated arson of several provincial halls (which I do recall reading somewhere some locals attempted to resist).

Thaksin is perpetuating the chaos (if people seriously still doubt this then I wonder how they react to these comments from little sis). The question is how many seriously have the will to see it through to the desired momentum. My money (pitifully meager in comparison) is still on "no where near enough".

What it's all been about from day one - getting Thaksin off the hook (so-called "amnesty") will restore peace in Thailand.

Simply because Thaksin will then stop causing chaos.

May I predict that this thread will eventually resemble some sort of poll with hordes of posters agreeing with this opinion piece and also themselves?

Am sure contrasting accounts are welcomed also...