Insight

In terms of sympathy for the redshirt movement, albeit with caveats, there is huge support among the most educated people in the Kingdom.

Have you got any concrete evidence of this?

Armed with some understanding of Thaiscript, you only have to look around online to find plenty of it to the contrary.

Having looked for media accounts of Thaksin's visit (apart from the predictable Thai based reports) I eventually found an American perspective which is in direct contradiction of the impression given by the usual suspects:

http://blogs.lmu.edu...ngeles-and-lmu/

I'm not sure that this proves anything other than an internet search will come up with anything.I retain my view that the whole visit amounts to almost zero interest and significance

Pro-Thaksin Amsterdam-esque articles being hosted under a .edu domain. I suppose this must reflect on the institution rather than Academia itself.

Except for one anti-Thaksin demonstration in Los Angeles, it has been smooth going here in the U.S.

Loyola Marymount University

Why do the educated class hate Thaksin, Jayboy? I'd love to hear your Ox-Bridge influenced reasoning for it.

Horrendous

You could say that.

From the description of the stab wounds, it sounds more like she butchered the victim as opposed to just slashing her once or twice.

"Hell hath no fury like a Thai woman scorned"

Or... "Hell hath no fury like a mental Thai bird on ice..... scorned"

An interesting take on the situation and strong verbiage from an outside Thailand news source...

Hypocrisy: Syria Burns While Mass Murdering Dictator Roams Freely in USA

Starting in February 2003, and over the course of 3 months, some 2,800 people (approximately 30 a day) would be extra-judicially murdered in the cities and countrysides of Southeast Asia's Thailand. Accused of being "drug dealers," they were systematically exterminated based on "hit lists" compiled by police given carte blanche by then Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (a former police bureaucrat himself). It would later be determined by official investigations that over half of those killed had nothing to do with the drug trade in any way. Human Rights Watch (HRW) would confirm this in their 2008 report titled, "Thailand’s 'war on drugs'," a follow up to the much more extensive 2004 report, "Not Enough Graves."

Continues:

http://hamsayeh.net/...ely-in-usa.html

Hamsayeh News - August 15, 2012

Interesting source.

Yes it's written by none other than Tony Cartalucci, who out tinfoils the the craziest and most paranoid of us all.I imagine Buchholz is just having a laugh in posting it.I mean if it was meant to be taken seriously that would suggest....

You could always "meet" Buchholz with an "article" by Andrew Spooner.

Yep.

And I don't ask, they tell, it's very common talk, gossip, he paid this etc ..... if you are unaware of this, then you are unaware of this.

i'm not unaware of the existence of vote buying and i'm not denying that it happens.

but your answer was "Practically every Thai national I know, have spoken to or seen"

which means you think (practically) every thai national gets paid cash to vote, and it's hyperbolic bs.

So, you are aware of the existence of vote buying then and you don't deny it happens.

For you, as a farang, who cannot vote or have any involvement in the electoral system, to be aware of it, must mean that it is pretty blatantly obvious, doesn't it.

And please, don't try to infer that when I say 'every Thai national I know' it means 'every Thai national'

Free and Democratic elections, again, my backside.

From a Thai reporter working for The Nation covering last year's elections:

All talks about vote buying not so intense in this election have proved premature. Many reports say it's practically raining money now.

https://twitter.com/...276620096241664

How much impact this "raining money" did have on the election results, we will never be able to determine. But I personally don't doubt it had a very significant impact indeed.

I think it's an inspired move; the Great Coward taking his infamous disappearing act on tour. Wonderful.

Where is the next destination he'll be showing his amazing avoidance skills? (Or not, as it were)

Wonder what the subject of his seminar is? The importance of upholding rule of law in emerging democracies...?

I think he should attend such a seminar while he is there. Preferably one hosted by Joe Pesci.

Does this mean that our financially supported red shirt apologists might have vanished from this forum?

Let's see!

They never have been financially supported, don't attack them for this, it's against forum rules.

They are lonely ignorants and we have an ear for them to make them happy.

Surely it would be ignorant to just look at one viewpoint, the 'red shirt apologists' on this forum tend to have a balanced view and see both sides, whereas the forum yellows tend to spew bile about anything to do with the reds.

So who is ignorant??

You did notice the epically colossal irony in your post before clicking send...?

Does this mean that our financially supported red shirt apologists might have vanished from this forum?

Let's see!

Are you implying that posters on this forum are being paid to post?

Bob having reps which, at the very least, monitor the Thai political comments made by posters on this forum is pretty much without doubt. It's not unreasonable to assume they also contribute themselves.

As to who they are...? Well that's against forum rules. Innit.

Does this mean that our financially supported red shirt apologists might have vanished from this forum?

Let's see!

They never have been financially supported, don't attack them for this, it's against forum rules.

They are lonely ignorants and we have an ear for them to make them happy.

Ah, it is the TVF pity-party.

Thanks.

No problem.

These guys should get together and get their bullshit straight.

At least Amsterdam's boys have been wise enough to leave this thread to the useful idiots...

For every group declaring the CC to be unconstitutional, another group can be found to say the opposite.

IMHO that simply means it's difficult to have a CC elected democratically as most people have no idea of what the law is or is supposed to mean even if it slapped them in the face. This means the CC needs to be appointed out of a group of independent lawyers / judges who have shown an independent, clear of influence attitude while keeping an eye on evolutionary improvements. Remaining question is who to allow to do the election. Obviously most if not all TV posters have disqualified themselves already, if only by not being Thai

Why not just use a democratic system for selection and confirmation like other countries which I believe would include your own?

For every group declaring Thaksin a devil, another group can be found to say the opposite.

And very well funded they are too.

I just switched on the BBC world service, and the 11am news, Martine Dennis, spoke to a reporter here in BKK, who said that the court had thrown out the ammendments, I am trying to get further comments as the news is on all the time on this service--PSI system-move--BBC and Australia

Crystal ball maybe?

Nothing on Twitter - usually very reliable for such info as it breaks.

Sure it's not somebody's opinion being reported?

No.

Ace - Thanks!

Hi,

Just one more question on this - are there any rules against changing jobs within the X months timeframe required, providing all jobs are above the 19K salary?

Thanks in advance...

It sounds like a prediction about what could happen; nothing more, nothing less.

There seems to be some differences in how what was said is being reported as per the following tweets from bangkokpundit

1. Bkk Post reports Korkaew as saying "I am not just making a threat". In Thai, Matichon, Thai Rath, & Kom Chad Luek all have K saying

2. ตนไม่ได้ขู่แต่เป็นการประเมินจากข้อมูลหลายส่วน (I am not making a threat, but assessing [what will happen] from different information)

3. Bkk Post - link removed -Thai Rath http://goo.gl/A8avs Matichon http://goo.gl/UBWbQ KCL http://goo.gl/Te32V

4. The Nation has headline of Korkaew "warns" which is fair interpretation, but they don't quote him as making a threat

Thanks for sharing. From the texts here, it is clear that the context in which the comments were delivered makes a difference in the interpretation or intended meaning.

Translation of parts of Korkaew's speech, posted by a Thai friend on Facebook:

Red shirt core leader Korkaew told red shirs to be ready to fight, if verdict from constitutional court doesn't turn to be result that they want. "say farewell to families & fight" ....he also suggested that he & co would file treason charge against constructional court judges & would take them hostages.

It's not just the red shirts who are ready for war. People are getting utterly sick of this endless antagonism and want closure, not matter what it costs.

Is that the full 65,200 GBP amount which needs to be gifted 6 months before application date?

Thanks VisasPlus n 7by7. This is quickly becoming a major bombshell.

I guess using the in-laws (my parents) as a sponsor is a no-go?

Thanks again bob & 7by7. Although not the best news, the feedback on here has been massively helpful in planning the way forward. However, it looks like her spouse visa application may have to begin after a short trip to the UK in December - another delay

One last request - if you could point me in the direction of the requirements for a sponsor who is self-employed? I work in TH as a contract based software engineer, and would like to continue doing so in the UK. This no doubt entails setting up a PLC of sorts. How will my doing this, rather than looking for full time employment, affect my position as a sponsor?

He also said he would accept the court's decision back in February 2010, then immediately and publicly changed his mind after the verdict was announced.

One lie from many, many to choose from, but the most apt in this instance.

^ Thanks for the clarification, gents. Looks like I'm going to have to get me a job

/edit - one more question - Does my wife's passport need to be surrendered during the entire application process? Obviously we'd like to make the application as soon as I can qualify to be a sponsor, but there's also an important event (hopefully) happening in the UK in December she would like to attend.

Thanks to all posters so far - much appreciate the info. Lots to mull on!

I don't think it's quite as simple as you make out here.

Indeed.

The new financial requirements can be quite complicated; especially where the sponsor has been living and working outside the UK.

See pages 16 to 22 and appendices C and D of the statement of intent.

Note that the sponsor does not need to have a job. Unearned income, e.g. a pension or from investments, can be used to meet the requirement.

As can a combination of earned and unearned income.

Do you know if the 16,000 GBP quoted in section 152 can be sourced from accounts outside the UK? If so, we may be able to meet this requirement. I'm under the impression that if I do have these funds available leaving my employment status blank wouldn't be fatal to the application...?

Hi,

Mrs Insight and I will be moving back to the UK later this year. I'll be leaving in August and she'll be following on a few months later. She'd like the get the visa application process started ASAP, but obviously my employment status in the UK has not been determined.

She has had many tourist visas to the UK, and her current 6-month tourist visa expires in May next year. I guess we have the following options available to us:

1. Submit the spouse visa application form with my employment details left blank, using her history of successful tourist visa applications of some sort of proof I can support her. I guess this is still risking some form of refusal however...?

2. Wait until I've found some sort of work in the UK, then submit the spouse visa with all the application details. But I believe this risks delaying the visa application process and therefore her move to the UK even further...?

3. Use her remaining tourist visa initially, then apply for a spouse visa within the UK - is this possible...?

Much appreciate any guidance anybody can provide here.

Thanks in advance,

I