JAG

Let's face it, the US  could probably dismantle the North Korean nuclear programme in about 20 minutes.

There would be plenty of fallout, political and radioactive.

However that is probably what the end game is going to be. Not withstanding all the bonhomie in Singapore, fat boy will probably try lobbing one at some US territory sooner or later...

1 minute ago, bristolboy said:

Well, why not? Didn't Putin's poodle win one?

What's more a moderately bright Labrador could probably defeat the incumbent north of the Rio Grande in a head to head debate...

I really must get some new spectacles.

I thought that the headline said that Lopez's labrador had won the election.

I know that they are jolly intelligent dogs but...

On 6/26/2018 at 12:22 PM, Expatthailover said:

Fight fire.

Trump is famous for such tactics but runs away like the cowardly draft dodger he is when the heat is on him and meal mouthed henchmen

Now come on, that is a terrible slur on the man!

Anyway, he wouldn't (couldn't) run - he has "bonespurs" don't you know, they prevented him from serving back in the 1960s - it escapes my mind just what the young men of America were being drafted for...

Anyway, fate (and 46% of the popular vote) have finally given him the chance he has so long yearned for to serve his country. Who says that America is no longer the land of opportunity?

47 minutes ago, TheFishman1 said:

How long can you live without food??

"Pol Gen Srivara Rangsibrahmanagul, the national deputy chief, has come under attacks in the social media for what is seen as an act of intimidation toward officials working to save the lives of the 12 young footballers and their coach trapped in Tham Luang Cave.

A video clip showing Pol Gen Srivara questioning two officials whether they had a permission to fly a drone and drill a hole in the cave went viral on the last few days. It was his use of language and stern manner that irked social media users who expressed sympathy with the officials on the rescue mission.

An official was trying to use a drone to survey the mountain to look for shafts through which search and rescue officials could get down into the cave when Pol Gen Srivara intervened to question whether he had received proper permission to do so."

Perhaps Pol Gen Srivara could undertake an experiment personally, to find out...

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

The fact that it makes me want to vomit on the first Brit and/or Frenchman I see doesn't change that.

Steady on, I seem to recall a recent visit to Washington and a meeting with one President Donald "how are the bonespurs today" Trump!

59 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Good post; let me both agree and disagree.

 

I disagree that the Thai people do not care; Thailand actually has a high voter turnout figure which demonstrates that they do care. Apologies, I don't have the precise number in front of me, but it is north of 70%. Perhaps another member who has a more accurate number could post it? @Eric Loh? TIA. @Srikcir? TIA.

 

I agree that currently the Thai people don't have a great deal of choice among the parties, but there are differences and they are significant, if not to the scale of a mature Western Democracy. The best example is/was the 30 Baht health scheme introduced by Thaksin. Without getting into the whole 'red' vs. 'yellow' debate, it was a crystal clear difference at the time and was a hugely significant factor in the early 2000's. That said, I would tend to agree that the two main parties/groups have similar policies and that they lean toward the right-wing business type.

 

I disagree that it will continue for the long run, although I think Thailand is stuck with it for a bit. The reason is one of political development; despite parties winning elections and forming a government, Thailand is still in it's infancy of political development. Again, despite the events and election of this century, Thailand has never seen an elected government hand over power to another elected government; this is a HUGE HUGE step in a country's development and it has been thwarted every time. Until this type of handover occurs and occurs more than once, Thailand will be stuck in a rut.

 

Finally, you mention that you would like to see "...workers party, farmers party, Socialist party, Green party, farmers party etc....". It is an excellent point, and I would like to see it too. Unfortunately, when one looks at the history of political development, there is a 'general rule' (with exceptions) that countries go through a phase of two, right-wing business parties whose differences are usually personalities rather than policies. I am not sure of your nationality, but as most members of TVF seem to be British, let me use a British example. The Magna Carta was signed in 1215 (?) and Parliament(s) were established in (?Don't know the first one, anyone?), but the emergence of the Labour Party didn't occur until around 1915 or so. My point here is that although the first steps of Democracy occurred in 1215, it wasn't until several hundred years later that a 'Labour Party' emerged. I strongly suspect that the political development of Thailand will occur much more rapidly, but nothing will happen until the military stops interfering and allows political development to progress here. When it does, a large number of parties will develop and eventually vie for power.

 

Some say that Thailand isn't ready for Democracy; I say "BS!!!" to that. Democracy is a process of political development and Thailand and the Thai people are certainly capable of beginning the journey; I would say that they have already begun. The problem is the military.

 

Until the military stays in the barracks, Thailand and the Thai people will suffer and be denied their future.

 

The first "elected' House of Commons met in 1341 I believe. However for centuries the right to vote was based on your property holdings, and it was until absolute total unqualified suffrage ( including women) was introduced after the First World War that the sort of parties which principally existed to represent the working man became prominent.

There is a difference in Thailand today. Firstly it has (and has had for some time) universal suffrage, and secondly it now has a virtually uncontrollable form of media ( effectively a free media) in the shape of modern internet based social media. The foundation of modern Thai society is the power and influence of a very small but very wealthy group. They wield that power through influence and control of the public arena (including the political parties) through the media and the beaurocracy, backed up by the threat of force from the military. That power will be undermined by the new uncontrollable social media, and that will I suspect happen rather, maybe very, quickly, as you suggest. Maybe we are seeing the first signs of that with the emergence of the new "Future Forward' party?

The next stage in the process may well be when realisation sets in that the military is not actually capable of weilding enough force ้้้้้้้้้้้้้ throughout the country to actually hold onto that power. That will spread up the process of change dramatically. 

1 hour ago, welovethailand said:

If you look in the old thread "Taskin wants to return home", I stated that, from a high level security memo, that got leaked, that 2 years ago the US made plans to return Taskin to Thailand. And many mocked me. You bunch of clowns with your "high number posts", would argue that it was not raining , when in fact it was.  I guess you need alot of attetion. Maybe your Mama's abandon you all at a young age. So you come to Thailand "to shout and try to be heard".

I have been here over 8 years, never gone back, and look at my few posts. Mike drop.......

What on earth are you on about?

Those two blokes who won first prize in the dressing up competition must have been sweating like pigs in their Rambo outfits

Must be dashed awkward having to take off your body armour to get to your first aid pouch. Looks good though...

My daughter tells me that facebook is saying that they have been found, but cannot be brought out because they are trapped behind water.

Never had a problem at my local (rural) hospital. I attend a clinic there every couple of months. The doctors speak some English. The tall thin pretty nurse speaks good English, the short round pretty nurse speaks enough English, all the other staff seem to speak enough to get by. The pharmacists all speak very  good English. And therere is always Google Translate.

3 hours ago, bluesofa said:

It's completed is it?

I have heard just nothing more about it since the ground-breaking ceremony last year.

 

Even if it is completed the only "train" they have is the cardboard one which was on display on the concourse at Hualampong Station a couple of years ago.

8 hours ago, BobbyL said:

I shudder to think that Thailand wants to become 'a genuine aviation hub'.

 

Scary thought ?

Airbus have sold/will sell a large number of airplanes in this part of the world.

They want to establish a maintenance base in this part of the world to carry out the very lucrative maintenance on these airplanes.

Such a maintenance base requires a gurt big runway, which is nowhere near capacity, and lots of space around it for big sheds and parking airplanes on.

Oh look, there's U Tapao airfield...

The main Thai input will be the big sign at the entrance. They might do the laundry as well...