JAG

....Fascists get power and keep power.

This junta returned it rather quickly as junta's go historically.

They were as benign a "bunch of thugs and fascists" as ever out on a uniform.

There is nothing benign about parking tanks downtown to announce that you have deposed an elected governement.

This Junta handed back power when they thought that they had fixed the system to ensure that their people would win the election. They made a mess of that!

There has been lots of speculation about coups, and the Armys reluctance to get involved. I wouldn't be in the least surprised if one of the factors influencing the Generals is some disquiet about just how reliable the army may be for the sort of sustained internal security role which a coup may require. Virtually all of the soldiers are conscripts, the vast majority are from the rural areas, (middle class urban kids are I understand often successful in avoiding national service), and they are unlikely to view ejecting the Government that their parents voted for with much enthusiasm. I am not talking about mutinies or open revolt, but the Generals may well be reluctant to deploy such troops in an operation which may be opposed by the majority of the people. Although the Royal Thai Army does seem to have an inordinate number of Generals, I don't think they have enough to "stag on" at every crossroads in Bangkok!

I will add that I have heard from Brit sports journos that they do actually consider Thaksin to be unbalanced though.

dare I say that British Sports Journalists are probably the last people to be in a position to rule on the state of anybodys mental balance!!

I dont know a lot about Thai politics and I view this and the events preceding more out of curiousity than anything. however, there seems to be a number of Farang on the forum who are able to work themselves up into a real passion over all this. Is it genuine? If so, what is the motivation? Did any of the parties at election give any hint of proposing policy beneficial to expats?

Probably the key to understanding why so many Farang loathe Taksin is because they hold him responsible for making the bars close early!

I don't have a view on reincarnation per se, and I respect the Bhudhist View, but can someone please explain why Cliff Richard keeps coming back the same?

IMHO the military did a good job, they just acted like administrators where the management had to be removed.

The lesson is clear bad management and you will get a dose of the same medicine. The coup itself was very well run with no "colateral damage" to use the US term. Congratulation to all involved.

B*ll*cks, the Army removed a three times elected government, end of story.

They then bumbled around for a year, providing a textbook example of why the military should not run any country.

To top it all, they couldn't even rig this election to ensure that their people won it!

The trouble is, the people of rural Thailand, having managed to elect what they saw as their champions - Thaksin and TRT - will not be happy to be cheated again.

96 vehicles does not amount to much, it will just equip two Battalions, with nothing to spare for replacements.

The BTR, based upon a 1970s Soviet design, is really only a battlefield taxi, designed to move infantry across the open plains and good roads of north west Europe. As a patrol vehicle for an urban or jungle environment it is of limited use, troops have to expose themselves out of the top hatches in order to see and use their weapons, and it is vulnerable to mines and IEDs, (the Soviets lost a lot of vehicles, and more to the point, a lot of men in BTRs in Afghanistan).

$118 Million would however go a long way towards training the Royal Thai Army to conduct an effective Counter Insurgency Campaign - remember that TV footage of an ambush a couple of months ago, with the young officer lying in the middle of the road talking into his radio! If you have a radio it identifies you as a commander, use it in the open as he was and you make yourself the no 1 target, get hit and your troops, young conscripts, won't know what to do and will become casualties themselves. Wasn't his fault, I doubt anyone had taught him.

I don't pretend to suggest a political solution to the South, but as a retired soldier, with considerable experience of this sort of soldiering, the military answer is constant covert and overt foot patrolling, snap vehicle check points and lots of observation. This stops the terrorists from being able to move around, disrupts their ability to accumulate weapons and recce and prepare for attacks. It needs a lot of troops,(not a problem with a conscript army), and well trained and effective commanders at Junior NCO and Junior Officer level. It doesn't need shiny new APCs!

The kit the Royal Thai Army has at the moment is adequate, although more use of helmets and body armour would be good, they saves lives!

What they need is the training and leadership. Then the terrorists will be frustrated, and if their operations are closed down they are more likely to talk, and the boys will be able to go home in one piece after national service. 96 shiny APCs won't achieve this, (they would be jolly usefull in any future coups though.)

I guess they just dont get it!

The Army wants ultimate control , even under the guise of a future pseudo democracy.

And not a peep out of the Anti-Thaksin crowd here. Out of the frying pan and into the fire for the Thai citizens who support a true democracy, me thinks.

I expect that they think that the Army will let the bars stay open later!

Hi

Can anyone give me some advice.

My wife was injured in a motorcycle accident last month. Nothing too serious but she broke her left leg and right shoulder. This has meant that she is housebound and unable to walk on crutches. I'm out in Chiang Rai over Songkran, and want to take her out and about for a few trips. Does anyone know where I may be able to hire a folding wheelchair, so that we can make a few excursions?

Thank You

But Britmaveric, as someone actually said on one of the posts on this forum last week, Thaksin is not a suitable person to be prime minister.

switches irony off !!

Thaksin flees the capital . . . and reality

Sums it all up really, reality ends at the Bangkok City Limits. The views and votes of the population beyond count for nothing.

And what percentage does Thaksin alone represent?

At the last count (about a year ago) rather a large one. After the 2nd April we will have another figure. If he wins a majority then no doubt there will be yet more compelling reasons for ignoring the electorate and handing power to some respected academics!

That ^^ is just DAFT.

100 (roughly) respected scholars and politicians etc. Look up the people in the list ....

I am sure some people are looking for a shift of power for personal gain. For the most part however; you won't find those people on this list. These appear to be people that value a sronger democracy. Sadly it appears that again to get the long-term growth there may have to be a short-term disturbance in the process. (not that dissolution of parlaiment for the wrong reasons hadn't already done that!)

So, an elected government, with an overwhelming popular mandate, can be deposed on the say so of around 100 respected scholars and politicians, in order to produce a stronger democracy!

Do you seriously think that once they have tasted that kind of power, they will allow the electorate any say in who governs?

Hmmm... 16 (the senators) out of the 98 are elected.

Now have I got this right?

Last year Thaksin wins election with a large parliamentary majority, and a large majority of the popular vote, in a secret ballot.

In the last few months an extremely vocal extra parliamentary (not elected) opposition group has been demanding he resigns. Many of those leading this group are people he has sacked politically, and/or stitched up in business deals.

In answer to their demands Thaksin has now called a snap election. This will (he hopes) result in him being returned by winning an election with a large parliamentary majority, and a large majority of the popular vote, in a secret ballot. It also allows his opponents an opportunity to defeat him in the polls by winning an election with a large parliamentary majority, and a large majority of the popular vote.

Unlike the vast majority of souls on this planet the Thais would have the chance to express their views on who governs them through a secret ballot.

The opposition intend to boycott the election thus denying them that right.

When Thaksin wins the opposition group have every intention of continuing their campaign.

Only four things are clear:

1, The Nation Newspaper does not like Thaksin.

2, Most members of this board do not like Thaksin.

3, Best Beloved and just about everyone else in rural Thailand north of Hua Hin seems to like Thaksin.

4 All bars will be closed on the 5th of April.

When we went to register my daughter Lucy in Chiang Rai, the official said that she had to have a Thai Name. I don't think that there is any law as such, but they did have a book of names that they tried to look up Lucy in. When he couldn't find the name, he wouldn't accept it. His female boss (who was cooing over Lucy whilst this was going on), asked me what the name Lucy meant, I told her it meant light, and she told him to register the name. He wasn't too happy, but she insisted.

No money changed hands! Just a beaurocrat trying to make his mark.

1. Whether you like it or not, Taksin was elected a few months ago with a thumping majority. he is a democratic politician. with the support of the majority of the Thai people.

2, Given the bombings, drive by shootings, killing of teachers, civil serveants, monks and other innocents over the last 18 months, this seems a reasonable response to what is rapidly becoming an out of control situation.

3. Civil Rights are of limited interest when some bearded fanatic is sawing at your neck with a machete because you happen to be a primary school teacher!

Gulf is cheap, and booze laden. I have found it is usually cheaper to use travel agents than booking direct due to bulk discount deals negotiated.

Soi4 Sukhumvit has a couple of decent place, try Susan at TTS (Thailand Tourist Service) there she's got me a couple of deals.

BTW, prices (when booking from UK) go up substantially in July, holiday season.

ace

Nearly forgot: Aeroflot, via Moscow .

I was offered for £320. I''d like to know if any brave soul has dared this epic death defying journey !-)

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I have flown Aeroflot LHR to BKK a couple of times. OK, if basic. Food crap (1001 ways to cook beetroot) but biggest hassle was singing by pissed up Scandinavians on the overnight Moscow BKK leg.

Airbus LHR to Moscow, Il96 (newish Russian 4 jet) Moscow to BKK.

"Chan said, adding that this could spur yet another study."

i dont know about another study, but I'll bet it has spurred a lot of chaps to pop to the Bathroom with a ruler!

What a plonker. Just about anyone who can muster the sense to fill in a passport application form must know what happens if you do drugs in Thailand. But no, still they come, "its only for personal use", "why are you arresting me and not the dealer", (because you are easily spotted you prat) and so on and on.

Next we will have "My Thailand Prison ######"splashed all over the UK press, MPs pressing for his release etc etc.

The trouble is, the rest of us get tarred with the same brush. No wonder the Thais regard us as drunks, sex maniacs and junkies.

Good to get that off my chest......

Dah-ling, I look news TV, falang monk no 1 die .

Best-Beloved is having a baby in July in Chiang Rai. I am the father and want to be registered as such. We are not married (yet) and I am not resident in Thailand, but visit 5 or so times a year. A Thai living in UK tells me that I cannot be registered as father, does anyone know otherwise?

Here she is...Kitty!!!

isn't she adorable?

She is worth the world to me.

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Bless you