JAG

1. Kim is upset that he/Pyongyang isn't getting it's MacDonalds?

2. Resurrecting the tried and tested "make threats and noises until they give us cash and aid" process? It has worked well for the last two generations of the Kim dynasty.

1 hour ago, YetAnother said:

so what; more thai paper-thin ego; this is a non-issue ; focus on the politically motivated prosecution

It is not an unreasonable assumption that if Mr Thanathorn had simply turned up at the police station. without being accompanied or observed by foreign diplomats, he would have  been whisked away into military custody, and subsequent "in camera" military trial and detention, on charges which whilst laughably, obviously trumped up, would serve in the Alice in Wonderland topsy-turvey legal world in which the junta live to justify removing him from the current political scene. Any protest by his supporters, or attempts to prevent his arrest, would quite possibly have been brutally dealt with. That is almost certainly why these foreign diplomats, in what is obviously a co-ordinated move, and one which must have been agreed or directed by their governments, attended the performance.

Diplomats represent their governments' interests and views. Their presence at the police station sent a clear message that these countries are concerned at attempts to suppress or remove Thanathorn from the Thai political scene.

I'm not surprised that "Don" is a tad upset, 'cos that was surely what they intended to do.

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

Quote astonishing to read posters choose protocol correctness over an attempt by the junta to silence oppositions to dictate election results.  Just where are their moral compass. 

Spinning wildly, as they always are when they go in to bat for their junta.

Not that they don't support democracy of course but...

1 minute ago, Happy Grumpy said:

Or it could just be a massive dictatoral power play.

 

 

Not quite blowing up your uncle with an anti-aircraft weapon. But a pretty impress public display of power and show of who is the boss.

Yes, but in that episode (blowing up your uncle) it was very obvious to all just who was calling the shots. Here isn't it a little bit less certain?

45 minutes ago, vinniekintana said:

Tryin to read between the lines here...

Flextension til the end of the year.....UK takes part in Euro-elections in May

No veto or other spanner-in-the-works until the end of the extension..

 

What will amount to an indefinite extension, without any effective presence or powers at the decision making table. The UK will be reduced more or less to "Brussels' bitch".

Talking of which May, why don't you just go, heavens, even the risk of ending up with Sinn Fein's bagman Corbyn would probably be preferable to your mealy mouthed, deceitful, devious, pathetic incompetence. You have utterly, spectacularly <deleted> it up beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Just go for heavens sake.!

Golly, B200 million for a cup of "Warsaw Pact"!

To explain : how do you like your coffee? White two sugars was "NATO standard", black no sugar was "Warsaw Pact"!

It was all a long time ago.

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

The time bomb of social tension is already ticking. Better to defuse it now.

They don't defuse bombs here - they pile old tyres around them and hope that nobody hears or notices when they go off!

3 hours ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

It's funny how 10 nations and two international organizations decided independently to send observers to this police farce. OK, maybe a few diplomatic phone calls were made to see what everyone was doing that morning after coffee. 

It is quite possible that the 10 nations whose diplomats "oserved" Thanothorn attending the police station had concerns that an opposition politician, with a significant amount of electoral support was vulnerable to summary detention if no interest was shown.

Foreign diplomatic missions are often quite well briefed.

Experience with the Myanmar junta showed that foreign interest was central to at least one opposition leader remaining, relatively, undetained.

 

 

 

 

 

4

20 minutes ago, stanleycoin said:

It's all part of the true ugly face of Thailand, 

Now on show. It's only going to get worse. 

You have a society, that does what it wants,  how it want's,  to who ever it wants. with no fear of the consequences of there actions, especial towards foreigners. A lawless place now days.

 

I think that is a considerable exaggeration, and generalization.

This fellow, it appears was a violent brutal thug. Such individuals exist everywhere, and I am not sure that Thailand has a greater proportion than anywhere else.

You do have a point that there are elements within this society, that do what they want,  how they want,  to whoever they want, and are through wealth or "influence" able to avoid the consequences. In as much as this is lawless it stems from a belief that they are above the law, and corruption and wealth allows them to arrange that - Koh Tao was a classic example of this. It is a result of an attitude and practice amongst those who seek (assume) to lead the society that power puts them, either by amnesty or influence, wealth or birthright, beyond the law.

In general, though the society remains tolerant, reasonably well behaved and fairly gentle, reflecting perhaps the nature of the people.

The risks inherent with the hedonism of the full moon parties exist and are perpetuated within the groups which come here for these events - I don't think they are bothered about or have much interaction (other than commercial) with Thais.

28 minutes ago, moe666 said:

Yes a lot of cops have the wings because jumping out of airplanes is part of their training you do realize they are a bit of a military bent. A few years ago I believe three boys who were in training to become police officers were killed when there was a malfunction of the static line on the airplane

They were, I believe, Officer Cadets for the paramilitary Border Police, as such were eligible for para training.

The vast majority of wings are "earned" from a couple of jumps from a ten metre tower, wearing a harness attached to a rope paid out by a drum arrangement.

My stepson emerged from training as a conscript (in a special forces battalion!) with para wings, airborne flashes and a maroon beret. The only time he has flown in an aircraft was on an Air Asia flight to Bangkok, the only time he has been in a helicopter was when I plonked him in the drivers seat of an old Huey, to take his photo, when he was twelve at a Children's Day event.

Speaking as a "crap hat" I find it quite amusing...

For those that claim that Democracy has never existed in Thailand (and therefore cannot be said to be in decline) could I point out that on five (?) occasions in the last twenty odd years the people of this country have voted, and selected

a government/party broadly consistent with the majority's wishes - I don't include this current ongoing exercise in blatant electoral deceit and manipulation!

Those governments have not necessarily been particularly good ones, there has been corruption, malpractice and abuse of power, but they have reflected the people's choice and have attempted to govern broadly in accordance with the policies for which the people chose them. That is democracy in action, flawed perhaps, messy undoubtedly, with results distasteful to some, (clearly failing high standards expected by some mainly foreign observers on this forum), and objected to by certain classes in society; but basically democracy nonetheless. It has been consistently overthrown by a military which is at the behest of those certain classes, by good old fashioned Coup d'Etats, political fixing (which led to the Abhisit government) and now by electoral manipulation, obvious if not transparent.

If you define democracy as a government chosen by it's people, and which offers itself to be reselected or rejected by it's people when appropriate, then Thailand has had democracy, and it has been taken away.

The Thai people certainly understand that, what we don't know is their likely reaction, short or long term. It is well understood internationally as well, although whether the international community is bothered or, in the face of other interests or problems is interested or prepared to do anything, even comment effectively, is in doubt.

Thailand has had democracy, it is in decline, perhaps removed in totality, but it had it.

And please, don't push the buttons with the supreme arrogance of "Thailand is not ready for democracy"!

6 minutes ago, candide said:

In short, there is no mathematical formula. They just decided to give a seat to parties that have too few votes.

"Good People" though I am sure, all of them. Not one seditious foreign educated traitor amongst them...

24 minutes ago, patsfangr said:

Hopefully a new thread will be started which will require that only facts be posted. This one has suffered the usual TV deterioration into speculation, "witty" quips, useless tangents. 

Fun at parties?

22 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

I always thought of him as more like Mark Anthony;  the doer, but no politician, inevitably brought down by his own naivety.  Would make a great play, or a movie.  Bradly Cooper could play Big Joke and Merrill Streap could play the PM.  

My knowledge of Mark Anthony in contemporary drama is confined to his depiction in British classical cinema of the 1960s.

Somehow, although perhaps reminiscent of some aspects of the current Thai political scene, I doubt if it really fits the bill...