rubl

Just out of interest what intimidation has taken place and to whom? I presume you are not referring to holding up placards are you? If that is regarded as intimidation the PAD protester who was photographed holding up a Vote No sign (in the other paper) is also guilty of intimidation, but I haven't heard Suthep complain about that.

1 person holding a placard is certainly not intimidation - but a few hundred uniformed members of a party's militant wing would amount to it in my book!

Well, maybe, but your surmised event hasn't happened, has it, so it's not really possible to make comments about alleged intimidation that hasn't taken place.

But that doesn't stop Suthep..

At least it got k. Natthawut imploring the UDD temporary leader Ms. Thida to tell her red-shirts to refrain from doing anything the Election Commission would have to condemn.

I for one am still willing to believe that there's only a very small minority to which 'arson = violence' applies. Unfortunately that minority includes some UDD leaders who have been putelected to be put on the PTP party list for MP candidates. This after indicating their desire to get immunityserve the people in a better way. Similar, but without violence, Ms. Yingluck indicating a desire to be put on the list and just happen to end on the number one spot after two weeks of solid deliberations on her qualifications by PTP party executives. She's much nicer than those UDD leaders for sure

If the red shirts on the PTP party list are elected and later convicted, do they get immunity due to their position, or is their elected staus nullified by the fact that they are ineligible to stand?

The UDD leaders on the PTP party list for MP candidates are mostly in the 'safe zone', under 50 - 60. This means they will probably be elected MP's. The Election Commission will endorse their election if no valid complaints come within one/two weeks (?). The criminal case those MP's may be charged with already hasn't progressed much and may be put on hold as long as some of the accused have parliamentary immunity (or as long as some are not 'available'). Stature of Limitation, no idea

"I don't agree with an amnesty. Those who committed wrong must be punished accordingly," red-shirt activist Jittra Kotchadej said. "Those responsible for the burnings and killings [last April and May] need to be brought to trial. If we keep granting them amnesty, then when will the military - who I believe were behind the killings - be made accountable?"

Maybe k. Jittra should also have added 'if we grant amnesty, then when will those behind the burnings be made accountable

So where does that leave the celebrated formula (let's call it 'Formula T') devised by anti-red obsessive mathematicians:

Thaksin = PTP = Red Shirts... end removed

Wasn't the famous formular 'Thaksin = PTP = UDD'? Now that should be a wee bit more easy to prove

Keep up Rubl, it has now been updated, by the author, I believe, to read

Thaksin = PTP = UDD = Arson = Violence

I for one am still willing to believe that there's only a very small minority to which 'arson = violence' applies. Unfortunately that minority includes some UDD leaders who have been putelected to be put on the PTP party list for MP candidates. This after indicating their desire to get immunityserve the people in a better way. Similar, but without violence, Ms. Yingluck indicating a desire to be put on the list and just happen to end on the number one spot after two weeks of solid deliberations on her qualifications by PTP party executives. She's much nicer than those UDD leaders for sure

I assume we'll not see much of Nong Pipe. Like all kids in Thailand he's got to go to school (chauffeur driven in his case probably). Going to Grade 3 at Harrow International School in Bangkok, he needs time to do his homework.

Anyway his mother doesn't have to worry she'll be 40B short for the school uniform

So it's hard to prove the reds and PTP are the same thing. Only in a legal sense, of course.

It may or may not be hard as we don't have a person from the legal community saying it is difficult..

So where does that leave the celebrated formula (let's call it 'Formula T') devised by anti-red obsessive mathematicians:

Thaksin = PTP = Red Shirts

... end removed

Wasn't the famous formular 'Thaksin = PTP = UDD'? Now that should be a wee bit more easy to prove

If she debates with Abhisit, she gives him media exposure. That's why she's doing campaigning instead, because the Thai media are excited enough by her that they'll report every little thing she does, even if she sneezes or poops. And every second that they spend running behind her, they don't run behind Abhisit.

Again I would suggest to you that you turn on the news (in Thailand) or open a paper (again in Thailand) .... The other paper yesterday ran 1 article on each ... The news showed both of them. The only reason she wouldn't debate Abhisit is if her handlers thought that she would make a poor showing.

Well, it is not only the number of articles published that are about Abhist or how many airtime he gets on TV. The question is does anyone really read the articles or watches Abhisit on TV? Does he have an audience?

A: Not really.

Like I pointed it out above, to trick people into reading something about Abhisit and the Democrats they even add Abhisit news to reports about Yingluck famous "shedding rears" performances.

We don't have really stats, about how many people read Abhisit articles compared with Yingluck articles or pay attention when they appear on TV, but we have the internet.

And the internat gives us some stats. Lets look at them and keep in mind that according to a recent thread here, the Democats are new social media freaks and heavy user of these channels.

The Google search volume index for Yingluck, Abhist and Thaksin:

(table removed, no need to show again)

Even in Thai with Ms. Yingluck a new face it seems more than natural that people wonder 'who is this'. No need to do the same for K. Abhisit or k. Thaksin. Also red-shirt have always been good at (mis)using the internet, that's where we can find all those 'interesting clips'.As for Dem's new, heavy social media users, that's more from the providing side, nothing said on receiving.

Anyway, a 'debate' seems out of the question. No time, no need, the voters already know 'Thaksin thinks, Pheu Thai acts'. Makes you wonder why to go through with this democratic election show. Lord and Master has spoken, all rich in six months. 'All for one and more for me'

A fresh face like this will certainly invigorate the Red camp, so you can expect a lot of excitement around her. When things have calmed down and the opposition start picking holes in her inexperience the significant number of fence sitters might find it difficult to have any confidence in her. It depends alot on what she says, what Thaksin says on her behalf and what Chalerm says on both their behalf. One slip of the square faced tongue could undermine her goodwill.

What could the opposition do? Start picking holes in her inexperience?

Will not happen. All Abhisit can do is to show his face around, just like Yingluck.

But she will get the fence sitter.

The non-PTP parties don't have to do anything it seems. With all confusing and contradicting news items the PTP, UDD, Thaksin spread around there's absolutely no need

this interview was dated 2 weeks prior to the PTP greed to have Yingluk as no 1 on the party list

Thaksin's latest tweet confirmed her as the Prime Minister

Dated today, you don't live in Thailand, do you?

Well actually the "exclusive interview" was with Matichon and the Post Today, not The Nation. The Nation has posted that interview today. There appears to be some dispute as to when the interview really took place. If, as alleged, it took place before the nomination of Yingluck as being in the frame for PM that would obviously have some bearing on the posts on this thread i.e nullify most of them.

Posts here nullified? Who cares! What about all those foreign newspapers who got this story about 'Yingluck choosen as PM candidate (by big brother)'. Don't you feel sorry for THEM ?

There's no crying in baseball!!

I'll bet very few remember that statement from Tom Hanks..

Had to look it up. "A league of their own", 1992 with Tom Hanks as Jimmy Dugan saying just that

"Jimmy Dugan: Are you crying? Are you crying? ARE YOU CRYING? There's no crying! THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104694/quotes

It is ok for you to all post your anti-Thaksin posts but is NOT ok for me to post my pro-Thaksin posts here?

It's not the pro-Thaksin opinion which disturbed some people including myself. It's the totally undemocratic "This forum is a VERY good forum and I enjoy it however foriegners should really keep their opinions silent as in other rules in my country."

BTW what happened with "This will be the last time I will give this opinion and wish you all luck in your future." I guess it was my wishful thinking to interpret that as you leaving :-)

What is most annoying about this farce is it takes the heat off Abhisit, he can continue being an ineffectual puppet. Talk about free healthcare, free education, in Bangkok perhaps but not in my neighbourhood. The only people he has helped is the middle class and of course the elite.

The most annoying of this farce is it makes Thailand and it's political system look bad in the eyes of the world. That is assuming the world is looking.

As for free healthcare, did you get healthcare for 30B in 2001? For free education (probably no school fees on public schools) the same question did you have that years ago ?

It probably started in 2003:

"Foreign embassies, meanwhile, have complained about the criminal element, warning about terrorism, particularly after bombing in Bali in October 2002. Some doubtless felt a little schadenfraude when in August 2003 the CIA and Thai police, earning a $10 million bounty, nabbed alleged Indonesian terrorist mastermind Hambali in Ayutthaya, where he was apparently plotting to bomb the APEC leaders’ meeting in Bangkok the following October.

Hambali’s arrest was a wake up call. Passport couriering was an embarrassment, not to mention illegal. Immigration officers were under pressure to sharpen their eyes, more so because of increasing violence in Malay-Muslim majority southern Thailand. There was plenty of material for painting conspiracies and drawing up threats.

In March 2004 Thailand signed up to the US terrorist interdiction program, which spent about $2.6 million installing the Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System (Pisces) in the immigration department. A request for $400,000 to expand Pisces further in Thailand was made in the Fiscal Year 2007 Congressional budget justification for foreign operations."

http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=231&Itemid=185

begin removed ...

This forum is a VERY good forum and I enjoy it however foriegners should really keep their opinions silent as in other rules in my country.

This will be the last time I will give this opinion and wish you all luck in your future.

PS: Big brother IS watching you.

I'm delighted you enjoyed your short stay here on TV forum where democracy reigns. Even with forum rules, lots of interesting opinions can be posted, lively discussions are possible even if some self-professed Thai professors don't like it.

Let me also wish you luck in the future. I hope you'll be able to find a forum which suits you better.

Live long and prosper

MRT, BTS and the airport link serve no real purpose apart from giving Bangkok an air of modernity. They are way to small to serve any valid function other than that.

It's better than nothing, still serving 750,000+ people every day. It's also slowly (yes, oh so slowly) extended. I still remember 1997 with an office in BangNa Tower, BangNa-Trad 6.5k and customers in CBD, lucky if 'only' three hours in a taxi every day.

Exactly where is Thaksin currently speaking with Thai taxi drivers and motorcyclists this days? Because he's telling this as if even now he gets asked this question by the same people.

I'm calling a complete fabrication on this little anecdote.

Rumour has it k. Thaksin hasn't been in the country since about June/July 2008. The question 'what if PTP get's 250MP' may reflect the December 2007 elections, but after those PPP formed a government with the late k. Samak as PM.

Mmmh. I can only assume that many taxidrivers and motorcyclists went on those 'red-shirt' tours to Dubai. Those we saw some news about a while ago :-)

So what? Everybody in Thailand knows it's a puppet election. Yingluck, or whoever will be Puea Thai's next PM, is Thaksin's puppet. Just like Abhisit is someone's puppet. Anyone that can't see that is just plain dumb, excuse my English.

A while ago you said

"Most Thai women are likely to vote for her, just to show their husbands that women have equal rights and can be just as successful as men, while Thai men are likely to vote for her because she's pretty."

I guess now Thai women are really upset with their heroine described as 'puppet', 'clone' and a man dismissing her as possible PM even if he's her brother. So now Thai men will vote for PTP because of showing women their place. What will the women vote? K. Purachai?

You forgot the "free iPad's" for all college students.

Hey... I'll re-enroll for that one!

I think the PTP's list so far is:

- give an amnesty to criminals

- wipe out the drug trade in 6 months

- give credit cards to farmers

- give credit cards to taxi drivers

- give money to villages

- increase minimum wages by 50%

- set minimum wages for university graduates

- make everyone rich in 6 months

With all the credit cards and money being handed out, I can see how the last point is achievable.

Of course, businesses having to pay the large increases in salaries won't fare too well, nor will the banks providing the credit cards when the users can't pay them back.

Are you also willing to enroll as 'primary school student' ?

""The government is promoting its broadband policy in an intangible manner, but Pheu Thai will make available the actual tool to access ADSL or high-speed internet," Pheu Thai campaign strategist Pichai Naripthaphan said.

Pichai said that his party, if elected to lead the next government, would expand Wi-Fi coverage to every school and that every primary school student would be given a tablet computer free of charge."

I am not surprised, she is clearly passionate about the people of Thailand. What a wonderful honest approach from a wonderful honest businesswoman and so what if Thaksin returns, the level of investment in Thailand from overseas was never at such a high whilst he was Prime Minister. Yingluck would be welcome in British Politics, we need that kind of openess and feeling and please, great people of Thailand do not perceive this to be a sign of weakness, she is an accomplished business person in her own right and has the backing of an incredible family that goes back generations all working for the good of the people of the Kingdom of Thailand. Those of you who say yes but look what he made for himself, especially those from the UK should be aware that our ex PM, Tony Blair, needs in excess of £5.000.000 per year just to pay his staff, who says they cant profit out of being PM, Thaksin, if of course the ellegations are true is no different to those politicians in the so called west where honesty is expected.

I'm not sure what the June 26th, 1998 accusation against than PM Tony Blair has to do with 'Ms. Yingluck cries again in Phayao while campaining'.

My thoughts are that it not the government but the police who are failing in their duty.

There was allegedly an agreement between the businesses, the red shirts under the leadership of K Thida and the police that the protest would not get out of hand, (again) the roads would not be blocked and businesses would only be "slightly" affected.

What seems to have happened is that it got out of hand as usual and the police either couldn't or didn't take control and stop it.

AFAIR there is only a caretaker government running the country.

What was the BMA doing to control the demonstrations? Very little to nothing as far as I can see.

The BMA is always involved. Who do you think sends in those cleaning troops after the event ?

thats no surprise

it must be a problem for the reds that after 2 years in government the only thing that a red shirted woman could think of to scream at Abhisist the other day, was that she has only received 360 baht from the government for her daughters school uniform and it actually cost 400 baht

she was screaming because she had to find 40 baht for her daughter all by herself

Man that must be embarrassing for the reds.............

If the Democrats call this 360 Baht - *15 years of free education* I can understand if someone heckles Abisit if he comes up with that "for free" story again.

Even childless members of the expat family man community should understand this.

A bit off topic, but ...

So the questions now are:

1. What was included in the 12-year free education ?

2. What is included in the 15-year free education ?

3. What is the difference in quality and quantity of possible additional costs?

Personally I would expect 'free' to mean 'no school fee', possibly 'books provided'. As for 'school uniform', 'paper/pencil', etc., no idea.

Incidentally, Dr Weng made an issue of school uniforms during this interview: http://absolutelybangkok.com/dr-weng-talks-no-thaksin-protector/ - seems to be a big concern for red shirts then!

Interesting interview from 2010-04-29. Most prophetic is the end of it when this is remarked

"(BD: Well the only proof if Thaksin is outgrown will be a red election campaign without the playing of the Thaksin card/factor. And, if elected to lead a government, to not only concentrate on attempts to turn back time via legislative means to undo what they consider the work of a junta.)"

thats no surprise

it must be a problem for the reds that after 2 years in government the only thing that a red shirted woman could think of to scream at Abhisist the other day, was that she has only received 360 baht from the government for her daughters school uniform and it actually cost 400 baht

she was screaming because she had to find 40 baht for her daughter all by herself

Man that must be embarrassing for the reds.............

If the Democrats call this 360 Baht - *15 years of free education* I can understand if someone heckles Abisit if he comes up with that "for free" story again.

Even childless members of the expat family man community should understand this.

A bit off topic, but ...

So the questions now are:

1. What was included in the 12-year free education ?

2. What is included in the 15-year free education ?

3. What is the difference in quality and quantity of possible additional costs?

Personally I would expect 'free' to mean 'no school fee', possibly 'books provided'. As for 'school uniform', 'paper/pencil', etc., no idea.

I suspect though that the majority of undecided voters who will eventually vote, will vote Dem.

I base this on the hypothesis that undecided voters clearly don't respect the PTP enough to forgive or tolerate those actions of PTP or red shirt leaders/supporters which some posters on this forum have been shoving down our throats on a continual daily basis.

As such, there's about as much chance of them voting PTP as Bucholz, jdinasia or timekeeper et al.

In my opinion.

Assuming those chaps you list have no voting rights in Thailand you must be 100% correct. Congratulations on this perfect score

BTW I hope neither your appetite nor your health has suffered ?

The article does not mention the date of the first survey; does anyone know?

Assuming the surveys put PM candidates next to each other, the first survey must have been AFTER Ms. Yngluck asked PTP to put her on the party list. So the 10th of this month at the earliest. Two surveys in 12 days, the second time between May 16-21

Last week Yingluck wasn't a candidate. How has she risen from anything but zero?

She has walked around wai-ing and has said a few speeches in front of red shirts and Pheu Thai supporters.

earned 21.3 from 15.6 in making quick decision in solving problems

What kinds of problems has she actually had to deal with?

She dealt with all those pesky people asking nasty questions without bursting out in tears. The smile seems a bit more frozen I must admit