WinnieTheKhwai

^That may very well be what happens at the next election (scheduled for late 2011 if I am correct). The problem with the red leadership is Thaksin. If he appoints an honest, popular Red leader he risks being sidelined himself. I believe that that is the reason that the Red leaders are always either corrupt or weak or both.

Well, we're departing from unbiased discussion as stated in your original post, but I think the main reason is that TRTs best people were all banned for 5 years by the courts. That leaves the current crop plus the dinosaurs. I don't like those at all, but am willing to admit the reasons why we're stuck with them. For now. The 5 years are almost up.

If this is for travel abroad then you will want it to be in English.

I think you should just share all your income and assets. Letting her manage the money makes that even easier. Just ask her for an allowance for whatever you think you need.

Today's figures will be in tomorrow am. Yes, it'll be a huge spike, possibly exceeding 200.

<deleted>..

Let me say it first.. That's beyond disgusting.

EDIT: I'm sorry I don't have a picture to post, I know this is for pics only. Wait, I'll dig up some good pics from my sources, but it's still disgusting. Just what his parents are thinking is beyond me. (Or what the health-care provider going along with it is thinking, for that matter.)

EDIT 2: Pictures added:

Reading the poll results, can I just say that we've collectively married an excellent cross-section of the population? Congratulations to us all. Now back to the fun sport of arguing.

Double post for some reason... Might as well think of something else to say but gotta run.

For the Red Shirts to win, this needs to happen:

1. Win an election, again. (This is the easy part)

2. Buy some of those regional power brokers back to their side (Newin, Banharn). (Also relatively straightforward; they've been there, done that)

3. Somehow avoid the judiciary banning them, again. Likely this means making back-room deals with the powers that be, to allow them to govern under

strict circumstances which will likely include to stick with the military drafted constitution and for Thaksin not to return in any sort of influential position

So.. while most 'Reds' may perceive that as a victory, it really isn't because it doesn't get rid of the shackles of managed democracy.

The visible part of the government not only makes no difference in expats everyday life, it also makes no difference in Thais everyday life.

so can anybody tell me who is better than abhisit at this time?

One who is voted in by a majority at the next election would be the democratic rightful choice, Abhisit is most likely not willing to call an election as he knows what the outcome would be.

No. He's not calling an election because he doesn't need to yet.

In most countries where the government calls elections early, they get blasted for wasting everyones money.

He does not need to call an election, however it would be a way to put the issue to the test and hopefully a peaceful solution.

I personally feel that he shouldn't call an election. Next year is just fine, and Thailand could do with some perceived stability. My opinion only. Reds have the right to protest, Abhisit has the right to call elections whenever he wants. Wouldn't surprise me if his new found friends in the Newin faction jump ship again though, they probably need to do that well before election time.

I think it's safe to say you wont ever see a Reuters, CNN, BBC, AFP reporting using language like that used in Bangkok Post & The Nation. Eg This that is not only 100% inaccurate as Thaksin wasnt in Cambodia but referring to neighbouring country as a 'Gangster State' isn't something an impartial news source should be doing

Excellent catch.. See, foreign journalists don't miss that sort of rabid jingoism and know where a newspaper is coming from after that.

We should do this more often with image captures of the Thai 'mainstream' press, to name & shame.

The AOT closed the airport, after the Thaksin government did not evict them. Thaksin's fault.

Can you please check facts.. Thaksin was long disposed in coup and out of the country when the airport siege happened.

The then government TRIED to get the police/military to evict them, but they did not obey that order, because they take orders elsewhere, and not from any democratically elected government. In any other country that's be a court martial, when disobeying orders.

And then finally it's not the protesters fault for blocking access to the airport? You seriously believe that? Even the yellowest radicals on this forum don't try that one.

EDIT: (Or were you joking... dam_n, it worked in that case. Sorry for the rant if this was just irony, it's hard to tell sometimes these days. )

Well, rains don't come for another three months.

That's incorrect in two ways:

1. First rain showers start happening on or shortly after Songkran. They kick of in ernest with evening downpoors somewhere mid May. At most that's two months out.

2. It's seems to imply that rain is the only thing that will bring haze levels down. This is also not the case; early April, well before rains kick off, the readings are back to general cool season levels (say, January). (Hit 'Query' on the Regional Air Quality page on the pcd.go.th site, then select Chiang Mai. You'll get all the information ever recorded on Chiang Mai's air.)

I think the next big issue we will hear about is the lack of water over this time frame...

That issue seems to be better under control as well. We'd be hearing about it right now if it was an issue.

As to Tak, I hope that comment is true. I remember driving thru sukothai and petchaboon provinces last year this time directly east of Tak and they seem even worst tham CM province...

Yes, here I share your doubt. Friend of mine drove up from the Bangkok area and reported that it starts getting really hazy from Nakhon Sawan onwards. I was in Bangkok myself last week and that place is pretty hazy right now, definitely not clear skies. Of course it varies a bit; generally I don't doubt that Tak is better than Chiang Mai, but it's not guaranteed to be clear either. So my advice to head to Pattaya or Hua Hin stands.

WTK

Umm, ok I'll make an exception for the animal, but of course the tiger zoo itself is not without controversy. (But let's not debate that here. )

Whats is "a typical Thai seafood chilli dip"

Is that the gloopy clear sauce - with red flakes?

No, that's horrific stuff, more sweet and gloopy than anything else. That's typically called dipping sauce for chicken, though it's also served with things like fried battered shrimp and fried spring rolls.

This one, avoid:

Seafood dipping sauce is less sweet, and more spicy. Get it:

Note that there's another horrific 'avoid-at-all-costs' chilli sauce in Thailand, that's the Sriracha Sauce, typically served with fried omelettes. (Nothing good ever came from Sriracha. )

An issue that I have with many Western 'super-spicy' hot sauces is that they contain cups full of vinegar, making them more sour than spicy so it doesn't really go well with anything anymore as they completely take over anything they touch. I need to work on a sauce that has an interesting balance of other flavours, in addition to being insanely hot, preferably with a 'delayed action' that you get with many habanero type chilies. Something you'd consider 'fresh & pleasant' tasting, seconds before it rips your head clean off.

I don't buy it. I think they just have a more balanced view, and with a look at the last elections know that this country is split down the middle, with one half thoroughly disenfranchised by the factions in power, not limited to the government. I think that 'The Regime' may refer to more than just the visible part of the government, currently fronted by Mr. Abhisit.

To be honest anyone who occasionally looks up from the pages of the English language dailies would likely see that.

I don't really know, not being old and ugly. Also I think it's widely known among her friends that I'm poor. (Well, not as rich financially as the Mrs. anyway. )

Apparenlty, being young and handsome and hung like a donkey is enough.

Year on Year George ... year on year

Certain posters endless, anti-red propoganda posts? Agreed!

and again a series of oneliners from the UG ... You've been watching FOX far too much!

He lives in Chiang Mai; he doesn't get Fox.

But then, who needs Fox when you got ASTV and The Nation. .

For people claiming that Mr. Thaksin is 'finished', there sure is a lot of interest in where he is.

You could make it yourself. I start with a typical Thai seafood chilli dip, add some tomato ketchup (for color and consistency more than anything else) and a handful of habanero peppers. ( These take 4 months to grow, though. )

This will answer your question:

http://www.pcd.go.th/AirQuality/Regional/Default.cfm

Look for PM-10 numbers under 50. Pattaya looks awesome. (Chonburi reading)

EU standard is 50, however they do allow 35 exceedences (yes, that's a word in Europe) per year. The yearly average should be under 40.

Chiang Mai is well over the first standard; 2010 is still in progress of course, but over 2009 there were 84 days over 50. It is just slightly over the second standard though, in 2009 the average was 42.07.

Neither, however she likes Abhisit and the Democrat Party.

Amazing, a fight between two people get a title like 'Victim of Red Shirt Violence"!

There is no doubt on which side the guy who gave this title is!

Or the newspaper that reported it.

Still, this is not what anyone wants to be seeing. These sort of confrontations are more likely with smaller, more spread out protests. It would be much better for everyone if there was just one organized protest.

I'm not arguing against your opinion of Thaksin, that'd be silly. I'm saying he remains an important figure in the opposition, and that as such they highlight any perceived failing of the government. It'd be fair to say that the government isn't making much progress in the South, right, even though that's (closer to) their base support?

How long has the insurgency in the south been going on?

Abhisit has been PM for one year. Do you really think problems like this can be solved in a year?

No, I think it's an ethnic issue that goes back for at least a century, to 1909 to be exact, when the greater Pattani area was annexed by then Siam in a deal with the British, who ruled Malaysia at the time. What I was saying is that Thaksin is an important figure in the opposition, and that it's the oppositions job to highlight the governments failings. See above you quoted it yourself.

While I am not expecting it to be solved in a year or even the next few years, I see no change at all from previous governments.

Thaksin was PM for 5 years. How much progress did Thaksin make?

Zilch. May have made it worse to be honest. While a heavy handed effort worked in relation to drugs, it really didn't in the deep South. The Democrat party currently has an opportunity to try it in different ways, but they've been as inert as in everything else they don't do. Possibly because that would mean getting on the military's turf, and he don't own that horse.