WinnieTheKhwai

The second best thing about Thailand after the women, is their mothers.

What a puzzling post, and more evidence how far Bangkok Farangs are separated from what happens in Thailand as a whole.

Apparently the OP is shocked that in a country that's politically roughly split through the middle, he finds a person who likes Thaksin/PTP. Whoa. And a taxi driver no-less! Who would have thought.

Also, I wouldn't bet on it being HIM who is brainwashed! Ever looked at a copy of a Thai mainsteam English language newspaper recently (any, any day) ?

Thirdly, you turned to politics as a discussion topic, and now you're upset that he doesn't parrot your Bangkok-urban middle class views? Honestly if you're this easily upset in a political conversation, may I suggest the weather as a topic?

Then in the ensuing discussion on this forum, you make arguments about Thaksin that are your views, which is fine, that's what goes on 24/7 in the news clippings forum: Farangs ranting about their Thai poltical opinions, very much including Yours Truly. But what was originally refreshing about this particular topic here was that at least the starting point was the opinion of an actual Thai person, who actually gets to vote. My main issue to be honest is not whether Thaksin is Gandhi or Marcos or Satan himself, but whether Thailand can get to a genuine democracy, and if the WHOLE of Thailand can enjoy equal rights and prosper, not just the Happy Few.

You cannot leave a house unattended for months. The alternative is to pay someone to house-sit.

It all depends on the development; some (most) are indeed claustrophobic, with uniform houses built so close together that the roofs nearly touch. Others are better.

The monthly fee gets you things like trash collection, security, wiping the streets, cutting the hedges, general maintenance and water, so it is kind of worth paying for; outside of a gated community you don't have those fees, but you will have to take care of those things yourself.

And like you said, if it's in a good location then you're only a hop, skip and jump away from The Real Thailand.

Some great pics in this post.

A question please,for the parents of european kids as well as thai/farang.

I have a few friends who have had kids with thai women,but nearly all are horror kids,very naughty indeed.Are your kids any different than the kids you had with european women??

Never had kids with European women, but my mixed daughter is kind of a poster child. She basically doesn't cry, ever. This is sometimes a problem because she may on occasion be actually hurt, but then she still doesn't cry. Maybe I was lucky. We'll see with the next one if it's a trend.

You're a month early.

Right, I'd get out of Bangkok at every opportunity.. (Meaning every Saturday morning, early. )

Wow. Amazing to read this! Awesome story!

(Better? )

Again, this is the beginning of a civil war mentality. We're from Isaan, so we're red and love Thaksin. Is there even a CHOICE in most of those villages to NOT be pro red? Their propaganda says they are pro democracy and freedom. I don't believe it for a second.

I think most of what you write happens only in your mind. You make a lot of assumptions about rural Thailand for someone who lives in a very urban expat/tourist environment.

So imagine people who say NO when there is a knock on the door. Do you reckon they get on a political enemies list? This kind of intimidation of apolitical people may be on the rise here, and it is a very bad sign.

This is a great example of what I alluded to above. Again this is something that happens only in your mind, because you come from a mindset where Thaksin and Jatuporn are Hitler and Goebbels, so "therefore" there must also be intimidation..? There really is a lot of hyperbole in what you post. Your logic is sound, but when rooted in wild imaginations then the outcome doesn't make sense.

I've explained to you before where his supporters are coming from and what their goals are. Do you read as well as post?

If you want to live without a car or motorbike then you're pretty much limited to larger urban areas where public transport is available.

Phuket Town perhaps. (Transport between beaches is horrific, but around Phuket Town and to-from beaches from there is feasible. Less feasible to get back after dark though, so if you go out in Patong then you better get a room there.

Other than that, take your pick of any larger provincial capital.. most aren't very exciting though.. think Had Yai, Khorat, Udon.. (Udon may be the best of those).

More likely is that the money is to fund the protests; it's not like Thaksin himself actually needs some small change from villagers!

This do this quite a lot.. the logistics of protests does cost some money. You need buses, food, water, facilities, a stage, dancing girls, etc.

Sounds like a translation/comprehension issue to me.

I am flying through Bangkok that time and am not concerned. One of the Red's key points is the failure of the police/army to follow orders and act against the airport seizure, and then the failure on the part of the prosecution/judiciary to prosecute the people responsible. Trying exactly the same would make them lose those key claims so it's not going to happen. Possible traffic disruptions in downtown Bangkok are quite possible of course, but wouldn't affect people just transiting at Suvarnabhumi.

The "social elite" I know of Bangkok stay away from Pattaya. It is looked upon as the armpit of Thailand by them with the shirtless, fat farangs running around and with all the beer bars in the open. They prefer to go to Hua Hin. If some of the BKK Thai families come to Pattaya for the weekend, they basically stay at a five star hotel and don't leave the resort.

I'd say there are far more similarities between Hua Hin and Pattaya than there are differences. People with any money at all would probably fly to Samui, Phuket or Krabi and stay in a nice resort. Pattaya (Jomtien), and Hua Hin, remain popular with somewhat middle class visitors and just below that level.

Overall I see a world of change happening in Pattaya, change in the direction of what Thais want Pattaya to be. You notice this in more upscale hotels, restaurants and shopping centers. Prime example would be the land where Central Festival sits on. That used to be a hodgepodge of seedy beer bars. Look at it now.

I am somewhat amazed when I see a family cruising down Walking Street...or pretty much anywhere on Beach Road. I would never bring my 10 year old daughter here...but many do.

I do too. Perhaps not walking street because 10 year olds shouldn't be in any nightlife area, but I most definitely take her to Pattaya. I know Pattaya pretty well by now, so I also know how to completely avoid the seedy side. My wife never even saw it any of it, and her past experiece was only from attending conferences in the area.

Not too many American's though. For us, it is a LONG dang way to get here! And not cheap. Plus, many American's are afraid of traveling over here...and like said above, the Caribbean is much closer and way better.

Right, there's few American families travelling to Thailand, period. Not as much as Europeans and tourists from new markets like Russia.

Guilty.

Tried it one night... after around 6 or 7 hrs at Spotlight ( in Chiang Mai ) and after so many tequilla shots that I couldn't remember, I climbed upon my trusty steed and away I went.

That I really wouldn't do. I would know when to switch to non alcoholic beverages long before that. I would probably be over a legal limit, but in control. There's probably a point in an alcohol-trip where you actually have a heightened sense of perception (before the Bell curve goes off the deep end rapidly ) and if you put your mind to it you can add a lot of focus to what you do, and drive ultra-defensively. It may depend on personality as well, similar to how some people are happy drinkers and others just get nasty and obnoxious. I for one am far less likely to get upset or experience road rage after a couple of beers. I realize this is not the case for everyone.

A number of years ago, I had accident while drunk. Thanks to a nice and understanding policeman, I wasn't charged. Thanks to an entire hospital staff, the admission form said 'no alcohol involved.' Thanks to whatever powers that be, I was the only one injured--slightly. Thanks to common sense, no alcohol has crossed these lips since, if I am driving--none, zero. Not a beer, not a swallow.

If I am going out with friends, the car goes home and I catch a taxi or motorbike to the pub. It's a hassle, but so much easier.

There are too many crazy drivers when they are sober to risk it in Thailand.

I would do the same if I lived in Bangkok, or downtown in an urban area.

Why is it that the Farangs dislike thaksin so much but the thais love him?

That's a false question. Many foreigners love Thaksin. Many Thais hate him. In my case as an educated foreigner, I feel Thaksin reminds me of other dangerous totalitarian zealots in world history that have caused great pain, death, and destruction. For example Marcos and Peron. However, you will find many foreigners who admire Mr. Thaksin. Why? You'll have to ask them.

And in my case as an educated foreigner, I feel the main forces opposing Thaksin reminds (sic) me of other dangerous totalitarian systems in the world that have caused great pain, death and destruction. Thaksin actually got pretty close to breaking that stranglehold. He became such a threat that a coup was organized to throw out his party, and the first constitution in Thai history to come about through democratic process. The facsimile that Thailand ended up with is a recipe for continued disenfranchisement and strife. Ultimately it's unfair, and ultimately this will get addressed. History has shown this time and again.

Clearly that's not what any relevant party is looking for. If you're interested, there are websites out there that list Red Shirt goals.

Yes, there are.

A good place to start is to Google "Red Siam Manifesto" by red shirt Giles Ji Ungpakorn which provides insight into some of the goals of Red Shirts, especially #4 of his stated goals list.

It also will provide insight into why so many Thais are against the red shirts.

As I said before, there is a wide variety of causes and I think it would be fair to say that Giles is on the very fringe. The man is basically a communist. If you readily dismiss what a large section of the population is thinking based on the opinions of a fringe character then you're pretty much passing up on a wider understanding of the issues.

BTW I think linking (even veiled linking though suggesting a Google search) of that material is frowned upon on this forum. (Not 100% sure)

What happens or doesn't happen in my home country really has little bearing on my life, be it real or perceived. I visit the embassy every x years or so for a new passport, or when I have a kid to register.. that's about the extent of my interaction.

Very good to read this. I hope His Majesty will be able to get about more regularly. His guidance remains as crucial as ever.

That's exactly right.. None of this, at the core, is about wrongdoing. It's about consolidating a power-grab.

Red Shirts contend that it's meaningless to be guilty under coup laws that were engineered primarily to grab power away from the people.

How convenient for them. Anarchists, are they?

Sigh. From Wikipedia: " Anarchism is a political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which consider the state to be unnecessary, harmful, or otherwise undesirable, and favour instead a stateless society or anarchy. "

Clearly that's not what any relevant party is looking for. If you're interested, there are websites out there that list Red Shirt goals. Though you're probably content to just holler on internet forums, so don't let me spoil the fun in that.

Out of curiosity, how much would you have to drink to actually get addicted and become an alcoholic? The substance doesn't seem very addictive, other than socially.

On the topic of driving after drinking, there are a couple people I know with whom I'm actually more comfortable in a car after they had something to drink; Part of 'growing up' also means that you learn more about how your body responds to alcohol, and realize that instead of going crazy behind the wheel you actually need to seriously ADD to the amount of focus you put into driving, take it a bit slower, and take away ALL other distractions, so absolutely no music, cell phones and so on, and be aware of the risks off fatigue. And, obviously, realizing when you really have to just get a room down-town. Note that you have to do this anyway later at night even when not drinking, because most other people on the road will also not be entirely sober and may not follow these DWI best-practices.

It's politically correct to make this a black and white topic, but it really isn't.

Contrary to what you might think, the above post doesn't contain any points of view or perspectives that I or anyone else could comment on. I'm exploring and explaining to you why people use the word elite and what is meant by it. I encourage you to take the discussion further by either agreeing with it, or stating why you disagree. You did neither, so you might as well enter an empty post?

So I'll just re-state my earlier point, (realizing full well that we didn't move forward one inch in the discussion): Feel free to suggest a better term. I'm sticking with MBE. (Military-Bureaucratic Establishment; that should make everyone happy because I dropped the word elite! (I'm an optimist) )

The reds are pulling this country down. Can't they just accept the current situation and work for POSITIVE change within the current context,

The 'current context' IS their issue. (Good term by the way, I might use that in the future as a nice euphemism for the structures put in place following the coup.)

instead of this endless drive to topple the government and bring back a horribly corrupt power mad exile? To non-reds it is really starting to look very insane and destructive. Nobody is saying the current system is perfect or super moral. However, the reds seem to want to turn back the clock and that is NOT possible. The Thaksin they loved is not the same Thaksin that exists now, and the country is in a very different place now.

True. I wish they'd get beyond the figure of Thaksin. Even the hard core socialists who should have no particular love for Thaksin are still on the bandwagon because they share similar short-term goals. It'd all be much cleaner if the focus was just on issues related to democracy and the constitution, possibly with a new figurehead. (But that's my opinion, which counts for nothing. Also I can't personally support the Reds while a couple lunatics like Seh Daeng are running around doing their thing. They're as mad as the Yellows.)

Summarize, banning the democrat party is as ludicrous as banning TRT before it.

Honestly, how did Thailand end up in a situation where the judiciary is the highest power in the country. Trias Politica stipulates a balance in the three branches. The coup SERIOUSLY messed that up. It's ludicrous to be even discussing the banning of a whole party that was democratically elected; Democrat party as much as TRT and Phua Prachachon.