xenomorph

... Fact is, do you think Thaksin gives a rats ass what you or any other farang thinks, "Thai's for Thai's" He now aim's every word and gesture at every poor/un-educated Thai.

He would have you believe this....but if you watched the motorcade today, there were perhaps 10-20% signs in english, with buzz words and photo opportunities for the foreign press. There are the shirts some in Thai some in english.

DEMOCRACY

ABHISIT THE DEVIL

BRING BACK THAKSIN

etc.

now given that the voice over was almost entirely in Thai, the people in the picks and so on were almost universally probably people who don't have an excellent command of english and prefer to use Thai....why do you think the carefully prepared clappers, the shirts, the memorabilia, has this english component?

It is for the foreign press....and some of the foreign press sit in the middle, some lean towards Thaksin, some lean away from him.

But....he definitely cares very very much what is said about him; much of this protest is being fought in the foreign press around the world.

The issues

- access to countries (he is already banned from UK, Germany, Japan - foreign media shapes government and popular opinion as to whether he is someone they want)

- access to information (column inches supporting him are important evidence that this is a local biased conspiracy and biased media)

- the war of popular opinion (other governments can also lean on Thailand to forgive him or to change things; this is an important fight he needs to win)

- changing the economy (ideally, he needs to prove only he can manage the economy - attempts to derail it play into his hands that he would be doing a better job)

His large team of PR consultants, the talking points, the key logic steps in the red shirt argument to link Thaksin's asset case to true democracy and the various interviews with worldwide news organisations conducted in secret locations don't happen by accident.

He is most definitely conducting a PR campaign for both locals and foreigners alike. In addition, the threats and the attempts to derail the Thai economy, for the foreign investors in Thailand, are a way to push the economic argument for locals through actions by foreigners.

The one group he cares perhaps less about are most likely the NGOs and foreigners living inThailand....based on his past track record.

Someone please refresh my memory.....whats an NGO??

NGO = Never Going Outdoors...? Farangs who live in this country as if they were living back home, enclosed in their apartment?

Beats me... NGO anyone?

Lets face reality. There is no chance for a Thai Nelson Mandela at the moment.

This all is a Big Tragedy for the Thai people and the Thai culture. Many comments we can read here realy do not contibute to make the situation better. Like my girlfriend tell, when there would be a Thai with the capabillity, the charisma and the honesty as Nelson Mandela, the people in power, from both sides would do anything to get rid of him, or her.

They would create ""gossip, stories, proove, situations" to make his or her work impossible and when they would not succeed they will somehow kill him or her.

Many Thai people know this is the "political" situation in Thailand

It is not the fight of the people it still is not. It is the fight of the people in power, the people with the power, the people with the money, also a lot of money that belongs to the people of Thailand, it is a fight on the account of the Thai people and on the account of the Thai King.

Because these people only care about themself.

With all governements there were in the past Thaksin gave many ordinary Thai people the idea something could change. He gave them hope. And maybe, or maybe proibably he did do so out of false intentions, but he did gave them some hope their future could change.

But as it looks now the same storie will continue as it is going on for years now.

And many people overhere are more focussed on commenting the actors on stage.

We are outsiders, we can yell from the outside never having to proove we will do better.

But the real tragedy is not on the stage where the actors play their part.

In the audience millions of people in Thailand have to suffer and lack the freedom to decide about and take care their life as most western people can in their country.

I see no reason to be funny about anything happening here.

How much do your Thai girlfriend from rural Issarn know about Nelson Mandela? If I ask my wife, she would say: Nesson who?

Anyway... This may be a good lesson to never neglect this country's majority, namely the poor people. Albeit a great percentage in Issarn are married or somehow involved with farangs (walking ATM's), but... In order to prevent another maniac like T-Rex to once again manipulate the poor in order to gain control over the country, the government must pay focus and NEVER neglect these people.

The Era of T-REX has ended!

From another posting:

"At the stage at Phan Fa Bridge, Mr Veera Musikapong, the UDD’s core leader proclaimed the restriction among vendors and operators around the rally sites including the private sector, in voicing their opinions with the media about how the rally affected trading as well as the country’s economic system and investors’ confidence."

That really sounds like a great way of democracy:

-It is forbidden to speak anything negative about us! -We are for democracy and against dictatorship!

Sounds like they are dusting off Thaksin's old habits of threatening the press and media if they utter any negativities about him.

This whole thing will be an interesting thing added to the world's history. A corrupt ex policeman manage to bribe his way to wealth. Starts a political party and bribe people to vote for him. Especially those in the poor uneducated northeastern parts of the country. Just like Hitler, he understand that way to success is to have the poor majority to vote for him by offering them something symbolic like later lending the governments money to them (putting the poor i dept to the country). He wins the elections. Comes into power. Starts handling this country's state money like as it was his own money. Well, he can't just put the governments money into his own just like that. He have to start projects as a cover, charging the bills 2x, 3x, 4x, the cost that it normally would render. He gets greedy. Others in his proximity feels that he's not sharing his source of wealth well enough. Some doesn't like what he's becoming. He gets ousted. He start a movement that will indoctrinate the poor about how good he is and how evil his opponents are. The head people in this movement, are people that are longing to regain the power throughout the country as the used to before. Just like himself. He, a totally corrupted capitalist, claims that he's on the "peoples side" and have been wrongfully ousted by others who are evil. Burn buses and cars on last years Song Kran. Threatens the existing government by violence if they don't step aside. A government who haven't done anything wrong or cheated anyone. Upon all this, I feel sorry for the poor rural farmers and other people that are being used by those corrupted minds, who's only goal is to get into the federal and local governments so they can continue to plunder this country's assets. Imagine how many schools and hospitals that could be built for all money that goes into the pockets of corrupted politicians. Get the support from the uneducated majority, and you don't have to bother with the clever and educated minority. The uneducated wouldn't parasite they are dealing with, until it's too late.

This is really something for the history books. A corrupted capitalist trying to act as if he were Che Guevara and on the poor peoples side....

With hundreds of thousands of people involved you would expect incidents like this. It happens at football matches, concerts or anywhere else there's a large crowd. It hardly constitutes "red shirt violence".

No, this behavior is totally fair and acceptable, since it also happens during or after football matches, concerts, etc... Right?

Are you on medication or something? You seem to suffer from some kind of empathy disorder. Would like to hear you say "Mai pen rai" the day you get smacked down on the street. I will help you by clapping my hands to cheer up the event even more.

Last time there were lots of Thais going to Bangkok, were at the time when HMK were ill and people wanted to whish him well. From many cities around the country, the local governments arranged buses for transportation from villagers to BKK. I know a woman who went there with her family.

At Bangkok, there were a large crowd gathered. Among those in the crowd, there were some people talking to others, asking how much they got paid to come here. They asked that question to that woman as well. She replied: -Got paid? I didn't get paid! I came here because I wanted to. Then the other guy replied: -That's strange. I got paid 300 Baht + free food by some people with yellow shirts to come here.

That was a lie of course. They were sent out to spread false propaganda among the arrived people. The woman (my friend) went very angry. In fact so angry that she voted for a guy from the Red Shirts in the recent local election a month or so ago. She didn't vote for that guy just because she agreed with his party. She did that just because she went angry, believing what she was told last time in Bangkok.

So, I wonder how many more of these people around the country that have been "captured" with help of false propaganda and lies. My guess is that's probably a lot.

So Britons are no longer citizens. They are simply customers to their government. How does that feel...?

George,

Did you get your investment back?

(just curious)

Pattaya is a shit-hole. The only positive thing about living there, are the BigC, Foodland and other shops. For the locals, you're just some piece of cattle. Luckily I did choose to live my 9 years here in a non-tourist part of Thailand.

Still, I'm on my way back to my home country. I'm 43 and still have some power left to build a new life at where I was born. Just managed to sell my house here. Feels really good to get back home again and live a civilized life. I'm tired of the heat, tired of the mentality, tired of the stupidity, tired of 0-IQ women who don't know what real love is, tired of not being able to have an intellectual conversation, tired of not being able to have rights status and being a part of the society no matter have long I've been here, tired of...

My empathy goes to the poor British woman who probably had one of her worst day in her life.

Were you so tired you didn't bother to learn Thai? Were you so tired you couldn't be bothered to learn the culture that is not yours? Never read such a pathetic post! Did you never leave the "bar scene" to find normal Thai people? I've been coming here since 1988, stayed around 10 years now and been happily married TO A THAI LADY who I met working at a small Thai restaurant for the last seven years. Glad you have gone home jack, you should never have been here with an attitude like that. I have Thai friends who (if you can speak Thai) would run circles round the likes of you. Don't put down what you don't know and can not understand mate. I am a voted in senior manager for our Moo Barn. You imply Thais treat us like cattle. They "judge people by what they do and by how they fit in" if you were treated like cattle, need I say more. Good riddance to you!

I just hope the lady concerned is as OK as she could be - if she did get raped like that.

I speak fluent Thai. Can also read some in Thai script. I know about the Thai culture far too well. I've live in an area of Thailand that doesn't have tourists. I've been running my own shop with Thai customers. I just had enough of this now.

-Do you understand?

There is more and more of this happening as well as robbery.

Another nail in the tourism coffin!

I dont think any right minded foreigner should bother with thailand anymore.

I am so glad i have moved out and probably never go back, the world is a big place and many other countries deserve our money more!

With the current problems i think there will be more and more bad things happening.

So right...

Been here for 9 years now. I'm 43 and on my way back home. Well at home, I will get a job, find a western (like myself) woman between 32-36, marry, have kids and live the life that I've should have lived in the first place. Spent far to long time here to become nothing at all. Nowadays I wake up every morning with a smile, counting the days left before I can have my life back. This place is not for people with ambitions. It's more like the Mojave Desert. To get broken down and finally put down as scrap for good.

I hope they get life!

FF

i hope they put them in jail and though away the keys and for get about them

Us usual, they'll probably pay their way out from there. They got money. Mai pen rai!

Pattaya is a shit-hole. The only positive thing about living there, are the BigC, Foodland and other shops. For the locals, you're just some piece of cattle. Luckily I did choose to live my 9 years here in a non-tourist part of Thailand.

Still, I'm on my way back to my home country. I'm 43 and still have some power left to build a new life at where I was born. Just managed to sell my house here. Feels really good to get back home again and live a civilized life. I'm tired of the heat, tired of the mentality, tired of the stupidity, tired of 0-IQ women who don't know what real love is, tired of not being able to have an intellectual conversation, tired of not being able to have rights status and being a part of the society no matter have long I've been here, tired of...

My empathy goes to the poor British woman who probably had one of her worst day in her life.

Thank you for your help guys!

I will start look into this!

Hmm...

Maybe there aren't that many guys who is "going the other way". Would be grateful for any lead. I'm planning to move back in May.

It's always harder to bail out, the longer you've stayed together. Even if you maybe doesn't like your relation, you may be worried about going through the whole process of meeting someone new. If you succeed, you may one day wake up feeling great and wonder why it took so long before you finally broke up.

There's a married couple I know, dear friends the both of them that hit a rough spot in their marriage, she was an air hostess doing domestic US routes on a major carrier. The guy, who I used to work with, asked me what to do. He had been given the suggestion of the 'romantic getaway' and since I am the consummate international gypsy, he asked for a recommendation. I pointed him towards Jericoacoara on the north coast of Brazil where I had spent an idyllic 2 week vacation.

They went, loved the place and fell in love all over again. We had dinner together a few months after and they both privately thanked me for the suggesting the quiet Brazilian beach.

A year later, after getting her qualifications in real-estate, the wife quit her job as an air hostess and set up her own realtors business, targeting the rich and the exclusive areas of the city. Her husband changed employees but basically stayed the same Field Engineer in the oil service business. Five years later she cracks her first +$1million year and in celebration, buys him the loaded Corvette he has always wanted. He still is doing the 9 to 5 with the odd field trip out of state.

Two years after that, she sues for divorce, takes him to the cleaners and crushingly takes back the 'vette, gets the house, half his 401k, the right kidney and both testicles.

The moral of this tale is they both took a break, reignited the spark but she chose to run with it. Her whole life was reinvigorated and she was inspired more than just in the bedroom. My buddy was happy that he was just getting some regular sex again but didn't see anything beyond that. Her complaint to me was he was such a bore, on the computer every night, surfing the 'net, watching TV at weekends. Maybe if they had had kids, they wouldn't have had time to get bored with each other but without kids to consider, he certainly had more freedom than most men to make the same significant changes that his ex- wife did.

To the OP, look at what your life would be without your partner and then have a good, long think about what your partners life will be like if you are not around. It may shine a whole new light on your situation and hasten the decision you need to make.

I don't think that woman is suitable for a normal family life. Working as an air hostess mean a lot of travel and lot of opportunities for sex outside the marriage. A friend of mine is an airline pilot and he tells me stories every time about how lose those hostesses are when it comes to respect for their boyfriends or marriage. The pilots are usually equally bad on being 100% faithful. So I guess that woman, in your story, is probably very spoiled with having exciting sexual adventures outside her marriage. If she then is having a hard time to live a normal life with her husband just because she's doing more dollars, then she have lost the actual whole point in the marriage. That guy is probably better off single.

Actually reminds me of the movie "American Beauty".

Since there are a lot of people from my country coming to Thailand on holiday, most of them are familiar with the word "kathoey" (ladyboy). I think this word is slowly being adopted among the equivalent "ladyboy" community as well in my country. After all... Thailand is world famous for their kathoeys, so why couldn't it be adopted by the rest of the world just like the japanese word "tsunami"?

Hi guys,

I'm on my way home to Europe after 8½ years here in Thailand. I have collected a lot of stuff here during these years. From furniture to computer, TV, stereo etc. and thinking of bringing it back home as a start for building a new home. Hiring a container, or part of, is probably the best idea. I would like to know if you guys could recommend any companies for that kind of service. Price is a concern since I don't wanna pay more to bring the stuff home, than it cost to buy equivalent stuff at home.

/Emm