daboyz1

The missunderstood fugitive would face a few more trials when coming back for his 2 year term. Apart from that, the guy is so intensely hated by many that he would not feel safe in Thailand.

I think there's at least 4 or 5 more corruption charges lined up waiting on him.

Theres a huge difference between having influence and running a country in exile for 9 years, it simply is not possible however cute and tinfoil hat it sounds. Youve been reading too much tabloid press and sensationalising bs headlines. one side is not corrupt and the other clean, not even slightly like that

No one party is really interested in a clean up, this is closer to the truth, it is all a ruse and a way to regain power or hold on to it, just tell people what they want to hear but give no names of this illustrious council etc or buy off the farmers with a stupid scheme etc. Anything to get the support. Best place when the main event here eventually goes down is if your holding power at that time, but no one wants to hear that, it cant even be discussed but its bigger than an elephant in the room and why Thailand has been so turbulent these last few years

You can call it cute and tinfoil if you want. It's the truth. He's said so himself. He doesn't even attempt to deny it. He decides who gets the cabinet posts and who doesn't. Those cabinet ministers then run the country. They all fly to Dubai or Hong Kong to kiss his ring and beg for the posts. If they pi$$ him off, they're out. It's all there for everyone to see. Like when the FM personally delivers his passport. Or when the head of the police goes to visit him on his birthday. I can't think of another country where the head of the police visits a wanted fugitive on his birthday and then proudly posts the photos of them together.

If you want to somehow justify that behavior in your mind as being ok because they all do it, then you're part of the problem and not the solution. The situations I've laid out above shouldn't be ok no matter what color shirt you wear or who is running the country.

Fair enuff

But you must know there have been a series of coups in Thailand and that disliking Thasin does not give any group the right to overthrow an elected government does it. You say he is running the government? Well he is certainly not doing a good job of it. He cannot even get the mobs who are in the street to stop doing coups.

Did it occur to you that other powers run Thailand and that The Reds never had power.

Does the army follow the calls from the PM? NO

You by pushing for a non democratic removal of an elected government, are backing the Yellows because that is exactly what they want to do.

The Reds want an election. They would win again and again and again.

The Yellows have far more money than do the Reds and if vote buying was all that was needed to win, they would simply use more money and win elections. NO

No amount of money can get the people who vote for reds to switch to the Yellows.

Either you are for elections or you are for the coups. What other choice is before you?

Take care and stay out of the fighting areas.

I am safe.

I'll say it again since you didn't hear it the first 5 times. Thaksin wasn't legally elected to anything in 2006. The EC called the elections invalid, and he never got a royal endorsement. Since he wouldn't step down the military stepped in for a year or so, and then called elections. The military then accepted the results of those elections. Pretty simple really.

Thats funny but from the posts here it seems your not only ignorant but gullible too. Seeing as google is your friend try doing some real historical research into what and what hasnt happened before you tell people to get with the times, seems your clueless about Thai history and corruption. Ill give you a clue, being Thailand if a rule or law dosnt appeal either ignore it pay someone off or in the case of constitutions just rip it up and start again.Every few years You really have no idea there is no difference between last weeks law and this week its changed, convicted under Thai dubious law means little and plenty of others even convicted are strolling about on the street.

Oh and get off planet zog about a fugitive outside running Thailand for the last 9 years .... . if you believe that then you really have been spending too much time listening to Thai soaps

Thailand is what is because the whole country is corrupt from the very pinnacle all the way down and has always been.

I guess I was dreaming when I heard Yingluck is my clone, or the big PTP campaign slogan "Thaksin thinks, PTP Thai does" I tend to think he meant both of those.

Littering your posts with cute laughing emoticons doesn't help your case either. That's generally a sign that a poster has little substance to offer.

So the Yellow leaders are all nice are they? NO--they are guilty of the same things you accuse The Reds of and even more so.

So do you want a democracy where Reds can pick the PM if they win?

You did not answer.

I see you do not like to answer.

Where would you move to?

California is nice. Near to Lake Tahoe would be fun for you.

I think it would be nice if Thailand wasn't being run by a criminal fugitive. Apparently that's a lot to hope for.

Yes, California and Lake Tahoe are nice. Not sure what that has to do with anything, but I agree with you there.

So why is it we do not outlaw the their political parties?

Let me get this right.

You hate Thaksin. Therefor you want to be able to outlaw his part no matter how many times they win popular elections. I hated Bush, does that mean we can outlaw the Republican party? NO

He started a war in Iraq based on lies and cost America untold Billions in cost and also lives.

Can we outlaw the Republican party?

NO

Why is that?

Because the entire party did not do it. Bush did.

So you want to overthrow his sister for what he did. Hardly seems fair of you.

Maybe this makes sense to you in Thailand but it certainly makes no sense to those outside Thailand nor does it make sense to Reds here in Thailand. They have a right to vote. They vote in the Reds. You want to do another Coup because Thaksin is popular among Reds. he is not in the government. He is not even in the nation.

Seems rather unfair of you.

I don't hate anyone. Where did I say anything about supporting the yellow shirts. The yellow shirt thing is so 2008. Get with the times. I just think it's an issue when a country is being run by a convicted criminal fugitive that can't set foot in his own country. To me that's a problem. Apparently you think it's A-OK.

So do you want a democracy where Reds can pick the PM if they win?

You did not answer.

I see you do not like to answer.

Where would you move to?

California is nice. Near to Lake Tahoe would be fun for you.

I think it would be nice if Thailand wasn't being run by a criminal fugitive. Apparently that's a lot to hope for.

Yes, California and Lake Tahoe are nice. Not sure what that has to do with anything, but I agree with you there.

By the way, the hold on Thailand is weaker by the ruling class than it was in the past.

Before, there were no links and no media on the internet for the Reds.

24 hour red station is streaming world wide and they are asking for help.

Are they asking their master for even more handouts? I bet it sounds something like "Thaksin is great, Thaksin is great, Thaksin is great" Over and over and over. BTW Thaksin IS part of the ruling class they seem to despise.

I read the article.

Quite good I must say

http://robertamsterdam.com/thailand/

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

That's 5 wasted minutes of your life you'll never get back.

Who are you talking to with your post?

Certainly you are not expecting the people who live in Thailand to have forgotten the coups and the Captain and the court put in by the coup then throwing out a PM for doing a talk show and then and then and then.

Man up and admit you do not want a democracy where the Reds can win.

Endless games make this stuff comical.

BUT honestly, if the Reds ever were to get full control of the nation including the army, then posting such nonsense could land one in deep trouble as a government propagandist.

What nation would you move to?

I see you're new to the internet. Welcome. You'll enjoy it.

You can tell who I'm talking to by who I've quoted in my post. See above.

As far as Samak getting thrown out for his cooking show, he broke the rules and got caught. Pretty simple.

Abhisit was never elected by democratic elected MPs, they where the MPs that where put in place after the coup in 2006, Abhisit was NEVER elected, and will never be, if you like it or not.

Abhisit was elected the same exact way as Yingluck. As a party list MP. Google can be your friend, I suggest you take advantage of it and then come back and post.

The conviction of Thaksin was a farce, ramrodded through by a non-democratically installed, biased government. There is no evidence of any illegal action when this conviction came down. Interesting how the conviction was handed down by the former president of the Constitutional Court. This court is the biggest cancer, feeding Thailand's corruption.

Really the only evidence against Thaksin of any illegality, he was acquitted of. He learned pretty quickly to stay above board after that close call.

So you think it's ok for the leader if the country to force the govt. land dept. to sell his wife a plot of land at half it's value so that she can turn around and sell it at double the value a short time later? Good to know. Also, as someone else has here has pointed out, Thaksin was convicted while one of his proxy governments was in power, so that makes the conviction even more legitimate.

Seems to me it was the Army that ousted Thaksin in a coup. Like him or not, Thaksin was elected.

Not really. Thanksin wasn't actually elected when he was ousted. The elections were declared invalid per the law. A small detail most seem to miss.

I politely disagree and please consider these things.

PTP won the election in 2011. Thaksin installed his sister as PM. No protests. No one was in the streets raising hell. It was only when they tried to pass a Thaksin amnesty bill at 4 AM that these protests began. That is the catalyst for these protests. To everyone complaining that these protesters are trying to subvert democracy, why didn't they come out in 2011 when PTP won then? This isn't about PTP winning an election. This is about one meglomaniac in Dubai trying to whitewash his crimes. I guess if you take a snapshot in time of the last few weeks, these protests seem like a bunch of elites trying to subvert democracy. If you look at all the events in total since roughly 2005, you'll understand why people are in the streets. They're sick and tired of the country being run by a criminal fugitive and the latest attempt to absolve him of his crimes was the last straw with them. I'm actually a little surprised they didn't come out sooner. Right after Mrs. clone was made PM. I guess people didn't think they would actually go as far as to try and clear Thaskin of all his crimes. If they didn't do that, these folks would be sitting at home right now, not causing mass traffic jams in BKK.

I believe even if Thaksin and his sister had nothing to do with the Reds and Reds started a new party, that the people up North would vote for that new Red party and that the Yellow mobs would indeed protest and push for another coup. The Yellows do not believe in Democracy and I am afraid that the Reds might not either.

The Yellows do not just hate Thaksin. They hate the people up North. The people up North do not just hate the Yellows. They hate the people who back them. The leaders are not the problem. The problem is that the two sides cannot reach an agreement as to how a modern Thailand will go forward.

It is inaccurate to think it is just the leaders that cause this fight.

I think you could nominate a dead rat and put red on his back and he would win the election.

The Yellows would vote for a dead rat as long as he wore their yellow.

Just my view.

This fight will not end just because the leaders change.

I guess we'll never know, because Thaksin will never release his grip on a portion of Thai politics. I'll be curious how to see how much the people in Isaan continue to support Thaksin and his proxies since the rice bribe seems to be blowing up in their face. I don't believe it is inaccurate in the least to describe Thaksin's policies as supporting class warfare. That's how he got elected in the first place. That's where he gets his power. He smartly understood that there was an untapped voting base in Isaan that was being ignored. He promised them the world and delivered enough to keep them somewhat happy. In the mean time filling his own pockets. I mean seriously "All Thais will be rich in 6 months" What kind of campaign promise is that?

You're right that this fight may not end simply because the leaders change, but a good start is to rid the country of Thaksin's influences. Until that happens, we'll never really know. He refuses to allow that though. You have to admit, it's like giving the people that disagree with him the big middle finger by making his sister the PM. People around here like to piss and moan about Abhisit not winning elections. What election has Yingluck won? She's party list #1. At least back in the day Abhisit ran in a local election and won a seat that way.

On a somewhat unrelated note I saw on Bangkok Bank's webiste the other day that the govt. is selling bonds and offering 3.85% per annum. How is that possible? Seems like they're desperate for cash.

As if Thaksin is the only Thai politician or military general or police general who didn't buy their way in to power.

So are you saying since it was done before, it's ok to continue doing it?

Prayuth says jump and YS say how high. That's: what matters here. Ignore what this Amsterdam says. Is that really his surname?, must be a Yank.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Correct. That's the way it is and will be until these scummy politicians and criminal fugitives like Thaksin and his equally scummy brought mouth piece lawyer can learn to abide by democratic law and the constitution.

I consider the coup in 2006 different from previous coups in the sense that the guy running the country wasn't legally elected. So in reality they weren't overthrowing some elected govt. They had elections, the opposition boycotted them. Alot of the seats were won with minority votes when the "No" votes outnumbered the TRT votes. The election results were never royally endorsed etc. etc. Thaksin knew he was going to get found guilty in the upcoming months/years of corruption.

In fact, I would thank the military for not allowing Thaksin to become a dictator like Mugabe or Lukashenko. Without the military Thailand would've surely become a dictatorship run by Thaksin the great. Not that he hasn't tried at every chance he got.

Really? Have you considered the current case of a RTN captain pursuing the editor and journalist of Phuketwan for their use of an AFP article on the Rohingya crisis? Please tell me of another civilized country where the armed forces launch a legal attack on journalists in this manner? There was no threat to national security involved. The navy captain in this case simply disapproved of the information printed. This event speaks volumes about the Thai military's respect for basic human rights. Mistakes can happen and people can over step their authority, but no one from the military command has intervened and instead the threats and intimidation continue. It seems no one in the military consulted with the civilian government in this matter. So tell me now why the comparison is laughable, because the major journalism bodies and human rights groups are not laughing.

So based on that one case you're willing to compare Thailand to Zimbabwe or Belarus? Thailand has a long way to go before being put in the same class as those two countries.

The police report to Thaksin's clones. That's why they stood by and did nothing in 2010. That's why it took the army to clean up that mess. I agree the army shouldn't be involved in those types of situations, but what can you do when the police refuse to do their job?

Really? Have you considered that the police have never received the training necessary to do what you would want. They do not have the equipment either. There is a reason why some parties wish to keep the police as unprofessional as possible. A functioning and reliable civilian law enforcement body would present a trheat to the military who have always used the excuse that only the military can keep order.

Yes, really. Would some of those parties include Thaksin? Being a former policeman himself, I'd think in all those years running the country he'd make the police one of his priorities. Maybe training them that suspected drug dealers deserve their day in court, rather than simply killing them without due process.

I'd say he's a realist and doesn't look at Thai politics through the lens of western governments.

Well, if one looks at it through the lens of an oppressive totalitarian state such as Zimbabwe or Belarus, then yes, I can see your point.

Nice try. Even you know that comparison is laughable.

Well, those questions have not yet been answered. They are the subject of ongoing investigation but it has been difficult to get full cooperation, as far as I understand it

What questions?

It's so bloody obvious the army wants the current government to fall. If the Reds staged the same BS, they'd be mowed down to a nub. The Army's actions are laughable. "we will not stage a coup but do everything in our power to ensure chaos reigns until it's absolutely necessary to send in the boots and the bullets. Crap!"

Spot on.

For the benefit of casual and unregistered Thai visa, readers, the army and a lot of Thai Visa posters don't like what Amsterdam writes because it cuts too close to the bone.

Those posters are a vocal minority on Thai Visa and certainly don't represent the majority of Thai opinion.

Not spot on at all. I guess some forget that Bangkok was held hostage by a mob in 2010 for TWO MONTHS before the army did anything. All the while being paid by their master in Dubai. The when the army (because the Thaskin owned police agencies wouldn't do anything) stepped in to clear them out, they proceeded to set a bunch of fires. The army didn't just walk in there and start shooting on day 1. It was after two plus months.

I must have missed Amsterdam's op-ed on Democracy in 2006 when the Prime Minister at the time refused to step aside after the elections were declared invalid, and he never got a royal endorsement.