rkidlad

9 minutes ago, robblok said:

What unreachable utopia.. isnt democracy supposed to counter corruption nepotism and give good economic performance.

 

You can't eat freedom, actually its lower on the list as food and work. Maslov. 

 

I agree 100% that this government needs to go, just don't share the optimism about how good a new government would be. With luck there will be freedom. But more important is a good economy. 

Well, the economy has been s**** the last 6 years.

Democracy is supposed to counter corruption, but Thailand hasn't had democracy before. So how about you give it the benefit of the doubt and support the protesters and their goal of deciding for themselves what's best for their future.

Military men and and people who yearn for a Game of Thrones kind of reality have no place making decisions on the economy, etc. 

4 minutes ago, robblok said:

I think your overestimating the results of a democratic government vs a military one. But it depends on how you look at it. I don't think that they will suddenly double the GDP growth or get less corruption. So it depends what you measure it by. If freedom is measurement then yes your million times might be closer. If its economic performance then i doubt it.

 

But i fully agree with your checks and balances only we seen previous democratic governments removing those not strengthening them. None of them want to loose their privelidges once they are in power. They want to keep the status quo with the only change them at the feeding through of money. 

 

I have yet to see a democratic government go after their own corruption. Like before it will be going after the party before neglecting their own faults.

 

I am a pessimist because of what I have seen.

The economy might not grow at all, and there will always be corruption in every form of governance to some level. Every journey starts with a single step, and all that. Checks and balances will limit that. 

I think for now the protesters have made their point clear and it can't be argued with. They simply want their basic human and political rights to be respected.

They're asking for better - that's all. Don't misrepresent their ideas by erroneously conflating what they're asking for with some kind of unreachable utopia. That's doing their fight for freedom a huge disservice and it's a dishonest narrative. 

3 minutes ago, robblok said:

Im not talking about Thaksin, though he is of course the main opposition party.  I like future forward they seem honest. 

 

Point was more that all the governments here democratic or non democratic are incompetent, full of corruption plus often totally stupid. I don't see much difference (besides the hard suppression of protesters and that should not be done and is one of the reasons they need to go)

 

But also YL and her group suppressed protesters even put their own aggressive people there to stop it.  So in my opinion a democratic government is not that much better. 

 

But yes as you say let them vote for it and live with what they voted for. I have given up most hope of seeing change. Only if future forward gets a lot bigger (in an other name as they are banned now) might there be some change. 

A democratic government is a million times better than whatever this is. This is what a new constitution with checks and balances will better ensure. Something Prayut never did, nor did he ever want. 

You can't have democracy in Thailand until 'everyone' comes under the law. Until checks and balances are put in place to stop that small group of people who simply decide they don't like it, you get bad people (whether they pretend to be democratic or not) ripping up the rules and changing the game. And this small group of people don't give a shiny s**** about the people. Thailand is a business to them. 

Don't say democracy doesn't work here. It's never been truly tried. 

32 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I certainly think it could be worse than now. I remember the time of Thaksin, though it seems many don't.

That’s nice, but I don’t think these protesters care for your opinion. A lot of them are in their teens, twenties and thirties and too young to know much about the boogeyman. Nor do they care. 
 

But you keep peddling the Thaksin narrative, and doing a huge disservice to these brave protestors fighting for their basic political freedoms and asking for a voice too. 

14 hours ago, robblok said:

You cant even read, i said this government must go but its no guarantee for a better one given the past democratic governments. 

 

 

Right, but as you may have noticed, there are more than a few members who infer from your posts that you think it could be worse than it is now. That the only alternative is someone like Thaksin. It’s all I hear from yellow shirts - “they want Thaksin back?” No, they want democracy. 
 

Let Thailand decide who rules them and let them live with the consequences of it. Try to have higher expectations for the average Thais and their ability and desire to progress. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

New Bank of Thailand governor ready to serve

Yea, but ready to serve who? 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

 

He expressed his confidence that the recent student demonstrations won’t affect the confidence of foreigners because tourists understand that Thailand does not tolerate violence.

It truly amazing what people like this man think foreigners can or can’t understand. It always seems to be based off what suits the powers that be. 

 

22 minutes ago, Orton Rd said:

There is a private facebook protest group with nearly 2 million members, expect desperate attempts will be made to have that closed.

Doesn’t matter. As soon as it’s shut down, a new one is opened up again. 
 

It takes a lot of time and effort from the junta to have these pages closed. New ones are easily opened again in minutes. 

18 minutes ago, anchadian said:

Jonathan Head liked

 

Saksith Saiyasombut

 

@SaksithCNA

·

Now let’s if the authorities are going to scrambling shut down all

@BTS_SkyTrain

and

@BEM_MRT

stations again… #ม็อป18ตุลา

Quote Tweet

Pichayada P.

 

@PichayadaCNA

 

“At 3pm - Please be ready at BTS skytrain station near your house” It seems protesters may use the same strategy they used yesterday - get people to every sky try station before announcing protest sites #ม็อบ18ตุลา #WhatsHappeningInThailand

Don’t worry. Thaivisa just uploaded a story ‘2 hours ago’ about how the BTS will be closed from 3pm yesterday. 
 

No need to look anywhere else for your latest Thai news. 

On 10/15/2020 at 6:55 PM, steven100 said:

lol .......   TV farang have been saying the same thing for the past 5 years. 

Khun Prayut Chan O Cha will be in charge for another 10 yrs possibly.  just imo, but who knows.  

 

 

Obviously you’re not keeping up with the news. 
 

Go on Twitter. The kind of people who you’d never expect to speak out are royally p***** and speaking out. 
 

The end is nigh. 
 

56 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Has this "State of Severe Emergency" been published?

 

How long does it run for?

 

Does it have to be approved by Parliament?

 

Does it have to be gazetted?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's democracy in name only.

The reason for the " severe" state of emergency? Someone was publicly rebuked.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Foreign investors ‘confused by emergency rule’

It's clear as mud. It's exactly the same as any other rule or law here - it's made up as they go along. 

Why are these foreigners so obtuse! 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Too early to predict emergency decree’s effects on economy: Arkhom

I don’t think it will have any effect on the economy. I mean; it had zero effect on the protestors.

3 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Strange how some people wish Thailand to be governed by Thaksin, a Trump like character, while at the same time wishing to get rid of Trump in their own country...go figure...

Funny how people equate wanting democracy in Thailand to wanting Thaksin back. Same kind of erroneous conflation when people assume you like Trump because you despise the CCP or how you must hate dogs ‘cos you prefer cats. 

So adding ‘severe’ to the state of emergency didn’t work. Who’d have thunk it? Maybe time to rename it again. The ‘super-duper severe’ state of emergency. 
 

That’ll learn those pesky freedom fighters. 

21 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Their aim is to restore international-standard democracy, rather than the Thai-style sham. Remembering, of course, that previous 'democratic elections' were rife with intimidation and vote-buying. And to reform something we can't mention, which has a zero chance of even being discussed.

 

As far as democracy goes, that means getting the government to change the constitution they spent a couple of years concocting to ensure that they could not be removed from power. Or for the government to resign. No matter how many thousands come out onto the streets and how many times they rally, all it is is wishful thinking. Protesting isn't winning. Winning is overturning the government, a government dominated by the military which has zero interest in any form of democracy. And that simply won't happen.

 

All credit to them for their aim which not surprisingly has huge support, but their efforts are utterly futile. Whenever people have come on the streets before, the military took over. Now they don't even have to overthrow a democratically elected government. They are the government. And you can't fight guns with sticks.

But this isn’t like previous events. Taboos have been broken never to be the same again.

The glue that held it altogether has melted into a mess. More and more people are understanding that good ideas are more important than people or outdated traditions. 

1 minute ago, Isaan Alan said:

The foreign new media such as the BBC and CNN got blacked out with a message "program will resume shortly". Is that the old "normal" program or a new updated program? 

That's the dinosaurs and CP. They think people sit around the tele like it's the only form of media.

Meanwhile people actually look on their phones and see the hashtags, etc. 

2 minutes ago, steven100 said:

lol .......   TV farang have been saying the same thing for the past 5 years. 

Khun Prayut Chan O Cha will be incharge for another 10 yrs possibly.  just imo.

There hasn't been protesting like this in the last 5 years. 

Now people have had enough. The seal is broken in terms of criticising that which can't be criticised. The only way they get their grip back is through a violent crackdown; and that is basically a lose lose situation. Their days are numbered and Prayut will be first to be thrown under the bus to make for any form of appeasement. But the protesters know he's not the one in charge hence they have more demands. 

Nice sized crowds gathering already.

That's a lot of people who will have to be arrested. After all, it is called a 'severe state of emergency'. You know the protesters must be scared when the powers that be have to rename states of emergency.

24 minutes ago, steven100 said:

If the students don't heed the warnings then it's their fault if dispersal is imminent.

They were peaceful until now and they did good, but they are pushing and breaking the law so the RTP and government will say that's it  .... enough of this.  The last thing Thailand needs right now is violent protestors.  No tourists will ever come, not that they can ... lol

if the illegal government doesn't want violence, then they shouldn't be violent. 

The students are exercising their rights under a draconian constitution. They're playing by the rigged rules and still the dinosaurs can't win. 

8 minutes ago, Brunolem said:

Or why don't they go study?

 

They have almost no support from the general population.

 

Why should the government institutions be changed because a small minority is asking for it?

 

The country is already in enough (economic) trouble, and certainly doesn't need a student uprising at this time.

I believe more than 6 million people voted FFP. 

Stop talking nonsense. Just like the youth - no one is buying it.

42 minutes ago, webfact said:

Anutin: Thailand is ready to open up to foreign tourists

And foreign tourists are ready to return. They've heard about the "severe" state of emergency and seen pics of the army back on the streets. They're very excited. 

What a complete a**hat. 

10 hours ago, billd766 said:

I feel the same way. The 1976 solution worked back then as the government was able to control the flow of information plus there were no smart phones with cameras and no internet.

 

Nowadays the government will have to shut down the internet and confiscate ALL smart phones with cameras. I suspect that it will be impossible to police mobiles, but possible to close the internet.

They can shutdown the internet (they did a trial run before) but they can't stop people from taking pictures and videos. All of this can be uploaded later.