bunuel

Thanks for the explanation - bad enough if this had been just Thailand, but Asia???

However, now it is perfectly clear what happened!

Here's the Asia Society's account of what happened in the polling.

As of December 31st Suthep had almost zero votes from the time the polling opened December 20th.

Then in the past closing daze [sic] the poll had 165,000 hits from Thailand (not 6 million).

The runnerup, teenager Malala Yousafzai, who has recovered from a shot to the head by the Taliban, had "close to" 12,000 votes which Asia Society says would be enough to win in any normal voting year. (Suthep got almost 116,000 votes which I believe Asia society says is an unprecedentedly large number of votes beyond the typical number of the annual poll's number of reader-voters.)

The sudden surge of voting this year in the final daze of the open online polling shows what Suthep's still anonymous feudal council and its mob supporters will do to voting and elections polling here in Thailand.

http://asiasociety.org/blog/asia/how-thailands-suthep-thaugsuban-ran-away-our-person-year-poll

The obvious question is : where does this money go?

Certainly not to the underpaid teachers.

Suggestion: since the Japanese, Chinese and Korean education systems are superior to the Thai by all international standards, I would recommend paying senior education professionals to make a massive overhaul of the dysfunctional Thai education system, with giving all administrators and bureaucrats duties in other fields where they can do less damage. Have taught students from all four countries and there is no comparison.

The educational system is the problem. By European standards, the Thai system is pre-Enllightenment, which makes it two centuries out of date.

Thailand has an extremely high number of private schools, so this is not just a reflection on the gov't, although the Ministry of Education needs to take a very serious look at it's curriculum and how it is implemented. Especially how it is implemented.

More of the same is not needed.

A major clear-out of the bloated bureaucracy would be a start. Many of them seem to exist to enforce ( or not as the case may be) meaningless rules and policies). Teacher training reform needs to be a priority. Curriculum ...where to start?

Excellent advice from someone who obviously knows what he is talking about.

Bottom line is that no one knows exacty what will happen, but any travel industry professional would recommend avoiding unnecessary travel to Bangkok under these circumstances - as have the embassies.

I have been traveling to hot spots around the world for a few decades writing about tourism development and travel safety , and do not scare easily. In current conditions, however, my family will not go to Bangkok at all until this conflict is resolved. I have been in Thailand for almost 10 years, and I have never seen greater risk for violent internal conflict . The government, much to their credit, has thus far shown a willingness to compromise but the protesters have yet to show any interest in compromise. Instead, they seem intent uöon provoking violence from the govenrment and their supporters. Thus far government and police reaction has been remarkably restrained ; however, if anything happens to the democratically elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra, things could get very ugly in hurry.

Needless to say, I pray that the protagonists find a path to peaceful negitiation, and that cooler heads prevail. Until then, however, I would recommend staying out of Bangkok.

uote name="SLESQ" post="7262828" timestamp="1389169138"]

Being a long-time (14 year) retired resident, first in Bangkok and for the past 10 years in Chiang Mai, being a war veteran (Vietnam), and the father of four children, I am risk adverse and thus have already early-registered my cars (both due in late January) in case the Ministries are shut down, and ushered two of my sons already on long holidays in the Kingdom, to breeze into and out of Suvarnabhumi as they head to Chiang Mai, hoping they can return home via Lao or China if there is that need.

Yellow Generals are out of power and (reportedly) itching for it once more; Red Generals in power should be able to keep the nation calm but... having been in 'my war" and not relishing another, I know well that Generals alone don't create chaos. Who controls the wills of the lower officers and enlisted ranks will get their troops to do what the troops will. Sometimes it's the least foreseeable who will take the lead. Some troops will follow the yellows and some will follow the reds. I would not presume the yellows in the armed force will take control. For the most part the troops come from families of the working poor or impoverished. These are for the most part, the reds.

Do you really think being in Bangkok, even Thailand, is so important that you want to risk being caught in that lemon squeezer? If my sons were not already here I'd tell them to stay home.

Here in Pattaya there once were two excellent massage facilities that my wife and I used to go to together on

a monthly basis, In the first case, the facilities were superb, with Jacuzzi, sauna and Turkish bath for free, and some truly talented masseuses whom both my wife and I liked. The ambience was Japanese, so tea was served after the massage. We liked it so much we would bring our friends whenever they came to visit, and we would tip 500 baht each for a two hour massage. There was only one private room - and there never seemed to be any side business gping on. Then, after a while, the good masseuses told us they were going to quit because the manager was making impossible demands. Without good masseuses, the place quickly went down hill, and soon went out of business, it is now a parking lot.

The only other place we liked that offered legit massage with first-rate older masseuses also was closed down, even though business seemed to be good. Very strange. My wife and I now are looking for a new place we can go to together.

Unfortunately, I know of some qualified masseuses that joined the "pretty girl happy endings brigade" as you put it.

And this is due to lack of sufficient earnings.

They start with a dream, but when money is not enough to support the family, they turn the other way.

Feel sorry for them and I beg you as you have "financial interest in some massage shops" try to convince the massage parlour owners to reward them better.

After all they do a good and exhausting job.

Typically, the shop owners do not care about the staff....just want them to work...

Was talking to a lady doing a massage last week, she said that if she wants a day off, she has to pay the owner 500 bahts... And I heard that many times...

So they freelance..

And other girls then must be hired.....

Excellent post, and straight to the point. The alternative to rule of law is chaos - which means rule of the mob.Protests are fine, as long as they are directed in Gandhian fashion towards changing unjust laws.

These protesters are advocating the ad hoc destruction of existing rule of law, hoping to provoke a violent response from supporters of the government which might then justify a military intervention. Their actions have already cost innocent lives and cost the Thai economy billions of baht in lost revenue, and the long term damage to tourism, convention , and other industries is incalculable, but will be severe. It seems they havd no conscience or any consideration for their fellow citizens. They claim they are " saving the country from corruption," , but actions speak louder than words.

They would do well to remember the Buddhist proverb:

When the water runs high, the fish eat the ants;

but when the water runs low, the ants will eat the fish.

When the Red Shirts whom they are so foolishly trying to provoke finally respond, these

protesters will be the first ones to cry to the authorities they have been publicly humiliating.

This is an extremely dangerous game they are playing, and the sooner cooler heads realize

the need for negotiation and compromise, the better.

Surapong is constantly being caught with his trousers around his ankles.

He is supposed to be head of CAPO 'Centre for the Administration of Peace and Order'

Yet their handling of the Dec 26th ruckus with their 'men in black' on rooftops clearly exacerbating the situation and videos of police willfully vandalizing cars and terrorizing a health worker trapped in her pickup... all under the control of CAPO and their so called role to maintain 'Peace and order'. Not to mention releasing a statement saying the 'men on the roof' were protesters knowing full well that they were police (under THEIR) supposed control.

Then we have daily statements using terms such as 'combined force' and 'strong measures' not to mention 'death penalty'. These are not words of peace and order, these are words of 'INTIMIDATION'.

This CAPO bunch of idiots are almost guaranteed to mess these coming major protests up, this time it won't be a few thousand students, it will be a lot more grave.

Police on the rooftop of a government building during a mass riot determined to prevent candidates registering for the scheduled election is hardly the stuff of conspiracies or of government violence - it's normal and routine procedure practiced by any legitimate government.

Your "intimidation" is the government's inherent right to protect and preserve itself, which all governments have and which is the duty of any duly elected government to all of the nation and its people.

The government is facing a declared insurrection by mobs led in this instance by a incipient fascist who wants to overthrow the legitimately elected government in favor of a Mussolini fashioned "People's Council" which admittedly is intended to deliver the absolute rule of the privileged elites in place of a duly scheduled election.

This is now moving beyond incipient fascism as Thailand enters the time and temper of 1930s Europe.

As a native Swede who has lived and worked in many countries around the world, I feel compelled to point out the obvious: namely, Thailand is not Sweden. This fact does not justify any criminal behaviour, but an awareness of this fact helps the visitor avoid potentially dangerous situations which might not present a danger at home. For example, it is well known that road safety is a major issue in Thailand, and one therefore should drive extra carefully in Thailand, and try to keep driving to a minimum if you do not want to have an accident.

Likewise, I like going out and dancing as much as the next person, but I avoid going out drinking and carousing at night in Thailand simply because bad things can happen. I am not fearful - I have a black belt in martial arts - but part of the discipline is to steer clear of potential conflict situations, and to not tempt fate.This is not an indictment of Thailand , by the way - I find Swedes can behave like aggressive idiots when they get drunk, as they do on Friday nights in Stockholm, so I avoid those situations.

The wisest words I have heard on this matter came from a great wrestlng coach I had in my youth: " The best way to get out of trouble is not to get into it..."

I could not put it any better.

I see the apologist conspiracy theorists are already crawling out of the woodwork.

Sex without consent is RAPE! I am sure she has the sms message to prove this.

Please use the facts instead of cherry picking and deliberately omitting details. Her father may be a TVF member.

This is the heart of the matter. There is nothing to prevent Mr. Abhisit from following in the fine tradition of British conservatives like Sir. Winston Churchill, Maggie Thatcher and David Cameron, and using his ample financial resources to run a campaign and actually win an election !

The fact that he is incapable of doing so does not give him the right to seize power by undemocratic means - quite to the contrary, he should step aside and let someone else with more charisma run for the conservative Thais! As it is , he is behaving in a completely irresponsible fashion and leading his followers and the country. If he has any integrity, he will negotiate with the sitting government and seek a peaceful solution.

They're not on the side of Thaksin or Abhisit

They're on the side of democracy.

Like it or not, the Thai people voted for the current shower.

So what if it was on the back of populist policies? Populist policies aren't illegal, are they?

What government hasn't promised the earth to win a freakin' election?

I agree with my Swedish brother, and share his concerns. Like him, I have made a home here in Thailand with my Thai wife, and I very concerned about the current crisis in Thailand - for personal as well as humanitarian reasons. I have spent the last two decades working as a UN Peacekeeper in conflict zones in Asia and Africa, and have

had considerable training in mediation and peaceful conflict resolution. A typical case study might be a fictitious country in Sahara, where tribe X is about to go to war against tribe Y. My job would be to attempt to mediate between the two sides and negotiate a peaceful solution to the problem. While this is obviously easier said than done, the question arose: what to do if one side refuses to negotiate, but only makes ultimatum after ultimatum?

I learned that such a player is either mad or has a hidden agenda - hence a refusal to negotiate in good faith. This is the dilemma confronting the democratically elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra. You can criticize her and her government all you want, but you cannot deny she has made every conceivable effort to negotiate with the parliamentary opposition who, whatever their grievances, have shown no interest in negotiation whatsoever. The question then arises as to why they refuse to negotiate.

While the antics of a demagogue like Mr. Suthep are easy to caricature, it is more troubling when the Eton and Oxford educated former PM Abhisit espouses the same extreme positions, and refuses to negotiate as well. One might hope that the two are playing classic "good cop, bad cop" as a negotiating tactic. but thus far that does not seem to be the case. As a trained mediator, I can only conclude that they have a hidden agenda - and, as other posters have noted, their agenda has been to provoke a violent response from the police or red shirt allies of the democratically elected government - and then compel the military to intervene to restore order.

Thus far, the government has been over backwards to avoid police violence - causing some posters to wonder what is wrong with Thailand when demonstrators can occupy government offices ,shoot policeman and assault civilian taxi drivers with impunity. The answer is simply that Thailand is not like any Western country, and is only comparable to some African countries , like South Africa before the end of Apartheid. Those familiar with the story of Nelson Mandela may remember that after he got out of prison, violent supporters of apartheid assassinated Mandela's close associate Chris Hani, and committed other violent and provocative acts designed to elicit a violent response from the black majority. To make a long story short, thanks to the efforts of Nobel Peace Prize winners Mandela and FW De Klerk, they did not succeed, and the country moved on to democratic elections. For sure, South Africa has many problems, but I think most would agree that democratic elections were preferable to the bloodbath that was the alternative.

It is time for Thai political leadership to act responsibly and protect the country from those who seem intent on throwing the country into a terrible abyss. For any country to function in this world, rule of law must prevail over rule of the mob.

As I have lived and worked in this country and maried to thai wife and also have a political & social science background (Sweden) I would like to make a comment on the current situation. Thailand was ruled by the Royal family and some 20 noble families (controling the army and the money). This influence is still strong to this day. What Taksin did was to try to break this power and turn towards a republic. This angered a lot of Thais who loves their King and are unwilling to grasp the idea of a real democratic society. The owner of my favorite pub: " When we Thai get angry we stand together and fight" What has she (Yinluck) done that has been so bad, I asked? " She has borrowed a lot of money to build a fast railway to the north. We are a country of farmers. The farmers don´t have money to go on a fast train..." But then... since You people from Bangkok are not woting for Her and the farmers dont like what she´s doing (according to You) she willshurely lose the uppcoming election, I asked??

This kind of logic which we westerners use does - obviously - not apply here in Thailand.

Right now I fear a lot for the future of Thailand. Thus far - as some already has commented - the red shirts has been quiet and Yinluck has really NOT acted on the provocations from Suthep (who at the moment did not appear at court to HIS involvent in ordering live bullits against the red shirts). Who will gain on a civil war? I think it is the powers who does not want Democracy to prevail.

Every country has unique qualities that are available to those open to them. I have lived in both Western and non-Western countries, and I find Thailand to be the most congenial place I have ever been in in terms of creature comforts. Wonderful people, fantastic food, and all imaginable balms for the body - between good, cheap medical care and infinite varieties of massage, good gyms, fresh fruit and vegetables and a very friendly climate, Thailand is perfect place to recover from the outside world. In addition, I am fortunate enough to have a beautiful, well-designed house that I love, and I enjoy shopping in Thailand - lots od great stuff at

very reasonable prices!!

That much said,we are in the process of moving.I know that I will definitely not miss driving in Thailand - this is easily the scariest place to drive that I have ever seen! Otherwise, aside from the political madness ( in all fairness, normal just about everywhere except for Scandinavia these days!) , I will not miss the total absence of anything like a cultural life - for some reason, the kinds of creative energy you find in Japan, China and Korea in design, plastic arts, music, books,cinema is not readily apparent here - even in Bangkok.

All in all, I love it here - the problems are relatively minor for me, and one has learned to adjust by driving ultradefensively,avoiding political discussions with Thais, and seeking aesthetic experiences elsewhere!

Good point. Similar to blaming bad spirits for traffic accidents rather than lousy drivers.

Might add that critical thinking does not exist in Thai academia, either, which makes it

far behind academia in many other developing countries in Africa and Asia. Colonialism,

as despicable as it was, did have some fringe benefits..

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Experiential learning is a cycle of trying something, determining what worked and what did not work, developing a plan to do things better, and giving it another try.

It's culturally ingrained in Thais that mistakes are 'bad'. They don't do self critques to determine 'what worked and what did not work'. If something didn't work: don't admit to it; ignore it; pretend it didn't happen -- mistakes cause loss of face. Bad, bad, bad.

The look and style of this official video from the demonstrators posted on YouTube gives good insight into their thinking:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P8oTAQCJVs#t=635

For comparison, here is Fraulein Leni's classic " Triumph of the Will":

One of the reasons " Triumph of the Will" is considered such a classic piece of propaganda is that it such an aesthetically superb film that

it could make a Nazi sympathizer of anyone who had never heard of the Nazis and their misdeeds. From the music on to the carefully selected

shots of healthy, happy Aryans at play, everything is carefully orchestrated in what might be called the world's longest commercial ( I say

commercial, because there was a dress rehearsal the previous year).

Whatever her politics, Fraulein Riefenstahl knew how to make movies. The same cannot be said of Suthep's videographer.

My goodness where does this man get his ideas from?

1936 Germany, by the looks of things.

Excellent point. Indeed, if the protestors could channel all those funds into a political campaign, maybe they could actually win a democratic election like their conservative cousins around the world!

Could somebody enlighten me who is paying for all the s€&@ ? Thousand of thousands of people who don't work, who is paying the slaty? Logistics supply cost Millions of Baht? Who is paying for that? Would be nice to know for what the demonstration are. I spoke with a lot of my friends 99% of the employees went to work? Than who was one the street? If I saw the protesters closely most of them did not look like the Bangkok elite more like dwellers who turn into professional protesters when paid. Only a question as we talk about vote buying practice?

Excellent, very thoughtful post. As a former UN peacekeeper who has served in a few hot spots in Asia and Africa, I have learned all countries are very different, and generalizations are to be avoided.

Thailand is a beautiful country which has been blessed by history and geography. However,this good fortune has led to a certain insularity - a belief that what applies to every other country in the world does not apply to Thailand. This delusion is perpetuated by the Thai education system, which, to be charitable, does not encourage critical thinking.

As a result, many Thais seem incapable of learning from the examples of other countries. If they coukf, they would see that people have found solutions to seemingly impossible conflicts elsewhere.

For example, two decades ago, South Africa seemed headed towards a bloodbath after decades of

apartheid. Miraculously, leaders Nelson Mandela and FW DeKlerk managed to find a relatively peaceful path to democracy - which internationally is recognized as " one man, one vote". For this heroic effort, both

received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Closer to Thailand, few experts thought Timor Leste would ever becone a free country after 25 years of brutal Indonesian occupation, in which c. 20 % of the Timorese population died. Thanks to remarkable Timorese leaders like Xanana Gusmao and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos Horta, the UN was able to hold a plebescite in 1999 in which 78.5 % of the Timorese voted for independence. Two years later, Timor Leste was the world's newest nation.

In short, what seems to be impossible, is sometimes possible in the world - and, last time I looked, Thailand is still part of the rest of the world! I pray for a peaceful solution to Thailand's deep conflicts, and that cooler heads prevail. Jai yen!

This country has shown time and time again (for decades) that it is not ready for a democracy. All sides don't seem to understand what a real democracy involves, and what responsibiilities each and every citizen has. Thai politics is akin to squabbling children or spoilt brats who throw their toys out of their pram when they don't get their way.

Since none of these children seem to ever grow up, it needs a firm, parental hand to show them what to do and to issue a hard 'smack' when they fail to listen and toe the line.

Political colours and sides are irrelevant in this country - they are all infantile in their actions and views. There is not one single, respected politician in this country who people look up to as an honest person with the country's interests at heart.

Forget democracy - Thai history clearly shows that it doesn't work in this country.

Simon

simon - i think you are one of the more sensible posters on this forum but i think this post misses the point or at least could be misunderstood

it's not that thailand (and its people) don't want / deserve a proper democracy but rather no sensible / capable leader has stepped forward to offer this

this leader needs to be strong but this strength should not be about how to take / hold power from the opposition

rather such a leader needs the bravery to address their own shortcomings and put the needs of thailand as a whole before the desires of themselves / their supporters

neither democracy / dictatorship has worked in the past - only democracy offers hope for a better future

Your point is well taken but Thais on the whole have been tough on democracy. So it needs to be recognized it works both ways, i.e. democracy is good for Thailand too but is Thailand good to democracy or is Thailand much open to it.

Feudalism predates and precedes democracy and so much of Thailand is feudal that it's difficult for democracy to develop here, much less do well.

Add to that there isn't any possibility of nurturing a Nelson Mandela here and we see that the point you make is valid. Thailand hasn't nor will ii ever be capable of producing a Vaclav Havel, a Lech Walesa, an Aung San Suu Kyi.

Democracy can of course do a great deal for Thailand.

However Thailand's perpetual and persistent feudalism worshiped by the amarat and supported by the military will never be good to or for democracy.

I don't ever expect Thailand to be like the United States as the nature of the political systems and their respective culture are inherently and radically different. Thailand though could much more resemble the parliamentary system of the UK or, more locally, Malaysia for instance.

The Thai system of democracy is better than the anti-democracy Saudi system but the fact fails to rise even to the level of being of a cold comfort.

Question: if votes can be "bought"' why don't the well-financed protesters just "buy" the next election, and save Thailand from all this violence and turmoil?

If they did so, there are many conservative, nationalist parties around the world which have managed to convince a majority of the electorate that they would

govern better than the opposition. Look at Japan, the UK , the US , Germany and France for examples.

What is required is a positive message and an intelligent communications policy. Ronald Reagan won by a landslide with his " New Morning in America" campaign.

Lots of beautiful images and positive messages, suggesting an American Renaissance. Personally, I did not vote for Mr. Reagan, but I had to admire his media

campaign, and freely admit it was very successful.

The bottom line is that the Thai Democrats are sending out very confusing signals with very negative imagery, including unsavory ad feminism attacks on the

democratically elected prime minister. If they are as educated as they say they are, they should know this kind of gutter politics does not play well in the international arena these days. Which is why over 40 countries and UN SG Ban Ki Moon have expressed support for the democratic process and elections in Thailand.

Trying to violently sabotage that process is not going to help matters!

a mob of ultra royalists trying to revert back to feudalism, against 27 parties and the great majority of population. What demons rule them? How brainwashed can they be?

do have political views, even fascist one, but don't try to force them on others

how "great" are the majority when their votes can be bought for 500B a pop.

I don't support the yellow shirts, but I do support democracy, and let's be honest, Thailand doesn't have one, and probably never did.

Solution - no idea.

Slight correction: the US Embassy in Thailand, like all US Embassies around the world, is mandated by US. Law to support the democratically elected government of any country it happens to be in. This is why the US State Department had such problems with the situation in Egyot, and could not call "a coup a coup" - since the American sympathies probably leaned more to the army than to the crypto-salafist Morsi regime, which had been a big headache.

In the case of Thailand. opposition demonstrators have made a major tactical error by threatening the US embassy, since the US State Department does not respond kindly to threats - especially not after Benghazi. Opposition leaders would be wise to notice that the Americans are not alone - virtually every country in the world, along with UN Secrerary General Ban Ki Moon, has vocally supported the democratically elected government of Thailand, and has expressed support for new elections. The path being taken by the opposition is a path to oblivion for Thailand. If they had their way, Thailand would become an international pariah, and a poster child for a failed state,

Far better that they mobilize their ample mental and financial resources and emulate conservative parties around the world by actually winning an election!

The US embassy in Thailand is in act supporting the Thaksin regime and have been doing so for many years.

Indeed! Astonishing that old Etonian Abhisit cannot ask fellow Etonian David Cameron for some advice on how a conservative party can win a democratic election! Examples abound in western Europe and the United States - from Maggie Thatcher to W. to Sarkozy. As the risk of oversimplifying, it is a question of money and brains - both resources the opposition must possess in spades. And since Abhist and Sutthep claim to speak for " the people", how could they not win an election??")

Again, he wants to postpone, and again, he fails to propose a legal basis for doing so.

The government does not set the election date. The independent Election Commission does. The EC actually wants to postpone, but they can't because the constitution doesn't let them.

Indeed! Astonishing that old Etonian Abhisit cannot ask fellow Etonian David Cameron for some advice on how a conservative party can win a democratic election! Examples abound in western Europe and the United States - from Maggie Thatcher to W. to Sarkozy. As the risk of oversimplifying, it is a question of money and brains - both resources the opposition must possess in spades. And since Abhist and Sutthep claim to speak for " the people", how could they not win an election??")

Again, he wants to postpone, and again, he fails to propose a legal basis for doing so.

The government does not set the election date. The independent Election Commission does. The EC actually wants to postpone, but they can't because the constitution doesn't let them.

This is a no-brainer.

Rule#1: Political instability and turmoil drives tourists away from any country, since they have other options.

Rule#2: Political instability and turmoil drives investment away, since investors want to know what they are getting into.

This madness has been very damaging for the long term image of Thailand. All one has to do is read The Economist, Asia Times, NY Times, and statements by US, Russian and European foreign ministries.

Suggestion:Mr. Suthep and Mr. Abhisit and their wealthy backers should be forced to finance a massive PR camoaign to rehabilitate the tattered image of the country as a public service and not utter a word in public for next decade in lieu of going to jail for their various misdeeds.

Caveat: This PR campaign should be run by foreign professionals, and not by TAT!

approaching 2% of the annual travelers. Just a drop in a bucket.

This could easily be recovered but offering specials and discounts in the following periods.

A prolonged situation could be damaging tho.

Sorry, but facts are facts. Regardless of what you think of Suthep or fascism, his program is a textbook example of fascism. His reasoning is precisely the same as the white minority government in South Africa when they opposed the principle of " one man, one vote" - the great majority of people are too stupid and uneducated to make an intelligent choice.

In the case of South Africa,the people elected Nelson Mandela, and most everyone agrees they averted a bloodbath. Even though some HiSo Thais live in a state denial, Thailand is part of the world,and does not inhabit some parallel dimension. Fascism is fascism, wherever it is.

By the way,supporters of Mr. Suthep would do well to consider the Buddhist proverb-

" When the water runs high, the fish eat the ants;

when the water runs low,the ants will eat the fish."

The only thing that can save Thailand from oblivion is negotiation and compromise. Whatever you think

about the government,they have shown a willingness to negotiate and compromise. That is why the democratically elected government has gotten a public vote of support from the US and the EU.

The Thai economy has already been seriously damaged by this seditiious campaign, and

one hopes that Jai Yen wins the day.

That's a stupid thing to say. People have their own beliefs and just because one supports Suthep doesn't make one 'fascist'.

If you want to make things simple, then you can say people who support Thaksin and his cronies are corrupt thieves and murderers. After all, thousands died during his 'drug war' while there were various massacres in the South.

Nelson Mandela,the greatest political leader of the late 20th century, passed away last night at the age of 95 in South Africa. Mr. Mandela, or Madiba as he was known, devoted hia to transforming the fascist apartheid system of South Africa into the functioninf democracy it is today. A great believer in peaceful conflict resolution even after 27 years in jail, he managed to guide his country away from a racial bloodbath and towards a diverse and prosperous demcracy - a feat which won him a well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize. The entire world now mourns this great man and let us hope the Thai political leadership heeds his message of oeaceful conflict resolution and reconciliation based on "one man, one vote." RIP, Madiba:)

The greatest leader of the 20th century passed away last night in South Africa. Nelson Mandela devoted his life to giving democracy to his country, and urged oeace and reconciliation between the races and different economic groups, in spite of the many atrocities and his own 27 years in jail fighting for the cause. Thanks to Madiba, a seemingly hopeless situation was resolved relatively oeacefully, and the principle of " one man. one vote" was instated. This was one of the political miracles of the 20th century. Let us hope the Thai political leadershio hear hia message of peaceful reconciliation and demcracy, and find a path to peace in the Kingdom. RIP ,Madiba!

Thai fascist leader Suthep "They are sending special forces and helicopters to arrest me!" Delusional, paranoid, mad.

Calimotty, before you call Suthep names, you should define faschism and then explain, what exactly makes Suthep a faschist.

My best guess is, you're just throwing around s**t and hope, some of it will stick. That in fact was a measure, the faschists loved to apply, but others do that also.

You don't have to love Suthep, but you have to see him for what he means to the present uproar over the self-serving Shinawatra-clan cleptocracy...

Imagine: Of the amount of money used to build the new airport, 40% was said to have been skimmed off. Now take the two trillion infrastructure plan and see, how much of that would land in private pockets. And the rest of us would have to pay for it the next 37 years. Will you still be around in 2050???

Sam M.

A suggestion: look up the word " Fascist" or " Fascism" in Wikipedia, and learn what it means.

Then learn how to spell it!

To quote the late great Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, " The problem with Africa is not corruption - its disorganized corruption."

As anyone who has worked in different countries knows, corruption is everywhere - even in the countries at the top of this list. The issue is, can you figure out what the street tax is, and plan accordingly? If you are in a country where you have to pay for the same thing several times, and are still in uncertainty, you will probably think twice about doing business there. Some countries I have worked in subSaharan Africa would, frankly, be off the charts on this table!