KevinB

I have no intention of responding to some of the comments here - about as dumb as trying to explain to a person who watches Fox News that always running down the President of the USA actually does damages the International standing of their beloved country. I've actually heard a commentator breaking into on monkey chant on air on Fox - when I was dumb enough to click on a News channel other than SKY or BBC.

I note the following "facts" (as reported by our illustriously fair and balance press) during the Warehouse checking programme carried out by the army during the early days of the coup. It was ofcourse very interesting to see how much "negative press" the old regime got and how swiftly the stuck funds owed to the farmers were so quickly release after magically been blocked by some force other that the previous Yingluk government.

Anyway - in Southern Thailand (clearly not the heartland of any Shin support) two or three of the largest warehouses storing rice (all miles apart and owned by different powerful local traders) had all had mysterious fires between 6 and 4 weeks before the Coup. All the storage records got destroyed - it one case even some of the rice got burnt in the fire (some looked like carefully targeted blazes). Amazing premonition - don't you think. I wonder who shared with them the pre-ordained date set by a horoscope specialist.

Some of the biggest "missing stocks" are in commercial warehouses owned by some very hi-so families in Bangkok - folk who I can bet are not contributors to anything to do with the house of Shin.

SO wake-up folks just like so many things in Thailand everyone who could rip the ring out of the Rice Pledging scheme WAS DOING JUST THAT (from Government Officials at provincial and district level to every rice trader in the country - right down to the folk operating the transport , the weigh-bridges and the gates on the warehouse compound. If the Shin dynasty controlled every single thing in this country (which they clearly don't) they wouldn't need to even be in politics.

Do you know what a couple of hundred rai in down-town Bangkok is worth???? - have a little look around - ask a few people who owns those lovely un-developed plots along Sukumavit - some very nicely placed people actually - including (you will be surprised to hear) families of long deceased Generals who retired or died years ago - leaving their families the drag of having to drop one or two plots on the market when they get a bit short of readies. These families don't even both to get involved in politics directly - the just fund the "process".

I'm sure some of you will relish the trial of the former PM - a bit like the mob watching the guillotine raise and fall in Revolutionary France - screaming for more blood - if they could have only seen the future - a dumpy little General became an Emperor and proceeded to try and conquer all of Europe.

Ditto my above comments to Sanuk 711 who posted:

Please don't embarrass thairowe with actually asking for facts scorecard, This how it works, you come on and basically dam everything about the country that you worked so hard to live in--then you make statements that have no basics in fact....& do a big avatar of someone clapping hands ...like you have exposed them, then just ignore anyone that asks , Oh yer where did those stats come from ---there just trying to spoil the party.

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​you really shouldn't let facts get in the way of a good slander............. .

You are asking people to post evidence of corruption involving our new and unexpected rulers and all their minions - you must be joking!!!! And anyway making comments about a well known and accepted problem - that you can't safely put new wine in old and unwashed pre-Taksin bottles without getting a few rotten bottles wine - is certainly not slander it is discussing the subject posted. Others have asked in this stream and appropriately pointed out - who is watching and being allowed to report openly on the military - certainly not our "free and unfettered press".

mikemac posted earlier "it is just plain old anti-junta trolling. Hopefully the mods will pick up on it."

If you don't believe that corruption continues unabated and that the foci has shifted to Regimental HQs then I can only assume 1) you have long retired and aren't involved in business in this country 2) don't know many middle class Thais struggling to make it in an increasingly tough business environment 3) don't ask questions - like how come those peoples houses / small businesses / livelihoods have been smashed by a front-end loader after being there for so long? and why didn't it happen to those guys across the road?

or maybe I'm being rude to a senior member of TV whose actually joking - it which case I must admit you are at times a very "amusing onlooker" who actually is only trying to pull the socks up on the moderators.

So some of the posters really love him and believe in him and other hate the Shins so much that they are prepared to see basic freedoms flushed down the toilet in the hope that the new Boss is not going to be as bad as previous elected Governments (and previous military Juntas - read some history guys). So having agreed that most peoples have made their mind up on Corruption how about discussing something else the Broadcast to the nation contained. How about:

"He also insisted that he would serve the country for the benefit of the country and the people, adding that he did not side with any particular political party."'

Do you all believe this? Not the impression I've got over this year in the run up to what was meant to be an un-expected and definitely un-planned military coup. It's important because if we accept that Corruption might be intractable we can hope that he is going to try and solve the political conflict between the haves in Bangkok (some would argue have-miles-too-much- greedy buggers) and the have-nots in the Provinces. And please remember (despite the fact that so few actually believe it) a large number of this country's people voted for Yingluk knowing full well that she was the sister (and proxy representative) of someone many of your hate with a passion. Not every vote in Thailand is bought - a growing number of citizens (as in Thais with a vote not farang visitors and retirees) are well informed about the political choices here because they are in touch with their families and friends via their cell phones.

So to solve this problem our Generals are going to have to be fair and balanced - Can they do that?

Well the general trend in this string is either a) "give the guy a chance he is only been going for 3 months". "He's made a great start - keep it up General" Or the irrational old Shin clans haters - "They haven't caught the guy in Dubai yet" or "Executed his b*** Sister" or c) Corruption is so engrained in Thailand that - "His job is impossible" "he's going to do what???? - followed by hysterical laughter and FINALLY d) the most honest and observant of the posters "corruption hasn't stop since the coup" - "now instead of paying some provincial guy you drop your brown envelope of at the Regimental head Quarters". "what about previous dodgy military purchases?". Basically I feel that c) and d) will win the day. The chance of controlling the Military where it is a tradition to pay for a commission - pay for a plumb posting (like a border control point or an area containing some of the last remaining hard-wood timber) is one BIG ROUND ZERO. Whose going to do it? Who is going to watch the honesty of the Military? The Military Police? Some new super Department of Military Internal Affairs (I wonder who is going to head that???). Any organisation is only as honest as the guy on the ground - the one at the coal face - and in that case it is the absolute acceptance by the population that picking up some tea money is both fair and normal in Thai culture - This is what is going to win the day.

So there will be no winner in the Generals battle against Corruption - all that will happen is that the great pop song will ring true - "look at the new Boss - same as the old Boss".

In fact the only long-term solution to corruption is to improve civic responsibility and that is achieved by devolving power to communities and building up, over many years, civic society and local organisations that support the process. Local area committees need to watch and oversee the resources allocated to them and monitor their expenditure - unfortunately that takes a Government that trusts it own people to do the right thing and to know what they actually want. And it requires devolved power. The current set up has already decided that they know what the people need and has concentrated Power in the hands of very few. Not a good start as the first real attempt to end corruption.

Scammers - the real danger from Nigeria - now if only officials were as serious as preventing their entry as they are about check on travellers from Nigeria because of Ebola. There are currently only 17 Nigerians infected with Ebola out of a population 175 million - me thinks the 419 (that's what they call it back in najira) e-mailing scammers number a bigger proportion than that miniscule number. By the way I have little sympathy for idiots falling for this scam which has been around for years - unless of course the Nigerians have but new bend on it as in "Hi I'm a former Prime Minister of Thailand but can't currently go home because of a Military coup that wants to also in prison my dearly beloved little sister - But if you send me your bank details I will transfer some of my money stuck in my blocked account to you"

As I have posted elsewhere on TV - some organisations are really milking this out-break. The WHO delayed responding (it actually started last December) until they could declare an "International Emergency" and secure an allocation of US$ 100 million (of which 65% will be consumed by their own internal costs). The countries affected Liberia, Sierra Leone (both victims of brutal Civil wars) and Guinea (all 3 dirty poor) - need help to support their health services with simple stuff like safety goggles, masks and protective clothing. When there is an oil spill it is best dealt with by focusing on the source of the spill rather than wasting money checking where the oil may eventually spread to. As of today (Friday) there have been only 17 cases of infection in Nigeria and only 7 deaths (5 being health workers) all caused by a single American citizen of Liberian decent who contracted the disease treating his sister at her home in Liberia before flying into Lagos. Nigeria has a population of 175 million (22 million in Lagos) so this is a very tiny focus of infection. Yet some countries have already imposed travel restrictions on people traveling from Nigeria. A WHO statement named Nairobi as a possible hub of spread without a single case being reported in Kenya (there are thousands of km between West and East Africa).

Remember the SARS scare - the WHO pumped that up - Governments spent US$ 3.2 billion buying and pre-positioning Tamiflu - an anti-viral medicine that had a 6 month shelf like - in the end there was no epidemic - and all the medicine got flushed away (I still have a box of surgical masks bought when I was traveling at the time). This West African Ebola out-break has been used by the pharmaceutical industry to get permission to test "new" drugs, genetically modified "treatments" and vaccines on humans without first testing them on animals - good for their business.

I'm not saying this disease is of no consequence but there is a lot of over reaction for a disease which the scientist who discovered it recently said he wouldn't be too worried about sitting next to a sufferer on a train. Most the deaths in West Africa have been caused by a cultural practice in which relatives wash the body of their deceased relatives before burial. You have to come in direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person - something most of us would notice. This is not air-borne - doesn't spread around a plane in the air system like SARS was meant to - not a single person at the two airports or on the plane picked up the infection from the now very dead Dr Sawyer who brought the disease into Nigeria.

I'm a user of Kamagra, Valium and some other thing my western doctor gives me to keep me going strong. I am on powerful pain meds and would a pretty bad sex life without them. I rather give up a few years at the end than give up sex. Living with pain is bad enough.

Keep it up mate!! I agree with you - life is for enjoying not just for existing.

Not at all sure in which country some of the posters live in - all though, if you do live in Thailand you appear to be very disconnected from what is happening in many parts of the country. Or maybe you don't ask what is going on in your neighbourhood or on your little island. Just near the service station where I fill up in Bangkok there used to be an "informal settlement" of sorts between the wall of a factory and the side road of the main highway out of town. I noticed a month ago that a front-end loader had come along and smashed it down. I asked who had done it and was told the Army had authorised it because in was illegal - I dug a bit further and found that previously person "responsible" for the houses had a relative in the local area council but now the factory owner had paid someone in the Military command responsible for the area to clear "the eye-sore away". What do you think the recent demos at the boarder were about? - the day traders were complaining that the "daily charge" paid that to local officials were sudden increased by the new military men in charge in the area. In the "old days" there were streams of people heading to District and Provincial offices with brown envelopes now they head for the Regimental Barracks.

Many posters all assume that officials under the Taksin regimes (and do remember they had quite a long tenure in office despite the 2006 coup and the Democrat Party led parliamentary putsch) were all devilish demons ripping all the folk off and that all the new military men are now as fresh as driven snow. They are not!!!! - they are just good ole ordinary Thais with families and relatives needing the occasional bit of help (mainly money) with a problem (if there a single farang living here who hasn't experienced that from their gfs, in-laws, extended family or work colleagues then I'll be amazed). So what the Thais really want an end to - petty corruption is not the Generals to give because even if you'd like to believe he is a scrupulously honest man who won't make a baht out of this exercise - he is not in every Regimental Headquarters or that out lying military post that has just become the new Control point of that little bit of the rural economy.

Centralised and Autocratic control won't end corruption because the minions do the stealing. Many posters would like to see Yingluk fully blamed for the rice scam but the real folk involved were junior officials, warehouse owners, rice traders, simple security guards and people reading the scales on the weighbridge. Military rule won't end this - privates will collect envelopes for their sergeants and captains will collect for their generals. I can just see the new Military person appointed as a Board member of a State Corporation turning down a pre-paid night out on the town in Seoul or a direct "gift" from a Korean Construction Company that has just been awarded a big Government Contract.

Wake up some of you - a new Boss doesn't change a country - corruption didn't start with the Shiniwhats. Who do you think turned a blind eye to illegal logging back in the 70s (when most the forest damage was done) and who do you think watched and benefitted from the Golden Triangle in its hay day????

Medicines used for Erectile Dysfunction cause capillaries to dilate and blood to flow into the organ faster than it flows out - hence the erection. Unfortunately the heart also has a lot of capillaries which also dilate and too much blood flowing into it where there might be lesions and old arteries clogged with a bit of plaque can result in a sudden heart attack. Anyone who has had a cardiac incident and survived will tell you that the pain (in the left arm or across the chest) is quite intense. Enough to whip the smile of anyone's face. But hell - going out with the best boner you might have had in years - fair deal - memories of being 60 years younger. RIP dude - glad to know you were enjoying your visit to the Land of Smiles.

When I worked in Kenya I had a ID card with my picture and thumb print on it - Headed Republic of Kenya - Alien Certificate. So I always liked the fact that I could tell people that I was actually a Certified Alien - eat your heart out Mr Spock wanabees

I just love it - all those posters on other threads who are so anti-Thaksin, all his relatives and "his cronies" that they can hardly discuss anything without praising the junta which has rescued the country from its fate. Now this - I just love it - and I'm so glad that a number of those posting on this very active site have been reminding everyone - be careful what you wish for. Bit late now - This and many other things in pipeline (hold on to your seats folk for future attractions) all prove that the biggest oxymoron in the world is - "Military Intelligence". Good Luck to all who sail in her. I personally think that there chances of success in this venture are about as realistic as fixing the taxi mafia, solving the insurgency in the South, stamping out corruption for ever and cleaning up Thai politics.

I'm amazed at how many of those posting seem to think that this is alright. All I can see is this ending in tears eventually. Sad for the Land of Smiles - I wonder how many will still be smiling this time in 2015 or will it be 2016 or given their lofty and basically unreachable objectives - maybe never. Very Sad.

I always worry that many posters don't seem to live in the real world - where global politics and the international economic situation is what really counts - not what some editorial wants to waffle on about - as in "The generals must not forget what Thais want?" What does the World want? - because if the Coup Leaders don't give what is required then what the Thais would all like - progress and development will not be forth-coming. For a long time the International Community have been pressurising Thailand's next door neighbour Myanmar - what has the pressure been for? - to get the military out of Running the Country for their own purpose and to hand over to civilian rule - elected in free and fair elections. Only this last week Standard Chartered Bank had to cough up an pile of their profits to cover a fine for breaking the rules on dealing with currency transfers for the Military regime there. Do you all think that pressure has gone away? No the situation is being closely monitored and if more progress is not forthcoming then pressure will be applied again. And to help the army realise that - lifting the sanctions has seen a remarkable jump in the Burmese economy - but more change is now expected - reduce direct Military appointments to Parliament - allow Aung Suche and her party to run for the top posts - head the Government if they win. Do any of you believe the International Community and the brains behind large-scale investment are going to sit by and watch a bunch of Generals run Thailand for too long - it sends the wrong message to the region and simply can't be tolerated.

There have just been elections in Indonesia - disputed but already all those that count are supporting the outcome (the popular Governor of Jakarta) because no one wants to see, what has become one of the golden examples of growing democracy, slip back into the Suharto regime phase of history. The ex-general who thinks he should of won can whistle all he likes he won't get any support and growth and development and international investment will be heaped on to the country now firmly on the path to democracy.

Cambodia had a disputed election and now the pressure in on them to be a bit more inclusive and accommodating towards the voice of opposition.

Do you think the World will sit by as the voice of the Thais start to ask for their return to Democracy - doesn't look like it is going to come quick under the current long-term we-need-to-fix-everything-we-find-wrong attitude of the current ruling class. As if they are the only one's who know what the Thais really want.

If we can imagine that there is a neutral position that we could take as: farangs / visitors / spouses or partners or friends or parents of lovely Thai people / folk who love the life style or the weather or etc. - and generally appreciate the Kingdom itself - and that is - we would like to see all the conflict in Thailand resolved once and for all - not partially but completely - not just for a while but forever (well at least for the rest of our lives). If we generically believe that - then what the original Post states - that those Academics selected for the NLA are generally not neutral and in fact are partly died in the wool Yellows and strongly anti-Thaksin - then the only rational view is that this effort at reconciliation is simply not going to work. Reconciliation - as the word implies - involves resolving the differences between people - it requires give and take - not take and take and not give and give. No matter what some of you perceive to be "the truth" - the average Thai I know "believed" that they had a "democracy" before the last two coups and that the various Governments they have had over the last couple of decades were selected by them and adequately represented them (even if some of you have different opinions).      

Again we have drifted off the point. If half the NLA is going to be military men - then the question is what are the rules. If everyone appointed has to follow the military rules - keep your mouth shut, follow orders. don't question the wisdom of your senior officers etc - we will have some real problems. if we accept that the big boys are going to make all the big decisions we can imagine that many of the more mundane things in life (minor laws, ordinances and regulations) are going to be left to the NLA to discuss and debate. If half the members are going to be following orders there is going to be no debate and discussion - an important element in governance.

History (some folk have mentioned it) - is littered with examples of real debacles caused by arrogant military Commanders who refused to take advice or listen to the rank and file on the ground and in the trenches. If half the members of the NLA are going to be "under orders" then why the hell bother to have it. This then will not in anyway represent the feelings of ordinary folk (assuming that even military men have families and can collect opinions / views from friends and neighbours) - this doesn't look very promising as a form of government - it looks more like absolute Military rule.    

Out last week on the Internet there are the results of the Travel and Leisure Survey of Best Tourist Cities - Bangkok which was #1 in 2013 is no longer in the top 10 this year. So 2am close with exciting football showing and thousands of punters looking for a place with a crowd to watch the World Cup are going to be moving on to another neighbouring City for the semis - and the FINALS. Just another example of how complex things are and how some folk just don't get what makes up an exciting modern City in Asia. The average 20 year old normally stays up until the dawn on a Sunday - normal practice - no place open after 2am = dead city - no fun = lets hit Siam Reap (which made it to #2 in Asia and #4 in the world this year).

I'm not old enough or been here long enough to remember the Mexican Dwarfs on Sol 7 but harrry on post #117 kindly added their photo to the memory of how it used to be - what was it 30 to 35 years ago - sometime after the 1971 coup?

I was there - because I wanted to be. Had a bloody good evening meet some interesting folk including a couple of the Moderators who, as we discussed, have a very difficult task at the moment given the current situation (nudge nudge wink wink say no more). But I was wondering if it might be worth passing on some of the important suggestions made in this string to the authorities that be - so they can fix them. I mean - do the people that count know that the pavement in Soi 7 is not wide enough for a wheelchair and that in the old days there used to be a couple of midgets dressed as Mexicans that aren't there any more. Or that Heineken costs Thb120 in some establishments in Nana and that it runs out early and they force folk to drink non-local beer (there's a element there for a bit of economic re-tuning). Or that lady promoters of beer are forced to toast each other with un-opened bottles - someone needs to check on the labour law governing worker participation. More importantly that people are gathering in New Wave venues without name tags and - remaining incognito and all dressing the same. By the way when the place gets a bit crowded you can actually get poked in the backside by over zealous pool players with their sticks.

But the saddest bit in all these posts was that some people who weren't there because they didn't want to be - were a bit negative about the venture and that some who were there got a bit shirty with those that posted about mundane subjects like ensuring enterprise sustainability in new ventures. My favourite comment was the one that went - what no basement for the trolls. I'll be back if some of the guys who were there last night are going to be there again - pissed or not - or only there if someone else is buying. It was a real giggle meeting some of you and realising that some aren't such grumpy old men in real life and some are lucky buggers cause they have real gorgeous wives and girlfriends who were a real delight to meet socially in a bar in Nana. Lets do it again sometime.

wow - just noticed the time - I hope I'm registered it is only 23.45 on my computer clock.

I'll pop in for a drink and to meet some of the grumpy old men who troll Thai Visa - please wear your angry face.