Protests At UK, France Embassies Over Prayuth EU Visit

By Jintamas Saksornchai, Staff Reporter

 

Pirkka Tapiola, EU ambassador to Thailand, shakes hands with Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha on April 25 at Government House.

 

BANGKOK — Pro-democracy activists said Tuesday they will deliver letters of protest to the British and French embassies over their decision to welcome the junta leader on state visits to their countries this week.

 

As Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha is set to embark on his first official visit to the European Union tomorrow, veteran activist Prajin Tanangkorn said his network will gather in front of the embassies this afternoon to submit letters demanding both nations pressure the military government to stop its “bad behavior.”

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/06/19/protests-at-uk-france-embassies-over-prayuth-eu-visit/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-06-19

Good on 'em. At least some people are taking a principled stand on oppression and showing solidarity with others.

Shame on them,just a nice guy doing his best for a few of his fellow countryman.

20 minutes ago, baboon said:

Good on 'em. At least some people are taking a principled stand on oppression and showing solidarity with others.

 

Could be taking a principled stand.  Could be getting paid by the hour.  Hard to tell.  But if the 2014 protests in BKK were any indication...

 

1 minute ago, Thailand said:

Shame on them,just a nice guy doing his best for a few of his fellow countryman.

 

A very few...

4 minutes ago, impulse said:

Could be taking a principled stand.  Could be getting paid by the hour.  Hard to tell.  

No it isn't.

The look on his face is one of surprise, like someone just shoved a long, thick one up his backdoor. lol

 

10 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

The look on his face is one of surprise, like someone just shoved a long, thick one up his backdoor. lol

 

Maybe he just found out the Shins were shopping right around the corner.

 

19 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Could be taking a principled stand.  Could be getting paid by the hour.  Hard to tell.  But if the 2014 protests in BKK were any indication...

 

For sure they are not rubber farmers motivated by money and lead by a corrupt lying and possibly paid establishment crony. 

23 minutes ago, KiwiKiwi said:

 

A very few...

i think he was making a joke.

Just now, Eric Loh said:

For sure they are not rubber farmers motivated by money and lead by a corrupt lying and possibly paid establishment crony. 

 

Every time I think I know who's who and what's what in Thai politics, it just means someone's spin doctor has done a good job. 

 

Just like every time I start following a YouTuber giving good untainted reviews, the very next video they do will reek of a paid endorsement.

3 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Every time I think I know who's who and what's what in Thai politics, it just means someone's spin doctor has done a good job. 

 

Just like every time I start following a YouTuber giving good untainted reviews, the very next video they do will reek of a paid endorsement.

Admit it, you know next to nothing. 

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

5 minutes ago, impulse said:

Every time I think I know who's who and what's what in Thai politics, it just means someone's spin doctor has done a good job. 

 

Just like every time I start following a YouTuber giving good untainted reviews, the very next video they do will reek of a paid endorsement.

Admit it, you know next to nothing. 

 

As opposed to the geniuses here who know exactly what their Thai wives tell them?   The difference is that I do admit it.

 

Sure the south London penthouse market can accommodate future ousted leaders if required.

Typical hi so Thais. Always big mouths overseas, but then they come here and prostrate to the guy.

 

Typical hi so Thais. Always big mouths overseas, but then they come here and prostrate to the guy.

 

1 hour ago, impulse said:

Could be taking a principled stand.  Could be getting paid by the hour.  Hard to tell.  But if the 2014 protests in BKK were any indication...

 

It is easy to tell.They are not getting paid. Opposing the illicit regime and getting selected for lese majeste charges and going into exile in preference to jail are not recipes for financial success.  People like Junya Yimprasert live in straitened financial circumstances and cannot see family and friends in Thailand. Dr Somsak Jeamteerasakul had already spent two years in jail for his  opposition to fascism as a student protest leader at Thammasat in 1976. After first having had bullets put through his lounge room windows by Suthep's goons and being publicly threatened by Prayuth before he did his coup, he fled into exile. Thammasat ignobly sacked him and took away his pension after many years of service. Giles Ungpakorn and Andrew McGregor Marshall also lost their careers. These people have also opposed Thaksin  so the notion that they're in his pocket are ludicrous. There's much more money in sycophantic opportunism than principled opposition.

 

They are people to be admired.

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

As opposed to the geniuses here who know exactly what their Thai wives tell them?   The difference is that I do admit it.

 

You admit that you know nothing but didn’t stop you from making assumption. You must be a lonely man. By the way, my Thai wife is yellow from the south and we accept our differences. 

Either way, a few strategically well placed photos of the protesters, a well established fear of persecution on return to Thailand, means french residency is in the bag....

9 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

You admit that you know nothing but didn’t stop you from making assumption. You must be a lonely man. By the way, my Thai wife is yellow from the south and we accept our differences. 

Think it's my liver....☹️

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

You admit that you know nothing but didn’t stop you from making assumption. You must be a lonely man. By the way, my Thai wife is yellow from the south and we accept our differences. 

 

Who made assumptions?  I said "Could be taking a principled stand.  Could be getting paid by the hour.  Hard to tell."

 

Where's the assumption?  

 

BTW, happy for you about your wife.  But I sense I touched a raw nerve?  (Sorry, couldn't resist)

 

52 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Who made assumptions?  I said "Could be taking a principled stand.  Could be getting paid by the hour.  Hard to tell."

 

Where's the assumption?  

 

BTW, happy for you about your wife.  But I sense I touched a raw nerve?  (Sorry, couldn't resist)

 

Nah, I am indifferent to troll but you did touch my funny bones. Keep trying.

Great photo. The goof looks like a rabbit caught in the glare of approaching headlights. I almost feel sorry for him. He would have done himself a favour if he had stayed at home.

3 hours ago, tomta said:

It is easy to tell.They are not getting paid. Opposing the illicit regime and getting selected for lese majeste charges and going into exile in preference to jail are not recipes for financial success.  People like Junya Yimprasert live in straitened financial circumstances and cannot see family and friends in Thailand. Dr Somsak Jeamteerasakul had already spent two years in jail for his  opposition to fascism as a student protest leader at Thammasat in 1976. After first having had bullets put through his lounge room windows by Suthep's goons and being publicly threatened by Prayuth before he did his coup, he fled into exile. Thammasat ignobly sacked him and took away his pension after many years of service. Giles Ungpakorn and Andrew McGregor Marshall also lost their careers. These people have also opposed Thaksin  so the notion that they're in his pocket are ludicrous. There's much more money in sycophantic opportunism than principled opposition.

 

They are people to be admired.

 

Wow, remind me never to agree to do an "easy" favor for you.  Sure, if you have read thousands of pages of Thai news and kept up with all the goings on for years you may believe they're what they claim to be.  And maybe they are.  Neil DeGrass Tyson can solve 4th order differentials in his head.  But that doesn't mean it's easy for the other 99.9% of us.  So I stand by my "hard to tell" statement.   Even if it was a throwaway.   Which, frankly, my whole post was. 

 

There was nothing definitive in what I said, yet they're crawling out of the woodwork to  prove they know more than I do.  I already conceded that.  But I also contend that a lot of foreigners know less about Thai politics than they think they know.

 

I studied Sun Tzu when I first moved to Asia (that's been a while- so I've forgotten a bunch of it.)  Given that so much of his writing focused on trickery, betrayal, 'fluid" alliances, stabbing allies in the back, false flag operations, etc. I have a hard time believing anyone tuned in to TVF really knows what's in the various factions' plans today.  As if we really know what all happened in 2010 or 2014 or...

I would hazard a guess that May would quash any protests....she wants more arms and munitions sales...the UK loves money also....wide open to Russias mafia to buy up the best realty and launder money.....so Prayuth will likely be welcomed!

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

Wow, remind me never to agree to do an "easy" favor for you.  Sure, if you have read thousands of pages of Thai news and kept up with all the goings on for years you may believe they're what they claim to be.  And maybe they are.  Neil DeGrass Tyson can solve 4th order differentials in his head.  But that doesn't mean it's easy for the other 99.9% of us.  So I stand by my "hard to tell" statement.   Even if it was a throwaway.   Which, frankly, my whole post was. 

 

There was nothing definitive in what I said, yet they're crawling out of the woodwork to  prove they know more than I do.  I already conceded that.  But I also contend that a lot of foreigners know less about Thai politics than they think they know.

 

I studied Sun Tzu when I first moved to Asia (that's been a while- so I've forgotten a bunch of it.)  Given that so much of his writing focused on trickery, betrayal, 'fluid" alliances, stabbing allies in the back, false flag operations, etc. I have a hard time believing anyone tuned in to TVF really knows what's in the various factions' plans today.  As if we really know what all happened in 2010 or 2014 or...

 

Seems fair, though to be candid, I think it's better to base ones views of a person's actions on their psychology and cultural background rather than an analysis to try and understand why they did what after the event.

 

Based on that, whatever the parties and/or individuals do between now and the alleged election, one thing is clear. It will be complex and chaotic because that's the way Thais do things. I believe they try to create the impression that the way they manage things is crafty and subtle, but the reality is it's because they do politics the same way they do anything and everything - chaotically and incompetently. It will also be venal, self-interested and not the slightest bit concerned about acting on principles or the interests and needs of the Thai population. It's a power game pure and simple. Face is the survival necessity in Thailand, not altruism.

 

Not much help in predicting events I know, but some help perhaps in understanding after the event, why the incomprehensible happened and the intelligent or sensible did not.

 

 

2 hours ago, KiwiKiwi said:

 

Seems fair, though to be candid, I think it's better to base ones views of a person's actions on their psychology and cultural background rather than an analysis to try and understand why they did what after the event.

 

Based on that, whatever the parties and/or individuals do between now and the alleged election, one thing is clear. It will be complex and chaotic because that's the way Thais do things. I believe they try to create the impression that the way they manage things is crafty and subtle, but the reality is it's because they do politics the same way they do anything and everything - chaotically and incompetently. It will also be venal, self-interested and not the slightest bit concerned about acting on principles or the interests and needs of the Thai population. It's a power game pure and simple. Face is the survival necessity in Thailand, not altruism.

 

Not much help in predicting events I know, but some help perhaps in understanding after the event, why the incomprehensible happened and the intelligent or sensible did not.

 

 

Man, I really had to hold my nose when giving the above a 'Like'. But on a junta level where they think they are being oh so smart in hoodwinking a public who in the main aren't hoodwinked at all, or on a personal level where Mrs baboon will manufacture an argument in order to 'storm out' (and go on the piss), it is so obvious what they are up to.

 

I love these people and their country. Really, I do. But John le Carré will not be writing a novel based here, will he?

EU should start cleaning it's own act before pointing fingers. They (EU) are in a total mess with immigrants, at least Thailand has a handle on it.

19 minutes ago, baboon said:

Man, I really had to hold my nose when giving the above a 'Like'. But on a junta level where they think they are being oh so smart in hoodwinking a public who in the main aren't hoodwinked at all, or on a personal level where Mrs baboon will manufacture an argument in order to 'storm out' (and go on the piss), it is so obvious what they are up to.

 

I love these people and their country. Really, I do. But John le Carré will not be writing a novel based here, will he?

 

Why did you have to hold your nose? Are my posts so odious? <joking>

 

John LeCarre did in fact write a novel which touched on Thailand, occasionally one hears someone like the Nation saying that what he said was complimentary to Thais, but it wasn't. The Honourable Schoolboy (his best novel imho), The Erawan got an honourable mention, and LeCarre limits himself to saying about Thais that 'they kill sooner than most' (I think I Have the quote correct). To my mind he meant they are ruthless and dishonourable more than most, but I see occasionally that Thais who can read think he was being complimentary. Funny old world...

 

'Manufacture an argument and go on the piss' - LOL!

 

Oh ye of great patience.

 

Here's a state secret. I also love them and it, though I wouldn't ever admit it. The Thai people and I have reached an accommodation I'm happy with, and I won't be going back to my country of origin (UK). Not ever. But I better not get a whiff of betrayal or there will be consequences. Not that I think that will happen, me and 'her indoors' have reached the point where we both think we probably deserve each other. also an accommodation of sorts. I can live with that. My first Thai wife ripped me off - lambs to the slaughter (not even a bar girl either). I don't believe this one will so I guess I'm happy enough.

A pleasant evening to you both.

 

 

11 minutes ago, the guest said:

EU should start cleaning it's own act before pointing fingers. They (EU) are in a total mess with immigrants, at least Thailand has a handle on it.

 

Perhaps not for the reason you think though...