Disappearing democracy

[DrTuner]

1 hour ago, Fex Bluse said:

A bit part of me wishes Thais would just "come out" and admit that they have no interest in Democracy and admit how their society really functions, rather than putting on a show for the global community, pretending that they are a modern society. That would be more worthy of respect in my view.

Cenrtainly would have more respect for Thais when they'd admit they're willing to take it up the chimney elbow deep by any usurper willing to claim the top spot. At least they'd be honest for a change, honesty can be respected.

[ParadiseLost]

22 hours ago, HalfLight said:

 

I could take the point more seriously if you could tell me when the last coup détat by the army took place in UK or USA.

Not really a fair comparison. Why not ask why those countries succeed where Thailand fails?

 

Answer - there are effective police and other civil authorities keeping democracy 'under control'...

[HalfLight]

1 hour ago, ParadiseLost said:

Not really a fair comparison. Why not ask why those countries succeed where Thailand fails?

 

Answer - there are effective police and other civil authorities keeping democracy 'under control'...

 

Hmmm. Maybe. But I wouldn't call having Trump and May respectively winning very much at all. That's a match made in heaven if ever there was one. I can't look at Mr Trump without thinking of Mr Blobby, and I can't think of Mrs May without thinking of Gru.

 

Odd how the mind works sometimes...

 

 

 

 

 

[Odysseus123]

11 minutes ago, HalfLight said:

 

Hmmm. Maybe. But I wouldn't call having Trump and May respectively winning very much at all. That's a match made in heaven if ever there was one. I can't look at Mr Trump without thinking of Mr Blobby, and I can't think of Mrs May without thinking of Gru.

 

Odd how the mind works sometimes...

 

 

 

 

 

Ah..but that is how democracy works..sometimes you get Gumbies and not Blobbies but you can go and cast your vote if and when required.

 

Coming from a compulsory voting country (and quite right too..) I get to vote in Local,State and Federal elections-the onus is on me to participate as a citizen.

 

To the 30% of British voters and their American cousins who are too obese and lazy to vote-I say tough.

 

To those Thai trolls who defend a country that has not had a free vote in 4.5 years I say tough.

 

To those European and Western renegadoes who bask in the sunshine of irrational authoritarianism-I say tough.

[HalfLight]

15 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Ah..but that is how democracy works..sometimes you get Gumbies and not Blobbies but you can go and cast your vote if and when required.

 

Coming from a compulsory voting country (and quite right too..) I get to vote in Local,State and Federal elections-the onus is on me to participate as a citizen.

 

To the 30% of British voters and their American cousins who are too obese and lazy to vote-I say tough.

 

To those Thai trolls who defend a country that has not had a free vote in 4.5 years I say tough.

 

To those European and Western renegadoes who bask in the sunshine of irrational authoritarianism-I say tough.

 

Ooh. Someone kicked your food-dish.

 

Seriously though, I remember being in Oz when young, and I didn't think very much of compulsory voting. I have to say that in my dotage, I do see the sense in it.

[Odysseus123]

4 minutes ago, HalfLight said:

 

Ooh. Someone kicked your food-dish.

 

Seriously though, I remember being in Oz when young, and I didn't think very much of compulsory voting. I have to say that in my dotage, I do see the sense in it.

Ah..it's because all those Thai lovers of arbitrary authoritarianism-and haters of democracy-have not turned up today to tell us  where it has gone and who authorised it's removal..

 

Yup-if you are a citizen then haul your fat, unmotivated,brain dead posterior out of bed and vote.

 

Do it or get fined.

[sjaak327]

7 hours ago, Fex Bluse said:

Good morning.

 

Please pardon me jumping in. I know some of my friends will disagree, but I genuinely question whether Democracy is the best course for Thailand at this stage in their development.

 

There are other successful forms of governing, particularly in Asia. Singapore and China are interesting examples. I would not classify either as Democracies.

 

Anyway, if we can agree that Democracy only works well when voters are educated -- especially on key issues -- we have to then assess the current and expected future state of education in Thailand. An old, but good read on the link between education and civic participation is here: https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/glaeser/files/democracy_final_jeg_1.pdf

 

I would suggest that Thais will continue to be very, very poorly educated as having a population of psuedo-serfs, who are encouraged -- actually, required -- to be happy with whatever life gives them, is fundamental to Thai culture. Poor education is central to keeping Thais -- Thai. And, I think the power brokers in the country are more concerned with maintaining the culture than making the country, as a whole and not just for those of high birth, a prosperous country.

I am getting sick and tired of the notion that the Thai would not be educated enough to vote. That is just plain nonsense. In fact, their choice in leaders isn't all that more worse than say the Americans who managed to vote in two nitwits for president in the last two decades (referring to Bush JR and the idiot that now occupies the white house). 

 

The Thai voters know full well whom to vote for and why, and that was exactly the reason for both coups. They voted for a person that for the first time, changed the balance of power, and technically sidestepped the Thai elite. Democracy has worked and can work again in Thailand, stop coming with silly excuses why it wouldn't work, there is ample evidence it was working just fine for them. 

 

It might not have been your cup of tea, but alas you are not part of the Thai electorate. The Thai themselves, have never complained, only a tiny fraction of the Thai, the ones with everything to loose. 

 

Back to real democracy as soon as possible, better education can wait, it's not vital for democracy to function. And such a fundamental change will take decades to achieve, the current Junta has done nothing for education, other than removing Thaksin from the books. 

[dcnx]

1 hour ago, HalfLight said:

 

Hmmm. Maybe. But I wouldn't call having Trump and May respectively winning very much at all. That's a match made in heaven if ever there was one. I can't look at Mr Trump without thinking of Mr Blobby, and I can't think of Mrs May without thinking of Gru.

 

Odd how the mind works sometimes...

 

 

 

 

 

But that’s actual democracy in play. Both will be replaced when the time comes. No coups, no dictatorship, no cancelled elections. Love or despise the elected officials, that’s democracy and it works for many nations. Thailand is not one of those nations.

[SuperTed]

I am getting sick and tired of the notion that the Thai would not be educated enough to vote. That is just plain nonsense. In fact, their choice in leaders isn't all that more worse than say the Americans who managed to vote in two nitwits for president in the last two decades (referring to Bush JR and the idiot that now occupies the white house). 
 
The Thai voters know full well whom to vote for and why, and that was exactly the reason for both coups. They voted for a person that for the first time, changed the balance of power, and technically sidestepped the Thai elite. Democracy has worked and can work again in Thailand, stop coming with silly excuses why it wouldn't work, there is ample evidence it was working just fine for them. 
 
It might not have been your cup of tea, but alas you are not part of the Thai electorate. The Thai themselves, have never complained, only a tiny fraction of the Thai, the ones with everything to loose. 
 
Back to real democracy as soon as possible, better education can wait, it's not vital for democracy to function. And such a fundamental change will take decades to achieve, the current Junta has done nothing for education, other than removing Thaksin from the books. 

1. Great discussion
2. America disproved on November 7, 2016 the need for education to engender civic responsibility
3. Democracy is messy *everywhere* in Asia. Almost all significant economic development for Asians occurred under autocratic/colonial/one-Party rule. The same is true for academic institutions. All came up under one party rule.
4. This has bothered me for decades. Is it related to colonial history? To Buddhism? IDK


* * *
Don’t tell me why it can’t be done; show me how it can - Jim Wright

[mauGR1]

15 minutes ago, dcnx said:

But that’s actual democracy in play. Both will be replaced when the time comes. No coups, no dictatorship, no cancelled elections. Love or despise the elected officials, that’s democracy and it works for many nations. Thailand is not one of those nations.

Well, at least Thailand is not waging wars around the globe.

[zzaa09]

31 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

Well, at least Thailand is not waging wars around the globe.

Indeed.

That's left up to the highly civilised and democratic cultures. ????

Empire building fashions any contradictory towards such distinguished factors. 

 

The art of dumbing down and fanciful displays are quite obvious among these "superior" cultures.

 

 

 

[HalfLight]

58 minutes ago, mauGR1 said:

Well, at least Thailand is not waging wars around the globe.

 

That's true but there being worse countries has never been an excuse for bad behaviour by soldiers. But time will show that the 'shining city on a hill' was illuminated not by lights but by phosphorescence from the mounds of excrement they produce there, and that the 'world's policeman' is even more corrupt at it's core than one could possibly imagine.

 

Excellence is demonstrated by favourable comparison with a paragon, not a midden.

 

 

 

[heybruce]

8 hours ago, sjaak327 said:

I am getting sick and tired of the notion that the Thai would not be educated enough to vote. That is just plain nonsense. In fact, their choice in leaders isn't all that more worse than say the Americans who managed to vote in two nitwits for president in the last two decades (referring to Bush JR and the idiot that now occupies the white house). 

 

The Thai voters know full well whom to vote for and why, and that was exactly the reason for both coups. They voted for a person that for the first time, changed the balance of power, and technically sidestepped the Thai elite. Democracy has worked and can work again in Thailand, stop coming with silly excuses why it wouldn't work, there is ample evidence it was working just fine for them. 

 

It might not have been your cup of tea, but alas you are not part of the Thai electorate. The Thai themselves, have never complained, only a tiny fraction of the Thai, the ones with everything to loose. 

 

Back to real democracy as soon as possible, better education can wait, it's not vital for democracy to function. And such a fundamental change will take decades to achieve, the current Junta has done nothing for education, other than removing Thaksin from the books. 

There is an informative article on the three-way struggle for power in Thailand in this weeks Economist.  Spoiler alert: democracy is coming in last.  It is in the Asia section.  Due to over cautious censors I will not publish a direct link.    https://www.economist.com/printedition/2019-01-05

[Odysseus123]

2 hours ago, heybruce said:

There is an informative article on the three-way struggle for power in Thailand in this weeks Economist.  Spoiler alert: democracy is coming in last.  It is in the Asia section.  Due to over cautious censors I will not publish a direct link.    https://www.economist.com/printedition/2019-01-05

Good article Heybruce...

 

Day 3 and still no signs of the intrepid Thai free press coming up with any further explanations.

 

The Land of Night and Fog.

[zzaa09]

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

Good article Heybruce...

 

Day 3 and still no signs of the intrepid Thai free press coming up with any further explanations.

 

The Land of Night and Fog.

Guess that would be a matter of what type of Thai free press one is speaking of.

There is a boat load of alternative and critical Thai-centric/language media available - quite obvious that most here don't imbibe nor know of it's existence.  

 

Kinda expected that many rely and reflect solely on the English-language/Foreign media towards any insight regarding Thailand.

 

[Odysseus123]

1 hour ago, zzaa09 said:

Guess that would be a matter of what type of Thai free press one is speaking of.

There is a boat load of alternative and critical Thai-centric/language media available - quite obvious that most here don't imbibe nor know of it's existence.  

 

Kinda expected that many rely and reflect solely on the English-language/Foreign media towards any insight regarding Thailand.

 

So-what have your boatload come up with?

 

Don't be shy-don't hold back.

 

Tell us the answers...

 

Who authorised the removal.

Who carried it out?

Where is the monument now?

Edited January 6, 2019 by Odysseus123

[ballpoint]

21 hours ago, jayboy said:

I wouldn't put recent Thai history quite in the way you do, but it's a fair if slightly cynical summary. My question to you is - do we try to break the logjam or just accept the status quo? My own view is that the democratic path must be tried and tried again, in the knowledge there will be setbacks. I certainly don't think that we should sit around waiting for a benign unelected gent like Prem or Anand to descend from the heavens. At the danger of overgeneralising, I think Thais should beware the cultural agenda to rely too much on a powerful wise presence doing their thinking for them.

 

And as I said in another post, the world may be a harsher place but for most Thais, it's a much better time than 30 years ago since they are generally much more prosperous even though they may not be loud agitators for the new. As Edmund Burke remarked of Britain over two hundred years ago, so it is with Thailand:

 

"Because half a dozen grasshoppers under a fern make the field ring with their importunate chink, whilst thousands of great cattle, reposed beneath the shadow of the British oak, chew the cud and are silent, pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field."

I find it all to easy to be cynical when considering the state of Thai politics, both now and ever since it became a "democracy".  (However, placing it on a scale with pragmatism and cynicism at either end, I would put it closer to the former).  Another good word to express my feelings for both sides is contempt.  For that reason, I rarely post on Thai politics threads any more.  By all means, the Thai people need to break the log jam, but I have no easy answer to that, and my post was directed at the heated arguments and name calling on here, between those who have no understanding or knowledge of the history of Thai politics, but have chosen a side purely based on the global economy in 2003, or what their wives and girlfriends have told them, or the colour of each sides shirts, or in a fond remembrance of better days, when Thais knew their place and tugged their forelocks, and were polite and friendly to foreigners.  Why, even the weather was better back then!  And, because the country had far less - no BTS/MRT, very few shopping centres, only one Bangkok airport...  there was far less to moan about.  And I got 99 baht for my Dollarpound, while I could buy a plate of food, a large Kloster beer and a girl for the night, and still have change from 100 baht!

 

My point is, that there is very little point in getting so excited.  Had TV been around in the '70s then I have no doubt that many of the same people who would have been vilifying Samak back then would have been praising him as Thaksin's appointed PM.  Give a thug a shave and haircut and he becomes respectable to far too many, especially if he gets you more baht for your dollar, or makes the trains run on time.  I would not be at all surprised should Prayuth form a political party, fail to win many votes, and join the Thaksin proxy coalition, with a ministerial post.  And people who rail against him on here will be saying "what a pleasant fellow he is after all".

 

Finally, and this is in no way directed at the poster I am replying to, reading threads on the various forums here, particularly this Thai News one, it easily becomes apparent just who are the serial "Thai bashers".  Seeing a post making some general slur against the intelligence of all Thais, along the lines of "they" can't think and "Somchai" is a fool, is all too common.  Yet, without giving any names, many of those same bigoted posters are the biggest criers for allowing Thai people the ability to decide for themselves (which is admirable, but hypocritical of them).  I would therefore like to propose another Edmund Burke quote, from his "Reflections on the Revolution in France":

“You will smile here at the consistency of those democratists who, when they are not on their guard, treat the humbler part of the community with the greatest contempt, whilst, at the same time they pretend to make them the depositories of all power.”

[Eric Loh]

On 1/5/2019 at 8:21 AM, rooster59 said:

Rights activists suspect a hidden agenda as another historic symbol of freedom is stealthily removed

I thought that this statement was enough for the cynics of democracy inscrutable reasons like blaming the state of politics, weak democracy, corruption and division. It has been a long drawn agenda to blame democracy by the elites and military and allowed them the reasons to intervene and continue their dominance. 

[zzaa09]

5 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

I thought that this statement was enough for the cynics of democracy inscrutable reasons like blaming the state of politics, weak democracy, corruption and division. It has been a long drawn agenda to blame democracy by the elites and military and allowed them the reasons to intervene and continue their dominance. 

Ya think...?

One doesn't consider that they're gonna give it all up that easily, do ya?

They're not that altruistic. 

[HalfLight]

8 hours ago, ballpoint said:

Finally, and this is in no way directed at the poster I am replying to, reading threads on the various forums here, particularly this Thai News one, it easily becomes apparent just who are the serial "Thai bashers".  Seeing a post making some general slur against the intelligence of all Thais, along the lines of "they" can't think and "Somchai" is a fool, is all too common.  Yet, without giving any names, many of those same bigoted posters are the biggest criers for allowing Thai people the ability to decide for themselves (which is admirable, but hypocritical of them).  I would therefore like to propose another Edmund Burke quote, from his "Reflections on the Revolution in France": 
 

“You will smile here at the consistency of those democratists who, when they are not on their guard, treat the humbler part of the community with the greatest contempt, whilst, at the same time they pretend to make them the depositories of all power.”

 

I have to admit I may me one of those whom you somewhat disparagingly call a serial Thai basher. Since the inevitable logic of being so appears to have taken the scenic route right around you, I would ask you this one question: If you saw, somewhere on the moon, or on Jupiter, a population of things (of whatever outward appearance pleases you to think of), behaving like Thais behave, would you not also turn to laugh at them and to remark to yourself that they must be as thick as pudding?

 

Suppose then that a fellow traveller from your own world should greet you and give you a right proper shellacking for being racist, how would you respond? That the people of his acquaintance might be of an IQ similar to his, which is why he likes them, but is seriously deficient when compared to your own? Probably.

 

The message in the bottle, my friend, is this. Birds of a feather flock together. Someone with the mental acuity of a field-mouse, or a doorstop is going to be liked and admired by someone with a similar mental acuity. Don't believe me? Ask someone else who knows, they'll tell you. Then come back and tell us all how wonderful the Thai is and how awful the 'Thai-bashers' are. You will have learned something about the world; that embarrassment among your peers is worth more then the hoped-for but unrequited feelings of love and respect that you have for Thais, because, my friend, behind the sycophantic smiles and fake bonhomie, they regard you much like a bedbug. Well, good luck, many of us have already been disappointed.

[metisdead]

Some off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

[jayboy]

10 hours ago, ballpoint said:

I find it all to easy to be cynical when considering the state of Thai politics, both now and ever since it became a "democracy".  (However, placing it on a scale with pragmatism and cynicism at either end, I would put it closer to the former).  Another good word to express my feelings for both sides is contempt.  For that reason, I rarely post on Thai politics threads any more.  By all means, the Thai people need to break the log jam, but I have no easy answer to that, and my post was directed at the heated arguments and name calling on here, between those who have no understanding or knowledge of the history of Thai politics, but have chosen a side purely based on the global economy in 2003, or what their wives and girlfriends have told them, or the colour of each sides shirts, or in a fond remembrance of better days, when Thais knew their place and tugged their forelocks, and were polite and friendly to foreigners.  Why, even the weather was better back then!  And, because the country had far less - no BTS/MRT, very few shopping centres, only one Bangkok airport...  there was far less to moan about.  And I got 99 baht for my Dollarpound, while I could buy a plate of food, a large Kloster beer and a girl for the night, and still have change from 100 baht!

 

My point is, that there is very little point in getting so excited.  Had TV been around in the '70s then I have no doubt that many of the same people who would have been vilifying Samak back then would have been praising him as Thaksin's appointed PM.  Give a thug a shave and haircut and he becomes respectable to far too many, especially if he gets you more baht for your dollar, or makes the trains run on time.  I would not be at all surprised should Prayuth form a political party, fail to win many votes, and join the Thaksin proxy coalition, with a ministerial post.  And people who rail against him on here will be saying "what a pleasant fellow he is after all".

 

Finally, and this is in no way directed at the poster I am replying to, reading threads on the various forums here, particularly this Thai News one, it easily becomes apparent just who are the serial "Thai bashers".  Seeing a post making some general slur against the intelligence of all Thais, along the lines of "they" can't think and "Somchai" is a fool, is all too common.  Yet, without giving any names, many of those same bigoted posters are the biggest criers for allowing Thai people the ability to decide for themselves (which is admirable, but hypocritical of them).  I would therefore like to propose another Edmund Burke quote, from his "Reflections on the Revolution in France":

“You will smile here at the consistency of those democratists who, when they are not on their guard, treat the humbler part of the community with the greatest contempt, whilst, at the same time they pretend to make them the depositories of all power.”

I don't think one should apply moral equivalence to both sides.However imperfect one must choose the side that offers hope.

 

Yes, you are correct that few on this forum seem to have much of a grasp of the issues in Thai politics.For what it's worth I was around in the 70's and there were some interesting differences in expatriate opinions compared with today.In the first place there was not the vast army of blue collar types that probably make up the majority say in Pattaya, and maybe on the forum.These people as you allude to are probably quite influenced by their wives and girlfriends - mostly peasant stock from the North East.THe THais they know are mainly working class or from the bar industry.Thus we got a lot of unthinking redshirt stuff from people whose natural political instincts were conservative.The typical expat of the 1970's was certainly not the slightest bit sympathetic to left wing movements in Thailand - though many admired the students courage and idealism (what happened to that?)

 

I'm uneasy with the expression "Thaibasher". Obviously it can be applied to those who make racist statements but sometimes it's used for people who have quite reasonable points about negative aspects of the Thai political system.

 

I like your Burke quotation - made me immediately think of Corbyn's Labour Party.

[sjaak327]

5 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Ya think...?

One doesn't consider that they're gonna give it all up that easily, do ya?

They're not that altruistic. 

Eventually they will not have a choice in the matter, that much is absolutely certain. And I doubt it will take the 20 year, Prayuth and co seem to force upon everyone's throat using the ludicrous "20 year roadmap".

 

As witnessed by the election date, that they couldn't even properly plan a few months in advance, I dread to know what <deleted> would be in this roadmap.

 

The days of the elite are numbered. It simply won't stand in this day and age. 

[HalfLight]

11 hours ago, jayboy said:

I don't think one should apply moral equivalence to both sides.However imperfect one must choose the side that offers hope.

 

Yes, you are correct that few on this forum seem to have much of a grasp of the issues in Thai politics.For what it's worth I was around in the 70's and there were some interesting differences in expatriate opinions compared with today.In the first place there was not the vast army of blue collar types that probably make up the majority say in Pattaya, and maybe on the forum.These people as you allude to are probably quite influenced by their wives and girlfriends - mostly peasant stock from the North East.THe THais they know are mainly working class or from the bar industry.Thus we got a lot of unthinking redshirt stuff from people whose natural political instincts were conservative.The typical expat of the 1970's was certainly not the slightest bit sympathetic to left wing movements in Thailand - though many admired the students courage and idealism (what happened to that?)

 

I'm uneasy with the expression "Thaibasher". Obviously it can be applied to those who make racist statements but sometimes it's used for people who have quite reasonable points about negative aspects of the Thai political system.

 

I like your Burke quotation - made me immediately think of Corbyn's Labour Party.

 

What makes a Thai-basher a Thai-basher? Uninterrupted good experiences with the people? Not very likely - more likely to be observation. 'Racist'? a word thrown about to make one feel superior for not looking down on people who ought to be looked down upon. Yuppie-speak.

 

OTOH, what makes a Thai apologist a Thai apologist? In my experience it's largely a combination of recent arrival, an IQ similarity and an inability to see what's going on around them with any clarity. Oh, with a smattering of the 'noble savage' syndrome thrown in, carefully blended with the ability to think that one's own opinion is inherently more enlightened than the next man's.

 

Just let them be, they'll learn. Or not. Either way, not my business, personally I'm not really interested. I do love the way they crop up from time to time though, all that wailing and gnashing of teeth. All that fake altruism. PITA.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by HalfLight

[ballpoint]

14 hours ago, HalfLight said:

 

I have to admit I may me one of those whom you somewhat disparagingly call a serial Thai basher. Since the inevitable logic of being so appears to have taken the scenic route right around you, I would ask you this one question: If you saw, somewhere on the moon, or on Jupiter, a population of things (of whatever outward appearance pleases you to think of), behaving like Thais behave, would you not also turn to laugh at them and to remark to yourself that they must be as thick as pudding?

 

Suppose then that a fellow traveller from your own world should greet you and give you a right proper shellacking for being racist, how would you respond? That the people of his acquaintance might be of an IQ similar to his, which is why he likes them, but is seriously deficient when compared to your own? Probably.

 

The message in the bottle, my friend, is this. Birds of a feather flock together. Someone with the mental acuity of a field-mouse, or a doorstop is going to be liked and admired by someone with a similar mental acuity. Don't believe me? Ask someone else who knows, they'll tell you. Then come back and tell us all how wonderful the Thai is and how awful the 'Thai-bashers' are. You will have learned something about the world; that embarrassment among your peers is worth more then the hoped-for but unrequited feelings of love and respect that you have for Thais, because, my friend, behind the sycophantic smiles and fake bonhomie, they regard you much like a bedbug. Well, good luck, many of us have already been disappointed.

Oh the irony.  I make a post mentioning those who make personal attacks on posters and generalisations on all Thais, and someone rushes in making a personal attack on me and generalises that all Thais have a low IQ and regard foreigners as bed bugs.  That's quite a chip you carry.  What happened?  Came to Thailand and were soon parted with your money?  I suggest that the fact that I work and socialise with bright, highly educated Thais in a high tech industry, while you appear to mix with those with the "mental acuity of a field-mouse or doorstop" points to our true social and intellectual statuses.

[HalfLight]

3 hours ago, ballpoint said:

Oh the irony.  I make a post mentioning those who make personal attacks on posters and generalisations on all Thais, and someone rushes in making a personal attack on me and generalises that all Thais have a low IQ and regard foreigners as bed bugs.  That's quite a chip you carry.  What happened?  Came to Thailand and were soon parted with your money?  I suggest that the fact that I work and socialise with bright, highly educated Thais in a high tech industry, while you appear to mix with those with the "mental acuity of a field-mouse or doorstop" points to our true social and intellectual statuses.

 

Well, you don't appear to need any lessons from me regarding irony: Nobody made any attack on you or anyone else. Paranoia resurfacing is it?

 

Why anyone would think that Thais have a low IQ is beyond me, clearly they are collectively as smart as a whip. That's why the national average IQ is 90 - because they're rooly smaht. There are probably Thais with a global average IQ or smarter. You probably work with both of them...

 

I don't have a chip friend, and if you think you get unreserved respect and admiration from Thais then I fear you aren't going to be a very happy budgie in Thailand. And why would you assume that someone ripped me off? Could it be you have a sneaking suspicion about the prevailing lack of principles in TL? Maybe you do.

 

'I suggest that the fact that I work and socialise with bright, highly educated Thais in a high tech industry'.

 

Right. got that. I guess you're really blessed for being so fortunate. What do the hitech Thais do where you work? Screw the backs on disk drives? Or do they work with the sole desktop reactor which comprises the Thai Nuclear Industry. You know , the one where the only core went missing and was found in a cleaner's shopping bag in Samut Prakan or somewhere...

 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by HalfLight

[Odysseus123]

25 minutes ago, HalfLight said:

 

Well, you don't appear to need any lessons from me regarding irony: Nobody made any attack on you or anyone else. Paranoia resurfacing is it?

 

Why anyone would think that Thais have a low IQ is beyond me, clearly they are collectively as smart as a whip. That's why the national average IQ is 90 - because they're rooly smaht. There are probably Thais with a global average IQ or smarter. You probably work with both of them...

 

I don't have a chip friend, and if you think you get unreserved respect and admiration from Thais then I fear you aren't going to be a very happy budgie in Thailand. And why would you assume that someone ripped me off? Could it be you have a sneaking suspicion about the prevailing lack of principles in TL? Maybe you do.

 

'I suggest that the fact that I work and socialise with bright, highly educated Thais in a high tech industry'.

 

Right. got that. I guess you're really blessed for being so fortunate. What do the hitech Thais do where you work? Screw the backs on disk drives? Or do they work with the sole desktop reactor which comprises the Thai Nuclear Industry. You know , the one where the only core went missing and was found in a cleaner's shopping bag in Samut Prakan or somewhere...

 

 

 

Steady on old boy-unless you ARE guilty of gross understatements...????

 

I usually find Thai apologists contributions utilise two strategies-that of deflection and denial.

 

Upon being queried they retire into a fanciful grandiosity which-after all-has been presumably acquired by osmosis from their hosts.Hence their disparaging remarks about western blue collar workers marrying peasants whilst they themselves rise above that sort of thing.

 

None of them ever address the issue at hand-because they cannot.

 

Believe you me-the situation was much,much worse in early 2016 when I joined up.They were having a field day back then.

Edited January 8, 2019 by Odysseus123

[HalfLight]

12 minutes ago, Odysseus123 said:

Steady on old boy-unless you ARE guilty of gross understatements...????

 

I usually find Thai apologists contributions utilise two strategies-that of deflection and denial.

 

Upon being queried they retire into a fanciful grandiosity which-after all-has been presumably acquired by osmosis from their hosts.Hence their disparaging remarks about western blue collar workers marrying peasants whilst they themselves rise above that sort of thing.

 

None of them ever address the issue at hand-because they cannot.

 

Believe you me-the situation was much,much worse in early 2016 when I joined up.They were having a field day back then.

 

A thoughtful post, which stands out dunny-in-a-desert-like. I'm sure you're right, things do change, lots of things... and they will need to change some more before some of Thailand's forums get better reputations than the ones they have earned for themselves so far.

[zzaa09]

17 hours ago, sjaak327 said:

Eventually they will not have a choice in the matter, that much is absolutely certain. And I doubt it will take the 20 year, Prayuth and co seem to force upon everyone's throat using the ludicrous "20 year roadmap".

 

As witnessed by the election date, that they couldn't even properly plan a few months in advance, I dread to know what <deleted> would be in this roadmap.

 

The days of the elite are numbered. It simply won't stand in this day and age. 

Yet, it does stand.

Elites and firm establishment-types rule the world - 

Nature of the beast. 

[sjaak327]

4 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Yet, it does stand.

Elites and firm establishment-types rule the world - 

Nature of the beast. 

Don't be silly. It will not stand, their days are well and truly over. Of course I do not believe we are talking about the same thing. Coups and blatant power grabs are not normal, in most places in the world. But I already know your stance, and that this stance is devoid of any reality. So there is really no point.