Sad so sad the way Thai government officials and "leaders" always ply for help from the people or populace, and try the patriotic need approach or such things.  On my first trip there in 2004 I had a good impression of the government and overall things.  More people seemed to be able to read and write than many so called High School graduates in the USA these days.  The government seemed to be nominally elected.  Boy, day and night perceptions now

The billionaires will throw a few shekels to the peasants and then get lauded as saviours and Robin Hood figures in the media.

 

Then they can carry on using the people as slaves to make their next billion.

The Red bull family should do something about this and help Thailand, just need to locate them first .

Actually, he is in effect asking the Thai people to bail themselves out.

 

After all, that’s whose wealth most of these billionaires have been accumulating over the years through their closed-market, monopolistic government granted concessions.

The 1d1ot 19 helping us from Covid-19.

5 hours ago, BeltAndRoad said:

It's not to be used as a tit to be suckled on in times of peril. 

No, it's a trough to be exploited everyday of the week by the by the greedy pigs with access to it!

Lets not be to hard on the top 20.  It takes a lot of effort, bribery and manipulation to get to the top of any country when there are so many trying.  And staying on top is a tough job too.  ????  Sometimes some of those trying to knock you off need to be knocked off themselves!

Most of them including himself are in government 

Unbelievable that he's actually admitted this.....but as we all know, help will come in the form of instructions, as they have for decades!

I see this as a political move. The peasants are becoming restless. Things like Milky Tea or whatever it is called so now he needs to gather together the 20 wealthiest families to guaranty status quo.

 

Not about the poor or anything to do with virus.

As someone above said ... 
"Thai government officials and "leaders" always ply for help from the people or populace, and try the patriotic need approach on such things"

 

I heard the Thai Air Force reduced their budget going forward, but haven't heard the Army drop their budget yet.  Wouldn't that be patriotic to do something like that?  Pinnochio can do that on his own.

If I was one of these 20 I would do it on one condition; that he resigns. 

It's actually 21, isn't?

Moral support usually is given generously by all wealthy persons in Thailand.

My Buddah openly pandering on national TV, is there no self respect ? Exit strategy, is that difficult ?There was no entrance strategy other than a dartboard ! 

10 hours ago, kickstart said:

Can not say that, most were  poor people, and not many modest land owners now, most not very well at all landowners, he brought in the 30 baht medical service ,money for people over 60,money for the handicapped ,only doing what our western country did 50-80 years ago.

If they were bribes why are they still in place after 12 years plus ,successive governments still  trying to bribe the poplars 

The 30 Baht health scheme and similar schemes are still in place because the various regimes which have serially ousted Thaksins various (elected) governments have never really felt secure enough to scrap them. They know that it will take more than a slack handful of "Strikers", a few helicopters and a couple of score tanks to hold back the people if they really get annoyed.

 

Perhaps that will be the unwritten subtext in his "open letter"?

11 hours ago, Dmaxdan said:

Missing the income generated from  alcohol taxation are we? Shame...

yes, and then he ask Mr. Singha and Mr. Chang for money ???? 5555555555555555

No no no, this is a big misunderstanding, he meant to say that the Chinese will be back on in the double and not to worry, trust me.

 

LOS - Land of Scam

Regarding Thaksin buying votes - My ex-missus took money from every would be politician - as she said 'secret vote'.

Anyway they all buy votes in Thailand or try to!

This could be a clever tactic from Prayut's spin doctors. Sensing a revolt, civil unrest, the Govt. make it look like the HiSo Thais have come to the rescue the hoi polloi.

I guess it’s true 20 families run the government I thought they had a lot of money in reserve what is he kicking some of his money simply pathetic TIT

in which a Covid-19 safety certificate will be given to business owners who agree to strictly follow preventive measures

 

With Khao San Road being locked down I can't see how that would be possible.????

  If the Red Bulls family kicks in some money can He get amnesty TIT

what an extremely weird thing to do !!! What is the purpose behind publicising this as something you are going to do ? it's like pre-shaming them into action, this seems more like a ploy to destroy them, a very obvious one at that. If their help was really needed then a more subtle and private approach would surely have been the way forward. If I was one of the top 20 I would immediately publicly reply with offers of helping advice so I could later say " they never listened'

You can bet your bottom dollar ( secret) conditions will apply

Amnesty,Investments,Shares in XYZ etc ...

Cant see it being straight up charity more like investments.  

The owner is one of the richest people in the country yet Bangkok Airways are asking the government for billions of Baht in a bailout package? 

12 hours ago, YetAnother said:

the idiot should have kickstarted the whole process by saying:' i am donating 10,000,000 baht...'

That foreigners have contributed paying Immigration year after year. 

 

 

11 hours ago, time2093 said:

LOl....... I live in Issan and can assure you that even land owners here are struggling to live these days beyond any hi so living in a high rise in Bangkok......Don't think it was the old General Prayut who introduced Thailand's poor to the 30 bht universal medical scheme was it.

I said a few years ago that they would be welcoming Thaksin back with open arms eventually, as soon as this mob had stripped the country bare. 

It seems that time is fast approaching, hastened by a strong Baht, drought and now COVID-19. 

 

Chock dee! 

How would these wealthy elites view this? Save face by donating or save face by opting out? 

The country cannot afford to beg to these elites a one Baht donation would demand a one hundred Baht return. 

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