The question of it being appropriate or not for a “guest” in a country to comment on politics in that is a specious one. Think about it. People around the world comment on all manner of political questions whether they take place in Turkey, Hungary or Timbuktu. There is absolutely nothing untoward about this as it’s just part of the human condition. Moot point, get over it. Like it or not, what happens in SE Asia has worldwide implications and we are all affected whether one is a citizen or a “guest.”

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

The senate have the last word, it's not over yet.

They are frantically looking for a fat lady with a good voice right now.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

During an interview online with a CNN correspondent, Pita suggested all 250 senators seriously take into account the consensus shown in the nationwide election by some 25 million voters who have brought the Move Forward a monumental victory as the largest elected party and the first-served opportunity for him to set up a 311 MPs-strong coalition government with himself being righteously bound to be named prime minister.

That's exactly why the senators were placed there in the first place, to ignore the consensus.

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

If it stops people banging on about the politics of their home countries and certain people involved in them, I am all for it!

Funny but many Expats like to bang on about their home country politics precisely because they are "X-Patriots"

 

Truthfully they should not complain as they are only lip syncing about how the cake should be baked that they as X-patriots no longer have to eat

 

Then they move to a country like Thailand which is taken over by force/Junta & complain from there about politics/nanny state etc  back home 555 kind of funny when you think about it

Lelak! Lelak! Buddha in charge. Everyting OK.

1 hour ago, MrMojoRisin said:

The junta are down by 5 goals with 10 seconds left in the game.

Its over.

It’s just a matter of going through the motions now.

The outcome, however, is set in stone.

I hope it does not go to penaltys

3 hours ago, fdimike said:

We are guests in this country and I believe we should act that way.  None of us can vote here and I think it's very inappropriate to comment one way or the other in the politics of our host country..  JMHO

Well keep it to yourself then. 

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

have an unfortunate accident, etc?

This is more likely to affect anti-Prayuth MPs; those recently voted in.

3 hours ago, fdimike said:

We are guests in this country and I believe we should act that way.  None of us can vote here and I think it's very inappropriate to comment one way or the other in the politics of our host country..  JMHO

Yes agreed  but  our wonderful Thai families are affected for sure!!!

4 hours ago, smedly said:

seems Thailand has an unconstitutional constitution that was imposed on the people by an unelected military junta and was never endorsed by the people, IMO that makes it invalid 

no it was endorsed...there was a referendum

MF got 14 Million votes out of 52, not 24. So what he says is misleading.

5 minutes ago, bignok said:

Farangs would spend double if visas were better. If they had 90 day exempt like Malaysia farangs spend heaps. 

I believe foreigners have to invest heavily to get Malaysian long term residency visas...but why bring up Malaysia, that is distraction.

17 minutes ago, h90 said:

no it was endorsed...there was a referendum

Even that was questionable - Prayut promoted the constitution as the answer to all thailand's woes, but, giving any negagtive opinion on it was deemed illegal or resulted in "attitude adjustment".

I mentioned to Mrs Brian yesterday that the Army/Prayuth might try to cling on to power, and she has told me, our 'Village' have already got themselves organized to go all the way to BKK to demonstrate if that scenario were to happen. 

(no doubt organized by the local parties that won) and that would happen all over the Country if Mr Pita is blocked from becoming PM. IMO.

Of topic posts and replies removed. This OP is not about being a farang or a tourist.

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I am glad he said this. He is absolutely correct. But, the people might need to take change now. These senators need to be declared enemies of the state. A list of their names and photos needs to be circulated. The people need to call them and their children, siblings, and parents out at work, school, at restaurants, and in public. Shame them into submission. Make their lives so uncomfortable they quit a year early. It just might work. 

I think those senators should first be given the chance to do the right thing. Maybe - just maybe - a sufficient number of them will see the light and vote with the elected representatives of the people. It takes less than 70 out of 250 to vote for the PM along with coalition MPs, and once that has been done, the senate becomes pretty much irrelevant. 

 

That failing, yes, they would make themselves enemies of the people.

5 hours ago, smedly said:

seems Thailand has an unconstitutional constitution that was imposed on the people by an unelected military junta and was never endorsed by the people, IMO that makes it invalid 

Correct.

1 hour ago, h90 said:

MF got 14 Million votes out of 52, not 24. So what he says is misleading.

6 party coalition bro, it’s actually closer to 27 million.

BTW - Prayuth ever say anything misleading? (hint: there will be no coup)

1 hour ago, mania said:

Less true than most believe but...if so basically anyone who stayed & spend big since 2014 in essence was supporting the Junta

 

Many expats did in fact leave & have only visited family since then

But if a real government was back many would return

Yes; but a lot of those that left still have to send money to support their Thai Family, so the Junta have still been getting their cut !

1 hour ago, h90 said:

no it was endorsed...there was a referendum

Repeating a lie over and over again on this forum, doesn't make it a truth.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Thailand

 

2017 constitution

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) unveiled a draft constitution on 29 March 2016.^[65] In the run-up to the 7 August 2016 referendum on the new constitution, the army conducted a "grassroots information campaign." There was no debate permitted on its merits.^[66] Under the junta's rules, "people who propagate information deemed distorted, violent, aggressive, inciting or threatening so that voters do not vote or vote in a particular way" faced up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to 200,000 baht.^[67] The 105-page, 279-article constitution^[2][3] was approved by 61.4 percent of Thai voters on 7 August 2016 with 59.4 percent of the public participating.^[68]

 

Six changes were made to the voter approved constitution by the time it was ratified on April 6, 2017.^[69

49 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

I mentioned to Mrs Brian yesterday that the Army/Prayuth might try to cling on to power, and she has told me, our 'Village' have already got themselves organized to go all the way to BKK to demonstrate if that scenario were to happen. 

(no doubt organized by the local parties that won) and that would happen all over the Country if Mr Pita is blocked from becoming PM. IMO.

Ditto; interesting too that many Northern Families have Sons in the Military and most voted Orange, so does anyone think they will mobilise against their own people ?

4 hours ago, madmitch said:

There was a referendum on it, therefore it was, in theory, endorsed by the people. 

 

Of course, many had no idea what they were voting for, many were coerced into voting for the referendum and no one was allowed to campaign against the proposed constitution, How many actually read the hundred plus page document that arrived at the door? 

 

I agree, it was forced upon the populace in an underhand way but the people did, in general, have a chance to reject it.

Even the Government did not understand this constitution,because they have to ask the constitutional court for advice or decisions... So the people don't understand the leaders don't understand. IMO a simple paper with basic rights as there is in many democracies in Europe and in US should be enough. Basic rights and duties and all other laws should confirm it , Not  hundred pages unreadable and non understandable stuff

6 minutes ago, BenStark said:

Repeating a lie over and over again on this forum, doesn't make it a truth.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Thailand

 

2017 constitution

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) unveiled a draft constitution on 29 March 2016.^[65] In the run-up to the 7 August 2016 referendum on the new constitution, the army conducted a "grassroots information campaign." There was no debate permitted on its merits.^[66] Under the junta's rules, "people who propagate information deemed distorted, violent, aggressive, inciting or threatening so that voters do not vote or vote in a particular way" faced up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to 200,000 baht.^[67] The 105-page, 279-article constitution^[2][3] was approved by 61.4 percent of Thai voters on 7 August 2016 with 59.4 percent of the public participating.^[68]

 

Six changes were made to the voter approved constitution by the time it was ratified on April 6, 2017.^[69

There was a referendum....there was a lot discussion about it and red shirt/PTP told people to vote no for it.
Yes it was not a perfect referendum....but it was one. The previous constitution had no referendum not even a bad one. My countries constitution had no referendum not even a bad one.

1 minute ago, h90 said:

There was a referendum....there was a lot discussion about it and red shirt/PTP told people to vote no for it.
Yes it was not a perfect referendum....but it was one. The previous constitution had no referendum not even a bad one. My countries constitution had no referendum not even a bad one.

Six changes were made to the voter approved constitution by the time it was ratified on April 6, 2017.^[69

 

^{Over and out}

2 hours ago, BE88 said:

How much do you pay ? 

Much cheaper price in beach road... and no barfine or lady drinks ...my friend told me...of course. 

Just now, ikke1959 said:

Even the Government did not understand this constitution,because they have to ask the constitutional court for advice or decisions... So the people don't understand the leaders don't understand. IMO a simple paper with basic rights as there is in many democracies in Europe and in US should be enough. Basic rights and duties and all other laws should confirm it , Not  hundred pages unreadable and non understandable stuff

The Austrian constitution is hundreds if not thousands of pages....because they write a lot things into...like regions that are allowed to make some kind of wine etc...
But I agree it should be small and easily understandable. The basic human rights.....freedom of speech etc

5 hours ago, smedly said:

seems Thailand has an unconstitutional constitution that was imposed on the people by an unelected military junta and was never endorsed by the people, IMO that makes it invalid 

Unfortunately the people did get a choice, having a gun to their head, that if the constitution was not approved voting would be elated by years.

 

Which in any case it was despite this.

3 hours ago, madmitch said:

There was a referendum on it, therefore it was, in theory, endorsed by the people. 

 

Of course, many had no idea what they were voting for, many were coerced into voting for the referendum and no one was allowed to campaign against the proposed constitution, How many actually read the hundred plus page document that arrived at the door? 

 

I agree, it was forced upon the populace in an underhand way but the people did, in general, have a chance to reject it.

That was already the 2nd version the cucumber troop came up with after the 1st version was rejected by a popular referendum. The 2nd version was neither allowed to be read nor discussed nor written about , only tick yes/no after a massive campaign "for the good of the country"....'s self installed admin...I also remember that loads of fed up people took flowers to the army after this coup because the 3rd or 4th version  Shinawatra really screwed things up , while General whatsisname (no more coups !) promised new elections within a short time............yeah, I know, uniforms regard time as much more relative than even Hawkins. And he kept his promise too, he did elect himself, hail to the chief. Seriously, this country I have been calling home for a very long time, has and always had all the potential and people and resources and connections required to make it the Asian success story 2nd only to Singapore....proven many times. BUT this functions only with democracy and freedom, since when ever has a military run a country properly without quickly screwing it up and resting on the uniformed pyramid with 1 at the top and all the rest below bearing the weight.

18 minutes ago, MrMojoRisin said:

6 party coalition bro, it’s actually closer to 27 million.

BTW - Prayuth ever say anything misleading? (hint: there will be no coup)

yes but if PTP makes a coalition and get some of the other parties than it will be also 23, 24, 25 millions complete without MF....
You won't find any posting from me saying that Prayuth is a honest and great politician. I thought MF don't want to be the same as Prayuth?

3 minutes ago, h90 said:

There was a referendum....there was a lot discussion about it and red shirt/PTP told people to vote no for it.
Yes it was not a perfect referendum....but it was one. The previous constitution had no referendum not even a bad one. My countries constitution had no referendum not even a bad one.

It was a rigged election. You are either honest or you are not.

 

Do you support a new, fair referendum for a new constitution?

 

A poll from July had seen a majority of voters in favour. However, in many cases "yes" votes were not real indicators of support for the new text but rather for quick elections, as the ruling Council for National Security (CNS) has stated that approval of the new constitution was a requirement for holding parliamentary elections later that year.[5]

 

Had the draft been rejected, the military government would have had the freedom to choose any previous constitution to adapt and promulgate instead. The turnout was around 60%