Planet-Warming Pollution Reaches Record Highs as Fossil Fuel Use Persists

[Chongalulu]

59 minutes ago, h90 said:

I never said that he manipulated the process...you are defending him against something I never said....

You suggested he maybe as bad as those regimes , including the current one here, in potentially manipulating the vote. I note you are rowing back now on that unsubstantiated falsehood 

[h90]

8 minutes ago, nchuckle said:

So do you imagine the major trading economies are favouring a continued junta government or this forward looking Move forward party headed by Pita? The "damage" you allude to is really only in your own head 

+50% more minimum salaries, higher electric and gas costs, worse economic contacts with the biggest supplier of electronics and semi finished goods, worse contacts with the biggest supplier of raw materials.....
major companies want cheap labor, cheap energy, low taxes and easy trade....if that comes from an awful dictatorship like China or Vietnam or a shining democracy does not matter. Pita may modernize many things that is also an advantage, but energy and China is big minus. Trade with Myanmar is important for SME.

I agree that the junta was not that good...but at least you knew what it is. Uncertainty is also something investors don't like.

[tomacht8]

3 hours ago, h90 said:

Oxford and Harvard is no achievement....building a successful company yourself is.....Thaksin did that....but with lot of corruption. That for sure makes him smart.

What kind of stupid definition of smartness is that? A PM who enriches himself through corruption, steals tax money and walks over dead bodies? You must have confused smartness with criminal recklessness.

[Gilligan In Drag]

You could see something like this coming as soon as the "yes, but"s started regarding Pita's legitimacy from clearly an illegitimate bunch, the group of appointed senators. If the last 9 years have taught us anything, its that Prayuth and company aren't going to budge and any further election circuses are nothing more than that sorry to say, the election was pretty suspect from the get go.

 

Prawit, though. The Thai people are just being trolled here. Is he not nearly universally disliked, or if not could a more unpopular or unsavory character be chosen as Prayuth's new stand in? Not to mention that he is very closely associated with Prayuth, even having served as a caretaker prime minister for a spell when Prayuth was taking a break as  I recall. Seems they're deliberately trying to anger people and provoke unrest.

 

Edited July 1, 2023 by Gilligan In Drag

[Chongalulu]

21 minutes ago, h90 said:

+50% more minimum salaries, higher electric and gas costs, worse economic contacts with the biggest supplier of electronics and semi finished goods, worse contacts with the biggest supplier of raw materials.....
major companies want cheap labor, cheap energy, low taxes and easy trade....if that comes from an awful dictatorship like China or Vietnam or a shining democracy does not matter. Pita may modernize many things that is also an advantage, but energy and China is big minus. Trade with Myanmar is important for SME.

I agree that the junta was not that good...but at least you knew what it is. Uncertainty is also something investors don't like.

That makes little sense. Unless major reform, really only a prospect under move forward,not the current dinosaurs, addressing the poor education system amongst many others is addressed Thailand and it's labour force are going to be left behind in a world changing fast and embracing AI. The status quo which is all that's on offer otherwise is a recipe for disaster. 

[DaveE13]

Old watch man has been unwell. Does he really want the pm job?

[Burma Bill]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

will likely be named prime minister in rivalry against Move Forward leader

Well I never!!

 

[tomacht8]

Prayut and his buddy Prawit has been at the helm since 2014 and  failed to create a positive momentum for the country and its people. On the contrary.

Standstill and regression in all areas:

- Modernization of the school and education system?

- Excellence in research?

- Better health care for all Thais?

- Set up a pension system?

- Land reform?

- Modernization of the authorities?

- Police reform?

- Reducing the national debt?

- Strengthening democracy?

- Investments in future technologies?

- Water and sewage security?

- Road safety?

- Waste management?

- Flood prevention?

- Reduction of corruption?

- Economic growth?

- Better distribution of income?

- Transparency in government spending?

- and much more.

 

With these results, the old power clique has no further eligibility in a future PM role.

[sambum]

8 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

When will the

NCCP (National Corruption council) release their findings on the watch scandal?  The CC already ordered this to be released to the public ...

"The Watch Scandal" indeed!

Prawit must have the lamest excuse(s) I have ever heard for his possession of those timepieces - so poor that they are laughable!

Firstly, to say that he "borrowed them from a friend" is bad enough! I don't know, or have ever heard of anybody borrowing a watch from a friend - let alone the numbers he is talking about.

 

Secondly, to say  that he couldn't return them because the so called friend he borrowed them from is dead? Ridiculous  -should he not have returned them to the "next of kin"?

 

Thirdly, to say "I had forgotten about them anyway" Who "forgets about" millions of baht's worth of watches, when he was actually pictured wearing one? (I suppose he could say that was one of his own - in fact they all appear to be his own now that the friend is dead!)

 

And to think that this conniving piece of humanity has even a chance of becoming Thailand's next Prime Minister beggars belief!  

[shunter]

I am of the opinion that Thailand has made a great scientific step forward and indeed will prove" Time Travel" is now possible,

 

Thailand is certainly likely to move back into the mists of time when dinosaurs ruled the earth should this living dinosaur and his cabal take the premiership and no doubt many governmental positions.

 

 However, dinosaurs met their end  and it may well  be sooner than later for the local species should the local Homeo Sapiens take up their hunting weapons...

 

We live in strange times...

Edited July 1, 2023 by shunter

[h90]

1 hour ago, nchuckle said:

That makes little sense. Unless major reform, really only a prospect under move forward,not the current dinosaurs, addressing the poor education system amongst many others is addressed Thailand and it's labour force are going to be left behind in a world changing fast and embracing AI. The status quo which is all that's on offer otherwise is a recipe for disaster. 

agree on the education system. But that only helps in the long run. Actually a global problem. While the Thai system is bad, other countries are equally bad.....both in America and Europe. Don't know how old you are, but schools are not that what we remember. If AI is only half as good as they think it will be, there will be a huge problem...from Taxi/Truck drivers to dermatologists.....When I think what I do daily, most of it could be easily done by an AI.....

[h90]

1 hour ago, tomacht8 said:

What kind of stupid definition of smartness is that? A PM who enriches himself through corruption, steals tax money and walks over dead bodies? You must have confused smartness with criminal recklessness.

he had before successful companies, he was a self made business man. Also his first term wasn't bad.

Yes he was than terrible corrupt, stole money, killed people. But he is smart, understands business etc. Different than some rich kids who never worked something.

That does not make him a good guy....

[tomacht8]

16 minutes ago, sambum said:

"The Watch Scandal" indeed!

Prawit must have the lamest excuse(s) I have ever heard for his possession of those timepieces - so poor that they are laughable!

Firstly, to say that he "borrowed them from a friend" is bad enough! I don't know, or have ever heard of anybody borrowing a watch from a friend - let alone the numbers he is talking about.

 

Secondly, to say  that he couldn't return them because the so called friend he borrowed them from is dead? Ridiculous  -should he not have returned them to the "next of kin"?

 

Thirdly, to say "I had forgotten about them anyway" Who "forgets about" millions of baht's worth of watches, when he was actually pictured wearing one? (I suppose he could say that was one of his own - in fact they all appear to be his own now that the friend is dead!)

 

And to think that this conniving piece of humanity has even a chance of becoming Thailand's next Prime Minister beggars belief!  

Fourth. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit insisted that the 22 luxury watches, which he did not claim as assets, were borrowed from his close but now deceased friend, although the executor claimed that his friend had no luxury watches on his inheritance list.

 

That makes you think of Pinocchio.

[h90]

26 minutes ago, sambum said:

"The Watch Scandal" indeed!

Prawit must have the lamest excuse(s) I have ever heard for his possession of those timepieces - so poor that they are laughable!

Firstly, to say that he "borrowed them from a friend" is bad enough! I don't know, or have ever heard of anybody borrowing a watch from a friend - let alone the numbers he is talking about.

 

Secondly, to say  that he couldn't return them because the so called friend he borrowed them from is dead? Ridiculous  -should he not have returned them to the "next of kin"?

 

Thirdly, to say "I had forgotten about them anyway" Who "forgets about" millions of baht's worth of watches, when he was actually pictured wearing one? (I suppose he could say that was one of his own - in fact they all appear to be his own now that the friend is dead!)

 

And to think that this conniving piece of humanity has even a chance of becoming Thailand's next Prime Minister beggars belief!  

yes...the excuses were worse than the watches themself. He should have said "not your business". And that watch story went on forever with new lame excuses. Every 5 year old can lie better....

[h90]

19 minutes ago, shunter said:

I am of the opinion that Thailand has made a great scientific step forward and indeed will prove" Time Travel" is now possible,

 

Thailand is certainly likely to move back into the mists of time when dinosaurs ruled the earth should this living dinosaur and his cabal take the premiership and no doubt many governmental positions.

 

 However, dinosaurs met their end  and it may well  be sooner than later for the local species should the local Homeo Sapiens take up their hunting weapons...

 

We live in strange times...

No it will simply continue without much changes.....not good not bad.....

[MikeandDow]

This is getting closer and closer

Pheu Thai leaders were blindsided by coming second in the election to Move Forward, but despite their disappointment they swiftly pledged to support Pita to be prime minister and work with him in a coalition government. The eight parties of the coalition have gone out of their way to project an impression of unity. But the awkward reality is that the seven coalition partners of Move Forward are uncomfortable with the prospect of Pita becoming premier.

 

Pheu Thai is particularly concerned about the radical agenda of Move Forward and fears it will be increasingly overshadowed in future elections as the progressive vote gravitates towards Move Forward. Although it styles itself as a pro-democracy party, Pheu Thai is inherently conservative, just not as conservative as the “uncle” parties. Pheu Thai lacks a coherent policy agenda and mainly exists to protect the interests of the Shinawatra family and to amass enough leverage to bring Thaksin home.

Tensions between Move Forward and Pheu Thai have been stoked by a dispute over which party will control the position of parliament speaker. The conflict over this issue remains deadlocked and has become increasingly rancourous.

 

Pheu Thai and the other coalition parties did not join forces with Move Forward because they were wildly enthusiastic about the party’s proposed policies. They felt they had no choice because failing to support Move Forward would undermine their image as pro-democracy parties and would probably be punished by a backlash from voters in future elections. But secretly some leading figures in Pheu Thai are hoping that something happens that prevents Move Forward from forming a government. This would provide them with a face-saving way of building an alternative coalition without Move Forward — they would say that they tried their best but it was impossible to form a government that included Move ForPheu Thai leaders have repeatedly vehemently denied that any secret talks have been taking place about forming an alternative coalition that freezes out Move Forward. But as is often the case when Thai politicians or generals go out of their way to deny something, they are lying.

 

In fact, Thaksin Shinawatra and Prawit Wongsuwan have been plotting for two years, aiming to strike a deal in which Pheu Thai would support Prawit to be the next prime minister, and in return Prawit would ensure Thaksin can come home safely without facing any jail time. The main go-between working on brokering a deal is Prawit’s henchman Thamanat Prompow, so for the good of the country they had to try another approach.

This is why Thaksin was so confident in 2021 that he would come home soon. “I definitely am returning,” he declared in a talk on the Clubhouse app, where he uses the pseudonym Tony Woodsome, in July 2021. “I will say when later. And, for sure, I am going through the front door, not the back door.”

[h90]

1 hour ago, tomacht8 said:

Prayut and his buddy Prawit has been at the helm since 2014 and  failed to create a positive momentum for the country and its people. On the contrary.

Standstill and regression in all areas:

- Modernization of the school and education system?

- Excellence in research?

- Better health care for all Thais?

- Set up a pension system?

- Land reform?

- Modernization of the authorities?

- Police reform?

- Reducing the national debt?

- Strengthening democracy?

- Investments in future technologies?

- Water and sewage security?

- Road safety?

- Waste management?

- Flood prevention?

- Reduction of corruption?

- Economic growth?

- Better distribution of income?

- Transparency in government spending?

- and much more.

 

With these results, the old power clique has no further eligibility in a future PM role.

but any new government won't do that as well...if there is one point they improve things it would already beat my expectations.

Best we can hope for is that they don't make things worse

[h90]

11 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

This is getting closer and closer

Pheu Thai leaders were blindsided by coming second in the election to Move Forward, but despite their disappointment they swiftly pledged to support Pita to be prime minister and work with him in a coalition government. The eight parties of the coalition have gone out of their way to project an impression of unity. But the awkward reality is that the seven coalition partners of Move Forward are uncomfortable with the prospect of Pita becoming premier.

 

 

 

Pheu Thai is particularly concerned about the radical agenda of Move Forward and fears it will be increasingly overshadowed in future elections as the progressive vote gravitates towards Move Forward. Although it styles itself as a pro-democracy party, Pheu Thai is inherently conservative, just not as conservative as the “uncle” parties. Pheu Thai lacks a coherent policy agenda and mainly exists to protect the interests of the Shinawatra family and to amass enough leverage to bring Thaksin home.

 

Tensions between Move Forward and Pheu Thai have been stoked by a dispute over which party will control the position of parliament speaker. The conflict over this issue remains deadlocked and has become increasingly rancourous.

 

 

 

Pheu Thai and the other coalition parties did not join forces with Move Forward because they were wildly enthusiastic about the party’s proposed policies. They felt they had no choice because failing to support Move Forward would undermine their image as pro-democracy parties and would probably be punished by a backlash from voters in future elections. But secretly some leading figures in Pheu Thai are hoping that something happens that prevents Move Forward from forming a government. This would provide them with a face-saving way of building an alternative coalition without Move Forward — they would say that they tried their best but it was impossible to form a government that included Move ForPheu Thai leaders have repeatedly vehemently denied that any secret talks have been taking place about forming an alternative coalition that freezes out Move Forward. But as is often the case when Thai politicians or generals go out of their way to deny something, they are lying.

 

 

 

In fact, Thaksin Shinawatra and Prawit Wongsuwan have been plotting for two years, aiming to strike a deal in which Pheu Thai would support Prawit to be the next prime minister, and in return Prawit would ensure Thaksin can come home safely without facing any jail time. The main go-between working on brokering a deal is Prawit’s henchman Thamanat Prompow, so for the good of the country they had to try another approach.

 

This is why Thaksin was so confident in 2021 that he would come home soon. “I definitely am returning,” he declared in a talk on the Clubhouse app, where he uses the pseudonym Tony Woodsome, in July 2021. “I will say when later. And, for sure, I am going through the front door, not the back door.”

 

fully agree with that

[Reigntax]

15 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

Great democracy we have here......

Designed by the dinosaurs to keep the dinosaurs in power.

 

and The Penguin is the biggest and oldest dinosaur of the lot.

Edited July 1, 2023 by Reigntax

[blueCloud888]

They are doing a little trolling...

[bang saen guy]

He should be easy to control. High end watches are much cheaper in Dubai

[redwood1]

12 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This man is an absolute bottom of the barrel pick. He does not have one nanogram of leadership ability, there are very few who like him and it would just be a continuation of the oppressive, regressive, backward policies of the past 9 dreadful years. 

 

The people have spoken. The army games can continue, but at great peril to the institution, which has already lost any prestige or honor it may have once had. It is now considered a den of thieves, despised by the masses. 

 

If there is anywhere Prawit truly belongs, it is either in prison, or in exile. Not in politics. 

Look at Prawit.....He looks old and senile....He really needs to be in a old folks home, playing checkers, watching Thai soaps, and talking walks in the park...

Not running a country...

[lineofentry]

14 hours ago, PeachCH said:

This is Thailand ????????. Let theim  decide who will be the next prime minister. Falangs have nothing to decide. Stay out of politics. 

Falangs can decide to take their own money anywhere actually.

[sabai-dee-man]

Don't know how anyone on the outside (i.e. us foreigners) can be even remotely surprised by these soundbites/reports/speculations.

If it does indeed happen, the Thais will just accept it, just like they have every other unelected PM. If Pita does manage to get in, there will just be another coup.

Greed knows no bounds, and that's what really drives the ruling class, not a desire to do good for the people.

The youngsters are finally starting to get a taste for change though, but I bet it takes another generation, at least, for change. 25 years ago my missus said "Thailand will never change", and so far she's been right.

[mark131v]

5 hours ago, sambum said:

And to think that this conniving piece of humanity has even a chance of becoming Thailand's next Prime Minister beggars belief!  

I can think of a much more apt word to use than humanity but I fully condone your assertion and share your bewilderment but unfortunately I was not surprised... 

[Kalasin Jo]

How sad. So if this military dinosaur, the watch guy, wins whether by the constitutionally rigged vote or by default should Pita be " disqualified " life will go on as if there had been no election and no landslide victory for reform. The elites will rest easy in their beds, the corrupt will continue at every level. Or will it? How much more of this are the Thai people willing to accept. From those that I know I'd bet they will just accept but complain. Thais can be so passive aggressive. Hope I'm wrong.

[Stargeezr]

I doubt that Prawit can stay awake, long enough to get this PM position.

There is a time when the old people should just fully retire, Prawit is included in this category.

IMO

[Lucky Bones]

"The military-designed constitution requires a partisan candidate..."

Huh? How can someone living in Paris be a candidate?

Oh wait. There is already a precedent of a person living overseas being a "leader".????????

[tomacht8]

11 hours ago, bang saen guy said:

He should be easy to control. High end watches are much cheaper in Dubai

It is strange that no proof / invoice of purchase can be found for the 22 luxury watches. That already smells as import tax evasion.

[herfiehandbag]

20 hours ago, vivananahuahin said:

not my country let they decide i have my opinion it is all.

The Thai people have decided.

 

They are being ignored.