Police Prepare For Nationwide Protests, Parliament Heavily Guarded

[MrJ2U]

This needs to get out of hand.

 

The people running the show keep bringing the people and the country down.

 

 

 

 

[BE88]

I am very surprised that many commentators talk about democracy in Thailand, but do you know where you live?

Elections have always been a farce here and now you believe in democracy?

But what kind of democracy exists in Asia?

Democracy for Thais means only a change of power of the ruling class, full stop.

And the slaves will have nothing but crumbs as always.

[khaowong1]

7 hours ago, Trevor Collins said:

The authorities knew that refusing to accept the people's choice of Prime Minister would lead to rioting. This is a scenario that was just waiting to happen, and the military will feel justified in taking whatever

actions they need to quell the demonstrations; Military Junta Rulebook 101. 

Exactly.

[Lorry]

10 hours ago, Olav Seglem said:

NAME THEM !!!!

They have been named.

 

Yesterday's vote was public,  transmitted live over the internet.

Every senator or member of parliament was called by name, and then said loud and clearly "in favor", "not in favor" or "i abstain".

[soalbundy]

8 hours ago, Expat68 said:

Not only paid protesters. They will come in droves from Issaan 

In my village they are too busy with the rice fields after all this rain. Remember you are from the West, your sentiments are not Asian. The police will put up barriers as a precaution because if they didn't and demonstrations happened the boss would be in trouble. This too will pass.

[MrJ2U]

1 hour ago, BE88 said:

I am very surprised that many commentators talk about democracy in Thailand, but do you know where you live?

Elections have always been a farce here and now you believe in democracy?

But what kind of democracy exists in Asia?

Democracy for Thais means only a change of power of the ruling class, full stop.

And the slaves will have nothing but crumbs as always.

Tell that to the Thai's who are unfortunately going to have millions of disenfranchised voters once again. 

[riclag]

Just got a email from the US Mission in Thailand , warning of protests!

[MrJ2U]

1 hour ago, Lorry said:

They have been named.

 

Yesterday's vote was public,  transmitted live over the internet.

Every senator or member of parliament was called by name, and then said loud and clearly "in favor", "not in favor" or "i abstain".

What the Thai's need is there complete financials exactly what elected MP's must provide.

 

Second thought all of them need to be tossed out. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

5 hours ago, realfunster said:

OK - ignore my post above. Permission to panic granted. 

So, Prawit as PM at the head of a minority government. I can see this happening.

 

Pita received 324 votes, with 182 against and 199 abstentions. 705 voted.

 

So, if those against and the abstentions vote for Prawit there is a clear majority of more than half which is enough. 

 

[BarraMarra]

6 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Nationwide is only Bangkok??? If the protestors indeed go nationwide with their protests, the police can't do much.. If tenthousands in thes treet in Chiang Mai, Korat, Bangkok, Phuket, Nakon Sawan...and so on... what can they do??? block the parliament house with containers  but in the other cities?? The harbour will be empty

They will do what is needed if the roadblocks fail they will put the military on the Streets, they will not give up democracy.

[BarraMarra]

6 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

You are likely right. But, I am hoping they simply can't fathom how much things have changed, and how little tolerance the masses have for their nonsense, anymore. And that they have completely misguaged the cost of their chicanery, and attempted theft of the election, this time. I hope the cost is extremely high, for the goons. Ruined lives, is my dream. 

They're not interested in the people their interest is financial reward.

[BarraMarra]

6 hours ago, connda said:

The USSD has less of their finger on the pulse of this country than the average US expat who lives here. 
I've lived here 15 years.  We've seen this before, we'll see it again. 
I came here in 2007 at a time when I believe there were USSD warning about not traveling in BKK. 
Me?  I went right down to Democracy Circle to see what was shaking. 

I remember a Thai guy coming up to me, presumable because I was a pasty white farang, to complain that Thailand didn't have a Democracy.  I laughed and told him, "Neither does the US or most of the West."  We're told we have democracies, but what we really have are Corporatocracies or Kleptocracies or Plutocracies which are closer to reality in the West.  Perhaps except for Switzerland which has Direct Democracy. 

 

6 hours ago, connda said:

The USSD has less of their finger on the pulse of this country than the average US expat who lives here. 
I've lived here 15 years.  We've seen this before, we'll see it again. 
I came here in 2007 at a time when I believe there were USSD warning about not traveling in BKK. 
Me?  I went right down to Democracy Circle to see what was shaking. 

I remember a Thai guy coming up to me, presumable because I was a pasty white farang, to complain that Thailand didn't have a Democracy.  I laughed and told him, "Neither does the US or most of the West."  We're told we have democracies, but what we really have are Corporatocracies or Kleptocracies or Plutocracies which are closer to reality in the West.  Perhaps except for Switzerland which has Direct Democracy. 

Can you repost this in Engrish i don't know what the big words mean.

[watthong]

2 hours ago, BE88 said:

Elections have always been a farce here and now you believe in democracy?

But what kind of democracy exists in Asia?

Democracy for Thais means only a change of power of the ruling class, full stop.

And the slaves will have nothing but crumbs as always.

9 years ago a nation-wide election was held post BKK Shutdown in the spring of 2014. The whole population obediently went to the polling station and voted. A week later, it was cancelled. Just like that. Nobody, except farangs like me, batted an eye. Everybody went about their business as if the "erection" never happened ("Erection? What erection?" replied one Thai lady friend of mine.) It was as if I just got a new pair of prescription glasses and started to see things for what they really are. 

[BarraMarra]

3 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

I have a daughter, she turns 18 on Sunday. She is idealistic, hates corruption, and wants to live in a modern, pluralist and progressive country. So do her friends. There are millions like her. They predominantly voted for MFP.

 

I want my daughter to realise her dreams. I don't have a vote, but I certainly have a dog in this fight!

Tell her to pack and move to a Western country that is in the 20th century if she wants to live in a modern world.

[MrJ2U]

7 minutes ago, BarraMarra said:

Tell her to pack and move to a Western country that is in the 20th century

She'll need a time machine.

 

"We live in the 21st Century, that is, the 2000s. Similarly when we say "20th Century," we are referring to the 1900s."

 

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/start-here-apah/brief-histories-apah/a/common-questions-about-dates#:~:text=We live in the 21st,we say 2nd Century B.C.E.

 

 

 

[thaigirlwatcher1]

9 hours ago, oustaristocrats said:

And not by standing in front of the building with inflated plastic ducks, singing songs like they did in the recent past, this is not going to work. Thai should look back at short but powerfull revolutions in 80-90ties, Romania, East-Germany, a.o.

Or the January 6th rioters in the US capital

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Don't know much about Thai history then.

Watch Pita and MFP get rousted.

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

A very sad commentary on our hosts. I give them far more credit than that. I think this time is very, very different. Everything has changed. 

What did Thais do the day after this fiasco unfolded... 

go to work as normal.

[alyx]

15 hours ago, Nip said:

Agreed. Interesting that my Embassy first thing this morning was on Twitter warning all of us to be careful and avoid all protests. Something brewing for sure an it ain't beer or coffee.

Well, it is the duty of the embassies to issue such warnings,,,you should have a look at their stand on other countries to realise that they take no risk at all and it definitely does not reflect the real and current situation

[2baht]

16 hours ago, Dirk Z said:

This is an embarrassment for the country.

No, they don't know shame!

[2baht]

6 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

They will do what is needed if the roadblocks fail they will put the military on the Streets, they will not give up democracy.

Thai democracy explained in two words...........Non Existent!

[zzaa09]

Same as it ever was.

.....and no one seems to notice the whys and wherefores.

[soalbundy]

18 hours ago, mark131v said:

Nah this is going to be different, before in the old red/yellow days things were more regional now the whole of BKK voted for Pita as well as the North and the South  that's the difference, the old tribal loyalties are no longer the same so there will be buses from Issaan the South and local BKK...

In your western dreams, what good have past demonstrations done? Nothing will be accomplished with demonstrations because if the establishment ever gave way just once it would be their end. There will no doubt be token demonstrations in BKK organized by students and doomed to fail, meanwhile waterlogged fields have to be drained, school bills paid and the gas stoves fired up by the street vendors in BKK in anticipation of a higher customer density. It's an ill wind that blows no good.

[spidermike007]

15 hours ago, ericthai said:

What your failing to understand is they dont care what the people want or need, they only care about keeping power.

 

Why do you keep bringing up hope that their families are abused.

Do you believe a child should suffer due to the actions of his father?

Absolutely. Totally. They are reaping the rewards of a corrupt man. The private schools, the chauffeurs, the fancy clothes. Yes. Without a doubt. The entire family should be made to pay for the sins of the father. How else will anything ever change? Drastic action is needed now. Shame the creeps into submission. Call them out wherever they go. 

Edited July 15, 2023 by spidermike007

[Eric Loh]

2 hours ago, soalbundy said:

In your western dreams, what good have past demonstrations done? Nothing will be accomplished with demonstrations because if the establishment ever gave way just once it would be their end. There will no doubt be token demonstrations in BKK organized by students and doomed to fail, meanwhile waterlogged fields have to be drained, school bills paid and the gas stoves fired up by the street vendors in BKK in anticipation of a higher customer density. It's an ill wind that blows no good.

Agree with you. Violent Demonstration like in the past played onto the hands of the military and lose the support of the general public. Something can be learnt from the Philippines People Power movement. Peaceful civil disobedience campaign and calling supporters to boycott publications and companies which are associated with the non democratic group. People power culminated with event that was attended by about 2 million people. A crowd that the authority will find hard to ignore.

 

[Lorry]

13 hours ago, soalbundy said:

Remember you are from the West, your sentiments are not Asian.

All, and I really mean all, Thais I know talk about this to me.

They don't talk much.  But people I never thought are interested in politics feel strongly enough to spontaneously tell me their feelings.

Just out of the blue come sentences like

"It's very sad.  There was an election and now it's like there was no election."

"This is not democratic. This couldn't happen in another country. " 

And before the vote:

"Maybe next time, when you arrive in Thailand,  there will be the New Thailand"

Asian sentiments. 

[superal]

22 hours ago, Expat68 said:

Not only paid protesters. They will come in droves from Issaan 

The majority of the Thai population had high hopes of real democracy when Pita won the vote but now there is huge disappointment and anger . I believe you are correct that Thai citizens will come from far and wide to Bangkok , as never seen before , to demonstrate their opposition to the governments refusal to accept the election result . Not a revolution because the people are as one but an uprising and maybe strikes are seriously on the cards . Maybe the powers in control have underestimated the populous reactions ?

[soalbundy]

3 minutes ago, Lorry said:

All, and I really mean all, Thais I know talk about this to me.

They don't talk much.  But people I never thought are interested in politics feel strongly enough to spontaneously tell me their feelings.

Just out of the blue come sentences like

"It's very sad.  There was an election and now it's like there was no election."

"This is not democratic. This couldn't happen in another country. " 

And before the vote:

"Maybe next time, when you arrive in Thailand,  there will be the New Thailand"

Asian sentiments. 

I've lived here since !8 years and have family here. Yes it's true if you ask them about the situation they will say, how sad, not fair,etc. but with a shrug of the shoulders, they know the odds are stacked against them. If Pita is PM what changes would you see that really affects the daily life of a working man? None I expect. Article 112 isn't really a concern of the average person, they have far more pressing problems. 'Move Forwards' is just another slogan, every party has one and they are all pretty meaningless, 'the people's party', 'the citizen's country' and all the rest, a bunch of fat cats wanting their turn at the trough. Only external events affect the people, like Covid shutdowns or inflation in the tourist countries, the rising cost of flight tickets, supply chain breakdowns, etc. The various departments and ministries will continue as normal, ministers tamper with them at their peril. Nothing changes; as in 'Yes Minister', "The purpose of government is to make sure that we are still here tomorrow".

[superal]

9 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

I've lived here since !8 years and have family here. Yes it's true if you ask them about the situation they will say, how sad, not fair,etc. but with a shrug of the shoulders, they know the odds are stacked against them. If Pita is PM what changes would you see that really affects the daily life of a working man? None I expect. Article 112 isn't really a concern of the average person, they have far more pressing problems. 'Move Forwards' is just another slogan, every party has one and they are all pretty meaningless, 'the people's party', 'the citizen's country' and all the rest, a bunch of fat cats wanting their turn at the trough. Only external events affect the people, like Covid shutdowns or inflation in the tourist countries, the rising cost of flight tickets, supply chain breakdowns, etc. The various departments and ministries will continue as normal, ministers tamper with them at their peril. Nothing changes; as in 'Yes Minister', "The purpose of government is to make sure that we are still here tomorrow".

You are forgetting that the MF party mandate is based on reform and changing parts of the constitution including lèse-majesté  laws . Not just another bunch of fat cats

[BarraMarra]

13 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

She'll need a time machine.

 

"We live in the 21st Century, that is, the 2000s. Similarly when we say "20th Century," we are referring to the 1900s."

 

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/start-here-apah/brief-histories-apah/a/common-questions-about-dates#:~:text=We live in the 21st,we say 2nd Century B.C.E.

 

 

 

Don't be picky MrJ2U you know what i meant.