3 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

Yes but it's more than that. It's about how you structure your society (eg hierarchy & how you organize it) and the general concepts of morality that go with that (eg equality of all vs hierarchy of status & power).

True.  Definitely, not equality of all.  This applies in most countries - look at China, India, UK, USA as examples similar to Thailand

 

1 hour ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

With all the obstacles in place parties like PP will never win an overwhelming majority. 
Most importantly parties like PP do not hold the guns. When push comes to shove the guns always win out. 13 successful coups in a century is testament to that. 

But things change over the decades, even in Thailand. The great unknown nowadays for a military coup is what the King's guard will do. Their loyalty is not to the military as such, but to the man far away, and IIRC their are more of them than the regular army in and around Bangkok.

 

Most of their leadership is made up of red rimmed T shirts, which signifies who their loyalty belongs to.

28 minutes ago, MarkBR said:

True.  Definitely, not equality of all.  This applies in most countries - look at China, India, UK, USA as examples similar to Thailand

 

The thing about 'hierarchy' and 'equality' is that, ironically, you need both.

 

Hierarchy follows from the fact that you can't govern a country of 70+ million people without 'organisation' and 'administration'. There's always going to be 'leaders' of one kind or another and at various levels, and  - in modern mass societies - millions of 'followers'. It can't in PRACTICAL terms be otherwise. The nearest countries to reconcile the 2 in reasonable ways are small-but-modern countries like the Scandinavians or the Netherlands or NZ. And in Australia's case, lucky to have both a strongly egalitarian culture (traceable back to settlement by convicts) and great wealth.

 

The issue is how the 'leaders' become and remain leaders and how they are moved on when their time is up. In countries where all power is narrowly concentrated at or near the top of a hierarchy, force is usually the only means of moving people on.

 

As to the MORAL aspects, 'equality before the law' is the basic concept. This works well in modern countries but is always subject to traditional cultural attitudes (ie who is a 'better' or 'more valued' person than another and for what reason). Thus 'snobbery' or 'class consciousness' remains strong in some otherwise modern monarchies (UK obviously), and obsession with wealth (eg Usofa) is a modern blight on egalitarian concepts.

 

Of the 4 countries you cite above, only India has much resemblance in all of this to Thailand, and that because of the caste system - that is, an unmoveable classificatory system having no useful bearing on quality or skills or anything else. In that it resembles also the UK.

 

China however is different, because its founding ideology is one of equality for all, but the PRACTICAL problem of running a nation of over 1 billion people means that a ruling class gradually forms and perpetuates itself (lots of sons of famous fathers) and, through corruption, begins to misuse & steal the nation's wealth.

 

There are no simple answers. Just lots of blood, sweat & tears.

 

 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Former Army Chief Apirat Kongsompong is widely speculated to head a new neo-conservative party expected to emerge soon and possibly contest the upcoming general election. This party, still unnamed, is believed to be forming with the aim of recruiting prominent retirees from high-ranking government positions over the past few years.

When you think it can'r get any worse....

4 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Never a dull moment in Thailand - politics, corruption, sexcapades ... What more could one want?

More popcorn, I'm nearly out.

2 hours ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

With all the obstacles in place parties like PP will never win an overwhelming majority. 
Most importantly parties like PP do not hold the guns. When push comes to shove the guns always win out. 13 successful coups in a century is testament to that. 

The 14th will be unsuccessful. It will also quite possibly be bloody. You don't need to hold the guns if you hold the people. Last election the MFP held the majority of the people. Next election they will hold even more.

6 hours ago, marin said:

Aging Dinosaur Party...

Jurassic Party!

 

I see that he has a picture of Elvis pinned amongst his outstanding collection of military bling!

 

Isn't he the guy who was caught on  a video,throwing an epic wobbly and chasing a protester into the grounds of a hotel to pistol whip him, whilst serving as head of the army?

Prayut is not the leader nor even a member of the United Thai Nation party, which is what the Ruam Thai Sang Chart party became. He was appointed a privy councillor in mid July 2023, and thus is barred from belonging to any political party. He resigned from politics on the spot. But as a PC, who knows what influence that body of ultra royalists brings to bear on Thai politics.

No high ranking member of any of the Armed Forces in Thailand should ever be permitted to hold a high rank in government, much less head a political party and stand the chance of becoming PM. It is the last thing in the world that Thailand needs, and the last thing in the world the Thai people want. Something must change. The people must eventually say NO! 

 

And it assures Thailand will continue its rather quick backwards march into oblivion, and near total irrelevancy. 

 

Granted it's great for a few thousand incredibly corrupt and morally bankrupt souls, who are the richest people in the nation, and worship the golden calf, and it's good for a few people with far more power than they should ever have, to ensure their place.

 

The army is no doubt the enemy of the people, and so is the new stooge PM. The recent election shows that the people are both sick of being led by highly ignorant dinosaurs, with no interest in progress, and are interested in smart, young folks, who are serious, accomplished, capable of change, and interested in insuring that Thailand has a good future. Pita is exactly what this nation needs, at this point in time. However, he was too progressive, and the goons had to stop him, in the name of regression.

 

4 hours ago, mdr224 said:

Guy looks like an extremely weak individual 

 

So does this man when not in full military uniform: (Min Aung Hlaing - Burma)

 

4 hours ago, mfd101 said:

Mmmm, I wonder whether Mossad is open to some after-hours work.

 

Please state precisely what you mean by that.

Normally, I see no issues with right wing conservatives forming a party that few will vote for. I just can't help the niggly feeling that that there is some subterfuge about to happen.

8 hours ago, marin said:

Aging Dinosaur Party...

Why is gerontophobia tolerated, while other forms of bigotry aren't?

5 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Many many very poor people in those countries would disagree with you.

In Brunei there aren't many, if any, "very poor people ".

The Sultan ensures that with generous cash handouts, housing and free public services.

The people love him.

 

Taxis don't even have meters. You pay what the driver says. They don't cheat. No need to, they're well off. Not like here!

 

Have you ever been there ?

22 minutes ago, sidneybear said:

Why is gerontophobia tolerated, while other forms of bigotry aren't?

Give me a break.  Its a common term used to describe a certain element in Thailand's political landscape.  

9 hours ago, nikmar said:

nice red-rimmed t shirt. I have a feeling that Apirat will have the full backing of the institution. The next election could be fun and games with this guy entering the fray

 

He's a copy of his ruthless now deceased father, also an outspoken general, one of the three generals who made the army five on unarmed young protestors on a bridge in the soi Aree area in Bkk.

 

Some 200 young people shot and killed, their dead bodies thrown on trucks and taken away and even now their bodies and the trucks have never been found. 

 

Seems to me his aim in to continue strong glorification of the military along with the military deciding policy and running the country. Along with an attitude that the public should do as they are told by their military masters. 

 

3 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

Jurassic Party!

 

I see that he has a picture of Elvis pinned amongst his outstanding collection of military bling!

 

Isn't he the guy who was caught on  a video,throwing an epic wobbly and chasing a protester into the grounds of a hotel to pistol whip him, whilst serving as head of the army?

He has the pedigree 

His father was the legendary Big George….original.coup cum junta leader. Prayuth stand aside! 

45 minutes ago, marin said:

Give me a break.  Its a common term used to describe a certain element in Thailand's political landscape.  

No it isn't. It's a bigoted term used to describe elderly people 

1 minute ago, sidneybear said:

No it isn't. It's a bigoted term used to describe elderly people 

you have not lived in Thailand long have you? 

2 minutes ago, marin said:

you have not lived in Thailand long have you? 

Irrelevant comment made because you have no rebuttal to the point I made that gerontophobia is bigotry.

3 hours ago, dinsdale said:

The 14th will be unsuccessful. It will also quite possibly be bloody. You don't need to hold the guns if you hold the people. Last election the MFP held the majority of the people. Next election they will hold even more.

They dun need a military coup.

The CC is on standby for any judiciary coup.

This new political party is just insurance to get more of its people into parliament 

19 minutes ago, sidneybear said:

Irrelevant comment

Its relevant in that educated Thai friends use it, and we are all over 70. Let it go, I will leave it at that. 

1 hour ago, sidneybear said:

Why is gerontophobia tolerated, while other forms of bigotry aren't?

In common parlance (call it woke, call it PC) it's ageism. It's not generally tolerated in the West. On this forum, all forms of bigotry are tolerated. Just read the American election threads! The unwoke call it free speech.

1 hour ago, sidneybear said:

Why is gerontophobia tolerated, while other forms of bigotry aren't?

 

it s a generic term in Thailand, amongst the youth and anti establishment crowd, used to describe out dated politicians, ex military and royalist types adhering to out dated policies and practices that keep out the progressives and more modern political ideals. 

 

 

Some interesting articles pop up when you google "red rimmed t-shirts Thailand".  

55 minutes ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

He has the pedigree 

His father was the legendary Big George….original.coup cum junta leader. Prayuth stand aside! 

Ah but I'm sure he rose to the top of his profession due to his absolutely unparalleled leadership and military skills, just look at him, he has lean mean steely eyed killer written all over him!

16 hours ago, sidneybear said:

Why is gerontophobia tolerated, while other forms of bigotry aren't?

Because its a fact that as one ages ones mental and physical capacity is reduced.  Classing geriatrics as unfit for certain occupations  or professions is not bigotry , its common sense.

 Just take a look at Mr Prawit,  The guy can hardly walk, seems to communicate  in grunts ( when he is not asleep at his post)  , and is obviously  unfit for the position he holds,  all due to his age.      Nothing bigoted about that   it is just  common sense.

There are no 70 year olds representing  their countries in the Olympics ,    Would that be due to bigotry or  is it just common sense ?   

Certainly looks like a jovial easy-going sort of a bloke,  I wouldn't pay to much attention to all these malicious rumours  about him.     

Seeking to replace Prawit's party.  Look forward to some internecine feuding between them.

22 hours ago, brianthainess said:

Many many very poor people in those countries would disagree with you.

          There are plenty of very poor people, and not so poor people   around the world  who also think democracy is overrated.

          What does the word actually mean in real terms ?    Seems to me it just means that one has the opportunity to vote  once every 4 years .  Not really much use in real terms,  when , as in Thailand the results of  such voting can simply be disregarded  Or in the UK  for example where one would cast ones democratic vote based on the declared manifestos of the various parties'   manifestos that are quickly disregarded by which ever party is successful.   Who then proceed to do whatever they want for their term in power. 

         There is no democracy anywhere in my opinion, merely the illusion of it  and it is certainly nothing to do with increasing the wealth of the poor ,  that would be the equally misrepresented illusion of socialism 

          People are eventually getting  wise to this now , hence the typically very low voter turn out in the UK which enables the likes of Starmer to claim a landslide victory despite only around 30% of the population actually voting

          This disinterest means the term democracy , in practice , is pretty much meaningless