just a quick question, I am not sure if I am confused here.

Wasnt Sondhi convicted of an offence last year and was given a prison sentence and is out on bail pending an appeal?

People seem to forget that the 2007 elections were held with the Junta actively trying to suppress support for the PPP. They were even found guilty of doing so by the EC investigating committee, but wriggled out of a formal charge by the EC by claiming that as their dirty-tricks campaign had been drawn up under the interim constitution which gave them immunity, they couldn't be investigated. Convenient, those immunity clauses are...

Bear in mind too that many (mostly historically pro-TRT) provinces were still kept under martial law during the campaigning process, and campaigning itself had new – severely limiting – restrictions put upon the process; restrictions that garnered scorn from international observers.

A couple of links – there are plenty more out there, including extracts from the campaign document itself detailing how the anti-PPP smear campaign should operate.

Were it possible for totally clean elections to be held tomorrow (or back in '07 - or even '06 for that matter), free of vote-buying or government interference, it would be a brave person who put money against the TRT or a reincarnation of it getting in.

I should say (not for the first time) that IMO politicians found guilty of vote-buying should be banned for a long time (if not for life). A healthy jail term would be an added bonus too. The banning of an entire political party on the back of one executive however is collective punishment (against not only the other MPs but also against those that freely voted for them) and wrong.

Good post.

So how's that State of Emergency working for Somchai?. I've been away for the past 2 days.

Going GREAT! ..Somchai is up north somewhere (not sure on which side of what border) and the AirForce cheif is calling for the gov't to step aside!

a guy in my hotel said here in udon the airport is being blocked with guys in red shirts, anyone know anything

In the past two hours I've seen a report (repeated twice) on the BBC from one of their correspondents here in Thailand stating:

"According to unconfirmed reports broadcast on Thai TV the Primeminister of Thailand has left Thailand for personal reasons."

I've been looking around but can't find any reference to this apart from what I've seen on BBC TV.

Any news in this regard or is it just a rumor?

opalhort

"This is one about the Prime Minister showing he's in control of Thailand by issuing a State of Emergency

and then promptly nothing happening for 4 or 5 days because of it."

That is a good one!

*sigh*

Who issued the SOE? Prime Minister

Has the state of emergency been lifted? No

Are the airports operational? No

Any other trolls?

no its just web forums. why it surprises you that this one is no different to any other is beyond me. back to the topic can we?

I have to say I find it quite amusing that the best the government can come up with after a week of this is a rival rally!

So their only "solution" is to do something which is a weak attempt to further polarize the country!

Bravo!

I have to say I find it quite amusing that the best the government can come up with after a week of this is a rival rally!

So their only "solution" is to do something which is a weak attempt to further polarize the country!

Bravo!

seems as if the govt now accepts that with no military support, divided country, and bad press that this is the end my friend

I have to say I find it quite amusing that the best the government can come up with after a week of this is a rival rally!

So their only "solution" is to do something which is a weak attempt to further polarize the country!

Bravo!

Pretty much, yep!

Never really got anything useful going the whole time.

Only actual real movement was maiming PAD in oct.

And assorted international visits and waving the flag.

Oh yeah, a bit of stink over rice pledging and kickbacks.

Chalerm attempted a morals control thing that was still born.

If anyone does have a list of succsseful accomplishments of this cabinet,

please post. With out whines how PAD prevented them doing thus and such.

I just am asking for actual accomplishments.

At least maybe we can credit it them with something... Fair play.

hi

my BA flight for 2nd arriving 3rd in bkk has been cancelled now ......

To me, the PM Somchai is a troll.

hi

my BA flight for 2nd arriving 3rd in bkk has been cancelled now ......

You should be grateful to PAD. Smile, don't be sad!

To me, the PM Somchai is a troll.

Now THAT is the most sense that I have heard from you in some time.

Good call.

To me, the PM Somchai is a troll.

You're losing it, right? But then again maybe not since your only objective in life seems to be your business. As long as you can get your mail transferred the rest of the world, and certainly not serious ideological matters of governance, really doesn't matter.

Quite honestly, I feel embarrassed being a falang by the whining and moaning by some people here about having some petty problems. If you can not understand that the struggle on both sides by most is a serious one and that your little "problems" really are minuscule in all of what is going on I feel sorry for you. I really think some of the comments both in media and in fora made by westerners is somewhat symptomatic of what you get from people living in todays populistic democracies of the west. The average Joe in them really seem to be getting more infantile by the year. I think this might have something to do with the fact that the responsibilities that used to belong to the family now belong to the State. A State that in more and more ways wants to act like a parent unto its citizens. It is also hard to ignore the fact that capitalism is very important in western societies, and thinking of a link to the fact that one of the first words children learns after "mama" is "mine" is tempting.

Cheers

hi

my BA flight for 2nd arriving 3rd in bkk has been cancelled now ......

You should be grateful to PAD. Smile, don't be sad!

BA??? help please

BA??? help please

Get them to reroute the ticket to HKG then get CX morning flight to U-tapao. Job done.

hi

my BA flight for 2nd arriving 3rd in bkk has been cancelled now ......

You should be grateful to PAD. Smile, don't be sad!

BA??? help please

British Airways - BA

hi

my BA flight for 2nd arriving 3rd in bkk has been cancelled now ......

how do i find info on the abrreviations used here? ex. BA, have not used previosly BA - bay area???

just a quick question, I am not sure if I am confused here.

Wasnt Sondhi convicted of an offence last year and was given a prison sentence and is out on bail pending an appeal?

That's right. Just like Pojaman, they are both out of bail pending appeal.

However there is no appeal in Thaksin case. He has to go straight to jail. But it is funny why a person sentenced to jail with no possibililty of an appeal, have been given a permission by the court, to leave for Beijing to attend the olympic (after the sentence was passes)? This is Thailand. Indirectly the court was telling Thaksin to leave Thailand and don't come back. There was NO INTENTION to put any ex-PM behind bar (Thaksin was not the first). Thailand will loose too much face.

To me, the PM Somchai is a troll.

Would you please care to explain why?