Four grenade attacks damage Bangkok Bank branches

[Deeral]

There are figures if you care to google.

[yoshiwara]

Why Bangkok Bank? Is there a connection to Thaksin's seized money?

The answer may be in here.. http://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.co...-bank-and-lies/

hmmm.. interesting article.. is there really any doubt the the very rich control Thailand, similar the very rich controlling most countries in the world including the U.S.?

the divide between rich and poor - distribution of wealth - in Thailand is the biggest in the region.......with a burgeoning industrialised society this cannot be sustained without conflict.

What a load of pseudo-sociological junk.

In industrialised society, the division is not that of the distribution of wealth it is the ownership of the means of production (the division between the bourgeosie and the urban working class).

Notwithstanding this, Thaksin and the reds have zero economic policies.

Red apologists may twitter away, but the so-called red cheerleader class mouthings are purely a cover for Thaksin's objectives.

Distribution of wealth my a*se!

Edited April 24, 2010 by yoshiwara

[Deeral]

"What a load of pseudo-sociological junk."

as increasingly so on TV a very ignorant reply.

I'm so sad that so many posters don't seem to grasp even th most basic issues around the current situations and resort to partisan comments as above.

I wonder what Thai people would make of the bigoted comments about their nation on this web site.

you might want to read up onProf Pasuk Phongpaichit a bit before you blurt out any more of the same.

- The top 20% own 69% of the country's assets while the bottom 20% own only 1%.

-42% of bank savings money comes from only 70,000 bank accounts holding more than 10 million baht. They make up only 0.09% of all bank accounts in the country. In other words, less than 1% of the people own nearly half of the country's savings.

Edited April 24, 2010 by Deeral

[philw]

"What a load of pseudo-sociological junk."

as increasingly so on TV a very ignorant reply.

I'm so sad that so many posters don't seem to grasp even th most basic issues around the current situations and resort to partisan comments as above.

I wonder what Thai people would make of the bigoted comments about their nation on this web site.

you might want to read up onProf Pasuk Phongpaichit a bit before you blurt out any more of the same.

- The top 20% own 69% of the country's assets while the bottom 20% own only 1%.

-42% of bank savings money comes from only 70,000 bank accounts holding more than 10 million baht. They make up only 0.09% of all bank accounts in the country. In other words, less than 1% of the people own nearly half of the country's savings.

Well done and needs to be said.

Seems many on tv are utterly ignorant of, or need to be reminded of the desperate financial circumstances of a huge proportion of the population.

ph

[agord]

Why Bangkok Bank? Is there a connection to Thaksin's seized money?

Whoever did this, isn't this terrorism?

why does everything now adays have to be terrorism? how about somebody just ticked off at the powers that be?

Ticked off or not - bomb, public place, creating terror=terrorism.

[londonthai]

His Shirt looks pretty Red to me during one of his Red Shirt rally speeches.

Has there ever been any public pronouncement by the Red Shirts that dissociates him from their group?

Has there ever been any public pronouncement that they disagree with his beliefs?

I've never seen either.

many trockyist groups are entrists, they jump on the bandwagon of different protests and try to gain some popularity and membership. Rarely they cross the line of openly disclosing their politics on the stage.

Having this in mind, Gills has some interesting views, for example, the critics of the thai ruling class, which are shared by reds and many from the whole political spectrum/colours

[traderjm]

"What a load of pseudo-sociological junk."

as increasingly so on TV a very ignorant reply.

I'm so sad that so many posters don't seem to grasp even th most basic issues around the current situations and resort to partisan comments as above.

I wonder what Thai people would make of the bigoted comments about their nation on this web site.

you might want to read up onProf Pasuk Phongpaichit a bit before you blurt out any more of the same.

- The top 20% own 69% of the country's assets while the bottom 20% own only 1%.

-42% of bank savings money comes from only 70,000 bank accounts holding more than 10 million baht. They make up only 0.09% of all bank accounts in the country. In other words, less than 1% of the people own nearly half of the country's savings.

Well done and needs to be said.

Seems many on tv are utterly ignorant of, or need to be reminded of the desperate financial circumstances of a huge proportion of the population.

ph

It's always funny when a farang (like you) thinks they are speaking for Thai people in general and poor thai people in particular.. there is a huge number of the so called "desperate" financially speaking Thai's that are quite happy with their lot in life and for this reason they have no greater goal than to make it to the next day to take it easy and put their feet up. Not due to lack of education but simply lack of motivation or no desire to join the Western Styled Rat Race. Not everyone cars or wants a kick ass pick up or a big screen TV....

[way2muchcoffee]

"What a load of pseudo-sociological junk."

as increasingly so on TV a very ignorant reply.

I'm so sad that so many posters don't seem to grasp even th most basic issues around the current situations and resort to partisan comments as above.

I wonder what Thai people would make of the bigoted comments about their nation on this web site.

you might want to read up onProf Pasuk Phongpaichit a bit before you blurt out any more of the same.

- The top 20% own 69% of the country's assets while the bottom 20% own only 1%.

-42% of bank savings money comes from only 70,000 bank accounts holding more than 10 million baht. They make up only 0.09% of all bank accounts in the country. In other words, less than 1% of the people own nearly half of the country's savings.

Well done and needs to be said.

Seems many on tv are utterly ignorant of, or need to be reminded of the desperate financial circumstances of a huge proportion of the population.

ph

It's always funny when a farang (like you) thinks they are speaking for Thai people in general and poor thai people in particular.. there is a huge number of the so called "desperate" financially speaking Thai's that are quite happy with their lot in life and for this reason they have no greater goal than to make it to the next day to take it easy and put their feet up. Not due to lack of education but simply lack of motivation or no desire to join the Western Styled Rat Race. Not everyone cars or wants a kick ass pick up or a big screen TV....

Certainly they want the pick-up and the big screen TV. Who doesn't want these things?

Unfortunately they have to make sacrifices, work every day, save money, get educated, work harder, earn more money, save even more money, give up alcohol and other expensive vices, and then finally they will be able to get that big screen TV and fancy new pick-up. Perhaps they can then pass on this vision, drive, and enhanced social power to their children.

This is what the Chinese immigrants do in every country they move to. Later, after a generation or two their children are going to Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford. It is also why we see so many economically and politically powerful Thai-Chinese families in Thailand.

Edited April 24, 2010 by way2muchcoffee

[londonthai]

not many want rat race, but they need a steady income, so they don't have to worry, where the next bowl of rice is going to come from. Living from day to day is really not fun.

With lack of any social security, they need to save for the time of illness or for retirement, to avoid street begging or getting into crime.

the great majority of thais work for peanuts, monday-saturday 12-15h shifts

Edited April 24, 2010 by londonthai

[melbpete]

"What a load of pseudo-sociological junk."

as increasingly so on TV a very ignorant reply.

I'm so sad that so many posters don't seem to grasp even th most basic issues around the current situations and resort to partisan comments as above.

I wonder what Thai people would make of the bigoted comments about their nation on this web site.

you might want to read up onProf Pasuk Phongpaichit a bit before you blurt out any more of the same.

- The top 20% own 69% of the country's assets while the bottom 20% own only 1%.

-42% of bank savings money comes from only 70,000 bank accounts holding more than 10 million baht. They make up only 0.09% of all bank accounts in the country. In other words, less than 1% of the people own nearly half of the country's savings.

ANd how do the reds plan to fix this?

[way2muchcoffee]

not many want rat race, but they need a steady income, so they don't have to worry, where the next bowl of rice is going to come from. Living from day to day is really not fun.

With lack of any social security, they need to save for the time of illness or for retirement, to avoid street begging or getting into crime.

the great majority of thais work for peanuts, monday-saturday 12-15h shifts

Yes. You are right. There is no security net for poor Thais when the inevitable emergency arises. Typically they will rely on their vast collection of family and friends who are similarly poor. I understand this as I have observed it for nearly a decade living here. My extended family is from Isaan. Most alternate between itinerant construction work and farming. Unfortunately neither of these are really steady work. I am continually helping out in emergency situations and during transition times. This is fine. They are my family. I have greater financial means and it doesn't hurt much to help out once in a while or as necessary.

I do find it somewhat galling though that nearly every one of the family members somehow has enough money to get their daily alcohol fix, often to rather extreme excess. In my thinking this money would be better saved for the inevitable rainy day. On the other hand, if I had nothing and not much hope for improvement, based on life decision I and my parents made, I too might be a daily drinker, seeking only sanuk.

Edited April 24, 2010 by way2muchcoffee

[melbpete]

not many want rat race, but they need a steady income, so they don't have to worry, where the next bowl of rice is going to come from. Living from day to day is really not fun.

With lack of any social security, they need to save for the time of illness or for retirement, to avoid street begging or getting into crime.

the great majority of thais work for peanuts, monday-saturday 12-15h shifts

How many of TVF's posters parents and grandparents did exactly the same thing so that their kids could get an education and be better off than them?

[Deeral]

"What a load of pseudo-sociological junk."

as increasingly so on TV a very ignorant reply.

I'm so sad that so many posters don't seem to grasp even th most basic issues around the current situations and resort to partisan comments as above.

I wonder what Thai people would make of the bigoted comments about their nation on this web site.

you might want to read up onProf Pasuk Phongpaichit a bit before you blurt out any more of the same.

- The top 20% own 69% of the country's assets while the bottom 20% own only 1%.

-42% of bank savings money comes from only 70,000 bank accounts holding more than 10 million baht. They make up only 0.09% of all bank accounts in the country. In other words, less than 1% of the people own nearly half of the country's savings.

Well done and needs to be said.

Seems many on tv are utterly ignorant of, or need to be reminded of the desperate financial circumstances of a huge proportion of the population.

ph

It's always funny when a farang (like you) thinks they are speaking for Thai people in general and poor thai people in particular.. there is a huge number of the so called "desperate" financially speaking Thai's that are quite happy with their lot in life and for this reason they have no greater goal than to make it to the next day to take it easy and put their feet up. Not due to lack of education but simply lack of motivation or no desire to join the Western Styled Rat Race. Not everyone cars or wants a kick ass pick up or a big screen TV....

Certainly they want the pick-up and the big screen TV. Who doesn't want these things?

Unfortunately they have to make sacrifices, work every day, save money, get educated, work harder, earn more money, save even more money, give up alcohol and other expensive vices, and then finally they will be able to get that big screen TV and fancy new pick-up. Perhaps they can then pass on this vision, drive, and enhanced social power to their children.

This is what the Chinese immigrants do in every country they move to. Later, after a generation or two their children are going to Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford. It is also why we see so many economically and politically powerful Thai-Chinese families in Thailand.

interesting to see a racial interpretation - according this the Chinese run UK and the States........and you think that education is the key to "Chinese" success.....on the other hand if we look a some of the most grovelingly poor in Asia....and oh my God it's "those dam_n Chinese" again.... how can that be so?

If you are going to put forward a theory, try and make it a little erudite at least!

[traderjm]

Certainly they want the pick-up and the big screen TV. Who doesn't want these things?

Lots of people DON'T. I quess that is going to come as a shock to you.

Unfortunately they have to make sacrifices, work every day, save money, get educated, work harder, earn more money, save even more money, give up alcohol and other expensive vices, and then finally they will be able to get that big screen TV and fancy new pick-up. Perhaps they can then pass on this vision, drive, and enhanced social power to their children.

This is what the Chinese immigrants do in every country they move to. Later, after a generation or two their children are going to Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford. It is also why we see so many economically and politically powerful Thai-Chinese families in Thailand.

Those that want those things do the things you've mentioned above... they don't bomb transit stations and demand with the threat of violence that a gov't step down..

[way2muchcoffee]

interesting to see a racial interpretation - according this the Chinese run UK and the States........and you think that education is the key to "Chinese" success.....on the other hand if we look a some of the most grovelingly poor in Asia....and oh my God it's "those dam_n Chinese" again.... how can that be so?

If you are going to put forward a theory, try and make it a little erudite at least!

China is a communist nation. There is nothing more to be said regarding the extreme poverty there.

The Chinese people as a whole are known to be extremely industrious, with a strong penchant for saving everything possible. The Chinese as a people are also known to think in terms of generations. They believe that obtaining education for their children or grandchildren is of singular importance.

I tend to think that the climate in Thailand (and in other equatorial countries) breeds a kind of laziness. Fruit on the trees, fish in the rivers, frogs in the fields, ants in the trees etc., make survival in this climate pretty straightforward.

This is why the Chinese have been extremely successful here in Thailand. They are generally more motivated than their Thai counterparts and they have more money. As for western countries, the Chinese tend to be highly successful at business. I believe it is the racism of westerners coupled with xenophobia of the Chinese themselves, that has prevented them from entering the political arena in large numbers in the West.

Edited April 24, 2010 by way2muchcoffee

[way2muchcoffee]

Certainly they want the pick-up and the big screen TV. Who doesn't want these things?

Lots of people DON'T. I quess that is going to come as a shock to you.

Not surprised at all. The sufficiency attitude is quite common amongst the rural elders.

In general it is the younger ones who seem more interested in getting all the flashy new toys that the modern technological world has to offer.

Edited April 24, 2010 by way2muchcoffee

[traderjm]

w2much - just check ethnic proportions in world universities and you'll find you have no basis for your extraneous theories anyway - all you had to do was think critically but I see no sign of it. If you had an education you must have missed part out....it IS the basis of all thought though.

I shouldn't have to point this put but some posts are so illogical, unthought out and just prejudice and sound bites that they make the whole web site look dreadful. in short they are an embarrassment to the English speaking expats

I am guessing you need to get out more in the world, you can make a trip to my home country of Canada and you will see much as Way2Much said the Chinese as a general rule have done very well for themselves financially and in just about every high school it's a given that the vast majority of the advanced classes in math and sciences are populated by those of Asian background. I can not think of a single family I know of in Canada that is of Asian decent that does NOT force/pressure/guilt/suggest to their children to take extra courses on weekend and so forth.. yet I can not think of ONE native Canadian family that does the same.

I am not saying one way is better or worse only that is the way it was in Canada when I was last there and my family still being there in Vancouver tell me its exactly the same..call it racist if you want it's still true'

Edited April 24, 2010 by traderjm

[agord]

"What a load of pseudo-sociological junk."

as increasingly so on TV a very ignorant reply.

I'm so sad that so many posters don't seem to grasp even th most basic issues around the current situations and resort to partisan comments as above.

I wonder what Thai people would make of the bigoted comments about their nation on this web site.

you might want to read up onProf Pasuk Phongpaichit a bit before you blurt out any more of the same.

- The top 20% own 69% of the country's assets while the bottom 20% own only 1%.

-42% of bank savings money comes from only 70,000 bank accounts holding more than 10 million baht. They make up only 0.09% of all bank accounts in the country. In other words, less than 1% of the people own nearly half of the country's savings.

Well done and needs to be said.

Seems many on tv are utterly ignorant of, or need to be reminded of the desperate financial circumstances of a huge proportion of the population.

ph

It's always funny when a farang (like you) thinks they are speaking for Thai people in general and poor thai people in particular.. there is a huge number of the so called "desperate" financially speaking Thai's that are quite happy with their lot in life and for this reason they have no greater goal than to make it to the next day to take it easy and put their feet up. Not due to lack of education but simply lack of motivation or no desire to join the Western Styled Rat Race. Not everyone cars or wants a kick ass pick up or a big screen TV....

Yes in other words sabai sabai, mai phen rai.

[agord]

not many want rat race, but they need a steady income, so they don't have to worry, where the next bowl of rice is going to come from. Living from day to day is really not fun.

With lack of any social security, they need to save for the time of illness or for retirement, to avoid street begging or getting into crime.

the great majority of thais work for peanuts, monday-saturday 12-15h shifts

Where is this? For as long as I have been here and worked with Thai people they work an 8 hour day with two days off. Social Security? That's what their kids are for eh.

[Mario2008]

3 posts deleetd under our zero tolerence policy regarding political topics. Just keep it nice.

[traderjm]

Yes in other words sabai sabai, mai phen rai.

I believe that is the opening line of the National Anthem

[londonthai]

Where is this? For as long as I have been here and worked with Thai people they work an 8 hour day with two days off. Social Security? That's what their kids are for eh.

you are talking about a small minority.

[londonthai]

the great majority of thais work for peanuts, monday-saturday 12-15h shifts

How many of TVF's posters parents and grandparents did exactly the same thing so that their kids could get an education and be better off than them?

not, if you are working for peanuts or a bowl of rice - no matter how many generations pass, the next one will still be working for the same.

exactly as it was in europe till the beginning of the 20th century

[Deeral]

w2much - just check ethnic proportions in world universities and you'll find you have no basis for your extraneous theories anyway - all you had to do was think critically but I see no sign of it. If you had an education you must have missed part out....it IS the basis of all thought though.

I shouldn't have to point this put but some posts are so illogical, unthought out and just prejudice and sound bites that they make the whole web site look dreadful. in short they are an embarrassment to the English speaking expats

I am guessing you need to get out more in the world, you can make a trip to my home country of Canada and you will see much as Way2Much said the Chinese as a general rule have done very well for themselves financially and in just about every high school it's a given that the vast majority of the advanced classes in math and sciences are populated by those of Asian background. I can not think of a single family I know of in Canada that is of Asian decent that does NOT force/pressure/guilt/suggest to their children to take extra courses on weekend and so forth.. yet I can not think of ONE native Canadian family that does the same.

I am not saying one way is better or worse only that is the way it was in Canada when I was last there and my family still being there in Vancouver tell me its exactly the same..call it racist if you want it's still true'

Lets set a few things straight for the record.

Half my family in Oz IS Chinese.

They came at varying times in the 1960s....one or two have even been in Oz since the 19th C. They own a chain of well-known businesses in Sydney and elsewhere....but why didn't you ask? Because you can't SEE me you just assume that everyone on this site is WASP or near to that....and if they're not – well that's a dent on your perception.

...and now let me point out a few things about ALL immigrants – not just Chinese, they pay particular attention to getting their kids educated – they HAVE to - as they see that as the main way to OVERCOME the negative influences – especially of people who claim to know how “Chinese “ behave – for a start it is a huge portion of the worlds population and I can assure you that they do not all behave the same way. They also tend to go into family businesses – that's because other people won't employ them so readily.

If you look at the numbers of IMMIGRANTS that do well in business education etc you will find that the Chinese do NOT dominate – you will find that WASPS tend to do best in Western Society.....and plenty of tother ethnic groups can be shown to shine in all sorts of fields if you want to classify people this way.

As racial prejudice less weakens in certain areas ALL immigrant will do better. However most Westerners still tend to notice people by their colour or appearance and if you see “a lot of” (or what you consider to be “a lot” then you start making up un unsubstantiated theories about the chinese and their culture and conclude that they are doing disproportionally better than others your own stereotypes and artificial groupings.

e.g.You see tow “asians” on a science course and all of a sudden it's ...”look at all those “Chinese” doing science now”

In short, you are believing what you (think you) see – the ultimate mistake.

BTW - members of my family are also in Canada and UK.

Edited April 27, 2010 by Deeral