Thaksin 'Clone' Set To Be Thai PM

[007]

Fantastic!!! Democracy is back! :jap:

There's got to be a reason that 95% of Thais pronounce it 'democrac(z)y', with the stress on the third syllable.

Or as J. M. de Maistre wrote: 'Every country has the government it deserves.' - Good night luck, Thailand! :jap:

[somchai jones]

No flaming from me CaptainFantastic. I have been here long time, doing business and I am happy to see a business mind back in the leadership of this beautiful country which I now call HOME!

I trust we are going to see a lot of surprise movements by this Lady with the pretty smile - AND strong personality of her own. Do not make a mistake Kn. Yingluck Shinawatra has tungsten steel in her own bones. She might not have political experience, but she definitely got business sense and that is going to make her a big winner.

Some might be painful;

1) Expect increase in minimum salaries and benefits for workers; but then I will be happy for that too. My workers are anyway paid well above minimum wages.

2) Oh and for corruption that was on the rise again - there is going to be a death blow from Tungsten Lady. She (and her Brother) has always been dead set against that.

3) Immigration will be tighten again; no problem for the welcome legal expats.

4) Taxes on those who have big money - will rise; for those who are common workers will reduce.

Shucks, I already feel sorry for Yingluck Shinawatra

All the changes she is going to implement is again going to be an advantage to the general population - and that is not loved by the Bangkok elite Establishment.

THAT my friends were the only mistake her older brother made. I do not believe he was guilty as charged.

We all know the magic and wonders that can be done in this lovely country. In Thailand reality can be stranger than fiction.

Remember, the EX-Military coup government had to replace at least four high court judges before they could bring charges.

First Female Prime Minister for Thailand.

First democratic elected government in five years.

But there is one more world winner: Now Thailand definitely has the prettiest Prime Minister anywhere in the world!

I for one am VERY happy, excited and look forward to a new era in Thailand (and in my own business again). I do not think anything better could have happened this year.

Hear hear.

Forget the Arab spring.

There is a world spring brewing.

I, too, am an employer. I pay my staff well. I treat them well. I afford them the same courtesies I would wish to be afforded. I even take them on holiday and don't feel slighted by those who prefer to stay at home. I pay them a cash equivalent of what it would have cost me to take them on holiday.

It's called "empathy". Not everything I enjoy is enjoyed by everyone. But often it is.

I'm pleased that my original post has drawn a few affirmative responses because this TV site has so often trodden on the genuinely populist thinking members, in favour of its right-wing paymasters or owners and if it doesn't change and become more tolerant I hope it dies a natural dinosaur's death. No great loss.

Wholly agree with you and well said.

Thumbs up from me as well.

Well said

[WinnieTheKhwai]

One thing though:

3) Immigration will be tighten again; no problem for the welcome legal expats.

I don't see any difference in Immigration policies under TRT and under what followed. This particular area of law making and enforcement does not seem to be hotly contested by all sides, and the immigration department itself.

What you see is an established and very sensible trend towards making sure true riff-raff doesn't come to Thailand to free-load. That is just natural and to be expected for any country that develops and becomes more affluent. Just about all Western countries have immigration rules that are nothing short of draconian compared to anything Thailand has attempted.

So in this particular area I don't foresee any difference between any party.

Sorry.

[BigBikeBKK]

The only difference between those from a privileged background to those from a less fortunate one is money- not IQ!

I agree, hence why I wrote 'educated'.

Sadly however one has to be educated, atleast about the political parties and how their policies will affect the nation, to make an educated choice in an election. Anything else is either group-think, peer-pressure or purely emotional reasons.

The process is called 'democracy' my friend. In this process ALL people have the right to cast a vote, not just certain strata of society.

By the very nature of the process, some people will be satisfied with the result, others not so.

You can not call a system where votes are for sale a democracy...

[WinnieTheKhwai]

The people have spoken and have democratically elected a government regardless of what others might say about vote buying.

If there there is a coup in the near future, its quite feasible that the UN could intervene this time.

Watch this space!

How can you say 'democratically elected' when there is massive vote buying? Doesn't compute.

Here's one that probably doesn't compute either. You can't "buy a vote". You can offer someone money as encouragement to vote for the candidate of your choice but you have no control nor actual confirmation over whether they do or not. So....when both parties offer money in the same village, it's the lucky voter who gets to take money from both and then vote PT anyway

Also, it seems Bhum Jai Thai has been the most active in this regard. They were the ones universally loved on this forum for helpuing the Democrats form their 'democratic' government, remember?

Anyway, with promises of increased wages for people, and increased financing options for small traders, who really needs vote buying. More and more people vote exactly for the same reasons as anywhere in the world, and that means they very much have their wallet in mind. The shift is towards having their wallet size increased before the election versus afterwards, like in the West. I think the latter is better. (while not perfect, but that's democracy.)

[SICHONSTEVE]

Flame away, guys :jap:

VIVA Yingluck Shinawatra ! ! !

No flaming from me CaptainFantastic. I have been here long time, doing business and I am happy to see a business mind back in the leadership of this beautiful country which I now call HOME!

I trust we are going to see a lot of surprise movements by this Lady with the pretty smile - AND strong personality of her own. Do not make a mistake Kn. Yingluck Shinawatra has tungsten steel in her own bones. She might not have political experience, but she definitely got business sense and that is going to make her a big winner.

Some might be painful;

1) Expect increase in minimum salaries and benefits for workers; but then I will be happy for that too. My workers are anyway paid well above minimum wages.

2) Oh and for corruption that was on the rise again - there is going to be a death blow from Tungsten Lady. She (and her Brother) has always been dead set against that.

3) Immigration will be tighten again; no problem for the welcome legal expats.

4) Taxes on those who have big money - will rise; for those who are common workers will reduce.

Shucks, I already feel sorry for Yingluck Shinawatra

All the changes she is going to implement is again going to be an advantage to the general population - and that is not loved by the Bangkok elite Establishment.

THAT my friends were the only mistake her older brother made. I do not believe he was guilty as charged.

We all know the magic and wonders that can be done in this lovely country. In Thailand reality can be stranger than fiction.

Remember, the EX-Military coup government had to replace at least four high court judges before they could bring charges.

First Female Prime Minister for Thailand.

First democratic elected government in five years.

But there is one more world winner: Now Thailand definitely has the prettiest Prime Minister anywhere in the world!

I for one am VERY happy, excited and look forward to a new era in Thailand (and in my own business again). I do not think anything better could have happened this year.

(1) As salaries rise so will inflation or people will simply hire more illegals from Burma

(2) You mean no more "tea money" for the boys in grey? Yea, right

(3) Tighter how? Any tighter and tourism might as well stop...This is still a tourist country and that would be an epic fail. With Chiang Mai hotels at less than 40% occupancy rate it is pretty cleat they need to loosen tourism regulations, not tighten them.

(4) Tax who? Thai companies? You will simply see more underground economics. Foreign companies? They will move to China if you do that.

As a classic band put it "meet the new boss, same ad the old boss'

And we all know who really calls the tune...

"2) Oh and for corruption that was on the rise again - there is going to be a death blow from Tungsten Lady. She (and her Brother) has always been dead set against that."

"Dead against corruption" - are you kidding - just how do you compare the shenanigans of the police with their tea-money against the 43 billion baht he fraudulently stole from the state and then lied about despite being under oath. Also, lets not forget that the incumbent prime minister or the "wolfram lady" as you describe her lied also as she was cajoled by her brother into doing so to try to save his skin - only getting off on a technicality of it being less than a 5% holding that didn't need to be declared??? She also lied though about this fact in court it should be remembered!!

Let him come back and serve his 2 year jail term (handed out in this greedy coward's abstentia) after he fled from the country by the way to avoid justice being done!! and I MIGHT just believe this absurd statement of yours. Hands up those people that think he will return and do this - not too many aching arms here I would imagine!!! so I guess the answer is a resolute NO then!!!!!!

[michaeljordan]

The only difference between those from a privileged background to those from a less fortunate one is money- not IQ!

I agree, hence why I wrote 'educated'.

Sadly however one has to be educated, atleast about the political parties and how their policies will affect the nation, to make an educated choice in an election. Anything else is either group-think, peer-pressure or purely emotional reasons.

The process is called 'democracy' my friend. In this process ALL people have the right to cast a vote, not just certain strata of society.

By the very nature of the process, some people will be satisfied with the result, others not so.

You can not call a system where votes are for sale a democracy...

Funny that you were more than happy to call it a democracy before your candidates and party lost.

[newermonkey]

Usually Lucifer doesn't get his way with us by appearing to us as a hideous ugly revolting creature.

He was originally the most beautiful angel, according to the bible, I think. His name Lucifer, means "radiant one". He was, in a sense, God's brightest star. He can still appear this way, to some extent. Do you remember the early rock in roll song about the "Devil with the blue dress on"?

How about the one about the devil in blue jeans?

In the garden of eden, satan tempted adam and eve with the idea of being like God, not with the idea of learning what it is like to become spiritually broken, and to cause the introduction of physical and moral and spiritual death into their perfect world.

The devil always uses some sort of deception or disguise.

Unfortunately the majority of Thais will not understand the implications here.

[BigBikeBKK]

One thing though:

3) Immigration will be tighten again; no problem for the welcome legal expats.

I don't see any difference in Immigration policies under TRT and under what followed. This particular area of law making and enforcement does not seem to be hotly contested by all sides, and the immigration department itself.

What you see is an established and very sensible trend towards making sure true riff-raff doesn't come to Thailand to free-load. That is just natural and to be expected for any country that develops and becomes more affluent. Just about all Western countries have immigration rules that are nothing short of draconian compared to anything Thailand has attempted.

So in this particular area I don't foresee any difference between any party.

Sorry.

Sure, immigration Taksin style = visas for sale to the highest bidder.

Perhaps all the foreigners who got scammed by Thaksin's "Thailand Elite" scheme might finally get their money back...

And pigs will fly!

[softgeorge]

Do I smell a propaganda campaign brewing to taint this site as an enemy of the new Thaksin regime? Something is fishy about this revisionist history. Most posters here, based on polls here, have been against Thaksin, SO WHAT?!?, but I have seen plenty of pro red posts here for years now. It isn't the fault of the site about the politics of the majority of its posters. I don't accept that any one side has been over-moderated more than another side based on some kind of anti-Thaksin political agenda.

It is a shame Thais were not given a real alternative to the current "system." When is a win a loss? That question might become more relevant as time passes. Right now, the real winners are the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, all of whom benefit every time Thailand makes a huge mistake.

Thais have elected the government they want by the majority of the people how is this a loss? The election proved that the country supported the red shirts and not the elite yellow shirts that maybe 90% of people on here debated so vigorously. Time to bite the bullet and admit so many on here were totally wrong with thier comments. Let's not condem this elected government just yet they may very well surprise you and you don't want egg all over your faces again.

[BigBikeBKK]

I agree, hence why I wrote 'educated'.

Sadly however one has to be educated, atleast about the political parties and how their policies will affect the nation, to make an educated choice in an election. Anything else is either group-think, peer-pressure or purely emotional reasons.

The process is called 'democracy' my friend. In this process ALL people have the right to cast a vote, not just certain strata of society.

By the very nature of the process, some people will be satisfied with the result, others not so.

You can not call a system where votes are for sale a democracy...

Funny that you were more than happy to call it a democracy before your candidates and party lost.

I was? Quote please

BTW, I'm just an expat. I don't have a party or candidate in this country.

Funny how so many of your Red Shirt cheerleaders are so narrow minded that you assume a critique of Thaksin equals support for the Yellow shirts.

The real world is not so black and white

[Gonsalviz]

Amazing how many on this thread align themselves with the Bkk elite and the Yellows (as I assume you must be if you think Thaksin is so bad).

As far as Yingluck's conduct as PM will go, strange how no one here is willing to apply the concept of "innocent till proven guilty" to her, but it is a concept that many on this site, judging from many other threads, pay lip service to.

Not a single person posting here has the faintest idea what she will do in practice. When you see her clearly carrying out the orders of Big Brother, then, and then only, should you be making all these silly insulting remarks, and shouting 'guilty".

How many on this thread have siblings or parents or children whose behaviour sometimes embarrasses you? Would you want to be judged by THEIR behaviour?

He is bad. So are all the rest. She might be good but I think she will be corrupted like the rest. It's the way things are done. I think Mahathir called it 'Asian Values'.

[NovaBlue05]

The only difference between those from a privileged background to those from a less fortunate one is money- not IQ!

I agree, hence why I wrote 'educated'.

Sadly however one has to be educated, atleast about the political parties and how their policies will affect the nation, to make an educated choice in an election. Anything else is either group-think, peer-pressure or purely emotional reasons.

The process is called 'democracy' my friend. In this process ALL people have the right to cast a vote, not just certain strata of society.

By the very nature of the process, some people will be satisfied with the result, others not so.

You can not call a system where votes are for sale a democracy...

Sure you can...... as long as the people are allowed to vote for the candidate they choose

[SICHONSTEVE]

Everybody i spoke to here in thailand voting for Yingluck

Are those "everybody" the bar girls from Udon?

It appears to have been some of the educated and wealthy of Bangkok.

Oh no it wasn't!! It was the misguided, uneducated, poor taxi drivers, stall owners and those eking out a living on the outskirts of the capital that voted for their "chosen one".

Since when did turkeys (especially the intelligent ones - if there is such a thing as an intelligent "gobbler") vote for christmas?????

Edited July 4, 2011 by SICHONSTEVE

[BigBikeBKK]

I agree, hence why I wrote 'educated'.

Sadly however one has to be educated, atleast about the political parties and how their policies will affect the nation, to make an educated choice in an election. Anything else is either group-think, peer-pressure or purely emotional reasons.

The process is called 'democracy' my friend. In this process ALL people have the right to cast a vote, not just certain strata of society.

By the very nature of the process, some people will be satisfied with the result, others not so.

You can not call a system where votes are for sale a democracy...

Sure you can...... as long as the people are allowed to vote for the candidate they choose

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Thai-style "democracy". Whoever buys the most votes wins! :jap:

[Gonsalviz]

Flame away, guys :jap:

VIVA Yingluck Shinawatra ! ! !

No flaming from me CaptainFantastic. I have been here long time, doing business and I am happy to see a business mind back in the leadership of this beautiful country which I now call HOME!

I trust we are going to see a lot of surprise movements by this Lady with the pretty smile - AND strong personality of her own. Do not make a mistake Kn. Yingluck Shinawatra has tungsten steel in her own bones. She might not have political experience, but she definitely got business sense and that is going to make her a big winner.

Some might be painful;

1) Expect increase in minimum salaries and benefits for workers; but then I will be happy for that too. My workers are anyway paid well above minimum wages.

2) Oh and for corruption that was on the rise again - there is going to be a death blow from Tungsten Lady. She (and her Brother) has always been dead set against that.

3) Immigration will be tighten again; no problem for the welcome legal expats.

4) Taxes on those who have big money - will rise; for those who are common workers will reduce.

Shucks, I already feel sorry for Yingluck Shinawatra

All the changes she is going to implement is again going to be an advantage to the general population - and that is not loved by the Bangkok elite Establishment.

THAT my friends were the only mistake her older brother made. I do not believe he was guilty as charged.

We all know the magic and wonders that can be done in this lovely country. In Thailand reality can be stranger than fiction.

Remember, the EX-Military coup government had to replace at least four high court judges before they could bring charges.

First Female Prime Minister for Thailand.

First democratic elected government in five years.

But there is one more world winner: Now Thailand definitely has the prettiest Prime Minister anywhere in the world!

I for one am VERY happy, excited and look forward to a new era in Thailand (and in my own business again). I do not think anything better could have happened this year.

(1) As salaries rise so will inflation or people will simply hire more illegals from Burma

(2) You mean no more "tea money" for the boys in grey? Yea, right

(3) Tighter how? Any tighter and tourism might as well stop...This is still a tourist country and that would be an epic fail. With Chiang Mai hotels at less than 40% occupancy rate it is pretty cleat they need to loosen tourism regulations, not tighten them.

(4) Tax who? Thai companies? You will simply see more underground economics. Foreign companies? They will move to China if you do that.

As a classic band put it "meet the new boss, same ad the old boss'

And we all know who really calls the tune...

"2) Oh and for corruption that was on the rise again - there is going to be a death blow from Tungsten Lady. She (and her Brother) has always been dead set against that."

"Dead against corruption" - are you kidding - just how do you compare the shenanigans of the police with their tea-money against the 43 billion baht he fraudulently stole from the state and then lied about despite being under oath. Also, lets not forget that the incumbent prime minister or the "wolfram lady" as you describe her lied also as she was cajoled by her brother into doing so to try to save his skin - only getting off on a technicality of it being less than a 5% holding that didn't need to be declared??? She also lied though about this fact in court it should be remembered!!

Let him come back and serve his 2 year jail term (handed out in this greedy coward's abstentia) after he fled from the country by the way to avoid justice being done!! and I MIGHT just believe this absurd statement of yours. Hands up those people that think he will return and do this - not too many aching arms here I would imagine!!! so I guess the answer is a resolute NO then!!!!!!

It was more than that. 46 billion is all they took.

[Siam Simon]

Everybody i spoke to here in thailand voting for Yingluck

Are those "everybody" the bar girls from Udon?

It appears to have been some of the educated and wealthy of Bangkok.

Oh no it wasn't!! It was the misguided, uneducated, poor taxi drivers, stall owners and those eking out a living on the outskirts of the capital that voted for their "chosen one".

Since when did turkeys (especially the intelligent ones - if there is such a thing as an intelligent "gobbler") vote for christmas?????

Steve, they're currently in negotiations with the army. (isn't it strange that a political party that has won an outright majority in a General Election has to negotiate with it's own army about how to govern?). Never mind, I'm sure they'll all get there. The population can be a bloody nuisance at times.

[Ricardo]

Its a beautful day, justice has prevailed!

Lets hope that Abhisit, generals, judges etc... will be brought to a quick justice, hand out the punishment they deserve for not allowing the people to have their power.

Lets hope also that the tools (a certain website springs to my mind) in which the innocent inside and outside Thailand were manipulated will be shut down swiftly.

Its just time for revenge and it will taste sweet for sure.

Happy happy happy 555

Hurrah for 'True-Democracy', except that in order to get his own amnesty, Thaksin is quite happy to absolve those others you mention, of the punishments you seem to think they deserve. Doesn't that make you feel good ?

Not the first time he's sold-out his own side, but there you go, "Thaksin Thinks, Pheu Thai Does".

Which web-site do you refer to, by-the-way ?

[FOODLOVER]

When do they hand out the free tablets?

[Suradit]

Everybody i spoke to here in thailand voting for Yingluck

Same here! People on this forum been so out of tough with Thais I am sure 90% live overseas but are experts.

The next thing they will say everyone was paid to vote red

Yes, everyone is big on democracy until democracy delivers a result they don't like and then they proclaim that all the voters are supposedly uneducated, ill-informed and naive ... unlike the "intelligentsia" who populate TV message boards, the majority of whom are [self-appointed] "experts" in every field imaginable and have an indepth knowledge of Thai politics despite being unable to read/comprehend any Thai news coverage or political discussion.

And this is basically the same group of experts who were moaning endlessly that they were denied ready access to liquor for a day or two because of the election.

[ovaltina]

It is indeed humiliating for the ruling class that has done everything possible to stop the Thaksin political machine.

You are happily ignoring that Thaksin himself claimed as part of his defense in absentia, to have got his multi-billion dollar assets from his ultra-rich family, which immediately puts him in the richest Hi-So 1% of the worlds population, and thus by ANY definition a core part of the Thai Ruling Class, and that he had a multibillion business empire funded in part by bribes & larceny, and that he employed his own family members and repeatedly promoted his own family members to Ruling Class positions in Thai business & government, and built a little Thaksin Family PLC bubble at the very tip-top 1% of Thai Ruling Class society, while occasionally tossing a few table-scraps to the working proles down below to keep things ticking over.

The biggest bare-faced evidence of this is our new PM. Examine her if you will. Does she look like she has spent long hard years in the paddy fields and wood-yards, under a baking sun, in poverty and desperation, like the millions of hard-working rural people she so amazingly claims to represent ? Can't you see her chalk-white dermatologically perfect unblemished skin (as is so very popular with the skin-bleaching Hi-So Ruling-Class in BKK). Does she look to you like she has been baked in the sun from years of backbreaking rural toil as she nobley struggles with her farming comrades under the solar anvil. Put a photo of our new PM, next to a photo of the sunbaked desperately poor field-workers who we saw in Bkk Demos last year & who were paid in promises & cash to get her Hi-So Ruling Class family back into control of the heavy-agri resources etc. & untold $billions more. Note the difference in appearance between the candidate & the voters. A different world entirely. Thats because she is pure dynastic Ruling Class & they are not.

[SICHONSTEVE]

VIVA Yingluck Shinawatra ! ! !

No flaming from me CaptainFantastic. I have been here long time, doing business and I am happy to see a business mind back in the leadership of this beautiful country which I now call HOME!

I trust we are going to see a lot of surprise movements by this Lady with the pretty smile - AND strong personality of her own. Do not make a mistake Kn. Yingluck Shinawatra has tungsten steel in her own bones. She might not have political experience, but she definitely got business sense and that is going to make her a big winner.

Some might be painful;

1) Expect increase in minimum salaries and benefits for workers; but then I will be happy for that too. My workers are anyway paid well above minimum wages.

2) Oh and for corruption that was on the rise again - there is going to be a death blow from Tungsten Lady. She (and her Brother) has always been dead set against that.

3) Immigration will be tighten again; no problem for the welcome legal expats.

4) Taxes on those who have big money - will rise; for those who are common workers will reduce.

Shucks, I already feel sorry for Yingluck Shinawatra

All the changes she is going to implement is again going to be an advantage to the general population - and that is not loved by the Bangkok elite Establishment.

THAT my friends were the only mistake her older brother made. I do not believe he was guilty as charged.

We all know the magic and wonders that can be done in this lovely country. In Thailand reality can be stranger than fiction.

Remember, the EX-Military coup government had to replace at least four high court judges before they could bring charges.

First Female Prime Minister for Thailand.

First democratic elected government in five years.

But there is one more world winner: Now Thailand definitely has the prettiest Prime Minister anywhere in the world!

I for one am VERY happy, excited and look forward to a new era in Thailand (and in my own business again). I do not think anything better could have happened this year.

(1) As salaries rise so will inflation or people will simply hire more illegals from Burma

(2) You mean no more "tea money" for the boys in grey? Yea, right

(3) Tighter how? Any tighter and tourism might as well stop...This is still a tourist country and that would be an epic fail. With Chiang Mai hotels at less than 40% occupancy rate it is pretty cleat they need to loosen tourism regulations, not tighten them.

(4) Tax who? Thai companies? You will simply see more underground economics. Foreign companies? They will move to China if you do that.

As a classic band put it "meet the new boss, same ad the old boss'

And we all know who really calls the tune...

"2) Oh and for corruption that was on the rise again - there is going to be a death blow from Tungsten Lady. She (and her Brother) has always been dead set against that."

"Dead against corruption" - are you kidding - just how do you compare the shenanigans of the police with their tea-money against the 43 billion baht he fraudulently stole from the state and then lied about despite being under oath. Also, lets not forget that the incumbent prime minister or the "wolfram lady" as you describe her lied also as she was cajoled by her brother into doing so to try to save his skin - only getting off on a technicality of it being less than a 5% holding that didn't need to be declared??? She also lied though about this fact in court it should be remembered!!

Let him come back and serve his 2 year jail term (handed out in this greedy coward's abstentia) after he fled from the country by the way to avoid justice being done!! and I MIGHT just believe this absurd statement of yours. Hands up those people that think he will return and do this - not too many aching arms here I would imagine!!! so I guess the answer is a resolute NO then!!!!!!

It was more than that. 46 billion is all they took.

Sorry for getting my facts slightly wrong but 3 billions is peanuts don't you think in the general scheme of things!!! After all, who's going to worry about such a paltry amount as this. You might just as well throw it on the pavement than bother to put it in your pocket, just like I used to do with half pence pieces (or satangs for that matter).

[michaeljordan]

It is indeed humiliating for the ruling class that has done everything possible to stop the Thaksin political machine.

You are happily ignoring that Thaksin himself claimed as part of his defense in absentia, to have got his multi-billion dollar assets from his ultra-rich family, which immediately puts him in the richest Hi-So 1% of the worlds population, and thus by ANY definition a core part of the Thai Ruling Class, and that he had a multibillion business empire funded in part by bribes & larceny, and that he employed his own family members and repeatedly promoted his own family members to Ruling Class positions in Thai business & government, and built a little Thaksin Family PLC bubble at the very tip-top 1% of Thai Ruling Class society, while occasionally tossing a few table-scraps to the working proles down below to keep things ticking over.

The biggest bare-faced evidence of this is our new PM. Examine her if you will. Does she look like she has spent long hard years in the paddy fields and wood-yards, under a baking sun, in poverty and desperation, like the millions of hard-working rural people she so amazingly claims to represent ? Can't you see her chalk-white dermatologically perfect unblemished skin (as is so very popular with the skin-bleaching Hi-So Ruling-Class in BKK). Does she look to you like she has been baked in the sun from years of backbreaking rural toil as she nobley struggles with her farming comrades under the solar anvil. Put a photo of our new PM, next to a photo of the sunbaked desperately poor field-workers who we saw in Bkk Demos last year & who were paid in promises & cash to get her Hi-So Ruling Class family back into control of the heavy-agri resources etc. & untold $billions more. Note the difference in appearance between the candidate & the voters. A different world entirely. Thats because she is pure dynastic Ruling Class & they are not.

Of course you know it takes a shark to know another shark.

You think because Teddy Kennedy was from the very rich in America that he was any less a fighter for the common man?

FDR was from a very rich family and that certainly diod not stop him from being a fighter for the common man.

So what is your point?

You think only a man from the countryside who worked in the fields can fight for the common Thai man?

I disagree and I doubt you really think that.

You just do not like the election results.

[Fookhaht]

The process is called 'democracy' my friend. In this process ALL people have the right to cast a vote, not just certain strata of society.

By the very nature of the process, some people will be satisfied with the result, others not so.

You can not call a system where votes are for sale a democracy...

Sure you can...... as long as the people are allowed to vote for the candidate they choose

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Thai-style "democracy". Whoever buys the most votes wins! :jap:

No, Thais don't have the corner on that style of democracy.

Do you know anything about "pork-barrel politics" in the USA or UK? Same thing, just a little more refined.

[EyesWideOpen]

Please tell me I am not the only one to see the humor of one of the wealthiest families in Thailand , who make most of the the Bangkok Hi-so people look like beggars by comparison, suddenly portray themselves as champion of the little people ????

I am sure that Thaksin and his endless clones have studied carefully the Perons of Argentina . Their strategy was simple and very effective. Ignore the intelligent people in the cities who see through you like a pane of glass, then head to the country side and fling money to the peasants who then love you, and re-elect you.

My predictions ? The generals will strike a deal to be in essence left alone, and they in turn will not stage a coup. All charges against Thaksin will be dropped, and he will be back here within two months.

[metisdead]

Off topic baiting posts and inflammatory posts have been removed.

[softgeorge]

Everybody i spoke to here in thailand voting for Yingluck

Are those "everybody" the bar girls from Udon?

Get over it your elite yellow shirts were not as popular as many on here actually thought. So many on here have been proven wrong and have egg on thier faces.

[SICHONSTEVE]

Steve, they're currently in negotiations with the army. (isn't it strange that a political party that has won an outright majority in a General Election has to negotiate with it's own army about how to govern?). Never mind, I'm sure they'll all get there. The population can be a bloody nuisance at times.

What something along the lines of "please don't turf us out again as we are not those deceiteful, monarchy hating, self enriching people you know we are - this time round, anyway, honest gov" and "I'm sure that you're army fella's were not ALL guilty of trying to kill our brain washed foot soldiers (I mean friends) and there was that nice Sae Dheng geezer that helped us in hiring those black shirted mates of his - by the way, does anyone know where he is as the last time I heard about him was when he was giving that interview to an American TV station. I haven't heard from them (you know our lackeys) for a while either and I must get around to seeing them sometime to thank them for doing all our 'dirty work'. 'I hope that they are OK as we paid them well to this end (whoops shouldn't have told you that bit as I believe the EC frown upon this sort of thing - silly duffers) lol!!!

They are probably living it up in that popular hotel the Bangkok Hilton - nice food and accommodation they say by all accounts. Although I prefer the 5 star ones as if they only have 4 of those "twinkling little things" then that's akin to staying in a youth hostel FOR ME anyway and is not becoming or worthy for someone as eminently as important as me!!!

Edited July 4, 2011 by SICHONSTEVE

[spidermike007]

The amazing aspect of most of these nearly hysterical posts, is that they are being created nearly entirely by foreigners with little understanding of Thai politics. What the Thai people were faced with, was a choice to re-elect a man who was entirely controlled by the establishment, and who never was allowed to make a decision of any importance, nor pass any legislation that would have benefitted the average Thai. The status quo did not permit that. Of the many Thais I spoke to about Abhisit, none spoke of how effective he was, nor of how much he did for them. On the other hand, I have spoken to many Thais of all walks of life, and they go on and on about how much Thaksin did for them. Apparently, it was not only the loan program, but it was allowing the common Thai people access to the Thai hospitals, and health coverage for the first time in their lives. The democrats about ten years ago did everything in their power to defeat the legislation that was brought to parliament to enact this coverage. Thaksin getting elected was in part, a reaction to the democrats unwillingness to help the common Thai people, which was their policy for decades prior to him getting elected. Abhisit simply followed those policies, that were dictated to him by cruel, stingy, non-visionary men of little character, who felt compelled to greedily hang on to all of the wealth of this nation. Can you think of a single visionary policy they put into place in the past two years? Can you point to any area where they effectively fought the corruption that is crippling this great country? Many feel like Thailand is going backwards, and the status quo certainly deserve much of the blame for that. While I am no fan of Thaksin, I can see where the Thai people adore him for what he has done for them. I can also see where it may be a good thing for Thailand, and perhaps for us farengs living here too, to shake things up, and fight the status quo, which Yingluck (at his behest of course), and Thaksin certainly will do. I suspect any fight against the fabulously corrupt, fabulously rich, and fabulously ineffective coronels, is a fight that is good for the nation.

[bonobo]

Thaksin is already promising to bring the USD back to 40/THB and 30 million tourists a year in LOS - he has all but actually proclaimed himself the real PM. Ta-da! The joke is no longer just a joke. A whole nation (or at least most of it) has fallen for it.

Did he really say that? Link? Not doubting it, just that I get paid in USD so would be happy about that for sure!

Not heard that myself as a PTP policy but I am also not saying it isn't true either, but now important that we do find out whether it is true or not. From my experience of Foreign Exchange you may well see a fast and immediate strengthening of the Thai Baht brought about by the hopeful promise of some possible long awaited stability here. If this happens, and we do not see what is now any unlikely new turmoil here, then expect the US$/Thai Baht middle rate to drop below 30 and forget anything even remotely near 32 let alone 40!!! Indeed also the British Pound will likely drop back down into the low 48's or even 47's again this coming week. If the Baht is eventually devalued by the new Government then sure it would initially help us falangs living here whose income is paid their home currency, but do not forget that devaluation nearly always brings higher inflation too as needed imports like oil and raw materials rapidly rise in price, so any gains we see will be short lived and really a false windfall.

The true and real sustained way to get more Baht for the US$, or £ etc is to see our home currencies strengthen by better management of the attempted recovery from the serious financial crises we have in the west. Currently the too soon and too severe austerity measures will as I see it suppress much needed growth in the west and delay recover for many years. You may not have liked him, but Britain's George Brown was IMHO about the only one who actually got it right with his recovery measures before losing office and his carefully thought out and intelligent plans to secure the required growth would have worked so much better than what we see now in the UK and the Euro zone and USA too.

My company's biggest competitors in the export market are the Chinese. While our products are better, they can make them cheaper. The promised increase in the minimum wage will have a significant impact on our ability to export. However, if the exchange rate does slide in the dollar's favor, then that should offset our increased costs. so we will be back to square one.