Emotional Thai Police Chief Wichean Lashes Out At 'Sabotage' Move

[NanLaew]

Apologies. It's just i get a bit frustrated from time to time with the continual and unnecessary (as i see it) habit of referring to people or groups without mentioning their name/names, and i don't think the reasoning of "we all know who i'm talking about, so i needn't mention it", covers it. It seems to be a common habit when discussing Thai politics in particular, and i think it comes from the whole LM business, whereby people get into a certain habit of not mentioning names. This habit is allowed to extend into areas it needn't, and my own feeling about the reasoning for this, is basically laziness. Easier to speak in general non-specific terms and less easy to get tied down on a point, when you remain slightly vague and ambiguous.

You could never accuse The Nation of leaving out names and details. Every time it mentions Priewpan, it ALWAYS adds on the unnecessary reminder that he is "a deputy national police commissioner and brother of Khunying Pojaman na Pombejra, the ex-wife of fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra." EVERY time.

Have you also noticed how quickly and freely The Nation disparages just about anything that the new government says or does? Is the Thai language press similarly showing a bit more balls? If so, that would be a positive after the stifling atmosphere of the previous administrations excessive censorship of public opinion.

[Buchholz]

Apologies. It's just i get a bit frustrated from time to time with the continual and unnecessary (as i see it) habit of referring to people or groups without mentioning their name/names, and i don't think the reasoning of "we all know who i'm talking about, so i needn't mention it", covers it. It seems to be a common habit when discussing Thai politics in particular, and i think it comes from the whole LM business, whereby people get into a certain habit of not mentioning names. This habit is allowed to extend into areas it needn't, and my own feeling about the reasoning for this, is basically laziness. Easier to speak in general non-specific terms and less easy to get tied down on a point, when you remain slightly vague and ambiguous.

You could never accuse The Nation of leaving out names and details. Every time it mentions Priewpan, it ALWAYS adds on the unnecessary reminder that he is "a deputy national police commissioner and brother of Khunying Pojaman na Pombejra, the ex-wife of fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra." EVERY time.

Have you also noticed how quickly and freely The Nation disparages just about anything that the new government says or does? Is the Thai language press similarly showing a bit more balls? If so, that would be a positive after the stifling atmosphere of the previous administrations excessive censorship of public opinion.

It's balanced by the current administration's bribing of the media

Probe Finds Some Newspapers Subservient to Pheu Thai Party

A probe committee has discovered some supporting evidence behind an allegation that the Pheu Thai Party has emailed three major newspapers, asking them to make biased reports for trade-offs.

Dr. Wichai Chokewiwat, chairman of the probe committee on an allegation that the Pheu Thai Party has emailed three major newspapers, aksing them to make biased reports in exchange for trade-offs, has revealed the committee's findings to the National Press Council of Thailand.

According to Wichai, the committee found that the emails were sent from Pheu Thai Party Deputy Spokesperson Wim Rungwattanajinda's account.

[NanLaew]

Apologies. It's just i get a bit frustrated from time to time with the continual and unnecessary (as i see it) habit of referring to people or groups without mentioning their name/names, and i don't think the reasoning of "we all know who i'm talking about, so i needn't mention it", covers it. It seems to be a common habit when discussing Thai politics in particular, and i think it comes from the whole LM business, whereby people get into a certain habit of not mentioning names. This habit is allowed to extend into areas it needn't, and my own feeling about the reasoning for this, is basically laziness. Easier to speak in general non-specific terms and less easy to get tied down on a point, when you remain slightly vague and ambiguous.

You could never accuse The Nation of leaving out names and details. Every time it mentions Priewpan, it ALWAYS adds on the unnecessary reminder that he is "a deputy national police commissioner and brother of Khunying Pojaman na Pombejra, the ex-wife of fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra." EVERY time.

Have you also noticed how quickly and freely The Nation disparages just about anything that the new government says or does? Is the Thai language press similarly showing a bit more balls? If so, that would be a positive after the stifling atmosphere of the previous administrations excessive censorship of public opinion.

It's balanced by the current administration's bribing of the media

Probe Finds Some Newspapers Subservient to Pheu Thai Party

A probe committee has discovered some supporting evidence behind an allegation that the Pheu Thai Party has emailed three major newspapers, asking them to make biased reports for trade-offs.

Dr. Wichai Chokewiwat, chairman of the probe committee on an allegation that the Pheu Thai Party has emailed three major newspapers, aksing them to make biased reports in exchange for trade-offs, has revealed the committee's findings to the National Press Council of Thailand.

According to Wichai, the committee found that the emails were sent from Pheu Thai Party Deputy Spokesperson Wim Rungwattanajinda's account.

OMG!!! NOT the probe committee????!!!! Noooooooooooo.........

[Crushdepth]

Apologies. It's just i get a bit frustrated from time to time with the continual and unnecessary (as i see it) habit of referring to people or groups without mentioning their name/names, and i don't think the reasoning of "we all know who i'm talking about, so i needn't mention it", covers it. It seems to be a common habit when discussing Thai politics in particular, and i think it comes from the whole LM business, whereby people get into a certain habit of not mentioning names. This habit is allowed to extend into areas it needn't, and my own feeling about the reasoning for this, is basically laziness. Easier to speak in general non-specific terms and less easy to get tied down on a point, when you remain slightly vague and ambiguous.

You could never accuse The Nation of leaving out names and details. Every time it mentions Priewpan, it ALWAYS adds on the unnecessary reminder that he is "a deputy national police commissioner and brother of Khunying Pojaman na Pombejra, the ex-wife of fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra." EVERY time.

Have you also noticed how quickly and freely The Nation disparages just about anything that the new government says or does? Is the Thai language press similarly showing a bit more balls? If so, that would be a positive after the stifling atmosphere of the previous administrations excessive censorship of public opinion.

What's wrong with that? It's a clear case of nepotism in government, which is completely unacceptable. There is also a *massive* conflict of interest with this appointment, given the raft of charges other members of the family are facing. It's not the job of the "free" press to applaud the government. And a lot of people genuinely think some of these populist policies are completely unsustainable (the government appears to share this view, if the backtracking on election promises is any indicator).

If the government roots out the corruption in its ranks, upholds the law and starts serving the public interest I have no doubt that the media will cheer them on. But honestly, what are the chances of that?

[NanLaew]

Apologies. It's just i get a bit frustrated from time to time with the continual and unnecessary (as i see it) habit of referring to people or groups without mentioning their name/names, and i don't think the reasoning of "we all know who i'm talking about, so i needn't mention it", covers it. It seems to be a common habit when discussing Thai politics in particular, and i think it comes from the whole LM business, whereby people get into a certain habit of not mentioning names. This habit is allowed to extend into areas it needn't, and my own feeling about the reasoning for this, is basically laziness. Easier to speak in general non-specific terms and less easy to get tied down on a point, when you remain slightly vague and ambiguous.

You could never accuse The Nation of leaving out names and details. Every time it mentions Priewpan, it ALWAYS adds on the unnecessary reminder that he is "a deputy national police commissioner and brother of Khunying Pojaman na Pombejra, the ex-wife of fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra." EVERY time.

Have you also noticed how quickly and freely The Nation disparages just about anything that the new government says or does? Is the Thai language press similarly showing a bit more balls? If so, that would be a positive after the stifling atmosphere of the previous administrations excessive censorship of public opinion.

What's wrong with that? It's a clear case of nepotism in government, which is completely unacceptable. There is also a *massive* conflict of interest with this appointment, given the raft of charges other members of the family are facing. It's not the job of the "free" press to applaud the government. And a lot of people genuinely think some of these populist policies are completely unsustainable (the government appears to share this view, if the backtracking on election promises is any indicator).

If the government roots out the corruption in its ranks, upholds the law and starts serving the public interest I have no doubt that the media will cheer them on. But honestly, what are the chances of that?

Oh my goodness.... it's POLITICS! How many draft dodging 'elites' managed to secure positions in the Bush administrations? How many sons of Burmese generals are managing directors of the companies being groomed for foreign investment? How many mediocre graduate student offspring of senior employees of state oil companies are grandfathered into life time jobs with the same companies?

[whybother]

Oh my goodness.... it's POLITICS! How many draft dodging 'elites' managed to secure positions in the Bush administrations? How many sons of Burmese generals are managing directors of the companies being groomed for foreign investment? How many mediocre graduate student offspring of senior employees of state oil companies are grandfathered into life time jobs with the same companies?

So the media shouldn't write about it?

[kraplung]

You can usally judge a country by it's government, at least where it's leaders are elected, Now we can criticise Thailand for being politically corrupt but you cannot change the habits of decades. And by no means is Thailand on it's own in this respect in Asia, let alone the rest of the lesser developed regions of the world.

Sometimes you just have to accept that's just the way it is and live with it.

[Captain Haddock]

Ain't it just that the older nations are more adept at hiding it? Hence they're more "developed"...

[Crushdepth]

You can usally judge a country by it's government, at least where it's leaders are elected, Now we can criticise Thailand for being politically corrupt but you cannot change the habits of decades. And by no means is Thailand on it's own in this respect in Asia, let alone the rest of the lesser developed regions of the world.

Sometimes you just have to accept that's just the way it is and live with it.

Or you can try and improve it.

[Crushdepth]

Apologies. It's just i get a bit frustrated from time to time with the continual and unnecessary (as i see it) habit of referring to people or groups without mentioning their name/names, and i don't think the reasoning of "we all know who i'm talking about, so i needn't mention it", covers it. It seems to be a common habit when discussing Thai politics in particular, and i think it comes from the whole LM business, whereby people get into a certain habit of not mentioning names. This habit is allowed to extend into areas it needn't, and my own feeling about the reasoning for this, is basically laziness. Easier to speak in general non-specific terms and less easy to get tied down on a point, when you remain slightly vague and ambiguous.

You could never accuse The Nation of leaving out names and details. Every time it mentions Priewpan, it ALWAYS adds on the unnecessary reminder that he is "a deputy national police commissioner and brother of Khunying Pojaman na Pombejra, the ex-wife of fugitive former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra." EVERY time.

Have you also noticed how quickly and freely The Nation disparages just about anything that the new government says or does? Is the Thai language press similarly showing a bit more balls? If so, that would be a positive after the stifling atmosphere of the previous administrations excessive censorship of public opinion.

What's wrong with that? It's a clear case of nepotism in government, which is completely unacceptable. There is also a *massive* conflict of interest with this appointment, given the raft of charges other members of the family are facing. It's not the job of the "free" press to applaud the government. And a lot of people genuinely think some of these populist policies are completely unsustainable (the government appears to share this view, if the backtracking on election promises is any indicator).

If the government roots out the corruption in its ranks, upholds the law and starts serving the public interest I have no doubt that the media will cheer them on. But honestly, what are the chances of that?

Oh my goodness.... it's POLITICS! How many draft dodging 'elites' managed to secure positions in the Bush administrations? How many sons of Burmese generals are managing directors of the companies being groomed for foreign investment? How many mediocre graduate student offspring of senior employees of state oil companies are grandfathered into life time jobs with the same companies?

Why attack the media for criticising abuse of power? Do you *want* Thailand to be a country where corruption is rife? Why not criticise the abusers instead?

Edited September 3, 2011 by Crushdepth

[rixalex]

Why attack the media for criticising abuse of power? Do you *want* Thailand to be a country where corruption is rife? Why not criticise the abusers instead?

Quite. One thing is certain, if the public and the media stop expecting and pushing for politicians and governments to behave better, they most certainly won't.