PM Yingluck Heads To Brunei On Her First Trip

[lannarebirth]

I think this trip is going to reveal to the leaders of other countries the lack of substance in the leadership of Thailand. What an embarrassment it's going to be.

Will she be travelling with a press corps? If not, it looks like she's taking her first holiday early.

[tlansford]

I can't understand why all these anti takshin/yingluck/red shirts/puea thai farangs are still in thailand if they don't like the government of the day...why not go back to your own countries if you have one and bash your government...

Or else wait for the democrat party to win an election then come back....BTW they had not win an election for the last twe decades...

I've been living in Thailand well over a decade now, and in that time there have been many governments that i haven't liked, but none of them have made me leave. I believe there are other more important issues in my life that determine such matters. I'm sure though, the supporters of those governments, would be happy to see me leave. One less voice of dissent. Why give them (or you) that satisfaction?

chuang. I cannot understand why your always sweet mouthing this load of rubbish

The Liberals in the u,k, havent won an election for yonks but it doesn't mean they were not decent and just to add I would be a bit shy spouting off as this lot was kicked into the dirt for what,???? they were so good ???? at least the dems with all their faults were out voted JUST ---by the greedy voters who were after favours after the election ==and promised ------but where are the goodies---WHERE WHERE---unless I have missed some Thai news- are you shy about that. I AM A DEMOCRAT and NEUTRAL.

just curious, but if the Democrats had won, would they have been voted in by the greedy voters, too?

[rubl]

chuang. I cannot understand why your always sweet mouthing this load of rubbish

The Liberals in the u,k, havent won an election for yonks but it doesn't mean they were not decent and just to add I would be a bit shy spouting off as this lot was kicked into the dirt for what,???? they were so good ???? at least the dems with all their faults were out voted JUST ---by the greedy voters who were after favours after the election ==and promised ------but where are the goodies---WHERE WHERE---unless I have missed some Thai news- are you shy about that. I AM A DEMOCRAT and NEUTRAL.

just curious, but if the Democrats had won, would they have been voted in by the greedy voters, too?

Too hypothetical a question to even contemplate to answer it

Edited September 9, 2011 by rubl

[MAJIC]

Good idea,send her out of the Country for a Holiday,then she is less likely to drop Political Clangers at home!

[ginjag]

I can't understand why all these anti takshin/yingluck/red shirts/puea thai farangs are still in thailand if they don't like the government of the day...why not go back to your own countries if you have one and bash your government...

Or else wait for the democrat party to win an election then come back....BTW they had not win an election for the last twe decades...

I've been living in Thailand well over a decade now, and in that time there have been many governments that i haven't liked, but none of them have made me leave. I believe there are other more important issues in my life that determine such matters. I'm sure though, the supporters of those governments, would be happy to see me leave. One less voice of dissent. Why give them (or you) that satisfaction?

chuang. I cannot understand why your always sweet mouthing this load of rubbish

The Liberals in the u,k, havent won an election for yonks but it doesn't mean they were not decent and just to add I would be a bit shy spouting off as this lot was kicked into the dirt for what,???? they were so good ???? at least the dems with all their faults were out voted JUST ---by the greedy voters who were after favours after the election ==and promised ------but where are the goodies---WHERE WHERE---unless I have missed some Thai news- are you shy about that. I AM A DEMOCRAT and NEUTRAL.

just curious, but if the Democrats had won, would they have been voted in by the greedy voters, too?

I'll bite, I don't mind, To be honest you may have a point, who knows ? but it wouldn't have been on the scale as this brigade, whipped up to a frenzy by a person on the run.

Vast majority of us would not vote for bribe, here is different, the tribe being whipped up to a fever by a greedy family. How do you get a child to respond-sweets (bribe) and a dog with a bone. The last party not brilliant at all but the leader Abhisit was a gentleman compared with these. just cannot see how people won't call a spade a spade.

[MAJIC]

it used to be thaksin-bashing...now it's yingluck-bashing....i wonder what they have done to all these thai-visa bashers...

I believe it's called sour grapes, as they were all so sure the Democrats would stay in Power.

I can't understand why all these anti takshin/yingluck/red shirts/puea thai farangs are still in thailand if they don't like the government of the day...why not go back to your own countries if you have one and bash your government...

Or else wait for the democrat party to win an election then come back....BTW they had not win an election for the last twe decades...

Oh I see!

So that's why the Thai people are still so poor then.

Edited September 9, 2011 by MAJIC

[ginjag]

it used to be thaksin-bashing...now it's yingluck-bashing....i wonder what they have done to all these thai-visa bashers...

I believe it's called sour grapes, as they were all so sure the Democrats would stay in Power.

I can't understand why all these anti takshin/yingluck/red shirts/puea thai farangs are still in thailand if they don't like the government of the day...why not go back to your own countries if you have one and bash your government...

Or else wait for the democrat party to win an election then come back....BTW they had not win an election for the last twe decades...

Oh I see!

So that's why the Thai people are still so poor then.

They promised from before the election the poor would be rich in 6 months, thats all I am wasting on some of these wind up merchants.

[Ricardo]

They promised from before the election the poor would be rich in 6 months, thats all I am wasting on some of these wind up merchants.

Less-than four months to go, then it's

Meanwhile the 'oh-so-hot' new-PM visits Brunei, despite admitting she's not really got anything important to discuss with them, perhaps if she'd chosen Cambodia, there might have been a few more material-points on-the-agenda ?

[tlansford]

- snip -

I've been living in Thailand well over a decade now, and in that time there have been many governments that i haven't liked, but none of them have made me leave. I believe there are other more important issues in my life that determine such matters. I'm sure though, the supporters of those governments, would be happy to see me leave. One less voice of dissent. Why give them (or you) that satisfaction?

chuang. I cannot understand why your always sweet mouthing this load of rubbish

The Liberals in the u,k, havent won an election for yonks but it doesn't mean they were not decent and just to add I would be a bit shy spouting off as this lot was kicked into the dirt for what,???? they were so good ???? at least the dems with all their faults were out voted JUST ---by the greedy voters who were after favours after the election ==and promised ------but where are the goodies---WHERE WHERE---unless I have missed some Thai news- are you shy about that. I AM A DEMOCRAT and NEUTRAL.

just curious, but if the Democrats had won, would they have been voted in by the greedy voters, too?

I'll bite, I don't mind, To be honest you may have a point, who knows ? but it wouldn't have been on the scale as this brigade, whipped up to a frenzy by a person on the run.

Vast majority of us would not vote for bribe, here is different, the tribe being whipped up to a fever by a greedy family. How do you get a child to respond-sweets (bribe) and a dog with a bone. The last party not brilliant at all but the leader Abhisit was a gentleman compared with these. just cannot see how people won't call a spade a spade.

Thanks, a couple of comments... IMO, the red-shirt movement is far too broad to be whipped up by one family. Thaskin and the Red Shirt movement are dependent on one another today, and they are interlinked today. But that doesn't need to be true in the future.

I'm personally not sure that the vote buying works any longer. I cannot speak from my own experience here (I've not seen any vote buying myself), but there have been many reports that all the parties do it, along with reports of people taking money from each of them. If I were in the same position as a voter, I would take the money from the PTP, and from the Dems, and from the BJT, but there is only one vote to give out... So that part of the bribing doesn't seem to important to me, which is the part I think you were referring to.

Finally, Abhisit, well, in my opinion, he did not have the interests of the country at heart. (yes, I think the same thing about Thaskin, too). I do not think that he was a gentleman, nor do I think that he has integrity. He did, as PM, have a way of saying the right things (like on human rights), but he did not do the right things (like on human rights). Compared to Thaskin on the other side, he was never able to win an election and form a government that way, so he (with the help of others) clearly manipulated and used the PAD and their protests to bring about the judicial coup and then form a government. His role in that and his actions as PM clearly (to me) showed that he is only interested in power, does not have integrity, nor does he have the interests of the Thai people at heart. Now that he is back in the opposition leader position, he (IMO) continues to demonstrate the same characteristics. (is that calling a spade a spade?)

Good, I'm not Thai, can't vote/influence, and so this is truly a spectator sport...

[rixalex]

Thaskin and the Red Shirt movement are dependent on one another today, and they are interlinked today. But that doesn't need to be true in the future.

How long have we been hearing this line? Forget about what it might be in the future. Until it happens, it's an irrelevance. What matters is what it is now, and what it is now, is not, as advertised, a group fighting for freedom, for democracy, for the rights of the downtrodden lower classes, it is a group that is fighting for the old elite to be replaced by the new elite, that comprises of, in the main, Thaksin and chums.

I'm personally not sure that the vote buying works any longer. I cannot speak from my own experience here (I've not seen any vote buying myself), but there have been many reports that all the parties do it, along with reports of people taking money from each of them. If I were in the same position as a voter, I would take the money from the PTP, and from the Dems, and from the BJT, but there is only one vote to give out... So that part of the bribing doesn't seem to important to me, which is the part I think you were referring to.

If vote buying didn't work, they wouldn't waste money on it. Of course it works. It depends on how much you give and what the level of peer pressure and intimidation is exerted by those giving and those around. Thaksin has always excelled at this side of things. Other parties are no doubt equally guilty, but not as equally successful. Do we give Thaksin credit for this?

Finally, Abhisit, well, in my opinion, he did not have the interests of the country at heart. (yes, I think the same thing about Thaskin, too). I do not think that he was a gentleman, nor do I think that he has integrity. He did, as PM, have a way of saying the right things (like on human rights), but he did not do the right things (like on human rights). Compared to Thaskin on the other side, he was never able to win an election and form a government that way, so he (with the help of others) clearly manipulated and used the PAD and their protests to bring about the judicial coup and then form a government. His role in that and his actions as PM clearly (to me) showed that he is only interested in power, does not have integrity, nor does he have the interests of the Thai people at heart. Now that he is back in the opposition leader position, he (IMO) continues to demonstrate the same characteristics. (is that calling a spade a spade?)

Good, I'm not Thai, can't vote/influence, and so this is truly a spectator sport...

One thing you can say about Abhisit, is that during his time in office, his own personal wealth didn't multiply many times over, so whatever his motives, the usual one for most Thai leaders of greed, can be ruled out. Progress, no?

[ginjag]

Tiansford #69

I was thinking of a way to answer the Thaksin power. Going back in time to Maggie Thatchers days, and her conflicts with the unions, poll tax etc. A silly thought came to me === what if she had billions of pounds, and instead of confrontation bought the miners hearts, and got money from other means instead of the Poll tax. the Iron lady would never have had to go !!! A little bit different in the U.K. it would have been outrageous to bribe to get power (it's done in other ways we know)

Just interesting to know in my village the headman controls, he knows who votes for who, and makes sure villagers tow the line, so people will take money from anyone here. It is a known fact that vote buying takes place, but in larger places it is less seen, In Issan the Dems were not throwing money around IN GENERAL as they were on a loser, but other parties did in the last coalition.

When you get power crazy people it always ends up in tragedies and as they say here Karma will show the way. It is called abuse of power and I am not a Dem fan, Abhisit did not to me abuse his power--as he had little anyway..voted in by M.P.s-to form a government and having to answer to Army-riots-and towing the line a little to other money people. In the 2 years in a crisis world did not leave the country in a monetary mess, and was implementing many good Ideas behind the scenes. I couldn't say he was a strong leader, but in general a fair one.