A Bigger Conflict Awaits: Thailand's PAD Is Making A Comeback

[Kalbo]

(Xenophobic ranting snipped)

My God, what a pile of rubbish that was.

[Macmundi]

"Third World War"... okay, next article...

[Bakseedaa]

This is the last thing that Thailand needs. If Pheu Thai dictatorises the Constitution then it will be all on if PAD get traction. If will be only a matter of time before the Army has to step in to keep either both mobs apart or use the opportunity to deal a harder and swifter blow to those who which to pillage and plunder Thailand at a level not yet seen and with politicial impunity.

I hope PAD go away or don't get going. I think the Army has to play a waiting game for the opportune time to deal to Populism, and clean the whole lot once and for all.

I juts hope the army don't get involved. They have no place in politics. It's up to the people, for better or worse to rid the country of the politicians of all colours and affiliations who constantly and continiously drag it down. If the people are unwilling to take a stand against them, then neither should the army. In fact i'd encourage the army to be as corrupt as the politicians, if only to prevoke a response from the electorate.

Dont you think the Army are just as corrupt..? And it is about time the Army stepped in to find out what Yinluck was doing at the Four Seasons..

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Ever heard of freedom of speech:

- The right for all persons, the media etc., to express their views, their opinion, their analysis, without intimidation?

- The right for all persons to have open and free access to what others say, without intimidation?

Yes but those selecting stuff for us here should have a minimum standard of sensibility and coherence. If they're going to post nonsensical propoganda, then it should be labeled as such.

I love how they guy talks about how important it is to "open up" Thailand to foreigner investment in the same breath as the conspiracy rant, and how he acts as if concepts like democracy, satisfying the needs of the common people and transparency/rule of law/open competition are just as unimportant to those investors as they are to Thailand's elite (on all sides).

They just don't get it, that these are the foundations to a successful and stable society. They think they'll be able to continue hogging their share of the pie indefinitely. And maybe they will, but at the expense of the pie's overall growth and the welfare of the nation.

[Roj]

This is the last thing that Thailand needs. If Pheu Thai dictatorises the Constitution then it will be all on if PAD get traction. If will be only a matter of time before the Army has to step in to keep either both mobs apart or use the opportunity to deal a harder and swifter blow to those who which to pillage and plunder Thailand at a level not yet seen and with politicial impunity.

I hope PAD go away or don't get going. I think the Army has to play a waiting game for the opportune time to deal to Populism, and clean the whole lot once and for all.

I juts hope the army don't get involved. They have no place in politics. It's up to the people, for better or worse to rid the country of the politicians of all colours and affiliations who constantly and continiously drag it down. If the people are unwilling to take a stand against them, then neither should the army. In fact i'd encourage the army to be as corrupt as the politicians, if only to prevoke a response from the electorate.

If politics leads to civil disorder then it is the responsibility of the army to restore order. That should be the only reason for the army to engage.

[ianf]

A very good article. It really goes straight to the heart of the problem and explains what the PAD is about. Abhisit is clearly described for what it is, a weasel and a traitor who jumped on the bandwagon when the PAD defeated Thaksin then distanced himself from his benefactors when they became too toxics for his "moderate" (read gutless) electors.

It also makes clear that the Reds rose as an answer to the Yellows and not the other way around (2nd paragraph).

As far as foreigners are concerned, it makes clear that we are not welcomed. But that's a common opinion amongst both PAD members and "democrats". Ask any Bangkok middle class (the core electorate of the democrats) what they think about foreigners owning their own house in Thailand. They are definitely against, Thailand is for Thais and Thais only.

If people here were able to read the various blogs on the internet, they would have known for long what the PAD is really about. And the worst is that the democrats won't say anything as long as they believe the PAD will serve their interest. Some people mentioned the Nuremberg crowd, look no further than the democrats.

This is one way to interpret the editorial but there are other ways of looking at this. Jurgen does not hold the monopoly on truth and quite often his opinions are twisted to support his beloved Thaksin. Indeed when one is locked into such an ideological position it is not possible to take on other points of view and to rationalise events further. There have been many examples of this in the past and no doubt there will be more in the future: Islam, the Reds, Taleban, Communists, fascists, Jehovahs Witnesses, Jurgen, Calgaryll, Zionists and so on all have a monopoly on truth. Such an approach always twists the facts to fit the vewpoint of the protagonist. The world would be such a nicer place if people just relaxed a bit more and saw things for what they really are.

[anterian]

Thanong used to be a regular contributor on the Nation blog, ultra royalist, anti West (particularly America), strongly anti red, full of Buddhist mysticism, a Nation editor, but he could not take the heat and left. He hates to be contradicted or argued with. Sound familiar?

[daninthai]

A very good article.

It's not, really it's not , it's utter <deleted>.

It states the facts, from the PAD point of view. So you know what you're dealing with.

Facts are facts, and paranoid delusion is not fact. Where are the facts about foreign designs for Thailand? A point of view doesn't need to have anything to do with fact, and this article is rubbish.

[MILT]

A very good article. It really goes straight to the heart of the problem and explains what the PAD is about. Abhisit is clearly described for what it is, a weasel and a traitor who jumped on the bandwagon when the PAD defeated Thaksin then distanced himself from his benefactors when they became too toxics for his "moderate" (read gutless) electors.

It also makes clear that the Reds rose as an answer to the Yellows and not the other way around (2nd paragraph).

As far as foreigners are concerned, it makes clear that we are not welcomed. But that's a common opinion amongst both PAD members and "democrats". Ask any Bangkok middle class (the core electorate of the democrats) what they think about foreigners owning their own house in Thailand. They are definitely against, Thailand is for Thais and Thais only.

If people here were able to read the various blogs on the internet, they would have known for long what the PAD is really about. And the worst is that the democrats won't say anything as long as they believe the PAD will serve their interest. Some people mentioned the Nuremberg crowd, look no further than the democrats.

Huh?

[OzMick]

The reds have had all the publicity .bring on the yellows .last time I saw them was during the election .but they better be careful taking to the streets now, the thug terrorists have the reigns of power now

Posted with Thaivisa App http://apps.thaivisa.com

Yes. It is going to be very dangerous for the anti Thaksin protesters this time around. It is going to be open season on them and no one will protect them from the red terrorists

The last thing Thailand needs is a gang of thugs closing the international airport. Have you realized that for a couple of month now the international airport doesn't look like Baghdad green zone ?

We had six years of infighting, for what result ? Chaos, destruction, loss of face on the international scene ... Enough is enough. If we need the reds to prevent the yellows to create mayhem again, then the existence of the reds is justified.

I would rather have a gang of thugs closing the international airport than a different, and far more violent, gang of thugs evading court appearance while sitting on the government benches in parliament.

[chinook]

Thanong used to be a regular contributor on the Nation blog, ultra royalist, anti West (particularly America), strongly anti red, full of Buddhist mysticism, a Nation editor, but he could not take the heat and left. He hates to be contradicted or argued with. Sound familiar?

...sad that the editing manager of the Nation can come up with this kind of conspiracy nonsense and what is somebody so obviously distrustful of westerners doing on an English speaking newspaper and expats forum..........TV....drop the Nation please!

[ScouseTommy]

OMG, who writes this complete and utter rubbish!! Seriously, I hate politics but I could write a more interesting, even minded article with my eyes shut. Then its all Farangs fault anyway isnt it!!! How does he get the idea all Farang back the poor? I do want to help poor people but he is substiuting the word poor for the words red shirts. Apart from a few deluded and 'gone native' farang on this web site, I dont know anyone who supports the red shirts. I certainly dont.

[Ned]

Thanks is due to Thanong for articulating the PAD view of western foreigners in general. A couple of years ago Sondhi wrote that Thailand should seal its borders and isolate itself for at least five years to give it time to sort out the threats from outside the country and below, down in the lower red shirt wearing class and their revered leader, Mr Thaksin.

Incredible isn't it that the PAD enjoys such strong farang support.

[Briggsy]

The author of this article lost the plot about half way through. Probably got stuck and turned to the tried-and-tested technique of random cutting and pasting.

Any way, back to the PAD, I very much doubt they will be the force that they were in the past as they have now lost their very powerful and very rich backers. So rich and powerful they were allowed to take over an international airport unopposed, take over Government House unopposed, etc.

Without such backers and financial backing, they will be far less able to have any effect in Thai politics.

[whybother]

Thanks is due to Thanong for articulating the PAD view of western foreigners in general. A couple of years ago Sondhi wrote that Thailand should seal its borders and isolate itself for at least five years to give it time to sort out the threats from outside the country and below, down in the lower red shirt wearing class and their revered leader, Mr Thaksin.

Incredible isn't it that the PAD enjoys such strong farang support.

"articulating the PAD view of western foreigners in general"

Isn't it Thanong's view?

[Reasonableman]

The author of this article lost the plot about half way through. Probably got stuck and turned to the tried-and-tested technique of random cutting and pasting.

Any way, back to the PAD, I very much doubt they will be the force that they were in the past as they have now lost their very powerful and very rich backers. So rich and powerful they were allowed to take over an international airport unopposed, take over Government House unopposed, etc.

Without such backers and financial backing, they will be far less able to have any effect in Thai politics.

Are you saying that Thai politics is manipulated by rich financial backers? Surely not!! Well, I guess some may have gone, while others remain.

[CalgaryII]

Some stuff is beyond the pale, such as this article.

Reacting to it simply gives credence where zero is warranted.

The Posts above are encouraging however.

It shows that extremes are recognized from whatever quarter.

[JurgenG]

The red shirts then emerged as the real antithesis of the Abhisit government in general but of the monarchy in particular

and this is the bs that seems to be so easily swallowed, how does it taste?!

<deleted>

Actually what most foreigners fail to understand is that the real charges against Thaksin, the ones that ignited the passions against him are charges for crimes against the monarchy and crimes against "Thainess", charges that was totally fabricated by Sondhi and for which he has already been convicted for defamation. All the other charges were fabricated to please the western minds and justify the coup. The war on drug for example has a large support amongst the thai population.

Edited March 2, 2012 by JurgenG

[rixalex]

The war on drug for example has a large support amongst the thai population.

Exactly what does public support have to do with whether something is legal or not?

[whybother]

Actually what most foreigners fail to understand is that the real charges against Thaksin, the ones that ignited the passions against him are charges for crimes against the monarchy and crimes against "Thainess", charges that was totally fabricated by Sondhi and for which he has already been convicted for defamation. All the other charges were fabricated to please the western minds and justify the coup. The war on drug for example has a large support amongst the thai population.

Thaksin isn't facing any charges relating to the war on drugs. I don't believe he's facing any charges relating to the monarchy either. Who's doing the fabrication?

[quiksilva]

Was this on the Nation or Prison Planet? Surprised he didn't blame it all on the NWO.

[JurgenG]

To some extent I agree with you. The piece from that nation is unbalanced, goes quickly into multiple directions / lacks focus. and is difficult to follow, and contains lots of utter rubbish from multiple perspectives. To be honest I'm quite surprised that the piece ever got into print. Say what you like about the Nation and who the Nation appears to support however from my (limited) knowledge their opinion pieces normally have some focus and some level of reality. I say again I'm quite surprised it ever got into print.

Agree with you, what the Nation usually publishes are polished pieces of anti-Thaksin propaganda.

What we are here is what one can read almost on a daily basis in Sondhi's Thai publications (Manager ...) . This was not for western people to read, it's a mistake, 100% agree with you. But we should take advantage of this "leak" to educate ourselves about the reality of the PAD and the anti Thaksin propaganda

This should never have made it in the Nation, but it's our luck it did.

[scorecard]

A very good article. It really goes straight to the heart of the problem and explains what the PAD is about. Abhisit is clearly described for what it is, a weasel and a traitor who jumped on the bandwagon when the PAD defeated Thaksin then distanced himself from his benefactors when they became too toxics for his "moderate" (read gutless) electors.

It also makes clear that the Reds rose as an answer to the Yellows and not the other way around (2nd paragraph).

As far as foreigners are concerned, it makes clear that we are not welcomed. But that's a common opinion amongst both PAD members and "democrats". Ask any Bangkok middle class (the core electorate of the democrats) what they think about foreigners owning their own house in Thailand. They are definitely against, Thailand is for Thais and Thais only.

If people here were able to read the various blogs on the internet, they would have known for long what the PAD is really about. And the worst is that the democrats won't say anything as long as they believe the PAD will serve their interest. Some people mentioned the Nuremberg crowd, look no further than the democrats.

Huh?

Huh 2

[phiphidon]

To some extent I agree with you. The piece from that nation is unbalanced, goes quickly into multiple directions / lacks focus. and is difficult to follow, and contains lots of utter rubbish from multiple perspectives. To be honest I'm quite surprised that the piece ever got into print. Say what you like about the Nation and who the Nation appears to support however from my (limited) knowledge their opinion pieces normally have some focus and some level of reality. I say again I'm quite surprised it ever got into print.

Agree with you, what the Nation usually publishes are polished pieces of anti-Thaksin propaganda.

What we are here is what one can read almost on a daily basis in Sondhi's Thai publications (Manager ...) . This was not for western people to read, it's a mistake, 100% agree with you. But we should take advantage of this "leak" to educate ourselves about the reality of the PAD and the anti Thaksin propaganda

This should never have made it in the Nation, but it's our luck it did.

If you want to read about the PAD just try their english language site, http://www.antithaksin.com/SiteMap.php. I'm sure there will be plenty of head nodding about the content by the usual suspects.

[scorecard]

To some extent I agree with you. The piece from that nation is unbalanced, goes quickly into multiple directions / lacks focus. and is difficult to follow, and contains lots of utter rubbish from multiple perspectives. To be honest I'm quite surprised that the piece ever got into print. Say what you like about the Nation and who the Nation appears to support however from my (limited) knowledge their opinion pieces normally have some focus and some level of reality. I say again I'm quite surprised it ever got into print.

Agree with you, what the Nation usually publishes are polished pieces of anti-Thaksin propaganda.

What we are here is what one can read almost on a daily basis in Sondhi's Thai publications (Manager ...) . This was not for western people to read, it's a mistake, 100% agree with you. But we should take advantage of this "leak" to educate ourselves about the reality of the PAD and the anti Thaksin propaganda

This should never have made it in the Nation, but it's our luck it did.

What?

[Reasonableman]

To some extent I agree with you. The piece from that nation is unbalanced, goes quickly into multiple directions / lacks focus. and is difficult to follow, and contains lots of utter rubbish from multiple perspectives. To be honest I'm quite surprised that the piece ever got into print. Say what you like about the Nation and who the Nation appears to support however from my (limited) knowledge their opinion pieces normally have some focus and some level of reality. I say again I'm quite surprised it ever got into print.

Agree with you, what the Nation usually publishes are polished pieces of anti-Thaksin propaganda.

What we are here is what one can read almost on a daily basis in Sondhi's Thai publications (Manager ...) . This was not for western people to read, it's a mistake, 100% agree with you. But we should take advantage of this "leak" to educate ourselves about the reality of the PAD and the anti Thaksin propaganda

This should never have made it in the Nation, but it's our luck it did.

If you want to read about the PAD just try their english language site, http://www.antithaksin.com/SiteMap.php. I'm sure there will be plenty of head nodding about the content by the usual suspects.

Aren't you one of the usual suspects?

[gregb]

I find it sad that not a single person here has as of yet understood Khun Thanong or the very critical message he is trying to convey. I will admit I find his Buddhist tangents over the years a bit distracting, but that is simply the cultural differences between a very intelligent Thai and a very intelligent Westerner.

When I came here in 1998, it was the Sufficiency Economy that really sealed the deal for me. I have long been a supporter of distributism, a third way economic philosophy, realizing that the sieve of the cold war that reduced the entire world to choosing either the capitalist empire or the communist empire would lead the world into ruin.

Some truly smart and benevolent people realized after the meltdown in the late 90's that Thailand needed a different path. Being a vassal state of the capitalist empire was a road to ruin no matter how it was done. These were very, very thoughtful and far sighted people who understood even back then that the rhetoric coming out the American imperial core was simply propaganda designed to fool the masses into thinking that this round of global empire was somehow different than the countless failed civilizations before us that litter the history books.

I would venture to say that for all who are maligning Khun Thanong, he is probably much more intelligent and more educated than the vast majority of people on this board. I say this having never met him personally, but certainly some of the other supporters of the Sufficiency Economy I have spoken with are extremely enlightened, and truly have the best interests of the Thai people at heart, rather than simply the best interests of themselves. It is why I have extreme respect for the yellow shirts despite disagreeing with some of their methods. The red shirts by contrast are for the most part short sighted, greedy, self serving criminals who have very little concern for anyone but themselves and their immediate gratification. I have never met a single red shirt who has a grasp of history or that I can actually respect.

Today, with peak oil in the rear view mirror, and with energy decline and resource depletion stretching out before us into the indefinite future, it is assured there will be resource wars and that countries such as Thailand, which occupies a crucial position between resource rich countries such as Laos, Burma and Cambodia, are going to be spoils of that war. That is unless an enlightened government acts to thwart the globalist interests who are even now trying to exploit it.

Greek mythological tales such as that of Cassandra tell us that for thousands of years people have ridiculed those who espoused unpopular ideas that threatened our egos, even though those messengers are correct. So I guess people haven't changed all that much since the ancient Greeks. It is what gives me confidence that our current empire will crumble along the same lines as those before us. 5000 years have taught us nothing.

Khun Thanong understands this, and that is why he is worried. And that is why he is mocked.

[phiphidon]

To some extent I agree with you. The piece from that nation is unbalanced, goes quickly into multiple directions / lacks focus. and is difficult to follow, and contains lots of utter rubbish from multiple perspectives. To be honest I'm quite surprised that the piece ever got into print. Say what you like about the Nation and who the Nation appears to support however from my (limited) knowledge their opinion pieces normally have some focus and some level of reality. I say again I'm quite surprised it ever got into print.

Agree with you, what the Nation usually publishes are polished pieces of anti-Thaksin propaganda.

What we are here is what one can read almost on a daily basis in Sondhi's Thai publications (Manager ...) . This was not for western people to read, it's a mistake, 100% agree with you. But we should take advantage of this "leak" to educate ourselves about the reality of the PAD and the anti Thaksin propaganda

This should never have made it in the Nation, but it's our luck it did.

If you want to read about the PAD just try their english language site, http://www.antithaksin.com/SiteMap.php. I'm sure there will be plenty of head nodding about the content by the usual suspects.

Aren't you one of the usual suspects?

In support of the PAD? You're having a laugh!

[Reasonableman]

Well, you regularly jump with some alacrity onto the same bandwagon every time, so I guess you are.

And yes, I am...

[Heimdallr]

Why is it that both of these extremes, which are complete jokes to any independently thinking individuals, continue with the kind of useless rhetoric as we see in the original article? Ok even I am now repeating what has been said over and over again, but these "golden" pieces emerge almost daily.