Obama To Begin Visit With Tour Of Wat Pho: Bangkok

[rubl]

From Thailand Live Sunday 18th

#7

"Yingluck will leave for Phnom Penh at 10pm to join the Asean Summit. Obama leaves tomorrow for Myanmar, before flying to Phnom Penh for the East Asia Summit."

#34

"Thai PM joins in signing of ASEAN Human Rights Declaration at ASEAN Summit in Cambodia before returning to Thailand to welcome US president /MCOT"

#36

"Obama's Air Force One was initially scheduled to land in Bangkok on 2pm but was delayed to 3.10pm.

He will visit Bangkok's Wat Pho temple at 3.45pm, renowned for its giant reclining Buddha statue. He will spend about 45 minutues at the temple, before having an audience with HM the King at Siriraj Hospital at 5pm.

He also planned talks with Prime Minister YingluckShinawatra and the Thai government will host a dinner reception for him at 6pm."

#37

"RT@veen_NT: CNN and BBC to broadcast the meeting btw US Pres Obama and PM Yingluck at 7pm, according to @ajarnjar. #BOrakBKK"

Some of the planning seems flexible. Still puzzling over where PM Yingluck is/was/will be ?

[rubl]

It's getting a bit dark. I wonder if we'll get some rain later this afternoon here in Bangkok ?

// Nonsense "signature" removed //

Edited November 18, 2012 by metisdead

[Hugo6]

well i still think that it's great that the president will go to wat pho. it's my personal favorite site to visit in bangkok. just excellent.

[keemapoot]

If the Obama critics can somehow get through the next few hours, he is already here. Channel 3 just showed his red carpet welcome at DM with Chalerm, and then showed him and Hilary at Wat Po. I think Channel 3 will be showing continuous coverage from 6pm, but not sure, but surely at 7pm.

<< Baiting comments removed >>

*update, just showed Obama meeting the King at the hospital, with Clinton and Ambassador Kenney in tow.

Edited November 18, 2012 by metisdead

[metisdead]

Off topic posts have been removed. Another post has been edited to remove snide baiting comments.

[Ghost]

Although I cannot get into any of the events, I nevertheless encountered Obama today. As I was bringing my kids home from Funarium on the expressway, heading north near the Yommarat exit, the cops halted traffic in both directions to let Obama's motorcade proceed to Government House without any obstruction. I don't know which of the many limousines he was in, as they all have blacked-out window tint, but I know he was there somewhere. Of course, if I'd stepped out of my car to wave, the Secret Service probably would have shot me . . .

Edited November 18, 2012 by Ghost

[KKvampire]

Get ready for the press conference with Yingluck, Remember when she visited washington when he Heaped praise on her , knowing nothing about her, and I guess now he will be saying something along the lines of Thailand being a Great "democracy" in SE ASIA Leading the way... It will be such sycophantic garbage and in the realms of unreality I daren't watch. Even an hour ago on CNN The White House reporter was talking about the upcoming visit to Myanamr and the corruption "still in evidence" there. And there he was near the government house in Bangkok, Jeez

Edited November 18, 2012 by KKvampire

[Payboy]

BANGKOK, Nov 18 – US president Barack Obama arrives at Don Mueang Airport

So it's official now, Airforce One is a low cost carrier.

[Sunderland]

Just listened to her on Channel 7. Blimey, Yingluck's pronunciation is bloody awful. Can't pronounce half the words properly. Primary school kids here speak better than her without the benefit of studying abroad. Must try harder next time. 4/10

She finished by saying that she and the president would stay in 'clothe touch'.

Edited November 18, 2012 by Sunderland

[KKvampire]

Yingluck talks about supporting US with respect to the threat of "WMD in the region" Uhhh so she's expanding the region to Iran? Must have had the US speech writers tipping her to show support if and when US bombs Iran

[Hugo6]

Interesting protocol problem; the king and the president.

Obviously HRM is not standing a lot lately for health reasons,

but seat placement, heights, entrances, daises, speaking orders, initial politesses, etc,

lots of things for the protocolists to agonize over.

But no doubt it will be handled.

But it is also very nice the president is going, and reiterate on the 180 years of

bilateral ties between the nations and/or HRM predecessors and previous presidents

I wonder what dinner will be? How does one eat gai yang and somtaam with a Head of State?

official protocol would call for sticky rice

[KKvampire]

Pathetic Thai Journalist questions, Typical , They are unable to hold their PM to account

[DocN]

Just listened to her on Channel 7. Blimey, Yingluck's pronunciation is bloody awful. Can't pronounce half the words properly. Primary school kids here speak better than her without the benefit of studying abroad. Must try harder next time. 4/10

She finished by saying that she and the president would stay in 'clothe touch'.

Yingluck talks about supporting US with respect to the threat of "WMD in the region" Uhhh so she's expanding the region to Iran? Must have had the US speech writers tipping her to show support if and when US bombs Iran

I don't know where you live, Sunderland, but i work in tourism her in Bangkok and I talked to Sales Manager, who speak way, way worse then she does! Still I don't know, why it is not possible for her, to just speak Thai and have it translated.

...and KVampire: Northkorea....does that ring a bell?

[keemapoot]

Just listened to her on Channel 7. Blimey, Yingluck's pronunciation is bloody awful. Can't pronounce half the words properly. Primary school kids here speak better than her without the benefit of studying abroad. Must try harder next time. 4/10

She finished by saying that she and the president would stay in 'clothe touch'.

Channels 3 and 7 will have full coverage at 8pm, so hopefully we will get a chance to hear Yingluck again.

[KKvampire]

Just listened to her on Channel 7. Blimey, Yingluck's pronunciation is bloody awful. Can't pronounce half the words properly. Primary school kids here speak better than her without the benefit of studying abroad. Must try harder next time. 4/10

She finished by saying that she and the president would stay in 'clothe touch'.

Yingluck talks about supporting US with respect to the threat of "WMD in the region" Uhhh so she's expanding the region to Iran? Must have had the US speech writers tipping her to show support if and when US bombs Iran

I don't know where you live, Sunderland, but i work in tourism her in Bangkok and I talked to Sales Manager, who speak way, way worse then she does! Still I don't know, why it is not possible for her, to just speak Thai and have it translated.

...and KVampire: Northkorea....does that ring a bell?

For Iran replace N Korea. Same point . And thats China's backyard not the US . with regard to Yingluck talking about "political reforms in Myanmar" Look at your own back yard PM. But I guess no reforms there

Edited November 18, 2012 by KKvampire

[Sunderland]

Just listened to her on Channel 7. Blimey, Yingluck's pronunciation is bloody awful. Can't pronounce half the words properly. Primary school kids here speak better than her without the benefit of studying abroad. Must try harder next time. 4/10

She finished by saying that she and the president would stay in 'clothe touch'.

Yingluck talks about supporting US with respect to the threat of "WMD in the region" Uhhh so she's expanding the region to Iran? Must have had the US speech writers tipping her to show support if and when US bombs Iran

I don't know where you live, Sunderland, but i work in tourism her in Bangkok and I talked to Sales Manager, who speak way, way worse then she does! Still I don't know, why it is not possible for her, to just speak Thai and have it translated.

...and KVampire: Northkorea....does that ring a bell?

I teach Thai children in a Thai school. Honestly, you should organize English classes for the sales managers you deal with if their English is that poor.

[Ghost]

Yingluck talks about supporting US with respect to the threat of "WMD in the region" Uhhh so she's expanding the region to Iran? Must have had the US speech writers tipping her to show support if and when US bombs Iran

Ever heard of a country called North Korea? They aren't just suspected of refining low to medium-grade uranium, with the possible intention of stockpiling enough to quickly convert it to highly-refined weapons grade material in the future -- they've already conducted two actual underground tests of their nuclear weapons, and have also tested ICBMs (which so far at least, have failed). Those ARE WMDs, and last time I checked, Thailand is a country in SE Asia, and North Korea is in E Asia. Edited November 18, 2012 by Ghost

[SteeleJoe]

Yingluck talks about supporting US with respect to the threat of "WMD in the region" Uhhh so she's expanding the region to Iran? Must have had the US speech writers tipping her to show support if and when US bombs Iran

Ever heard of a country called North Korea? They aren't just suspected of refining low to medium-grade uranium, with the possible intention of stockpiling enough to quickly convert it to highly-refined weapons grade material in the future -- they've already conducted two actual underground tests of their nuclear weapons, and have also tested ICBMs (which so far at least, have failed). Those ARE WMDs, and last time I checked, Thailand is a country in SE Asia, and North Korea is in E Asia.

If we're going to include N Korea (and I don't see why not) even if we exclude India and China as stable and responsible owners of WMD (?), that still leaves Pakistan as another location of WMDs in arguably less than safe circumstances.

[Jingthing]

OMG, Obama spoke so SLOWLY, but largely on the mark, but clearly, severely JET-LAGGED.

For a few moments there, it looked like he was going to nod off right there on the podium. Dinner will be interesting.

Yingluck, well WHY didn't she speak in Thai exactly?

Would that really have been worse than how she came off speaking English?

Objectively, her English REALLY is atrocious.

Yes she could pronounce MOST of the words in a prepared speech, but the press conference revealed the truth of it.

Over half the time she was completely incoherent. Seriously. Don't people wonder whether it's not a matter of speaking English fluently but a matter of inability to THINK coherently? I also wonder whether the person who decided that she speak English during that press conference was thinking coherently.

Edited November 18, 2012 by Jingthing

[Rich teacher]

OMG, Obama spoke so SLOWLY, but largely on the mark, but clearly, severely JET-LAGGED.

For a few moments there, it looked like he was going to nod off right there on the podium. Dinner will be interesting.

Yingluck, well WHY didn't she speak in Thai exactly?

Would that really have been worse than how she came off speaking English?

Objectively, her English REALLY is atrocious.

Yes she could pronounce MOST of the words in a prepared speech, but the press conference revealed the truth of it.

Over half the time she was completely incoherent. Seriously. Don't people wonder whether it's not a matter of speaking English fluently but a matter of inability to THINK coherently? I also wonder whether the person who decided that she speak English during that press conference was thinking coherently.

No matter what her English ability is she commands infinitely more respect than a military installed brown-nose. Obama couldn't have spelt it out any clearer than when he made a point of saying she was the 'democratically elected leader'. Couldn't have said that about her sniveling predecessor.

[Jingthing]

OMG, Obama spoke so SLOWLY, but largely on the mark, but clearly, severely JET-LAGGED.

For a few moments there, it looked like he was going to nod off right there on the podium. Dinner will be interesting.

Yingluck, well WHY didn't she speak in Thai exactly?

Would that really have been worse than how she came off speaking English?

Objectively, her English REALLY is atrocious.

Yes she could pronounce MOST of the words in a prepared speech, but the press conference revealed the truth of it.

Over half the time she was completely incoherent. Seriously. Don't people wonder whether it's not a matter of speaking English fluently but a matter of inability to THINK coherently? I also wonder whether the person who decided that she speak English during that press conference was thinking coherently.

No matter what her English ability is she commands infinitely more respect than a military installed brown-nose. Obama couldn't have spelt it out any clearer than when he made a point of saying she was the 'democratically elected leader'. Couldn't have said that about her sniveling predecessor.

Some might say more like relative-selected ...

[keemapoot]

Yingluck, well WHY didn't she speak in Thai exactly?

Would that really have been worse than how she came off speaking English?

Objectively, her English REALLY is atrocious.

I can't help but think it is a matter of face completely. Even though on Channel 3 news at 8, they did not play her speaking English, but just showed the video of her and Obama together, then gave commentary, I think the idea is to show Thai people that she is an accomplished global leader who can speak English, even if not true.

Oh well, at least it wasn't as bad as this half-gaffe:

It's worth recalling, again, President John F. Kennedy's use of a German phrase while standing before the Berlin Wall. It would be great, his wordsmiths thought, for him to declare himself a symbolic citizen of Berlin. Hence, Ich bin ein Berliner. What they did not know, but could easily have found out, was that such citizens never refer to themselves as 'Berliners.' They reserve that term for a favorite confection often munched at breakfast. So, while they understood and appreciated the sentiments behind the President's impassioned declaration, the residents tittered among themselves when he exclaimed, literally, "I am a jelly-filled doughnut."

Edited November 18, 2012 by keemapoot

[metisdead]

Drifting off topic posts have been removed. What does North Korea have to do with this? Stay on topic please.

[SteeleJoe]

I can't help but think it is a matter of face completely. Even though on Channel 3 news at 8, they did not play her speaking English, but just showed the video of her and Obama together, then gave commentary, I think the idea is to show Thai people that she is an accomplished global leader who can speak English, even if not true.

Oh well, at least it wasn't as bad as this half-gaffe:

It's worth recalling, again, President John F. Kennedy's use of a German phrase while standing before the Berlin Wall. It would be great, his wordsmiths thought, for him to declare himself a symbolic citizen of Berlin. Hence, Ich bin ein Berliner. What they did not know, but could easily have found out, was that such citizens never refer to themselves as 'Berliners.' They reserve that term for a favorite confection often munched at breakfast. So, while they understood and appreciated the sentiments behind the President's impassioned declaration, the residents tittered among themselves when he exclaimed, literally, "I am a jelly-filled doughnut."

That's a myth. Widely held true, but false nonetheless.

The phrase, at JFK's suggestion, was written by a Berliner and it was correct.

The laughter followed a joke Kennedy made.

[DP25]

OMG, Obama spoke so SLOWLY, but largely on the mark, but clearly, severely JET-LAGGED.

For a few moments there, it looked like he was going to nod off right there on the podium. Dinner will be interesting.

Yingluck, well WHY didn't she speak in Thai exactly?

Would that really have been worse than how she came off speaking English?

Objectively, her English REALLY is atrocious.

Yes she could pronounce MOST of the words in a prepared speech, but the press conference revealed the truth of it.

Over half the time she was completely incoherent. Seriously. Don't people wonder whether it's not a matter of speaking English fluently but a matter of inability to THINK coherently? I also wonder whether the person who decided that she speak English during that press conference was thinking coherently.

Everyone knows she received a master's degree from a US university, it is a huge lose of face for her to not speak English in situations like this. Most Thais don't speak English either so they don't know how terrible she is. Friendly media won't point it out, and red shirts won't believe anything if it's not written in Thaksin Today anyway. I guess they think it's less damaging to her to speak English and have a few people laugh than to not speak English and everyone laugh.

[whybother]

No matter what her English ability is she commands infinitely more respect than a military installed brown-nose. Obama couldn't have spelt it out any clearer than when he made a point of saying she was the 'democratically elected leader'. Couldn't have said that about her sniveling predecessor.

She might command more respect than a military installed brown-nose, but I bet Obama would respect (and definitely understand) Abhisit more.

The "democratically elected leader" would have more likely been referring to neighbouring countries, since the last 4 Thai PMs were democratically elected.

[keemapoot]

OMG, Obama spoke so SLOWLY, but largely on the mark, but clearly, severely JET-LAGGED.

For a few moments there, it looked like he was going to nod off right there on the podium. Dinner will be interesting.

I imagine more than a few people reading this forum would appreciate the difficulty of having to be "on stage" with people watching your every move the minute you arrive after a long trans-continental flight. I do. It's a grind, and what goes through your mind constantly is that you can not make any mistakes, never let them see you let your guard down and yawn, have droopy eyes, etc.. It's tough.

If you look at Hilary, it's obvious this kind of stress has taken a toll on her these past 4 years.

I suppose they have "anti-jet lag" coaches that work with them so they appear fresh. I noticed Obama walking down the long stairs of AF-1 had a real spring in his step. I'm sure that is practiced., er, especially that a wrong step could result in a Gerald Ford tumble.

Edited November 18, 2012 by keemapoot

[Rich teacher]

No matter what her English ability is she commands infinitely more respect than a military installed brown-nose. Obama couldn't have spelt it out any clearer than when he made a point of saying she was the 'democratically elected leader'. Couldn't have said that about her sniveling predecessor.

She might command more respect than a military installed brown-nose, but I bet Obama would respect (and definitely understand) Abhisit more.

The "democratically elected leader" would have more likely been referring to neighbouring countries, since the last 4 Thai PMs were democratically elected.

Why on earth would he 'respect Abhisit more'? He like any other unbiased, intelligent and informed observer would have known quite well that Abhisit was chosen and placed into power by the military.

Your continued obstinate denial of Anupong's leading role in the formation of the previous administration is reflective of your inability to comprehend the complexity of the political reality in Thailand over the past 10 years or so.

Edited November 18, 2012 by Rich teacher

[whybother]

No matter what her English ability is she commands infinitely more respect than a military installed brown-nose. Obama couldn't have spelt it out any clearer than when he made a point of saying she was the 'democratically elected leader'. Couldn't have said that about her sniveling predecessor.

She might command more respect than a military installed brown-nose, but I bet Obama would respect (and definitely understand) Abhisit more.

The "democratically elected leader" would have more likely been referring to neighbouring countries, since the last 4 Thai PMs were democratically elected.

Why on earth would he 'respect Abhisit more'? He like any other unbiased, intelligent and informed observer would have known quite well that Abhisit was chosen and placed into power by the military.

Your continued obstinate denial of Anupong's leading role in the formation of the previous administration is reflective of your inability to comprehend the complexity of the political reality in Thailand over the past 10 years or so.

You don't think Obama was chosen for his position? But at least he wasn't chosen by a fugitive in Dubai.

[DocN]

No matter what her English ability is she commands infinitely more respect than a military installed brown-nose. Obama couldn't have spelt it out any clearer than when he made a point of saying she was the 'democratically elected leader'. Couldn't have said that about her sniveling predecessor.

She might command more respect than a military installed brown-nose, but I bet Obama would respect (and definitely understand) Abhisit more.

The "democratically elected leader" would have more likely been referring to neighbouring countries, since the last 4 Thai PMs were democratically elected.

Why on earth would he 'respect Abhisit more'? He like any other unbiased, intelligent and informed observer would have known quite well that Abhisit was chosen and placed into power by the military.

Your continued obstinate denial of Anupong's leading role in the formation of the previous administration is reflective of your inability to comprehend the complexity of the political reality in Thailand over the past 10 years or so.

You don't think Obama was chosen for his position? But at least he wasn't chosen by a fugitive in Dubai.

??