Abhisit Vejjajiva

[HarryHacker]

A question....

What is Abhisits background, parents???

They must be very well connected as he lived his first 20 years in the UK and went to Eton (Old money) and Oxford.

[gurkle]

He reminds me of John Kerry, the candidate who ran against Bush.

He looks the part, but has accomplished nothing and his entire campaign is based on hating the other candidate.

Utilizing your own logic -

Abhisit: Accomplished nothing

Gurkle: Accomplished less than Abhisit (feel free to produce your bio if this is inaccurate)

Conclusion:

Gurkle is less than nothing

Thanks for the personal insult. You show your true colors that way.

I'm obviously not going to tell you my bio just because you have to resort to low blows and ad hominem attacks. If that's the best demonstration of intelligence you have to offer, feel free to insult me more if it makes you feel better about yourself.

Suffice to say I don't try to get ahead in life by ruining other people's lives. Abhisit could very well be a great PM someday (like I said, he looks the part), but he should focus on how he would improve the country himself versus on how bad the other candidate is.

Edited March 2, 2006 by gurkle

[sriracha john]

He reminds me of John Kerry, the candidate who ran against Bush.

He looks the part, but has accomplished nothing and his entire campaign is based on hating the other candidate.

Utilizing your own logic -

Abhisit: Accomplished nothing

Gurkle: Accomplished less than Abhisit (feel free to produce your bio if this is inaccurate)

Conclusion:

Gurkle is less than nothing

Thanks for the personal insult. You show your true colors that way.

I'm obviously not going to tell you my bio just because you have to resort to low blows and ad hominem attacks. If that's the best demonstration of intelligence you have to offer, feel free to insult me more if it makes you feel better about yourself.

Suffice to say I don't try to get ahead in life by ruining other people's lives. Abhisit could very well be a great PM someday (like I said, he looks the part), but he should focus on how he would improve the country himself versus on how bad the other candidate is.

You misunderstood as there was no personal insult, merely the logical conclusion of your own statements. If you found offense with that, then one way to avoid those rationale conclusions is by not initially stating something that is so obviously untrue, eg. "Abhisit - accomplished nothing."

Actually, I was being rather kind by not also addressing your other obviously untrue statement, "his entire campaign is based on hating the other candidate."

I certainly don't expect you to post your bio, simply presumed that you had not risen to the heights of leading a national political party, which if, as I indicated, is in error, to feel to contradict it.

Have a nice day...

Edited March 2, 2006 by sriracha john

[Siripon]

For those who didn't know.

Abhisit Vejjajiva, Leader of the Democrat Party

Suranand Vejjajiva, his brother, Thai Rak Thai

Suranand is not his brother, he's a cousin.

[JemJem]

> (I guess now some of the bigots and anti-PC brigade in

> here will resort to the 'you are anti-bigot and thus also a bigot' argument

> which is silly at best).

No they won't, as that would be way off topic here, and so was your post. (I informed her it was inappropriate in an earlier post.)

Cheers, mate. Always nice to know that there are decent folks in here.

Cheers,

Jem

[penzman]

For those who didn't know.

Abhisit Vejjajiva, Leader of the Democrat Party

Suranand Vejjajiva, his brother, Thai Rak Thai

Suranand is not his brother, he's a cousin.

You're right!

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=Abhisi...nG=Search&meta=

Now I'll go and tell my know-it-all wife she's wrong!

[OZONE]

A question....

What is Abhisits background, parents???

They must be very well connected as he lived his first 20 years in the UK and went to Eton (Old money) and Oxford.

In the words of Sriracha John "Please refer to Post #24 for sources of volumes of information about his achievements and his stance on issues"

[BambinA]

A 'fag' ?! I hope this is just a silly remark, Bambina. If not, then it is a terrible thing to say.

no more sensitive topic for chat /talk/post for me, as politic, religion ... people have their own preference ..

[JemJem]

A 'fag' ?! I hope this is just a silly remark, Bambina. If not, then it is a terrible thing to say.

no more sensitive topic for chat /talk/post for me, as politic, religion ... people have their own preference ..

Yes....people have their sexual preferences and they want to be shown respect in that aspect ! Don't you get it ?! Other than the point that the word 'fag' is an offensive one when used to mean 'gays', there is also the point of 'possibly inaccurate info', as I doubt very much that the guy is gay. And, also why should his sexual preferrnce come into this discussion ?

Gees...get a grip, girl !

Jem

[BambinA]

Yes....people have their sexual preferences and they want to be shown respect in that aspect ! Don't you get it ?!

why not?

i get it!!

im post operation transwoman

[JemJem]

Yes....people have their sexual preferences and they want to be shown respect in that aspect ! Don't you get it ?!

why not?

i get it!!

im post operation transwoman

Well, if this is really the case, then you should be even more sensitive regarding this.

We gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people need to support each other in this sadly homophobic world we are living in.

Cheers,

Jem

[sriracha john]

Now I'll go and tell my know-it-all wife she's wrong!

hmmm..... that's NEVER a good move, mate... :D

Edited March 2, 2006 by sriracha john

[siamesekitty]

You're right!

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=Abhisi...nG=Search&meta=

Now I'll go and tell my know-it-all wife she's wrong!

Actually, if your wife said they were "pee-nong", then she might not have anything wrong. "pee" and "nong" could refer to either your siblings or your cousins. (If said in English, perhaps something lost in translation?)

[chanchao]

> no more sensitive topic for chat /talk/post for me, as politic, religion ...

> people have their own preference ..

Ok, at the risk of veering off topic again, I feel the following is good from an educational perspective:

People being irked by your comments had NOTHING to do with this being a political discussion. Really you could be discussing leisure / sports wear on the beach branch, but if you then say: "Yuck, that Nike Dri-Fit stuff is for fags" then expect to see eyebrows raised.

Nobody is upset about you thinking Abhisit is a usesless schmuck who's still wet behind the ears. It was just the homophobe slur. Note that it's not THAT big a deal, but your most recent post here showed you didn't get the distinction between discussing sensitive political topics and using offensive language no matter what the topic.

Carry on. .....So, is the schmuck still intent on raping the constitution and the democratic process by his ill-conceived and unprecedented boycott?

[HarryHacker]

A question....

What is Abhisits background, parents???

They must be very well connected as he lived his first 20 years in the UK and went to Eton (Old money) and Oxford.

In the words of Sriracha John "Please refer to Post #24 for sources of volumes of information about his achievements and his stance on issues"

...in fact I did look at the link but it's in Thai and I do struggle to read Thai.

I thought it was a simple enough question but thanks anyway for your gracious answer.

[p_brownstone]

Yes....people have their sexual preferences and they want to be shown respect in that aspect ! Don't you get it ?!

why not?

i get it!!

im post operation transwoman

Well, if this is really the case, then you should be even more sensitive regarding this.

We gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people need to support each other in this sadly homophobic world we are living in.

Cheers,

Jem

Certainly an uncalled for remark.

And actually particularly irrelevant in Thailand, where at least 3 recent Prime Ministers had quite well known ahhh ..... sexual ambiguity.

Patrick

[chanchao]

Not to mention general ambiguity.

[HarryHacker]

Yes....people have their sexual preferences and they want to be shown respect in that aspect ! Don't you get it ?!

why not?

i get it!!

im post operation transwoman

Well, if this is really the case, then you should be even more sensitive regarding this.

We gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people need to support each other in this sadly homophobic world we are living in.

Cheers,

Jem

Certainly an uncalled for remark.

And actually particularly irrelevant in Thailand, where at least 3 recent Prime Ministers had quite well known ahhh ..... sexual ambiguity.

Patrick

...including Thailand's elder statesman!

[steveromagnino]

Not to mention general ambiguity.

[penzman]

Now I'll go and tell my know-it-all wife she's wrong!

hmmm..... that's NEVER a good move, mate... :D

Still haven't told her. I haven't figured out yet if it's because of procrastination or fear

[OZONE]

A question....

What is Abhisits background, parents???

They must be very well connected as he lived his first 20 years in the UK and went to Eton (Old money) and Oxford.

In the words of Sriracha John "Please refer to Post #24 for sources of volumes of information about his achievements and his stance on issues"

...in fact I did look at the link but it's in Thai and I do struggle to read Thai.

I thought it was a simple enough question but thanks anyway for your gracious answer.

Well, Gracious answer it was not, but, It had "No" malicious intent either . I merely passed on the info as it was given to me and thought it was a helpful tool.

Btw, I can read Thai but struggled with it like any farang, so, you have company in that aspect

[Plus]

What party was in power when this constitution was written in 1997? The Democrats, I believe. And now it helps Thaksin have a hold on his MPs.

That's exactly what Taksin reportedly said!

How convenient for him to ignore that it wasn't Democrats who were writing the Constitution but an independent group of scholars, and the most work has been done before Democrats took over Chavalit, and it wasn't "written in 1997"

But hey, it sounds nice. Never let the facts to get in a way of a very good story.

[asd]

From Far Eastern Economic Review

Last month, review editors Hugo Restall and Colum Murphy met with Abhisit Vejjajiva, the leader of Thailand's opposition Democrat Party, to discuss his long-range vision for rebuilding his party's public support after a resounding defeat in February's election. The full interview can be viewed at www.feer.com.

REVIEW: Tell us what you're doing right now in terms of restructuring your party following defeat in the February 2005 parliamentary elections ?

Vejjajiva Abhisit: Well, it was seen as a big defeat for us. And clearly with our reduced numbers and the increasing gap versus TRT, my job is really to ensure a rapid recovery, and I've made it clear what we stand for as Democrats is that Thai people should have a choice, so it's really our duty to make sure at least by the next elections that Thai people really do have alternatives. To do that, obviously, one, we still have to perform our duties as opposition well, effectively, efficiently. With reduced numbers, that means harder work.

The tone I have set for the first three months I have been working as party leader is that we will perform the role of opposition in a way that will enable people to see clearly what kind of alternative we would be, so in parliamentary debates in the last three months we have been criticizing the government, [and] we have also come up with alternative proposals, whether it's problems in the south, oil prices, the constitution and other issues.

Secondly, we need to rebuild our readiness in terms of getting into power, which means a process of policy formulation, attracting more personnel who are seen as qualified to run the country, and, of course, reestablish credibility as an alternative government. It would be premature for me to say that OUR party is now ready to takeover, we know that given the decisions of the electorate we need a fair bit of time to prove our case, but I've set the target that, no later than two years, we should be able to run what would look like a shadow government...a shadow cabinet.

More broadly, there's a need to rejuvenate the party. People say we have the strength of being a longstanding party, an institution. But, like any organization that is 60 years old-we'll be 60 next year-I think we need to reestablish some connections with many sections of the population, especially young generations, and the way I see it is this:

First we've been a very effective party in a system of representative democracy, but I think Thailand is moving onto a stage where there's a lot more to politics than parliament...Meaning extra-parliamentary politics-NGOs, [etc.], activities that are not directly or overtly linked to what's going on in parliament. So we need to open up. So we do things like having a first Democrat Assembly, which is scheduled for October, where we will have a meeting of over 2000 people, most of them members, but also with invitation to nonmembers, where we'll provide a forum to discuss the issues facing the country. Little things like my proposed idea that our branches should turn into coffee houses, [where] people be welcome to walk in and exchange ideas, engage in dialogue-that's all part of the process of opening up.

Thirdly, we need to do more activities that are not seen as conventional political activities-selling wrist bands for peace, [and having] proceeds subtract expenses [go] to help families affected by the violence in the south, these kinds of things. It?s showing that we're not standing still, because if we were to stand still we would still get 7 million votes, which is what we had in the last two elections, almost identical number of votes. We need to move ahead, and we need to open up, [and] we need to engage in new activities.

REVIEW: It seems like the TRT has been very successful in large part as a grassroots organization, really connecting with poor, rural Thais, whereas the Democrats are seen more as the party of the Bangkok elite. How do you plan to change that ?

V.A.: I think the key is to recognize that the connection the TRT has made with the majority of the people is not with the party, it's with the populist package, whether it?s with the village fund, or cows, or whatever, projects that they [TRT] are proposing. We have made it clear that we won't go down the populist route, we don't think it's the answer for the country. And we are convinced-and I think there is growing evidence all the time-that the people have also come to see that the things that are being offered by TRT are not really solutions for their lives, for their country.

REVIEW: So you're betting to some extent that these policies are wasteful ?

V.A.: Well they're definitely wasteful. They've been implemented, and I think the people give the government credit for that given that it's the first strong, elected government in the history of Thai democracy...But [as for] the actual outcome of the policies-the jury is still out on that. Yes, people have had more money to spend in the last two to three years. But their income is not going up, and debts are. And now with higher oil prices, inflation, [and] interest rates, it?s going to bite into their well-being.

REVIEW: Mr. Thaksin was [recently] blaming current economic problems almost entirely on the oil price. Would you agree ?

V.A.: Has he [Mr. Thaksin] ever given credit to the expanding world economy for the expansion over the last three years ? The truth of the matter is that the Thai economy is a very open economy. Whatever the rhetoric of the current government, it hasn't been able to change that trend. The Thai economy is more open than ever. So the key for improving well-being is to make sure the country is well prepared for global competition and for global movements in the economy.

That is not being done. The populist package does not in any way strengthen the country on these fronts, it may indeed have the opposite effect. So it's no good complaining things are getting worse outside. If you had prepared the country for these kinds of volatility, which is very natural in a global economy, then we would be better prepared to deal with it.

REVIEW: What about the corruption problem at the moment ? Does Mr. Thaksin bear responsibility for this problem getting worse ?

V.A.: Of course, of course. For several factors: First, he does not really respect, or take seriously, the issue of conflict of interest. Himself, the people surrounding him -whether [it be] his family or his cabinet- totally ignore this issue. And this has been the biggest factor in fueling corruption in recent years.

Second, the fact that he has engaged the government in a much more interventionist stance, rather than trying to create a good environment for fair competition, means that you build up an unhealthy relationship between politicians, bureaucrats and businesses. If you want to do business, you have to get connections, if want to do business, you have to ask for privileges. These are all conducive to increased corruption, so one shouldn't be surprised.

REVIEW: The Democrats are still very strong in the south. What do think can be done at this point to vector reconciliation ? Do you support the government's efforts ?

V.A.: Well, we were initially encouraged by the prime minister?s admission that something had to change...and [he] appeared to be more receptive to our proposals. And we were encouraged by the creation of the National Reconciliation Commission. But two months, almost three months on, there is still very little change that can be felt in the south. We still hear so many leading people, in the police, in the military, in the government, making statements that only confirm that they have not accepted a real change in policy or approach. There is lack of unity, so the signal is very confused. At the same time, the troublemakers are trying to challenge the government, and any policy changes, by increasing frequencies of violent incidents.

I think the prime minister is mistaken in thinking that just setting up the NRC has relieved him of any responsibilities, and that things would then go well. It's not enough, because the NRC has no command, has no control, on any of the agencies. Some of the key proposals I have made have not been adopted. I think its time to put a civilian in charge, to send a signal that this was really a change in policy. Secondly, I think the role given to the troops in the area should be one of helping with infrastructure projects so they really are soldiers for the benefit?that would reduce any tensions, understanding between them and local people.

REVIEW: Do you think greater autonomy should be given to the provinces in the south ?

V.A.: Greater participation-because the word "autonomy" means different things to different people. And different degrees of autonomy are possible. It's best to say there should be more participation. There should be greater flexibility in the way things are run so that they can go in accordance with local people's culture, beliefs. Whether that means autonomy?

REVIEW: What kind of greater participation do you have in mind ?

V.A.: Even the agencies tasked with the problems in the province should invite community leaders, religious leaders to join in. There are also some aspects, say for instance civil law, whereby it's possible that special provisions could be made for Muslims. The problem I think is that the prime minister is such a firm believer in centralized, "one-package-fits-all" way of running the country. It just naturally goes against all these recommendations.

more at http://www.feer.com/articles1/2005/0507/free/p054.html

[p_brownstone]

Not to mention general ambiguity.

And his brother, Moral Ambiguity.

(This could go on and on and ....... )

Patrick

[asd]

he is a fag who married wit a dentist

That's it?

Abhisit is an educated man, unlike many other "goons" in Parliament.

Would you like to know how to insult people ?

Insulting people is a deceptively simple act. Just as an artist (or Rolf Harris) can make drawing magnificent pictures (or bad cartoons) look easy, a true master at of the insult can make being unpleasant seem like a piece of cake.Read more...

http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Marina/1743/insult.htm

or contact BambinA at Bambi's Clinic

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Contradictions galore here........Bambina said he's a bit of a shirtlifter, but he seems to have a normal married life with two kids, and s/he claims he's married to "Wit", who's a dentist, but your information shows she's called "Pimpen." Mai khaojai...............

Anyway, as other's have said, his personal orientation is (mostly) his own business, but of more concern to the Thai people at this juncture is whether he has what it takes to lead the country out of a political morass, clean up the stable a bit and restore confidence in the democratic institutions, especially the parliamentry and judicial systems. It's a huge task and not for the faint-hearted, so good luck to him if he thinks he can manage it, as intellectually he's pretty well qualified.

he is a fag who married wit a dentist

Bambina is a very beautiful woman (now)

Also an incredibly intelligent woman and has a heart of gold.

A bit of contradiction in the "heart of gold" category.

But anyway... some background:

Abhisit Vejjajiva is a Thai politician. Since February 2005, he has been serving as leader of the opposition Democrat Party.

Abhisit was born in 1964 in the U.K. After graduating from Eton College, he enrolled at Oxford University, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree (first class honours) in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and a Master’s degree in economics. He also received his Bachelor’s degree in law from Ramkamhaeng University, Thailand. After graduation, he taught economics at Thammasat University and Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy. He started his career in politics in 1992 as a Democrat MP for Bangkok. He was reelected to the same seat in 1995 and 1996. In the elections of 2001 and 2005, he was returned to parliament as a Party List MP for the Democrat Party. Throughout his political career, he has served as Democrat Party spokesman, Government spokesman, Deputy-Secretary to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs, Chairman of the House Education Affairs Committee and Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office. Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva is married to dentist Pimpen Sakuntabhai. They have two children.

=wikipedia

As a side benefit for foreigners, he is very literate and his English is very easily understood and coherent... unlike the PhD "Dr." Thaksin.

He has a superb CV.

[gurkle]

He needs to change the name of his party. Anyone that boycotts an election cannot call themselves "Democrat" and expect to be taken seriously.

Howabout the Aristocrats? I was thinking the Oligarchy (rule by the elite) beforehand, but it didn't sound as catchy.

[thedude]

quite true actually. the bangkok aristocratic elite (including so called inturlectuals) has always looked down on thaksin, it riles them that an unsophisticated northerner of the new money merchant class could somehow take over the country. over the years i have heard countless uncomplimentary remarks of thaksin from hi-so types with alphabets in front of their names. they all seem to back the Democrats, because Democrat members are typically scions from their own priviledged circle. and the remarks made are not about his corruption or ethics but more of the "oh he's not one of us" type remarks, or how so-and-so probably wouldn't be seen dead in a soiree attended by the PM's wife etc. these people would definitely like to see the back of Thaksin, although they deign themselves too high to be personally involved in his downfall.

[steveromagnino]

He needs to change the name of his party. Anyone that boycotts an election cannot call themselves "Democrat" and expect to be taken seriously.

Howabout the Aristocrats? I was thinking the Oligarchy (rule by the elite) beforehand, but it didn't sound as catchy.

OK, so a guy walks into The Nation newsroom and says I got a new political party. Nation reporter says, tell me about it.

Well, we first off are going to completely legalise porn. We are going to allow full on sex with animals and we are going to make it mandatory for people to do poo in the street then eat it. We are going to legalise all drugs, and then make it illegal not to do lines every day after school. We will turn all schools into brothels, and the buffalo will be the new symbol of urban wealth. We are going to give lots of free phones to the poor, and run sex phone contests 24 7. The wives of all politicians will do gang bangs every week at Suan Jatujact, and a one legged ape will dance and entertain all tourists arrive at the airport.

The new airport will be rebuilt, so there are more cracks in the runway, and we will rename the runway X-Games Arrivals. King power will be renamed Ginger Power. All staff will be ginger.

We will turn NEP into a pool hall, where the balls are made of elephant tusks and the cues are made from the penises of whales. We will take the rare teak forrests in the north of Thailand, and have the biggest bbq this side of Texas. All poor people will be castrated. All rich people will have to ride buffalos.

Lastly, we will be the first country to appoint the biggest idiot in the world as Prime Minister.

Ah, fascinating says the Nation Reporter. So, what do you call yourselves?

'THE ARISTOCRATS'

Interestng says the report, but ######, too late on that last policy though it looks like Italy, USA, New Zealand and Thailand beat you to that.

[dseawarrior]

...From what I understand, Sanoh is boycotting because he doesn't have enough time to jump ship and for sure he will win his area. If the snap election were in 100 days, he would be jumping for joy (AFAIU).

...

Guys like Sanoh, Sonthiya et al would jump ship if they could, but this 90 day thing has them locked in AFAIU.

It’s in the Constitution, I believe:

1. An MP cannot run for election if he changes party within 90 days before the election.

2. When parliament is dissolved, new elections must be held within 60 days.

What party was in power when this constitution was written in 1997? The Democrats, I believe. And now it helps Thaksin have a hold on his MPs.

Incidentally, who, aside from me, has read Thailand’s Constitution?

--------------

Maestro

Hey Maestro!

Thanks for the constitution link... I have started reading already...

dseawarrior