Civil War in Thailand? Anyone else afraid?

[ricku]

With all the the never ending political hate and madness running wild in Thailand, Im actually surprised that a civil war hasn't broke out yet.

PTP, democrats, yellow shirts, red shirts, Thaksin and his Shinawatra-clan, hunger for money, hunger for power, e.t.c... There is just so much tension and I think it's all a big recipe for something truly terrible.

Am I the only one here who is afraid that it's just a matter of time before shit hits the fan? I mean on a much bigger scale than the riots back in 2010.

Edited November 19, 2013 by ricku

[geronimo]

Yes this could get nasty. Whatever your political viewpoint, this present Government was democratically elected (as was her brother's before that) and anyone who wishes that they are replaced, should wait until their current term is over and then campaign for the election.

[BB1955]

Not worried not scared ....

[cooked]

Yawn.. up here in Isaan we will just watch it on TV if it happens

[Thai at Heart]

Yawn.. up here in Isaan we will just watch it on TV if it happens

Haha. You think if the army comes in, those up in isaan won't fight them up country? Burn down a few city halls and the rest.

The biggest potential Areas that could blow up is isaan

[Jasun]

They'll bicker on for years. But as far as central and northern Thais are concerned, they've got more in common than not. There's always a 'middle path'. There's probably more of a divide in the south, based on religion not politics.

[Somtamnication]

It won't get any better, that is for sure.

[wprime]

I wouldn't worry about it, the current situation is almost over, the Shinawatra regime is losing power - they are already getting desperate by resorting to extreme measures to oppress the opposition. Eventually, if the Shinawatras don't leave politics peacefully then there will be another bloodless coup d'etat but no civil war. They might have money but their real power comes from the people who are increasingly being disillusioned by their deceit.

Contrary to popular opinion the reds aren't directly driven by support money, I'm sure it helps but their cause is valid - Isaan has been milked dry since the Phibun regime in order to fund the growth of Bangkok - money which then filtered into the BKK economy leaving Isaan in poverty. This will need to be rectified before Thailand sees any long term peace but the Shinawatra regime was never going to help them.

There will be more elites taking advantage of their plight to strengthen their cause but over time, the older, generations are being replaced by the educated youth - they won't be as easily manipulated and in time will run for politics themselves. Only then will Thailand be truly prepared for democracy.

[AYJAYDEE]

I wouldn't worry about it, the current situation is almost over, the Shinawatra regime is losing power - they are already getting desperate by resorting to extreme measures to oppress the opposition. Eventually, if the Shinawatras don't leave politics peacefully then there will be another bloodless coup d'etat but no civil war. They might have money but their real power comes from the people who are increasingly being disillusioned by their deceit.

Contrary to popular opinion the reds aren't directly driven by support money, I'm sure it helps but their cause is valid - Isaan has been milked dry since the Phibun regime in order to fund the growth of Bangkok - money which then filtered into the BKK economy leaving Isaan in poverty. This will need to be rectified before Thailand sees any long term peace but the Shinawatra regime was never going to help them.

There will be more elites taking advantage of their plight to strengthen their cause but over time, the older, generations are being replaced by the educated youth - they won't be as easily manipulated and in time will run for politics themselves. Only then will Thailand be truly prepared for democracy.

Nope! their power comes from the growing economic power of the northern provinces who are demanding a share of the political power to match. the bangkok elites are refusing to share and they will continue to lose elections as a result. It may not be the Shinawatras that benefit but it sure wont be the Abhisits and their Bangkok supporters.

Edited November 19, 2013 by AYJAYDEE

[PaullyW]

Thais are far too conditioned and mentally and emotionally lazy to fight for anything really. I'm surprised that they can even blow these whistles as long as they have. I guess it's cute and fun (sanuk).

We don't have to worry about them sacrificing themselves for any cause. Much easier to just ignore things after a time (maibenrai).

[cooked]

Yawn.. up here in Isaan we will just watch it on TV if it happens

Haha. You think if the army comes in, those up in isaan won't fight them up country? Burn down a few city halls and the rest.

The biggest potential Areas that could blow up is isaan

I don't know all of Isaan, but the guys around here just stoically accept whatever is thrown at them. They are not really conscious of what the fat cats are doing down there in Bangkok.

[leggo]

The word Democratic seems to have been used for the most part recently in it's most liberal sense.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[AYJAYDEE]

Yawn.. up here in Isaan we will just watch it on TV if it happens

Haha. You think if the army comes in, those up in isaan won't fight them up country? Burn down a few city halls and the rest.

The biggest potential Areas that could blow up is isaan

I don't know all of Isaan, but the guys around here just stoically accept whatever is thrown at them. They are not really conscious of what the fat cats are doing down there in Bangkok.

If you dont think that they are aware of the rice subsidy, you havent been listening!

[MrWorldwide]

If it was going to happen, it would have happened in 2010 - lets move on.

[Thai at Heart]

Yawn.. up here in Isaan we will just watch it on TV if it happens

Haha. You think if the army comes in, those up in isaan won't fight them up country? Burn down a few city halls and the rest.

The biggest potential Areas that could blow up is isaan

I don't know all of Isaan, but the guys around here just stoically accept whatever is thrown at them. They are not really conscious of what the fat cats are doing down there in Bangkok.

Well I don't know which bit of isaan you are in but wherever I've been is red through and through.

[AYJAYDEE]

Yawn.. up here in Isaan we will just watch it on TV if it happens

Haha. You think if the army comes in, those up in isaan won't fight them up country? Burn down a few city halls and the rest.

The biggest potential Areas that could blow up is isaan

I don't know all of Isaan, but the guys around here just stoically accept whatever is thrown at them. They are not really conscious of what the fat cats are doing down there in Bangkok.

Well I don't know which bit of isaan you are in but wherever I've been is red through and through.

exactly! it aint the thais that are not conscious, it seems.

[Thai at Heart]

Yawn.. up here in Isaan we will just watch it on TV if it happens

Haha. You think if the army comes in, those up in isaan won't fight them up country? Burn down a few city halls and the rest.

The biggest potential Areas that could blow up is isaan

I don't know all of Isaan, but the guys around here just stoically accept whatever is thrown at them. They are not really conscious of what the fat cats are doing down there in Bangkok.

Well I don't know which bit of isaan you are in but wherever I've been is red through and through.

exactly! it aint the thais that are not conscious, it seems.

What would scare me would be the army going up against red shirts in the north or north east.

God knows where that would end.

Edited November 20, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[Mosha]

They'll bicker on for years. But as far as central and northern Thais are concerned, they've got more in common than not. There's always a 'middle path'. There's probably more of a divide in the south, based on religion not politics.

One thing that will unite the south, and I mean all the south. Is their hatred of all things Shinawatra, especially the one "in exile".

[Beetlejuice]

For what I have observed, most Thais just want to get on with their lives and prefer to keep politics as something that is in the background.

But of course anything can happen and I certainly don`t rule out the possibility of these political disputes turning into something a lot more serious and escalating into a full blown civil war. There are certain factors why I believe this that I cannot mention on Thai visa, because in the future events may transpire when the different factions may start battling for power, a sort of free for all where the best man wins. This country is far from being a stable democratic society, something like a tinderbox that could ignite the fire within an instant.

In my opinion we can only hope that the continuous disputes between these groups in Thailand is mostly just a load of hot air blowing in the wind and will eventually fade away. But I believe the threat of a total breakdown in law and order and these clashes going nationwide and turning extremely nasty is there and something that we should all be aware of, plus keeping aloft of all what’s going on in Thailand politically.

[AYJAYDEE]

Yawn.. up here in Isaan we will just watch it on TV if it happens

Haha. You think if the army comes in, those up in isaan won't fight them up country? Burn down a few city halls and the rest.

The biggest potential Areas that could blow up is isaan

I don't know all of Isaan, but the guys around here just stoically accept whatever is thrown at them. They are not really conscious of what the fat cats are doing down there in Bangkok.

Well I don't know which bit of isaan you are in but wherever I've been is red through and through.

exactly! it aint the thais that are not conscious, it seems.

What would scare me would be the army going up against red shirts in the north or north east.

God knows where that would end.

a bloodbath

[AyG]

What concerns me is that in the past an army coup has been the "traditional" way of resolving political conflict. Thaksin has reshuffled the senior army officials to make sure he has strong support at the top. He's even gone as far as to appoint his sister as Defence Minister. A coup thus is more difficult, and civil war a higher possibility.

[cooked]

Yawn.. up here in Isaan we will just watch it on TV if it happens

Haha. You think if the army comes in, those up in isaan won't fight them up country? Burn down a few city halls and the rest.

The biggest potential Areas that could blow up is isaan

I don't know all of Isaan, but the guys around here just stoically accept whatever is thrown at them. They are not really conscious of what the fat cats are doing down there in Bangkok.

If you dont think that they are aware of the rice subsidy, you havent been listening!

We are in full rice harvest right now. I can assure that nobody CARES about the rice subsidy, although they are vaguely aware that the small farmer is not profiting from this scheme. They are not worried about the fact that the storage space is running out, they say 'the Chinese will buy, like always'.

I assure that I have been listening, Beetlejuice above has the most astute response as far as I can see.

[kikoman]

Reds are in the most political favor in my area, as the rice Farmers want a slice of the political pie, but they are not the wild eye radicals that you are accustom to seeing demonstrating in Bangkok.

Civil war, I think not, I would be more afraid of a civil war in the US as a result of Anglo's becoming a minority, than a like war in Thailand.

While I am not a backer of the Red Shirts they have the backing of those that matter politically in my area and my opinion does not matter in a country I am a guest in.

Cheers

Edited November 20, 2013 by kikoman

[AYJAYDEE]

lol! they are all aware that they are getting more for their rice than they were before. and they know why!

[Stradavarius37]

Lighten up Francis.

[barrybankruad]

lol! they are all aware that they are getting more for their rice than they were before. and they know why!

Trouble is they are NOT getting more for their rice. Last I heard was 14K baht a ton for khow homalee, whereas they are supposed to be getting 20K a ton. The rice millers and middlemen who are ripping off the scheme need to be very careful or they might find themselves hanging from lampposts one day. And how many tens of thousands of tons of Vietnamese and Cambodian rice has been smuggled into the Country in order to get the inflated price? Nobody knows.

[Showbags]

They do not have the spine for it at the end of the day.

[AYJAYDEE]

lol! they are all aware that they are getting more for their rice than they were before. and they know why!

Trouble is they are NOT getting more for their rice. Last I heard was 14K baht a ton for khow homalee, whereas they are supposed to be getting 20K a ton. The rice millers and middlemen who are ripping off the scheme need to be very careful or they might find themselves hanging from lampposts one day. And how many tens of thousands of tons of Vietnamese and Cambodian rice has been smuggled into the Country in order to get the inflated price? Nobody knows.

lol! the year before it began, they were getting 8k. who said they should be getting 20K ?

[Berkshire]

As a basis for comparison, the red and blue shirts in America (read Rep/Dem) are constantly at each others throats. But we don't worry much about a Civil War. Same same Thailand.

[AYJAYDEE]

As a basis for comparison, the red and blue shirts in America (read Rep/Dem) are constantly at each others throats. But we don't worry much about a Civil War. Same same Thailand.

who is we?