A letter to the well-heeled protesters of Bangkok

[SheungWan]

There seems to be a lot of class hatred on this forum. Abhisit is a good an honest politician who has a lot of "class". Perhaps that's why many TV posters dislike him. They are rather typical of the low class British in the UK who dislike others from different backgrounds. It a pity they did not leave behind these prejudices when they left the UK. They should remember that this forum has members of vastly different backgrounds and some of us feel strongly about some of the uncalled for remarks about the elite, royalists and upper class to which some of us belong

I believe it was the great parliamentarian Nye Bevan who called your lot "vermin" in the House of Commons debate on the establishment of the National Health Service. I see no reason to disagree with his view.

Your post confirms what I wrote about class hatred. You are the sort of person I was reffering to.

Anybody who think that the reds and Thaksin are the equivalent of the British Labour Party and Nye Bevan are living in a world of wish-believe.

Al Capone's reign in Chicago might be nearer the mark.

Edited December 11, 2013 by SheungWan

[northernjohn]

Well he certainly had some good points but he was working from false facts. The Minority of voters voted for Yingluck not the majority.

Of the 48% that voted for Yingluck most came from the as the article said

"The poor and less-educated Thais in rural areas and in Bangkok want their political opinions counted as well."

So the "The poor and less-educated Thais in rural areas and in Bangkok want their political opinions counted as well." are being heard and have been for 9 of the years that Thaksin ruled Thailand. They are the minority of people voting but holding the majority of seats in Parliament. The article conveniently overlooks that little fact. In fact denied it in a round about way with inferences that they were not being heard.

As for the protestors not speaking for all of Thailand correct but they speak for enough of it to get Yingluck to resign and call for new elections.

The author might want to explain that one.

A letter to the well-heeled protesters of Bangkok


A file photo shows Suthep Thaugsuban leading protesters to the Finance Ministry.

BANGKOK: -- Did you take part in the fierce argument over whether five million of you folks or a mere 150,000 showed up at the anti-government rally on Monday? I thought it showed insecurity over whether you represent the real majority voice in Thailand.

Your supreme protest leader, Suthep Thaugsuban, left no room for doubt when he addressed the crowd on Monday, saying he would soon deliver an announcement, "on behalf of all the Thai people".

Wow, I don't recall giving my consent to Suthep (or anyone else) to speak on my behalf. And you know deep down that millions of others hadn't done so, either. The truth is, no one can ever claim to be speaking on behalf of all Thais.

Read more: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/A-letter-to-the-well-heeled-protesters-of-Bangkok-30221768.html

Edited December 11, 2013 by metisdead
Edited per fair use policy and supporting link added.

[citizen33]

Anybody who think that the reds and Thaksin are the equivalent of the British Labour Party and Nye Bevan are living in a world of wish-believe.

Al Capone's reign in Chicago might be nearer the mark.

Partially true, but who then do you think Nye would support? Not Khun Suthep methinks.

[Stefan Steinfeld]

Well, have u guys read about thaksin 59 cases of corruption cases?? To thai people, they feel that thaksin are selling thailand to foreign countries which is not the way to manage a country. Building a railway to china? Train tickets cost u 1000+baht? Who the hell will take the train everyday? So most of the time is to delivery vegetables from china into thailand? Hmm....arent there lots of vegetables grown in thailand?

Didn't this China high-speed railway link actually take root during Abhisit's tenure, i.e. he was actually setting this thing up.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Stefan Steinfeld

[Thai at Heart]

There seems to be a lot of class hatred on this forum. Abhisit is a good an honest politician who has a lot of "class". Perhaps that's why many TV posters dislike him. They are rather typical of the low class British in the UK who dislike others from different backgrounds. It a pity they did not leave behind these prejudices when they left the UK. They should remember that this forum has members of vastly different backgrounds and some of us feel strongly about some of the uncalled for remarks about the elite, royalists and upper class to which some of us belong

I believe it was the great parliamentarian Nye Bevan who called your lot "vermin" in the House of Commons debate on the establishment of the National Health Service. I see no reason to disagree with his view.

I would call the 'nasty' Tory party vermin as well. I would also lump the PTP party into this category with Thaksin as the 'head rat' on a sinking ship called the Titanic!!

I think you are getting your political affiliations a little confused here.

[SheungWan]

Anybody who think that the reds and Thaksin are the equivalent of the British Labour Party and Nye Bevan are living in a world of wish-believe.

Al Capone's reign in Chicago might be nearer the mark.

Partially true, but who then do you think Nye would support? Not Khun Suthep methinks.

He certainly wouldn't be supporting Thaksin and the North-Eastern landowners. The Labour Party (nominally at least) was a product of the urban industrial working class and nothing in Thaksin's forces represent that. In addition the 1945 Labour government was staunchly anti-Communist and certainly wouldn't be associated with old-time CP members such as Thida.

[Bender]

Pravit Rojanaphruk.

Edited December 11, 2013 by Bender

[Thai at Heart]

He would stand in the parliament and curse them all as vermin.

[MrSlatersParrot]

There seems to be a lot of class hatred on this forum. Abhisit is a good an honest politician who has a lot of "class". Perhaps that's why many TV posters dislike him. They are rather typical of the low class British in the UK who dislike others from different backgrounds. It a pity they did not leave behind these prejudices when they left the UK. They should remember that this forum has members of vastly different backgrounds and some of us feel strongly about some of the uncalled for remarks about the elite, royalists and upper class to which some of us belong

Judging from your remarks you clearly don't!

As for myself....

[MrSlatersParrot]

Revolutions start when the middle classes rise on behalf of the poor and down trodden.

Exactly, which is the opposite of what Suthep and his hired gang of thugs are doing by seeking to deny votes & representation to Thailand's poor and down-trodden.

they will be "poor and down trodden" if this government continues it corrupt bankrupting management. Oh how the naive are conned by thaksin clan

There speaks a neo liberal.

It's all about fiscal management.

welfare for the poor be damned. We can't afford it.

Minimum wage. We can't afford it.

Abhisit speak.

Remember ex finance minister Korn sold his family business and avoided taxes just like Thaksin.

His excuse "I'm not the prime minister. I'm not Thaksin."

[MrSlatersParrot]

Khun Pravit Rojanaphruk,

Elegantly written but where was your letter a couple of years ago when several "Red Shirt" leaders stood on the stage and proclaimed they want to over throw the government? Stating they were peaceful protesters representing all the people of Thailand? All the while building a fortress of tires, bamboo spears, arming themselves Molotov cocktails, sling shots, swords, and yes guns? Even at one point telling protesters to burn down Bangkok. And refusing to take responsibility for any of the deadly outcome only blaming everyone but themselves. So where was your unbiased letter then? Seems you have a short memory. That of course is just my unbiased opinion.

Not half!

[MrSlatersParrot]

... There was even an 80 year old woman who was brought by friends in her wheel chair with gas mask at the ready because she wanted to do her her civic duty to eject the corrupt Shinawatra government and didn't want to miss an historic occasion, even if it was the last thing she ever did.

Wheel her out then for the next election.

Simple

[scorecard]

Revolutions start when the middle classes rise on behalf of the poor and down trodden.

And fascism was (arguably) the radicalism of the lower middle class. Of course, there have been progressive movements lead by middle class activists, but are you honestly saying this is true of Suthep's group? What if the 'poor and down trodden' don't want them to 'rise on their behalf'?

As the author of the piece asks, what gives these people the right to speak for all of Thailand? Your theory that they're rising on behalf of the poor would still be an example of exactly that sort of arrogance if it were true. But it isn't.

On the other hand what gives the shin family the right to try to totally dominate all Thais?

[lovetotravel]

Revolutions start when the middle classes rise on behalf of the poor and down trodden.

And fascism was (arguably) the radicalism of the lower middle class. Of course, there have been progressive movements lead by middle class activists, but are you honestly saying this is true of Suthep's group? What if the 'poor and down trodden' don't want them to 'rise on their behalf'?

As the author of the piece asks, what gives these people the right to speak for all of Thailand? Your theory that they're rising on behalf of the poor would still be an example of exactly that sort of arrogance if it were true. But it isn't.

On the other hand what gives the shin family the right to try to totally dominate all Thais?

Interesting Op/Ed piece in the Post recently. It mentioned a protester who is fed up with the corruption. Police were specifically mentioned. Which is controlled by the Shin clan. Police, military, government, etc. A bit much for many.

[SICHONSTEVE]

There seems to be a lot of class hatred on this forum. Abhisit is a good an honest politician who has a lot of "class". Perhaps that's why many TV posters dislike him. They are rather typical of the low class British in the UK who dislike others from different backgrounds. It a pity they did not leave behind these prejudices when they left the UK. They should remember that this forum has members of vastly different backgrounds and some of us feel strongly about some of the uncalled for remarks about the elite, royalists and upper class to which some of us belong

I believe it was the great parliamentarian Nye Bevan who called your lot "vermin" in the House of Commons debate on the establishment of the National Health Service. I see no reason to disagree with his view.

Your post confirms what I wrote about class hatred. You are the sort of person I was reffering to.

True, a black person hating white people is just as racist as a white person hating black people!!!

[mikemac]

A sentiment from a Thai citizen who is living in Thailand - so much more refreshing to read than the usual hate speech on here - and with so much more to say.

Unfortunately it will only be a matter of time before the usual suspects will be cherrypicking the article and filling the pages with bile.

Really fab4,,,,,,,,,,,, when will you write something new?

When the hate speech and bile turns into dialogue that can and will be debated. Surely you've noticed the increase in juvenile name calling and just plain hate being posted on this forum. I stepped away for a few days hoping it would improve - some hope.

"I stepped away for a few days hoping it would improve"

Yes, the quality of the forum content did improve during those few days. One less troll does that.

[lildragon]

Good letter. It's true about suthep claiming to speak on behalf of all Thais with an audience of a couple of hundred infront of him and thousands more on tv. That's still barely a dent in what the whole population think and that's not even including the red shirts.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[geriatrickid]

I know quite a few who are participating in the protests. Most are not rich, many are not from Bangkok. And many are protesting in areas all over the country. So this is not just about Bangkok.

This is not a class war, though some like to portray it as such. Especially the red shirts. This is about getting rid of corruption and politicians who try to do things against the rules (i.e. the amnesty bill, the rice pledging scheme, the water manager bill, the 2T Baht infrastructure bill, etc).

Saying this is rich vs. poor is a ploy by the red shirts. I don't know of one of their leaders who is truly poor. They've done a great job conning the Issan masses.

You state that "This is about getting rid of corruption and politicians who try to do things against the rules"

Really? Can you please explain why all of these people brought in from Phuket, Surat Thani, Nahkon Si Thammarat, and Krabi have never, ever protested against the endemic and crippling corruption in their region? It is a corruption that touches many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of workers who come from other regions and who work in the hospitality sector. Did you know that the local Phuket politicians have successfully lobbied against allowing those "outsiders" who live and work in Phuket, from voting in Phuket? Did you know that hundreds of thousands of Thais are prevented from voting in every election because they cannot afford to return to their local regions to vote, or because they are threatened with being terminated from their jobs if they take the time off to go and vote?

Phuket has been struggling against the transportation cartel. Plan after plan to reform the inflated prices, to offer alternative transportation options have been trotted out over the years. No real attempt has been made to rein in the tuk tuk and taxi cartels of Karon and Patong. Did you know that the local political bosses are linked to those cartels, and that they are part of the Democrat party political machine? This is one of the reasons why I hold such animosity towards the Democrat party and why I dismiss the protests. It's bogus. These protestors have the means to clean up their own regions, and yet they refuse. Suthep comes from one of the most corrupt provinces where he was the political boss. How can a man with such a legacy dare to claim he is leading the fight against corruption? You and all the other Suthep supporters refuse to acknowledge that inconvenient truth.

Edited March 23, 2014 by geriatrickid

[scorecard]

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you mostly-Bangkokian middle class protesters should be mindful that you are not the majority of the people, and that Bangkok is just one part of Thailand

LOVE IT - great piece

And you might like to remember that the pt party was ruling Thailand (supposedly on behalf of all Thais) on the basis of what was good for pt and not much more.

And you might like to remember that the anti-govt protestors come from every corner of Thailand.

There's two sides to the coin.

Edited March 23, 2014 by scorecard

[Spalpeen]

It's very gratifying to see that more than 70 people have already 'liked' the OP, with almost no one agreeing with the yellow shirt apologists. It shows them up for the tiny, noisy, clique that they are, just like Sutheps shrinking Lumpini gang.

[scorecard]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I know quite a few who are participating in the protests. Most are not rich, many are not from Bangkok. And many are protesting in areas all over the country. So this is not just about Bangkok.

This is not a class war, though some like to portray it as such. Especially the red shirts. This is about getting rid of corruption and politicians who try to do things against the rules (i.e. the amnesty bill, the rice pledging scheme, the water manager bill, the 2T Baht infrastructure bill, etc).

Saying this is rich vs. poor is a ploy by the red shirts. I don't know of one of their leaders who is truly poor. They've done a great job conning the Issan masses.

You state that "This is about getting rid of corruption and politicians who try to do things against the rules"

Really? Can you please explain why all of these people brought in from Phuket, Surat Thani, Nahkon Si Thammarat, and Krabi have never, ever protested against the endemic and crippling corruption in their region? It is a corruption that touches many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of workers who come from other regions and who work in the hospitality sector. Did you know that the local Phuket politicians have successfully lobbied against allowing those "outsiders" who live and work in Phuket, from voting in Phuket? Did you know that hundreds of thousands of Thais are prevented from voting in every election because they cannot afford to return to their local regions to vote, or because they are threatened with being terminated from their jobs if they take the time off to go and vote?

Phuket has been struggling against the transportation cartel. Plan after plan to reform the inflated prices, to offer alternative transportation options have been trotted out over the years. No real attempt has been made to rein in the tuk tuk and taxi cartels of Karon and Patong. Did you know that the local political bosses are linked to those cartels, and that they are part of the Democrat party political machine? This is one of the reasons why I hold such animosity towards the Democrat party and why I dismiss the protests. It's bogus. These protestors have the means to clean up their own regions, and yet they refuse. Suthep comes from one of the most corrupt provinces where he was the political boss. How can a man with such a legacy dare to claim he is leading the fight against corruption? You and all the other Suthep supporters refuse to acknowledge that inconvenient truth.

So g'kid are you saying that because the dems didn't successfully fix the problems in the southern states (taxi / tuk tuk stuff, etc) then the pt regime don't need to try to handle it.

Additionally, the police are strongly controlled by the paymaster, and therefore the pt clan would have had a better chance of success at fixing these problems (and yes they are serious problem) but in reality very little real action / success on these points.

[fab4]

A sentiment from a Thai citizen who is living in Thailand - so much more refreshing to read than the usual hate speech on here - and with so much more to say.

Unfortunately it will only be a matter of time before the usual suspects will be cherrypicking the article and filling the pages with bile.

Really fab4,,,,,,,,,,,, when will you write something new?

When the hate speech and bile turns into dialogue that can and will be debated. Surely you've noticed the increase in juvenile name calling and just plain hate being posted on this forum. I stepped away for a few days hoping it would improve - some hope.

"I stepped away for a few days hoping it would improve"

Yes, the quality of the forum content did improve during those few days. One less troll does that.

And then you came back, self congratulatory emoticons, personal attacks and all. My, how I missed you. Do you actually post comments which aren't aimed at posters?