Thailand's 'red villages' eye Bangkok protests

[GrantSmith]

I'm sorry, did I mention numbers of photo's of Thaksin on the wall? No, I didn't, I merely pointed out the attire worn by Thaksin in that photo is traditionally worn by PM's. So no justification, no relevance, no interest.

Don't bother to reply for all the above reasons.

Agreed there was no interest, justification or relevance in posting a picture of Abhisit in his ceremonial robes...

Glad we cleared that up...

[ginjag]

'Red Head' is at it again.

What a moron.

To whom are you referring as red head , just out of interest?

Well fab4, he's not referring to Ginger Rogers. (dick Head BBC) that's who.

[ginjag]

Did Head say anything about -these people do NOT do anything without reward ?????

Why didn't he tell the whole story, bent BBC reporter.

Tell the whole story about what?

How 'rewards' (vote-buying) will go away if Thaksin goes away?

How 'rewards' (corruption) will go away if voting goes away?

Grow up.

Hey little boy----- maybe you are in denial again, have a good look at what has been achieved in the last 2 and a half years. Well ??? J Head is biased, no question about that. Why you speak grow up ??? you have a chip on your shoulder--lighten up and way up the facts-I have nothing to gain out of siding with anyone. If Democrats were in government and carried on the way this load of #### have I would be posting the same-for sure.

[theslime]

saw a group Bikers heading south from Udon this morning,all with red flags flying, but on closer inspection they were Chinese flags, watch out down there people.

[Thait Spot]

Head's approach is to go to Red Shirt HQ, find the family of someone shot in 2010, report a lot of half truths such as forgetting the banks massive debts and pretends to be impartial.

What a plonker.

Is he bitter about the LM case hanging over his cranium?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Loles]

Probably these villagers have got around 230 m concrete road from thaksin regime before, and now they are ready to die for this grabby Chinese

[Mackie]

Jonathan Head…. just admit you're in love with Yingluck. Your interviews with her make it soooooooo clear.

I'm certain he has been properly taken care of by one, if not more of the ladies employed, let's call it the entertainment industry.

[gemini81]

Jonathan Head…. just admit you're in love with Yingluck. Your interviews with her make it soooooooo clear.

His middle name is: 'Wants'

Now we know why he writes from a certain point of view.

[gemini81]

Thaksin Shinawatra 18..jpg

I presume this is a similar representation of Dear Leader in ceremonial robes as seen on the inside walls of houses in Red Villages by our Headman from Auntie BBC.

In most houses in the land a picture or pictures of someone else, more loved, in ceremonial robes, is more commonly displayed.

There's an awful lot you can do with Photoshop

When will there be enough you can do with it so that it is so high tech, it makes the shinawatras look competent and honest? And have a sincere smile instead of a fake one?

[Baerboxer]

Did Dick Head say anything about -these people do NOT do anything without reward ?????

Why didn't he tell the whole story, bent BBC reporter.

Thaksin Shinawatra 18..jpg

I presume this is a similar representation of Dear Leader in ceremonial robes as seen on the inside walls of houses in Red Villages by our Headman from Auntie BBC.

In most houses in the land a picture or pictures of someone else, more loved, in ceremonial robes, is more commonly displayed.

I'm impressed, All those medals and badges. Looks like one of those South American dictator caricatures, or even good old Field Marshall first class, general of the army Idi Amin.

Notice he's wearing his paratrooper insignia too. Wonder how many jumps he did to qualify for that ?

[Frank James]

Nice work from "Bell Pottinger"

Bell Pottinger is the PR (Public Relation Company) from K. Shinawat and the actual Government! => http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/dec/09/bell-pottinger-tim-bell-pr-interview

Can you prove this assertion?

[metisdead]

Inflammatory insult posts toward other members have been removed. If you cannot post without posting insults, put your keyboard out of reach.

[tilac2]

I'm wondering why several people here seem to think the BBC and their reporter Jonathan Head are biased? The reports that I have seen are rather good (although some more background information would have been helpful). JH and several other reporters have not been biased toward Taksin as far as I can judge; they simply point out that he and his associates keep winning elections. It is not their business to tell us whether they think that's a bad/good thing or not.

If we're talking about opinions, then I'd guess that many Thais and many foreigners in Thailand might regret that there seem to be few really great statesmen around these days. Maybe that's why the electorate have voted for people such as Taksin and his ilk. Certainly there is no-one these days of the quality of Pridi Banomyong who was instrumental in bringing democracy to Thailand. But that's only my opinion...

[noitom]

Nothing new here. Thailand's news coverage is surface at best.

[kikoman]

Fair play to Mr Head on this article... It's a bit more level than some of his previous work... This is evident when he makes mention of the red shirt protester's brother who was shot dead in 2010 - he could have played that one out a lot worse than he did.

The article itself is hardly siding with the red shirts, it's basically pointing out the bleeding obvious.

The point about being paid off and being insulted, what did you expect? For them to be all smug about it? Again, it doesn't go into some bleeding heart article spouting fear and indignation.

It'd be nice for a bit of perspective for him to go down south and have a chat with the farmers down there - just to put it into some kind of perspective.

While he was talking to the adoring fans of DL, he should have gone to see the ones waiting for their rice money.

As my wife's family,are rice farmers who are waiting for their rice payment, in our central Thailand village outside of Nakhon Sawan and are not red shirts but back the government and Thaksin programs, namely the Low cost government health care, the micro-credit fund among others.

Many of you that come from countries where the people are treated at least fairly by the Government, The party seeking to overthrow the present government the Democrats have not won a free election in Thailand for 20 years, they were losing elections before Thaksin became involved in the political scene in Thailand, and those Democrats do not favor an election in the current crisis, because they can not win one PERIOD!!

My wife family will back the current elected Government, as they are the only ones that have addressed the needs of the working farmers and less affluent in Thailand and are the elected representatives of the vast majority of voters in the last election.

I often wonder why people that come from countries that have democracies, favor a group of Elitist and affluent to gain power outside of the Democratic process in Thailand, That they enjoyed in their home countries?

I for one did not like Thaksin as well as Yingluck, but my family believe in his politics as the best road for the working people of Thailand, who also have a right to be considered and treated fairly by any government ELECTED in Thailand.

Cheers

[GrantSmith]

I often wonder why people that come from countries that have democracies, favor a group of Elitist and affluent to gain power outside of the Democratic process in Thailand, That they enjoyed in their home countries?

It could be entirely plausible - for some - that they too came from the farang equivalent.

Not saying it's right or wrong, nor trying to argue your stance, just saying that it's a plausible argument...

[Mosha]

Fair play to Mr Head on this article... It's a bit more level than some of his previous work... This is evident when he makes mention of the red shirt protester's brother who was shot dead in 2010 - he could have played that one out a lot worse than he did.

The article itself is hardly siding with the red shirts, it's basically pointing out the bleeding obvious.

The point about being paid off and being insulted, what did you expect? For them to be all smug about it? Again, it doesn't go into some bleeding heart article spouting fear and indignation.

It'd be nice for a bit of perspective for him to go down south and have a chat with the farmers down there - just to put it into some kind of perspective.

While he was talking to the adoring fans of DL, he should have gone to see the ones waiting for their rice money.

As my wife's family,are rice farmers who are waiting for their rice payment, in our central Thailand village outside of Nakhon Sawan and are not red shirts but back the government and Thaksin programs, namely the Low cost government health care, the micro-credit fund among others.

Many of you that come from countries where the people are treated at least fairly by the Government, The party seeking to overthrow the present government the Democrats have not won a free election in Thailand for 20 years, they were losing elections before Thaksin became involved in the political scene in Thailand, and those Democrats do not favor an election in the current crisis, because they can not win one PERIOD!!

My wife family will back the current elected Government, as they are the only ones that have addressed the needs of the working farmers and less affluent in Thailand and are the elected representatives of the vast majority of voters in the last election.

I often wonder why people that come from countries that have democracies, favor a group of Elitist and affluent to gain power outside of the Democratic process in Thailand, That they enjoyed in their home countries?

I for one did not like Thaksin as well as Yingluck, but my family believe in his politics as the best road for the working people of Thailand, who also have a right to be considered and treated fairly by any government ELECTED in Thailand.

Cheers

You should remind them, the low cost health scheme was free before this lot got in.

[barrybankruad]

Fair play to Mr Head on this article... It's a bit more level than some of his previous work... This is evident when he makes mention of the red shirt protester's brother who was shot dead in 2010 - he could have played that one out a lot worse than he did.

The article itself is hardly siding with the red shirts, it's basically pointing out the bleeding obvious.

The point about being paid off and being insulted, what did you expect? For them to be all smug about it? Again, it doesn't go into some bleeding heart article spouting fear and indignation.

It'd be nice for a bit of perspective for him to go down south and have a chat with the farmers down there - just to put it into some kind of perspective.

While he was talking to the adoring fans of DL, he should have gone to see the ones waiting for their rice money.

As my wife's family,are rice farmers who are waiting for their rice payment, in our central Thailand village outside of Nakhon Sawan and are not red shirts but back the government and Thaksin programs, namely the Low cost government health care, the micro-credit fund among others.

Many of you that come from countries where the people are treated at least fairly by the Government, The party seeking to overthrow the present government the Democrats have not won a free election in Thailand for 20 years, they were losing elections before Thaksin became involved in the political scene in Thailand, and those Democrats do not favor an election in the current crisis, because they can not win one PERIOD!!

My wife family will back the current elected Government, as they are the only ones that have addressed the needs of the working farmers and less affluent in Thailand and are the elected representatives of the vast majority of voters in the last election.

I often wonder why people that come from countries that have democracies, favor a group of Elitist and affluent to gain power outside of the Democratic process in Thailand, That they enjoyed in their home countries?

I for one did not like Thaksin as well as Yingluck, but my family believe in his politics as the best road for the working people of Thailand, who also have a right to be considered and treated fairly by any government ELECTED in Thailand.

Cheers

You should remind them, the low cost health scheme was free before this lot got in.

Thaksin innovated the 30 baht health scheme. After the coup the junta scrapped it saying it was too costly to collect. Yingluck re-instated it which to my mind was a good thing, people were going to hospital for minor sniffles when a trip to the mom and pop shop and purchase of a couple of aspirin would do the trick.

Do you know what was like before the 30 baht scheme? I do. Every week quack doctors would come round selling their 'potions'. I personally chased one away and threatened to call the police when I saw him injecting gawd knows what into a bunch of villagers, one after the other using the same dirty needle! I was approached by a young woman who had been made pregnant and then abandoned by her boyfriend. She was a small girl and was enormously pregnant, due any day. The doctors said that she needed a caesarian section as she was so small. The operation would cost 1000 baht. If she couldn't pay she would have to have a normal birth. 1000 baht in those days was a LOT of money. Naturally I lent it her, and the operation was sucessful. Baby boy. And yes I did get the money back although it took some time.

Just two isolated incidents I know, but it may give you some idea why these people love Thaksin. They may not necessarily be red shirts, but they surely know how this man improved their lives.

[thaiguzzi]

I said to my wife when it was broadcast yesterday. "Why doesn't the fool talk to the rural poor in the south. and ask them why they oppose Thaksin?"

I had the same thought.

And the reporter doesn't even have to travel to the south; hundreds of rubber farmers are camping at Rajadamnern Nok avenue.

Strange innit? Rubber farmers were offered a damn good deal as prices are low (2520 baht per rai up to 25 rai per family fertilizer subsidy = 63k max), a very good deal as fertilizer for rubber trees is about 2k per rai per season, the farmers in the north and NE grabbed it, the farmers in the south said no, don't want it, not good enough etc. Now, who do all those southern rubber farmers work for? Some big plots down there.

[kikoman]

Fair play to Mr Head on this article... It's a bit more level than some of his previous work... This is evident when he makes mention of the red shirt protester's brother who was shot dead in 2010 - he could have played that one out a lot worse than he did.

The article itself is hardly siding with the red shirts, it's basically pointing out the bleeding obvious.

The point about being paid off and being insulted, what did you expect? For them to be all smug about it? Again, it doesn't go into some bleeding heart article spouting fear and indignation.

It'd be nice for a bit of perspective for him to go down south and have a chat with the farmers down there - just to put it into some kind of perspective.

While he was talking to the adoring fans of DL, he should have gone to see the ones waiting for their rice money.

As my wife's family,are rice farmers who are waiting for their rice payment, in our central Thailand village outside of Nakhon Sawan and are not red shirts but back the government and Thaksin programs, namely the Low cost government health care, the micro-credit fund among others.

Many of you that come from countries where the people are treated at least fairly by the Government, The party seeking to overthrow the present government the Democrats have not won a free election in Thailand for 20 years, they were losing elections before Thaksin became involved in the political scene in Thailand, and those Democrats do not favor an election in the current crisis, because they can not win one PERIOD!!

My wife family will back the current elected Government, as they are the only ones that have addressed the needs of the working farmers and less affluent in Thailand and are the elected representatives of the vast majority of voters in the last election.

I often wonder why people that come from countries that have democracies, favor a group of Elitist and affluent to gain power outside of the Democratic process in Thailand, That they enjoyed in their home countries?

I for one did not like Thaksin as well as Yingluck, but my family believe in his politics as the best road for the working people of Thailand, who also have a right to be considered and treated fairly by any government ELECTED in Thailand.

Cheers

You should remind them, the low cost health scheme was free before this lot got in.

They say you do not know what you are talking about before Thaksin came to power they only would go to the hospital on extreme emergencies, now all is taken care of by the government.

Free you must have mistaken Thailand for Cuba!

Those that are foreigner in their country act like they know more than the Thai's that were born and raised here, That is the exact program they will not let revert back to the old days, and the mainstay of the PM support in rural Thailand!

Cheers

Cheers