PDRC to shut down Bangkok by end of next week

[spare5]

Perfectly said. You are a 100% right on.

It looks more and more like a mythomaniac attitude and Mr Suthep should remove the qualifier of democrat from the name of his party . Everything this guy is saying and doing is at the opposite of a democratic behaviour.

Here's the son of a rich Bangkok Thai - well educated and spoken with good English but not a clue about how to argue intelligently and articulately on the global media. And in it lies the problem for Thailand without a wholesale acknowledgement of corruption and the pernicious rotting influence on the body politic no change will happen. Corruption is widespread,institutionalised and robs Thailand so they say of 40 - 50 % of monies that could go into reforms and infrastructure. I have seen it at first hand through family connections at a provincial level - idiots you wouldn't employ to deliver pizzas are running provinces piled high with lucrative permits and licences and for what - the signature of a well connected guy who bought/fought his way to the table. The 'REDS' anger is deep. very deep and is the unfocused rage of being terated like sh*t for decades and paid peanuts for hard work whilst some local big wig cruises past in his Benz to wais all round. Accept , accept , accept seems to be the Thai mantra - but in the world of Youtube,Facebook , social media and the like it is far harder to put the genie back in the bottle.

What would really scare the powers that be would be mass demonstrations similar to Brazil or the Arab Spring that come from heartfelt feelings on the street and aren't tied to one corrupt faction or another. If that day ever comes a lot of those in power will be sh*t scared and blood really will flow in the streets.

The absolute root of the problem is the education system here. The so called educated Thais are nothing of the sort. And as for the schools, who is to blame for the pitiable structure and level of education in the North and North East which the so called educated Thais are complaining about? Thailand, on paper, spends huge amounts of money on education. Yet the country consistently scores bottom of any empirically tested tables of geography, math, language, etc, in South East Asia. It's an unfortunate fact that the people with the wealth in Thailand have, for decades, deliberately starved ordinary Thai people of a half-decent education while at the same time allocating huge budgets for education which they put in their own pockets.

The present political mess is the result. Thailand as a whole needs to decide if it wants a modern age democracy or if it wants to live in some kind of feudal twilight zone. If it's the former, then the whole education system needs to be revamped.

I like it when he reconfirm in BBC that 5 millions protesters were in fact on the street of Bangkok.

[watso63]

When the government does not listen, what can any one do. It is a desprate attempt, but these are desperate times. The government has not been forth coming with any information about the rice scheme. It is an option for them to provide it or not. Seems like that YS thinks that if the majority don't care about the abuse of power with the rice scheme, then it must not be important. Wrong....in a democracy everyones voice is as important as many. An election is a process which majority of the people believe that the elected offcial is best to lead and unite the country in the best interest of all its citizens. It does not mean that the leader will only care or put a major budget towards the majority. They must balance for the greater good of the nation. No one had any gripes or protest when she won. But the things that she has done with the Rice scheme, 1st car scheme, tablet for every child, illegal admendment to the constitution, passage of the amnesty bill...all of this happen under her leadership. She has not taken any accountability for anything. Always passing on the buck. Citizens have the rights to demand an answer. But no answer. Even the rice scheme, the first year they couldn't produce any information. For the benefit of the doubt, let's assume that it is complicated and take time to gather information. Doesn't that mean that it is being mismanaged. In that case, let temporarily stop the program. As everyone know, the farmer got angry. So they continue. Because it was ill concieved and would loose support of the North and reveal the truth that it was used to buy votes at the expense of the taxpayers. Yes I said it. Vote buying. Things like this that is causing Thailand to go in to financial dire. Project like this is one of the reforms that must happen. So parties can not promise impossible projects. All project must have fisical discipline. All the project is just spend and spend without any regard for balancing the budget. And then the 2 Trillon with as much transparency as the Rice Scheme that has passed. That was the last draw. The govt that can't even manage the rice scheme is quality to manage a 2Trillion budget. I think not. I can talk about the massive rice scheme corruption going. But that is not for this thread. Thai democracy is still evolving. This is part of it of its evolution. Remember, YS may have come by a legitmate way of the election through the democractic way. But her action is far from the democratic way, which makes her illegitament. One can not choose which gear of democracy to turn they all must turn in order for it to run.

And can you name one western democracy that doesn't indulge in 'vote buying' by political parties, beggaring the public finances with promises of largesse? I can't. It's standard procedure in UK, and that's why borrowing is out of control there.

If the Thai people don't like what Yingluk's government have done, then they can vote her out, same as they do everywhere else that runs with a parliamentary democracy. What Suthip is doing is born of petulance because he can't have it all his own way. Well tough shit. That's how democracy works. You want power, then go to the people with policies that will make them want to vote for you. That's how democracy is done. What Suthip is trying to achieve is mob rule and is totally illegitimate.

Are you off your rocker?

You say that the UK and the rest of the western democracies buy votes, and that is why there is massive borrowing there? That is the most bizarre political statement I have ever heard in my entire life.

If any campaigning political party in the UK offered money for votes, they would be slammed up in prison for election tampering, and the party banned for life. When political parties campaign for an election, their campaign manifesto is scrutinized in depth and picked apart by the media, other parties and the well politically educated public and also top political analysts.

Any lunatic populist policies will be exposed immediately and the party MPs responsible dragged onto national TV to be annihilated. Let alone have hundreds of media camped out on the doorstep of the party leader and his house.

The UK are not as gullible to fall for stupid populist policies. They demand to know about policies like, health, education, defense etc. Stop trying to portray the UK and the oldest and probably the most stable democracy in the world as some sort of thing you can compare with the joke that is Thai democracy.

I doubt you know the first thing about politics. You are a joke.

Completely agree with every word of this - the UK has the finest democracy in the world (and, as you pointed out. everything is scrutinised to ensure our elections are fair and proper). Any populist policies in a party's mandate must be fully costed and blatant ones designed to garner votes would be spotted a mile off and revealed as such!! There is nothing wrong with having populist policies if they do good are affordable and the people are in favour of them. British voters are the most savvy around and won't be fooled.

The rice scam is the kind of policy that would have been dreamt up by 'The Monster Raving Loonatic Party' as being their flagship policy!!

[dhrobertson]

And can you name one western democracy that doesn't indulge in 'vote buying' by political parties, beggaring the public finances with promises of largesse? I can't. It's standard procedure in UK, and that's why borrowing is out of control there.

If the Thai people don't like what Yingluk's government have done, then they can vote her out, same as they do everywhere else that runs with a parliamentary democracy. What Suthip is doing is born of petulance because he can't have it all his own way. Well tough shit. That's how democracy works. You want power, then go to the people with policies that will make them want to vote for you. That's how democracy is done. What Suthip is trying to achieve is mob rule and is totally illegitimate.

Are you off your rocker?

You say that the UK and the rest of the western democracies buy votes, and that is why there is massive borrowing there? That is the most bizarre political statement I have ever heard in my entire life.

If any campaigning political party in the UK offered money for votes, they would be slammed up in prison for election tampering, and the party banned for life. When political parties campaign for an election, their campaign manifesto is scrutinized in depth and picked apart by the media, other parties and the well politically educated public and also top political analysts.

Any lunatic populist policies will be exposed immediately and the party MPs responsible dragged onto national TV to be annihilated. Let alone have hundreds of media camped out on the doorstep of the party leader and his house.

The UK are not as gullible to fall for stupid populist policies. They demand to know about policies like, health, education, defense etc. Stop trying to portray the UK and the oldest and probably the most stable democracy in the world as some sort of thing you can compare with the joke that is Thai democracy.

I doubt you know the first thing about politics. You are a joke.

Completely agree with every word of this - the UK has the finest democracy in the world (and, as you pointed out. everything is scrutinised to ensure our elections are fair and proper). Any populist policies in a party's mandate must be fully costed and blatant ones designed to garner votes would be spotted a mile off and revealed as such!! There is nothing wrong with having populist policies if they do good are affordable and the people are in favour of them. British voters are the most savvy around and won't be fooled.

The rice scam is the kind of policy that would have been dreamt up by 'The Monster Raving Loonatic Party' as being their flagship policy!!

All basically true

But why doesn't that happen here?

1) Poor media with no investigative journalism due to being fettered by unfair libel laws and arcane censorship

2) Poor education.

Change those and you might get better governance....

[indyuk]

No pain, no gain. I hope the PDRC have worked out how to implement a strategy for exit counseling for a couple of million people from the cult of Shinawat. As with any cult following, rebuilding the followers self esteem and life can be difficult and traumatic after coming to terms with having been used by the cult leader for his own personal benefit only. I have to admit some surprise that Thaksin has been so successful in building such a cult following, he can't levitate like Shoko Asahara, can't write pop songs like Charlie Manson and doesn't have the good looks of Jimmy Jones. Either way, I wish PDRC luck trying to deprogram and re-educate the Isaanites.

Thailands future rests in your hands Khun Suthep. Fight the good fight, uniting the country will earn you reverence in the Thai history books.

Hello JaiDam; Have you bothered to note what Suthep has actually stated in respect to his goal (or goals). If you have you may have noted that nothing he has stated has anything to do with politics. Some of his statements question his own sanity because they are irrational and cannot work unless the Ammart, Elite, High-so, Middle class of Thailand want to be ruled by a dictator?

I too would like Thailand to be less corrupt. However Suthep has stated clearly that he intends to continue his life of corruption into the future. If he wins his campaign the people will have no means of removing him from office at the end of his one or two years of reforming Thailand.

It is likely that even 'his people' will tire of him quickly when they realize that his plan of reformation did not include his own reformation from his life of corruption. Neither does it seem that Suthep intends to submit himself for trial on the many charges against him.

Five minutes of clear thinking on his numerous disparate statements leads one to conclude that his actual objective is to render himself immune from Justice in respect to his own crimes, past and future.

[siampolee]

indyuk post # 454

Five minutes of clear thinking on his numerous disparate statements leads one to conclude that his actual objective is to render himself immune from Justice in respect to his own crimes, past and future.

''comment snipped''

And in those 34 words you have described succinctly the tactics of Thaksin and his P.T.P. puppets which have led us to the current situation.

[Prbkk]

Pretty poor show by the BBC to drag out this clueless twit; completely out of his depth. Is this the best the opposition can muster?

[englishoak]

Pretty poor show by the BBC to drag out this clueless twit; completely out of his depth. Is this the best the opposition can muster?

i suspect he was chosen and supported by his proud parents for and to show off his English skills and impress someone here, and he does have very good English. Shame the lights are not on at home tho.....

Edited December 31, 2013 by englishoak

[retsdon]

Why would you even bother replying logically to someone who advocates the introduction of Maoist style 'reeducation' camps for political opponents in a modern fast-changing industrial society. He's either being deliberately mischievous (trolling), or is utterly divorced from normal reality.Either way, logic is futile.

No pain, no gain. I hope the PDRC have worked out how to implement a strategy for exit counseling for a couple of million people from the cult of Shinawat. As with any cult following, rebuilding the followers self esteem and life can be difficult and traumatic after coming to terms with having been used by the cult leader for his own personal benefit only. I have to admit some surprise that Thaksin has been so successful in building such a cult following, he can't levitate like Shoko Asahara, can't write pop songs like Charlie Manson and doesn't have the good looks of Jimmy Jones. Either way, I wish PDRC luck trying to deprogram and re-educate the Isaanites.

Thailands future rests in your hands Khun Suthep. Fight the good fight, uniting the country will earn you reverence in the Thai history books.

Hello JaiDam; Have you bothered to note what Suthep has actually stated in respect to his goal (or goals). If you have you may have noted that nothing he has stated has anything to do with politics. Some of his statements question his own sanity because they are irrational and cannot work unless the Ammart, Elite, High-so, Middle class of Thailand want to be ruled by a dictator?

I too would like Thailand to be less corrupt. However Suthep has stated clearly that he intends to continue his life of corruption into the future. If he wins his campaign the people will have no means of removing him from office at the end of his one or two years of reforming Thailand.

It is likely that even 'his people' will tire of him quickly when they realize that his plan of reformation did not include his own reformation from his life of corruption. Neither does it seem that Suthep intends to submit himself for trial on the many charges against him.

Five minutes of clear thinking on his numerous disparate statements leads one to conclude that his actual objective is to render himself immune from Justice in respect to his own crimes, past and future.

Edited December 31, 2013 by retsdon

[DMG333]

BTS group found a lucrative year to launch its infrastructure fund. Now more people will ride the train, may be we should add some.??

Edited December 31, 2013 by DMG333

[retsdon]

Pretty poor show by the BBC to drag out this clueless twit; completely out of his depth. Is this the best the opposition can muster?

Very probably.

When I worked in Thailand I used to be constantly flabbergasted by how ignorant even supposedly educated people were. There were whole classes of university students incapable of naming eight capital cities, or five major world rivers. There was a class of middle-management bank employees, not ONE of whom had ever heard of Pol Pot or the Khmer Rouge. And these weren't kids - what had happened across the border had occurred within their lifetimes. But of course, 'mai roo' is a national cliche.

This blanket and almost willful ignorance, even among the middle classes, is naturally hugely problematic when you're trying to have intelligent political discourse because there's no context in which to place ideas, or history to judge them against. The result is the moronic theatre of the absurd that passes for political discourse in Thailand.

[Cuchulainn]

...............The result is the moronic theatre of the absurd that passes for political discourse in Thailand.................

Don't hold back, there!! Say it as it is!!

[thinkingofhow]

Not at all like it my friend....they murdered 93 unarmed Thai people by cowardly army snipers, with bullets thru their heads, not injured, wounded, leg shots but clean clear shots in the head and MURDERED in the right word. Funny the public can't even get an arrest warrant from the judges for break and enter of Govt. Buildings, inciting a riot, hiring thugs and goons as Yellow shifters pretending to be Yellow shifters but paid gangsters.

As soon as the yellow shirt army, backed by the yellow short judges, and manafedted on the street by yellow shirts when the yellow elite give the word the army will hold its big annual coup. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[harryfrompattaya]

There seems to be an awful lot of newbie here posting as if they been here for years. Maybe afraid to post under their other id.

I am proud to post under my name

Maybe they are posting use phony name because they are know nothing

I love to read about their hate for Thaskin when they know nothing about the great man

Just ask his family or me

[jackrich]

How about Suthep shut down what really needs to be shut?

His brain and mouth.

He's turning Thailand into the world's biggest circus.

[beautifulthailand99]

Let's remind ourselves what the end game of Khun Suthep;s cunning plan is - am flying to LOS tonight from then on mouth shut and a big smile - not my biznet ....

[watso63]

So, in the UK populist policies are properly costed and scrutinised....mmm...the Millenium Dome??? The London Olympics won with a properly costed budget of £2.5 Billion (cost over £9 Billion) and don't ever forget Tony Blair being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people along with his mate Bush. Enough to make me look for somewhere else in the world to live.

Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Yunla]

So, in the UK populist policies are properly costed and scrutinised....mmm...the Millenium Dome??? The London Olympics won with a properly costed budget of £2.5 Billion (cost over £9 Billion) and don't ever forget Tony Blair being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people along with his mate Bush. Enough to make me look for somewhere else in the world to live. Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Assuming you were continuing the 'parliamentary bill reform process' angle of this thread. Blair is a war criminal, no doubt. Invading sovereign nations is against international law. The fact that he walked free and made probably a £billion or so from giving speeches and lectures after being PM, is only salt in the wounds. The UK Parliamentary system has more desireable qualities than the current Thai system. That is not the problem in the UK. The problem is that London, along with Washington and New York, comprise the three main strongholds of the offshore banking cartels and their corporate/military modules. The UK is entirely in the grip of those cartels, and that will not change regardless of policy.

Thailand needs more basic parliamentary reforms, just to get internal Thai affairs dealt with on a priority basis, and on a more consensus-based, heavily regulated basis. And this isn't to prevent Millenium Domes or foreign invasions, it is just to get basic standards of living and human rights, stronger regulation from state-to-floor, which other nations including the UK already have. The problem with PDRC is that they have not actually laid out any specific details of how an unelected Assembly can deal with these issues, or more importantly, with the Hulk Smash redshirt backlash that would certain arrive shortly after the Assembly does.

[DaddyWarbucks]

So, in the UK populist policies are properly costed and scrutinised....mmm...the Millenium Dome??? The London Olympics won with a properly costed budget of £2.5 Billion (cost over £9 Billion) and don't ever forget Tony Blair being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people along with his mate Bush. Enough to make me look for somewhere else in the world to live. Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Assuming you were continuing the 'parliamentary bill reform process' angle of this thread. Blair is a war criminal, no doubt. Invading sovereign nations is against international law. The fact that he walked free and made probably a £billion or so from giving speeches and lectures after being PM, is only salt in the wounds. The UK Parliamentary system has more desireable qualities than the current Thai system. That is not the problem in the UK. The problem is that London, along with Washington and New York, comprise the three main strongholds of the offshore banking cartels and their corporate/military modules. The UK is entirely in the grip of those cartels, and that will not change regardless of policy.

Thailand needs more basic parliamentary reforms, just to get internal Thai affairs dealt with on a priority basis, and on a more consensus-based, heavily regulated basis. And this isn't to prevent Millenium Domes or foreign invasions, it is just to get basic standards of living and human rights, stronger regulation from state-to-floor, which other nations including the UK already have. The problem with PDRC is that they have not actually laid out any specific details of how an unelected Assembly can deal with these issues, or more importantly, with the Hulk Smash redshirt backlash that would certain arrive shortly after the Assembly does.

Hear! Hear!

[kimamey]

Not at all like it my friend....they murdered 93 unarmed Thai people by cowardly army snipers, with bullets thru their heads, not injured, wounded, leg shots but clean clear shots in the head and MURDERED in the right word. Funny the public can't even get an arrest warrant from the judges for break and enter of Govt. Buildings, inciting a riot, hiring thugs and goons as Yellow shifters pretending to be Yellow shifters but paid gangsters. As soon as the yellow shirt army, backed by the yellow short judges, and manafedted on the street by yellow shirts when the yellow elite give the word the army will hold its big annual coup. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.Sent from my HTC One using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Does the army have a coup every year then? I seem to have missed a few.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[harada]

Go on, I dares ye. Shut down the airports and the ports and the industrial estates. No? Suthep, you're just chicken.

I wouldn't bet on it NOT happening personally . . . we'll see I guess . . .

Wifey and I were talking with a couple of friends about the possibility of Swampy being occupied again and all seemed to think it a distinct likelyhood as part of the endgame.

The people of Chiang Mai will be laughing all the way to the bank with direct flights from Singapore and KL,this would be a golden opportunity for Air Asia to reintroduce their Sing to CM flights.

[dhrobertson]

So, in the UK populist policies are properly costed and scrutinised....mmm...the Millenium Dome??? The London Olympics won with a properly costed budget of £2.5 Billion (cost over £9 Billion) and don't ever forget Tony Blair being responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people along with his mate Bush. Enough to make me look for somewhere else in the world to live. Sent from my GT-N5100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Assuming you were continuing the 'parliamentary bill reform process' angle of this thread. Blair is a war criminal, no doubt. Invading sovereign nations is against international law. The fact that he walked free and made probably a £billion or so from giving speeches and lectures after being PM, is only salt in the wounds. The UK Parliamentary system has more desireable qualities than the current Thai system. That is not the problem in the UK. The problem is that London, along with Washington and New York, comprise the three main strongholds of the offshore banking cartels and their corporate/military modules. The UK is entirely in the grip of those cartels, and that will not change regardless of policy.

Thailand needs more basic parliamentary reforms, just to get internal Thai affairs dealt with on a priority basis, and on a more consensus-based, heavily regulated basis. And this isn't to prevent Millenium Domes or foreign invasions, it is just to get basic standards of living and human rights, stronger regulation from state-to-floor, which other nations including the UK already have. The problem with PDRC is that they have not actually laid out any specific details of how an unelected Assembly can deal with these issues, or more importantly, with the Hulk Smash redshirt backlash that would certain arrive shortly after the Assembly does.

I don't buy the conspiracy theory but the UK and most Western countries do indeed have superior parliamentary systems.

We are well aware of the shortcomings here in Thailand but how to improve things?

I believe a majority of Thais really don't care about good governance as long as they get some kind of trickle down cut.

This is endemic.

As I've said before, beefing up the media by ditching existing libel and censorship laws would help throw a spotlight on the issues

However, education is the key.

It's not so much about money but attitudes.

Primary and secondary education standards vary tremdously.

Tertiary education is a farce.

Making young adults wear uniform hardly sets the approriate tone either

Here is a nuclear power station - colour it in.....

[dhrobertson]

Pretty poor show by the BBC to drag out this clueless twit; completely out of his depth. Is this the best the opposition can muster?

Very probably.

When I worked in Thailand I used to be constantly flabbergasted by how ignorant even supposedly educated people were. There were whole classes of university students incapable of naming eight capital cities, or five major world rivers. There was a class of middle-management bank employees, not ONE of whom had ever heard of Pol Pot or the Khmer Rouge. And these weren't kids - what had happened across the border had occurred within their lifetimes. But of course, 'mai roo' is a national cliche.

This blanket and almost willful ignorance, even among the middle classes, is naturally hugely problematic when you're trying to have intelligent political discourse because there's no context in which to place ideas, or history to judge them against. The result is the moronic theatre of the absurd that passes for political discourse in Thailand.

You hit the nail squarely on the head!

Education at all levels here is lamentable. The blind leading the blind I fear.

In my line, so called professionals are often dangerously ignorant of basic theory.

The common denominator of the competant ones is time spent at an overseas university.

What to do?.......

[Yunla]

I don't buy the conspiracy theory but the UK and most Western countries do indeed have superior parliamentary systems.

We are well aware of the shortcomings here in Thailand but how to improve things?

You asked me this same question yesterday~ and I responded.

Re; conspiracy theory, its a non-term. There's 7 billion people on Earth and they are all allied to one thing or another, even just their family. To discuss any allegiance would be a theory on it. Ergo that term would get laughed out of any serious debate and made to walk home barefoot too.

To repeat the answers I already gave you last time you asked me, in the last 48 hours or so, they need to have an emergency state-level debate comprising parliamentary and legal and other representatives, with a view to re-tooling the parliamentary engine to make it function within the nation-specific build. The only thing stopping top-level emergency discussions is people at the top. There is no actual political hilltop monolith etched with glowing runes, saying how parliament should function. It is an augmentable and customisable machine. Currently broken down, needing emergency repairs. Etc.

[dhrobertson]

I don't buy the conspiracy theory but the UK and most Western countries do indeed have superior parliamentary systems.

We are well aware of the shortcomings here in Thailand but how to improve things?

You asked me this same question yesterday~ and I responded.

Re; conspiracy theory, its a non-term. There's 7 billion people on Earth and they are all allied to one thing or another, even just their family. To discuss any allegiance would be a theory on it. Ergo that term would get laughed out of any serious debate and made to walk home barefoot too.

To repeat the answers I already gave you last time you asked me, in the last 48 hours or so, they need to have an emergency state-level debate comprising parliamentary and legal and other representatives, with a view to re-tooling the parliamentary engine to make it function within the nation-specific build. The only thing stopping top-level emergency discussions is people at the top. There is no actual political hilltop monolith etched with glowing runes, saying how parliament should function. It is an augmentable and customisable machine. Currently broken down, needing emergency repairs. Etc.

Sorry, I missed your earlier response.

I do appreciate your well reasoned thoughts on this....

However, you seem to assume that the players actually have some sense of civil responsibility and are not just in it for personal gain.

I'm not convinced.

I'm also not sure that you can actually legislate good governance.

As I have said before, a empowered media would help.

But, eventually there is no getting away from getting education sorted out and that will take time....

[fab4]

Keep in mind that the current regime/Shinawatra family is backed by wall street and other big global banks and the muti-billionaire global elite crowd in general. Here is an article a couple weeks old that goes into areas you won't read about in the controlled mainstream media owned by those same elites.

http://www.activistpost.com/2013/11/reuters-accidentally-exposes-thai.html

Cartalucci Alert!

[bkkgooner]

Pretty poor show by the BBC to drag out this clueless twit; completely out of his depth. Is this the best the opposition can muster?

Very probably.

When I worked in Thailand I used to be constantly flabbergasted by how ignorant even supposedly educated people were. There were whole classes of university students incapable of naming eight capital cities, or five major world rivers. There was a class of middle-management bank employees, not ONE of whom had ever heard of Pol Pot or the Khmer Rouge. And these weren't kids - what had happened across the border had occurred within their lifetimes. But of course, 'mai roo' is a national cliche.

This blanket and almost willful ignorance, even among the middle classes, is naturally hugely problematic when you're trying to have intelligent political discourse because there's no context in which to place ideas, or history to judge them against. The result is the moronic theatre of the absurd that passes for political discourse in Thailand.

Great post it really is a huge problem in Thailand just the complete lack of intelligent conversation that goes on between people in regards to politics. Education is the key but unfortunately the higher ups don't want the working or indeed middle class to start thinking that they should questions things from an early age. Imagine Thai students in a Thai history class discussing the rights and wrongs of certain events or decisions made by important Thai people instead of the usual horse manure of Thailand defeated Burma and were never conquered and we have never been influenced by any other culture in the world. You look at someone like Abhisit and you realize that there has to be a reason why he doesn't use the amazing education he has received during his life to better use, a man of that intelligence has to be making a concious decision of keeping the status quo.

[siampolee]

Planned mass rallies to shut down Bangkok by anti-govt movement will infringe the rights of motorists,skytrain, subway commuters, caretaker Transport Minister said /The Nation

Whilst there might be a grain of truth in the above statement one must ask the following questions

Hasn't the last administration infringed on peoples rights with their corruption , cronyism , nepotism and the lauding of a convicted bail jumping felon., the restoration of said felons passport and the total submission of a complete political party and a cabinet from Prime Minister down to the rule of the puppet master felon along with the attempted tampering of the current constitution to favour said felon and his cronies?

Methinks that the caretaker Transport Minister would be well advised to look in his own party's past actions before condemning others actions.

By the way has Chalerm still got his head, or is it yet another fine example of yet more political broken promises along with the failure yet again of a populist policy?

and has any

Edited January 1, 2014 by siampolee

[haroldcane]

Sutheps ultimate goal is to get a fried chicken restaurant named after him!! hitler-restaurant.jpg

tax-sin has got his chickens already fried as you kindly depicted.

did it take a brandnew amnesty bill by 'thai rak tax-sin' to buy, own, run & sell it tax-free?

does it serve a rotten rice scam @ double price & will suthep shut it down too next week?

(sorry, forgot that the vast majority of shares belong to 2 hidden toilet wipers in dubai & zimbabwe)

[icare999]

There seems to be an awful lot of newbie here posting as if they been here for years. Maybe afraid to post under their other id.

I am proud to post under my name

Maybe they are posting use phony name because they are know nothing

I love to read about their hate for Thaskin when they know nothing about the great man

Just ask his family or me

I'm sure your being ironic but since many wont understand irony and just in case "great man" well many believed Hitler was a great man and many today still believe mugabwie is a great man as was pol pot to lots so I guess compared with these peers he aims to be a great man although even hw I don't think could aspire to be as great as Pol pot os some of really great men but who knows where his vanity and megalomania could take him

[siampolee]

fab4 post # 475

Cartalucci Alert!

In contrast to the regime's exploitative behavior, the anti-regime protesters have demanded now on multiple occasions a full investigation into the violence of December 26, including into the death of Police Sergeant Major Narong Pitisit.

Well at least Cartalucci is more open minded and far better balanced than a certain German press commentator by actually stating that the P.R.DC. want a full investigation into the tragic death of the policeman unlike the Red Shirts who despise and abhor the truth.