Bangkok taxi drivers demand end to protests

[tonytigerbkk]

I guess Sutheps "The People" doesn't include taxi drivers with hungry families. Or people on the minimum wage, which he wants to cut. Or stock market investors, who are currently losing money. Or rice farmers. Or Bangkok commuters.

Come to think of it, who does he represent, really?

Perhaps you would care to re-read what you have just written.

Why are rice farmers not getting paid? Why are people on the minimum wage? If all of the corruption in Thailand were to be brought to an end, all of these people would prosper.

And when you have the gall to mention the rice farmers, really...? If it wasn't for this crooked government, there wouldn't be a problem with Thailand's once burgeoning rice market...!!

.

This is the kind of casual racism I despise. You clearly share the yellow shirt belief that Thai rice farmers are too stupid to know what's good for them and need a kindly and benevolent fascist junta to run their affairs for them. The fact is that the Thai people, including most rice farmers, have elected five Shinawatra governments in a row. It's so certain that they will elect a sixth that the so-called Democrats aren't even going to turn up to give their voters an alternative.

I might not have a high opinion of how the government is run, but I absolutely respect the inalienable right of the Thai people to elect whoever they want. Anyone who thinks that a bunch of Bangkok cronies appointed by Suthep, the generals and, err, others, would be a corruption free, competent, government needs their head examined.

You ask 'Why are people on the minimum wage?' Because the PTP government introduced it, in defiance of the greedy industrialists. If it wasn't for the minimum wage they'd be getting paid a lot less......duh!

Define racism.

If you are not sure, look in a dictionary.

The PTP did not introduce the minimum wage, they increased it and if you weren't so blinkered in your views you would recall that the last people to get the minimum wage increase were the very people that voted for the crooks.

If you are going to argue on a public forum you will need to research your facts and have a rough idea about the subject matter & not just what you have been told has happened.

[WAERTH]

I have been in Thailand for 15 years. For the first 14 years I have virtually never ever had a problem getting a taxi to go everywhere I wanted with the meter on.

The last year though, and especially the last few months, it has become virtually impossible to get a taxi to go anywhere, especially with the meter on. They are demanding such ridiculous fares as 500 baht to go from Sukhumvit to Huai Kwang. It has become so bad that I am considering finally investing in a car as I am starting to show up late to meetings because of these <deleted>.

So no I do not feel sorry at all for them. I hope a fair bit of their cars get wrecked and they go bankrupt so they have to accept all fares again.

And before I forgot, I speak Thai quite well and am on tv from time to time.

[Snig27]

Khun Suthep's speeches asked politely to taxi drivers to pick up fares around outskirt of BKK on the 13th. of January.

Protesters are not paid to attend but they have joined the protest voluntarily. The protesters are from all walks of life.

I am Thai.

Not sure if being Thai is really either here nor there.

I've taken some 700 photos so far - on the Sunday protests and around Democracy Monument more recently. On the Sunday the overwhelming majority of those on the streets were the well off and the middle classes. There were a few from lower income brackets but they stood out. The attached picture is pretty representative:

Around Democracy Monument, the large numbers of older well-to-do women have gone and the crowd, whilst not large now, is mostly students and the like, most of whom don't really look that badly off. It is not a working class crowd by any stretch of the imagination. There are a few groups of fairly tough looking men who I imagine are on payrolls but that aside it's really hard to disagree with the 'elite' description.

So where you come from, being an employed middle class taxpayer makes you one of the Elite?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Did I say that? Please read carefully before responding in the future - the elite reference refers to the students around democracy monument at the moment - these are well off kids with new high end smart phones who look as if they've not worked a day in their lives.

If you'd been around on that Sunday too, you would have seen the crowds shopping in Siam Discovery, Terminal 21, Paragon, Gaysorn, Zen etc. These were not the urban or rural poor no matter how hard you try and cast them as such.

[oldthaihand99]

Not all taxis are Red...I've been in a few where the drivers were obviously Yellow nut-jobs...

Really. You mean there are a handful of limo drivers for the hi so types who pay taxes?

[tonytigerbkk]

Khun Suthep's speeches asked politely to taxi drivers to pick up fares around outskirt of BKK on the 13th. of January.

Protesters are not paid to attend but they have joined the protest voluntarily. The protesters are from all walks of life.

I am Thai.

Not sure if being Thai is really either here nor there.

I've taken some 700 photos so far - on the Sunday protests and around Democracy Monument more recently. On the Sunday the overwhelming majority of those on the streets were the well off and from the middle and wealthier classes. There were a few from lower income brackets but they stood out as unusual. The attached picture is pretty representative:

Around Democracy Monument, the large numbers of older well-to-do women have gone and the crowd, whilst not large now, is mostly students and the like, most of whom don't really look that badly off. It is not a working class crowd by any stretch of the imagination. There are a few groups of fairly tough looking men who I imagine are on payrolls but that aside it's really hard to disagree with the 'elite' description.

The picture that you posted (as representative) does not look to me like the well off and from the middle and wealthier classes.

The people that I see in your picture look like the kind of people that I would expect to see in the Soi that I live in, which is not a gated community but on a normal housing estate with working class people.

[pedro01]

Khun Suthep's speeches asked politely to taxi drivers to pick up fares around outskirt of BKK on the 13th. of January.

Protesters are not paid to attend but they have joined the protest voluntarily. The protesters are from all walks of life.

I am Thai.

Not sure if being Thai is really either here nor there.

I've taken some 700 photos so far - on the Sunday protests and around Democracy Monument more recently. On the Sunday the overwhelming majority of those on the streets were the well off and the middle classes. There were a few from lower income brackets but they stood out. The attached picture is pretty representative:

Around Democracy Monument, the large numbers of older well-to-do women have gone and the crowd, whilst not large now, is mostly students and the like, most of whom don't really look that badly off. It is not a working class crowd by any stretch of the imagination. There are a few groups of fairly tough looking men who I imagine are on payrolls but that aside it's really hard to disagree with the 'elite' description.

So where you come from, being an employed middle class taxpayer makes you one of the Elite?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Did I say that? Please read carefully before responding in the future - the elite reference refers to the students around democracy monument at the moment - these are well off kids with new high end smart phones who look as if they've not worked a day in their lives.

If you'd been around on that Sunday too, you would have seen the crowds shopping in Siam Discovery, Terminal 21, Paragon, Gaysorn, Zen etc. These were not the urban or rural poor no matter how hard you try and cast them as such.

.

I heard you loud and clear.

Having a Smartphone now makes you elite, being a student makes you elite, going to a shopping mall makes you an elite.

You clearly have no understanding of what the word elite means. By your definition i am Elite and so are all of my Thai staff, not to mention the woman that comes to clean my house 3 times a week.

There has been a growing middle class in bangkok for the past 2 decades. Many of these are the sons and daughters of poor people in the provinces that supported their kids through provincial universities.

These people are not elite. Elite refers to a tiny majority of extremely wealthy and powerful people, not "somebody with a iphone"

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[GotR1GHT]

I feel sorry for ordinary working people who actually have to work.So sick of all politicans who are getting fatter and richer every day,with corruption increasing year after year.Doesn't matter if it's yellow or red.This is not democracy,you can't just demand prime minister to quit and make yourself the "almighty" of the country without election.Because they know if there is an election,puea thai would win again,but hey that's people choice,they voted.

I only see normal ordinary people unable to work and unable to have decent life while Suthep and others laughing and on other side Thaksin shopping luxury goods in Dubai.Nothing's gonna change until all governament is dissolved and new young fresh people take charge.No red and yellow.It's pretty sad seeing young kids grow up in Thailand thinking corruption is the way of life.

Edited January 4, 2014 by GotR1GHT

[oldthaihand99]

Come to think of it, who does he represent, really?

Suthep represents tax payers. IOW hardly anyone in Thailand.

From the size of the protests, less than 1% of the population.

[rickirs]

It wasn't 20 taxi drivers, it was 2 million using Suthep's magical aerial GPS surveyors.

[Spalpeen]

Define racism.

If you are not sure, look in a dictionary.

The PTP did not introduce the minimum wage, they increased it and if you weren't so blinkered in your views you would recall that the last people to get the minimum wage increase were the very people that voted for the crooks.

If you are going to argue on a public forum you will need to research your facts and have a rough idea about the subject matter & not just what you have been told has happened.

.

Sorry but I just don't have the time to write out a definition of racism for you, so you'll just have to look it up for yourself. Facts don't seem to be your strong point either. The national minimum wage was introduced in Thailand by the PTP government in January of last year. The system that preceded it was piecemeal, provincial and often determined by employers. Corrupt, in other words. Reform was needed and the government delivered.

As for the "very people" who benefit from the pay increase voting for the "crooks" that delivered it.......yeah, well we call that democracy where I come from. Maybe you'd rather see the money stay in the hands of the Singha and Red Bull billionaires rather than going to their employees.

[pedro01]

Come to think of it, who does he represent, really?

Suthep represents tax payers. IOW hardly anyone in Thailand.

From the size of the protests, less than 1% of the population.

Everybody in thailand pays taxes.

As for the protests representing less than 1% of Thailand. Protesters are a subset of people with a specific opinion. My wife is anti govt but has not taken to the streets. You cant presume that the people in the streets represent everyone that is sick of the ramant corruption of the Thaksinites

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Moruya]

The taxis should let the protesters reach the protests sites.

Then lock the protesters inside with a additional taxi blockade.

Then charge the gentle protesters a very high fare if they want to go home

The fare would be asked firmly but respectfully, and aimed at making the responsibles of their drop in revenue feel a bit of the pain the inflict to others

The yellow thugs would be put on a waiting list (forever).

Suthep would be the only one to get a free ride (to the nearest prison cell)

Seriously, if I was taxi driver I would also be quite frustrated to have to drive around people who intend to topple the elected government... Especially if they go in the direction of the protest sites

What a half witted and hypocritical post. You complain at every juncture about peoples' rights and then propose another blockade.

Screw the taxi drivers - they just want to fleece everybody because there are too many of them for the city because they cant be bothered to do a proper day's work. They voted the red numpties in now they can live with the consequences

[KIWIBATCH]

....blowing whistles....turning car headlights on........facemasks.........screaming into loudspeaker systems = Thailand C.W.S. (Circus with Sideshows)

Hub of the Wild South East

[spermwhale]

Hey Mr. Dangerfield, calm down a bit.

The populace is not speaking, 20 red shirt sympathisers are speaking.

While I agree that not all taxi drivers are red shirts, I would stake my life that these 20 taxi drivers have an allegiance to the red faction.

I’m pretty sure that the taxi drivers lost more revenue during the 2010 riots but they were not so worried about loosing their money then.

And why would that be, exactly?

Maybe cuz the real populace is tired of the Army continually sticking their collective hand up the backside of their glove puppet and elitist enforced governmental administration for the better good of the few rather than the many.

And please don't tell me to calm down.

I'll do that in my own time, thank you.

I don't know if you've noticed, but a good chunk of the REAL population has been out protesting. Do you think all of the millions who have protests are all Elitists? There aren't that many. I know plenty of working class people who support the rallies, people who are employees or run small businesses. Or do you not consider them real? I'll tell you this: the red shirts occupied the city for 45 days, forced businesses to close and then opened up their own little shops along ploenchit selling everything that would have been sold by local businesses. I'm no fan of the current demonstrators, but I can guarantee you they won't be burning down any structures. And while I'm at it, the red shirts are total thugs, keeping people from attending public meetings in the provinces as the government is forcing its flood plans down the throats of locals who will lose their livelihoods by the creation of dams and weers. They beat them and bar them from entering public halls. That's the red shirts. the government's maphia enforcers.

[Ulic]

I can tell you one thing, the Phuket taxi mafia would get there point across to Suthep to stop

the protest or pay the money lost. CASH now !!!!

[oldthaihand99]

Come to think of it, who does he represent, really?

Suthep represents tax payers. IOW hardly anyone in Thailand.

From the size of the protests, less than 1% of the population.

Everybody in thailand pays taxes.

Suthep represents INCOME tax payers. IOW hardly anyone in LOS.

Obviously.

[tonytigerbkk]

Define racism.

If you are not sure, look in a dictionary.

The PTP did not introduce the minimum wage, they increased it and if you weren't so blinkered in your views you would recall that the last people to get the minimum wage increase were the very people that voted for the crooks.

If you are going to argue on a public forum you will need to research your facts and have a rough idea about the subject matter & not just what you have been told has happened.

.

Sorry but I just don't have the time to write out a definition of racism for you, so you'll just have to look it up for yourself. Facts don't seem to be your strong point either. The national minimum wage was introduced in Thailand by the PTP government in January of last year. The system that preceded it was piecemeal, provincial and often determined by employers. Corrupt, in other words. Reform was needed and the government delivered.

As for the "very people" who benefit from the pay increase voting for the "crooks" that delivered it.......yeah, well we call that democracy where I come from. Maybe you'd rather see the money stay in the hands of the Singha and Red Bull billionaires rather than going to their employees.

OK I will help you.

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, racism falls into 2 categories as such:

1. poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race

2. the belief that some races of people are better than others

Other online dictionaries define racism in the same way.

GeorgeO, stated the following:

Why are rice farmers not getting paid? Why are people on the minimum wage? If all of the corruption in Thailand were to be brought to an end, all of these people would prosper.

And when you have the gall to mention the rice farmers, really...? If it wasn't for this crooked government, there wouldn't be a problem with Thailand's once burgeoning rice market...!!

I'm sorry but I cannot find any part of that post that hints of racism in any way.

In fact I cannot find any posts in this entire thread with any type of a racist tone.

Are you just one of those people who scream racism when you can't think of anything intelligent to counter a valid point?

What next, are you going to call me a Nazi?

Let's try again:

Define racism.

Explain where racism was used in the post (in any way).

Now moving on:

Yes there was a minimum wage in Thailand before the PTP government even existed.

Granted, it was set up at different levels in different provinces but that was because of the cost of living being different across these provinces.

The fact that the people that Yingluck used to get into power were the ones to receive this rise in minimum wage last has nothing to do with democracy.

It is a case of Yingluck using the rural poor to get into power and then crapping on them.

The irony of this whole fiasco is that the people of Bangkok have been treated better during Yingluck's term than the people who fought and voted for her.

[Smokemachine]

Their biz is affected?

I remember the last time the anti-govt hold a rally (forget which day) and we assume it will be chaotic so we took a cab instead. We approached first taxi to go to pratunam and he try to charge us 200baht without meter on. My wife ask him why is he not charging by meter as we know the journey is only cost around 90baht?

The taxi driver said "today has a big rally." He reject taking us.

Today has a big rally, what the hell got to do with our trip??

So we took the 2nd taxi and he charge by meter. Our trip fare as predicted, 90.

We took few taxis on the same day and have some politic conversations with the drivers, found out that they do realise what has the govt done and what is the anti-govt all about. I don't hear much complaining about them losing business profits rather than they are quite conscious about the outcome of the future for Thailand or put it as their (citizens)future. They even advised us to avoid some of the jammed locations.

[Snig27]

Not sure if being Thai is really either here nor there.

I've taken some 700 photos so far - on the Sunday protests and around Democracy Monument more recently. On the Sunday the overwhelming majority of those on the streets were the well off and the middle classes. There were a few from lower income brackets but they stood out. The attached picture is pretty representative:

Around Democracy Monument, the large numbers of older well-to-do women have gone and the crowd, whilst not large now, is mostly students and the like, most of whom don't really look that badly off. It is not a working class crowd by any stretch of the imagination. There are a few groups of fairly tough looking men who I imagine are on payrolls but that aside it's really hard to disagree with the 'elite' description.

So where you come from, being an employed middle class taxpayer makes you one of the Elite?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Did I say that? Please read carefully before responding in the future - the elite reference refers to the students around democracy monument at the moment - these are well off kids with new high end smart phones who look as if they've not worked a day in their lives.

If you'd been around on that Sunday too, you would have seen the crowds shopping in Siam Discovery, Terminal 21, Paragon, Gaysorn, Zen etc. These were not the urban or rural poor no matter how hard you try and cast them as such.

.

I heard you loud and clear.

Having a Smartphone now makes you elite, being a student makes you elite, going to a shopping mall makes you an elite.

You clearly have no understanding of what the word elite means. By your definition i am Elite and so are all of my Thai staff, not to mention the woman that comes to clean my house 3 times a week.

There has been a growing middle class in bangkok for the past 2 decades. Many of these are the sons and daughters of poor people in the provinces that supported their kids through provincial universities.

These people are not elite. Elite refers to a tiny majority of extremely wealthy and powerful people, not "somebody with a iphone"

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Dunno, I'm out on the streets taking photos, seeing visual evidence. I'm not coming at this without an agenda, just recording - if I was seeing mixed crowds I'd record it and say so here. You are, on the other hand, venting with a clear agenda on these forums. Not a lot of evidence to backup your vents. Who to believe?

And elite does not exclusively refer to "a tiny majority of extremely wealthy and powerful people".

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/elite

Maybe get someone to explain?

[Torrens54]

At last.

The real "populace" are speaking.

Those who stand to lose the very daily rice they put on their families tables due to the selfish actions of an elite minority and its paid canon-fodder, should the capital be further disrupted.

Forget the Army and forget the Police, you really, really, really don't wanna upset the taxi/MC brigade.

You'll barely be able to sit down for a week, if you do.

Nice 1.

The real populace are starting to speak.

All we need now are the street-vendors who don't have their carts insured, in order to be smashed by protestors and the bar owners who are in similar position to join them. Not to mention the street girls workers.

Who would voluntarily face down that lot?

Thusep and his ilk will be heading for Dubai, in quick order.

So YOU support corruption? Perhaps you should be running off to Dubai yourself with the Criminal you support!

[xenophon]

Taxi drivers protesting. Next it will be the farmers!!!!

They seem to be under the illusion that their opinion matters. Suthep has made it quite clear that uneducated, poor people cannot be trusted with democracy.

[Snig27]

Do you think all of the millions who have protests are all Elitists? There aren't that many. I know plenty of working class people who support the rallies, people who are employees or run small businesses. Or do you not consider them real? I'll tell you this: the red shirts occupied the city for 45 days, forced businesses to close and then opened up their own little shops along ploenchit selling everything that would have been sold by local businesses. I'm no fan of the current demonstrators, but I can guarantee you they won't be burning down any structures. And while I'm at it, the red shirts are total thugs, keeping people from attending public meetings in the provinces as the government is forcing its flood plans down the throats of locals who will lose their livelihoods by the creation of dams and weers. They beat them and bar them from entering public halls. That's the red shirts. the government's maphia enforcers.

I think it's pretty well established that there were not millions. There were several hundred thousand Bangkok wide - the land area available makes millions impossible and there were more at Ratchaprasong on NYE than there were that Sunday - quite a few more. Suthep claimed that he had a million there that day, so his figures are hogwash. I'm guessing but 40-50k is probably more like it. I've been in a million person crowd twice and they were vastly larger. National Day Shanghai 2009 was a million and it dwarfs Suthep's crowds.

Edited January 4, 2014 by Snig27

[Spalpeen]

Here's a simple test for the people who don't know what racism is. Answer these two questions :

1. Do you think the people of Thailand (all of them, not just Sutheps laughable "The People") are intelligent enough to elect the government they want in a democratic election?

2. Same question, but this time about the people of your home country.

.

Now if your answer to both questions is 'no', then you'd probably be happier living in North Korea.

If your answer is 'no' to the first and 'yes' to the second, then you are indeed a racist, you just don't admit it to yourself.

If your answer to both questions is 'yes' then you'll join with me in condemning the so-called 'Democrat' party which has given two fingers to about 12 million people who voted for them in the last election.

Racism isn't just international either. The attitude of the pale skinned Bangkok Thai-Chinese to the native people of rural Thailand is every bit as racist as some of the comments posted in this thread.

.

So which is it? Are you a 'no-yes' racist or a 'yes-yes' democrat?

[Bluespunk]

Here's a simple test for the people who don't know what racism is. Answer these two questions :

1. Do you think the people of Thailand (all of them, not just Sutheps laughable "The People") are intelligent enough to elect the government they want in a democratic election?

2. Same question, but this time about the people of your home country.

.

Now if your answer to both questions is 'no', then you'd probably be happier living in North Korea.

If your answer is 'no' to the first and 'yes' to the second, then you are indeed a racist, you just don't admit it to yourself.

If your answer to both questions is 'yes' then you'll join with me in condemning the so-called 'Democrat' party which has given two fingers to about 12 million people who voted for them in the last election.

Racism isn't just international either. The attitude of the pale skinned Bangkok Thai-Chinese to the native people of rural Thailand is every bit as racist as some of the comments posted in this thread.

.

So which is it? Are you a 'no-yes' racist or a 'yes-yes' democrat?

You missed the third question. Do people have the right to protest against corrupt, nepotistic, self serving govts, who once they achieved power ruled in a criminaly inept manner, destroying a major export industry in the process, while ramming legislation through parliament designed to prevent criminal politicians serving their gaol time? Rather a long question I know, but relevant.

Don't get me wrong, I have no time for suthep, his fascist council or lunatic plans, but the original protests against PT and their misrule are part of the democratic process, and would be anywhere.

[tonytigerbkk]

Here's a simple test for the people who don't know what racism is. Answer these two questions :

1. Do you think the people of Thailand (all of them, not just Sutheps laughable "The People") are intelligent enough to elect the government they want in a democratic election?

2. Same question, but this time about the people of your home country.

.

Now if your answer to both questions is 'no', then you'd probably be happier living in North Korea.

If your answer is 'no' to the first and 'yes' to the second, then you are indeed a racist, you just don't admit it to yourself.

If your answer to both questions is 'yes' then you'll join with me in condemning the so-called 'Democrat' party which has given two fingers to about 12 million people who voted for them in the last election.

Racism isn't just international either. The attitude of the pale skinned Bangkok Thai-Chinese to the native people of rural Thailand is every bit as racist as some of the comments posted in this thread.

.

So which is it? Are you a 'no-yes' racist or a 'yes-yes' democrat?

You really are living in Cloud Cuckoo Land.

If you spent as much time trying to get an education as you do spouting crap then you might have something of value to add to this thread.

By your argument, everyone who does not agree with your political beliefs is a racist.

Following Mark Twain's advice, I have no other option but to abandon this argument, as he said "Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."

I consider myself well beaten.

[pedro01]

Not sure if being Thai is really either here nor there.

I've taken some 700 photos so far - on the Sunday protests and around Democracy Monument more recently. On the Sunday the overwhelming majority of those on the streets were the well off and the middle classes. There were a few from lower income brackets but they stood out. The attached picture is pretty representative:

Around Democracy Monument, the large numbers of older well-to-do women have gone and the crowd, whilst not large now, is mostly students and the like, most of whom don't really look that badly off. It is not a working class crowd by any stretch of the imagination. There are a few groups of fairly tough looking men who I imagine are on payrolls but that aside it's really hard to disagree with the 'elite' description.

So where you come from, being an employed middle class taxpayer makes you one of the Elite?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Did I say that? Please read carefully before responding in the future - the elite reference refers to the students around democracy monument at the moment - these are well off kids with new high end smart phones who look as if they've not worked a day in their lives.

If you'd been around on that Sunday too, you would have seen the crowds shopping in Siam Discovery, Terminal 21, Paragon, Gaysorn, Zen etc. These were not the urban or rural poor no matter how hard you try and cast them as such.

.

I heard you loud and clear.

Having a Smartphone now makes you elite, being a student makes you elite, going to a shopping mall makes you an elite.

You clearly have no understanding of what the word elite means. By your definition i am Elite and so are all of my Thai staff, not to mention the woman that comes to clean my house 3 times a week.

There has been a growing middle class in bangkok for the past 2 decades. Many of these are the sons and daughters of poor people in the provinces that supported their kids through provincial universities.

These people are not elite. Elite refers to a tiny majority of extremely wealthy and powerful people, not "somebody with a iphone"

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

Dunno, I'm out on the streets taking photos, seeing visual evidence. I'm not coming at this without an agenda, just recording - if I was seeing mixed crowds I'd record it and say so here. You are, on the other hand, venting with a clear agenda on these forums. Not a lot of evidence to backup your vents. Who to believe?

And elite does not exclusively refer to "a tiny majority of extremely wealthy and powerful people".

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/elite

Maybe get someone to explain?

Well, if you read those definitions yourself and the context in which you are using the word elites, you will come to the conclusion that it cannot refer to everyone with an iphone or a degree.

You also should consider your own elitist opinions. You somehow think that thai average thai people should not have smartphones, degrees or shop in a shopping mall.

Your distaste at such people is bizarre. The fact is Thailand is developing and you cant expect the whole populace to be dirt poor and beneath you. More and more Thais are educated and joining the middle class. They are not treading on the poor to do that, they are the sons an daughters of provincial poor. Would you prefer they all stay uneducated and poor?

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Spalpeen]

Here's a simple test for the people who don't know what racism is. Answer these two questions :

1. Do you think the people of Thailand (all of them, not just Sutheps laughable "The People") are intelligent enough to elect the government they want in a democratic election?

2. Same question, but this time about the people of your home country.

.

Now if your answer to both questions is 'no', then you'd probably be happier living in North Korea.

If your answer is 'no' to the first and 'yes' to the second, then you are indeed a racist, you just don't admit it to yourself.

If your answer to both questions is 'yes' then you'll join with me in condemning the so-called 'Democrat' party which has given two fingers to about 12 million people who voted for them in the last election.

Racism isn't just international either. The attitude of the pale skinned Bangkok Thai-Chinese to the native people of rural Thailand is every bit as racist as some of the comments posted in this thread.

.

So which is it? Are you a 'no-yes' racist or a 'yes-yes' democrat?

You missed the third question. Do people have the right to protest against corrupt, nepotistic, self serving govts, who once they achieved power ruled in a criminaly inept manner, destroying a major export industry in the process, while ramming legislation through parliament designed to prevent criminal politicians serving their gaol time? Rather a long question I know, but relevant.

Don't get me wrong, I have no time for suthep, his fascist council or lunatic plans, but the original protests against PT and their misrule are part of the democratic process, and would be anywhere.

.

Do people have the right to protest if they don't like the government? Yes, absolutely, if it's within the law. But if a government was elected in a free and fair election then the only legitimate way to remove it is by another free and fair election. There's a huge difference between legitimate, if noisy, protest on the one hand, and insurrection on the other, which involves seizing government offices, blocking roads and calling for military coup no.19.

Also, if you think that the government is "corrupt, nepotistic, self serving" in your words - and I wouldn't question that it is, to some extent - then do you seriously think that Suthep and his cronies would be honest, decent and public spirited? Ever heard the expression "Better the (democratically elected) devil you know....".

[hellodolly]

Don't these taxi-drivers realise, there will be a million potential-customers, wanting to get a ride to the demo ?

And then throw-in all Jatupon's Red-Shirt anti-anti-protesters, wanting to rally & make the world safe, for caretaker-governments !

Yay for Increased business-opportunities for taxi-drivers !

...only if they are heading in a convenient direction...

The problem with that is there would be no one wanting a ride away from it.

[spare5]

Taxis vs Tanks.

Tanks win.

Taxis crushed.

[Spalpeen]

Here's a simple test for the people who don't know what racism is. Answer these two questions :

1. Do you think the people of Thailand (all of them, not just Sutheps laughable "The People") are intelligent enough to elect the government they want in a democratic election?

2. Same question, but this time about the people of your home country.

.

Now if your answer to both questions is 'no', then you'd probably be happier living in North Korea.

If your answer is 'no' to the first and 'yes' to the second, then you are indeed a racist, you just don't admit it to yourself.

If your answer to both questions is 'yes' then you'll join with me in condemning the so-called 'Democrat' party which has given two fingers to about 12 million people who voted for them in the last election.

Racism isn't just international either. The attitude of the pale skinned Bangkok Thai-Chinese to the native people of rural Thailand is every bit as racist as some of the comments posted in this thread.

.

So which is it? Are you a 'no-yes' racist or a 'yes-yes' democrat?

You really are living in Cloud Cuckoo Land.

If you spent as much time trying to get an education as you do spouting crap then you might have something of value to add to this thread.

By your argument, everyone who does not agree with your political beliefs is a racist.

Following Mark Twain's advice, I have no other option but to abandon this argument, as he said "Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience."

I consider myself well beaten.

.

Dodged the question, so that would make you a typical 'no-yes' racist in denial.