Foreign numb nuts on stage

[nontabury]

Citizens can vote. Same as all the other countries. If you have denounced your home country and now posses a Thai passport, you can vote. Where's the problem?

Two Questions

1/ how long have you lived in Thailand.

2/ do you have Thai citizenship.

[Showbags]

What happened to that <deleted> farang that was filmed outside central world on camera a few years back before it burnt down?

It's not the farangs war to fight whether living there or not, in my opinion.

Jeff Savage.

Apparently he turned up yesterday all ready to jump up on stage and offer his support again.

At the last minute he was told its the other side this time.

[chrisinth]

To me, it shows how half-hearted the protests are that the organizers would allow a farang on stage in the first place.

I see it being similar to asking a Romanian what changes he would like to see in the UK to housing benefits, during an anti-immigration protest.

It wouldn't matter what the guy says, nothing would change with the exception of putting the speaker's life in danger.

There are places to be seen and heard. IMHO, an anti-government stage, for a farang isn't one of them regardless if he is a tourist or ex-pat.

[ghworker2010]

who can forget the irish born australian guy Conor Purcell deported and sent back in shame to oz

[monkey4u]

havent seen the footage, but how do you know they are tourists ?

It was a dead give away.........They were wearing fisherman's pants, had freshly braided dreads, and had flies buzzing around them because they hadn't washed for a month.....

Brilliant

[Showbags]

How does the OP know they had numb nuts anyway ?

[evadgib]

All foreigners in Thailand should know that it's best to stay out of this, or risking being deported:

immigra (1).jpg

Or becoming a

[Estrada]

Citizens can vote. Same as all the other countries. If you have denounced your home country and now posses a Thai passport, you can vote. Where's the problem?

Why should you have to denounce your home country to become a Thai Citizen - that doesn't happen the other way around in the UK - and seriously what really are the chances of becoming a Thai citizen?

Plenty of Thais were actually born in other countries and only came to Thailand after they finished their education. Mark (Abhisit Vejjajiva) is a Geordie who came back to Thailand after completing his education and became PM, he is ethnically Hakka Chinese. Korn Chatikavanij (Democrat FInance Minister), was also born in the UK in London and was a classmate of Abhisit and Boris Johnson.

Quite a number of friends of various nationalities, who have been here many years, are now Thai citizens with Thai passports, they have to change their names to Thai names. One friend, originally from the UK, is now called Supachai. Some are running major companies, they are entitled to vote and voice their opinions. The parents of many of the Thai Chinese that are running the demonstrations, also renounced their citizenship and became Thai. Also Chinese friends have become Thai but had to change their name from Wong and Lee etc to a Thai sounding name.

Many of the palaces and even Hua Lampong station were not designed by Thais, but by Italians who later were given Thai citizenship and Thai names. Silpakorn University was founded by Italian born art professor Corrado Feroci, who took the Thai name Silpa Bhirasri when he became a Thai citizen. It is the leading Thai university in the fine arts and archaeology.

Hardly accurate.

Abhisit went to junior school in Thailand and went to Eton at 13, Korn went to Winchester at 16.

There are a few Thais who send their kids to prep school overseas at 7 but not many. There are a collection of old monied Thai families that have been sending their kids to boarding schools for generation but the total number is very few.

I don't know how many for university overseas but probably in the single thousands per year.

This is accurate. Mark (Abhisit) was born on August 3, 1964 (age 49), Newcastle Upon Tyne England whilst his Mother and Father were doctors working there. He has British and Thai passports. Korn was born in London. You miss the point, the poster queried what are the chances of becoming a Thai citizen. The point is that there are plenty of former foreigners who now are now officially Thai. I was making the point that Thailand has for many hundreds of years granted Thai citizenship just as long as you change your name to a Thai sounding name.

[pookiki]

OK, they were young and foolish. And they probably know as much about Thailand as Dennis Rodman knows about North Korea. If I had a baht for every foolish thing I did when I was young -- it would have helped my retirement for sure! BTW, as Thailand becomes more multicultural from 'mixed' marriages, it will become a daunting task to determine one's ethnicity by one's physical appearance.

[aveabeeror2]

The numb nutrs are the red and yellow shirts.The farangs I know ,know what the problems are and who is the cause and what the solution is.

two words: relative - subjective

Speak english.

[balford]

One thing I learned in the military - do not discuss religion and/or politics and I am always mindful that I'm a guest in Thailand and act accordingly. It is their country and culture and I give them the courtesy of listening rather than dictating the flawed 'wisdom' of the west.

Bob A. Relaxed in Lampang

[RoyEngland]

Makes me cringe every time I see a foreigner with a whistle. It is about as congruous as when a Thai says 'its raining cats and dogs'.

Me also. It's like they ride up on a BMX.. "it's all ok, I'm hear now and I can save the day" even the thai gf must be thinking I hope this stunt gets me some new shoes.

[puukao]

This is the time to get famous and win the Peace Prize!!! I know about 100 Thai words, so I can be a good translator. I will solve all Thais problems just like how I got McD's fries ready in 11 seconds, instead of 14. I rode an elephant, so i understand the culture. i will be the greatest mediator the world has ever known!!!

[kingstonkid]

There are many people in this country that are part of the far left with high ideals. They feel that they hve the right or obligation to come to the aid as they feel it to help those that do not have he beliefs that they have.

Unfortunately due to lack of education (street smarts)

You see them in Canada and North America.

[Tatsujin]

Saw one on stage today at Asoke during a heated speech from the Thai mob leader...defintely not a backpacker, older guy, well dressed.

Whats the story ?

Tosspot extraordinaire....

. . . or perhaps a long-term expat businessman with Thai wife and mixed kids who understands that his taxes (for example) and contributions to the country are being mismanaged and feels the need to do something about it in what is now "his" adopted country and place of residence.

[crazydrummerpauly]

Putting aside the validity of whatever these "tourists" had to say was worth listening to or not...

I think it's very myopic for Thais to completely discredit and reject any opinions from people born outside of Thailand.

Short sighted, very immature, and often beyond logic.

Plenty of people have moved here and made Thailand their home, we contribute, and all of this affects us too.

Permanent residents should be allowed to vote + all the other trimmings, especially those with wives and children.

It reeks of xenophobia and "ooh this is Thailand, suck it" isn't an answer worth dignifying with a response.

Yes ok, but wading into the middle of a highly publicized street-protest on a massive scale, is a completely different order of engagement to people born outside of Thailand "having opinions" isn't it ? And as far as the criticism of the farang's actions and ideas is concerned, it is other farangs on here - including the OP - who are calling them names, not Thais. If it is true that the 'touirists' were larking about actually on stage - again, that has nothing to do with whether they had something "worth listening to" - they were acting like insensitive fools.

[Soutpeel]

Saw one on stage today at Asoke during a heated speech from the Thai mob leader...defintely not a backpacker, older guy, well dressed.

Whats the story ?

Tosspot extraordinaire....

. . . or perhaps a long-term expat businessman with Thai wife and mixed kids who understands that his taxes (for example) and contributions to the country are being mismanaged and feels the need to do something about it in what is now "his" adopted country and place of residence.

and who may be a Thai citizen with the passport, therefore hardly a tosspot, but a citizen excercising his democratic right, so would be rather racist by "showbags" to suggest because he is and older white gentleman he doesnt have the right to be be on that stage if he is a citizen...

[MrWorldwide]

No accounting for morons - the last place I want to be is in the middle of a protest. Perhaps these clowns normally get their jollies wrestling live alligators in the Glades or somesuch ?

[chatette]

Why such widespread assumption that anyone with a farang face isn't Thai?

Anyone who qualifies can become Thai; it's not a race, it's citizenship.

You wouldn't look at an Asian-race person at a protest in Australia, Europe, or U.S. and assume they were tourists,
Why so here?

[benden25]

Neither side wants foreign tourists getting involved (even if they are legal citizens). God forbid this turns ugly, hundreds of people could lose their lives and it would be nothing more than a bullet point in most major western papers. But the first time a foreigner is killed or badly injured it becomes front page news on every newspaper around the world. Regardless of which side ends up winning this (both are equally corrupt) they are going to need the help of foreign nations (especially the UK, Australia and the US) to run this country. The last thing they need is dead tourists on their hands.

[little mary sunshine]

Just <deleted> STUPID

[cashpower]

having recently been briefed as to the backround of this political unrest i feel obligated to offer my considerable diplomatic skills to assist the opposing parties in reaching resolution. i may prevail upon some of my influential contacts to pull some strings in order to achieve speedy settlement of the issues.

[HeavyDrinker]

having recently been briefed as to the backround of this political unrest i feel obligated to offer my considerable diplomatic skills to assist the opposing parties in reaching resolution. i may prevail upon some of my influential contacts to pull some strings in order to achieve speedy settlement of the issues.

Almost a light at the end of the tunnel; a glimmer of hope in the darkness; but sadly, I understand Casanova's is closed this week....

[asiaworld]

You wouldn't look at an Asian-race person at a protest in Australia, Europe, or U.S. and assume they were tourists,

Why so here?

Probably because Thailand does all it can, to prove itself Not as multiracial tolerant country , but bigot, and xenophobic one !

[DrTuner]

Guests should shut up, yes. But I don't consider myself a guest here, I'm a paying customer to Thailand's services. I bought the original visa, every year I buy extensions and need to show $$$ on the account to prove I can pay my way forward. As a customer I reserve the right to bitch and moan about the service Ok granted, 1900b doesn't give you more than a few lines on TV.

Now give me a free lifetime residency and I'll be a good guest, lips sealed.

[mumjokmok]

All foreigners in Thailand should know that it's best to stay out of this, or risking being deported:

immigra (1).jpg

So why are the Thais so fearful that foreigners might join a protest??

Because the way Thailand has operated for many many decades, the Thai's don't want any interference no matter how ridiculous it may seem. Plus whitey better hope he has read every little article he can find before he goes in to a yellow protest site, we mighta just got a tiny bit of culpability here (by association), even if it's merely through naivety and ignorance to the bigger picture being painted. You better know how you may be viewed, you may be unwelcome as the Western news agencies might have been promoting a different angle to what sentiments you are trying to share with the protesters in yellow. They seem panicked they don't have a voice.

As any other nation in the Thai's position in the world, they probably fear most the power and leverage of Western judgement, the point of this protest is a cry for self-determination and they sorely need to use their own judgement in settling this, otherwise they won't accept it.

Stakes are too high, in my opinion you'd be utterly mad to go in there, plus you're enabling an opportunity for anyone who would desire an injured farang in the melee. Think about it..... great potential PR for one, great damage for another's cause.

Just be a bemused spectator as always.........

[spidermike007]

@OP: Whether you agree with what they are doing or not is it not better to actually be part of what THEY believe in rather than being the mighty keyboard warrior dissing those that actually get off their sofa?

Not so sure. Doing anything that can result in deportation, does not sound intelligent, industrious or creative to me. And how do you know the deportation will not result in a red flag, which may mean never being able to visit Thailand again? There are things Thais can do, that we should never even consider. How do we know the NSA is not assistance with surveillance?

[Ajaan]

@OP: Whether you agree with what they are doing or not is it not better to actually be part of what THEY believe in rather than being the mighty keyboard warrior dissing those that actually get off their sofa?

Yes, yes, by all means, let's applaud those who actually have the balls to get up and really support fascist anti-democracy on a stage, blowing whistles, in person, rather than just doing it on Thaivisa like so many of the right-wing racist numbnuts here...that's so, so noble.

[Ajaan]

<snip> the brute power politics of Thailand being undertaken in such a direct fashion <snip>

Jungle law, thug nation. Anyone who thinks Suthep is any different from any of the others is sorely deluded. In many ways he's worse, with his dangerous adherence to fascist principles.

[draftvader]

JKinBKK.. Totally agree man.. People come here and stay a few weeks and think they know what's going on. Hell, half the Thai people don't even know what's going on.

6 years of living here, trying to understand and I realised I had better things to do with my time. My wife might have been working here for 5 years on a non-immi B with a WP and paid tax and our daughter might have been born here but we're still not welcome for more than 90 days at a time. That describes how long I should:

Commit to business arrangements

Commit to rental deals

Commit Thai to memory

Commit my life to the local political situation

In short unless I have residency and citizenship this is none of my business and I can only see it from my selfish perspective (i.e. the nearest I get to a vote). At the moment there are a huge number of people blocking the road between myself and my favourite supermarket so I'll have to shop for veg in Tesco Lotus

Outside of that my interest can, and should, only stretch as far as making sure my family are safe.

I understand that people who are in relationships with a Thai person may well have a different perspective but surely it is your partner's role to jump up on stage and say their piece?