To Barack Obama: Mr President, some facts you should know about the Thai political crisis

[noitom]

It's for sure that Mr. Turner is aware that Thailand is a lawless country with a totally broken system long before Thaksin. The Thai press should know better than to publish a letter from some Thai writter to The President of the United States as if it speaks for all Thais against Thaksin and gives undeserved credibility to the writer of the letter.

Thaksin is not the root cause of the current Thailand conflict. Thailand has been run by folks like Thaksin, Suthep, and Sondhi for decades before any one of them were born. The army has staged 18 or 19 coups since 1932. Isn't that enough proof that no Thai group or government is capable of staying power and provide effective leadership without corruption? This fight is about passing around the skim money. When back room establishment characters start wanting to redistribute the corrupt skim, they stage a coup in Thailand. The army takes care of whichever group seems to have more clout/money/influence over the masses.

Thailand's military was funded by the US in the late forties, fifties and sixties to help defeat communism. The Thai army as we know it didn't happen by magic. It happened with the assistance of the global military/industrial complex. First during the Cold War and then Vietnam. The modern Thai army is a creature of US backing. Foreign investment in Thailand was facilitated by the perception that the country was "secure" by its US funded investment in Thai military force. Do you think that the Japanese and others would have invested heavily in Thailand if they didn't have a US backed military to secure its business interests as their industrial engine grew after WWII? Of course not.

The initial big Thailand money came from siphoning off military , public and private sector aid largely by the US and foreign governments and firms. The sex trade facilitating the Vietnam Era R & R and its reciprocal drug trade in the early sixties, when the French left Vietnam, funded the early evolution of Thailand from a third world nation to a "developing" nation. The military engine of Thailand was in powerful and escalated control ever since the Japanese surrender in WWII. By the way, the 71st anniversary of Thailand's declaration of war against the US and the UK and its alliance with Japan is coming up next week on January 25.

The Bangkok real estate boom in the eighties and the building of "beautiful Bangkok" was facilitated by money laundering, corrupted skim, and drug networking. The basic infrastructure and building was secured with cash laundering, bad Thai bank loans, through drug and sex trade money and of course by foreign investment and aid skim. Do you really think that the kind of money that built Bangkok in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and particularly the 80s came from the rice fields? Thailand and particularly Bangkok is the direct result of drugs, sex, and cheap labor, corrupted skim from foreign military aid/support and private investment skim and Mr. Thai 20%s backed by the Thai military.

The Thai press consistently ignores Thailand's real history, and its historical facts as described by numerous Thai and foreign scholars. The censoring out of factual information and historical events that long preceded Mr. Thaksin, Mr. Suthep or the faded out Mr. Sondhi. The press seems to make haphazard references to the 2008 airport closing, 2010 killings, and the 2006 coup. The press writes, more often than not, as if Thai political conflicts began in 2006 with Mr. Thaksin. This is clearly shading and obscuring the truth and censoring the Thai people from true Thai political conflicts. The Thai press is part of the Thai problem and not part of its solution resulting in many Thais writing these kind of letters thrashing around for someone like the US president to listen to their carping and whining about Thaksin.

It's a nice effort to try to cling to the Thaksin is the root cause of the social upheaval argument. He certainly is not a great national leader example. That Thaksin didn't just "go to ground" as did his predecessors when the "calling came" is really the historical problem of Thai corruption and feeding off the opportunistic system, if you're in the right tier of society that is. That's exactly the problem. Thaksin is actually the initiator of trying to channel some of that skim back to the underclass which disenfranchised the establishment and woke them up that he is not planning to just "go to ground," but instead is actually trying to embrace them in some way. Maybe his goal was self serving, but at least he was identifying them and found his own way to make them feel part of the system as is not the case before him or by the current protesters.

That there is an "implicit" understanding that they "go to ground" and leave the trough when they have had more than sufficient take and skim is exactly what is at the root of the festering problem. They are at the stage of fighting over who is at the trough and who says enough is enough. Thaksin, like democracy as you put it, is but a tool of the establishment that stirs the force of movement to get them to "go to ground." This will not happen in this generation of politics, but it is the press that needs to evolve in representing the truth that educates subsequent generations. Distorting the facts and censoring the history is not the right path if you want constructive change for the benefit of the underclass. Part of their frustration is the sense of participation in the truth. Printing a letter written to President Obama about Thaksin alone is misleading.

It is not a reasonable and positive evolution of Thai politics for future generations to have the people "believe" that a Suthep or Sondhi style of politics backed by a military threat and the appointment of a "people's council" designated by the fox in the chicken coup is a "democratic way." Nor is the appointment of another establishment guy who agrees to go to ground when the others say he's through. The press should make this clear and stand by the idea of one man one vote and legally elected officials and fair and equal representation and application of law. The press should place values on these characteristics and not pander to emotions and censorship by the establishment.

Knowledge is power and the majority Thai underclass shouldn't be denied the factual information and reality of Thai politics and the Thai game as it has been and is played. Whether they gain any power will remain to be seen, but they should be armed with a proper history. With real history and facts, better education and health care, the Thai underclass will continue to get stronger. This concern is really the root of the problem. The Thai establishment eventually has to concede the truth and embrace the underclass although they look like they will be kicking and screaming a lot longer.

[diceq]

"Well written and 100% true"

She forgot to mention that Thaksin also eats babies.

[northernjohn]

Some people protects the word “Democracy” as it if were something more sacred than their god, beyond good and evil. The truth is that under some democracies there are hiding the largest niches of corruption, abuse of power, labour rights abuse, destruction of the environment and natural resources, etc of this planet. But as far as they serve for their benefit, they protect them, even with war and blood.

It is the same as when the Crusades protected the name of the church in the Middle Ages. The Knights of Christ that beheaded the non-believers and prosecuted the heretics were convinced that they were fighting for a superior cause that would make the world a better place to live, named the Catholic Church.

Today it can still be called a ‘Crusade”; the only difference is that they have changed the name of God for the name of false democracies, in order to dominate and exploit this world.

Well said. Thailand is a country that uses the word democracy and that is all it uses the word. Most of the people who use it don't even know what it means. They think 48% of the voters telling the other 52% what to do is democratic.

I have no problem with democracy. But I do believe that there is a time when it should sit in the back seat and let justice and fairness do the driving until it has learned that it is not nice to steal money and property.

[diceq]

Well said. Thailand is a country that uses the word democracy and that is all it uses the word. Most of the people who use it don't even know what it means. They think 48% of the voters telling the other 52% what to do is democratic.

No, it's where the 50.1% of the voters tell the other 49.9% what to do. Not sure what class of democracy that you attended.

I have no problem with democracy. But I do believe that there is a time when it should sit in the back seat and let justice and fairness do the driving until it has learned that it is not nice to steal money and property.

Justice and fairness as in replacing democracy with an unelected council you mean? Why are you so ashamed of using the word fascism to describe your opinions?

Edited January 20, 2014 by diceq

[tilac2]

Some people protects the word “Democracy” as it if were something more sacred than their god, beyond good and evil. The truth is that under some democracies there are hiding the largest niches of corruption, abuse of power, labour rights abuse, destruction of the environment and natural resources, etc of this planet. But as far as they serve for their benefit, they protect them, even with war and blood.

It is the same as when the Crusades protected the name of the church in the Middle Ages. The Knights of Christ that beheaded the non-believers and prosecuted the heretics were convinced that they were fighting for a superior cause that would make the world a better place to live, named the Catholic Church.

Today it can still be called a ‘Crusade”; the only difference is that they have changed the name of God for the name of false democracies, in order to dominate and exploit this world.

Or another way of looking at it:

"Democracy is the worst form of government ... except for all the others" - Winston Churchill

Democracies are not perfect. They never have been ... even back to the day when Socrates was forced to drink hemlock by the democracy he'd been critical of. But I fail to see how military juntas or elitist oligarchies reliably provide better governance for the people. In most cases, they end up serving their own interests alone because they are not answerable to the people. I continue to be amazed at the number of people here (not necessarily you) who are calling for a coup or other forms of non-democratic usurpation of power...

I completely agree, and also agree with posts 237 through 240.

The continual tedious narrative from most TV posters and from Suthep's people and from this misguided American at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, Jeffrey Race ('History shows way out of Thai conflict'), is that Thaksin had to be deposed because he was just too corrupt, and that the Yingluck administration has to be deposed for the same reason.

They ask us to believe that Thailand's problems stem from corruption, whereas it is blindingly obvious that corruption is merely a symptom of deeper problems with the Thai system of governance. The main systemic problem is that Thailand is not a functioning democracy. The democratically elected government does not really control things because there are other elements in the background that really pull the strings. Democratically elected leaders in Thailand don’t serve out their terms because these behind the scenes elements can remove them as and when they wish. I suspect that some of these behind the scenes manipulators are the kind of people who frequent the Royal Bangkok Sports Club.

Corruption is a symptom, not a cause, of a broken system. The Shinewatras merely make convenient scapegoats.

The current anarchy will not go away. It will probably continue until Thailand rationalizes its system of rule. You cannot have two Popes. You cannot have two Generals with one saying "Attack" and the other saying "Retreat". You cannot have a democracy where the decisions of that democratic government are continually being "second-guessed" by a bunch of shadowy manipulators.

In Thailand either there must be dictatorship or there must be democracy. If it is to be democracy it must be real democracy with the elected government controlling policy and implementation, with no recourse to backup powers who can be called upon to "put things right".

In such a genuinely democratic system the elected government could order the Army or the Police to clear the streets of protesters, for example. In such a genuinely democratic system it would be inconceivable that the Prime Minister would be left cowering in a secret location while a rabble-rouser called Suthep (backed up by we know who) could take over the streets, destroy ballot papers and threaten government ministers.

[bunuel]

[quote name="moon

Wot

Michael Turner will have a chuckle after reading that nonsense.

Poor old Vanina Sucharitkul hasn't a clue in the slightest what democacy means.

Ms. Sucharitkul, like some of her ideological allies, refuses to see the forest

for the trees. The issue at stake is not the character of Mr. Thaksin: the issue

at stake is how the people of Thailand can democratically elect their government.

The elections of 2011 were determined to be free and fair by ALL international

observers, and the party of Prime Minister won the election. Period.

Now the demonstrators have raised a number of issues, and the PM has proposed

new elections to determine if her party still has a mandate. This is SOP in any

parliamentary democracy. Yet the opposition Democrat party not only refuses to participate,or

even negotiate with the PM - instead,they are actively trying to sabotage these elections

any way they can , creating serious tension with the majority of Thais who feel their

votes are not being respected,

As a result, the international media and the governments of nearly (?) all major countries

have shown little sympathy for the demonstrators. However, as an ignorant farang,

I acknowledge there may be some Thai-ness I am missing here, so I am posting this article

on theThai crisis by former Japanese Defense Minister Yuriko Koike. The Japanese have been

Thailand's Pichai for decades, and have major investments in this country. And coming from

an old and rich Asian culture,they see straight through Thai-ness,even if someThais don't.

Bottom line is that no country exists in a geopolitical vacuum - not even Thailand;

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/yuriko-koike-criticizes-democratic-countries--indifference-to-the-threat-posed-by-the-thai-opposition-s-strategy-of-protest

[tilac2]

Some people protects the word “Democracy” as it if were something more sacred than their god, beyond good and evil. The truth is that under some democracies there are hiding the largest niches of corruption, abuse of power, labour rights abuse, destruction of the environment and natural resources, etc of this planet. But as far as they serve for their benefit, they protect them, even with war and blood.

It is the same as when the Crusades protected the name of the church in the Middle Ages. The Knights of Christ that beheaded the non-believers and prosecuted the heretics were convinced that they were fighting for a superior cause that would make the world a better place to live, named the Catholic Church.

Today it can still be called a ‘Crusade”; the only difference is that they have changed the name of God for the name of false democracies, in order to dominate and exploit this world.

Well said. Thailand is a country that uses the word democracy and that is all it uses the word. Most of the people who use it don't even know what it means. They think 48% of the voters telling the other 52% what to do is democratic.

I have no problem with democracy. But I do believe that there is a time when it should sit in the back seat and let justice and fairness do the driving until it has learned that it is not nice to steal money and property.

So Thailand must destroy democracy in order to save it! Try making that point in western countries and see what reception you'll get!

You only make such points here because you have bought into the nonsense of Suthep and Abhisit and their ilk that the "ignorant country people" are not ready to vote.

You mention justice and fairness, you mention the stealing of money and property, but who knows whether Suthep would be any better than Thaksin in those regards. Suthep has a track record in corruption.

The only guarantee we have that politicians do what the bulk of the people want is if the bulk of the people get to vote. It is also important that political parties stand for election and don't run away - as Abhisit did.

Clearly you and MGP object to "false democracy" as I do: it is just that we disagree what it means. I think "false democracy" means a system where the electors' choice can be torn up when the real powers behind the scenes, represented by people like Suthep, don't like what the people have decided.

[Thai at Heart]

I think this is the reason why the "lawyer" in the original post wrote to Congressman Turner:

And I have to say, Michael R. Turner is absolutely correct. You cannot tell an elected government to leave office and be replaced by a "people's council" that a corrupt politician himself will put together based on his opinion.

If that should indeed happen (which we should all pray won't), I highly doubt that the US Government and other countries will recognize Suthep's "people's council" as the legitimate government of Thailand, which will cause even bigger problems in international trade and relations.

Indeed, I don't think that the "let's support democracy by getting rid of it" for a while, is a well known plan.

Thousands of people lost their lives to deliver thailand the chance to stay free of communism and democratic. And they expect the USA to listen to a bunch of people who say "trust us, we are going to take 3steps back to go one step forward, eventually".

Farang, u no understand thailand.

Yes, you are right, and I don't want to. Its like listening to a lovestruck teenager who just split up with their girlfriend. You don't understand. Waaaaaah!

Oh yes we do. Been there done that.

The only option is to go forward I am afraid.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[maxman71]

Dang, that letter is just going to give Obama more ideas how he can trash the US...

[Publicus]

The letter will go straight in the bin

The OP's letter certainly won't ever get the president's attention even for a moment.

You can bet the ranch and also the farm that a President of the United States - any president - never sees or ever knows of such a crank and shrill letter written by, in this instance, a scatological dingbat on the other side of the world who has a fiduciary and socio-cultural axe to grind in a raging and one-sided ruling class rant.

Presidents of the United States haven't any time whatsoever for obscure and capricious publicity seekers in foreign countries irrespective of their period of time in the United States, and everyone on the White House staff and at the State Department knows this 100%.

Anyone at either place who might call this kind of crackpot's raffish letter to the attention of the President of the United States would be immediately fired for horrible judgement and for wasting the time of the president, of him/her self, and of everyone else in the White House or State Department.

The OP's pretentious and silly letter to the President of the United States is entirely an eccentric self-indulgence that constitutes a bloated ego trip of gargantuan proportions. Yet such quacks and status conscious twits as the Thai writer of this letter to POTUS always seem to have equally tumultuous friends in high places of their own country who can deliver to their excess a splash of high profile attention and an audience.

For sure, the OP's atrocious letter is a sorry looking ship that will never leave its dilapidated port.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Publicus

[Thai at Heart]

http://nsnbc.me/2014/01/19/us-creeping-front-thailand/ this article seems to be more relevant to OP, I think...

Very informative. Unfortunately too many words for thaivisa shinaclan supporters.

You expect a country with democracy embedded in its foundation, which actively builds nations on democratic basis, to listen to a nutjob who wants to undo parliamentary democracy to promote democracy?

[MrSlatersParrot]

The US knows exactly what is going on in Thailand.

Absolutely right

"Thaksin aided his wife to purchase government land at a reduced rate of 1/3 in violation of the law prohibiting political leaders from engaging in business dealings with the government. Thaksin was sentenced to two years but fled the country and never served his sentence."

Again this lawyer repeats PAD propoganda that is completely untrue.

The land was not sold for 1/3 of it's value.

There was a public auction.

There were 3 approved bids.

Podjaman outbid Land and House to acquire the land.

The FIDC and the bank of thailand had no objection in selling the land to her.

The issue taken up by the PAD and through the ASC was that she was married to the PM and that in their view the land was state owned and no state official could buy it.

But then

The US knows exactly what is going on in Thailand

And Thaksin was so innocent of this outrageous politically motivated charge, trial and conviction, that he chose to flee the country and become a fugitive rather than prove his innocence. The many outstanding criminal charges should also be swept aside along with any allegations of HR violations.

The US and the rest of the world must sure see Thaksin is innocent, never robbed the country and even paid off the IMF loan from his personal wealth. This astute and honest business man has grown his wealth 450% during the time his proxy party have governed Thailand, implementing populist policies he designed and seemingly bankrupting the country and begging for loans.

Why should Thaksin bother to contest all these things in a court of law? His family run the country and besides, everyone knows he's innocent.

His wise sister will whitewash all these silly inconveniences away soon, and he can return in triumph and the meek shall inherit Thailand, all be rich in 6 months!

Dream on Parrot.

Can't answer can you?

This hatred must have its root in some collective guilt over the absurdity of all the charges so far made against Thaksin and the spluttering attempts to justify them.

8 year on from a coup that was supposed to sort out his corruption.

Not half.

Of course we are all waiting for a full expose on Suthep published by the sound thai press.

Not half.

Anyway enough of that.

https://twitter.com/princessvanina

Anyone able to access this twitter account?

It seems to have gone off line.

Curious like the disappearance of the original Youtube video of the 1st grenade attack beside the car

[tx22cb]

The letter will go straight in the bin

It certainly won't ever get the president's attention even for a moment.

You can bet the ranch and also the farm that a President of the United States - any president - never sees or ever knows of such a crank and shrill letter written by, in this instance, a scatological dingbat on the other side of the world who has a fiduciary and socio-cultural axe to grind in a raging and one-sided ruling class rant.

Presidents of the United States haven't any time whatsoever for obscure and capricious publicity seekers in foreign countries irrespective of their period of time in the United States, and everyone on the White House staff and at the State Department knows this 100%.

Anyone at either place who might call this kind of crackpot's raffish letter to the attention of the President of the United States would be immediately fired for horrible judgement and for wasting the time of the president, the shower of such a letter and of everyone else in the White House.

This pretentious and silly letter to the President of the United States is entirely an eccentric self-indulgence that constitutes a bloated ego trip of gargantuan proportions. Yet such quacks and status conscious twits as the Thai writer of this letter to POTUS always seem to have equally tumultuous friends in high places of their own country who can deliver to such excess a splash of high profile attention and an audience.

For sure, the OP's atrocious letter is a sorry looking ship that will never leave its dilapidated port.

I totally agree.

However, the writer has achieved her objective - she knew that the letter would not have any impact on US policy, but she has achieved her goal of catapulting her into the Thai media.

She has already been trotted onto one of Suthep's stages and (so I am told) even addressed the crowd in English(!).

I'm sure she makes a nice change from the usual tired lineup of speakers.

[tx22cb]

<<<>> Anyway enough of that.

https://twitter.com/princessvanina

Anyone able to access this twitter account?

It seems to have gone off line.

<<>>

I think the account was hastily taken down earlier on Monday, perhaps because there were some photos which might have been a little unbecoming for a correspondent with POTUS. And the moniker "princessvanina" seems slightly flippant for someone in the spotlight.

I did see the account before it disappeared.

Personally, I thought it contained the normal type of postings for a young carefree successful attractive high-society yuppie lady, contents which are totally OK to share with her friends.

But maybe it had a few things (nothing serious) which she might have wanted to keep from strangers and from potential detractors.

Edited January 20, 2014 by tx22cb

[pxlgirl]

so... this dude of a sort of american thai super duper lawyer is thinking of himself to be so important that even the president of the US will give a single crap to read his letter? Perhaps I should give it a shot for next xmas and send my wishlist to Santa Claus.

P. S. kudos to the actual person who might have been paid to write this piece, it's really well worded. Even I wouldn't have been able to come up with it w/o help

Edited January 20, 2014 by pxlgirl

[tx22cb]

so... this dude of a sort of american thai super duper lawyer is thinking of himself to be so important that even the president of the US will give a single crap to read his letter? Perhaps I should give it a shot for next xmas and send my wishlist to Santa Claus.

P. S. kudos to the actual person who might have been paid to write this piece, it's really well worded. Even I wouldn't have been able to come up with it w/o help

Actually, the writer of the letter is female (something I also learnt a few hours ago). She's also a lawyer.

Oh, you want proof? See photo (sorry I could not find a smaller one). (she's the one in the white shirt)

[Puccini]

My thinking is that the US government and the governments of all other countries should stay out of it.

Just look a the current situation in other countries where the US government intervened to institute or uphold "democracy" like Iran, Libya and I don't know where else.

If things are getting bad in Thailand, which is not for me to judge, they will probably have to get a lot worse in this country, where opinion polls regularly show that over 80% of the population condone corruption, until they get better and it will have to be the people of this country, not a foreign government or several foreign governments acting in unison, to bring about a change if such change is to have a long-lasting effect.

[Thai at Heart]

My thinking is that the US government and the governments of all other countries should stay out of it.

Just look a the current situation in other countries where the US government intervened to institute or uphold "democracy" like Iran, Libya and I don't know where else.

If things are getting bad in Thailand, which is not for me to judge, they will probably have to get a lot worse in this country, where opinion polls regularly show that over 80% of the population condone corruption, until they get better and it will have to be the people of this country, not a foreign government or several foreign governments acting in unison, to bring about a change if such change is to have a long-lasting effect.

Who says they are in it?, the accusation is without any proof or any apparent motive.

Thais talking nonsense about their only significant western ally...so who would they like to turn towards. China. Lol. Good luck getting anything out of them...japan?,,they are going it alone in Burma. No one needs this nationalistic c**p, least of all thailand. Without assistance from the USA this place would be a province of china having been raped blind by japan.

Maybe Obama might just say, "fine, get lost. You won't be hearing from me anytime soon".

Then watch the army tell these idiots to wind their necks in.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[Puccini]

Who says they are in it?, the accusation is without any proof or any apparent motive.

They, who? In what? If you mean the US government, in the protests in Thailand or whatever, I did not say it was, but that it should not do it, seeing that this topic is about a letter by a US congressman to the US president suggesting to the president that he should get involved. Well, I am suggesting that the US president, the US government, should stay out of it.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Puccini

[Thai at Heart]

Who says they are in it?, the accusation is without any proof or any apparent motive.

They, who? In what? If you mean the US government, in the protests in Thailand or whatever, I did not say it was, but that it should not do it, seeing that this topic is about a letter by a US congressman to the US president suggesting to the president that he should get involved. Well, I am suggesting that the US president, the US government, should stay out of it.

They won't get involved. Speak to whom? Influence whom? Pressure whom?

At the end of the day Obama can make all the speeches he wants, no one here will listen.

Best thing he could do would be to get special ops to kidnap every politician in the country and their family and declare it a colony.

[Puccini]

...I highly doubt that the US Government and other countries will recognize Suthep's "people's council" as the legitimate government of Thailand, which will cause even bigger problems in international trade and relations...

You seem to be knowledgeable about this and I am interested in how this works. How, in what form and manner, did the US government recognise past governments of Thailand? How did it recognise, or fail to recognise, if that should have been the case, the Council for Democratic Reform that seized control over the administration in the 2006 coup?

All I usually see in the press about the recognition of another country's government is news about congratulatory messages being sent from heads of states to the head of state of the country that got itself a new government, but there must be more to this I should think, some kind of formal, international protocol of recognising another countries government, but what is it, how does it work?

[Thai at Heart]

...I highly doubt that the US Government and other countries will recognize Suthep's "people's council" as the legitimate government of Thailand, which will cause even bigger problems in international trade and relations...

You seem to be knowledgeable about this and I am interested in how this works. How, in what form and manner, did the US government recognise past governments of Thailand? How did it recognise, or fail to recognise, if that should have been the case, the Council for Democratic Reform that seized control over the administration in the 2006 coup?

All I usually see in the press about the recognition of another country's government is news about congratulatory messages being sent from heads of states to the head of state of the country that got itself a new government, but there must be more to this I should think, some kind of formal, international protocol of recognising another countries government, but what is it, how does it work?

By law they had to cut funding to the coup junta, but they maintained contact of course. This bunch will be odd, but it's hardly as though Suthep is going to magic a load of unknown people to the table.

It's going to be the same old reactionary academics and hawks told to come up with some policies. The USA embassy will come up with some statements, there will be some reforms, and then there will be an election eventually and Thaksin bunch will win.

However, if it appears that the anti democracy bunch want to hang on for the long term that isn't going to be good for Thai USA relations.

[jackrich]

so... this dude of a sort of american thai super duper lawyer is thinking of himself to be so important that even the president of the US will give a single crap to read his letter? Perhaps I should give it a shot for next xmas and send my wishlist to Santa Claus.

P. S. kudos to the actual person who might have been paid to write this piece, it's really well worded. Even I wouldn't have been able to come up with it w/o help

Actually, the writer of the letter is female (something I also learnt a few hours ago). She's also a lawyer.

Oh, you want proof? See photo (sorry I could not find a smaller one). (she's the one in the white shirt)

She's also a wannabe-singer (see her Youtube channel), wannabe-model (see her model photos portfolio), wannabe-journalist (see her street interviews with celebrities), wannabe-actress (see IMDB "The Laughing Dead" grade D zombie movie) and wannabe-photographer (see her Instagram).

She's a rich girl who perfectly understands the needs and problems of Thailand's poor majority, wearing her bandana and taking selfies around the big city of Bangkok, supporting the ouster of an elected government. Yaaay Democracy!

Oh yeah, and here's another more interesting photo of her during the red shirt 2010 rallies. Flip flops anyone?

Edited January 21, 2014 by Scott

[Publicus]

The letter will go straight in the bin

It certainly won't ever get the president's attention even for a moment.

You can bet the ranch and also the farm that a President of the United States - any president - never sees or ever knows of such a crank and shrill letter written by, in this instance, a scatological dingbat on the other side of the world who has a fiduciary and socio-cultural axe to grind in a raging and one-sided ruling class rant.

Presidents of the United States haven't any time whatsoever for obscure and capricious publicity seekers in foreign countries irrespective of their period of time in the United States, and everyone on the White House staff and at the State Department knows this 100%.

Anyone at either place who might call this kind of crackpot's raffish letter to the attention of the President of the United States would be immediately fired for horrible judgement and for wasting the time of the president, the shower of such a letter and of everyone else in the White House.

This pretentious and silly letter to the President of the United States is entirely an eccentric self-indulgence that constitutes a bloated ego trip of gargantuan proportions. Yet such quacks and status conscious twits as the Thai writer of this letter to POTUS always seem to have equally tumultuous friends in high places of their own country who can deliver to such excess a splash of high profile attention and an audience.

For sure, the OP's atrocious letter is a sorry looking ship that will never leave its dilapidated port.

I totally agree.

However, the writer has achieved her objective - she knew that the letter would not have any impact on US policy, but she has achieved her goal of catapulting her into the Thai media.

She has already been trotted onto one of Suthep's stages and (so I am told) even addressed the crowd in English(!).

I'm sure she makes a nice change from the usual tired lineup of speakers.

Yup, teach 'em English and it too often means they can cuss you to your face without having to use a language you don't understand or never learned. So now I understand globalization a lot better.

[chooka]

so... this dude of a sort of american thai super duper lawyer is thinking of himself to be so important that even the president of the US will give a single crap to read his letter? Perhaps I should give it a shot for next xmas and send my wishlist to Santa Claus.

P. S. kudos to the actual person who might have been paid to write this piece, it's really well worded. Even I wouldn't have been able to come up with it w/o help

Actually, the writer of the letter is female (something I also learnt a few hours ago). She's also a lawyer.

Oh, you want proof? See photo (sorry I could not find a smaller one). (she's the one in the white shirt)

She's also a wannabe-singer (see her Youtube channel), wannabe-model (see her model photos portfolio), wannabe-journalist (see her street interviews with celebrities), wannabe-actress (see IMDB "The Laughing Dead" grade D zombie movie) and wannabe-photographer (see her Instagram).

She's a rich girl who perfectly understands the needs and problems of Thailand's poor majority, wearing her bandana and taking selfies around the big city of Bangkok, supporting the ouster of an elected government. Yaaay Democracy!

Oh yeah, and here's another more interesting photo of her during the red shirt 2010 rallies. Flip flops anyone?

A red shirt, a white shirt and now a yellow shirt, she sounds very mixed up and confused perfect for the Suthep dimwits

[Thai at Heart]

so... this dude of a sort of american thai super duper lawyer is thinking of himself to be so important that even the president of the US will give a single crap to read his letter? Perhaps I should give it a shot for next xmas and send my wishlist to Santa Claus.

P. S. kudos to the actual person who might have been paid to write this piece, it's really well worded. Even I wouldn't have been able to come up with it w/o help

Actually, the writer of the letter is female (something I also learnt a few hours ago). She's also a lawyer.

Oh, you want proof? See photo (sorry I could not find a smaller one). (she's the one in the white shirt)

She's also a wannabe-singer (see her Youtube channel), wannabe-model (see her model photos portfolio), wannabe-journalist (see her street interviews with celebrities), wannabe-actress (see IMDB "The Laughing Dead" grade D zombie movie) and wannabe-photographer (see her Instagram).

She's a rich girl who perfectly understands the needs and problems of Thailand's poor majority, wearing her bandana and taking selfies around the big city of Bangkok, supporting the ouster of an elected government. Yaaay Democracy!

Oh yeah, and here's another more interesting photo of her during the red shirt 2010 rallies. Flip flops anyone?

A red shirt, a white shirt and now a yellow shirt, she sounds very mixed up and confused perfect for the Suthep dimwits

Well she certainly follows the fashion if the season. Very trendy.

What a weirdo.

[Loptr]

This must be a joke. Mr Obama is completely disengaged from the political process in the US. What makes you think he is going to to pay any attention to anything going on in Thailand?

[mca]

I have michael yon subscribed to my Facebook. Seems that the propaganda wing of this protest are a lot more.organised

On his page right now there is some nonsense accusing the foreign western media of being beholden to Thaksin money.

This stuff is getting more nationalistic and bizarre by the daym

I mentioned a while back that one of my wifes Facebook friends accused all neutral locals of being un-Thai and that they should renounce their citizenship. Her latest little descent into the land of batshit crazy is that she'd been informed that thaksin had purchased the Washington post and, wait for it, the BBC. The worrying aspect are the amount of likes this "exclusive" had received

[52midnight]

Well done! You might follow up with a recommendation that he read "Confessions of an economic hitman" if he is unaware as to how his government's policies are pursued and executed:

http://www.johnperkins.org/

[MrSlatersParrot]

Obama after reading the letter - "But Thaksin is not the Prime Minister nor even in Thailand. What's the matter with these protesters? And they want to replace an elected government with a communist-type committee and call it democracy?"

Then we would have to say.. fella the only communists are in the UDD and that's Thaksins bought and paid for lot.

Which makes them.capitalist communists????

Where is this crazy place, let's go see. Sounds like it could be entertaining.

By contrast the PAD or whatever one may call them are Capitalist anarchist not to be confused with socialist anarchists.

Social anarchy presupposes a barter system which could work but for the capitalist anarchist who just want to take from the rest of us.

In africa they follow tge man with the big gun here it's the man with the big wad.

They're cruel, amoral and with el suthep they have found their fuhrer.