Time is running out for Thailand's embattled government

[Ulic]

I am not convinced that the EC having failed to provide a safe locations for candidates to register for the first election will do

a better job the second time around. I also fail to see how the postponed date becomes safer when Suthep's demands have

not changed and there is no indication of the Democrats participating in any election. Up to them of course but an election

should be held and let the people decide. The EC is incompetent at best and probable corrupt. It is there failure to get candidates

registered in the south that is most damaging to the legitimacy of the next election and they should be fired and replace with

a more able group.

[Baerboxer]

Blue sky commentary in English live right now.... For those interested

Cheaper than a lobotomy I suppose.

Meanwhile in the real world Thai Fascist uprising gets slammed in in the media. NY time did a great job today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/25/world/asia/thai-constitutional-court-says-election-can-be-postponed.html?_r=0

Key quote there is that CC trying to make laws rather than interperet them.

“The power to postpone elections does not exist in any part of the Thai Constitution at all,” Mr. Pornson said on Thai television. “The court itself is trying to establish this power.”

Serious media as the Economist also ran article last year about Country Splitting.

http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21594989-thailands-very-unity-now-under-threat-you-go-your-way-ill-go-mine

Straits times reports dangers of Red Gathering in Phatum Thani. http://www.stasiareport.com/the-big-story/asia-report/thailand/story/radical-%E2%80%9Cred-shirt%E2%80%9D-no-fan-thai-government-20140124

All very serious issues and very good chance of problems on this scale if Suthep managed to grab the reins of power.

Not a good idea to read them as some people mention Thaksin in a good light, and Ko Tee says he does not like the Government or UDD. So this is indeed an angry movement that is gathering pace.

Nobody but Suthep and his miss guided mob, think that a Coup or Peoples Council will succeed... Nobody serious anyway. meanwhile, enjoy entreching your view points with Bluesky. It saves you reading anything interesting or informative.

Usual flames don't alter the facts in these media sources.

Media - reporting facts. Now there's an oxymoron.

[Baerboxer]

Blue sky commentary in English live right now.... For those interested

Cheaper than a lobotomy I suppose.

Meanwhile in the real world Thai Fascist uprising gets slammed in in the media. NY time did a great job today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/25/world/asia/thai-constitutional-court-says-election-can-be-postponed.html?_r=0

Key quote there is that CC trying to make laws rather than interperet them.

“The power to postpone elections does not exist in any part of the Thai Constitution at all,” Mr. Pornson said on Thai television. “The court itself is trying to establish this power.”

Serious media as the Economist also ran article last year about Country Splitting.

http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21594989-thailands-very-unity-now-under-threat-you-go-your-way-ill-go-mine

Straits times reports dangers of Red Gathering in Phatum Thani. http://www.stasiareport.com/the-big-story/asia-report/thailand/story/radical-%E2%80%9Cred-shirt%E2%80%9D-no-fan-thai-government-20140124

All very serious issues and very good chance of problems on this scale if Suthep managed to grab the reins of power.

Not a good idea to read them as some people mention Thaksin in a good light, and Ko Tee says he does not like the Government or UDD. So this is indeed an angry movement that is gathering pace.

Nobody but Suthep and his miss guided mob, think that a Coup or Peoples Council will succeed... Nobody serious anyway. meanwhile, enjoy entreching your view points with Bluesky. It saves you reading anything interesting or informative.

Usual flames don't alter the facts in these media sources

Problem is the credibility of some media sources.

Regardless of where you are, who you support, what your views are. The independent ownership of media sources seem a thing of the past. Lobbyists, business groups, owners with certain agendas etc etc. Scour the media and you can usually find numerous opposing views and contradictory facts.

Still, the proposed media censorship proposed by the caretaker government under the seemingly illegally invoked SOE will stop that happening in the Thai media. One voice, one opinion, one agenda. One man thinks, and his minions act.

[Piichai]

I doesn't matter in the long run. Whether it's Yingluck or someone else, whenever the next election takes place, they will be voted in. The people want their vote to be respected and not to be bullied.

I'm not so sure. I live not far from the Red Village in Lam Lu Ka, and can see things changing; they don't have a grip on surrounding neighborhoods as they once had.

People might be waking up to the lies.

[falangadang]

When the music sops the person holding the parcel will have to do a very un-Thai thing, make a decision. In this case there are two holding the parcel, YL and the EC.

The Constitutional Court tossed this hot issue back by saying the election could be postponed it did not say it has to be / must be / even should be.

YL will want it to go ahead and the EC does not so what next and who will prevail ? I honestly can't see the two sides reaching a reasonable accommodation, I'm sure the election will go ahead and prove nothing.

It just doesn't look good.

If anything the dems might get accused of sabotaging democracy.

What's in a name huh. The democrats who don't play democracy.

At the end of the day,.. it doesn't matter which party is voted in as they are all in it for themselves and in reality the people have little say in the outcome despite appearances.

This actually applies even more in the west (US/UK/AUS etc) as the people are ruled by a Corporate Autocracy and not via a Democracy (just look at what those countries have done to their own constitutions).

But at least in Thailand the people can take to the streets and can hold the country to ransom when they are not happy. Regardless of who is leading such protests, the fact is that they do happen and the people are able to exercise themselves in that way. That is WAY more "democratic" than the western system which would stomp on such public protest in a heartbeat as we have seen with the various "occupy" movements.

Democracy is an illusion created by those in power to appease people and coerce them into compliance and obedience!

Edited January 25, 2014 by falangadang

[soalbundy]

And this has anything to do with us because..........? Look on the positive side,the Baht will slide to its true worth.

If i have learnt anything in the last 8 years its, "Nothing in Thailand is the way it seems"

If the powers that be are so useless why is Thailand the second biggest economy in SE Asia ? Answer is probably that they have a good functioning civil service with enough experts to iron out the mistakes made by their masters ( rather like the Western economies )

[Piichai]

Regarding the disquiet of the rice farmers, I believe many blame the protestors in Bangkok for the non payment.

Hard to believe when the farmers were already not being paid long before the marches began in Bangkok.

[billd766]

There will be an election in the next few months. Elements of PTP will win it, probably in coalition/unity with some of the more rational people from other parties. Then rebuilding will start and growth will return.

Is that before or after political reform?

[mrtoad]

I doesn't matter in the long run. Whether it's Yingluck or someone else, whenever the next election takes place, they will be voted in. The people want their vote to be respected and not to be bullied.

If it wasn't Yingluck (or another Shin relative) the election would be taking place without problems.

It won't. Samak Sundaravet was not relative but longterm thai politican. It will never stop Democrats and their angry mob allies.

Samak was an odious individual who became a DL lackey , as it gave him the opportunity to be PM. PPP was a joke and PTP is no different, just has a different front person, but all the usual scum lurking in the background.

[lifeisadream]

In my work, I have been interacting with the Bangkok middle class for almost thirty years. Of course, I have become fluent in Thai and feel like I thoroughly understand the culture, the attitudes, and the mind-set that it creates in Bangkokians. Perhaps I have something to say here about the events that are unfolding.

More and more I have been listening to friends voicing their resentment at the International news services (CNN, BBC, Reuters, etc.). The majority of the people I know absolutely believe that they are all in the pockets of Thaksin. I think they believe that he has directly paid them through various spin doctoring agencies or that they simply don’t recognize the relentlessness-ruthlessness of the present government in pursuing only one objective. The obvious factor concerning the bias of the international media concerns the idea of dismantling popular elections. This crosses the line which no media service will condone. Personally, I can understand the revulsion and fear that most Western people would experience if a democratic country scrapped elections. However, people in the capital consider any election that has been paid for through corruption, media control, and vote buying is neither free nor fair. Therefore, it is not a “democratic” election. The last Thai national elections and the one scheduled for the February 2^nd agenda, without a doubt, were corrupted and will be corrupted again. They feel that there is no other option but to dismiss any election as so distorted that nothing substantive whatsoever would change. Therefore their voice and their vote would be meaningless. That one greedy, immoral family can control their country affronts their dignity.

From the time the Shinawatra government tried to ram through the amnesty bill at 4:00 a.m. along with the announcement that Thaksin’s nephew (certainly) and son (probably) would be entering into politics, the lid blew off people’s endurance gauge.

The resentment people have for the international press is expanding. They are reading stories which continuously distorts the facts in accordance with information sent to them through P.R. firms contracted to a convicted criminal. So, in reality they don’t do any reporting…they sit in their offices and copy word–for-word the information sent to them. Sabai.

People are reading the ex-pat forums and see that there are farangs who blatantly distort what they see on the streets. In many cases, even worse than the foreign press. I have read comments where an expat shamelessly wrote that he went to see the protests and observed only a few thousand people had gathered. Actually, there were (as satellite photos bear out) 1,000,000 to 3, 000,000! Other comments praise the administrative abilities of Khun Yingluck while criticizing the mental state of Khun Suthep. All this is 100% upside down and deeply offensive. Some forum users criticized the highly respect monks who have softly participated in some of the gatherings. Obviously they don’t have a clue to the grounding they bring to the event. To a growing segment of the anti-government movement, farang ex-pats are becoming the enemies of their quest for freedom. They see that their experiment with democracy gone very wrong and needs to be repaired. They refuse to live under the domination of one utterly and brazenly corrupt family.

The fallout from the many, many comments I just mentioned is that Thai’s are beginning to question why this country needs expats (particularly the variety I mentioned). The days when the money expats brought into the country was important to the economy has long past. The tourist boom, the banking and financial sector, automobile assembly, construction, etc. has become the driving sectors and long term residents are now expendable.

I think people commenting here ought to consider wisely the consequence of their grossly ill-formed comments. Or, someday soon we will all be struggling against the grain to renew our visas no matter what class they fall into.

Thirty years in Thailand

[mrtoad]

There will be an election in the next few months. Elements of PTP will win it, probably in coalition/unity with some of the more rational people from other parties. Then rebuilding will start and growth will return.

Is that before or after political reform?

There won't be an election, PTP will be dissolved for fraud and corruption, and there will be some lengthy bans for some individuals. Yingluck is finished and will probably escape to join The Desert Coward.

The usual odious politicians like Sanoh, Banharn , Chidchob etc will be sniffing around the trough, but still think we might get an appointed interim government.

[billd766]

Yingluck two days ago: "There is absolutely no legal way we can postpone the election. It must go through and there is no way to postpone it".

Yingluck this morning: "We will postpone the election if you stop protesting and revealing how corrupt PTP is. Please please promise to do this and we will postpone the election!"

Gotta love her ability to lie so boldly!

Agree, another example of no hesitation to be un-truthful and just keep saying what she / they would like the situation to be, knowing full well that are untruthful.

All fodder for the reform movement.

'Reform' is obviously an umbrella work with many arms and legs. One 'reform' I / many would to see is that the situation after reform generates a new party / parties, all with highly capable, honest, non-corrupt people who respect the law and who don't 'play with the truth'.

Another reform which I think would be a good ideais to abolish party list MPs completely and then divide the populationof Thailand by 600 MPs (what there are now) say 66,000,000 which is 110,000 and allocate 1 MP per 110,000 head of population. Thatway everybody will have an MP who will have to stand at the constituency elections and be elected by the people and not by the party.

Any MP who becomes a minister including the PM retains his constituency seat and it cannot be handed off to anybody else, family or otherwise.

If the said MP is charged with any criminal offence then he is on standby and can no longer take part in parliament until proved innocent or guilty.

If innocent then the MP goes back, if guilty then he is sacked from parliament and a by election is called and all the expenses therein charged to that MP personal.

NO parliamentary immunity will be allowed from the very top including the PM to the newest MP.

Edited January 25, 2014 by billd766

[soi41]

I doesn't matter in the long run. Whether it's Yingluck or someone else, whenever the next election takes place, they will be voted in. The people want their vote to be respected and not to be bullied.

Correct. However the people also want a govt that rules in a legitimate manner, that does not intimidate opponents and the judiciary, that is not more concerned about their own interests (and that of their DL) than those of the country, that does not use the law as a weapon with the DSI as its attack dog, that is not prepared to bankrupt a bank to maintain a criminally inept rice policy, that is not nepotistic, corrupt and incompetent.

People need to have their vote respected but they also need a govt that respects them. PT fails in all these areas, unless they change their ways they will remain unfit to govern.

Good post!!

But shouldn't we leave it to the Thai people to bring down the government by the ballot-box?

Afterall it is their country and their future.

As for the corruption, I don't think it is the biggest flaw of this government, but their sheer stupidity to go ahead with the rice-scam, when most 10 year olds could see how bad an idea it is.

[blokker]

I doesn't matter in the long run. Whether it's Yingluck or someone else, whenever the next election takes place, they will be voted in. The people want their vote to be respected and not to be bullied.

Agree. But with Thaksin family removed, hopefully less conflict and more stability.

Maybe a more typical Thai politician in charge, like the one who wanted to fight the flood with 100's of boat propellors. No threat for the powers that be, then the folks upcountry are allowed to vote.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Thait Spot]

Assuming Suthep were to get his way, what do you think would happen next?

Do you think the people from the North and Isaan will embrace the changes that will be made in favour of Sutheps buddies.

I very much doubt whether Suthep and his backers have thought about the consequences and how they would deal with them, other than passing the buck to the military.

Regarding the disquiet of the rice farmers, I believe many blame the protestors in Bangkok for the non payment.

Have you met Chalerm and his sons?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Arkady]

Whatever the opinion of this Pimpaka Nichgaroon, head of research in Bangkok for Thanachart Securities is, he obviously has not consulted the electoral majority...or who will emerge as such after this election...But then one must put this political prognosticator in context...The PAD-Dem's are always trying to project their agenda outside themselves...As if coming from sources outside their own has more meaning. This applies to their penchant for using ostensibly public opinion Polls, referencing any groups they organize as pretend extensive 'networks', and applying monikers seemingly unassociated with themselves.....The UDD/RS disparagingly refer to them as "different groups-same faces'.....Giving airtime to this hopeful PAD-Dem sympathizer Pimpaka and his wishful thinking, doesn't fool anyone and has no more meaning than any other PAD-Dem pontificator....Yingluck has such powerful electoral support that any attempt to dislodge her would be treated as a quasi-coup....Especially after a resounding electoral victory, should that occur. If PAD-Dem's think they can fiddle with the majority electorate like that, they don't appreciate the extent to which these people have been politicized.

Actually Pimpaka is a she, not a he. She is under no obligation to consult the red shirts or any other poliltical group. She is not making a moral judgement on what is right or wrong or what is democratic and what is not. Her job is simply to advise stock market investors what she and her team of analysts think is likely to happen and what implications that is likely to have for share prices. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Arkady]

In my work, I have been interacting with the Bangkok middle class for almost thirty years. Of course, I have become fluent in Thai and feel like I thoroughly understand the culture, the attitudes, and the mind-set that it creates in Bangkokians. Perhaps I have something to say here about the events that are unfolding.

More and more I have been listening to friends voicing their resentment at the International news services (CNN, BBC, Reuters, etc.). The majority of the people I know absolutely believe that they are all in the pockets of Thaksin. I think they believe that he has directly paid them through various spin doctoring agencies or that they simply don’t recognize the relentlessness-ruthlessness of the present government in pursuing only one objective. The obvious factor concerning the bias of the international media concerns the idea of dismantling popular elections. This crosses the line which no media service will condone. Personally, I can understand the revulsion and fear that most Western people would experience if a democratic country scrapped elections. However, people in the capital consider any election that has been paid for through corruption, media control, and vote buying is neither free nor fair. Therefore, it is not a “democratic” election. The last Thai national elections and the one scheduled for the February 2^nd agenda, without a doubt, were corrupted and will be corrupted again. They feel that there is no other option but to dismiss any election as so distorted that nothing substantive whatsoever would change. Therefore their voice and their vote would be meaningless. That one greedy, immoral family can control their country affronts their dignity.

From the time the Shinawatra government tried to ram through the amnesty bill at 4:00 a.m. along with the announcement that Thaksin’s nephew (certainly) and son (probably) would be entering into politics, the lid blew off people’s endurance gauge.

The resentment people have for the international press is expanding. They are reading stories which continuously distorts the facts in accordance with information sent to them through P.R. firms contracted to a convicted criminal. So, in reality they don’t do any reporting…they sit in their offices and copy word–for-word the information sent to them. Sabai.

People are reading the ex-pat forums and see that there are farangs who blatantly distort what they see on the streets. In many cases, even worse than the foreign press. I have read comments where an expat shamelessly wrote that he went to see the protests and observed only a few thousand people had gathered. Actually, there were (as satellite photos bear out) 1,000,000 to 3, 000,000! Other comments praise the administrative abilities of Khun Yingluck while criticizing the mental state of Khun Suthep. All this is 100% upside down and deeply offensive. Some forum users criticized the highly respect monks who have softly participated in some of the gatherings. Obviously they don’t have a clue to the grounding they bring to the event. To a growing segment of the anti-government movement, farang ex-pats are becoming the enemies of their quest for freedom. They see that their experiment with democracy gone very wrong and needs to be repaired. They refuse to live under the domination of one utterly and brazenly corrupt family.

The fallout from the many, many comments I just mentioned is that Thai’s are beginning to question why this country needs expats (particularly the variety I mentioned). The days when the money expats brought into the country was important to the economy has long past. The tourist boom, the banking and financial sector, automobile assembly, construction, etc. has become the driving sectors and long term residents are now expendable.

I think people commenting here ought to consider wisely the consequence of their grossly ill-formed comments. Or, someday soon we will all be struggling against the grain to renew our visas no matter what class they fall into.

Thirty years in Thailand

This is going happen inevitably whether or not expats and foreign media support the Shinos or the opposition or remain silent. Compared to more developed countries Thailand's visa policy towards long-term foreign residents, who are retired or just staying without apparently working or being old enough to retire on the basis of having a Thai spouse, is extremely liberal. The work permit policy, despite a huge amount of red tape is also very liberal because, unlike Western countries, there is not yet any real burden on employers to prove that a local cannot be hired to do the job. With well over 20 million tourists Thailand no longer has any need to attract foreign residents who are not contributing to the economy by bringing in special skills and the days of easy retirement and marriage extensions are numbered. You could argue that the flip side is that Thailand is much tougher than Western countries in issuing permanent residence and citizenship. Maybe they will also liberalise that in line with Western countries at the same time, but, there again, maybe pigs will fly.

[Artisi]

There will be an election in the next few months. Elements of PTP will win it, probably in coalition/unity with some of the more rational people from other parties. Then rebuilding will start and growth will return.

Is that before or after political reform?

There won't be an election, PTP will be dissolved for fraud and corruption, and there will be some lengthy bans for some individuals. Yingluck is finished and will probably escape to join The Desert Coward.

The usual odious politicians like Sanoh, Banharn , Chidchob etc will be sniffing around the trough, but still think we might get an appointed interim government.

Sniffing, more like snorting, grunting and salivating at the thought that maybe their day has come.

For sanity to prevail let us hope that a cohesive, well selected and thoughtful interim government can be appointed and given the teeth and the authority to sort out the mess and bring to book those who have screwed this country to a point it is now just about knackered.

[benny1616]

_{yes, of course the time running out for the goverment. for me with a headline like this is it quiete clear, this admin is on the side of the yellows terrorists. even more evidence is, that he is always calling them only protestors. breaking so many laws up to now he should come them what they are.}

[3NUMBAS]

it mustn't run out as the alternatives are too terrible to contemplate for thailand

[MaiChai]

This is a hopeless situation. No matter the abuses and down right corruption of the Taksin government, they are still allowed to govern. Whether your judgement is clouded by all the twists and turns, this government should not be in power. Thailand just keeps raising the bar of acceptable levels of corruption and abuses at the government level. This is not progess for a country. More like spiraling into the abyss.

I believe this time is a pause, its not over yet. Too many people in Bangkok are against this government.

[Piichai]

Another reform which I think would be a good ideais to abolish party list MPs completely and then divide the populationof Thailand by 600 MPs (what there are now) say 66,000,000 which is 110,000 and allocate 1 MP per 110,000 head of population. Thatway everybody will have an MP who will have to stand at the constituency elections and be elected by the people and not by the party.

Any MP who becomes a minister including the PM retains his constituency seat and it cannot be handed off to anybody else, family or otherwise.

If the said MP is charged with any criminal offence then he is on standby and can no longer take part in parliament until proved innocent or guilty.

If innocent then the MP goes back, if guilty then he is sacked from parliament and a by election is called and all the expenses therein charged to that MP personal.

NO parliamentary immunity will be allowed from the very top including the PM to the newest MP.

Some good ideas!

[Piichai]

_{yes, of course the time running out for the goverment. for me with a headline like this is it quiete clear, this admin is on the side of the yellows terrorists. even more evidence is, that he is always calling them only protestors. breaking so many laws up to now he should come them what they are.}

When the anti-government protesters begin shooting M-79s at the Sala Deng station and start burning down down businesses in Bangkok, I will join you in calling them terrorists.

But right now, I don't think so.

[ginjag]

_{yes, of course the time running out for the goverment. for me with a headline like this is it quiete clear, this admin is on the side of the yellows terrorists. even more evidence is, that he is always calling them only protestors. breaking so many laws up to now he should come them what they are.}

Can I borrow your magnifying glass please, has the government broken any laws ??? you will know about that in a month or so.

[khunsiam]

In my work, I have been interacting with the Bangkok middle class for almost thirty years. Of course, I have become fluent in Thai and feel like I thoroughly understand the culture, the attitudes, and the mind-set that it creates in Bangkokians. Perhaps I have something to say here about the events that are unfolding.

More and more I have been listening to friends voicing their resentment at the International news services (CNN, BBC, Reuters, etc.). The majority of the people I know absolutely believe that they are all in the pockets of Thaksin. I think they believe that he has directly paid them through various spin doctoring agencies or that they simply don’t recognize the relentlessness-ruthlessness of the present government in pursuing only one objective. The obvious factor concerning the bias of the international media concerns the idea of dismantling popular elections. This crosses the line which no media service will condone. Personally, I can understand the revulsion and fear that most Western people would experience if a democratic country scrapped elections. However, people in the capital consider any election that has been paid for through corruption, media control, and vote buying is neither free nor fair. Therefore, it is not a “democratic” election. The last Thai national elections and the one scheduled for the February 2^nd agenda, without a doubt, were corrupted and will be corrupted again. They feel that there is no other option but to dismiss any election as so distorted that nothing substantive whatsoever would change. Therefore their voice and their vote would be meaningless. That one greedy, immoral family can control their country affronts their dignity.

From the time the Shinawatra government tried to ram through the amnesty bill at 4:00 a.m. along with the announcement that Thaksin’s nephew (certainly) and son (probably) would be entering into politics, the lid blew off people’s endurance gauge.

The resentment people have for the international press is expanding. They are reading stories which continuously distorts the facts in accordance with information sent to them through P.R. firms contracted to a convicted criminal. So, in reality they don’t do any reporting…they sit in their offices and copy word–for-word the information sent to them. Sabai.

People are reading the ex-pat forums and see that there are farangs who blatantly distort what they see on the streets. In many cases, even worse than the foreign press. I have read comments where an expat shamelessly wrote that he went to see the protests and observed only a few thousand people had gathered. Actually, there were (as satellite photos bear out) 1,000,000 to 3, 000,000! Other comments praise the administrative abilities of Khun Yingluck while criticizing the mental state of Khun Suthep. All this is 100% upside down and deeply offensive. Some forum users criticized the highly respect monks who have softly participated in some of the gatherings. Obviously they don’t have a clue to the grounding they bring to the event. To a growing segment of the anti-government movement, farang ex-pats are becoming the enemies of their quest for freedom. They see that their experiment with democracy gone very wrong and needs to be repaired. They refuse to live under the domination of one utterly and brazenly corrupt family.

The fallout from the many, many comments I just mentioned is that Thai’s are beginning to question why this country needs expats (particularly the variety I mentioned). The days when the money expats brought into the country was important to the economy has long past. The tourist boom, the banking and financial sector, automobile assembly, construction, etc. has become the driving sectors and long term residents are now expendable.

I think people commenting here ought to consider wisely the consequence of their grossly ill-formed comments. Or, someday soon we will all be struggling against the grain to renew our visas no matter what class they fall into.

Thirty years in Thailand

"From the time the Shinawatra government tried to ram through the amnesty bill at 4:00 a.m. along with the announcement that Thaksin’s nephew (certainly) and son (probably) would be entering into politics, the lid blew off people’s endurance gauge"

The uprising was planned by former PAD'ers long before this event.

[Prbkk]

In my work, I have been interacting with the Bangkok middle class for almost thirty years. Of course, I have become fluent in Thai and feel like I thoroughly understand the culture, the attitudes, and the mind-set that it creates in Bangkokians. Perhaps I have something to say here about the events that are unfolding.

More and more I have been listening to friends voicing their resentment at the International news services (CNN, BBC, Reuters, etc.). The majority of the people I know absolutely believe that they are all in the pockets of Thaksin. I think they believe that he has directly paid them through various spin doctoring agencies or that they simply dont recognize the relentlessness-ruthlessness of the present government in pursuing only one objective. The obvious factor concerning the bias of the international media concerns the idea of dismantling popular elections. This crosses the line which no media service will condone. Personally, I can understand the revulsion and fear that most Western people would experience if a democratic country scrapped elections. However, people in the capital consider any election that has been paid for through corruption, media control, and vote buying is neither free nor fair. Therefore, it is not a democratic election. The last Thai national elections and the one scheduled for the February 2^nd agenda, without a doubt, were corrupted and will be corrupted again. They feel that there is no other option but to dismiss any election as so distorted that nothing substantive whatsoever would change. Therefore their voice and their vote would be meaningless. That one greedy, immoral family can control their country affronts their dignity.

From the time the Shinawatra government tried to ram through the amnesty bill at 4:00 a.m. along with the announcement that Thaksins nephew (certainly) and son (probably) would be entering into politics, the lid blew off peoples endurance gauge.

The resentment people have for the international press is expanding. They are reading stories which continuously distorts the facts in accordance with information sent to them through P.R. firms contracted to a convicted criminal. So, in reality they dont do any reportingthey sit in their offices and copy wordfor-word the information sent to them. Sabai.

People are reading the ex-pat forums and see that there are farangs who blatantly distort what they see on the streets. In many cases, even worse than the foreign press. I have read comments where an expat shamelessly wrote that he went to see the protests and observed only a few thousand people had gathered. Actually, there were (as satellite photos bear out) 1,000,000 to 3, 000,000! Other comments praise the administrative abilities of Khun Yingluck while criticizing the mental state of Khun Suthep. All this is 100% upside down and deeply offensive. Some forum users criticized the highly respect monks who have softly participated in some of the gatherings. Obviously they dont have a clue to the grounding they bring to the event. To a growing segment of the anti-government movement, farang ex-pats are becoming the enemies of their quest for freedom. They see that their experiment with democracy gone very wrong and needs to be repaired. They refuse to live under the domination of one utterly and brazenly corrupt family.

The fallout from the many, many comments I just mentioned is that Thais are beginning to question why this country needs expats (particularly the variety I mentioned). The days when the money expats brought into the country was important to the economy has long past. The tourist boom, the banking and financial sector, automobile assembly, construction, etc. has become the driving sectors and long term residents are now expendable.

I think people commenting here ought to consider wisely the consequence of their grossly ill-formed comments. Or, someday soon we will all be struggling against the grain to renew our visas no matter what class they fall into.

Thirty years in Thailand

"From the time the Shinawatra government tried to ram through the amnesty bill at 4:00 a.m. along with the announcement that Thaksins nephew (certainly) and son (probably) would be entering into politics, the lid blew off peoples endurance gauge"

The uprising was planned by former PAD'ers long before this event.

And more implied threats and attempts at intimidation by the OP...been here 30 years? Hasn't seen much from the very blinkered perspective presented here

[mrtoad]

Usual responses from the red shirt sympathisers. Its all over lads, The DL and his Shinafia are finished. The game was up a long time ago, now just time to save a bit of face.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[tingtongteesood]

When the music sops the person holding the parcel will have to do a very un-Thai thing, make a decision. In this case there are two holding the parcel, YL and the EC.

The Constitutional Court tossed this hot issue back by saying the election could be postponed it did not say it has to be / must be / even should be.

YL will want it to go ahead and the EC does not so what next and who will prevail ? I honestly can't see the two sides reaching a reasonable accommodation, I'm sure the election will go ahead and prove nothing.

It just doesn't look good.

If anything the dems might get accused of sabotaging democracy.

What's in a name huh. The democrats who don't play democracy.

But Thailand doesn't have democracy anyway and PT have moved further away from it in efforts to make the dictatorship the Dubai fugitive craves for. PT's actions have been anything but democratic. This is why the Dems have boycotted the election, that is the point that you and many others seem to be missing...

[englishoak]

When the music sops the person holding the parcel will have to do a very un-Thai thing, make a decision. In this case there are two holding the parcel, YL and the EC.

The Constitutional Court tossed this hot issue back by saying the election could be postponed it did not say it has to be / must be / even should be.

YL will want it to go ahead and the EC does not so what next and who will prevail ? I honestly can't see the two sides reaching a reasonable accommodation, I'm sure the election will go ahead and prove nothing.

It just doesn't look good.

If anything the dems might get accused of sabotaging democracy.

What's in a name huh. The democrats who don't play democracy.

But Thailand doesn't have democracy anyway and PT have moved further away from it in efforts to make the dictatorship the Dubai fugitive craves for. PT's actions have been anything but democratic. This is why the Dems have boycotted the election, that is the point that you and many others seem to be missing...

The Dems have boycotted because that was the plan all along, to facilitate another attempted unelected return to power, not hard to see and we have past experience of the Dems way to gaining power.

Really would make a change to see them do it in elections properly, alas they chose sit ins and demands again. I feel sorry for them, all that money and all that "education" and cant even get simple farmers to vote for them, poor things.

Edited January 25, 2014 by englishoak

[tingtongteesood]

When the music sops the person holding the parcel will have to do a very un-Thai thing, make a decision. In this case there are two holding the parcel, YL and the EC.

The Constitutional Court tossed this hot issue back by saying the election could be postponed it did not say it has to be / must be / even should be.

YL will want it to go ahead and the EC does not so what next and who will prevail ? I honestly can't see the two sides reaching a reasonable accommodation, I'm sure the election will go ahead and prove nothing.

It just doesn't look good.

If anything the dems might get accused of sabotaging democracy.

What's in a name huh. The democrats who don't play democracy.

But Thailand doesn't have democracy anyway and PT have moved further away from it in efforts to make the dictatorship the Dubai fugitive craves for. PT's actions have been anything but democratic. This is why the Dems have boycotted the election, that is the point that you and many others seem to be missing...

The Dems have boycotted because that was the plan all along, to facilitate another attempted unelected return to power, not hard to see and we have past experience of the Dems way to gaining power.

Really would make a change to see them do it in elections properly, alas they chose sit ins and demands again. I feel sorry for them, all that money and all that "education" and cant even get simple farmers to vote for them, poor things.

But true democracy would call for free and fair elections. While the Please Taksin party has over 200 people who were banned from politics for electoral fraud. Read between the lines....