Suggestions for reform from Thais living overseas

[Emptyset]

1,2,3. All nonsensical

4,5 ok

Agree on 1, 2, 3. Those points should be enacted if people want to see Thailand fall further behind competition. Even on 4 or 5 I'm dubious. I mean it seems like a good idea to punish people as harshly as possible for lying to the public or corrupt, yet it's obviously not the laws that are the problem here, more the enforcement of those laws and public attitudes. You'd end up with more useless laws which can be used to punish your political opponents more harshly than ever before. I'm not sure these people - whoever they are - have really thought this through. As other posters have said, better work on education, changing public attitudes rather than enacting laws than can be politicized or not enforced (harsher laws are less likely to be enforcable, obviously).

Reform is possible, but it'll take time. There's no panacea, no magic laws that can be enacted. The key issues that I see are inequality, low incomes and education. I also think libel laws (including LM) should be the laws to look at first if you're going to change any laws. It's important that people are able to speak freely and criticize those who have power without undue fear of legal action. Work on those in parallel with an effort to enforce the current corruption laws, and society/politics will become cleaner. As it has, in fact, over the past 20 years, but people refuse to recognize things are getting incrementally better. Of course, it won't continue that way if people don't remain committed to the fight, yet 'burning the village to save the village' is obviously not the solution.

[ddavidovsky]

As usual, well-meaning but blinkered. There's only one reform necessary: get rid of the 'powers that be' - that is, cut the ties between private individuals/institutions (ahem) and politics. Keep politics entirely in the public domain where it is properly accountable. Also known as democracy. Most else will follow from that.

[Artisi]

It is necessary to have Thaksin involved, lets face it, he's the new messiah and the only true leader of Thailand

Edited February 10, 2014 by Artisi

[thaiguzzi]

All this corruption talk from all the do-gooders and posh BKK people. It's not just about the politicians, it's everywhere. Point; why do none of them talk about the Red Bull grandson? Now that's corruption. Normal working class cop killed. Super rich kid not even been to court yet. Countless others. One law for us and another for them.

[LuckyLew]

Great ideas and good to see Thais abroad not forgetting where they came from

I am sure with these great suggestions Yingluck will call a forum to discuss these suggestions

She will listen to all parties ideas and suggestions ... then immediately ignore them

The only Thai abroad that she listens to is the desert coward living in Dubai

[rametindallas]

If these expat Thais love Thailand so much, why don't they come back and try to improve it?

Do you think Isaan people who work in Bangkok really enjoy living in Bangkok. It's where the money is. They love Isaan and would live in Isaan if there were any decent job opportunities. I, myself left a poor state and moved to Dallas where I earn 15 times as much as in the countryside where I am from. Thais living in foreign countries should not be discounted. Most are educated and have a perspective shaped by their host country which, almost by default, is less corrupt than Thailand.

[rametindallas]

No explanation as to how ALL THE OVERSEAS THAIS were able to get together and agree upon these suggestions and then, miracle of miracles, write this outline that actually makes grammatical if not political sense. Could this be proof that most literate Thais are living overseas? Compared to the quality of news coverage concerning the ongoing protests this is actually readable.

But the skeptic (me) suspects it was not composed by ALL THE OVERSEAS THAIS... hence, just another opinion... seems like all the voices, influential or otherwise, are singing different songs to different lyrics and it's impossible to guess the tune because it keeps changing... sort of like listening to the chorus at a lunatic asylum and expecting it to make sense. Need more...

You did an excellent job of creating a 'straw man' (ALL THE OVERSEAS THAIS) and then you expertly knocked it down. The OP is clearly an opinion piece and no one but you claimed it represented 'ALL THE OVERSEAS THAIS'. I am convinced by your argument that it is an opinion piece and that you have used the 'straw man argument' to discount the whole article and the suggestions therein. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man_argument It's really a cheap trick, but I see BlueNoseCodger fell for it so keep it up.

[rametindallas]

Lots of my friends live abroad, nobody consulted them for this article. Let alone held a vote on what should and shouldn't be in the reform proposals.

So this isn't Thai's living abroad, this is written by someone, presumably Suthep PR men, then stamped as the "voice of Thai people abroad".

The budget cap/debt ceiling in particular would hand power to the unelected Senate from the elected house.

Step 3, Why elect a government to run the country if every infrastructure project requires a vote?! Suddenly anti-democracy protestors want votes on minor details, but no vote on who runs the country?!!

you didn't consult me on the content of your post, so it is invalid. By your own argument.

[IBoldnewguy]

No explanation as to how ALL THE OVERSEAS THAIS were able to get together and agree upon these suggestions and then, miracle of miracles, write this outline that actually makes grammatical if not political sense. Could this be proof that most literate Thais are living overseas? Compared to the quality of news coverage concerning the ongoing protests this is actually readable.

But the skeptic (me) suspects it was not composed by ALL THE OVERSEAS THAIS... hence, just another opinion... seems like all the voices, influential or otherwise, are singing different songs to different lyrics and it's impossible to guess the tune because it keeps changing... sort of like listening to the chorus at a lunatic asylum and expecting it to make sense. Need more...

You did an excellent job of creating a 'straw man' (ALL THE OVERSEAS THAIS) and then you expertly knocked it down. The OP is clearly an opinion piece and no one but you claimed it represented 'ALL THE OVERSEAS THAIS'. I am convinced by your argument that it is an opinion piece and that you have used the 'straw man argument' to discount the whole article and the suggestions therein. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man_argument It's really a cheap trick, but I see BlueNoseCodger fell for it so keep it up.

Evidently you did not bother to read (and if you did then you did not fully understand) the title of the original article (nor my comment) before deciding to critique.

The title of the article was "Suggestions for reform from Thais living overseas." The article claims to have been inspired by "Thais living overseas" hence my questioning of the article's credibility of being able to speak for ALL THE OVERSEAS THAIS. The anonymous author does not refer to one Thai or a group of US Thais but clearly "Thais living overseas" which covers a lot of Thais who may or may not agree with the reforms mentioned.

You attack me (rather than present a rational argument) when I question the credibility (not the quality) of an anonymously written article. You Sir, are guilty of that which you criticize.

Edited February 11, 2014 by IBoldnewguy

[smutcakes]

Yawn, nothing new here, many people would agree and go further perhaps on some. The still overriding question which has never been answered by anyone of any party/academic/enlightened Buddha etc remains who and how can the reforms be carried out? The people who have the authority to make/carry out and enforce laws are the very people who break them with impunity for their own benefit.

I expect when this current political crisis is buried temporarily, the military will do an Egypt and take their budget 'off plan' and make it not available for public scrutiny, i bet there have been some envious glances from the military arms at that new law in Egypt!