Are the Generals concerned their soldier grunts may turn on them?

Interesting question. Hypothetically speaking, that is.

In the mean time we continue with the Thai army chief cautions the Nation may collapse as violence escalates.

If it fractures, which person will you be following as leader? I'm sort of curious who you imagine your leader will be. Maybe not a name, but military or non-military, a PhD or something, or do you guys have a specific person in mind link Anand or Prayuth?

I'll be backing Yingluk as PM regardless of whatever unelected trained monkey they put in the PM seat.

My leader? My dear colourful nose, I've been told countless times that as a guest in Thailand I shouldn't have the wrong attitude, shouldn't complain, should go back my home and so on. So who am I to even follow someone?

BTW I am one guy, not 'you guys"

PS I like your last sentence, I really do. It's as if backing Ms. Yingluck as PM is not different from having her brother selecting another trained clone.

So no name? Only a negative "not them".

I'm thai/farang, so I got to vote, and I get to decide who to follow. I'm going with the democratically elected one, even if you think she's a clone of Thaksin.

Collapse! Not likely. The institutions that are the permanent rulers of this land remain firmly in control. The oligarchs, plutocrats and their servant military have it all in control. The treasury is amply fortified with foreign currency reserves and therefore Thailand cannot be a target for western neo-liberal intervention ala The Ukraine. Nor is there any imminent danger of an actual democracy emerging that would require covert destabilization by the West ala Egypt. Furthermore, as Thailand has been and remains a favored participant in the prevailing western consensus the system as it exists wil continue whatever regime change comes to pass.

If it fractures, which person will you be following as leader? I'm sort of curious who you imagine your leader will be. Maybe not a name, but military or non-military, a PhD or something, or do you guys have a specific person in mind link Anand or Prayuth?

I'll be backing Yingluk as PM regardless of whatever unelected trained monkey they put in the PM seat.

My leader? My dear colourful nose, I've been told countless times that as a guest in Thailand I shouldn't have the wrong attitude, shouldn't complain, should go back my home and so on. So who am I to even follow someone?

BTW I am one guy, not 'you guys"

PS I like your last sentence, I really do. It's as if backing Ms. Yingluck as PM is not different from having her brother selecting another trained clone.

So no name? Only a negative "not them".

I'm thai/farang, so I got to vote, and I get to decide who to follow. I'm going with the democratically elected one, even if you think she's a clone of Thaksin.

My dear blue nose, you let us drift further and further away from the topic.

BTW "So who am I to even follow someone?" is not the same a "Only a negative "not them"". Ask Thaksin, he knows the difference

A coup seems to be the only way forward! The two squabbling kids need a good hard slap!

A coup is definitely not the way forward.

The army are completely hamstrung by the present situation.

They fear that if they leave the barracks that they may face a very real insurgency that they may not be able to control.

The reference to to not wanting to "have to fight Thai people" pretty much confirms this.

This latest statement is possibly directed more at PDRC rather than RS/UDD.

I wouldn't be totally surprised (after much deal making and hand-ringing) to see the Army coming out in support of the Government.

"Army supporting the government"

.....at the same time that Chalerm moves over to join the PDRC and fights to ouster Yingluck!!!!

Heading into Thong Lor today from Pakkret on the expressway I saw a train in a depot being loaded with well over 20 tanks and APCs close to Ratchada.

What can it mean?

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Military exercises in the soapies?

But then again in other countries that leader became really powerful with the help of the army, and turned those countries into dictatorships, and once that happens, civil war is almost the only way out.

I don't know about you, but I prefer a coup to civil war anytime, and I think so does almost anyone who has experienced civil war first hand.

So you want 65 million Thais to be slaves for the eternity, ?

Every society pass through processes, France did it centuries ago. If we always stick to the same for the fear of the immediate consecuences in the short term, Thailand will always be a miserable feudal middle age country.

It's time to move on. Democracy is not cheap, that doesn t mean we shouldn't take it.

The army has divided Thailand creating divisions and conflicts to run it. "Divide and conquer". It will only be its fault if Thailand falls into a conflict

And please stop with the excuse of Thaksin. This comes from the 1932 revolution and 80 years of brutal dictatorships, Thaksin just came to exploit an extremely unfair system, for his own sake too, yes, sure, but the problems in Thai society comes since before he was born. He was just the detonator. If it wasn't him, it would be another one in few years, but the situation was getting ripe for this.

Thailand should look at Costa Rica: no army, no weapons, teachers and books instead. That happened in 1948.

Today Costa Rica is not a rich country, but a very peaceful and free country to live in, ranked the happiest in the world, and since i have spent years of my life there I can confirm it. Look at Thais today: where are their smiles ? Lost. Just hopeless.

Thais have the right to live in a free and peaceful country just any other country.

It's not true Asian countries are not compatible with democracy: look at Japan, South Corea, Taiwan and even in Africa Ghana, Senegal, Mauritius, Botswana. Iron fist leads nowhere. All military dictatorship in the world history have been plagued with human rights abuses , wars, besides widespread (and unaccounted ) corruption and plundering.

Of course things should change over time, and it will eventually as Thais slowly get more educated, and therefore eventually will start electing better leaders. But for the time being I prefer that there is someone such as HM the King and/or the army who can keep the politicians from doing too much damage, and damage is pretty much all they do imo. I was actually serious when I mentioned in another thread that with the current level of politicians, Thailand would be better off with a monkey as PM. Granted it would not do any good, but it would not do any damage either, and if you give the monkey a few bananas it won't steal either!

Come on folks.

Coup vs. civil war.

Is that really a hard choice?

IF there is any hope at all of a peaceful compromise, PERHAPS stronger threats of a coup might scare both sides into action. Personally I wouldn't bet on that but the army chief is right, Thailand is heading down a black hole.

The red shirts have already vowed civil war if there is a coup.

Amazing how many of you dont get it.

18 successful or attempted coups since 1932.

They just haven't been taught HOW to run a country. If I was Thai ... I wouldn't be so cocky about "Never having been colonised" right now.

18!

That number alone, should tell everybody, "everything" about this "Modern" country, its leadership and everything that comes with it, including a "slipping off the scale" education system. To rule a country, it is utmost essential, to keep your folk dumb, yet - indoctrinated!

Yes, you and I wouldn't be that cocky. Easy said, because we know different. They, however, are so much muted, deafened and made retarded in specific areas, for them, they "Need" to be that cocky, otherwise the suicidal rate in this country would be just as alarming, as the number 18 (all in relevance, though)!

First the army causes the havoc and chaos through its proxy Suthep, than they come out as the "salvation army" and stage the damned coup.

That's what they wanted since the beginning.

To go on forever with military dictatorship for their interests and the interests of 20 billionaire families in a pseudo-feudal country.

Nothing new on the horizon.

They prefer a destroyed, divided and miserable country under their control, than a prosper fair country as Thailand could easily become without an army. Like Costa Rica did in 1948 abolishing the army, investing in education and having one of the freest and most democratic countries in the world. Thailand is just the opposite.

This poster apparently did his home work.

The Professor will grant this post "A" for comprehension of the issues.

The havoc kicked off with the amnesty bill for wanted criminal Thaksin. So then, you get fired for awarding bogus marks and he has to go back to school.

Meanwhile the PM is inspecting vegetables. Unbelievable.

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Is there a cabinet meeting?

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Much needed humour!......nice one.

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There will be a coup and in 2-years the other side will be on the street and the powers that be will cave to their wishes and so on and so on ... nothing will change until people accept election results and let their terms play out or use the courts and political process and not holding areas of a city hostage. I say this as somebody who firmly believes no leader should be able to hold their post if they are in ongoing communications with a wanted criminal ... especially one who is trying to influence Thai policy while in exile.

Forget all the BS about vote buying in the north, all sides can and do give bribes. I think very highly of Abhisit but he blew it by not doing more for the people in the north to show them his party is truly the one who is going to make their lives better in the long run.

No matter what people think about Thaksin, the coup of 2006 has turned out to be the worst decision in modern Thai history.

But hindsight is 20/20 unfortunately.

I don't think it was.

If they hadn't gotten rid of him, he would consolidated his power and right now, he probably would control the judiciary and the military also. That's everyone. And then Thailand would have joined the ranks of the Phillipines, Zimbabwe, Russia, South Sudan, among others. Countries who voted a dictator into power. This country would have been so screwed up. Scary thing is, there's still a chance of that happening if the Shinawatras get their way.

Yawn. Bullshit. Yawn.

Come on folks.

Coup vs. civil war.

Is that really a hard choice?

IF there is any hope at all of a peaceful compromise, PERHAPS stronger threats of a coup might scare both sides into action. Personally I wouldn't bet on that but the army chief is right, Thailand is heading down a black hole.

The red shirts have already vowed civil war if there is a coup.

Amazing how many of you dont get it.

Really? Being a 'red shirt' does not make someone an extremist gun toting nut case. The leadership can vow all they like, the vast majority of their supporters are ordinary people that don't want to get involved in a civil war or break up the country.

If the violence gets out of hand the army will stomp on it, they've already said as much. But I don't think they will be entertaining this people's council crap either.

 

noitom, on 24 Feb 2014 - 11:53, said:

The Thai army chief is public stating that the nation will collapse if violence continues. So his statements imply that he and the army are powerless to control the violence. The Thai army is stating that they are powerless. The Thai army pulled the plug on a mandated elected government in an overnight coup while the Pm was out of Thailand. Now they are claiming over seven years later that they are powerless and that if violence continues, the nation will collapse. This is shameful.

 

I'm not sure that he is saying the army is powerless, he's warning of the outcome of continued polarization. 

 

You might also look at the facts related to your statement "..a mandated elected government in an overnight coup while the Pm was out of Thailand" The self proclaimed 'caretaker' PM was no longer leading a legitimate government by the time of the coup as I understand it. Regardless of who 'wins' a politician will get in and that bodes poorly for the anti-corruption movement.

Thaksin's money flow to his supporters in LOS needs to be cut off for starters. And blocking all of his lines of communication to his supporters would be a good idea too. The man is a large-type MENACE. This is not to say I am fond of the way Suthep has been conducting himself either. But Thaksin by far shoulders most of the blame for this mess. And his kid sister acting like a feckless cry-baby doesn't help either. If the Army needs to step in so be it, but there are ways to handle this without that having to happen.

Thaksin's money flow to his supporters in LOS needs to be cut off for starters. And blocking all of his lines of communication to his supporters would be a good idea too. The man is a large-type MENACE. This is not to say I am fond of the way Suthep has been conducting himself either. But Thaksin by far shoulders most of the blame for this mess. And his kid sister acting like a feckless cry-baby doesn't help either. If the Army needs to step in so be it, but there are ways to handle this without that having to happen.

First thing they need to do is to make it an offence to aid, abet and consort with a convicted criminal on the run. Of course that would assume thailand had a functioning legal justice system.

aha... the country collapse. i think the country didnt collapse when they killed 89 redshirt protesters 2010 or when they killed thousands of muslims in the south 2003.

dont be afraid: when you have nothing - you have nothing to loose

There will be a coup and in 2-years the other side will be on the street and the powers that be will cave to their wishes and so on and so on ... nothing will change until people accept election results and let their terms play out or use the courts and political process and not holding areas of a city hostage. I say this as somebody who firmly believes no leader should be able to hold their post if they are in ongoing communications with a wanted criminal ... especially one who is trying to influence Thai policy while in exile.

Forget all the BS about vote buying in the north, all sides can and do give bribes. I think very highly of Abhisit but he blew it by not doing more for the people in the north to show them his party is truly the one who is going to make their lives better in the long run.

No matter what people think about Thaksin, the coup of 2006 has turned out to be the worst decision in modern Thai history.

But hindsight is 20/20 unfortunately.

I don't think it was.

If they hadn't gotten rid of him, he would consolidated his power and right now, he probably would control the judiciary and the military also. That's everyone. And then Thailand would have joined the ranks of the Phillipines, Zimbabwe, Russia, South Sudan, among others. Countries who voted a dictator into power. This country would have been so screwed up. Scary thing is, there's still a chance of that happening if the Shinawatras get their way.

Yawn. Bullshit. Yawn.

Hope you didn't strain yourself coming up with that witty answer!

Thaksin's money flow to his supporters in LOS needs to be cut off for starters. And blocking all of his lines of communication to his supporters would be a good idea too. The man is a large-type MENACE. This is not to say I am fond of the way Suthep has been conducting himself either. But Thaksin by far shoulders most of the blame for this mess. And his kid sister acting like a feckless cry-baby doesn't help either. If the Army needs to step in so be it, but there are ways to handle this without that having to happen.

First thing they need to do is to make it an offence to aid, abet and consort with a convicted criminal on the run. Of course that would assume thailand had a functioning legal justice system.

The entire country is nothing but an "assumption", a farce, a "lemme be, too", in short - a joke!

Oh, wait, I was wrong. It's still the No.1 sex-heaven and "get screwed, chewed up and beaten out, place to be!

Hallelujah - Amazing Thailand - Amen

The USA didn't cut the money to Egypt when that elected gov't was overthrown by people fed up with corruption.

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Thaksin's money flow to his supporters in LOS needs to be cut off for starters. And blocking all of his lines of communication to his supporters would be a good idea too. The man is a large-type MENACE. This is not to say I am fond of the way Suthep has been conducting himself either. But Thaksin by far shoulders most of the blame for this mess. And his kid sister acting like a feckless cry-baby doesn't help either. If the Army needs to step in so be it, but there are ways to handle this without that having to happen.

First thing they need to do is to make it an offence to aid, abet and consort with a convicted criminal on the run. Of course that would assume thailand had a functioning legal justice system.

The entire country is nothing but an "assumption", a farce, a "lemme be, too", in short - a joke!

Oh, wait, I was wrong. It's still the No.1 sex-heaven and "get screwed, chewed up and beaten out, place to be!

Hallelujah - Amazing Thailand - Amen

Agreed, but i am sure most politicians,judges, police, senior civil servants etc of any political allegiance would be weary about having a functioning and effective legal justice system!

Thaksin's money flow to his supporters in LOS needs to be cut off for starters. And blocking all of his lines of communication to his supporters would be a good idea too. The man is a large-type MENACE. This is not to say I am fond of the way Suthep has been conducting himself either. But Thaksin by far shoulders most of the blame for this mess. And his kid sister acting like a feckless cry-baby doesn't help either. If the Army needs to step in so be it, but there are ways to handle this without that having to happen.

First thing they need to do is to make it an offence to aid, abet and consort with a convicted criminal on the run. Of course that would assume thailand had a functioning legal justice system.

The entire country is nothing but an "assumption", a farce, a "lemme be, too", in short - a joke!

Oh, wait, I was wrong. It's still the No.1 sex-heaven and "get screwed, chewed up and beaten out, place to be!

Hallelujah - Amazing Thailand - Amen

Agreed, but i am sure most politicians,judges, police, senior civil servants etc of any political allegiance would be weary about having a functioning and effective legal justice system!

You hit the nail. That's why Thailand doesn't have any! (oh, they carry the name and titles, that's for sure, and with what pride!)

Their system was proven many times, but not always so straight forward, than in this post. Simple rule:

The winner is who strikes faster, bloodier, more lethal, and who can intimidate the rest enough, to shut up, or else! (best, with a smile, still) See, no problem, best country in the world, all problems solved.

rotten to the core and how can you correct it now ? it starts from an early age cheating at school ,and this impacts thru society till old age .

cheat and lie to get your way and' the devil takes the hindmost'

buy your way into a job then fill your boots with tea money to the detriment of society in general .

time for the army to step in and get the Thaksin family baned from thai politics

time for the army to step in and get the Thaksin family baned from thai politics

Not sure that this is the ideal way to do it - but it must be done!!!

time for the army to step in and get the Thaksin family baned from thai politics

Not sure that this is the ideal way to do it - but it must be done!!!