Village headmen from Chiang Mai to challenge anti government protesters at Interior Ministry

[Robby nz]

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All arranged by the caretaker interior minister who wants his office back and more than likely paid for out of the interior ministry budget

And all these elite big fish from the small puddles get uniforms it would seem.

Probably get new medal ribbons for this.

Bravery in the face of BKK traffic.

Where your proof or is this just more BS from you.

If you kept up with the news from other sources you would know these things and that may help to minimize the crap you write.

Unfortunately I am not allowed to quote directly but if you go to the BP and look for a news report titled 'protesters abandon interior ministry'

Then read that report you will see that the Caretaker Interior Minister and 2 of his deputies "participated" in the meeting that arranged this trip of the village elite to the big city.

If you were to look at the photos that are around of the few who have arrived you will see they are all wearing uniforms, on some the medal ribbons can be seen.

Another bit of news that may interest you is the fact, reported in another news item titled 'village heads unite to put a stop to rallies' is that some village heads have been dismissed by provincial governors for showing open support for the anti Govt protesters.

Red democracy at its finest

[wandasloan]

Given the VERY strong relationship that exists between the Interior ministry and the "village headmen" I would not be surprised to see a good turnout.

There won't be any confrontation. The Suthepians, seeing they were outnumbered, and seriously, handed the ministry over to the police and crept away in two and threes.

.

[issanaus]

Given the VERY strong relationship that exists between the Interior ministry and the "village headmen" I would not be surprised to see a good turnout.

There won't be any confrontation. The Suthepians, seeing they were outnumbered, and seriously, handed the ministry over to the police and crept away in two and threes.

.

They left before there were any "numbers"

Personally I have respect for those who avoid unless confrontation which could only inflame a dangerous situation for the Thai people and no respect for those on both sides who gamble with the lives of other people.

[Basil B]

Sub-district chiefs and village headmen gather in front of Interior Ministry

]

Looks a few shy of 80,000.

Easy way to calculate a PTP mob is count the bin bags full of rubbish that the municipal workers pick up after the event, one bin bag for ever 50 persons per hour.

[Robby nz]

Sub-district chiefs and village headmen gather in front of Interior Ministry

]

Looks a few shy of 80,000.

Easy way to calculate a PTP mob is count the bin bags full of rubbish that the municipal workers pick up after the event, one bin bag for ever 50 persons per hour.

That's of course unless they clean up after themselves, which has been a feature of the PDRC rallies.

[taff33]

Haven't read the article, but cannot think of a single civilised country that has "village headmen". I can think of quite a few sub-saharan countries that do though. Thailand also compares better with those countries on an evolutionary scale.

If you lived here and showed even the slightest interest in the culture you would realise just how ignorant you come across as.

I don't know where you live, so can't say if I live "here", but the part of Thailand I live in does not seem to use village headmen much if at all. Instead it has governors and mayors, and uses a variety of government offices to take care of various matters between the public and the government.

Do you have shamans, medicine men and fortune tellers where you live too?

Anyway, it may be "culture" when a guy in a village realise he is slightly smarter than the average village idiot, and thereby manage to convince everyone that not only should they give him x percent of all the action, but they should also wai him when doing so, but it is not a good thing, hence I oppose and ridicule it.

Not to mention that he gets paid to "convince" the village idiots who to vote for, but that is a separate matter already discussed elsewhere.

If village headmen were such a good thing, then how come every single culture and society in the world that has them is a century or two behind everyone else?

Honour killings and forced marriage is also a big part of certain cultures, yet I neither accept nor respect such practises, and reserve the right to oppose and ridicule such "culture" at all times.

Do you fill in the balloons for the comic books,if not you should take up the occupation your missing out on a nice little earner.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Ricardo]

2 weeks ago, I was at the Chiangmai immigration to get thai passports for my family and this is the 3rd time that we went there. There were about 300+ people in the queue since 4am and we had no chance of getting it done. The inconvenience of the people who drove all the way from Lampang & Lampun is understandable, so those who are still blocking government offices in BKK should allow the civil service administration to work.

Are in Chiang Mai passports issued at the immigration ?

My own family always get their Thai-passports issued at the government-office centre, near the prison on the main ChiangMai-MaeRim road, about 3 km north of the Superhighway.

Why anyone might go to Immigration, South of town near the airport, who deal with non-Thai passports, "to get thai passports" beats me !

Queues at Immigration can indeed be bad, the number of foreigners in the Chiang Mai area has risen greatly over the past decade, and we're told that recent requests to Bangkok for a bigger office have been turned-down, nothing to do with any short-term protests !

While I agree with your post in general, you are incorrect about one thing. They HAVE been approved for a new, bigger office near the main Government Office in Mae Rim, and have hired at least 13 new employees, and will be moving to the new office before the end of the year.

I find that most of the people complaining about CNX Immigration are "newbies" who have moved here within the past year, and have zero idea of what it was like 5 years ago, and don't realize that CMN Immigration officials are some of the friendliest, and most helpful people you will find in ANY immigration office in Thailand. While they have been stuck in the same small office, with the same number of employees, their work load has tripled, if not more, over the past five years, and they sill treat people with smiles and friendly attitudes. My suggestion to those who complain about the Immigration office here is .... MOVE, cause you're a perpetual cry baby to start with.

Excellent news, that's a long-overdue improvement, it must have been announced when I was travelling.

I, and I'm sure many other Chiang Mai farangs, will be very pleased to see our excellent over-worked local Immigration-staff given the numbers & facilities they now need.

[ggt]

He said about 80,000 "head-men" would travel to Bangkok...

I'm a leg and butt-man myself...

[Now or Never]

the equally corrupt headmen is there sauce of income drying up...does as i say not what i do...leeches the lot..

Yes... Kamnan Daeng... I almost feel out my seat laughing.

Kamnan is about the lowest level on the official corruption food chain.

They organize all village corruption from election vote buying / election rigging to selling of daughters in Thaksin of Arabia's deep north.

[Smokemachine]

Suthep said before he will not put risk on the protesters.

Why does the pdrc need to have conflict with those Kamnans? After all pdrc knew the Kamnans are been asked to stage a show as support for the YL govt. Pdrc have more important stuff to do now.

More important agenda than dealing with the Kamnans.

Below just the normal days of meeting pdrc leaders recently. Not a rally day.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=516003878504997&set=pcb.516004738504911&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=516003758505009&set=pcb.516004738504911&type=1&theater

[Johpa]

Anyone seen the villagers all watching red shirt tv on their free satellite boxes? Its the worse case of brainwashing i have ever seen. Which comes back to the old argument: how can the minority, educated, thinking for themselves, middle class ever win an election against the brainwashed red shirt masses in the villages? You should only be allowed to vote if you can think for yourself and make an impartial judgement on who is best to vote for?

First, living in the US, the Fox news channel is as insidious a propaganda network than is anything I have seen in Thailand. But your question remains as to how the equally brainwashed and yes, pehaps modestly more educated middle class win against the numerically superior "red" masses. Both sides, contrary to your assumptions, can think for themselves and make impartial judgements. And the answer is quite easy: they follow Thaksin's game plan by throwing the "masses" a few bones instead of talking down to them and giving them nothing but platitudes. With the failure of the "rice scheme" the votes are up for grabs. But as long as the "yellows" are represented primarily by the Central Thai speaking somewhat racist elites and their wanna-be followers, then the votes stay with the "reds" who can speak the language of the plurality.

[h90]

Anyone seen the villagers all watching red shirt tv on their free satellite boxes? Its the worse case of brainwashing i have ever seen. Which comes back to the old argument: how can the minority, educated, thinking for themselves, middle class ever win an election against the brainwashed red shirt masses in the villages? You should only be allowed to vote if you can think for yourself and make an impartial judgement on who is best to vote for?

First, living in the US, the Fox news channel is as insidious a propaganda network than is anything I have seen in Thailand. But your question remains as to how the equally brainwashed and yes, pehaps modestly more educated middle class win against the numerically superior "red" masses. Both sides, contrary to your assumptions, can think for themselves and make impartial judgements. And the answer is quite easy: they follow Thaksin's game plan by throwing the "masses" a few bones instead of talking down to them and giving them nothing but platitudes. With the failure of the "rice scheme" the votes are up for grabs. But as long as the "yellows" are represented primarily by the Central Thai speaking somewhat racist elites and their wanna-be followers, then the votes stay with the "reds" who can speak the language of the plurality.

I doubt there are superior "red" masses. The last red meetings didn't show any significant amounts of people. Because the reds think for themself, some may still be red but feel cheated by the Shinawatra clan. Friend of mine from Isaan told that "Blue Sky" TV get popular. That doesn't change the reds to democrats but many feel abused.

And the yellows aren't the yellows from PAD times anymore...it is a very broad mix of people with increasing numbers from Isaan and a lot from the South who definitely don't speak central.

[Johpa]

The one thing you conveniently or naively declined to mention, is this is Red Democracy though and through. All headpersons as many are women and generally the number two gets the job when a position becomes vacant, they are indeed elected by the people but that's where it ends. They then hold the position until retirement age and cannot be removed from the position by the villagers. During election time and especially over the last months of this crisis they continually brain wash the uneducated locals via the speaker system in every village. This speaker can be and is regularly overridden by the sub-district office (Tambon). The headperson relies on funding from their Amphoe, so will do anything to appease the sitting member.

As you can see it is well and truly in their interest to keep this mob in power in fear of change bringing in term elections. Also to further note, they are illegally campaigning on behalf of PT with government funds while they are in caretaker mode.

So all you red raggers out there, explain to me how the system is fair and elections can be clean. Of course they intimidate the opposition when they attempt to campaign in the villages, remove or damage any non red political election signs and pay for people to remove banners and replace them with red candidates. Why do I know all this? I live smack bang in the middle of a pro red administrated village.

If this is the Democracy you moronic red apologists want with another hastily delivered election, give me anything else, including Suthep's vision.

This is not a "red" democracy. Democracy always gives advantages to the incumbent, whether it be a Thai village headman or a US Senator. I have maintined a home in a rural village for over 30 years. I have seen headmen replaced and I have also seen headmen maintain their position until, as you noted, until retirement. There are some who use the speaker system for politics and some who use it only for announcements. I have never seen a village speaker system that can be "overridden" by officials from either the tambon or the amphoe. That is not to say that such a system could not be built or exist, just that I have never seen anything of the sort.

But more importantly, after 30 years, I do not see my Thai neighbors as uneducated massses or mobs. And I personally don't have a political axe to grind in a dispute between two equally corrupt Sino-Chinese gangs engaged in a game of musical chairs, busily angling to be in the best position to take over the biggest chair when the music stops. And from my personal experience in Thailand, certainly far more than the average TV member, the only morons are those expats who would take sides between two equally contemptuous political parties.

[Bangmod]

"He said about 80,000 headmen would travel to Bangkok"

Sounds like a big number. Headmen only or does that incl. their spouses and other family members like papa and mama?

On the usual red counting they will fit in 3 buses.

and usual inane post by someone who is totally uninformed. Apparently you were not out on Chiang Mai - Lampang Highway like I was today, and obviously didn't see the 20+ bus convoy heading out. Engage brain before operating mouth. Try it sometime. You might be amazed at how well it works.

insane to drive from Chaing mai

[Benmart]

"He said about 80,000 headmen would travel to Bangkok"

Sounds like a big number. Headmen only or does that incl. their spouses and other family members like papa and mama?

On the usual red counting they will fit in 3 buses.

and usual inane post by someone who is totally uninformed. Apparently you were not out on Chiang Mai - Lampang Highway like I was today, and obviously didn't see the 20+ bus convoy heading out. Engage brain before operating mouth. Try it sometime. You might be amazed at how well it works.

I have found that attacking the post and not the poster works much better and ads credibility to the debate.

[Benmart]

The one thing you conveniently or naively declined to mention, is this is Red Democracy though and through. All headpersons as many are women and generally the number two gets the job when a position becomes vacant, they are indeed elected by the people but that's where it ends. They then hold the position until retirement age and cannot be removed from the position by the villagers. During election time and especially over the last months of this crisis they continually brain wash the uneducated locals via the speaker system in every village. This speaker can be and is regularly overridden by the sub-district office (Tambon). The headperson relies on funding from their Amphoe, so will do anything to appease the sitting member.

As you can see it is well and truly in their interest to keep this mob in power in fear of change bringing in term elections. Also to further note, they are illegally campaigning on behalf of PT with government funds while they are in caretaker mode.

So all you red raggers out there, explain to me how the system is fair and elections can be clean. Of course they intimidate the opposition when they attempt to campaign in the villages, remove or damage any non red political election signs and pay for people to remove banners and replace them with red candidates. Why do I know all this? I live smack bang in the middle of a pro red administrated village.

If this is the Democracy you moronic red apologists want with another hastily delivered election, give me anything else, including Suthep's vision.

This is not a "red" democracy. Democracy always gives advantages to the incumbent, whether it be a Thai village headman or a US Senator. I have maintined a home in a rural village for over 30 years. I have seen headmen replaced and I have also seen headmen maintain their position until, as you noted, until retirement. There are some who use the speaker system for politics and some who use it only for announcements. I have never seen a village speaker system that can be "overridden" by officials from either the tambon or the amphoe. That is not to say that such a system could not be built or exist, just that I have never seen anything of the sort.

But more importantly, after 30 years, I do not see my Thai neighbors as uneducated massses or mobs. And I personally don't have a political axe to grind in a dispute between two equally corrupt Sino-Chinese gangs engaged in a game of musical chairs, busily angling to be in the best position to take over the biggest chair when the music stops. And from my personal experience in Thailand, certainly far more than the average TV member, the only morons are those expats who would take sides between two equally contemptuous political parties.

Well put my friend. The absentee experts and self appointed political professors are in abundance. They are well within their right to voice their opinions, even though they seem to be without substance or credible merit.

[Torrens54]

"He said about 80,000 headmen would travel to Bangkok"

Sounds like a big number. Headmen only or does that incl. their spouses and other family members like papa and mama?

On the usual red counting they will fit in 3 buses.

Well Buffalos can't count can they?.

Speaking of the Buffalo lot, just an observation, but I noticed that on the Red BUFFALO FLAG, the poor animal standing rampant on it's hind legs, seems to be lacking any "Wedding Tackle"... if you get my drift? Now, I wonder what that tells us, perhaps the artist made a "Balls Up",?

Edited May 4, 2014 by Torrens54

[connda]

"He said about 80,000 headmen would travel to Bangkok"

Sounds like a big number. Headmen only or does that incl. their spouses and other family members like papa and mama?

Thank God! A few days without the 5:30am pre-dawn monologue over the village loud-speaker system!

[monkeycountry]

"He said about 80,000 headmen would travel to Bangkok"

Sounds like a big number. Headmen only or does that incl. their spouses and other family members like papa and mama?

Thank God! A few days without the 5:30am pre-dawn monologue over the village loud-speaker system!

Hahaha, do they seriously do that? I thought it was just a muslim thing.

[Ricardo]

"He said about 80,000 headmen would travel to Bangkok"

Sounds like a big number. Headmen only or does that incl. their spouses and other family members like papa and mama?

Thank God! A few days without the 5:30am pre-dawn monologue over the village loud-speaker system!

Ours sometimes includes music and is 'broadcast' much later, perhaps the local voters had a word with their representative, and he decide he would like to get re-elected next time ?

I'm often reminded of a comedy about post-war holiday-camps, called "Hi-Di-Hi", which also featured this form of social-communication !

[Local Drunk]

the equally corrupt headmen is there sauce of income drying up...does as i say not what i do...leeches the lot..

Yes... Kamnan Daeng... I almost feel out my seat laughing.

Kamnan is about the lowest level on the official corruption food chain.

They organize all village corruption from election vote buying / election rigging to selling of daughters in Thaksin of Arabia's deep north.

It's happening just across the street as I type... Anyone here want a typical profile on a kamnan? Read Wimon Sainimnuan's Snakes.

[antimedia]

The one thing you conveniently or naively declined to mention, is this is Red Democracy though and through. All headpersons as many are women and generally the number two gets the job when a position becomes vacant, they are indeed elected by the people but that's where it ends. They then hold the position until retirement age and cannot be removed from the position by the villagers. During election time and especially over the last months of this crisis they continually brain wash the uneducated locals via the speaker system in every village. This speaker can be and is regularly overridden by the sub-district office (Tambon). The headperson relies on funding from their Amphoe, so will do anything to appease the sitting member.

As you can see it is well and truly in their interest to keep this mob in power in fear of change bringing in term elections. Also to further note, they are illegally campaigning on behalf of PT with government funds while they are in caretaker mode.

So all you red raggers out there, explain to me how the system is fair and elections can be clean. Of course they intimidate the opposition when they attempt to campaign in the villages, remove or damage any non red political election signs and pay for people to remove banners and replace them with red candidates. Why do I know all this? I live smack bang in the middle of a pro red administrated village.

If this is the Democracy you moronic red apologists want with another hastily delivered election, give me anything else, including Suthep's vision.

This is not a "red" democracy. Democracy always gives advantages to the incumbent, whether it be a Thai village headman or a US Senator. I have maintined a home in a rural village for over 30 years. I have seen headmen replaced and I have also seen headmen maintain their position until, as you noted, until retirement. There are some who use the speaker system for politics and some who use it only for announcements. I have never seen a village speaker system that can be "overridden" by officials from either the tambon or the amphoe. That is not to say that such a system could not be built or exist, just that I have never seen anything of the sort.

But more importantly, after 30 years, I do not see my Thai neighbors as uneducated massses or mobs. And I personally don't have a political axe to grind in a dispute between two equally corrupt Sino-Chinese gangs engaged in a game of musical chairs, busily angling to be in the best position to take over the biggest chair when the music stops. And from my personal experience in Thailand, certainly far more than the average TV member, the only morons are those expats who would take sides between two equally contemptuous political parties.

By maintaining a home would mean that you have a holiday property that you stay in occasionally, on the other hand I live in a village permanently. I am part of the daily village life and observe all, rather than yourself who only visit for short periods. I agree there have been occasions when village heads have been removed, but not by the people but by the government for not towing or supporting the party line. As you do not reside in the village, how many times have you actually been there during an election. Do you not accept that maybe you only want to see the good side of everything on you short vacation.

I think you will find there are many TV members that live in this country permanently and have far more experience of Thailand than a visitor and have a personal stake in the politics of the country regardless of how the outsider may wish to view the parties.

[marcusd]

If these IGNORANT UNEDUCATED people who profess to be the doyens of a village, think they will force change let THAILAND reap what it sows and let the country again vote for the PTP. Let the people get what they think they are voting for. Let the country run a mock an go down the gurgler. Let their THAINESS attitudes of "we are always right" and "don't tell us what to do", sort their issues and when tourists don't come because they have found better destinations and when we as the foreigners bringing in most of their exchange reserves leave, let them all go back to climbing coconut palms.

Lets face it, it is ok but there are MANY options just across all the borders now.

Don't let the door slap you on the ar- e on the way out.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

unlike many people stranded here... I am lucky to be financially capable to travel,anytime, anywhere.

Enjoy your prison.

Marcusd. Via tapatalk

[marcusd]

If these IGNORANT UNEDUCATED people who profess to be the doyens of a village, think they will force change let THAILAND reap what it sows and let the country again vote for the PTP. Let the people get what they think they are voting for. Let the country run a mock an go down the gurgler. Let their THAINESS attitudes of "we are always right" and "don't tell us what to do", sort their issues and when tourists don't come because they have found better destinations and when we as the foreigners bringing in most of their exchange reserves leave, let them all go back to climbing coconut palms.

Lets face it, it is ok but there are MANY options just across all the borders now.

The border is open so go for it. They don't need people like you here with your uneducated states about people who work hard to provide rice for Suthep masses. Your kind of attitude is not needed here.

personally I prefer basmati or pasta. It is you who is lacking.

Marcusd. Via tapatalk

[Johpa]

By maintaining a home would mean that you have a holiday property that you stay in occasionally, on the other hand I live in a village permanently. I am part of the daily village life and observe all, rather than yourself who only visit for short periods. I agree there have been occasions when village heads have been removed, but not by the people but by the government for not towing or supporting the party line. As you do not reside in the village, how many times have you actually been there during an election. Do you not accept that maybe you only want to see the good side of everything on you short vacation.

I think you will find there are many TV members that live in this country permanently and have far more experience of Thailand than a visitor and have a personal stake in the politics of the country regardless of how the outsider may wish to view the parties.

I once lived permanently in the village for well over a decade. I have also spent several months at a time in the village in other years. I have been there during at least three elections (and three coups in Bangkok) that I can recall over the past 30 years. Both my children have dual citizenship and my son is currently living full time in the village. My Thai is strong and I am also literate in Thai. I am close friends with two of the former headmen (both closer to my age) although I am now somewhat estranged from the slightly younger current headman. I am also friends with a neighboring headman as well as with both the former and current kamnaan and also friends with the folks at the sub-district and I have a sister in-law married to a son of the subdistrict's most influential businessman. But why am I trying to defend myself from what amounts to an ad hominem attack on my thoughts about the Thai politcal process when it would just be so much easier to refute your premise and point out ex-pats who have been living full-time in the country since 1997, when the country opened up to the neo-sahib class, and who still speak no Thai.

Listen Grasshopper, Thai villages can have very different personalities. Some are known for their gambling and drinking, some are notorious for their tough guys (naklengs) while others are known for their merit making (tham bun), and some are known as being more political than others. But I admit that in the more modern media controlled world that Thai villages are becoming a bit more homogenous than before. Your mileage may vary from mine and that is OK. But my vacations are not short, and I can be as critical of the Kingdom as anyone you shall meet. So I reject that premise as well. But if you want to take sides in this power grabbing contest between the "red" and the "yellows" then go ahead and let it be your folly. I have already had enough follies in my life.

[anteater]

Haven't read the article, but cannot think of a single civilised country that has "village headmen". I can think of quite a few sub-saharan countries that do though. Thailand also compares better with those countries on an evolutionary scale.

"Village headmen" always conjures up images like this.headmen.jpg From the Solomon Islands area.

I am sure these chaps can persuade their villagers to do as they are told too.

I despair of falangs, when idiots like you two -- monkeycountry (yeah, that says it) and ratcatcher (that says it too) -- can post your pathetic, prejudiced nonsense. You know nothing about civilisation and social organisation. Have you studied anything, or have you lived your entire silly lives in the prejudiced bubble of Bangkok and other cities without bothering to learn about the wider world? There is no evidence that people in rural communities, such as rural Africa or Melanesia, are less civilised than city people. There is no evidence that they are intrinsically less intelligent.

It is you two who are at the lower end of the spectrum of civilisation!

Edited May 6, 2014 by anteater