I can see why the red shirts are showing their frustration.

Every time a democratic government is elected they are thwarted by judicial system on all levels to have them removed

The best way out of this is for the EC to go ahead with the 20 th of July elections and once again let the people decide.

However I can see them coming up with more excuses to avoid this as the backlash from recent court decisions will result in a landslide victory for the PTP .

The protests unfortunately are likely to get more violent over the coming months but this is what you get when you keep ignoring the wishes of the people.

Actually, the elected Thaksin proxy governments are usually thwarted by breaking the law and getting caught.

At least the red shirts only waited a week to protest against this decision, rather than waiting for four years to "protest against the coup".

Well they are a bit slow, our ThaiRouge. A bit like the village idiots who support them, both Thai and westerner.

Actually it is a myth this nonsense about everyone in Issan and especially Chiang Mai being avid supporters of the red terrorists.

I have lived in Chiang Mai nearly 5 years and my wife's family are in Surin and most of the Thai people I know and meet could not care less about them. If anything they are scared of them.

I can see why the red shirts are showing their frustration.

Every time a democratic government is elected they are thwarted by judicial system on all levels to have them removed

The best way out of this is for the EC to go ahead with the 20 th of July elections and once again let the people decide.

However I can see them coming up with more excuses to avoid this as the backlash from recent court decisions will result in a landslide victory for the PTP .

The protests unfortunately are likely to get more violent over the coming months but this is what you get when you keep ignoring the wishes of the people.

Freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

that means freedom of speech

"""""""The best way out of this is for the EC to go ahead with the 20 th of July elections and once again let the people decide. ?""""""""

I am not in the Suthep Fan club

But I am for the freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

not for their bank books, and that goes for both sides

So until Thai's are allowed the right to say, "what they feel" openly any where in Thailand, there is no freedom of speech

With out freedom of speech there can never be a democratic government or a fair elections

Until freedom of speech is allowed by Red shirts in the North

The North of Thailand is under the rule of a dictator

also please include

Section 102. A person under any of the following prohibitions shall have no right to be a candidate in an election of members of the House of Representatives:

(6) having been expelled, dismissed or removed from the official service, a State agency or a State enterprise on the ground of dishonest performance of duties or corruption;

So your call for an election

who will be running on the PTP side ????

Do you understand freedom of speech? It mostly deals with the relationship between the state and its citizens. It is a consensus among the international community that the most threatening law to freedom of speech in Thailand is Article 112 (lese majeste). The law works decidedly in the establishment's (anti-PTP) favor, as you see many red-shirts are jailed for their speech under this law. How many anti-PTP guys are jailed for their anti-PTP speeches? I don't know any. I mean, half of the TV community would be in jail if the government restricted anti-government speech that way.

As for intimidation by the red-shirts in the north, it goes both ways. PDRC supporters are intimidated in the north, red-shirts intimidated in the south. This problem has to be dealt with, but how much it affects "free and fair" elections I don't know. All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers.

I don't get it. Just don't say anything bad about the King. In fact, just leave him out of political speeches all together. No problems with lese majeste. Unless you are claiming I can be jailed under lese majeste for saying something bad about Chalerm or Thaksin.

FYI I am biased. I happen to believe that the King has been very good for Thailand.

You are entitled to your belief but other people should be allowed to express opposing ones. This is how it works in a liberal democracy. The point of free speech is to protect unpopular speech and speech that you disagree with.

Unfortunately, Article 112 restricts speeches on here, too. I recommend that you read international commentaries on this topic some time.

I can see why the red shirts are showing their frustration.

Every time a democratic government is elected they are thwarted by judicial system on all levels to have them removed

The best way out of this is for the EC to go ahead with the 20 th of July elections and once again let the people decide.

However I can see them coming up with more excuses to avoid this as the backlash from recent court decisions will result in a landslide victory for the PTP .

The protests unfortunately are likely to get more violent over the coming months but this is what you get when you keep ignoring the wishes of the people.

Freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

that means freedom of speech

"""""""The best way out of this is for the EC to go ahead with the 20 th of July elections and once again let the people decide. ?""""""""

I am not in the Suthep Fan club

But I am for the freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

not for their bank books, and that goes for both sides

So until Thai's are allowed the right to say, "what they feel" openly any where in Thailand, there is no freedom of speech

With out freedom of speech there can never be a democratic government or a fair elections

Until freedom of speech is allowed by Red shirts in the North

The North of Thailand is under the rule of a dictator

also please include

Section 102. A person under any of the following prohibitions shall have no right to be a candidate in an election of members of the House of Representatives:

(6) having been expelled, dismissed or removed from the official service, a State agency or a State enterprise on the ground of dishonest performance of duties or corruption;

So your call for an election

who will be running on the PTP side ????

Do you understand freedom of speech? It mostly deals with the relationship between the state and its citizens. It is a consensus among the international community that the most threatening law to freedom of speech in Thailand is Article 112 (lese majeste). The law works decidedly in the establishment's (anti-PTP) favor, as you see many red-shirts are jailed for their speech under this law. How many anti-PTP guys are jailed for their anti-PTP speeches? I don't know any. I mean, half of the TV community would be in jail if the government restricted anti-government speech that way.

As for intimidation by the red-shirts in the north, it goes both ways. PDRC supporters are intimidated in the north, red-shirts intimidated in the south. This problem has to be dealt with, but how much it affects "free and fair" elections I don't know. All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers.

please show proof of Thai elections being fair.........no one else has ever seen this proof before. Al we HAVE seen proof of is violence, intimidation, bribery and corruption in the Northeast its the way of life and their puppet master instills it into them with his stolen billions. Civilised people reect it as a fair and proper election - we don't want a country run by Thaksins mafia and hired thugs from cambodia.

Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) oversaw the Thai election and commended it as free and fair but cited some minor flaws. You can disagree with their findings, but in any case I believe that elections are definitely preferable to the alternatives.

This obsession with burning things...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XchwE9zVdnw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RiP5cyR18s

They want people to respect the result of elections (because its favourable to them), but they don't respect the law when its not in their favour. Double standards...

Do you understand freedom of speech? It mostly deals with the relationship between the state and its citizens. It is a consensus among the international community that the most threatening law to freedom of speech in Thailand is Article 112 (lese majeste). The law works decidedly in the establishment's (anti-PTP) favor, as you see many red-shirts are jailed for their speech under this law. How many anti-PTP guys are jailed for their anti-PTP speeches? I don't know any. I mean, half of the TV community would be in jail if the government restricted anti-government speech that way.

As for intimidation by the red-shirts in the north, it goes both ways. PDRC supporters are intimidated in the north, red-shirts intimidated in the south. This problem has to be dealt with, but how much it affects "free and fair" elections I don't know. All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers.

.........................."All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers."..................................

Oh no, another one who quotes from the little red book of Shin lies, mistruths and propaganda. Just what we needed.

Do you understand freedom of speech? It mostly deals with the relationship between the state and its citizens. It is a consensus among the international community that the most threatening law to freedom of speech in Thailand is Article 112 (lese majeste). The law works decidedly in the establishment's (anti-PTP) favor, as you see many red-shirts are jailed for their speech under this law. How many anti-PTP guys are jailed for their anti-PTP speeches? I don't know any. I mean, half of the TV community would be in jail if the government restricted anti-government speech that way.

As for intimidation by the red-shirts in the north, it goes both ways. PDRC supporters are intimidated in the north, red-shirts intimidated in the south. This problem has to be dealt with, but how much it affects "free and fair" elections I don't know. All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers.

.........................."All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers."..................................

Oh no, another one who quotes from the little red book of Shin lies, mistruths and propaganda. Just what we needed.

Oh? I wasn't aware such a book existed. I cited the organization in another post, if you care to look it up.

Freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

that means freedom of speech

"""""""The best way out of this is for the EC to go ahead with the 20 th of July elections and once again let the people decide. ?""""""""

I am not in the Suthep Fan club

But I am for the freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

not for their bank books, and that goes for both sides

So until Thai's are allowed the right to say, "what they feel" openly any where in Thailand, there is no freedom of speech

With out freedom of speech there can never be a democratic government or a fair elections

Until freedom of speech is allowed by Red shirts in the North

The North of Thailand is under the rule of a dictator

also please include

Section 102. A person under any of the following prohibitions shall have no right to be a candidate in an election of members of the House of Representatives:

(6) having been expelled, dismissed or removed from the official service, a State agency or a State enterprise on the ground of dishonest performance of duties or corruption;

So your call for an election

who will be running on the PTP side ????

Do you understand freedom of speech? It mostly deals with the relationship between the state and its citizens. It is a consensus among the international community that the most threatening law to freedom of speech in Thailand is Article 112 (lese majeste). The law works decidedly in the establishment's (anti-PTP) favor, as you see many red-shirts are jailed for their speech under this law. How many anti-PTP guys are jailed for their anti-PTP speeches? I don't know any. I mean, half of the TV community would be in jail if the government restricted anti-government speech that way.

As for intimidation by the red-shirts in the north, it goes both ways. PDRC supporters are intimidated in the north, red-shirts intimidated in the south. This problem has to be dealt with, but how much it affects "free and fair" elections I don't know. All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers.

I don't get it. Just don't say anything bad about the King. In fact, just leave him out of political speeches all together. No problems with lese majeste. Unless you are claiming I can be jailed under lese majeste for saying something bad about Chalerm or Thaksin.

FYI I am biased. I happen to believe that the King has been very good for Thailand.

You are entitled to your belief but other people should be allowed to express opposing ones. This is how it works in a liberal democracy. The point of free speech is to protect unpopular speech and speech that you disagree with.
Unfortunately, Article 112 restricts speeches on here, too. I recommend that you read international commentaries on this topic some time.

........................

I read you comment 4 times and I just can not understand what your trying to say

Section 102 does not not stop your freedom of speech, it stops a convicted person being in parliment

the same person still has the freedom to say what he wants, just not as a member of the government

The best thing about free speech

I allows an idiot to prove that he really is an idiot to other people

I can see why the red shirts are showing their frustration.

Every time a democratic government is elected they are thwarted by judicial system on all levels to have them removed

The best way out of this is for the EC to go ahead with the 20 th of July elections and once again let the people decide.

However I can see them coming up with more excuses to avoid this as the backlash from recent court decisions will result in a landslide victory for the PTP .

The protests unfortunately are likely to get more violent over the coming months but this is what you get when you keep ignoring the wishes of the people.

You miss the bit in the middle out (conveniently or not?). Elected democratically and then break the law, ignore the rules and lie. That's the bit that gets them removed. Have they learnt? Nope. Why, because their boss and thinker believes he's above the law. rules. checks and balances and immune from it. This crucial piece of learning could have had a massive impact on how things panned out. But, arrogance, ego and a complete lack of morals have significant downside.

Freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

that means freedom of speech

"""""""The best way out of this is for the EC to go ahead with the 20 th of July elections and once again let the people decide. ?""""""""

I am not in the Suthep Fan club

But I am for the freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

not for their bank books, and that goes for both sides

So until Thai's are allowed the right to say, "what they feel" openly any where in Thailand, there is no freedom of speech

With out freedom of speech there can never be a democratic government or a fair elections

Until freedom of speech is allowed by Red shirts in the North

The North of Thailand is under the rule of a dictator

also please include

Section 102. A person under any of the following prohibitions shall have no right to be a candidate in an election of members of the House of Representatives:

(6) having been expelled, dismissed or removed from the official service, a State agency or a State enterprise on the ground of dishonest performance of duties or corruption;

So your call for an election

who will be running on the PTP side ????

Do you understand freedom of speech? It mostly deals with the relationship between the state and its citizens. It is a consensus among the international community that the most threatening law to freedom of speech in Thailand is Article 112 (lese majeste). The law works decidedly in the establishment's (anti-PTP) favor, as you see many red-shirts are jailed for their speech under this law. How many anti-PTP guys are jailed for their anti-PTP speeches? I don't know any. I mean, half of the TV community would be in jail if the government restricted anti-government speech that way.

As for intimidation by the red-shirts in the north, it goes both ways. PDRC supporters are intimidated in the north, red-shirts intimidated in the south. This problem has to be dealt with, but how much it affects "free and fair" elections I don't know. All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers.

I don't get it. Just don't say anything bad about the King. In fact, just leave him out of political speeches all together. No problems with lese majeste. Unless you are claiming I can be jailed under lese majeste for saying something bad about Chalerm or Thaksin.

FYI I am biased. I happen to believe that the King has been very good for Thailand.

You are entitled to your belief but other people should be allowed to express opposing ones. This is how it works in a liberal democracy. The point of free speech is to protect unpopular speech and speech that you disagree with.

Unfortunately, Article 112 restricts speeches on here, too. I recommend that you read international commentaries on this topic some time.

........................

I read you comment 4 times and I just can not understand what your trying to say

Section 102 does not not stop your freedom of speech, it stops a convicted person being in parliment

the same person still has the freedom to say what he wants, just not as a member of the government

The best thing about free speech

I allows an idiot to prove that he really is an idiot to other people

Did it occur to you that I was responding to part of your argument about freedom of speech and not about Section 102? I was referencing Article 112 in support of my argument, not 102. They are different numbers and therefore are different sections.

Freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

that means freedom of speech

"""""""The best way out of this is for the EC to go ahead with the 20 th of July elections and once again let the people decide. ?""""""""

I am not in the Suthep Fan club

But I am for the freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

not for their bank books, and that goes for both sides

So until Thai's are allowed the right to say, "what they feel" openly any where in Thailand, there is no freedom of speech

With out freedom of speech there can never be a democratic government or a fair elections

Until freedom of speech is allowed by Red shirts in the North

The North of Thailand is under the rule of a dictator

also please include

Section 102. A person under any of the following prohibitions shall have no right to be a candidate in an election of members of the House of Representatives:

(6) having been expelled, dismissed or removed from the official service, a State agency or a State enterprise on the ground of dishonest performance of duties or corruption;

So your call for an election

who will be running on the PTP side ????

Do you understand freedom of speech? It mostly deals with the relationship between the state and its citizens. It is a consensus among the international community that the most threatening law to freedom of speech in Thailand is Article 112 (lese majeste). The law works decidedly in the establishment's (anti-PTP) favor, as you see many red-shirts are jailed for their speech under this law. How many anti-PTP guys are jailed for their anti-PTP speeches? I don't know any. I mean, half of the TV community would be in jail if the government restricted anti-government speech that way.

As for intimidation by the red-shirts in the north, it goes both ways. PDRC supporters are intimidated in the north, red-shirts intimidated in the south. This problem has to be dealt with, but how much it affects "free and fair" elections I don't know. All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers.

I don't get it. Just don't say anything bad about the King. In fact, just leave him out of political speeches all together. No problems with lese majeste. Unless you are claiming I can be jailed under lese majeste for saying something bad about Chalerm or Thaksin.

FYI I am biased. I happen to believe that the King has been very good for Thailand.

You are entitled to your belief but other people should be allowed to express opposing ones. This is how it works in a liberal democracy. The point of free speech is to protect unpopular speech and speech that you disagree with.

Unfortunately, Article 112 restricts speeches on here, too. I recommend that you read international commentaries on this topic some time.

........................

I read you comment 4 times and I just can not understand what your trying to say

Section 102 does not not stop your freedom of speech, it stops a convicted person being in parliment

the same person still has the freedom to say what he wants, just not as a member of the government

The best thing about free speech

I allows an idiot to prove that he really is an idiot to other people

Did it occur to you that I was responding to part of your argument about freedom of speech and not about Section 102? I was referencing Article 112 in support of my argument, not 102. They are different numbers and therefore are different sections.

Unlike many TVF members I am not afraid to admit when I was wrong

Yes I did not notice you where reffering to a different section

so in this case we are both right

Now if only Suthep and PTP could be as ready to admit a mistake and go forward

Do you understand freedom of speech? It mostly deals with the relationship between the state and its citizens. It is a consensus among the international community that the most threatening law to freedom of speech in Thailand is Article 112 (lese majeste). The law works decidedly in the establishment's (anti-PTP) favor, as you see many red-shirts are jailed for their speech under this law. How many anti-PTP guys are jailed for their anti-PTP speeches? I don't know any. I mean, half of the TV community would be in jail if the government restricted anti-government speech that way.

As for intimidation by the red-shirts in the north, it goes both ways. PDRC supporters are intimidated in the north, red-shirts intimidated in the south. This problem has to be dealt with, but how much it affects "free and fair" elections I don't know. All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers.

I don't get it. Just don't say anything bad about the King. In fact, just leave him out of political speeches all together. No problems with lese majeste. Unless you are claiming I can be jailed under lese majeste for saying something bad about Chalerm or Thaksin.

FYI I am biased. I happen to believe that the King has been very good for Thailand.

You are entitled to your belief but other people should be allowed to express opposing ones. This is how it works in a liberal democracy. The point of free speech is to protect unpopular speech and speech that you disagree with.

Unfortunately, Article 112 restricts speeches on here, too. I recommend that you read international commentaries on this topic some time.

I do understand about theory of free speech. In practice there are always restrictions. My point is that the restriction of not saying bad things about the king seems like it should be a pretty easy restriction to live with and hardly seems like the biggest thing sitting between Thailand and perfection.

Do you understand freedom of speech? It mostly deals with the relationship between the state and its citizens. It is a consensus among the international community that the most threatening law to freedom of speech in Thailand is Article 112 (lese majeste). The law works decidedly in the establishment's (anti-PTP) favor, as you see many red-shirts are jailed for their speech under this law. How many anti-PTP guys are jailed for their anti-PTP speeches? I don't know any. I mean, half of the TV community would be in jail if the government restricted anti-government speech that way.

As for intimidation by the red-shirts in the north, it goes both ways. PDRC supporters are intimidated in the north, red-shirts intimidated in the south. This problem has to be dealt with, but how much it affects "free and fair" elections I don't know. All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers.

I don't get it. Just don't say anything bad about the King. In fact, just leave him out of political speeches all together. No problems with lese majeste. Unless you are claiming I can be jailed under lese majeste for saying something bad about Chalerm or Thaksin.

FYI I am biased. I happen to believe that the King has been very good for Thailand.

You are entitled to your belief but other people should be allowed to express opposing ones. This is how it works in a liberal democracy. The point of free speech is to protect unpopular speech and speech that you disagree with.

Unfortunately, Article 112 restricts speeches on here, too. I recommend that you read international commentaries on this topic some time.

I do understand about theory of free speech. In practice there are always restrictions. My point is that the restriction of not saying bad things about the king seems like it should be a pretty easy restriction to live with and hardly seems like the biggest thing sitting between Thailand and perfection.

I don't agree with lese majeste ( I think it should be consigned to history along with killing whales and Sharia law) but I don't see how anyone can be punished for criticising the government.

If that was the case in the UK we'd all be in jail.

Yes tezza reform the one eyed judicial system that keeps ruling on the yellow elite side time after time.

You can fool some of the people some of the time...........

While nowhere near 100%, decisions do tend to go against Thaksin and his remoras. This could be easily changed if he/they could grasp the concept of obeying laws.

Freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

that means freedom of speech

"""""""The best way out of this is for the EC to go ahead with the 20 th of July elections and once again let the people decide. ?""""""""

I am not in the Suthep Fan club

But I am for the freedom of Thai people to choose a Government for the people

not for their bank books, and that goes for both sides

So until Thai's are allowed the right to say, "what they feel" openly any where in Thailand, there is no freedom of speech

With out freedom of speech there can never be a democratic government or a fair elections

Until freedom of speech is allowed by Red shirts in the North

The North of Thailand is under the rule of a dictator

also please include

Section 102. A person under any of the following prohibitions shall have no right to be a candidate in an election of members of the House of Representatives:

(6) having been expelled, dismissed or removed from the official service, a State agency or a State enterprise on the ground of dishonest performance of duties or corruption;

So your call for an election

who will be running on the PTP side ????

Do you understand freedom of speech? It mostly deals with the relationship between the state and its citizens. It is a consensus among the international community that the most threatening law to freedom of speech in Thailand is Article 112 (lese majeste). The law works decidedly in the establishment's (anti-PTP) favor, as you see many red-shirts are jailed for their speech under this law. How many anti-PTP guys are jailed for their anti-PTP speeches? I don't know any. I mean, half of the TV community would be in jail if the government restricted anti-government speech that way.

As for intimidation by the red-shirts in the north, it goes both ways. PDRC supporters are intimidated in the north, red-shirts intimidated in the south. This problem has to be dealt with, but how much it affects "free and fair" elections I don't know. All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers.

I don't get it. Just don't say anything bad about the King. In fact, just leave him out of political speeches all together. No problems with lese majeste. Unless you are claiming I can be jailed under lese majeste for saying something bad about Chalerm or Thaksin.

FYI I am biased. I happen to believe that the King has been very good for Thailand.

You are entitled to your belief but other people should be allowed to express opposing ones. This is how it works in a liberal democracy. The point of free speech is to protect unpopular speech and speech that you disagree with.

Unfortunately, Article 112 restricts speeches on here, too. I recommend that you read international commentaries on this topic some time.

........................

I read you comment 4 times and I just can not understand what your trying to say

Section 102 does not not stop your freedom of speech, it stops a convicted person being in parliment

the same person still has the freedom to say what he wants, just not as a member of the government

The best thing about free speech

I allows an idiot to prove that he really is an idiot to other people

Did it occur to you that I was responding to part of your argument about freedom of speech and not about Section 102? I was referencing Article 112 in support of my argument, not 102. They are different numbers and therefore are different sections.

Unlike many TVF members I am not afraid to admit when I was wrong

Yes I did not notice you where reffering to a different section

so in this case we are both right

Now if only Suthep and PTP could be as ready to admit a mistake and go forward

Now if only Suthep and PTP could be as ready to admit a mistake and go forward. In the case of Suthep, unlikely. In the case of PTP, impossible. Never made a mistake. Never made a decision. All thinking & decision making done in Dubai. The PTP's job is to regurgitatye it repeatedly rather like a parrot (with-or-without speech impediment)

If PTP wins the election from the vote of the people they have the right to govern.

What people don't want to see again, is a complete abuse of power and a middle finger raised to the whole country in trying to cater for one man and his family.

If one man and one family can select and choose who runs what, what laws to obey and what not, then it won't be a democracy much longer, but a dictatorship.

Just go in, do your job and try to run the country for the benefit of the country and not yourselves. Then just maybe, we will see an end to all this madness. And this is where PTP had let the country down.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

"The passing of this controversial amnesty bill led to a new congregation of both the anti-Thaksin camp and his supporters, with the conflict manifesting itself in new forms, from using the masses to pressure the powers-that-be, to advertisements and mass mobilization. One certain difference, however, is the fact that this new conflict of division stretches far deeper into the village and family levels, spreading throughout the country with each side claiming its rights and legitimacy in overthrowing the other, refusing to follow the rule of law and denying the rights of the other, leaving the country with little chance to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel."

http://www.e-ir.info/2014/02/28/thaksin-shinawatra-and-thailands-new-conflict/

If PTP wins the election from the vote of the people they have the right to govern.

What people don't want to see again, is a complete abuse of power and a middle finger raised to the whole country in trying to cater for one man and his family.

If one man and one family can select and choose who runs what, what laws to obey and what not, then it won't be a democracy much longer, but a dictatorship.

Just go in, do your job and try to run the country for the benefit of the country and not yourselves. Then just maybe, we will see an end to all this madness. And this is where PTP had let the country down.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

Again why do so many people ignore the truth

If PTP wins the election from the vote of the people they have the right to govern.

true, but this never happend so why not tell the truth

""""" If PTP had won the election allowing freedom of speech, and not allowing corruption amoungst its cabinet, they would have had the right to govern. """""""""

As this never happened

How can people sleep at night knowing the complete article is based on a lie

Election yes under true Thai Democracy

No 1) we need freedom of speech by all parties in all areas

No 2) Section 102 Enforced

A person under any of the following prohibitions shall have no right to be a candidate in an election of members of the House of Representatives:

(6) having been expelled, dismissed or removed from the official service, a State agency or a State enterprise on the ground of dishonest performance of duties or corruption;

3) All parties yellow and red to abide by the rule of law

Edited May 10, 201412 yr by tezzainoz

Do you understand freedom of speech? It mostly deals with the relationship between the state and its citizens. It is a consensus among the international community that the most threatening law to freedom of speech in Thailand is Article 112 (lese majeste). The law works decidedly in the establishment's (anti-PTP) favor, as you see many red-shirts are jailed for their speech under this law. How many anti-PTP guys are jailed for their anti-PTP speeches? I don't know any. I mean, half of the TV community would be in jail if the government restricted anti-government speech that way.

As for intimidation by the red-shirts in the north, it goes both ways. PDRC supporters are intimidated in the north, red-shirts intimidated in the south. This problem has to be dealt with, but how much it affects "free and fair" elections I don't know. All I know is that our elections are deemed free and fair by reputable international observers.

I don't get it. Just don't say anything bad about the King. In fact, just leave him out of political speeches all together. No problems with lese majeste. Unless you are claiming I can be jailed under lese majeste for saying something bad about Chalerm or Thaksin.

FYI I am biased. I happen to believe that the King has been very good for Thailand.

You are entitled to your belief but other people should be allowed to express opposing ones. This is how it works in a liberal democracy. The point of free speech is to protect unpopular speech and speech that you disagree with.

Unfortunately, Article 112 restricts speeches on here, too. I recommend that you read international commentaries on this topic some time.

I do understand about theory of free speech. In practice there are always restrictions. My point is that the restriction of not saying bad things about the king seems like it should be a pretty easy restriction to live with and hardly seems like the biggest thing sitting between Thailand and perfection.

It's an easy thing to live with for you because of your beliefs. Others find it hard to live with. Unfortunately, they aren't really allowed to argue why.

Edited May 10, 201412 yr by somjitr

Coffins again. How typically err... never mind.