Protests Against Coup Continue in Bangkok

[leggo]

Really am hesitating to comment on any posts today because I do not want to be involved in any responses about the politics and who was at fault and how/why etc. None of my business to be honest and as someone schooled in UK left of centre/liberal leaning/card carrying unionist style politics what happens here in Bangkok is totally different to anything I am used to. However I have a certain amount of sympathy for idealistic students, spent enough time of my student years carrying placards on student demos not to recognise the frustrations they are feeling.

My main emotional feeling today is one of distaste to be honest, having taken for granted all my life the ability to vote for the political party of my choosing, but abide by what the electorate at large decides, to see how easy that can be lost in a country like Thailand just leaves me saddened, and unhappy to find myself living in country where the courts and army have removed a government voted into power by a one person one vote electorate. Somehow Thailand has been tainted in my mind and heart by all of this. Sorry, just how I feel.

Hesitating??!!!

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[The Deerhunter]

It seems TV members and westerners here in general have very low expectations for thai society by projecting a coup is a good thing.

Sorry! And your point is?

[The Deerhunter]

Really am hesitating to comment on any posts today because I do not want to be involved in any responses about the politics and who was at fault and how/why etc. None of my business to be honest and as someone schooled in UK left of centre/liberal leaning/card carrying unionist style politics what happens here in Bangkok is totally different to anything I am used to. However I have a certain amount of sympathy for idealistic students, spent enough time of my student years carrying placards on student demos not to recognise the frustrations they are feeling.

My main emotional feeling today is one of distaste to be honest, having taken for granted all my life the ability to vote for the political party of my choosing, but abide by what the electorate at large decides, to see how easy that can be lost in a country like Thailand just leaves me saddened, and unhappy to find myself living in country where the courts and army have removed a government voted into power by a one person one vote electorate. Somehow Thailand has been tainted in my mind and heart by all of this. Sorry, just how I feel.

How would you feel towards the Government you voted in if they proceeded to rob the country of US $100 Billion and when asked to account for it and show transparency they say 'we cannot because it is in the National Interest not to account for it'. This money has simply gone! Would you be happy then that those people should never have had your vote, should be impeached and kicked out of office and face jail. Thailand has not lost it's democracy, for the first time in 2 years it stands a chance of reclaiming it's dignity. With my hand on my heart this bunch of crooks deserved to be ousted for the benefit of the people of this country.

I pray that Prayuth brings in real reform, the first being one law for all, and that MP's are not immune from prosecution for criminal activities, the second being that you cannot face a law suit for defamation if you are telling the truth. When we have a system that will permit One Nation, One People, One Law then elections can stand and they have a good chance of being the first step in a proper democracy with those voted in to power working for the people rather than themselves.

Jim, the British Government has wasted Billions of pounds of taxpayers money especially when Labour where in power, they wasted Billions on failed Defence contracts, Chinook Helicopters that couldn't fly in the Dark, Apache Helicopters that couldn't fire the missiles to name but a few, the money wasted on Aircraft carriers, submarines.. and yep, you guessed it, the Defence Ministers couldn't and wouldn't put their hands up for the miss management of funds, so it's NOT just Thailand that lacks accountability, I'm pretty sure some of the American TVF members could also come up with plenty of examples of squandered funding, and zero accountability.

FH You are way off topic. Nothing of what you said had any relationship to what GJ said. All govts waste money on defence projects. All govts. The British & US govts wasting money on failed defence projects has nothing to do with hundreds of billions being allegedly stolen here by the Shins & their cronies.

[thailiketoo]

Many people graduate from English speaking universities with less than perfect English speaking skills. If you have any proof link it.

The point is not that she has "less than perfect", but has an abysmal level of English, particularly for a supposed graduate school level degree.

The proof is available on any number of videos in which she attempts to utilize English.

There is no standard by which to measure the facts that you are writing about let alone measure them 20 years after she got the degree. There is no evidence of bribery. In any event who cares the lady won an election and was ousted in a judicial coup and now jailed by the military.

What you are discussing was relevant many years ago when she was running for election. The people decided in 2011 in a general election and they didn't care about her English proficiency.

[myluckythai]

Are these the same students that were protesting in Bangkok for 6 months? oh well

[ggt]

These students may force the military to act aggressively...not a good situation...

[thailiketoo]

Are these the same students that were protesting in Bangkok for 6 months? oh well

If you really want to know you can tell by the different universities. Try reading the OP.

[CharlesHH]

Most American universities are super happy to get foreign students and the more important they are in their home nation, the better. Foreign students must pay full tuition all years. Harvard has "educated" big wig's and other leaders' kids for decades.

From teaching at Mahidol, not English, I conclude that Thai are very uninformed and naïve about American colleges, often choosing the third rate or bizarre colleges from ignorance of American schools' real rankings. Being from Kentucky by birth and visiting Ky. State University, I can not imagine what led Yingluck to that institution. Given her high social standing, likely her profs cleared paths for her and forgave whatever English limits she had. Happens all the time at all colleges, ESPECIALLY at Thailand colleges, hee hee.

[rickirs]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"...in country where the courts and army have removed a government..."

You are, of course, aware that "the government" was dissolved some months ago by Yingluck and the military has stepped in to attempt to bring an end to the partisan violence on both sides and an acting caretaker P.M. with a cabinet in tatters has stepped down after much pressure. A bit different to what you are used to obviously.

.

Maybe he should have added "in violation with the Constitution."

The voluntary dissolution of parliament by the majority party the PTP was made in good faith consistent with the Constitution to give the opposition party an opportunity to redress its issues with the PTP in a public forum and campaign for electoral support. The formation of an interim government was also consistent with the Constitution. But with the military coup overthrow of the elected government was to suspend the Constitution. If the military was only concerned with preventing violence, it was already doing that successfully in cooperation with the Government. But it couldn't resist becoming involved in the politics of government and make itself the supreme governor of the nation. Old habits die hard.

[Mackie]

Most American universities are super happy to get foreign students and the more important they are in their home nation, the better. Foreign students must pay full tuition all years. Harvard has "educated" big wig's and other leaders' kids for decades.

From teaching at Mahidol, not English, I conclude that Thai are very uninformed and naïve about American colleges, often choosing the third rate or bizarre colleges from ignorance of American schools' real rankings. Being from Kentucky by birth and visiting Ky. State University, I can not imagine what led Yingluck to that institution. Given her high social standing, likely her profs cleared paths for her and forgave whatever English limits she had. Happens all the time at all colleges, ESPECIALLY at Thailand colleges, hee hee.

Big brother led her to that institution. He was the first one who 'gained' his doctorate from the same institution. He must've made few friends there. You've got to give it to the guy, he is very good at networking. Almost like a spider.

Master: LL.M., Criminal Justice, Government Scholarship (OCSC) Eastern Kentucky University, USA. Doctorate: LL.D., Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, USA.

Most American universities care only about how deep your pocket is. Or what is your social status. Being from the right family will open all the doors for you in the USA, regardless of your intellectual ability. George W. Bush Jnr. is the best example.

[ATF]

Most American universities are super happy to get foreign students and the more important they are in their home nation, the better. Foreign students must pay full tuition all years. Harvard has "educated" big wig's and other leaders' kids for decades.

From teaching at Mahidol, not English, I conclude that Thai are very uninformed and naïve about American colleges, often choosing the third rate or bizarre colleges from ignorance of American schools' real rankings. Being from Kentucky by birth and visiting Ky. State University, I can not imagine what led Yingluck to that institution. Given her high social standing, likely her profs cleared paths for her and forgave whatever English limits she had. Happens all the time at all colleges, ESPECIALLY at Thailand colleges, hee hee.

Big brother led her to that institution. He was the first one who 'gained' his doctorate from the same institution. He must've made few friends there. You've got to give it to the guy, he is very good at networking. Almost like a spider.

Master: LL.M., Criminal Justice, Government Scholarship (OCSC) Eastern Kentucky University, USA. Doctorate: LL.D., Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University, USA.

Most American universities care only about how deep your pocket is. Or what is your social status. Being from the right family will open all the doors for you in the USA, regardless of your intellectual ability. George W. Bush Jnr. is the best example.

He must have got a trade discount because under the Constitution a degree is necessary to hold office. Chalerm anyone?

Picked up a few of these too for SHTF situations:

[looping]

No one knows yet what General Prayuth's real intentions are. He has good reason to worry about resistance. The pro-government Red-Shirt movement is far better organised than eight years ago, and could still be financed by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's deep pockets.

Johnathan Head on the bbc website. Seems to be rather a change of heart from him.[/size]

Yes, I've been appalled at the BBC's coverage of the whole affair, saying how T is a man of the people, poor vs elite, etc, same old lines, copy and paste.

Amongst the channels blocked is BBC (can't find it anyway), maybe this doesn't sit too well with them. Aljazeera, etc are still on, rewarded for providing more objective reports?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited May 24, 2014 by looping

[ATF]

No one knows yet what General Prayuth's real intentions are. He has good reason to worry about resistance. The pro-government Red-Shirt movement is far better organised than eight years ago, and could still be financed by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's deep pockets.

Johnathan Head on the bbc website.

Seems to be rather a change of heart from him.

Yes, I've been appalled at the BBC's coverage of the whole affair, saying how T is a man of the people, poor vs elite, etc.

Amongst the channels blocked is BBC, maybe this doesn't sit too well with them. Aljazeera, etc are still on, rewarded for providing more objective reports?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If you're appalled let him know @pakhead twitter account. "pak" Pak Thai Party?

[AleG]

These students may force the military to act aggressively...not a good situation...

I don't think that's the bigger risk, the bigger risk is for the "third hand" to decide it would be splendid to have some student martyrs to discredit the military and takes action to ensure that. Like it happened in 2010 when the "Black Shirts" mingling with the Red Shirts started shooting at the army across the mass of protestors.

[CantSpell]

Stop lying. Yingluck Shinawatra earned a bachelor's degree from Chiang Mai University and a master's degree from Kentucky State University, both in public administration.

Seriously, stop it with that Master degree in Kentucky:

She can't put together two sentences in English...

Explain how one can get a Master Degree without speaking English? Might apply myself

[crazykopite]

If the army were so concerned they could have stopped all of this nonsense along time ago by ensuring that soldiers were manning polling stations in the February elections in order that every Thai national could go and cast there vote, instead they allowed the opposition to disrupt polling stations throughout the country which in turn stopped those entitled to vote from voting it appears to me the only winner in this sordid affair is Khun Suthep he has achieved what he set out to do and it appears the army will now self select who they want to run the country and only on the armies terms.

[VegasVic]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

"...in country where the courts and army have removed a government..."

You are, of course, aware that "the government" was dissolved some months ago by Yingluck and the military has stepped in to attempt to bring an end to the partisan violence on both sides and an acting caretaker P.M. with a cabinet in tatters has stepped down after much pressure. A bit different to what you are used to obviously.

.

Maybe he should have added "in violation with the Constitution."

The voluntary dissolution of parliament by the majority party the PTP was made in good faith consistent with the Constitution to give the opposition party an opportunity to redress its issues with the PTP in a public forum and campaign for electoral support. The formation of an interim government was also consistent with the Constitution. But with the military coup overthrow of the elected government was to suspend the Constitution. If the military was only concerned with preventing violence, it was already doing that successfully in cooperation with the Government. But it couldn't resist becoming involved in the politics of government and make itself the supreme governor of the nation. Old habits die hard.

Or as Albert Einstein was famous for saying " Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting to get a different result" This aggressive move by the Thai military was inevitable once "you know who" passed away anyway, it just happend a year or two earlier than expected! The Generals will obviously try and rewrite the Thai constitution YET AGAIN and even if they are able to disband the PTP, what ever takes its place will get resoundingly elected! What these ignorant posters here on TV just never seem to grasp is that, Shins or no Shins it really doesn't matter, the Thai people have felt their power in this democracy and they will vote their interest every time As a matter of fact I think that the suthepites and the generals have likely pissed off the majority of Thais who feel their vote was nullified by these hooligans, so the next election will likely be an even bigger landslide for PTP or whatever party takes its place

[thailiketoo]

Stop lying. Yingluck Shinawatra earned a bachelor's degree from Chiang Mai University and a master's degree from Kentucky State University, both in public administration.

Seriously, stop it with that Master degree in Kentucky:

She can't put together two sentences in English...

Explain how one can get a Master Degree without speaking English? Might apply myself

Apparently her Kentucky education worked well enough. The guy from Oxford lost. If you had ever been to Kentucky you would understand her English isn't bad for that part of America. I know I used to live there.

Google, "Louisville, Kentucky SperlingViews"

"armpit of the Midwest"

90% of Jefferson county schools received failing marks. The roads are falling apart. A brand new sports stadium that is financially broke. An uneducated workforce. The west side of town is reminiscent of that of Detroit. The #1 city in America for allergies and sinus problems. No culture, taco bell and fazoli's is what this city considers ethnic cuisine. End of quote.

[CaptainPeacock]

I take my hat off to them for having the balls to go out there and protest in this touchy political climate.

Sorry , but it seems you live up to your name..... 99% of them were girls..

...if they have problems with the army, they (only the girls) are welcome to take refuge in my room

[VegasVic]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

If the army were so concerned they could have stopped all of this nonsense along time ago by ensuring that soldiers were manning polling stations in the February elections in order that every Thai national could go and cast there vote, instead they allowed the opposition to disrupt polling stations throughout the country which in turn stopped those entitled to vote from voting it appears to me the only winner in this sordid affair is Khun Suthep he has achieved what he set out to do and it appears the army will now self select who they want to run the country and only on the armies terms.

The Army has no interest in free and fair elections because they know very well what the results will be, the only chance they and their puppet suthep have is to seize power illegally like they just did and try and rewrite the Thai constitution "yet again", and of course disband the PTP. Should the Generals put off elections for too long this time around then I feel that there could be a popular uprising and likely a breaking in the military ranks, it could get very ugly and General Prayuth should consider this as well as a possible appearance at the international criminal tribunal in the Hague a few years hence

[Somtamnication]

Stop lying. Yingluck Shinawatra earned a bachelor's degree from Chiang Mai University and a master's degree from Kentucky State University, both in public administration.

Seriously, stop it with that Master degree in Kentucky:

She can't put together two sentences in English...

Explain how one can get a Master Degree without speaking English? Might apply myself

You don't have the money!

[HerbalEd]

The Army should confiscate their iPhones then they would all start crying.

I'd say their actions in the face of a coup were far from being crybabies.

[srsv1238]

As of today, these students do not know how good they have it.

Hey, smart guys...... go home and come up with a plan to eliminate machine politics while keeping representative democracy.

A much larger service to the nation, so get with it!

machine politics is symptomatic of all nascent democracies. The United States was rife with machine politics for 200 years. Some say it is still there. The point is machine politics lose their effectiveness as society and economies develop. The coup has done nothing except set Thailand another ten years behind politically, much like the previous 12 coups.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[baboon]

I take my hat off to them for having the balls to go out there and protest in this touchy political climate.

Sorry , but it seems you live up to your name..... 99% of them were girls..

...if they have problems with the army, they (only the girls) are welcome to take refuge in my room

What an altruistic, public spirited man you clearly are! Sir, give yourself a pat on the back!

[srsv1238]

Really am hesitating to comment on any posts today because I do not want to be involved in any responses about the politics and who was at fault and how/why etc. None of my business to be honest and as someone schooled in UK left of centre/liberal leaning/card carrying unionist style politics what happens here in Bangkok is totally different to anything I am used to. However I have a certain amount of sympathy for idealistic students, spent enough time of my student years carrying placards on student demos not to recognise the frustrations they are feeling.

My main emotional feeling today is one of distaste to be honest, having taken for granted all my life the ability to vote for the political party of my choosing, but abide by what the electorate at large decides, to see how easy that can be lost in a country like Thailand just leaves me saddened, and unhappy to find myself living in country where the courts and army have removed a government voted into power by a one person one vote electorate. Somehow Thailand has been tainted in my mind and heart by all of this. Sorry, just how I feel.

I respect where you come from. However, one person, one vote with people voting freely for their candidate is one thing. The other side of this is people being coerced into voting for Thaksin through the creation of Red villages and through the social pressure within the community that comes from not voting red. So sadly, the view that Thailand has had democratic elections in the past few years is totally misguided. This is the reason that I support the military whom I believe genuinely want reform and clean politics. Like you, I was a student activist and also a member of staff of a major human rights NGO. I was a member of the Chile Solidarity Campaign in 1976 following the bloody coup in Chile. I cannot compare what happened then to what is happening in Thailand now. People here still do not understand how deep and damaging Thaksin's actions have been, so when commenting on the coup you have to understand what the nation has been up against for a few years with Thaksin's obscene lust for power.

The General appears to have given the 'political leaders' ample space to come to an agreement. If they had done so, then Thailand would not be in the situation it is now and the military would have facilitated the road to reform. Sadly, the reds appear to have wanted everything their own way with no flexibility.

What may come out of this is more damning evidence of the damage that the Shin clan have actually perpetrated on this country.

Go think on it.

Question, regardless of social pressures is it not true that people are stil free to vote as they please and privately? If so, what's the issue? All politicians lust power, what differentiates Them is how they pursue their ambitions. Thaksin started programs that benefited the countryside and then he asked them for their support. Is that not better than than someone who hides behind the crown, and then uses the courts and military to seize power knowing that they could not achieve it any other way? Would you allow what is happening in Thailand to occur in your country?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[srsv1238]

I am happy the Army showed sense here,this could easily have gone the other way and a massacre ensued,generally once the first shot is fired everyone else starts shooting,let's just hope that that does not happen,credit to the Officers in charge for showing initiative and not letting their men unload.

It was just a cheap shot trying to create another Tammasart University Massacre. They were massacred then because they were communists and Thailand was involved in the war with communist Vietnam. Thaksin is still out there pulling strings. The head needs to be removed before the beast will die.

Wow you guys are obsessed....

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[fab4]

I am happy the Army showed sense here,this could easily have gone the other way and a massacre ensued,generally once the first shot is fired everyone else starts shooting,let's just hope that that does not happen,credit to the Officers in charge for showing initiative and not letting their men unload.

It was just a cheap shot trying to create another Tammasart University Massacre. They were massacred then because they were communists and Thailand was involved in the war with communist Vietnam. Thaksin is still out there pulling strings. The head needs to be removed before the beast will die.

Wow you guys are obsessed....

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

No, just ignorant of Thai history.

[srsv1238]

Whilst bribing the poor people of the North East to vote for the reds is allowed to continue there will be no end to this problem. Free and fair elections are legitimate in their outcome, bribing people to vote for the reds taints the outcome.

It's no good saying the peasants and poor people would still vote red, we need a clean election to prove that right or wrong.

r

You can pay someone to vote a certain way but there is no guarantee they would do so when they are in the voting booth. Really

, could I bribe you to vote against your conscious? Most likely you'll just take my money and then vote however way you want. Really you need to give more credit to the Thai voter. The first step in winning elections is to respect the intelligence if the ordinary man. You still have a long way to go. No wonder the Reds keep winning.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[srsv1238]

The Army should confiscate their iPhones then they would all start crying.

yep, probably right there. What I find annoying, is that often around the world, students get involved, and everything turns into a mess! They have no understanding of where democracy comes from or what it should be. Why can't they sit, watch, and learn from it. But no, these days it looks cool to be a rebel when you are a teenager.

It would help if they were taught simple arithmetic: 2x (minimum wage) x 3 (the price of rice) + 100,000 baht for your first car = ( election victory + economic disaster ) ÷ military coup

.

And that's where you are wrong. An economic recession is no grounds for a coup. If anything the political opposition should seize that issue and campaign against the government with it in the next elections. Now do you see how democracy works?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[srsv1238]

The Army should confiscate their iPhones then they would all start crying.

yep, probably right there. What I find annoying, is that often around the world, students get involved, and everything turns into a mess! They have no understanding of where democracy comes from or what it should be. Why can't they sit, watch, and learn from it. But no, these days it looks cool to be a rebel when you are a teenager.

I think there is more to that than is immediately obvious. I hope he army use a RF jammer so their mobiles and G3 iPads will not connect - this is better than shutting down local towers as it affects less people - but it would still stop external control. They should also make a point of photographing the students, and arrest them later individually as they have broken the martial law rule as to 5+ people gatherings for political reasons. See how many turn up the next time. Release them after a few days, maybe confiscate their laptops and phones for a month or two to boot. No one in their right mind want to go back to the last 7 months of turmoil and violence.

And was this done against the political opposition when the government declare a state of emergency and prevented groups of five or more people from gathering? The courts at that point decided that people have the right to protest. But they don't know now? Really? You are clearly in the wrong side of history. You will learn soon enough.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand