US envoy Kenney criticised

[binjalin]

You guys are as predictable as night following day.

I also follow UDD_English on twitter as well as redthroughtoutthailand and Andrew Gregory Marshall (Yon's nemesis) as well as yingluck on FB (Well yingluck deleted now)

What it says is that you like to jump to conclusions.

you posted earlier appreciating Yon "posting from the field"

what "jump to conclusions"?

[tonbridgebrit]

Another silly and slightly dangerous picture that has appeared on Michael Yon's facebook wall. Off-course, Mr Yon did not put this up himself.

But I reckon that Mr Yon un-intentionally encouraged whoever it was to put this up.

Thank God, or should I say hopefully, only a very small percentage of Thai people feel this way.

[ATF]

When did you ever expect any government to tell the truth. Words and actions are two different things. America's actions do not follow it's words. The $3.5 military support had to be withdrawn under US law because the US is not allowed to support a military government. In theory at least, but it was just a symbolic slap on the wrist.

The US is well aware of what is going on and they have everyone's internet and phone bugged anyway. How do you expect them to put their hands up and say Democracy is not always the answer? They might as well start teaching American children the truth about the American Revolution and the burning of the White House by the British.

[Fat Haggis]

008680.jpg

Another silly and slightly dangerous picture that has appeared on Michael Yon's facebook wall. Off-course, Mr Yon did not put this up himself.

But I reckon that Mr Yon un-intentionally encouraged whoever it was to put this up.

Thank God, or should I say hopefully, only a very small percentage of Thai people feel this way.

MIchael Yon is doing more harm to American-Thai relationships by constantly accusing the Ambassador of "selfies" and posting crap on her twitter, the very fact that he leaps on this, and follows her, and and uses it to exploit it to his advantage by stirring up Anti American sentiment says a lot about his Character, the fact he allows some extreme comments to remain on his page would suggest he's doing all he can to "stir the shit".

Half of the sheeple he has as followers wouldn't know US Foreign Policy if it jumped up and smacked them in the face with a soggy Papaya!!

He believes in his own self importance, and that he's "spreading the word" for such an ardent "advocate/supporter of the PDRC" I'm surprised he didn't get an invite to the birthday bash the other night, maybe it's because he's insignificant and that the circle he thinks he's close with, see him as nothing more than something you'd wipe off the soles of your flip flops!!

[jayboy]

Added to which even a cursory reading of his piece shows him to be none too bright and none too literate.

In any case no foreigner living in Thailand is going to take a risk by writing a critical piece for publication - even if a publication is willing or able to accept the piece. So the Wons that are around have a clear run.

He is certainly an interesting character study.But I think you have identified a key point, namely a low IQ - he's rather thick and certainly poorly educated.

Yet he undoubtedly has a following among the Bangkok middle class - and it 's that - not the insignificant man himself - that is both illuminating and frightening.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Publicus]

Anyone who might sign the petition would be naïve or kidding him/her self to think Yon's pet project would get any attention from anyone in Washington.

You can bet that during 2014 Yon has been mentioned in a cable or two from the U.S. Embassy here to DepState in Washington. I'm sure Amb Kenney has added to the urban legend of Michal Yon in Bangkok .in ways Yon would find to be, ahem, unflattering.

It's anyway the job of the U.S. National Intelligence Directorate to ID and keep track of guys like Yon so that if he ever rises to the level of writing a coherent article, he can be moved from the 'continue to ignore' list to the equally ex distinguished list of 'pathetic loser.'

Just looking at the White House petition website, Yon's petition as of this post has the signatures of 4,972 people. If by June 24 the petition does not have at least 100,000 signatures, it will be removed from the White House list of active petitions, which means Mr. Yon would have to start over again. The White House does not respond to a petition unless it secures at least 100,000 signatures from its 30-day eligibility date.

As a bit of perspective, Yon's petition to the president has many more signatures than the 731 on the petition to build a military outpost on the moon that would have advanced tech to help "keep our country safe from growing superpowers," which will expire from the list June 5th unless it hits 100,000 by then.

Still, however, Yon's petition is rapidly falling behind the petition to declare the Men's Rights Movement in the U.S. a terrorist group, which now has amassed some 5,459 signatures and has until June 23 to hit 100,000. Perhaps Yon and the Men's Rights as terrorists petitioners can merge their causes to unite as one. . And then volunteer to blast off for the moon.

Edited June 1, 2014 by Publicus

[Insight]

Is Michael Yon really 'viewed as a joke" by the international community ?

Or - far more likely - the various pro-red lobbyist groups are desperate to smear him using a variety platforms (including ThaiVisa), as they do with anybody who publicly makes allegations about the red movement.

[beautifulthailand99]

Is Michael Yon really 'viewed as a joke" by the international community ?

Or - far more likely - the various pro-red lobbyist groups are desperate to smear him using a variety platforms (including ThaiVisa), as they do with anybody who publicly makes allegations about the red movement.

He has been an useful idiot for the PDRC - but I imagine he will fall foul Sondhi style of some vested interest sooner or later. The rough and tumble of Thai power politics is a very dangerous game for any falang to play regardless of affiliation. And as he is now publically making enemies of the US State Department and adding to their woes in Thailand he can be expected to be worked over sooner rather than later. I would expect some personal stuff to surface as they must know just about everything he does and is doing.

[Fat Haggis]

Is Michael Yon really 'viewed as a joke" by the international community ?

Or - far more likely - the various pro-red lobbyist groups are desperate to smear him using a variety platforms (including ThaiVisa), as they do with anybody who publicly makes allegations about the red movement.

Michael Yon has done some outstanding work in both Iraq and Afghanistan, he's put himself out there with his embeds, if you carry out due diligence on him, there's enough to make you wonder what happened to him, he has fallen foul of the Military on numerous occasions, whilst making serious allegations against individuals at the same time, his war of words between himself and a serving US NCO, CJ Grisham is well documented, with accusations flying left right and center, he was also "escorted" out of a US Special Forces compound in Baquba, Iraq for various breaches of protocol, and OPSEC, this he has strongly denied, and said it never happened, yet on another Military forum, the Team Sergeant who did the escorting gave a very clear and concise detail of what happened, and called Yon a liar.

Yon then made allegations against the same team, that they committed acts of "murder" and that he had "proof" all of which again, is there to read if you do your research, the bottom line is that he was called out, and he failed to deliver, his Military service as an 18B in a Special Forces ODA with the 10th Group was cut short, he did less than 2 years and his DD214 (discharge papers) states he was "surplus" which in laymans terms means he wasn't wanted, so he was discharged, he didn't complete his terms of service, and there's questions over the status of his discharge, as in was in honourable or not.

He has often stated in his war exploits that lying was part and parcel of being a writer, which is odd for someone who seems to believe that his word IS defacto.

He's a very good photographer, and maybe even a decent guy to go for a drink with, but he's not playing with a full deck, he believes that it's his actions that have got Generals removed from their posts, and had personnel moved around, and it's giving him " delusions of grandeur"

He's also criticised for his appeals for "donations" he never posts how much he has, and when anyone asks him for a list of his expenditures, he deletes the messages and blocks them, he is constantly going on about transparency, when he is about as transparent as lead!! Nobody knows if he has a work permit either, or what his residential status is, and he never mentions anything about having to pay taxes or declare his "donations" to the IRS

The "International community" I'd say don't really know of him, as he's not a journalist, he's a writer/photographer and blogger, and he specialised in areas of conflict, the wording you use would imply that of a very large group of people, then I'd have to say he's really only a small fish is a very very large pond. If he was as goo as he "thinks" he is, then he'd be working for some serious media outlets, but my guess is that a lot of "journalists" are well aware of him, and his stances on certain issues, he does himself no favours really, if you keep gobbing off at everyone and everything that doesn't suit your agenda, eventually someone is going get sick of you, and punch you in the mouth to shut you up. Karma is a bitch.

As Publicus has said, he's more than likely on the US "watch" list in Thailand anyway, I still enjoy a lot of what he posts, but he's been biased from the get go, and anyone who said differently on his site was banned and their comments deleted, he does not handle criticism very well, he relies on his faithful to stand up for him, if they had only carried out their own due diligence on him, they might not be treating him with as much reverence.

[ma91c1an]

I follow both Yon and AMM, and it's funny seeing them having digs at each other, Yon has made some very serious allegations about AMM, but as soon as you criticise Yon, he blocks you, he's been outcast by the majority of the SFA (Special Forces Association) due to lying about incidents that took place in Iraq, despite him being proven to have lied about it, he refuses to believe anything other than what's in his own head!!

I saw this days ago, but got busy, and forgot to address it. Sorry for the delay.

You say, "Yon... He's been outcast by the majority of the SFA (Special Forces Association) due to lying about incidents that took place in Iraq, despite him being proven to have lied about it..."

1. Michael Yon is a member in good standing of SFA Chapter III, Bangkok.

2. Yon has not "been outcast by the majority of the SFA." Michael Yon attended the last meeting of Chapter III last month, and he was welcomed as a former member of the Special Forces Regiment. In fact, Yon is a Life Member, and he participates in Chapter activities. By no means has he been "outcast."

3. I am a member of Chapter III, and I make these statements based on personal knowledge.

4. Yon was in the past embroiled in a dispute with a small number of former Green Berets. Those SF soldiers congregate around a website called professionalsoldiers.com. Anyone can google and readily find the thread on ps.com, and read it for themselves.

5. The SF'ers on that site were abusive to Yon, deprecating his five years of active duty in comparison to the decades of service that some of them served. Yon, being Yon, refused to turtle, and he returned fire. If there is one pattern that characterizes Yon's personality, which is manifested repeatedly throughout his life, it is a refusal to take hits passively without retaliating.

6. Yon is a fighter. He will fight anyone. It is true that he killed a man in a bar fight. It was that man's bad luck that he met a young Green Beret on furlough, and he tried to push Yon around. Anyone that knows Yon knows that this is a very bad idea. The man that he killed was a criminal, a bully, and he had been in confrontations with others previously that fatal day. When he swung at Yon, Yon nailed him.

7. Yon was not attempting to kill this man. In fact, witnesses testified that Yon repeatedly retreated, and he attempted to avoid conflict. When the bully persisted, mistaking Yon's short stature for weakness, he got hit, hard, and Yon killed him with one punch. Anyone can research the details of this incident by googling the text of Yon's memoir, Danger Close. Yon knew that this unintentional homicide would haunt him for life, so he wrote an honest account of it, sent it to the investigating detectives and the district attorney for their comment, and he published it.

8. I know Yon, and I know him well. It makes me laugh when critics dismiss him as a "PDRC stooge." That assessment is one that the Reds love to propagate, as they would rather shoot the messenger than respond directly to the facts that he publishes. Yon is nobody's stooge. He writes what he sees. Simple as that. Yon lives in the Kingdom of Thailand. Like many long term expats, Yon has a family, and his personal views are colored by his personal experiences. Yon is not, by a long shot, the only royalist among the ranks of SFA Chapter III.

9. Yon does have a boss. He works directly for the readers that send him micro donations. At last count, Yon had in excess of 240,000 "fans" on Facebook. His posts often reach more than a half million readers in a single day. Yon posts the metrics from Facebook on his wall. None are purchased. Almost half of his readership is Thai. He publishes in both Thai and English, and true to form, no other foreign observer has spent more time witnessing recent political events in Bangkok.

10. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. There is no surer, or faster, way to get blocked from Yon's Facebook or Twitter feed than to engage in profanity. Reasoned, polite arguments are permitted, though you should not be surprised when his fans jump on critics. He is beloved by his readers.

11. The American Embassy ignores Yon at their peril. The Ambassador, the Honorable Kristy Kenney, is a laughing stock in the Kingdom, mostly because her Tweets are fatuous and devoid of gravitas. Since Yon began pointing out the absurdity of her Tweets, she suddenly went silent. The truth hurts. Ambassador Kenney is controversial within the Department of State, because her incessant tweeting is not an effective means of communicating the views of the American government. I guarantee that Yon's critiques of her conduct are stapled to bulletin boards throughout Foggy Bottom. You do not want that kind of notoriety.

12. It is a fact that Kristy Kenney ordered her political officers to stay away from Whistleblower protest sites. There is no question that she has the same automatic reflex that most Americans feel where elections as a mechanism of political transition are concerned. That Kenney mindlessly posted in favor of elections in a country that was in rebellion against the bankruptcy of electoral politics tells you how shallow her understanding of the political processes at play is and was.

13. Whomever is advising Ambassador Kenney needs to be summarily fired. She is jeopardizing a long, mutually beneficial relationship between the government of Thailand and the American government. Statements by Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Hagel criticizing the coup and demanding an immediate return to electoral politics betray a profound ignorance of the Whistleblower phenomenon, and worse, support a former government and its Red constituents that engaged in serial acts of terrorism.

14. There is nothing "democratic" about the Reds. Most of them are dupes, led by corrupt leaders who enrich themselves at their expense, in service to a megalomaniacal billionaire who has maneuvered himself into a position where his entire family can be banished from the kingdom, and his ill gotten riches seized and nationalized. The Red farmers will never forget how they were abused by the Yingluck government. The formerly Red bastions of Isan are displaying weakness, and while it appears that Thaksin's public relations firms are dominating the Op Ed pages of the Western press, it is just a matter of time before they fade into irrelevancy.

15. What happens in Thailand is for the Thai to determine. How they go about it, is up to them. By no means should the coup generals care one whit about the poorly informed views of the US government. The last time that I checked, Thailand very much remains a kingdom, and Yon, like other royalist American expats, will do what he can to assist the Thai people in this historic period of political transition.

And that is what I have to say about that.

I hate spam.

[englishoak]

There is a very good reason international community is concerned, I suggest people look up andrew spooner channel on you tube latest upload..... snatching a woman off the street in broad daylight by taxi is very very worrying.

[Thai at Heart]

I follow both Yon and AMM, and it's funny seeing them having digs at each other, Yon has made some very serious allegations about AMM, but as soon as you criticise Yon, he blocks you, he's been outcast by the majority of the SFA (Special Forces Association) due to lying about incidents that took place in Iraq, despite him being proven to have lied about it, he refuses to believe anything other than what's in his own head!!

I saw this days ago, but got busy, and forgot to address it. Sorry for the delay.

You say, "Yon... He's been outcast by the majority of the SFA (Special Forces Association) due to lying about incidents that took place in Iraq, despite him being proven to have lied about it..."

1. Michael Yon is a member in good standing of SFA Chapter III, Bangkok.

2. Yon has not "been outcast by the majority of the SFA." Michael Yon attended the last meeting of Chapter III last month, and he was welcomed as a former member of the Special Forces Regiment. In fact, Yon is a Life Member, and he participates in Chapter activities. By no means has he been "outcast."

3. I am a member of Chapter III, and I make these statements based on personal knowledge.

4. Yon was in the past embroiled in a dispute with a small number of former Green Berets. Those SF soldiers congregate around a website called professionalsoldiers.com. Anyone can google and readily find the thread on ps.com, and read it for themselves.

5. The SF'ers on that site were abusive to Yon, deprecating his five years of active duty in comparison to the decades of service that some of them served. Yon, being Yon, refused to turtle, and he returned fire. If there is one pattern that characterizes Yon's personality, which is manifested repeatedly throughout his life, it is a refusal to take hits passively without retaliating.

6. Yon is a fighter. He will fight anyone. It is true that he killed a man in a bar fight. It was that man's bad luck that he met a young Green Beret on furlough, and he tried to push Yon around. Anyone that knows Yon knows that this is a very bad idea. The man that he killed was a criminal, a bully, and he had been in confrontations with others previously that fatal day. When he swung at Yon, Yon nailed him.

7. Yon was not attempting to kill this man. In fact, witnesses testified that Yon repeatedly retreated, and he attempted to avoid conflict. When the bully persisted, mistaking Yon's short stature for weakness, he got hit, hard, and Yon killed him with one punch. Anyone can research the details of this incident by googling the text of Yon's memoir, Danger Close. Yon knew that this unintentional homicide would haunt him for life, so he wrote an honest account of it, sent it to the investigating detectives and the district attorney for their comment, and he published it.

8. I know Yon, and I know him well. It makes me laugh when critics dismiss him as a "PDRC stooge." That assessment is one that the Reds love to propagate, as they would rather shoot the messenger than respond directly to the facts that he publishes. Yon is nobody's stooge. He writes what he sees. Simple as that. Yon lives in the Kingdom of Thailand. Like many long term expats, Yon has a family, and his personal views are colored by his personal experiences. Yon is not, by a long shot, the only royalist among the ranks of SFA Chapter III.

9. Yon does have a boss. He works directly for the readers that send him micro donations. At last count, Yon had in excess of 240,000 "fans" on Facebook. His posts often reach more than a half million readers in a single day. Yon posts the metrics from Facebook on his wall. None are purchased. Almost half of his readership is Thai. He publishes in both Thai and English, and true to form, no other foreign observer has spent more time witnessing recent political events in Bangkok.

10. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. There is no surer, or faster, way to get blocked from Yon's Facebook or Twitter feed than to engage in profanity. Reasoned, polite arguments are permitted, though you should not be surprised when his fans jump on critics. He is beloved by his readers.

11. The American Embassy ignores Yon at their peril. The Ambassador, the Honorable Kristy Kenney, is a laughing stock in the Kingdom, mostly because her Tweets are fatuous and devoid of gravitas. Since Yon began pointing out the absurdity of her Tweets, she suddenly went silent. The truth hurts. Ambassador Kenney is controversial within the Department of State, because her incessant tweeting is not an effective means of communicating the views of the American government. I guarantee that Yon's critiques of her conduct are stapled to bulletin boards throughout Foggy Bottom. You do not want that kind of notoriety.

12. It is a fact that Kristy Kenney ordered her political officers to stay away from Whistleblower protest sites. There is no question that she has the same automatic reflex that most Americans feel where elections as a mechanism of political transition are concerned. That Kenney mindlessly posted in favor of elections in a country that was in rebellion against the bankruptcy of electoral politics tells you how shallow her understanding of the political processes at play is and was.

13. Whomever is advising Ambassador Kenney needs to be summarily fired. She is jeopardizing a long, mutually beneficial relationship between the government of Thailand and the American government. Statements by Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Hagel criticizing the coup and demanding an immediate return to electoral politics betray a profound ignorance of the Whistleblower phenomenon, and worse, support a former government and its Red constituents that engaged in serial acts of terrorism.

14. There is nothing "democratic" about the Reds. Most of them are dupes, led by corrupt leaders who enrich themselves at their expense, in service to a megalomaniacal billionaire who has maneuvered himself into a position where his entire family can be banished from the kingdom, and his ill gotten riches seized and nationalized. The Red farmers will never forget how they were abused by the Yingluck government. The formerly Red bastions of Isan are displaying weakness, and while it appears that Thaksin's public relations firms are dominating the Op Ed pages of the Western press, it is just a matter of time before they fade into irrelevancy.

15. What happens in Thailand is for the Thai to determine. How they go about it, is up to them. By no means should the coup generals care one whit about the poorly informed views of the US government. The last time that I checked, Thailand very much remains a kingdom, and Yon, like other royalist American expats, will do what he can to assist the Thai people in this historic period of political transition.

And that is what I have to say about that.

I hate spam.

Well I tried to engage in a simple bit of debate on his Facebook and rapidly got blocked. I did not use any profanity. If I remember I was pointing out that there are two sides to every story, and that Suthep and his bunch are corrupt too.

I take it as I see it too. He is blatently pro yellow. That's OK. That's his prerogative. That however doesn't make him and independent source of news.

Edited June 1, 2014 by Thai at Heart

[ma91c1an]

Is Michael Yon really 'viewed as a joke" by the international community ?

Or - far more likely - the various pro-red lobbyist groups are desperate to smear him using a variety platforms (including ThaiVisa), as they do with anybody who publicly makes allegations about the red movement.

Michael Yon has done some outstanding work in both Iraq and Afghanistan, he's put himself out there with his embeds, if you carry out due diligence on him, there's enough to make you wonder what happened to him, he has fallen foul of the Military on numerous occasions, whilst making serious allegations against individuals at the same time, his war of words between himself and a serving US NCO, CJ Grisham is well documented, with accusations flying left right and center, he was also "escorted" out of a US Special Forces compound in Baquba, Iraq for various breaches of protocol, and OPSEC, this he has strongly denied, and said it never happened, yet on another Military forum, the Team Sergeant who did the escorting gave a very clear and concise detail of what happened, and called Yon a liar.

Yon then made allegations against the same team, that they committed acts of "murder" and that he had "proof" all of which again, is there to read if you do your research, the bottom line is that he was called out, and he failed to deliver, his Military service as an 18B in a Special Forces ODA with the 10th Group was cut short, he did less than 2 years and his DD214 (discharge papers) states he was "surplus" which in laymans terms means he wasn't wanted, so he was discharged, he didn't complete his terms of service, and there's questions over the status of his discharge, as in was in honourable or not.

Ok. Again, I have to intercede to correct the record.

1. Yon indeed did remarkable work in Iraq and Afghanistan. He did fall afoul of General McChrystal's Public Relations staff, and Yon repeatedly called for McChrystal to be fired. Anyone who was in Afghanistan at the time knows that Yon was merely reporting the popular consensus among the ranks, where McChrystal's rules of engagement were placing American soldiers in a dangerous position of disadvantage. A recent recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, in fact, bitterly protested these rules of engagement, which cost several American soldiers their lives.

2. If Yon is a "bad guy" because he stood with the grunts, then call me a bad guy, too. McChrystal was adored within the US military while he ran JSOC. As the Pope, he refined JSOC into a killing machine. When McChrystal was promoted to Commander of all NATO units in Afghanistan, he brought along a team of personal staff that served him very poorly. Evidence? They took a Rolling Stone reporter along with them while they got drunk in Europe and then were surprised when that reporter wrote what he witnessed. No more Stan. Yon had been warning that McChrystal was bad for months.

3. Grisham is an idiot. Nothing more needs to be said. Except that the US Army is not shrouding itself with glory when it refuses to rein him in. Grisham is currently laying low, dealing with court cases, and hoping that he does not get court martialed before he can hit his 20 year mark and retire.

4. What happened in Baquba is by no means settled. There are competing accounts. Yon did ask that team sergeant how the murder investigation is going. That dust up has quieted, and faded into the past. You see, there is no statute of limitations on a war crime, and the ODA at that location was investigated. The investigation was cursory and shallow, and nobody saw any mileage in prosecuting guys who were doing their best under bad circumstances in a bad place. That said, the victim's family can be found. New information will force a reopened investigation. There are some SF'ers who are shutting the <deleted> up, because they do not want this kind of heat. The way that I see it, nobody was deliberately stepping wrong. It was a bad day. If folks want to chew on Mike Yon's ass, well, they should not be shocked when he starts lobbing HEAT rounds at them. Their call.

5.Yon's service with 10th Group was not "cut short." Anyone who can correctly interpret a military service record is capable of confirming, with very little googling, that Yon was honorably discharged after serving on an ODA for something like 32 months. Not the longest tenure in SF, but legit service. I will gently point out that most people reading this post have no time in SF, and would not last a day under the ruck on an ODA. Chatter all that you like. The fact is, most of you reading this are not qualified to cast aspersions about his service in SF, and you underscore your ignorance when you repeat canards like "he did less than two years," or "his DD214 states he was surplus" (which does not mean what you desperately want it to believe), or that he "did not complete his term of service," or that there are "questions about his discharge." All of these statements are demonstrably wrong. Yon's service record, which is posted on the internet, refutes every single one of these statements. In fact, Yon's service record was requested under FOIA by one if his critics. After the critic saw it, he published it, and he suddenly ceased fire, and numerous misrepresentations about Yon's service were suddenly aborted.

He has often stated in his war exploits that lying was part and parcel of being a writer, which is odd for someone who seems to believe that his word IS defacto.

He's a very good photographer, and maybe even a decent guy to go for a drink with, but he's not playing with a full deck, he believes that it's his actions that have got Generals removed from their posts, and had personnel moved around, and it's giving him " delusions of grandeur"

Oh, brother. Ok. Yon's writing was a contributing factor in the curtailed careers of Generals McChrystal and Menard. Did he do it all on his own? No. Of course not. But something that many do not realize is that when Yon writes something, it is almost always because he has access to facts that may not meet the public eye. McChrystal had numerous critics in the ranks that were feeding Yon. As for Menard, his own staff and subordinates told Yon about that general's negligent discharge of a firearm, and about his adultery with a corporal. Both generals were the ultimate cause of their own professional demise.

He's also criticised for his appeals for "donations" he never posts how much he has, and when anyone asks him for a list of his expenditures, he deletes the messages and blocks them, he is constantly going on about transparency, when he is about as transparent as lead!! Nobody knows if he has a work permit either, or what his residential status is, and he never mentions anything about having to pay taxes or declare his "donations" to the IRS

Here is an idea. You post up all of your personal financial details on the web. When you do that maybe then you can invite Yon to follow suit. I think that the IRS has a legion of agents who are quite adept at making self-employed American's lives miserable. If Yon has anything to worry about, it would be news to me. I believe that the IRS has audited him in the past. There was an incident where he was illegally held and searched by US Customs. They tucked tail and ran when Yon started publishing about their maltreatment if him. This is detailed on his Facebook and his own personal magazine site.

The "International community" I'd say don't really know of him, as he's not a journalist, he's a writer/photographer and blogger, and he specialised in areas of conflict, the wording you use would imply that of a very large group of people, then I'd have to say he's really only a small fish is a very very large pond. If he was as goo as he "thinks" he is, then he'd be working for some serious media outlets, but my guess is that a lot of "journalists" are well aware of him, and his stances on certain issues, he does himself no favours really, if you keep gobbing off at everyone and everything that doesn't suit your agenda, eventually someone is going get sick of you, and punch you in the mouth to shut you up. Karma is a bitch.

Yon has published widely. He has been a frequent guest in numerous news shows. Yon in fact receives far more requests from editors to publish in mainstream media than he can fulfill. Yon is focused on his readers. They pay his bills. Like any other wage slave, Yon needs to do what puts food on his plate.

As Publicus has said, he's more than likely on the US "watch" list in Thailand anyway, I still enjoy a lot of what he posts, but he's been biased from the get go, and anyone who said differently on his site was banned and their comments deleted, he does not handle criticism very well, he relies on his faithful to stand up for him, if they had only carried out their own due diligence on him, they might not be treating him with as much reverence.

I do not blame Yon for ignoring ill informed critics like yourself one bit. There are never enough hours left in the day to endlessly correct every malign statement made about him.

As for "US watch lists," the US government is well aware of Yon's whereabouts, and his daily activities. He corresponds endlessly with US government employees.

Any more stupid comments to waste my time with?

I hate spam.

[Fat Haggis]

Thank you for setting the records straight so to put, and I'll put my hands up and say that I took the words of your fellow SF guys over at PF to be accurate and truthful, as I said, I do like a lot of his posts, he likes to get "reactions" I think that's what he excels at, and now that you've verified he's done a lot more than what was posted at pf, I'll keep my mind open..

The only thing I'd perhaps disagree with you is the finances part, I don't rely on donations and therefore my earnings are not really in the public interest, as I hold down a regular job and the only people I'm accountable for that is my wife, my ex wife and my kids, after they take their cut... I'm broke!!

Again thank you for your insight to Michael Yon, he's a character, that's for sure!!

[Skint]

Thank you for setting the records straight so to put, and I'll put my hands up and say that I took the words of your fellow SF guys over at PF to be accurate and truthful, as I said, I do like a lot of his posts, he likes to get "reactions" I think that's what he excels at, and now that you've verified he's done a lot more than what was posted at pf, I'll keep my mind open..

The only thing I'd perhaps disagree with you is the finances part, I don't rely on donations and therefore my earnings are not really in the public interest, as I hold down a regular job and the only people I'm accountable for that is my wife, my ex wife and my kids, after they take their cut... I'm broke!!

Again thank you for your insight to Michael Yon, he's a character, that's for sure!!

Public wanking of Michael yon if I ever did see it, his coverage of whatever it is he is doing and taking donations stinks I do not believe he has any real interest in Thailand.

[ma91c1an]

A character he certainly is. Nobody who lives as long as we have is going to have a past path free of critics. Certainly some criticism is deserved. I lose patience when I see misinformed memes repeated about Yon, as I do know him quite well.

He makes no bones about his personal politics, and he is as entitled to his preferences as any of us. I will say that his personal views derive from a much deeper analysis than many realize. He is also quick to publish a correction or a retraction.

As for his personal finances, he is under no obligation to share that information with anyone. It is between him and the IRS. As for the sniping about Yon's "work permit," or his visa, the Royal Thai Government is acutely aware of his presence and his activities in the kingdom.

I thought it fascinating, in fact, that Yon remained unmolested by the former Puea Thai government, as his coverage of the Whistleblower protests continued. The Reds, who know him well in Chiang Mai, likewise left him be. When Yon visited the Red protest site, he was not abused in any way.

For all those critics of the coup who claim that the media is not free in Thailand, I will agree to the extent that lèse majesté is illegal. Aside from that, it is possible to publish just about anything here. I will add that I think that CNN and BBC both merit their sustained time-out on TrueVisions. I hope that it costs them both a ton of money. If they are smart, they will tighten up their editorial processes and pursue a more balanced and sober reporting from the kingdom.

As an American, I believe in a free press. But this is Thailand. The generals are now in charge. They are loyal to their people and to their King. Bottom line.

I would finally add that the press in America is not free. We believe that it is, but if the recent character assassination directed at Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden is any indicator, the mass media in America is outright owned by corporate America, the same malign actors that Ike warned about in his infamous address on the military-industrial complex.

There are efforts afoot, moreover, to bring the wild parts of the internet under control. We are living in historic times, in the infancy, still, of the internet, which only was born for practical purposes around 1995. Next year, the internet as most of us know it will be twenty years old.

I pray that it may never be regulated. The eruption of the net in the past twenty years has been the most momentous development in the history of the human race. Nothing matters more.

I hate spam.

[ma91c1an]

Thank you for setting the records straight so to put, and I'll put my hands up and say that I took the words of your fellow SF guys over at PF to be accurate and truthful, as I said, I do like a lot of his posts, he likes to get "reactions" I think that's what he excels at, and now that you've verified he's done a lot more than what was posted at pf, I'll keep my mind open..

The only thing I'd perhaps disagree with you is the finances part, I don't rely on donations and therefore my earnings are not really in the public interest, as I hold down a regular job and the only people I'm accountable for that is my wife, my ex wife and my kids, after they take their cut... I'm broke!!

Again thank you for your insight to Michael Yon, he's a character, that's for sure!!

I just wanted to add, thank you kindly for your courtesy.

I hate spam.

[sumtingwong]

There is a very good reason international community is concerned, I suggest people look up andrew spooner channel on you tube latest upload..... snatching a woman off the street in broad daylight by taxi is very very worrying.

Since when does the military use taxis? Women being snatched happens all the time in Thailand and the world.

I suppose this was the military too.

Bangkok: Woman jumps into canal to escape pervert taxi driver

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/729270-bangkok-woman-jumps-into-canal-to-escape-pervert-taxi-driver/

[jayboy]

A character he certainly is. Nobody who lives as long as we have is going to have a past path free of critics. Certainly some criticism is deserved. I lose patience when I see misinformed memes repeated about Yon, as I do know him quite well.

He makes no bones about his personal politics, and he is as entitled to his preferences as any of us. I will say that his personal views derive from a much deeper analysis than many realize. He is also quick to publish a correction or a retraction.

As for his personal finances, he is under no obligation to share that information with anyone. It is between him and the IRS. As for the sniping about Yon's "work permit," or his visa, the Royal Thai Government is acutely aware of his presence and his activities in the kingdom.

I thought it fascinating, in fact, that Yon remained unmolested by the former Puea Thai government, as his coverage of the Whistleblower protests continued. The Reds, who know him well in Chiang Mai, likewise left him be. When Yon visited the Red protest site, he was not abused in any way.

For all those critics of the coup who claim that the media is not free in Thailand, I will agree to the extent that lèse majesté is illegal. Aside from that, it is possible to publish just about anything here. I will add that I think that CNN and BBC both merit their sustained time-out on TrueVisions. I hope that it costs them both a ton of money. If they are smart, they will tighten up their editorial processes and pursue a more balanced and sober reporting from the kingdom.

As an American, I believe in a free press. But this is Thailand. The generals are now in charge. They are loyal to their people and to their King. Bottom line.

I would finally add that the press in America is not free. We believe that it is, but if the recent character assassination directed at Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden is any indicator, the mass media in America is outright owned by corporate America, the same malign actors that Ike warned about in his infamous address on the military-industrial complex.

There are efforts afoot, moreover, to bring the wild parts of the internet under control. We are living in historic times, in the infancy, still, of the internet, which only was born for practical purposes around 1995. Next year, the internet as most of us know it will be twenty years old.

I pray that it may never be regulated. The eruption of the net in the past twenty years has been the most momentous development in the history of the human race. Nothing matters more.

I hate spam.

Nonsense.There is no deep analysis from Yon.He is an opportunistic semi educated goon with no credibility at all with other than the gullible.Your remarks about the generals in charge are ridiculous and could have been borrowed from the Yonster.

What's sad is to see Americans who profess patriotism but despise the ideals of Jefferson and Founding Fathers..

And on his snake oil fund raising activities you are simply wrong.He is guilty of defrauding the public.

Edited June 2, 2014 by jayboy

[englishoak]

There is a very good reason international community is concerned, I suggest people look up andrew spooner channel on you tube latest upload..... snatching a woman off the street in broad daylight by taxi is very very worrying.

Since when does the military use taxis? Women being snatched happens all the time in Thailand and the world.

I suppose this was the military too.

Bangkok: Woman jumps into canal to escape pervert taxi driver

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/729270-bangkok-woman-jumps-into-canal-to-escape-pervert-taxi-driver/

Since now, they also use motorcycle taxis for old ladies apparently, and masquerade as press

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3SFm3ESBk4#t=118

Edited June 2, 2014 by englishoak

[smedly]

I have not read this whole thread but I'm going to say this -

I find it very disturbing the fact that representatives of the USA keep releasing these rather ill-informed inaccurate statements (another one today), it is neither helpful nor productive, they should either get their facts in order or say nothing at all.

The so called Democracy wasn't working here and has rightly been suspended with the support of over 75% of the Thai people, as far as I can see the Junta is doing a better job at running the country than any past government has.

Thailand is on a path to an election - let it run it's course USA and either support it or be silent

[jayboy]

I have not read this whole thread but I'm going to say this -

I find it very disturbing the fact that representatives of the USA keep releasing these rather ill-informed inaccurate statements (another one today), it is neither helpful nor productive, they should either get their facts in order or say nothing at all.

The so called Democracy wasn't working here and has rightly been suspended with the support of over 75% of the Thai people, as far as I can see the Junta is doing a better job at running the country than any past government has.

Thailand is on a path to an election - let it run it's course USA and either support it or be silent

I don't say your view isn't widely shared among expatriates here but that doesn't make it right.To many what you call "ill informed statements" seem simplly undeniable statements of fact.

The figure of 75% support you attribute to the Thai people is simply not possible to know.An election would clarify matters but that is not going to happen of course.

It's not just the US Government which has condemned current developments in Thailand.It's the entire civilised world.Some governments (like Australia) have gone further and banned entry to the Junta.

Finally a word on the appalling Michael Yon.The exposure this joke person has achieved in the current crisis is because there are no repeat no credible foreign media or opinion sources giving the current regime a sympathetic view.Thus a huckster like Yon and a fruitcake like Tony Cartalucci serve some purpose even among people who should know better.To me a very sad sight was a highly educated man like Abhisit giving the Yonster the time of day.

[ma91c1an]

A character he certainly is. Nobody who lives as long as we have is going to have a past path free of critics. Certainly some criticism is deserved. I lose patience when I see misinformed memes repeated about Yon, as I do know him quite well.

He makes no bones about his personal politics, and he is as entitled to his preferences as any of us. I will say that his personal views derive from a much deeper analysis than many realize. He is also quick to publish a correction or a retraction.

As for his personal finances, he is under no obligation to share that information with anyone. It is between him and the IRS. As for the sniping about Yon's "work permit," or his visa, the Royal Thai Government is acutely aware of his presence and his activities in the kingdom.

I thought it fascinating, in fact, that Yon remained unmolested by the former Puea Thai government, as his coverage of the Whistleblower protests continued. The Reds, who know him well in Chiang Mai, likewise left him be. When Yon visited the Red protest site, he was not abused in any way.

For all those critics of the coup who claim that the media is not free in Thailand, I will agree to the extent that lèse majesté is illegal. Aside from that, it is possible to publish just about anything here. I will add that I think that CNN and BBC both merit their sustained time-out on TrueVisions. I hope that it costs them both a ton of money. If they are smart, they will tighten up their editorial processes and pursue a more balanced and sober reporting from the kingdom.

As an American, I believe in a free press. But this is Thailand. The generals are now in charge. They are loyal to their people and to their King. Bottom line.

I would finally add that the press in America is not free. We believe that it is, but if the recent character assassination directed at Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden is any indicator, the mass media in America is outright owned by corporate America, the same malign actors that Ike warned about in his infamous address on the military-industrial complex.

There are efforts afoot, moreover, to bring the wild parts of the internet under control. We are living in historic times, in the infancy, still, of the internet, which only was born for practical purposes around 1995. Next year, the internet as most of us know it will be twenty years old.

I pray that it may never be regulated. The eruption of the net in the past twenty years has been the most momentous development in the history of the human race. Nothing matters more.

I hate spam.

Nonsense.There is no deep analysis from Yon.He is an opportunistic semi educated goon with no credibility at all with other than the gullible.Your remarks about the generals in charge are ridiculous and could have been borrowed from the Yonster.

What's sad is to see Americans who profess patriotism but despise the ideals of Jefferson and Founding Fathers..

And on his snake oil fund raising activities you are simply wrong.He is guilty of defrauding the public.

I disagree.

So now what?

Ok. I will play.

1. "No deep analysis from Yon." Did you bother to read his articles on the Whistleblowers on his magazine site? No one reported with more depth on the constituent organizations or their activities. Any journalist or academic that writes about recent events must either consult those articles, or be impoverished with a shallow understanding that leaves them regurgitating one another's drive-bys.

2. "Semi educated?" That must be why he has 240,000 fans on his Facebook. "No credibility?" Again, 240,000 fans, and a half million readers on a daily basis, must all be stupid. Oh, and "gullible." No need to substantiate any of these statements. This is the internet. Anyone can pontificate to their heart's desire. Please continue. What you write, and what you think, has swayed me not one iota.

3. My comments about the generals in charge are ridiculous? Again, illuminate me. I assure you that my words are my own. I borrow from no one.

4. How you get the idea that "Americans who profess patriotism but despise the ideals of Jefferson and Founding Fathers" mystifies me. Again, 'fess up and substantiate your ludicrous statement. I would love to hear it. Except that it might make my IQ drop.

5. "Defrauding the public?" "Snake oil?" I know that I am going to regret giving you the time of day, but I feel that such bitterness must be given an opportunity to explain itself.

So go ahead. You get five more minutes of my time. Then I am moving on.

I hate spam.

[binjalin]

I have not read this whole thread but I'm going to say this -

I find it very disturbing the fact that representatives of the USA keep releasing these rather ill-informed inaccurate statements (another one today), it is neither helpful nor productive, they should either get their facts in order or say nothing at all.

The so called Democracy wasn't working here and has rightly been suspended with the support of over 75% of the Thai people, as far as I can see the Junta is doing a better job at running the country than any past government has.

Thailand is on a path to an election - let it run it's course USA and either support it or be silent

75%? where did that come from? or are you making it up as usual?

Edited June 2, 2014 by binjalin

[ma91c1an]

I have not read this whole thread but I'm going to say this -

I find it very disturbing the fact that representatives of the USA keep releasing these rather ill-informed inaccurate statements (another one today), it is neither helpful nor productive, they should either get their facts in order or say nothing at all.

The so called Democracy wasn't working here and has rightly been suspended with the support of over 75% of the Thai people, as far as I can see the Junta is doing a better job at running the country than any past government has.

Thailand is on a path to an election - let it run it's course USA and either support it or be silent

I don't say your view isn't widely shared among expatriates here but that doesn't make it right.To many what you call "ill informed statements" seem simplly undeniable statements of fact.

The figure of 75% support you attribute to the Thai people is simply not possible to know.An election would clarify matters but that is not going to happen of course.

Do you even live here? Anyone that lives in Bangkok can put a finger on the pulse of the populace and come up with the conclusion that the coup is popular. Unless you are just blinded by your own ideological blinkers, and will endlessly argue stupid points for no conceivable reason on bulletin boards.

It's not just the US Government which has condemned current developments in Thailand.It's the entire civilised world.Some governments (like Australia) have gone further and banned entry to the Junta.

So what? Is this a popularity contest? I think that Thailand will be better off without the approval of the majority of the Western world. Thailand does not need friends like that. The governments pontificating and making sanctimonious pronouncements are taking cheap shots that do nothing to advance an agenda of true reform in the Kingdom. True friends would engage in deeper analysis. But true friends would not be so easily persuaded by Thaksin's public relations firms.

Here is a patriotic American statement for you: I hope that Thailand's generals, despite decades of close relations with the United States, cozy up to Chinese competitors and the Russians. It is high time that America understands that there is competition in this region, and it is also time that the pathetic crew ushered into power with the ascent of the Obama administration realizes that they are outclassed, and losing on multiple fronts worldwide.

Finally a word on the appalling Michael Yon.The exposure this joke person has achieved in the current crisis is because there are no repeat no credible foreign media or opinion sources giving the current regime a sympathetic view.Thus a huckster like Yon and a fruitcake like Tony Cartalucci serve some purpose even among people who should know better.To me a very sad sight was a highly educated man like Abhisit giving the Yonster the time of day.

Abhisit and Yon are actually friends, to the degree that there can be friendship between such people. Now you have a reason to claim that Abhisit is stupid. Go ahead. This is the internet. There is no need to rationally argue anything, or provide evidence, or substantiate your ad hominem attacks.

What else you got?

I hate spam.

[jayboy]

A character he certainly is. Nobody who lives as long as we have is going to have a past path free of critics. Certainly some criticism is deserved. I lose patience when I see misinformed memes repeated about Yon, as I do know him quite well.

He makes no bones about his personal politics, and he is as entitled to his preferences as any of us. I will say that his personal views derive from a much deeper analysis than many realize. He is also quick to publish a correction or a retraction.

As for his personal finances, he is under no obligation to share that information with anyone. It is between him and the IRS. As for the sniping about Yon's "work permit," or his visa, the Royal Thai Government is acutely aware of his presence and his activities in the kingdom.

I thought it fascinating, in fact, that Yon remained unmolested by the former Puea Thai government, as his coverage of the Whistleblower protests continued. The Reds, who know him well in Chiang Mai, likewise left him be. When Yon visited the Red protest site, he was not abused in any way.

For all those critics of the coup who claim that the media is not free in Thailand, I will agree to the extent that lèse majesté is illegal. Aside from that, it is possible to publish just about anything here. I will add that I think that CNN and BBC both merit their sustained time-out on TrueVisions. I hope that it costs them both a ton of money. If they are smart, they will tighten up their editorial processes and pursue a more balanced and sober reporting from the kingdom.

As an American, I believe in a free press. But this is Thailand. The generals are now in charge. They are loyal to their people and to their King. Bottom line.

I would finally add that the press in America is not free. We believe that it is, but if the recent character assassination directed at Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden is any indicator, the mass media in America is outright owned by corporate America, the same malign actors that Ike warned about in his infamous address on the military-industrial complex.

There are efforts afoot, moreover, to bring the wild parts of the internet under control. We are living in historic times, in the infancy, still, of the internet, which only was born for practical purposes around 1995. Next year, the internet as most of us know it will be twenty years old.

I pray that it may never be regulated. The eruption of the net in the past twenty years has been the most momentous development in the history of the human race. Nothing matters more.

I hate spam.

Nonsense.There is no deep analysis from Yon.He is an opportunistic semi educated goon with no credibility at all with other than the gullible.Your remarks about the generals in charge are ridiculous and could have been borrowed from the Yonster.

What's sad is to see Americans who profess patriotism but despise the ideals of Jefferson and Founding Fathers..

And on his snake oil fund raising activities you are simply wrong.He is guilty of defrauding the public.

I disagree.

So now what?

Ok. I will play.

1. "No deep analysis from Yon." Did you bother to read his articles on the Whistleblowers on his magazine site? No one reported with more depth on the constituent organizations or their activities. Any journalist or academic that writes about recent events must either consult those articles, or be impoverished with a shallow understanding that leaves them regurgitating one another's drive-bys.

2. "Semi educated?" That must be why he has 240,000 fans on his Facebook. "No credibility?" Again, 240,000 fans, and a half million readers on a daily basis, must all be stupid. Oh, and "gullible." No need to substantiate any of these statements. This is the internet. Anyone can pontificate to their heart's desire. Please continue. What you write, and what you think, has swayed me not one iota.

3. My comments about the generals in charge are ridiculous? Again, illuminate me. I assure you that my words are my own. I borrow from no one.

4. How you get the idea that "Americans who profess patriotism but despise the ideals of Jefferson and Founding Fathers" mystifies me. Again, 'fess up and substantiate your ludicrous statement. I would love to hear it. Except that it might make my IQ drop.

5. "Defrauding the public?" "Snake oil?" I know that I am going to regret giving you the time of day, but I feel that such bitterness must be given an opportunity to explain itself.

So go ahead. You get five more minutes of my time. Then I am moving on.

I hate spam.

Save this mindless junk for the the bars where there are many veterans who ruminate endlessly on these US military trivia matters.There used to be places on Washington Square where ex US army drunks, some of them quite amiable wittered on endlessly in this manner.None of them as far as I know had been commissioned officers.

Yon is a fraud and a huckster, and knows nothing about Thailand beyond what he is fed..If you see him as informed or interesting, that's your privilege.

[Dogmatix]

Time for Ambassador Kenney to be transferred to an inactive post in a windowless office at the state department. Perhaps there is something for her in the HR department or accounts.

[casualbiker]

Time for Ambassador Kenney to be transferred to an inactive post in a windowless office at the state department. Perhaps there is something for her in the HR department or accounts.

Give her windows but NO internet access!

Sent from my XT1032 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Thai at Heart]

I have not read this whole thread but I'm going to say this -

I find it very disturbing the fact that representatives of the USA keep releasing these rather ill-informed inaccurate statements (another one today), it is neither helpful nor productive, they should either get their facts in order or say nothing at all.

The so called Democracy wasn't working here and has rightly been suspended with the support of over 75% of the Thai people, as far as I can see the Junta is doing a better job at running the country than any past government has.

Thailand is on a path to an election - let it run it's course USA and either support it or be silent

Where do you pluck 75% from?

[Fat Haggis]

I'd be inclined to agree that there's a difference between "fans" and "followers" , you don't have to be a "fan" to follow someone. ..just saying it's the same as the "like" button on each post, I click the like because somewhere within that post there's something I like, it doesn't necessary mean that I agree with the entire contents of the post..