China praises NCPO even as US cuts military aid

[VegasVic]

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The USA. Is currently being rules by a pack of monkeys

I don't know about a pack of monkeys, but there is at least one monkey wearing a suit in the White House

[VegasVic]

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I wonder what the member sumtingwong thinks of this? for weeks he's been calling anyone who he deemed appropriately because they didn't support Suthep or the Junta, "red commie lovers" ... and here we have the Junta having the praise lauded on them by Red Commies ... oh the irony!!! alt=cheesy.gif width=32 height=20>

Don't encourage Sumti to get off his barstool since he will just start posting more illogical rants

[tonbridgebrit]

Right, with the junta, Thailand has moved more towards China in one month than it did during the fifteen years of Thaksin and Abhisit in charge.

Actually, is becoming more aligned to China rather than America a bad thing ?

Thailand IS actually a Far East country, is it normal and natural for a Far East country to be linked to America rather than a massive nation that's actually in the area ?

And when we bear in mind that the bulk of the Thais who are prominent and have money, (we're talking about people like Thaksin, Abhisit, Sondhi, Porntip, etc), they're actually Chinese. Is it that surprising that Thailand is moving towards China ?

Thaksin and Abhisit were already steering Thailand towards China. The junta is making far quicker progress in this, because the USA is actually un-intentionally forcing this through !!

Why is allying with China a good thing? So Thailand can join the likes of North Korea? Look at how horrible the Chinese government is (Tiananmen Square, Tibet, Falun Gong, the continuing suppression of free speech, to name the first four things that came to mind) ...

Well, if Thailand does become more aligned with China, it will still stay an independent nation. It becomes aligned, in the sense that Thailand will have greater trade and diplomatic links with China rather than America or Europe.

Tiananmen Square happened 25 years ago, that doesn't make it right, but it was a quarter of a century ago. And I really do think that Falun Gong's popularity was massively exaggerated by the media.

And Hong Kong, Hong Kong IS controlled by Beijing. And Hong Kong does have a lot of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc. People might actually claim that Hong Kong has more freedom of speech than Thailand !!

[iphad]

Right, with the junta, Thailand has moved more towards China in one month than it did during the fifteen years of Thaksin and Abhisit in charge.

Actually, is becoming more aligned to China rather than America a bad thing ?

Thailand IS actually a Far East country, is it normal and natural for a Far East country to be linked to America rather than a massive nation that's actually in the area ?

And when we bear in mind that the bulk of the Thais who are prominent and have money, (we're talking about people like Thaksin, Abhisit, Sondhi, Porntip, etc), they're actually Chinese. Is it that surprising that Thailand is moving towards China ?

Thaksin and Abhisit were already steering Thailand towards China. The junta is making far quicker progress in this, because the USA is actually un-intentionally forcing this through !!

Why is allying with China a good thing? So Thailand can join the likes of North Korea? Look at how horrible the Chinese government is (Tiananmen Square, Tibet, Falun Gong, the continuing suppression of free speech, to name the first four things that came to mind) ...

Well, if Thailand does become more aligned with China, it will still stay an independent nation. It becomes aligned, in the sense that Thailand will have greater trade and diplomatic links with China rather than America or Europe.

Tiananmen Square happened 25 years ago, that doesn't make it right, but it was a quarter of a century ago. And I really do think that Falun Gong's popularity was massively exaggerated by the media.

And Hong Kong, Hong Kong IS controlled by Beijing. And Hong Kong does have a lot of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc. People might actually claim that Hong Kong has more freedom of speech than Thailand !!

sorry to interject but the Tiananmen Square massacre never happened...it was the western media lies..remember Iraq...the West was trying to make China look bad...& if you repeat it in the news enough times...people believe it.

Wikileaks: no bloodshed inside Tiananmen Square, cables claim Secret cables from the United States embassy in Beijing have shown there was no bloodshed inside Tiananmen Square when China put down student pro-democracy demonstrations 22 years ago. Edited June 27, 2014 by iphad

[VegasVic]

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What a surprise, China seeks to make political capitol out of a rift between LoS and the US and if the roles were reversed the US would be doing exactly the same thing.

I wonder how many Thais will think it's wonderful to be the centre of attention from major powers without considering the potential consequences of being a pawn in an international game.

This may help the US government stop it pretentious 'moral high-horse' behavior and behave a little more pragmatically toward Thailand and the rest of the world. The US, in the past, has supported some of the worst dictators on the planet and now they are blind to the benefits of temporarily taking crooked politicians out of power in Thailand? 'The Emperor (US) has no clothes'. The world knows the US says one thing and does another. Hypocrisy personified.

Rame, Hypocrisy is part of the human condition no one person or country has a corner on the market for hypocrisy I can assure you, with that said the U.S. certainly should spend more time turning their gaze inwards and begin to solve problems within its borders (one of which is they need to secure their own borders!) . As far as the suspension of military aid to Thailand goes, it was a very nominal amount and it was automatically triggered when the elected government was overthrown, in other words there was no conscious decision that "we will show Thailand how much we disapprove" it was automatically triggered by Federal laws in the U.S. Sadly you are correct that currently in the U.S. we have an emperor that has no cloths, however we will begin to rectify this situation in November of this year and fully rectify the situation in November 2016. You see in the U.S. we do follow the rule of law (as convoluted as that may sometimes seem) and do not revert to governmental overthrow every time we disagree with the government we simply vote them out at the next election

[Fat Haggis]

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Baerboxer, You my friend are obviously clueless as to what is going on in Issan currently, the Thai army is not just searching the homes of leftwing red activists looking for "weapons cashes" they are going through every home in the village, village after village and seizing legally owned weapons from poor farmers. Let us objectively take a look what has transpired in the last few months- (1) The Military overthrows a democratically elected government (2) The military then declares martial law and sets curfews (3) The military then tears up the Thai constitution (4) The military makes it be known that there will be severe penalties for questioning its motives and actions (5) The military marches through Issan entering house after house and confiscates any and all weapons weather they be legally owned or not. If you can not see the parallels between what is occuring in Thailand right now and what the Nazis did in 1933 then you are blind my friend Or as Santayana once put it "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it"

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Well Us needs to get their heads out of their <deleted> and look a little harder at the ramifications of imposing sanctions.. With China so near it would only take a meager offer of support from them to sway Thailands political relationships with foreign countries... Does America want to lose their place here in Thailand to the Chinese? It very well could happen if the US tries to interfere more in Thai politics and with this coupe... The Us should bow down to the Army for stopping a civil war and for trying to end the corruption here but since the US supports Thaksin and Yingluck this won't happen.... The Us has it's own idea of Democracy and if it does not benefit them they refuse to accept change...

Where does it say that the U.S. has imposed sanctions??? Is this someything that you are hoping for or is it just your wild imagination at work alt=rolleyes.gif> All the U.S. did was cut back a few million Dollars of military aid that they were forced to do becuase of the military overthrow of a Democratically elected government. I see you think that the U.S. should bow down to the Thai army, BTW this is the same Thai army that is curently going from house to house throughout Issan and seizing legally owned weapons, sounds a lot like Germany in 1933 to me alt=thumbsup.gif> Sieg Heil my clueless friend

So you think all those weapons cashes that have been found and all the weapons in Issan are legally bought and registered with the correct permits?

And you think others are clueless. Dream on if it makes you happy.

Ps, can you find any reference citing a reliable source that says legal weapons were seized from people in 1933 Germany? Talking of wild imaginations,

You really are beyond help. Comparing the current situation in Thailand to the rise of the Nazis in Germany in the 30's.

As for Isaan. None of my family, extended family, many friends, Thai and farang live throughout this region have experienced what you describe. Not one has seen these house to house searches or the military marching around that you so vividly portray. No one else had posted similar experiences to you.

Any photos? Did you take a few pics to share of these ruthless stormtroopers marching around ransacking innocent farmers homes and seizing their hunting guns?

(The didn't do that in Germany in 1933 either).

Whatever your on, stay of it.

I'll keep an eye open as I'm back home next week, I'll just not be eating a sandwich wearing my Katness Everden T-shirt if the Army do come a knocking.

[VegasVic]

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Right, with the junta, Thailand has moved more towards China in one month than it did during the fifteen years of Thaksin and Abhisit in charge.

Actually, is becoming more aligned to China rather than America a bad thing ?
Thailand IS actually a Far East country, is it normal and natural for a Far East country to be linked to America rather than a massive nation that's actually in the area ?
And when we bear in mind that the bulk of the Thais who are prominent and have money, (we're talking about people like Thaksin, Abhisit, Sondhi, Porntip, etc), they're actually Chinese. Is it that surprising that Thailand is moving towards China ?

Thaksin and Abhisit were already steering Thailand towards China. The junta is making far quicker progress in this, because the USA is actually un-intentionally forcing this through !!

Why is allying with China a good thing? So Thailand can join the likes of North Korea? Look at how horrible the Chinese government is (Tiananmen Square, Tibet, Falun Gong, the continuing suppression of free speech, to name the first four things that came to mind) ...

Well, if Thailand does become more aligned with China, it will still stay an independent nation. It becomes aligned, in the sense that Thailand will have greater trade and diplomatic links with China rather than America or Europe.

Tiananmen Square happened 25 years ago, that doesn't make it right, but it was a quarter of a century ago. And I really do think that Falun Gong's popularity was massively exaggerated by the media.

And Hong Kong, Hong Kong IS controlled by Beijing. And Hong Kong does have a lot of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc. People might actually claim that Hong Kong has more freedom of speech than Thailand !!

sorry to interject but the Tiananmen Square massacre never happened...it was the western media lies..remember Iraq...the West was trying to make China look bad...& if you repeat it in the news enough times...people believe it.

Wikileaks: no bloodshed inside Tiananmen Square, cables claim Secret cables from the United States embassy in Beijing have shown there was no bloodshed inside Tiananmen Square when China put down student pro-democracy demonstrations 22 years ago.

Keep on drinking that koolaid there iphad, you know if you drink enough of it you will actually begin to believe what you are posting is true

[Morch]

Right, with the junta, Thailand has moved more towards China in one month than it did during the fifteen years of Thaksin and Abhisit in charge.

Actually, is becoming more aligned to China rather than America a bad thing ?

Thailand IS actually a Far East country, is it normal and natural for a Far East country to be linked to America rather than a massive nation that's actually in the area ?

And when we bear in mind that the bulk of the Thais who are prominent and have money, (we're talking about people like Thaksin, Abhisit, Sondhi, Porntip, etc), they're actually Chinese. Is it that surprising that Thailand is moving towards China ?

Thaksin and Abhisit were already steering Thailand towards China. The junta is making far quicker progress in this, because the USA is actually un-intentionally forcing this through !!

Why is allying with China a good thing? So Thailand can join the likes of North Korea? Look at how horrible the Chinese government is (Tiananmen Square, Tibet, Falun Gong, the continuing suppression of free speech, to name the first four things that came to mind) ...

Well, if Thailand does become more aligned with China, it will still stay an independent nation. It becomes aligned, in the sense that Thailand will have greater trade and diplomatic links with China rather than America or Europe.

Tiananmen Square happened 25 years ago, that doesn't make it right, but it was a quarter of a century ago. And I really do think that Falun Gong's popularity was massively exaggerated by the media.

And Hong Kong, Hong Kong IS controlled by Beijing. And Hong Kong does have a lot of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc. People might actually claim that Hong Kong has more freedom of speech than Thailand !!

sorry to interject but the Tiananmen Square massacre never happened...it was the western media lies..remember Iraq...the West was trying to make China look bad...& if you repeat it in the news enough times...people believe it.

Wikileaks: no bloodshed inside Tiananmen Square, cables claim Secret cables from the United States embassy in Beijing have shown there was no bloodshed inside Tiananmen Square when China put down student pro-democracy demonstrations 22 years ago.

Indeed.

Quite a few people did die, though, but guess it doesn't count because it wasn't at the square.

[Morch]

it's not like picking sides on a football team...I am guessing from the anti Junta posters that appear to be pro american/west that Thailand deserves to be isolated from the rest of the world because of their move to military control & lack of freedoms.

Not just isolated..but made to pay economically..as it serves the Thai right..for all their Thainess.

But then China speaks up for support of the Junta and it's like the Chinese are going to invade..since they invaded Tibet....................in 1950 ...or say north korea & Russia too.

yeah Thailand will be communist & China will take everything from Thailand...but the US offers freedom..& a chance to play with the big boys but you have to pay your penalty so sit back until you learn your place at the bottom of the heap.Then you can play again.

I'm not sure where any of you anti Thailand posters studied any history,or political science but it is entertaining watch you cry a river of tears.

We should bear in mind that the Beijing government today is not the same as it was in 1950. A lot of people do feel that the only connection between today's Chinese government and the regime in 1950 is only the name, the Communist Party !

Is it possible to be a Thaksinite, and to have no problem with the junta steering Thailand towards China ? Did Thaksin have some friends in Beijing ?

Is it possible to be pro-coup, but to dis-like the fact that Thailand is drifting away from Europe and America, and moving towards China ?

You are very correct China is not the same as in 1950...but since that was like 64 years ago...some posters use that as an example of China invading countries.

China has foreign reserves they are not in debt...they take over countries economically now.

I'm sure Thailand will strike a balance between the west & China..I don't think Thailand is going over to the other side.

This drama with the west will be over within the year but meanwhile Thailand has to find places to trade...not as if the US or EU are doing that great economically despite their cooked books & expectations.

China will be the largest economy in the world in 10-15 years....they'r saving their money not investing in wars.

The PRC had wars with many of its neighbors, over the years. Some were termed border disputes.

They are currently engaged in demonstrating the finer points of being the neighbors from hell, and are

actually investing a pretty penny in building up their military capabilities.

[baboon]

Right, with the junta, Thailand has moved more towards China in one month than it did during the fifteen years of Thaksin and Abhisit in charge.

Actually, is becoming more aligned to China rather than America a bad thing ?

Thailand IS actually a Far East country, is it normal and natural for a Far East country to be linked to America rather than a massive nation that's actually in the area ?

And when we bear in mind that the bulk of the Thais who are prominent and have money, (we're talking about people like Thaksin, Abhisit, Sondhi, Porntip, etc), they're actually Chinese. Is it that surprising that Thailand is moving towards China ?

Thaksin and Abhisit were already steering Thailand towards China. The junta is making far quicker progress in this, because the USA is actually un-intentionally forcing this through !!

Why is allying with China a good thing? So Thailand can join the likes of North Korea? Look at how horrible the Chinese government is (Tiananmen Square, Tibet, Falun Gong, the continuing suppression of free speech, to name the first four things that came to mind) ...

Well, if Thailand does become more aligned with China, it will still stay an independent nation. It becomes aligned, in the sense that Thailand will have greater trade and diplomatic links with China rather than America or Europe.

Tiananmen Square happened 25 years ago, that doesn't make it right, but it was a quarter of a century ago. And I really do think that Falun Gong's popularity was massively exaggerated by the media.

And Hong Kong, Hong Kong IS controlled by Beijing. And Hong Kong does have a lot of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, etc. People might actually claim that Hong Kong has more freedom of speech than Thailand !!

sorry to interject but the Tiananmen Square massacre never happened...it was the western media lies..remember Iraq...the West was trying to make China look bad...& if you repeat it in the news enough times...people believe it. Wikileaks: no bloodshed inside Tiananmen Square, cables claim Secret cables from the United States embassy in Beijing have shown there was no bloodshed inside Tiananmen Square when China put down student pro-democracy demonstrations 22 years ago.

Mikhail Gorbachev would disagree with you. I would tend to believe him.

[VegasVic]

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Well Us needs to get their heads out of their <deleted> and look a little harder at the ramifications of imposing sanctions.. With China so near it would only take a meager offer of support from them to sway Thailands political relationships with foreign countries... Does America want to lose their place here in Thailand to the Chinese? It very well could happen if the US tries to interfere more in Thai politics and with this coupe... The Us should bow down to the Army for stopping a civil war and for trying to end the corruption here but since the US supports Thaksin and Yingluck this won't happen.... The Us has it's own idea of Democracy and if it does not benefit them they refuse to accept change...

"but since the US supports Thaksin and Yingluck this won't happen...."

It is the 'New World Order'/Globalist faction within the US government that supports Dr. Thaksin as he is their representative/agent in Thailand. Unfortunately, under the current administration, Banksters and the NWO/G have inordinate influence.

Why you folks are so preoccupied with former PM Thaksin Shinawatra I will never understand, I guess it gives you a bogeyman to blame all your troubles on I can assure that the U.S. government or your bankster conspiracy has no concern for Thaksin whatsoever, if they did they would have given him political asylum long ago! The U.S. government along with the U.K., the European Union, Australia and most other countries around the globe merely want what most Thais want, and that is for elections unfettered by the military dictatorship and the drafting of a new constitution by these elected leaders that can not be "torn up" every time the military gets the inkling to overthrow the government- in other words they want some stability in Thailand

[rametindallas]

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What a surprise, China seeks to make political capitol out of a rift between LoS and the US and if the roles were reversed the US would be doing exactly the same thing.

I wonder how many Thais will think it's wonderful to be the centre of attention from major powers without considering the potential consequences of being a pawn in an international game.

This may help the US government stop it pretentious 'moral high-horse' behavior and behave a little more pragmatically toward Thailand and the rest of the world. The US, in the past, has supported some of the worst dictators on the planet and now they are blind to the benefits of temporarily taking crooked politicians out of power in Thailand? 'The Emperor (US) has no clothes'. The world knows the US says one thing and does another. Hypocrisy personified.

Rame, Hypocrisy is part of the human condition no one person or country has a corner on the market for hypocrisy I can assure you, with that said the U.S. certainly should spend more time turning their gaze inwards and begin to solve problems within its borders (one of which is they need to secure their own borders!) . As far as the suspension of military aid to Thailand goes, it was a very nominal amount and it was automatically triggered when the elected government was overthrown, in other words there was no conscious decision that "we will show Thailand how much we disapprove" it was automatically triggered by Federal laws in the U.S. Sadly you are correct that currently in the U.S. we have an emperor that has no cloths, however we will begin to rectify this situation in November of this year and fully rectify the situation in November 2016. You see in the U.S. we do follow the rule of law (as convoluted as that may sometimes seem) and do not revert to governmental overthrow every time we disagree with the government we simply vote them out at the next election

I admit I may have gone a little overboard in my criticism, but the current US administration, IMHO, has one of the worst foreign policy teams I have seen since I began keeping up with politics (1960s). POTUS BHO has zero foreign policy experience/aptitude and Sec. of State John Kerry is a pretentious ass, whom no one takes seriously.

Polish Minister: Ties to USA 'Worthless'... http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/06/22/Report--Polish-minister-calls-US-ties-worthless

To answer your last point, in theory, armies should not overthrow democratically governments. Thailand has very little experience with democracy since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 and democracy has been twisted to mean 'winner takes all' and 'we have a mandate to do whatever we want, including modifying the constitution to keep us in power'. I wish this weren't so, but I am a pragmatist and so far, the NCPO has outperformed any previous government, military or civilian. I'll take a benevolent dictatorship over corrupt democracy any day. I'm not proud of that sentiment but I am so disgusted with so many previous civilian governments in Thailand who put themselves and their cronies ahead of the people they are supposed to help. Many of the previous military government have been even worse but the current chief, Gen. Prayuth, seems to be the right person in the right place at the right time. Thailand needed a 'time out' and the US should understand. The same with Egypt.

[Fat Haggis]

I worked for a Chinese drilling company for a year on one of their turnkey rigs as a security manager, and I have to be honest, I prefered them to the client I'm working for now (US).

The Chinese were well structured, and VERY set in their ways, they were abrupt and didn't listen to any advice initially, it was a tough task, but over the year, as we got to know each other, they mellowed, and were every bit as humorous as the Brits and American companies I've worked for. I left when the contract ended and on good terms, the Rig Managers worked with me, as part of a team, and they were genuinely sad as well that a good team was being broken up.

The senior management were all hard core communists, who found it difficult to accept that things were done differently in an Islamic country, but they were also very fair, and backed you to the hilt when things were not going well.

The only complaint I had was that when they were eating, it was like feeding time in a piggery, the noise was horrendous!!

[VegasVic]

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What a surprise, China seeks to make political capitol out of a rift between LoS and the US and if the roles were reversed the US would be doing exactly the same thing.

I wonder how many Thais will think it's wonderful to be the centre of attention from major powers without considering the potential consequences of being a pawn in an international game.

This may help the US government stop it pretentious 'moral high-horse' behavior and behave a little more pragmatically toward Thailand and the rest of the world. The US, in the past, has supported some of the worst dictators on the planet and now they are blind to the benefits of temporarily taking crooked politicians out of power in Thailand? 'The Emperor (US) has no clothes'. The world knows the US says one thing and does another. Hypocrisy personified.

Rame, Hypocrisy is part of the human condition no one person or country has a corner on the market for hypocrisy I can assure you, with that said the U.S. certainly should spend more time turning their gaze inwards and begin to solve problems within its borders (one of which is they need to secure their own borders!) . As far as the suspension of military aid to Thailand goes, it was a very nominal amount and it was automatically triggered when the elected government was overthrown, in other words there was no conscious decision that "we will show Thailand how much we disapprove" it was automatically triggered by Federal laws in the U.S. alt=thumbsup.gif> Sadly you are correct that currently in the U.S. we have an emperor that has no cloths, however we will begin to rectify this situation in November of this year and fully rectify the situation in November 2016. You see in the U.S. we do follow the rule of law (as convoluted as that may sometimes seem) and do not revert to governmental overthrow every time we disagree with the government we simply vote them out at the next election alt=wai2.gif width=20 height=20>

I admit I may have gone a little overboard in my criticism, but the current US administration, IMHO, has one of the worst foreign policy teams I have seen since I began keeping up with politics (1960s). POTUS BHO has zero foreign policy experience/aptitude and Sec. of State John Kerry is a pretentious ass, whom no one takes seriously.

Polish Minister: Ties to USA 'Worthless'... http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/06/22/Report--Polish-minister-calls-US-ties-worthless

To answer your last point, in theory, armies should not overthrow democratically governments. Thailand has very little experience with democracy since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932 and democracy has been twisted to mean 'winner takes all' and 'we have a mandate to do whatever we want, including modifying the constitution to keep us in power'. I wish this weren't so, but I am a pragmatist and so far, the NCPO has outperformed any previous government, military or civilian. I'll take a benevolent dictatorship over corrupt democracy any day. I'm not proud of that sentiment but I am so disgusted with so many previous civilian governments in Thailand who put themselves and their cronies ahead of the people they are supposed to help. Many of the previous military government have been even worse but the current chief, Gen. Prayuth, seems to be the right person in the right place at the right time. Thailand needed a 'time out' and the US should understand. The same with Egypt.

Rame, I find myself in complete agreement with you that there has been one foreign policy blunder after another in the Obama administration, but sadly we here in the U.S. are saddled with these amateurs for another 2 1/2 years, although this administrations power will be greatly diminished after the November elections when the Republicans take control of the Senate and kick Harry (the hypocrite) Reid out on his arse As far as General Prayuth goes I certainly hope that he lives up to your lofty expectations, keep in mind that there are very few examples of a "benevolent dictatorship" in world history

[rametindallas]

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Well Us needs to get their heads out of their <deleted> and look a little harder at the ramifications of imposing sanctions.. With China so near it would only take a meager offer of support from them to sway Thailands political relationships with foreign countries... Does America want to lose their place here in Thailand to the Chinese? It very well could happen if the US tries to interfere more in Thai politics and with this coupe... The Us should bow down to the Army for stopping a civil war and for trying to end the corruption here but since the US supports Thaksin and Yingluck this won't happen.... The Us has it's own idea of Democracy and if it does not benefit them they refuse to accept change...

"but since the US supports Thaksin and Yingluck this won't happen...."

It is the 'New World Order'/Globalist faction within the US government that supports Dr. Thaksin as he is their representative/agent in Thailand. Unfortunately, under the current administration, Banksters and the NWO/G have inordinate influence.

Why you folks are so preoccupied with former PM Thaksin Shinawatra I will never understand, I guess it gives you a bogeyman to blame all your troubles on I can assure that the U.S. government or your bankster conspiracy has no concern for Thaksin whatsoever, if they did they would have given him political asylum long ago! The U.S. government along with the U.K., the European Union, Australia and most other countries around the globe merely want what most Thais want, and that is for elections unfettered by the military dictatorship and the drafting of a new constitution by these elected leaders that can not be "torn up" every time the military gets the inkling to overthrow the government- in other words they want some stability in Thailand

Dr. Thaksin is a member of the Carlyle Group, based in Washington D.C., and that organization is a key player in New World Order globalism. The bankster/globalists do no control the U.S. government, yet, but Dr. Thaksin has been allowed to freely visit the U.S.. Dr. Thaksin cannot control the Thai government from the U.S. so he hasn't moved there, He doesn't need political asylum anywhere because there is no international arrest warrant for him (straw-man argument). You can assure me all you want, but it doesn't change the facts on the ground that Dr. Thaksin is responsible for the red/yellow divides and most political violence since he was ousted from his illegitimate position as (twice) caretaker PM in 2006. You are also mis-characterizing the NCPO by calling it a 'military dictatorship' when it will install a non-military government in September and hold new and improved elections within 18 months. I'm guessing you are a dyed-in-the-wool Thaksin apologist and nothing I write will convince you otherwise.

[spidermike007]

Well, isn't that just precious. A communist country praising a military dictator.

And I will choose a military dictator over a communist country any day of the week. So far, the military has shown great restraint, and is cleaning things up. The Chinese govt. are absolute pigs. They abuse people daily. They lock up grandmothers for practicing Falun Gong. They are comparable to the swine leading Burma. Very insecure men, with tremendous fortunes, and a lot of power. The wealth concentrated in the Chinese Politburo is mind boggling. A true den of thieves.

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[VegasVic]

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Well Us needs to get their heads out of their <deleted> and look a little harder at the ramifications of imposing sanctions.. With China so near it would only take a meager offer of support from them to sway Thailands political relationships with foreign countries... Does America want to lose their place here in Thailand to the Chinese? It very well could happen if the US tries to interfere more in Thai politics and with this coupe... The Us should bow down to the Army for stopping a civil war and for trying to end the corruption here but since the US supports Thaksin and Yingluck this won't happen.... The Us has it's own idea of Democracy and if it does not benefit them they refuse to accept change...

"but since the US supports Thaksin and Yingluck this won't happen...."

It is the 'New World Order'/Globalist faction within the US government that supports Dr. Thaksin as he is their representative/agent in Thailand. Unfortunately, under the current administration, Banksters and the NWO/G have inordinate influence.

Why you folks are so preoccupied with former PM Thaksin Shinawatra I will never understand, I guess it gives you a bogeyman to blame all your troubles on alt=rolleyes.gif> I can assure that the U.S. government or your bankster conspiracy has no concern for Thaksin whatsoever, if they did they would have given him political asylum long ago! The U.S. government along with the U.K., the European Union, Australia and most other countries around the globe merely want what most Thais want, and that is for elections unfettered by the military dictatorship and the drafting of a new constitution by these elected leaders that can not be "torn up" every time the military gets the inkling to overthrow the government- in other words they want some stability in Thailand alt=thumbsup.gif>

Dr. Thaksin is a member of the Carlyle Group, based in Washington D.C., and that organization is a key player in New World Order globalism. The bankster/globalists do no control the U.S. government, yet, but Dr. Thaksin has been allowed to freely visit the U.S.. Dr. Thaksin cannot control the Thai government from the U.S. so he hasn't moved there, He doesn't need political asylum anywhere because there is no international arrest warrant for him (straw-man argument). You can assure me all you want, but it doesn't change the facts on the ground that Dr. Thaksin is responsible for the red/yellow divides and most political violence since he was ousted from his illegitimate position as (twice) caretaker PM in 2006. You are also mis-characterizing the NCPO by calling it a 'military dictatorship' when it will install a non-military government in September and hold new and improved elections within 18 months. I'm guessing you are a dyed-in-the-wool Thaksin apologist and nothing I write will convince you otherwise.

Rame, The Carlyle Group is just another large international asset management firm that specializes in PE investments, the fact that former PM thaksin has some relationship with them is not surprising given his extreme wealth. I am no fan of these large PE firms, massive hedge fund firms or the HF trading arms that they all seem to have, they have singlehandedly ruined the market for the retail investors over the past 10-15 years As for Thaksin and his influence within Thailand, I really have no idea if he has a large influence or if it is a small but vocal group that he influences, any former PM that is deposed and is absentia would likely have some degree of influence in his native land. I am not now nor have I ever been a Thaksin apologist so your guess is dead wrong there my friend, if the Shinawatras all left Thailand tomorrow for Dubai or Switzerland it would be fine with me. The only thing that I hope for is that Gen Prayuth will call for elections sooner rather than later given that power corrupts anyone and the total power that the General wields is very dangerous and quite addictive BTW I hope you are not a supporter of this fellow Suthep as he is the biggest hypocrite in this entire soap opera

[rametindallas]

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"but since the US supports Thaksin and Yingluck this won't happen...."

It is the 'New World Order'/Globalist faction within the US government that supports Dr. Thaksin as he is their representative/agent in Thailand. Unfortunately, under the current administration, Banksters and the NWO/G have inordinate influence.

Why you folks are so preoccupied with former PM Thaksin Shinawatra I will never understand, I guess it gives you a bogeyman to blame all your troubles on alt=rolleyes.gif> I can assure that the U.S. government or your bankster conspiracy has no concern for Thaksin whatsoever, if they did they would have given him political asylum long ago! The U.S. government along with the U.K., the European Union, Australia and most other countries around the globe merely want what most Thais want, and that is for elections unfettered by the military dictatorship and the drafting of a new constitution by these elected leaders that can not be "torn up" every time the military gets the inkling to overthrow the government- in other words they want some stability in Thailand alt=thumbsup.gif>

Dr. Thaksin is a member of the Carlyle Group, based in Washington D.C., and that organization is a key player in New World Order globalism. The bankster/globalists do no control the U.S. government, yet, but Dr. Thaksin has been allowed to freely visit the U.S.. Dr. Thaksin cannot control the Thai government from the U.S. so he hasn't moved there, He doesn't need political asylum anywhere because there is no international arrest warrant for him (straw-man argument). You can assure me all you want, but it doesn't change the facts on the ground that Dr. Thaksin is responsible for the red/yellow divides and most political violence since he was ousted from his illegitimate position as (twice) caretaker PM in 2006. You are also mis-characterizing the NCPO by calling it a 'military dictatorship' when it will install a non-military government in September and hold new and improved elections within 18 months. I'm guessing you are a dyed-in-the-wool Thaksin apologist and nothing I write will convince you otherwise.

Rame, The Carlyle Group is just another large international asset management firm that specializes in PE investments, the fact that former PM thaksin has some relationship with them is not surprising given his extreme wealth. I am no fan of these large PE firms, massive hedge fund firms or the HF trading arms that they all seem to have, they have singlehandedly ruined the market for the retail investors over the past 10-15 years As for Thaksin and his influence within Thailand, I really have no idea if he has a large influence or if it is a small but vocal group that he influences, any former PM that is deposed and is absentia would likely have some degree of influence in his native land. I am not now nor have I ever been a Thaksin apologist so your guess is dead wrong there my friend, if the Shinawatras all left Thailand tomorrow for Dubai or Switzerland it would be fine with me. The only thing that I hope for is that Gen Prayuth will call for elections sooner rather than later given that power corrupts anyone and the total power that the General wields is very dangerous and quite addictive BTW I hope you are not a supporter of this fellow Suthep as he is the biggest hypocrite in this entire soap opera

"Why you folks are so preoccupied with former PM Thaksin Shinawatra I will never understand, I guess it gives you a bogeyman to blame all your troubles on"

"As for Thaksin and his influence within Thailand, I really have no idea if he has a large influence or if it is a small but vocal"

Your two statements above belie your, "I am not now nor have I ever been a Thaksin apologist"

I see in your profile that you joined this forum in 2007 and contributed 1471 posts. Either you are being deceptive or willfully blind to the power that Thaksin has proven to have wielded over his various puppet parties and his financing of the (proven) violent UDD.

As for Suthep, he is an opportunist who has even less ability than Dr. Thaksin to handle power wisely. He should be kept as far away as possible from any reform process. He made a fool of himself, just recently, claiming he had conspired with Gen. Prayuth to remove Thaksin influence. If what he said was actually true, he is a double fool.

[iphad]

it's not like picking sides on a football team...I am guessing from the anti Junta posters that appear to be pro american/west that Thailand deserves to be isolated from the rest of the world because of their move to military control & lack of freedoms.

Not just isolated..but made to pay economically..as it serves the Thai right..for all their Thainess.

But then China speaks up for support of the Junta and it's like the Chinese are going to invade..since they invaded Tibet....................in 1950 ...or say north korea & Russia too.

yeah Thailand will be communist & China will take everything from Thailand...but the US offers freedom..& a chance to play with the big boys but you have to pay your penalty so sit back until you learn your place at the bottom of the heap.Then you can play again.

I'm not sure where any of you anti Thailand posters studied any history,or political science but it is entertaining watch you cry a river of tears.

We should bear in mind that the Beijing government today is not the same as it was in 1950. A lot of people do feel that the only connection between today's Chinese government and the regime in 1950 is only the name, the Communist Party !

Is it possible to be a Thaksinite, and to have no problem with the junta steering Thailand towards China ? Did Thaksin have some friends in Beijing ?

Is it possible to be pro-coup, but to dis-like the fact that Thailand is drifting away from Europe and America, and moving towards China ?

You are very correct China is not the same as in 1950...but since that was like 64 years ago...some posters use that as an example of China invading countries.

China has foreign reserves they are not in debt...they take over countries economically now.

I'm sure Thailand will strike a balance between the west & China..I don't think Thailand is going over to the other side.

This drama with the west will be over within the year but meanwhile Thailand has to find places to trade...not as if the US or EU are doing that great economically despite their cooked books & expectations.

China will be the largest economy in the world in 10-15 years....they'r saving their money not investing in wars.

The PRC had wars with many of its neighbors, over the years. Some were termed border disputes.

They are currently engaged in demonstrating the finer points of being the neighbors from hell, and are

actually investing a pretty penny in building up their military capabilities.

I had referenced China and it's date taking over Tibet because an earlier poster had said it.

Yes China, like many countries especially the super powers have border disputes...

as in Vietnam, China invaded northern Vietnam as a response to Vietnam taking control of Cambodia..from the Pol Pot regime( probably a good thing by Vietnam) but I don't think there was an attempt to take over Vietnam & at the time.... Laos was stuck in the middle & in their slow response they supported Vietnam although knowing China is on their border.

China hasn't taken over Laos from my understanding but am sure there are many economic advantages China has there.

re. the Spratly Islands if one looks on a map it does appear a long way from China...and they cite Chinese control in the 12th century I believe...certainly no worse than the Jewish claim to Israel.

China is one of the world's super powers so I'm sure with the west support in se asia & the south China Sea they probably feel they have no choice but to modernize their military.

I am not pro china.or anti China...just my impressions of them as a Threat...especially to Thailand....

no super powers is fun to live next too...or in some cases on the other side of the world.

[A1Str8]

Well Us needs to get their heads out of their and look a little harder at the ramifications of imposing sanctions.. With China so near it would only take a meager offer of support from them to sway Thailands political relationships with foreign countries... Does America want to lose their place here in Thailand to the Chinese? It very well could happen if the US tries to interfere more in Thai politics and with this coupe... The Us should bow down to the Army for stopping a civil war and for trying to end the corruption here but since the US supports Thaksin and Yingluck this won't happen.... The Us has it's own idea of Democracy and if it does not benefit them they refuse to accept change...

This is true. Very well said. I know the US agrees too.

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[tonbridgebrit]

it's not like picking sides on a football team...I am guessing from the anti Junta posters that appear to be pro american/west that Thailand deserves to be isolated from the rest of the world because of their move to military control & lack of freedoms.

Not just isolated..but made to pay economically..as it serves the Thai right..for all their Thainess.

But then China speaks up for support of the Junta and it's like the Chinese are going to invade..since they invaded Tibet....................in 1950 ...or say north korea & Russia too.

yeah Thailand will be communist & China will take everything from Thailand...but the US offers freedom..& a chance to play with the big boys but you have to pay your penalty so sit back until you learn your place at the bottom of the heap.Then you can play again.

I'm not sure where any of you anti Thailand posters studied any history,or political science but it is entertaining watch you cry a river of tears.

We should bear in mind that the Beijing government today is not the same as it was in 1950. A lot of people do feel that the only connection between today's Chinese government and the regime in 1950 is only the name, the Communist Party !

Is it possible to be a Thaksinite, and to have no problem with the junta steering Thailand towards China ? Did Thaksin have some friends in Beijing ?

Is it possible to be pro-coup, but to dis-like the fact that Thailand is drifting away from Europe and America, and moving towards China ?

You are very correct China is not the same as in 1950...but since that was like 64 years ago...some posters use that as an example of China invading countries.

China has foreign reserves they are not in debt...they take over countries economically now.

I'm sure Thailand will strike a balance between the west & China..I don't think Thailand is going over to the other side.

This drama with the west will be over within the year but meanwhile Thailand has to find places to trade...not as if the US or EU are doing that great economically despite their cooked books & expectations.

China will be the largest economy in the world in 10-15 years....they'r saving their money not investing in wars.

The PRC had wars with many of its neighbors, over the years. Some were termed border disputes.

They are currently engaged in demonstrating the finer points of being the neighbors from hell, and are

actually investing a pretty penny in building up their military capabilities.

I really don't think that China are the neighbours from hell !

Yes, the media likes to claim that China is taking over it's neighbours, but this is done (if it is being done) in an economic way. Certainly not a military way.

China has 1.3 billion people (yes, the bulk of them can't afford to travel outside of China), and sends out a vast number of tourists. It's only normal that nearby countries end up receiving a high percentage of their tourists from China. Even London and Paris are going all out to increase the number of Chinese tourists that they get. And yet, some people call the Chinese tourists in Thailand an 'invasion'.

What's happening in Vietnam ? A large number of foreign companies operate in Vietnam, a lot of them are Chinese, and Vietnam certainly has the option and freedom to tell those companies to leave. Instead, Vietnam is encouraging this foreign investment, so, can we really call it an economic invasion ? As for the oil rig dispute, well, it did look silly when some Vietnamese people decided to attack Chinese-owned factories in Vietnam.

And Laos. Yes, people talk about the Chinese economic invasion. But again, the Laos government is inviting and encouraging the Chinese companies into Laos. There's foreign mining companies in Laos, not from China, and these companies are regarded as 'extracting minerals in Laos'. At the same time, Chinese companies that remove trees in Laos (for timber) and who use land to grow crops, these companies are called 'stripping natural resources from Laos, and exploiting Laos' !

And China's military capabilities. China is still massively 'behind' Russia and America as far as the military is concerned. They're not interested in using their armies to invade other Asian countries. They might flex their muscles in the disputes over whatever islands, but it's certainly not the same as an invasion of a foreign country. They just want to carry out trade with other countries.

[iphad]

re. tonbridgebrit's post #111................

couldn't agree more............. well written argument.

[Morch]

We should bear in mind that the Beijing government today is not the same as it was in 1950. A lot of people do feel that the only connection between today's Chinese government and the regime in 1950 is only the name, the Communist Party !

Is it possible to be a Thaksinite, and to have no problem with the junta steering Thailand towards China ? Did Thaksin have some friends in Beijing ?

Is it possible to be pro-coup, but to dis-like the fact that Thailand is drifting away from Europe and America, and moving towards China ?

You are very correct China is not the same as in 1950...but since that was like 64 years ago...some posters use that as an example of China invading countries.

China has foreign reserves they are not in debt...they take over countries economically now.

I'm sure Thailand will strike a balance between the west & China..I don't think Thailand is going over to the other side.

This drama with the west will be over within the year but meanwhile Thailand has to find places to trade...not as if the US or EU are doing that great economically despite their cooked books & expectations.

China will be the largest economy in the world in 10-15 years....they'r saving their money not investing in wars.

The PRC had wars with many of its neighbors, over the years. Some were termed border disputes.

They are currently engaged in demonstrating the finer points of being the neighbors from hell, and are

actually investing a pretty penny in building up their military capabilities.

I had referenced China and it's date taking over Tibet because an earlier poster had said it.

Yes China, like many countries especially the super powers have border disputes...

as in Vietnam, China invaded northern Vietnam as a response to Vietnam taking control of Cambodia..from the Pol Pot regime( probably a good thing by Vietnam) but I don't think there was an attempt to take over Vietnam & at the time.... Laos was stuck in the middle & in their slow response they supported Vietnam although knowing China is on their border.

China hasn't taken over Laos from my understanding but am sure there are many economic advantages China has there.

re. the Spratly Islands if one looks on a map it does appear a long way from China...and they cite Chinese control in the 12th century I believe...certainly no worse than the Jewish claim to Israel.

China is one of the world's super powers so I'm sure with the west support in se asia & the south China Sea they probably feel they have no choice but to modernize their military.

I am not pro china.or anti China...just my impressions of them as a Threat...especially to Thailand....

no super powers is fun to live next too...or in some cases on the other side of the world.

Right, so guess Canada and Mexico would be happy to trade the USA for the PRC as their next door neighbor.

Must be all them border disputes the USA got with them. Here's a little list to that may help air some facts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China

Scrolling down the bottom of the chart is where all the non-wars-border-disputes are at, getting a bit into the

thick of it will show that casualty wise, some were rather serious.

The PRC is in the midst of claiming every bit of wet sea in the area as their own backyard swimming pool:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_disputes_in_the_South_China_Sea

And they are not being very pleasant about it, nor taking the economic route.

The PRC might not be a direct threat to Thailand, but it is definitely a threat to most of its immediate neighbors,

or those sharing maritime space with it. The PRC does apply economical and political pressure to get its goals,

same as any country who can (issues pertaining to the Mekong river are a good example). When this does not

work, they employ more aggressive stance.

Doesn't matter all that much, as this little huffing and puffing will go away in a short while, and things will return

to normal.

[Morch]

We should bear in mind that the Beijing government today is not the same as it was in 1950. A lot of people do feel that the only connection between today's Chinese government and the regime in 1950 is only the name, the Communist Party !

Is it possible to be a Thaksinite, and to have no problem with the junta steering Thailand towards China ? Did Thaksin have some friends in Beijing ?

Is it possible to be pro-coup, but to dis-like the fact that Thailand is drifting away from Europe and America, and moving towards China ?

You are very correct China is not the same as in 1950...but since that was like 64 years ago...some posters use that as an example of China invading countries.

China has foreign reserves they are not in debt...they take over countries economically now.

I'm sure Thailand will strike a balance between the west & China..I don't think Thailand is going over to the other side.

This drama with the west will be over within the year but meanwhile Thailand has to find places to trade...not as if the US or EU are doing that great economically despite their cooked books & expectations.

China will be the largest economy in the world in 10-15 years....they'r saving their money not investing in wars.

The PRC had wars with many of its neighbors, over the years. Some were termed border disputes.

They are currently engaged in demonstrating the finer points of being the neighbors from hell, and are

actually investing a pretty penny in building up their military capabilities.

I really don't think that China are the neighbours from hell !

Yes, the media likes to claim that China is taking over it's neighbours, but this is done (if it is being done) in an economic way. Certainly not a military way.

China has 1.3 billion people (yes, the bulk of them can't afford to travel outside of China), and sends out a vast number of tourists. It's only normal that nearby countries end up receiving a high percentage of their tourists from China. Even London and Paris are going all out to increase the number of Chinese tourists that they get. And yet, some people call the Chinese tourists in Thailand an 'invasion'.

What's happening in Vietnam ? A large number of foreign companies operate in Vietnam, a lot of them are Chinese, and Vietnam certainly has the option and freedom to tell those companies to leave. Instead, Vietnam is encouraging this foreign investment, so, can we really call it an economic invasion ? As for the oil rig dispute, well, it did look silly when some Vietnamese people decided to attack Chinese-owned factories in Vietnam.

And Laos. Yes, people talk about the Chinese economic invasion. But again, the Laos government is inviting and encouraging the Chinese companies into Laos. There's foreign mining companies in Laos, not from China, and these companies are regarded as 'extracting minerals in Laos'. At the same time, Chinese companies that remove trees in Laos (for timber) and who use land to grow crops, these companies are called 'stripping natural resources from Laos, and exploiting Laos' !

And China's military capabilities. China is still massively 'behind' Russia and America as far as the military is concerned. They're not interested in using their armies to invade other Asian countries. They might flex their muscles in the disputes over whatever islands, but it's certainly not the same as an invasion of a foreign country. They just want to carry out trade with other countries.

You might not think that, but then again, I really doubt you're from Taiwan, Vietnam, India or somewhere else that had issues

with the PRC. Sort of like people telling me my ex-neighbors were really a nice bunch .

Second try - a couple of links listing some of the PRC's non-economic ways of dealing with neighbors:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_People%27s_Republic_of_China

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_disputes_in_the_South_China_Sea

I am not refer to any economic takeover, and did not mention the tourists - talking about plain old bullying and aggression.

If you want to claim these are not in evidence or that they were never employed by the PRC at present and in the not so

far past, well....we all have our fantasies.

As opposed to your claims, the PRC is the 2nd largest military spender in the world. Yes, the USA is well ahead, and no,

Russia is actually quite far behind. Interesting to note that India, with a population to rival the PRC, plus having a couple

of problem neighbors (Pakistan, and *cough* the PRC) comes nowhere near in military spending.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures

The "not interested in using their armies to invade other Asian countries" is covered in previous links above. The image

of the PRC as being interested in trade only is a myth.

[tonbridgebrit]

Hello "Morch" !

Yes, some interesting writing you've put up !

Okay, the wikipedia link about the wars that China has fought in during the last century ! Yes, it mentions the CHINESE civil war, it was not a conflict to do with neighbouring countries ! Also, so China incorporated Tibet into itself in 1950. Morch, I think a lot of countries have expanded their borders by war. And the Dalai Lama, people should realise that the Dalai Lama did actually travel to Beijing BEFORE the annexation. He's not as Tibetan as some people think, and it's not as if all those in Tibet actually want China out. And the Dalai Lama doesn't actually blatantly support 'independence' for Tibet.

Then we have Korea and Vietnam, the two big wars. Do you really want to say that China was being aggresive and wrong to take part in those wars ?
People might feel that it was OTHER countries (not China) who were wrong to send their young men thousands of miles to fight in those wars. The Vietnam War, a certain foreign country pulled out, and the Vietnamese (under Ho Chi Minh, originally) took over. Did Ho Chi Minh prefer America to China ? I do know that Ho Chi Minh is still regarded a hero in Vietnam. I'm not going to condemn a load of Vietnamese for praising Ho Chi Minh !

In all honesty, I think America has actually fought more 'bigger wars' than China. China didn't invade Iraq. I don't condemn America for invading Afghanistan, but again, America did do it. Is China a bigger threat to world peace than America ?

And Taiwan. Are they actually scared of China ? Their economic links with China are becoming greater. Taiwan is a democratic nation, and Taiwan's government is actually pro-China. The opposition party is not so friendly towards China. Let's get real, Taiwanese are actually Chinese. Why have factories in Taiwan when the labour is cheaper in China ? Hence, most Taiwan manufacturers are in China. And a stack of Taiwan men have wives and girlfriends from China. How many Taiwan babies have actually got main-land Chinese mothers ? And does Taiwan want those Chinese tourists ? They are stuck, they want those tourists because those tourists bring money. But at the same time, yes, some of them dislike their nation having ever closer ties with China !

I'ill end by saying "Beijing doesn't have to pretend that it is trying to spread freedom and democracy to the rest of the world, that's because Beijing is not democratic". "But the USA, it is democratic, it has to put up some effort to convince Americans that America are the good guys, but in reality, America is trying to carve out the New American World Empire". How many deaths did America cause in Iraq ? And how many died in Central America due to the Reagan/Bush (senior) government ?

[tonbridgebrit]

Sorry, let's get back to the actual original post.

So Thailand appears to be drifting away from America and Europe, and moving towards China. Is this really a bad thing ?

[thailiketoo]

Sorry, let's get back to the actual original post.

So Thailand appears to be drifting away from America and Europe, and moving towards China. Is this really a bad thing ?

No of course not.

[iphad]

Sorry, let's get back to the actual original post.

So Thailand appears to be drifting away from America and Europe, and moving towards China. Is this really a bad thing ?

I wouldn't say Thailand is drifting away...although recently it looks like the US & EU is pushing Thailand away...

or pressuring to allow more West control like they had under previous governments.

the US & the West appear to want to punish Thailand .................as do many posters on this forum.....for Thailand to know it's place in the freedom loving world & accept criticism, without complaining, & know Thailand means nothing in the big picture & return to what it was before.

I think re. the OP ...

China offered support to the Thailand military government...as things definitely have taken a turn for the better, economically & more stable.

That's what friends do.

[thailiketoo]

Sorry, let's get back to the actual original post.

So Thailand appears to be drifting away from America and Europe, and moving towards China. Is this really a bad thing ?

I wouldn't say Thailand is drifting away...although recently it looks like the US & EU is pushing Thailand away...

or pressuring to allow more West control like they had under previous governments.

the US & the West appear to want to punish Thailand .................as do many posters on this forum.....for Thailand to know it's place in the freedom loving world & accept criticism, without complaining, & know Thailand means nothing in the big picture & return to what it was before.

I think re. the OP ...

China offered support to the Thailand military government...as things definitely have taken a turn for the better, economically & more stable.

That's what friends do.

If they want to control the Mekong it's just water after all.

[EyesWideOpen]

Sorry, let's get back to the actual original post.

So Thailand appears to be drifting away from America and Europe, and moving towards China. Is this really a bad thing ?

No of course not.

Nice smog picture. I was in Xian a few years ago. I was sitting in a long hotel lobby.

The smog was so bad I could actually see it inside the lobby.....

Back to topic. I personally think Thailand is no longer of importance to America.

Whether that is good or bad depends on your point of view. The movement of America

is towards trying to contain China from taking over the South China Sea. To that end

they have reopened the base in the Philippines, and are trying to get a base in

Vietnam. Thailand was simply a handy place to stage the Vietnam war from.

In the current political climate, Thailand is only a bit player on the stage.....

So Thailand thinking it is the power center of SEA is simply wrong.

So if Thailand wishes to beef up relations with China, think that is a non issue.