New history textbooks to teach 'correct democracy'

[JOC]

Everything better than the red democracy we had the last decade.

Clearly not only the Thais are bad in history!!

[Mot Dang]

So an Army General is going to influence what goes into political history and philosophy texts ? Isn't that what Mao did ? Isnt that called p-r-o-p-o-g-a-n-d-a ? Mr. General if you do this then Thailand definitely is not a democracy. Leave it to the history professors and their peers.

[recycled]

Australia is no different - when I went to school I was taught there used to be Aboriginal people who wore loin clothes made from leaves who danced around the fire following a false religion

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel

BS - What is the name of the school and who and what supposedly taught it.

[Thai at Heart]

Well, in the P5 book social studies book, they have 3 cartoons of a fat falang approaching a Thai family at a restaurant, no money, smelly and asking for funds. Until they remove that, other changes will not happen.

I like the one where they take a whole chapter to explain to kids who and how they have to wai people. In order to be good members of society.

[JOC]

You could not make it up.

An illegally mounted coup that installs a dictator and then rewrites history books with an explanation of democracy.

FUBAR

Another dictator running the country from Dubai, using his sister as a pawn. Red Shin style. Your style democracy, YES because they were voted in so it must mean TRUE democracy.

The top man here blessed the intervention, cannot be that wrong.

Same old record playing over and over again!!

Ginjag time to re-invent yourself!! Surprise us!!

[JOC]

So an Army General is going to influence what goes into political history and philosophy texts ? Isn't that what Mao did ? Isnt that called p-r-o-p-o-g-a-n-d-a ? Mr. General if you do this then Thailand definitely is not a democracy. Leave it to the history professors and their peers.

Democracy ginjag-style!!

[Fred Flinstone]

Australia is no different - when I went to school I was taught there used to be Aboriginal people who wore loin clothes made from leaves who danced around the fire following a false religion

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel

I guess that was sometime last century (mid)

[EnglishJohn]

I have the old versions, I wonder what the new ones say:

Democracy (aka 'Winner Takes All') : The process of using money from the educated taxpaying minority to bribe the non taxpaying majority to vote you into power. Once in power, everything the country owns belongs to you to do with as you want. The election mandate approves anything and everything you decide, whether in the manifesto or not. The elected government are there to serve their supporters, not those who didn't vote for them. Democracy means that the taxpaying minority have the theoretical option to vote you out at the next election.

Coup: What happens when democracy fails and the elected government plunders so much of the Nations treasure that social collapse is imminent.

[wow64]

Wonder if the schools will use this new Democracy when voting for school Captains or equivalent.

If you don't like the result get the kids in Army uniform and seize power to restore order to the school.

[Eric Loh]

Utter ludicrous to think that the citizens are so naive to believe what the junta text book content. We don't live in the dark ages where the only reading material is the text book and the radio. The more the junta try to brainwash and impose their ideology, we will see more people start to lose faith in the government. We see more media considered as pro establishment warning things can go awry for this government if they take a bias approach to reform, stifle freedom of expression and force feed their brand of ideology. The backlash will come from the next election.

[RobthaiIre]

I studied history at a top western university and we where taught that you should read every side of the argument or opinion on a certain topic that you could find then come your own conclusions about what happened.

However, as is common place with the junta in Thailand only one side of the argument is rammed down your throat in an attempt to justify their actions. I'll give them one thing doctoring the school books of all public school children is a good one.

I wonder who is going to answer these kids questions in 10 or 20 years when they realize they have been conned!!!! Maybe time for another coup and revision of the history cirriculum.....

[Pi Sek]

They've decided now, these generals of the Thai dictatorship, to teach proper and "correct" democracy.

I agree with the bones of your post - that a dictatorship has no business preaching democracy - but isn't that exactly what was happening under PTP?

"Red" villages that don't accept dissenting opinion, democracy schools run by fascists, political militias and misuse of the Law to silence critics...?

Someone clearly has to teach Thais what democracy means, because they have it very wrong. Maybe not a junta, but someone.

[loongdavid]

Tuskfish, on 21 Oct 2014 - 10:13, said:

Australia is no different - when I went to school I was taught there used to be Aboriginal people who wore loin clothes made from leaves who danced around the fire following a false religion

Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel

BS - What is the name of the school and who and what supposedly taught it.

I second the BS statement. No loin cloths (forced on them by colonial authorities), they were usually naked. They usually danced near a fire but rarely, if at all, around it. My experience - many years travelling throughout Arnhem Land.

[Pi Sek]

I have the old versions, I wonder what the new ones say:

Democracy (aka 'Winner Takes All') : The process of using money from the educated taxpaying minority to bribe the non taxpaying majority to vote you into power. Once in power, everything the country owns belongs to you to do with as you want. The election mandate approves anything and everything you decide, whether in the manifesto or not. The elected government are there to serve their supporters, not those who didn't vote for them. Democracy means that the taxpaying minority have the theoretical option to vote you out at the next election.

Coup: What happens when democracy fails and the elected government plunders so much of the Nations treasure that social collapse is imminent.

That's not bad actually

[gemini81]

I agree with ol' Carlin, he said democracy is making you think you're free- but really you're a subject of the state. You're owned. Unless you're in the club. None of us are in the club.

[heybruce]

The Junta has no choice.

But Thaksin raised the strategy to an art form, essentially making an entire nation about him. His tenure from February 2001 to September 2006 saw nothing less than the wholesale bastardization of Thai democracy. He neutered its institutions and enriched his family members and cronies in ways that would have made a Russian oligarch blush.

Like former Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi, Thaksin was a powerful tycoon who leveraged his business success to become leader. Thaksin, like Berlusconi, was later accused of bending the government to his will and in alignment with his business interests. He got away with it by literally bribing the rural communities that formed his power base. His “Thaksinomics” program of flooding the hinterlands with cheap loans was never more than Tammany Hall-like doling out of cash for support. The money did nothing to improve the economy’s fundamentals or capacity for innovation.

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2013-11-07/thailand-s-big-brother-drama

I'm not sure how your post is related to the junta teaching democracy, or something they'll call democracy. However I can't resist a question and a comment:

Do you think Italy's military should have staged a coup to remove Berlosconi?

The author of the referenced article displayed ignorance of Thailand when he brought up the amnesty bill and wrote:

"The bill might have gotten further if it had also applied to people charged with lese-majeste, which mandates prison sentences as long as 15 years for defaming or insulting the king, queen, heir apparent or regent."

Any attempt at amnesty for lese-majeste offenders in the bill would not have allowed the bill to progress further, it is more likely it would have triggered an immediate coup.

Edited October 21, 2014 by heybruce

[heybruce]

You could not make it up.

An illegally mounted coup that installs a dictator and then rewrites history books with an explanation of democracy.

FUBAR

Another dictator running the country from Dubai, using his sister as a pawn. Red Shin style. Your style democracy, YES because they were voted in so it must mean TRUE democracy.

The top man here blessed the intervention, cannot be that wrong.

Can't defend what the junta is doing so you're attacking Thaksin again, right ginjag?

[pisico]

Well, in the P5 book social studies book, they have 3 cartoons of a fat falang approaching a Thai family at a restaurant, no money, smelly and asking for funds. Until they remove that, other changes will not happen.

Yes - i also have seen Xenophobic stuff produced by this system -(prior to Junta )

A daughters friend brought over her school books over whilst we were in Thailand last year.

""Dad look at this "" she asked .

I saw images of western men trying to solve a Car problem.

Both wore Thongs (flip flops) and had singlets on and obese and a beer in their hands -

Looking puzzled , a Thai is then seen fixing the car -

This time the man is neat and looks bright and focused.

The pretty Thai business lady thanks him

Whilst the western men look on with lustful eyes for her and Tongue out.

She tips the Thai man who is seen giving it to the monks at the temple .

A Thai insert says *(translation)

""Service to others is important even silly Farang can learn from Thai examples"

In another there were more westerners and again portrayed as drinking and smoking and lusting after the woman .

A bar girl is seen being asked by a Monk why she mixes with such people?

""I know such people are sinful but i want to help my family she says""

The western men look again leering and evil as well as stupid and smelly .

This was before the Junta so they can't be blamed

Though i can't imagine whats going to be in future publications

You correctly and fairly stated that such Xenophobia existed before this Junta. In fact it began in earnest in 1936 with Pibhun.

In the same school books we can see several examples of indoctrination that heighten Thais' sense of self importance.

That several inventions are claimed to be Thai is no surprise.

There is also the fact that thanks to massive Thai investments in the UK, Germany and USA, those, and other countries, were able to develop to their present status. We owe Thailand such a huge debt of gratitude!

Out of curiosity: Can anyone provide a list of all Thai Nobel prize recipients in Medicine, Astrophysics, Chemistry, physics, etc? .

[pisico]

You could not make it up.

An illegally mounted coup that installs a dictator and then rewrites history books with an explanation of democracy.

FUBAR

Another dictator running the country from Dubai, using his sister as a pawn. Red Shin style. Your style democracy, YES because they were voted in so it must mean TRUE democracy.

The top man here blessed the intervention, cannot be that wrong.

Can't defend what the junta is doing so you're attacking Thaksin again, right ginjag?

OCD is so hard to bring under control.

Thaksin is the recurring theme to justify all the wrongdoings of that one shirt color that allegedly taints other colors.

How much money the Anti-Thaksinistas lost while Thaksin was in power?

"Well, it's not that, it's a matter of principles". Is their answer de rigueur. To which Thais say in such cases: 555 !!!

Colors or leaders and/or rulers in Thailand they all obey to the tradition of cronyism, patronage, corruption, Nepotism and favoritism.

A country with deeply rooted feudal institutions cannot behave in a democratic way. It's alien to Thais.

The reason that in spite of all the dog and pony shows that every administration has put on in the beginning, it is life as usual as it was 600 years ago, no matter what changes take place in the beginning.

[SjaakNL2013]

All history books, films, etc always show only that part that the one in power want to show.

Indeed. Where is Thailand's Leni Riefenstahl when you need her?

Searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq....

[Bluespunk]

Wonder if the schools will use this new Democracy when voting for school Captains or equivalent.

If you don't like the result get the kids in Army uniform and seize power to restore order to the school.

Only if the captains or equivalents take all the schools saleable assets, spend all its money on candy for the voter base, write themselves a note from the school govenors saying its ok because dad told them to do it, sell the school fields and pocket the proceeds and then proceed to prepare to set what's left on fire.

[LipeLarry]

I studied history at a top western university

I wonder who is going to answer these kids questions in 10 or 20 years when they realize they have been conned!!!!.

The people getting conned are those that take this Khao Sod horse manure distortion at face value.

In your studies of history, did it include the value placed on accurate reporting?

[Ve37]

They've decided now, these generals of the Thai dictatorship, to teach proper and "correct" democracy.

"Red" villages that don't accept dissenting opinion, democracy schools run by fascists, political militias and misuse of the Law to silence critics...?

That is 100% BS. For an example,…Yingluck urged that everyone give Abhisit Vejjajiva a chance,…"The proposal has not been made yet. Do not reject it yet.” Of course, his proposal was the same hate-driven, my way or the highway, Mr Suthep rhetoric/

"As such it is a waste of national resources to have Thai diplomats seek to justify the coup. Prayut's intervention was no different in essence than the previous coup in 2006 - and this is reflected by the almost identical response to both from the EU. Countries in the West have rightly judged that this Thai coup, like its predecessors, destroyed democracy and the rule of law and violated basic rights.

Thai diplomats are therefore wasting their time in seeking to convince the international community that this coup was enforced in good faith to break a violent political impasse. The world is already convinced that the military came out simply to help anti-government protesters topple the Pheu Thai-led administration. Painting the Thai military as an honest political broker will not change this perception

The government and the Foreign Ministry cannot justify the coup to foreigners..."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/

-- The Nation 2014-10-21

Nor can the government justify the coup to the Northern Thai people

[metisdead]

A post containing Thai language has been removed. This is the English language side of the forum.

A post containing derogatory generalizations toward Thais has been removed as well.

[antsrule]

Well, in the P5 book social studies book, they have 3 cartoons of a fat falang approaching a Thai family at a restaurant, no money, smelly and asking for funds. Until they remove that, other changes will not happen.

Yes - i also have seen Xenophobic stuff produced by this system -(prior to Junta )

A daughters friend brought over her school books over whilst we were in Thailand last year.

""Dad look at this "" she asked .

I saw images of western men trying to solve a Car problem.

Both wore Thongs (flip flops) and had singlets on and obese and a beer in their hands -

Looking puzzled , a Thai is then seen fixing the car -

This time the man is neat and looks bright and focused.

The pretty Thai business lady thanks him

Whilst the western men look on with lustful eyes for her and Tongue out.

She tips the Thai man who is seen giving it to the monks at the temple .

A Thai insert says *(translation)

""Service to others is important even silly Farang can learn from Thai examples"

In another there were more westerners and again portrayed as drinking and smoking and lusting after the woman .

A bar girl is seen being asked by a Monk why she mixes with such people?

""I know such people are sinful but i want to help my family she says""

The western men look again leering and evil as well as stupid and smelly .

This was before the Junta so they can't be blamed

Though i can't imagine whats going to be in future publications

Surely they must realize that the vast majority of the bargirls are supporting children of Thai fathers who abandoned them and whose only other job possibility is harvesting rice. Who is really responsible for the proliferation of this business? May I suggest a poll of the ladies? I think sex business is gigantic here because of the poor choices that many Thai women are facing, especially northern women at the wrong end of the wealth chasm. I am sure most of these women would rather have a regular job. I would like to hear other farang TV readers opinions.

[Eric Loh]

You could not make it up.

An illegally mounted coup that installs a dictator and then rewrites history books with an explanation of democracy.

FUBAR

Another dictator running the country from Dubai, using his sister as a pawn. Red Shin style. Your style democracy, YES because they were voted in so it must mean TRUE democracy.

The top man here blessed the intervention, cannot be that wrong.

All together now: Man from Dubai, man from Dubai, man from Dubai...

The overriding problem you have is that PT won election after election and would do so again (here's the part where you chant your vote buying meme despite it being largely debunked by every study).

How would you define democracy? An election which elects a party to govern is pretty much how the whole world describes democracy. Did people know that TS was heavily involved at the top levels of the party? Knowing that, did they vote in vast numbers for the party? Yes they did. How arrogant of you to decide that their voice is somehow invalid.

PTP wonderful example of Shin democracy-----down with anything that does not come up to their red mafia standards, down with Dems--down with Suthep--down with reforms--stick to diabolical governing Yingluck style, Elections mean democracy Ha Ha. down with any form of stability.

Your the joke. without the coalition what was the percent of votes for PTP ?? brainwashed democracy.

How many times does Shin style democracy have to be slung out for people to realize it isn't a democracy.

Shin democracy!! Did PTP design the rules and law to benefit from it? They are only a participant of a establishment crooked constitution and heavily stacked pro establishment courts and independent agencies. Establishment have stacked barriers high to favour their ally party and their even change the electorate system to include more party list but brought them no result. Don't see much difference next election. Sooner or later they must smart up and take a more serious look at the DemParty which is the problem.

[Krataiboy]

It is weird to watch a country you have called home for more than a decade morph slowly but surely into something unfamiliar and a bit scary.

Over the years I had kind of got used Thailand's cultural idiosyncrasies, such as the loudspeakers on telegraph poles waking me up with their religious propaganda, and everybody standing to attention twice a day for the national anthem.

But with the new government nobody has ever voted for handing out new edicts like sweets to loved but wayward children, I'm beginning to wonder what the place is going to be like when the promised "Thai-style" democracy finally materialises.

Right now, whatever it is not, the Land of Smiles is indisputably the "crack-down" capital of the world. The phrase pops up in the press almost daily as new targets - from bent officials to dodgy beach vendors - are blitzed in a war on corruption and cronyism launched to further the cause of bringing "happiness" to the Thai people.

But not everybody is happy. The tourist industry is suffering because martial law remains in force across the kingdom. Political meetings and even academic seminars with political content are still banned. Social networks are monitored for dissenters, who risk "attitude adjustment" or even worse if apprehended - which is presumably why so many have skipped the country.

The media is another casualty. Newspapers and television channels remain subject to censorship for everyone except the retired Army general who is now Prime Minister. One of his first manoeuvres was to commandeer a TV slot for weekly pep talks to an agog nation which have earned him an astonishing 93 per cent approval rating. Barack Obama, eat your heart out.

The new leader of Thailand is a far cry from the popular perception of a swashbuckling ex-military man. He is something of an ascetic, a deeply religious family man who neither smokes nor drinks alcohol. According to newspaper reports, he routinely consults astrologers before working on reshaping his country's destiny.

Those Thais who may feel they are losing their moral compass as the ship of state ploughs through stormy and uncharted waters now have the guidance of twelve "national values" handed down from on high - all to be rote-learned until word perfect by every Thai schoolchild.

Flag wagging and the singing of national songs have been given a high priority on the government-dictated new curriculum drawn up by an education ministry whose response to its new master's voice is enthusiastically - some might say grovellingly - Pavlovian.

The latest pronouncement from an administration which sometimes appears to be working off a bizarre script penned by General Franco in collaboration with Chairman Mao, is that school history books are to be re-written to "focus on creating a sense of Thainess and patriotism for the children."

My computer's integral grammar checker has underlined the word Thainess, presumably because, like a lot of us, it is unsure of its meaning (Education Ministry, please note).

The general election originally promised for next October has now been postponed until 2016, to give the regime more time to complete its "road map" (a phrase almost as overworked in the cowed and mainly supine Thai press as crack-down) for reform.

When the dust finally settles, will The Land of Smiles be a Nirvana - or a North Korea? Right now, I haven't the faintest idea. Anybody know a good astrologer?

[Fat Haggis]

There are dirtbags in every country in the world, scummy this and scummy that are words I hear often from certain posters and I really wonder what makes them the "ideal farang" ?

Don't they realise that they're simply tolerated a bit more than the scum they bleat about, if Thais could rid their country of Farang, the vast majority of us would be looking for new homes.

Stop thinking you're special and have earned a place in Thai society because it's a false belief, you may feel vastly superior to those you label but your not, your the worst kind of Farang, as you actually think you're a hi so Thai!!

Farangs are tolerated by the hi so Thais but they will still look down their noses at you, and don't think for one minute that belonging to a gentlemans club makes you one either, behind closed doors many so called "quality " blokes are lying, cheating, abusive and arrogant <deleted>, who wouldn't think twice about stepping over you to get up a notch in their social Status.

It's going to take a generation worth of education to sort out what teaching democracy is all about but the problem is historically everything changes every 2-4 years and it's back to square one after every coup.

[MaxYakov]

This will come from the Ministry of Propaganda not the Ministry of Education.

It won't be a ' warts and all ' telling because there are no warts and even if there are, there aren't !

Is the message received Loud and Clear ?

It is well known that more than 70% of Thai teachers failed to pass the students tests on their own subject. And now they are in charge to teach Correct Democracy? So, who is going to teach the teachers- a correct Junta?

Also, isnt the term Correct Democracy already a joke? My understanding is the term correct can not be attributed to terms like respect - friendship - faith and love and surprisingly for some: Democracy.

We should all recognize that they, realistically, should have stated: "Politically-correct Democracy".

[city]

...and just think, we are where we are today because too many people starting changing the photographs over the fireplace. Being too popular was his downfall and after 14 years the 'Born to Rule Brigade' of elite still cannot and will not erase him from the thoughts of the Thai Masses.