I'm not a dictator, says angry Prayut

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

He has done more good for this country in the last 6 months than any democratically elected politician has ever done!!

Democracy almost everywhere in the world is a corrupt institution. The banks and big business own the politicians and we are all brainwashed that the word democracy really means something. I look forward to the reform that Prayuth is trying to achieve here.

I would like to see a revolution in many other countries (especially the USA) so that they can start correcting some of the wrongs that congress and others have allowed to take place to benefit themselves and their political status.

[Thailand]

Coming off?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fsXoMS9-xxg

[loongdavid]

Successful Democracy requires the ability of, and use of CRITICAL THOUGHT. Neither exists in Thailand, other third world countrys, and is being smothered out in America. Only anarchy exists here as the primary character of the people. You Know that!. Voting? Who pays the most money to you gets your vote here. I have lived in the village and elsewhere. I know the truth and so do you. Democracy is a white mans game at best. Some modified form must be developed to train these people. As it is, periodically a strict man (despot as you call him) must take hold to get on track. Of COURSE he will be called bad things by a people who do not want to be told ANYTHING. And you KNOW the Thai does not want to be told anything. DICIPLINE is a dirty word here, does not even exist for the most part. I do not know this man but unless you have good cause to bad mouth him,, maybe you should be quiet.

Spoken like a zealot. And frankly, a bigot.

I've spent plenty of time in Isaan and I've got plenty of "educated" Bangkok Thai friends. In my experience there are plenty of Thais across the full spectrum that are capable of forming and expressing an opinion in this area. There are some aspects of Thai thinking that make me think there's an overall lack of sophistication in political thinking but that's not exactly purely a Thai position. I mean a simple reading of political "debate" in the UK or the U.S. would lead to similar views.

The idea that Thais need a dictator is about as absurd as the idea that election outcomes swing on vote buying. Not a single external analyst believes vote buying changed the result in any of the recent elections - and quite a few studies have been done. Vote "buying" is widespread but is not determinative. Of course you'll disagree and instead base your absolute knowledge on anecdotal personal experience. And who I am to get between a bigot and his strongly held view.

Sorry my inexperience at posting.

First. I have been in studys concerning many diciplines for a very long time.

Second. The Form of Government that was created ORIGINALLY by our founding fathers in America, is the finest government the world and mankind will ever know. It is based on the patterns of Creation used by the Divine forces of GOD. Understanding the principles and exibiting responsibility. is essential.

Third. I have lived in Thailand more than eight years

Fourth. To answer your statements. ALWAYS there are exceptions to the rule. These exceptions (men) are the foundation for the new platform that we call evolution. They ARE the ones who will carry tomarrow when it comes. Thank GOD for them and their time will come to LEAD their fellows. Hopefully through transformation and not revolution. Up to the Thai people ultimately.

Fifth. Wrongfullness, like lies, cannot last forever. But Can last a long time. Activity exposes the truth.

Wow. This water is full of killer sharks. Do not think I will swim in this spot again.

I had a small bet with myself after reading all of the previous posts that it would not be long until someone compared the current Thai situation with that bastion of so-called democracy, the USA.

Please spare us all the utter unadulterated clap-trap about the "founding fathers" etc etc. and your statement "...is the finest government the world and mankind will ever know" speaks volumes as to your naivety and isolationist background.

Personally, I have never met an American in the last 20 or so years who is not highly critical of his/her own government to the extent that they are embarrassed by its actions. The best example seems to be the extremely aggressive American foreign policy since the end of the cold war.

Thailand has a lot to learn about democracy and living in a global 21st century world BUT, the last thing that Thailand should ever consider is a system of government based on that in the USA.

[Suffinator]

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha asserted yesterday that his government was not dictatorial although he admitted that it "may not be 100 per cent democratic".

100% delusional - what does he think he has created?

"Did I do anything wrong? Have I done any damage or wasn't the situation already bad when I took over?" Prayut said.

Effectively you committed treason and the damage done to democracy with people being arrested for expressing an opinion is wholly damaging to any society. Yes the situation wasn't good but ultimately it was the people who voted in the garbage and it should have been their job to vote them out.

"I may not be 100 per cent democratic. But I want to ask if being 100 per cent democratic did anything good to the country? Find the answer for me," he added, appearing tense.

Not 100% democratic ... try not even 0.000000001% - there is no democracy in a military take over and if you believe their is then you are delusional. Democracy is a painful process, look at the UK, Europe and the US - it often results in conflict but it doesn't give the military the right to intervene in the majority opinion.

"I don't want to punish them [the students] so they were merely reprimanded, released and told not to do it again because it does not benefit anyone," Prayut said.

Your authority is false and therefore you have NO rights to punish anyone with your tin-pot dictatorship - these kids where trying to remind you that they have a choice; something you wish to deny them for your own gain.

Without question this guy is so far out of his depth he can barely tread water. He can thank his lucky stars I'm not the British PM for there would be no trade, no tourism and no investment until democracy was reinstated.

[devaram]

He claims to have saved this country from violent protests but according to Suthep who has now gone into hiding as a monk, Prayuth and Suthep conspired together for several years to stage this coup. The protests were simply a part of the overal plan which Prayuth would conveniently rescue the country from. He claims not to have conspired the coup because according the Thai law which has been likely torn up by now, conspiring to stage a coup is punishable by imprisonment or death. Suthep was bragging at a party about their years long plan and then Prayuth ordered him to shut his big mouth and dissapear so Suthep who has a mouth that never shuts up imprisoned himself in a monastery to stay out of trouble as they are both facing the death penalty after democratic forces regain control which is only a matter of time. No wonder hes so nervous and angry and defensive?

Power always comes in cycles the reds are down now and the yellows are up but later the reds will be up again thats the way life is. This so called reconcilliation is a farce since noone is allowed to say anything?

[Fat Haggis]

Where's ginjag, I need a good laugh

He's been taken away by the Udon Thani Young team for " educating" !!

[mikemac]

If he is a dictator then the country needs more of them, vast improvement on the terrible, poor excuse we had for a government pre-coup days.

Lots of good things the new government has done, like stopping the redshirts murdering innocent people, children included, and paying the rice farmers the money owed to them for so long are just two that come to mind.

And if you want to find the true meaning of the word dictator, look in the dictionary for Shinawatra,<deleted>

[stoffel45]

It seems that people forget WHY the coup was very necessary.

The people gave their trust to the former democratically elected Government.

Their Government, the Government of all Thai people abused their power most horribly.

I too remember the MOBS as do all or most of you.

Democracy had been hijacked by a Government who was robbing the people blind with their mulit-Billion rice scam. Stealing by the truckload money which was owed to the poorest in Thailand.

Do those of you who sneer and criticise the current administration really want to return to the rule of the MOB?

Most of the posters on this site are foreigners. I am too.

The majority of Thai people support THIS Government because it is BETTER than the ones before.

Truly those foreigners who are actively working against Law and Order - one of the most important qualities of society anywhere - should leave and return to their own Utopian paradise.

Edited November 22, 2014 by stoffel45

[BlackJack]

I have a question

Can you please tell me why the beach chair umbrella vendors at Jomtien beach have to remove the chairs, umbrellas and tables at 6PM each night otherwise they are fined 1000 -2000 baht?

Is this Law or just a local shakedown?

[Broeno]

If he is intented to be a father of all Thai, he better leaves off his pants.

[eddie61]

Chiliarchocracy

= Rule by generals

strategocracy

= rule by the supreme commander of the army

Democracy it is not

Edited November 22, 2014 by eddie61

[iReason]

I'm not a dictator, says angry Prayut

Says:

“General Prayut, who led the coup of May 22 while serving as the Army chief”

“He reiterated that he had no plan to set up a pro-military political party…”

One bitten, twice shy.

"The government and the NCPO have never thought of using force towards the press…”

Veiled threat?

"The government is just a facilitator for all stakeholders…”

Interesting choice of words…

“At the meeting, General Prayuth eventually said to Minister of Justice Chaikasem Nitisiri who led the government representatives:

"The talk knows no end because you all only speak about the law. The government insists that it won't resign, right?"

Chaikasem replied: "Not at this moment". General Prayuth then told the meeting that "Sorry, I must seize power"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Thai_coup_d'état

If it walks like duck, quacks like a duck...

[ThaiSanookGuy]

... Gadafi also used to say...

[Mr Somtam]

Let's be honest many Thais just abuse the system under the word Democracy and haven't really got a clue to the true meaning. Now sprout we want it back (To abuse it again for self-interest ).

Like it or not this might be the only way for now.

I agree - I don't like this whole coup affair but the alternatives are - well- even worse I think... Sad...

[mikemac]

Where's ginjag, I need a good laugh

He's been taken away by the Udon Thani Young team for " educating" !!

Oh, I don't think gj needs educating, he seems to have his head screwed on the right way and his heart is in the right place.

Some of the vegetables he plays verbal ping pong with on TVF on the other hand........................................

[Jim walker]

Have you forgotten already how many votes you got at the last general election if yes then Got some bad news for you Mr Angry ‘Oh yes you are’

[sandrew33]

It seems that people forget WHY the coup was very necessary.

The people gave their trust to the former democratically elected Government.

Their Government, the Government of all Thai people abused their power most horribly.

I too remember the MOBS as do all or most of you.

Democracy had been hijacked by a Government who was robbing the people blind with their mulit-Billion rice scam. Stealing by the truckload money which was owed to the poorest in Thailand.

Do those of you who sneer and criticise the current administration really want to return to the rule of the MOB?

Most of the posters on this site are foreigners. I am too.

The majority of Thai people support THIS Government because it is BETTER than the ones before.

Truly those foreigners who are actively working against Law and Order - one of the most important qualities of society anywhere - should leave and return to their own Utopian paradise.

What TF are you on about? Edited November 22, 2014 by sandrew33

[BoristheBlade]

Koh Tao "the perfect investigation"

" I am not a dictator"

"attractive Women in bikinis are asking for trouble"

I will let you be the judge to whether any of this mans statements are true.

But don't answer, because you may be arrested.

[Thai at Heart]

The honeymoon is over and the bride finds the groom wanting. What usually comes next?

The bride didn't choose this groom.

I really think he's probably just a little bit dim

[rudolfvaselino]

He has done more good for this country in the last 6 months than any democratically elected politician has ever done!!

Democracy almost everywhere in the world is a corrupt institution. The banks and big business own the politicians and we are all brainwashed that the word democracy really means something. I look forward to the reform that Prayuth is trying to achieve here.

I would like to see a revolution in many other countries (especially the USA) so that they can start correcting some of the wrongs that congress and others have allowed to take place to benefit themselves and their political status.

Can you tell me what good has been done for this country apart from having the roads in Bangkok open and having a Happiness Song?

I followed his speech on the telly yesterday and I can not stand it he is talking about 'obeying the law' and comparing politics with a football match and an arbiter. The Power has been taken unlawfully, media has been silenced and indoctrinated, even students can't open their mouths, tourism is in the drain, criminality is not decreasing but increasing just as corruption continues to be as it was. If you believe the PR machinery, good luck. I have a more realistic view of what is happening.

[Wilsonandson]

Spin doctors are out posting again. Like flies on sh1t. The topic itself is one sided. Goodluck posting anything positive about the PM on this one.

[Fat Haggis]

If he is a dictator then the country needs more of them, vast improvement on the terrible, poor excuse we had for a government pre-coup days.

Lots of good things the new government has done, like stopping the redshirts murdering innocent people, children included, and paying the rice farmers the money owed to them for so long are just two that come to mind.

And if you want to find the true meaning of the word dictator, look in the dictionary for Shinawatra, it's between "shifty" and "shit".

Has he stopped the killing of the teachers down in the South Mike ?

28 unfortunate deaths over 8 months in a population of 65 million don't even come out as a viable percentage. Sure their deaths were tragic but had the RTA stepped in sooner they could have averted many of these deaths if the reason for the coup was the levels of violence !!

Using increasing violence as an excuse for the coup is a load of crap it hadn't increased it remained a constant throughout the 8 months.

The deaths wrere simply wrong and the ones responsible I hope they rot in jail for the rest of their lives.

The Junta stepped in when the other megalomaniac behind the protests starting making threats about removing the Caretaker government by force and putting in their own people and declaring himself the supreme leader.

The protestors and Suthep wee getting desperate and their numbers dwindling week by week they were getting nowhere the PTP caretaker mob refused to step down, and Suthep issued an ultimatum that if the Army didn't step on and remove them, he and his PDRC would so it.

He forced Prayuths hand ,who for weeks said he would not stage a coup alrhough almost every single Farang living in Thailand knew that a coup was imminent, I predicted it weeks before it happened here on TVF as did many others.

The coup was the result of the stalemate between the caretakers and the protestors not because of the violence.

The coup HAD to happen but you do not reconcile a nation by threatening the ones who were against the coup, all this crap for 8 months about reforms and still they are only in the planning stage, which tells me that the PDRC had no reformation plans either and it was all hot air, not much different to now.

This right now is about who is in power and control when a Nation wide event takes place that will change everything, some can see this, others can't and refuse to think there's any connection either.

Edited November 22, 2014 by Fat Haggis

[stoffel45]

I don't see how being ratified by HM that it can be a dictatorship? What am I missing?

HE allowed his opposition party to paralyze the country

HE allowed that leader to go into the monk hood without prosecution

HE overthrew a democratically elected prime minister

HE threw away a country's constitution

HE purged the country's government of all the old political party's members

HE arrested members of opposition political party and had them sent to military camps for HIS reeducation purposes

HE has forbidden any opposition to HIS views

HE is attempting to censor and control the media

If you dont understand how this equates to being a dictator that has stolen the country of Thailand from its people, then there's not much I or anybody else can say to you

HE is a dictator. Period.

He restored Law and Order.

Without Law and Order there is no Democracy.

[wilcopops]

Prayuth should think before he speaks... He may have said differently in that I but he appears to be speaking in oxymorons in English

[heybruce]

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha asserted yesterday that his government was not dictatorial although he admitted that it "may not be 100 per cent democratic".

"I may not be 100 per cent democratic. But I want to ask if being 100 per cent democratic did anything good to the country? Find the answer for me," he added, appearing tense.

Thaksin supporters should like this guy, they have very much the same opinions of democracy, after all who said "democracy was never the end goal". At least Prayut wants democracy someday.

Prayuth wants democracy someday

Well, that's one way of looking at the coup leader's actions to date. Pardon me if I don't share your optimism.

One only has to look at the link I posted yesterday written by a Professor in Politics and International Studies about the 2007 coup and resulting constitution. The constitution, ironically, that this junta is now rewriting to further weaken the power of the Executive and increase the power of the military's hold over Thai politics in the future. What he said with relation to 2007 is equally relevant to the process happening now.

Immediately following the coup, the military junta set about drafting a constitution to replace the one it had thrown out. While it established a complex selection system for members of the Constitutional Drafting Assembly and Committee, the result was bodies intent on a charter that would prevent another Thaksin-dominated government.

The 2007 charter was born of both coup and stern military supervision. It was a mammoth 309-article draft that weakened the executive branch, removed considerable decision-making power to the bureaucracy and judiciary, transformed the senate from an elected body to one that was half-appointed, and enhanced the military’s political role and budget.

http://www.asiasentinel.com/politics/thailand-judiciary-politicized/

Unfortunately the 2007 constitution was still too democratic in the eyes of the military and the elite--some elected officials who campaigned on the promise to change the constitution and make the Senate fully elected actually had the temerity to try to change the constitution and make the Senate fully elected! This came after the wrong party (in the eyes of the elite) won the election.

My bet is that the next constitution will be written to give as much appearance of democracy with as little substance as is possible.

[wilcopops]

Prayuth should think before he speaks... He may have said differently in that I but he appears to be speaking in oxymorons in EnglishEnglith.

He says he is not a dictatordictator and then tells people not to criticise the state!?!?!

[mikemac]

"I am ready to listen to any problem. They should tell me. But don't ask for democracy or an election now. I can't give it to you," he said.

he can,but he does not want

Well if they have an election now before all the crap from before has been cleared out thailand will go back to corruption as usual. They have fixed a lot of things but I'm still waiting for them to deal with the head of the snake. My concern is that it feels likely as time passes by.

What have they fixed?

If there was an election tomorrow, or next month or 6 months from now the same party or its progeny would win. Because that's what the people want.

The "crap from before" includes dealing with a wealthy elite who have strong military ties does it not? How has the last 6 months helped in that?

Surely you aren't naive enough to think the crap from before begins and ends with Thaksin? He simply tapped into the wants of a significant sector of the population, like all politicians do, those wants don't change with him being gone.

True indeed.

I talk to many Thai people about that and they all agree that the military is buddy, buddy with the money, money and everyone knows or should know the yellow shirts are the money money part while being buddy buddies with the armed forces.

Mind you, the red shirts had to develop a buddy, buddy affair with the military also but the military hearts remain with the Yellow shirts as that is their evolution and their political past history.

All the Thai people I talk with that oppose the democrats know well they ran the country for how long??....seemingly always ..while there was not a whole lot they could do about it and or say about it .

With Thaksin....they had a voice ..or they felt they had a voice and certainly more hope than they ever had before and they liked the fact that Thaksin gave the democrats and everything entailed a "run for their money"

Most Thais I talk to about this, knew well enough, that sooner or later, the red shirts would be brought down by political shenanigans , as usual, but they still want to vote for a political party that can stand up to the democrats and all that they entail and hopefully change the power structures and spread the wealth around.

They also know well that Thaksin and their political cronies are really no better than the other political cronies and just as corrupt and greedy but they will vote for him or any party that can stand up to the status quo,,,,,, as a vote for Thaksin is a vote AGAINST the democrats...but not really a fully supportive vote for the red shirts ...rather they simply do not want to live in the "political past" and want the Status Quo to be changed.

So, when asked if another party, similar to the Thaksin affair, was to evolve and become a political powerhouse and fight with the democrats and the elite and the status quo and the military establishment...would they vote for them????....the answer is Yes.

They know well that they are all fighting over the money and jockeying for position...such is politics...but they are hoping some of the money they fight over will come their way, as any amount is better then nothing...which they all agree is what they received from the numerous people who ran the country for so long...more or less nothing....but lots of Lip Service and Lectures...seemingly for ever.

Even if a new political party is corrupt and greedy and no better really that the democrats....they still answer yes ...as they loathe the democrats and everything they represent while remembering the political past while agreeing that this is the year 2014...not 1974 and NOT the way it was back then.

Most of them believe they can retain their "Thainess" and many aspects of the Thai culture and not so difficult to do in their minds and thinking...but the politics and who runs the country...well that has to change.

So they vote for any party that can hopefully change that aspect of Thailand while they also know they do not have to be politically savvy or know anything in depth about Thai politics rather they want the chance to vote for political parties other than the democrats and anything like the democrats that are interconnected to the past and former political structure that lorded over Thailand for so long.

They want change.....no different than other people in other countries.

Cheers

.................."as a vote for Thaksin is a vote AGAINST the democrats"...........................

No it's not, it means the voter has "x" amount of baht in his or her pocket. If another party offed them better money they would vote for them.

The Shins have been wealthy enough and devious enough to offer the biggest bribes to keep them in power. Until now.

[heybruce]

Successful Democracy requires the ability of, and use of CRITICAL THOUGHT. Neither exists in Thailand, other third world countrys, and is being smothered out in America. Only anarchy exists here as the primary character of the people. You Know that!. Voting? Who pays the most money to you gets your vote here. I have lived in the village and elsewhere. I know the truth and so do you. Democracy is a white mans game at best. Some modified form must be developed to train these people. As it is, periodically a strict man (despot as you call him) must take hold to get on track. Of COURSE he will be called bad things by a people who do not want to be told ANYTHING. And you KNOW the Thai does not want to be told anything. DICIPLINE is a dirty word here, does not even exist for the most part. I do not know this man but unless you have good cause to bad mouth him,, maybe you should be quiet.

Spoken like a zealot. And frankly, a bigot.

I've spent plenty of time in Isaan and I've got plenty of "educated" Bangkok Thai friends. In my experience there are plenty of Thais across the full spectrum that are capable of forming and expressing an opinion in this area. There are some aspects of Thai thinking that make me think there's an overall lack of sophistication in political thinking but that's not exactly purely a Thai position. I mean a simple reading of political "debate" in the UK or the U.S. would lead to similar views.

The idea that Thais need a dictator is about as absurd as the idea that election outcomes swing on vote buying. Not a single external analyst believes vote buying changed the result in any of the recent elections - and quite a few studies have been done. Vote "buying" is widespread but is not determinative. Of course you'll disagree and instead base your absolute knowledge on anecdotal personal experience. And who I am to get between a bigot and his strongly held view.

EDIT: For those with an interest in vote-buying, Korn's comments are basically the Democrat position. http://asiancorrespondent.com/116697/vote-buying-thaksin-and-the-democrats/

Clicking the "Like" button wasn't enough; Very well stated sandrew33!

[harrry]

I really worry about the intelligence of these people sometime.

About the people mention in the above news or those in TV?

'eeply, 'eeply concerned.

Our Moerator is having a har time.

Edited November 22, 2014 by harrry

[sandrew33]

Spin doctors are out posting again. Like flies on sh1t. The topic itself is one sided. Goodluck posting anything positive about the PM on this one.

Perhaps raise, with some substance, the good things done and they can be discussed?

Blanket statements like greatest PM ever (or words to that effect) are likely to be met with ridicule, sure, but if you've got a view that the generals running the show has been a positive, that's fine, just clearly explain why and engage in the discussion.

No "spin doctors" seem to be in here, unless you're of the view that everyone with a different view to you is a spin doctor/on the payroll? But that's be dumb, so probably not.