Thai officials to observe election in Germany

[h90]

Well definitely a move in the right direction. Wonder why Germany pays for the visit though.

Because Germany always pays, if it is for Greece or Ukraine or Thailand.....If someone need money......ask Germany

You have contact details for the right person I should ask in Germany?

Angela Merkel....For the mobile phone number, you must ask the Americans, they new her mobile phone very well....

[maidee]

in the hope THAILAND would learn something from a civilized country ?

[Baerboxer]

Well definitely a move in the right direction. Wonder why Germany pays for the visit though.

Germany is keen to expand the amount of business German organization do in Thailand. VW car plant, the MOU on development of college and workplace skills development etc.

Helping Thailand back on the road to democracy and to evolve its own robust electoral system would give Germany kudos within the EU, and UN.

Don't underestimate German ambition. It's the only one of the 3 major EU countries not to be on the UN security council and to have foreign troops stationed on its soil without them being invited; or German economic ambition.

So much for all those who insist in prattling on about how the international civilized West community refuses to have anything to do with Thailand now.

[h90]

That is a good place to study elections. In Germany they are perfect. People can happily vote, all media are reporting exactly the same things and no matter what they vote nothing will change in Germany.

yes, everything is perfect. Why to make a change if you are the leading country in EU? To make a change as Cameron is intending to do? Hahahaha.

But anyway, it's good to visit and study election matters. "the winner takes it all" is not a real democracy (see US!)

look how the income developed in Germany the last 20 years. Germany is doing well in compare to the other EU countries but bad in compare to the times they had the German Mark. Actually all Euro countries, rich and poor suffer. Only the super rich and the banks are doing well. The middle class is loosing.

(I am not saying that it would be better without Euro. The problems come from bad politics, having different currencies wouldn't make the politic any better)

[Borzandy]

Thai officials will come back explaining that they do not understand why in Germany no money was given to the electors.

[wabothai]

I am eager to know what the Thai hope to learn from a German election? That it can't be bought? Stop waisting people's money.

[JeremyBowskill]

Can't help but think studying elections circa 1930 in Germany might prove more useful at present for Thailand.

It would help if you brushed up your knowledge of prewar German politics. Its slide into a brutal dictatorship was done strictly democratically and through parliamentary process. The elections were albeit marred by violent clashes when party affiliated militias tried to disrupt campaigning of political opponents. Any similarity with redshirt activities is of course purely coincidental.

Its slide into a brutal dictatorship was done strictly democratically and through parliamentary process.

that would be interesting if it were true...

but it was through backroom deals, arm-twisting the elites, and fear-mongering that Hitler gained power...

It doesn´t fit your agenda so you try to rewrite history. The Empowerment Act (Ermaechtigungsgesetz) was voted for in parliament and the MPs of all parties voted for it, except the communists who were already in prison or makeshift concentration camps after Marinus van der Lubbe had set fire to the Reichstag, and the Social Democrats - in their last act of defiance.

If anything, the German Republic of Weimar serves as an example how a democratic system without sufficient checks and balances, insufficient separation of powers (the Reichspraesident could overrule the Government by issuing "emergency acts" (Notverordnungen) and a biased law enforcement coupled with a widespread aversion of the middle and upper classes against this parliamentary system (discredited as being forced upon Germany by the "enemy"), is doomed to fail. A lesson for Thailand?

German history is my home turf, so snappy one-liners are getting you nowhere, apart from off-topic.

I do hope you had time to get your towel on your sun lounger at 5 am in between posting all these posts.......

[angiolo]

Will this visit really change things in Thailand.. 555 ,okI wish someone would explain something to me. What does 555 mean ?

[Thian]

While being in Germany also have a look at the following:

-safe traffic

-durable solid buildings

-clean wide pavement

-hygiene preparation of streetfood

-safety of electrical systems

-quality of highways

-price of beer

[brain150]

While being in Germany also have a look at the following:

-safe traffic

-durable solid buildings

-clean wide pavement

-hygiene preparation of streetfood

-safety of electrical systems

-quality of highways

-price of beer

yes and election fraud, bailing out banks, brainwashing the population with

public [official] media, being the 3rd biggest weapons exporter on the planet,

getting off nuclear power and at the same time selling outdated technology to

emerging countries like Brazil, supporting the US drone wars which all start

from German soil, destroying the european economies, forcing european

countries into austerity ... list goes on and on.

Reality might be quite different from what most people "think" it is.

[sambum]

Well definitely a move in the right direction. Wonder why Germany pays for the visit though.

this article doesn't say that Germany is paying.

Yes it does.

The costs of the visit will be covered by the German government.

"All expenses will be paid by the German government."

Makes you wonder if some people can read English

[hhinhh]

Can't help but think studying elections circa 1930 in Germany might prove more useful at present for Thailand.

If you are talking about the Nazi government, that started 1933.

[Srikcir]

There are so many problems with this trip by the Junta controlled government. Just a few I see:

#1 It is a CONFLICT OF INTEREST for Thai officials to have a foreign government finance a trip to Germany.

But this seems to be only an issue in prosecuting the PTP. The Junta otherwise seems oblivious to conflicts of interests.

#2 Germany is a REPUBLIC

There is no comparison to Thailand's Constitutional Monarchy

#3 Germany's MMP System can result in a single political party to hold a dominant position in government

NRC/CDC rejects the possiblity of such outcome and recommends now to look at the Northern Ireland coalition government

#4 Germany's ELECTED Chancellor as Head of Government and State can become a powerful figure.

NRC/CDC rejects the idea of a powerful Head of Government elected by a dominant pollitical party and PM can be appointed.

#4 Germany's military RESPECTS and PROTECTS the Constitution

Thai military protects and exercises its power over Thai Peoples sovereignty

#5 German military is a TOOL of Germany's elected government

Thailand's government is a tool of Thailand military

No doubt when the Thai officials return, they will state that Germans understand the Junta's reasons for the coup and support its roadmap to democracy. The Germans in turn could care less what the Thais say as they just want a piece of Thailand's national wealth.

[cookee68]

Whilst they are there they should learn a bit about history, to educate the Young Thai people about what certain things represent

[tbthailand]

Well definitely a move in the right direction. Wonder why Germany pays for the visit though.

this article doesn't say that Germany is paying.

Yes it does.

The costs of the visit will be covered by the German government.

"All expenses will be paid by the German government."

Makes you wonder if some people can read English

got it.... bad eyes ...

[BusyB]

Can't help but think studying elections circa 1930 in Germany might prove more useful at present for Thailand.

It would help if you brushed up your knowledge of prewar German politics. Its slide into a brutal dictatorship was done strictly democratically and through parliamentary process. The elections were albeit marred by violent clashes when party affiliated militias tried to disrupt campaigning of political opponents. Any similarity with redshirt activities is of course purely coincidental.

Its slide into a brutal dictatorship was done strictly democratically and through parliamentary process.

that would be interesting if it were true...

but it was through backroom deals, arm-twisting the elites, and fear-mongering that Hitler gained power...

It doesn´t fit your agenda so you try to rewrite history. The Empowerment Act (Ermaechtigungsgesetz) was voted for in parliament and the MPs of all parties voted for it, except the communists who were already in prison or makeshift concentration camps after Marinus van der Lubbe had set fire to the Reichstag, and the Social Democrats - in their last act of defiance.

If anything, the German Republic of Weimar serves as an example how a democratic system without sufficient checks and balances, insufficient separation of powers (the Reichspraesident could overrule the Government by issuing "emergency acts" (Notverordnungen) and a biased law enforcement coupled with a widespread aversion of the middle and upper classes against this parliamentary system (discredited as being forced upon Germany by the "enemy"), is doomed to fail. A lesson for Thailand?

German history is my home turf, so snappy one-liners are getting you nowhere, apart from off-topic.

Very nicely put. History doesn't repeat itself as such, but it often rhymes. And all the main actors are in place.

[StefanBBK]

So, thai officials go to see an election system that is according to the German Constitution Court

against the German Constitution [Grundgesetz].

The german government ignored the court ruling and did nothing about the law

and because nobody cared ALL elections in Germany are ILLEGAL [as against the Grundgesetz].

So Thailand gets advice from one of the most corrupt countries on this planet ... isn't this funny

How things really are and what one might think what is are two very different things !

Especially when it comes to Germany.

You are joking, right? None of the statistics I found support your argument. 2014 shows Germany ranked 12th lowest perceived corruption with a score of 79, whilst Thailand ranks 85th with a score of 38. Best in the world is Denmark with a score of 90.

http://www.transparency.org/cpi2014/results

To bring this thing back on topic, yes, I do believe something can be learned by the Thai delegation. I hope for the best.

[Plowman]

JUNKET, that is all.

[StefanBBK]

There are so many problems with this trip by the Junta controlled government. Just a few I see:

#1 It is a CONFLICT OF INTEREST for Thai officials to have a foreign government finance a trip to Germany.

But this seems to be only an issue in prosecuting the PTP. The Junta otherwise seems oblivious to conflicts of interests.

#2 Germany is a REPUBLIC

There is no comparison to Thailand's Constitutional Monarchy

#3 Germany's MMP System can result in a single political party to hold a dominant position in government

NRC/CDC rejects the possiblity of such outcome and recommends now to look at the Northern Ireland coalition government

#4 Germany's ELECTED Chancellor as Head of Government and State can become a powerful figure.

NRC/CDC rejects the idea of a powerful Head of Government elected by a dominant pollitical party and PM can be appointed.

#4 Germany's military RESPECTS and PROTECTS the Constitution

Thai military protects and exercises its power over Thai Peoples sovereignty

#5 German military is a TOOL of Germany's elected government

Thailand's government is a tool of Thailand military

No doubt when the Thai officials return, they will state that Germans understand the Junta's reasons for the coup and support its roadmap to democracy. The Germans in turn could care less what the Thais say as they just want a piece of Thailand's national wealth.

The chancellor is not Germany head of state. We actually do have a president.

I think the president's role could be compared to that of a Monarch in some ways.

[StefanBBK]

Can't help but think studying elections circa 1930 in Germany might prove more useful at present for Thailand.

It would help if you brushed up your knowledge of prewar German politics. Its slide into a brutal dictatorship was done strictly democratically and through parliamentary process. The elections were albeit marred by violent clashes when party affiliated militias tried to disrupt campaigning of political opponents. Any similarity with redshirt activities is of course purely coincidental.

Its slide into a brutal dictatorship was done strictly democratically and through parliamentary process.

that would be interesting if it were true...

but it was through backroom deals, arm-twisting the elites, and fear-mongering that Hitler gained power...

It doesn´t fit your agenda so you try to rewrite history. The Empowerment Act (Ermaechtigungsgesetz) was voted for in parliament and the MPs of all parties voted for it, except the communists who were already in prison or makeshift concentration camps after Marinus van der Lubbe had set fire to the Reichstag, and the Social Democrats - in their last act of defiance.

If anything, the German Republic of Weimar serves as an example how a democratic system without sufficient checks and balances, insufficient separation of powers (the Reichspraesident could overrule the Government by issuing "emergency acts" (Notverordnungen) and a biased law enforcement coupled with a widespread aversion of the middle and upper classes against this parliamentary system (discredited as being forced upon Germany by the "enemy"), is doomed to fail. A lesson for Thailand?

German history is my home turf, so snappy one-liners are getting you nowhere, apart from off-topic.

I do hope you had time to get your towel on your sun lounger at 5 am in between posting all these posts.......

Ouch.... are you wearing socks and sandals!