"The implication here is that those old elites conspired to bring the downfall of the Shinawatras."

"Nothing could be farther from the truth."

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”

Joseph Goebbels

The writer of the OP made "illegal contributions of more than $690,000 to Democrats in return for access to former President Clinton and other officials."

To have that kind of money to commit her own crime with, she is part of the elite. There is a battle for power between the elite and the common people. The Junta represents the elite.

I'm not a YS supporter, but no one has told me what crime she committed. I have been told she was negligent.

Did people steal money and rice from the rice scheme? If so was it YS? If things were stolen as in corruption, who stole them?

It isn't a crime to be stupid or lazy and if it was a crime to produce subsidies for farmers that cost the government money, every government in the world would be in jail.

I want to see if they tell us what YS is charged with, because at the very least this is a cleansing of the Shins. When they try YS I want to see if she's charged with being stupid and lazy, or if they have the goods on her for corruption or another crime.

This is a battle between two elites

It's a battle between the old elites and the new elites.

It's a battle between two factions of the same elite.

It just about sums Thailand up like it or loath it you cant take away the facts we all live here and know what is happening around us we are not blind or stupid.

Bandow quoted four "primary" sources - they are Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the Economist.

This propagandist quoted the NACC and the Thai courts.

Gee-whiz, I wonder who has the most credible sources?

And the cherry on top.....

"The rule of law in Thailand did not die because of the convictions, it prevailed"

God bless this tiny clique that has stolen a nation from its people, I wonder if the Reds will let them stay in Thailand when the chickens finally come home to roost?

The problem with Mr. Bandows article is that it seems to be void of credible and check able fact.

Hell anyone of us here could write an article about the Obama and the fact that he may or may not be Islamic.

We take a few articles that are severe right wing. We cite unnamed sources in the White house, unnamed friends of Obama;s and then we add in a quote from Rudy and a few others and we are away

To me an unnamed source is what i think try to prove me wrong.

Mr. Bandow and Mr. Pornpimol are completely devoid of credibility.

Signed,

A Cal Alumni

On his last point regarding racial discrimination, ha ha ha, has he ever seen the way the hill tribes, Burmese and Cambodians are treated by Thais?

Don't make me laugh, this is a bad joke

When members of the American far right say that the Junta are OTT, then anyone with any common sense would see the problem. Apart from on here, it seems. I get the Thaksin hate, I dislike him too.

However, to blindly agree with Junta doing far worse is ridiculous. 90 dead, many. many more since the 30s, putting their cronies in the courtrooms, rubber stamp parliaments/committees, martial law, little freedom of speech. An upsurge in LM prosecutions, ridiculous North Korean style 'approval' polls, banning of anti 'government' polls...only good ones allowed in other words, the rounding up of electable politicians (as far as Thailand is concerned, not me), the banning (again) of politicians/parties standing for office. The severe lack of reconciliation and instead, persecution, no gatherings of more than 5 people, no calling the General a 'D' , this is a government-not a Junta, intervention not coup, the world doesn't understand Thainess, Hitler? So what? Only a painting!, no eating sandwiches in public, no reading Orwell,12 values, indoctrination.

Welcome to Thailand..land of smiles out of place, If you look closer, it's easy to trace...

Hitler does not live here, nor does Mao or Mussolini

I saw the three if them having a beer together i Nana last week!

​This article is correct they do not live here.

..

They have been staying here for years on ED visas

and are now discussing other options!

Thailand bears no resemblance to a democracy. If they think it does they are kidding themselves.

Thai opinion: Hitler does not live here, nor does Mao or Mussolini

Farang opinion: They are all dead

which opinion is more correct?

We all know, including you, how far up the tree goes corruption.

I have a friend who likes to say "Those who can, do. Those who can't either teach, work for the government, or write editorials.

Kind of like the old saying about film critics. These film critics are like eunichs in a harem. "They see it being done everyday, they know how to do it themselves, but they can't do it themselves".