Thai govt threatens to punish those who defame PM in social media

[richard_smith237]

It is shameful to insult anybody's wife or family, even more so if the person in question has proudly served his nation's military for forty-two years. I am old-fashioned and believe that all such elderly and distinguished gentlemen should be treated with great respect.

I am old enough to remember the pre-internet days, when people weren't so quick to throw deeply personal insults around. It is one of the few downsides to the web, you get kids who've never done anything of value in their lives, spewing out insults against their elders and betters, and talking tough from behind their soft fluffy cushions of anonymity.

Lt.General Manas also proudly served his nation as well.

As did every military general that overthrew the Thai governments.

Who held these people accountable for their crimes?

Once again, there is a difference between criticising serious criminal wrongdoing in government, using neutral analytical language, and going on twitter to insult somebody's wife or kids.

I also believe in showing deference to my elders, even if I am criticising their political mistakes. But that deference is my personal choice, and also a trait that I always admired in traditional Asian culture. I also show respect to all servicemen and women who dedicated their lives to defending their nations. I admire them greatly, and thank them when I can.

I agree with much of what is written above...

I believe in freedom of speech, I also believe that this freedom should come with responsibility and accountability when a certain lines have been crossed.

I believe these lines must be carefully established to provide both freedom of speech and protection from unnecessary insult.

Any political discussion which uses insult is used by those who lack intellect, social skills or are simply wrong and trying too hard to win when the objective is not winning, but is progress.

[Yunla]

Freedom of speech also has to be tempered to fit the circumstances in society, if there has been a lot of incendiary rhetoric in recent years, resulting in bloody street battles, then it is prudent to tell people to keep the incendiary rhetoric to themselves until the situation has calmed down.

That's what Hitler and Pol Pot said! Well done!

The fact is that the worse things are, the more you many actually need a revolution, much less contrary opinion.

It is never up to a government to tell the people what's good for them. A free people tell the government what's good for them. Elections, campaigning, contrarian editorials, insulting editorial cartoons, mass rallies, public speeches and, horrors, DEMOCRACY.

This mess, and some people's beliefs are exactly 180 degrees out of sync with the truth.

Cheers

I am firmly against revolution, and have always been. Decades ago I wrote that "I would rather live in a strict police-state than in a lawless state of anarchy" and I still firmly believe this to be true. Revolution and the temporary state of anarchy that accompanies it, will often lend itself to "might-is-right." The winner of these lawless situations is the man with the strongest arm. After that you can only hope that he is also a wise and good-natured ruler. Myself I am a disabled woman, and I like strict laws and security mechanisms that protect me physically first and foremost. If those laws require I am silenced during difficult times, I will accept it rather than being at the mercy of lawless gangs, which to me is far more threatening than keeping my mouth shut.

[richard_smith237]

Freedom of speech also has to be tempered to fit the circumstances in society, if there has been a lot of incendiary rhetoric in recent years, resulting in bloody street battles, then it is prudent to tell people to keep the incendiary rhetoric to themselves until the situation has calmed down.

That's what Hitler and Pol Pot said! Well done!

The fact is that the worse things are, the more you many actually need a revolution, much less contrary opinion.

It is never up to a government to tell the people what's good for them. A free people tell the government what's good for them. Elections, campaigning, contrarian editorials, insulting editorial cartoons, mass rallies, public speeches and, horrors, DEMOCRACY.

This mess, and some people's beliefs are exactly 180 degrees out of sync with the truth.

Cheers

However... A quote from Winston Churchill: "The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter"...

​It is entirely possible that democracy is not yet the correct form of government for Thailand.. in fact, its perhaps the worst form of government for Thailand...

Again another Churchill quote (allegedly) "It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried"....

And another quote, not Churchill this time, but Thomas Jefferson "A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51 percent of the people may take away the rights of the other 49"

Why all these quotes??... well, it seems no one can get it right... but it could be that Thailand is trying to get it 'the least wrong'... I'm not sure, but there is no space for personal insult...

....instead those clever enough should be free enough to argue to merits of the issues at hand without need for personal attack, in or outside of social media and this is where many decent people would agree... Keep it clean, don't make it personal, keep the discussions open and transparent, permit responsible freedom of speech....

​Perhaps if people stopped acting like selfish and greedy children greater progress will be realised....

[richard_smith237]

Freedom of speech also has to be tempered to fit the circumstances in society, if there has been a lot of incendiary rhetoric in recent years, resulting in bloody street battles, then it is prudent to tell people to keep the incendiary rhetoric to themselves until the situation has calmed down.

That's what Hitler and Pol Pot said! Well done!

The fact is that the worse things are, the more you many actually need a revolution, much less contrary opinion.

It is never up to a government to tell the people what's good for them. A free people tell the government what's good for them. Elections, campaigning, contrarian editorials, insulting editorial cartoons, mass rallies, public speeches and, horrors, DEMOCRACY.

This mess, and some people's beliefs are exactly 180 degrees out of sync with the truth.

Cheers

I am firmly against revolution, and have always been. Decades ago I wrote that "I would rather live in a strict police-state than in a lawless state of anarchy" and I still firmly believe this to be true. Revolution and the temporary state of anarchy that accompanies it, will often lend itself to "might-is-right." The winner of these lawless situations is the man with the strongest arm. After that you can only hope that he is also a wise and good-natured ruler. Myself I am a disabled woman, and I like strict laws and security mechanisms that protect me physically first and foremost. If those laws require I am silenced during difficult times, I will accept it rather than being at the mercy of lawless gangs, which to me is far more threatening than keeping my mouth shut.

The strict laws and security mechanisms you discuss are in many cases borne out of freedom of speech and in some cases protest... civil rights, disability rights movements and many more... They are concepts widely accepted in what we consider fully developed nations yet in the US these some of these rights are fairly recent concepts...

I agree in what you say about lawless gangs... but gagging orders are not the solution... people are perhaps often forced to protest when they feel their voice is not heard.

Healthy and intelligent balance suggests... healthy, intelligent and open debate on all topics... A clever government can handle this openness, but again, there is no need for personal insult...

The true issue at hand here is Thailand's defamation laws which many hide behind in order to win rather than realise progress...

[Yunla]

I am firmly against revolution, and have always been. Decades ago I wrote that "I would rather live in a strict police-state than in a lawless state of anarchy" and I still firmly believe this to be true. Revolution and the temporary state of anarchy that accompanies it, will often lend itself to "might-is-right." The winner of these lawless situations is the man with the strongest arm. After that you can only hope that he is also a wise and good-natured ruler. Myself I am a disabled woman, and I like strict laws and security mechanisms that protect me physically first and foremost. If those laws require I am silenced during difficult times, I will accept it rather than being at the mercy of lawless gangs, which to me is far more threatening than keeping my mouth shut.

The strict laws and security mechanisms you discuss are in many cases borne out of freedom of speech and in some cases protest... civil rights, disability rights movements and many more... They are concepts widely accepted in what we consider fully developed nations yet in the US these some of these rights are fairly recent concepts...

I agree in what you say about lawless gangs... but gagging orders are not the solution... people are perhaps often forced to protest when they feel their voice is not heard.

Healthy and intelligent balance suggests... healthy, intelligent and open debate on all topics... A clever government can handle this openness, but again, there is no need for personal insult...

The true issue at hand here is Thailand's defamation laws which many hide behind in order to win rather than realise progress...

I do agree with you on the importance of free speech and protest. I was at Greenham Common camp in 1983, and have been to many smaller protests around England since then.

But in terms of social stability, I would never attend protests if there had been recent factional violence resulting from prolonged protests. For me, protesting was always about peace, so I cannot support protests like those here in 2010, which threatened stability and security and therefor peace.

It is like I said in an earlier post, it is actually the duty of government to discourage incendiary rhetoric in the years following factional violence, flames which had been fanned by the same kinds of incendiary rhetoric. When things have calmed down, people need to speak in a civilised and clear manner, in ways that strengthen society and not corrode it. But this discussion and consensus-seeking, is only possible when peace and security have been restored. There are no quick fixes to these serious problems. But I believe that peace and social calm is the essential starting-point, and if you need to enforce laws to bring about this peace and calm then that is regrettable but necessary.

[richard_smith237]

I am firmly against revolution, and have always been. Decades ago I wrote that "I would rather live in a strict police-state than in a lawless state of anarchy" and I still firmly believe this to be true. Revolution and the temporary state of anarchy that accompanies it, will often lend itself to "might-is-right." The winner of these lawless situations is the man with the strongest arm. After that you can only hope that he is also a wise and good-natured ruler. Myself I am a disabled woman, and I like strict laws and security mechanisms that protect me physically first and foremost. If those laws require I am silenced during difficult times, I will accept it rather than being at the mercy of lawless gangs, which to me is far more threatening than keeping my mouth shut.

The strict laws and security mechanisms you discuss are in many cases borne out of freedom of speech and in some cases protest... civil rights, disability rights movements and many more... They are concepts widely accepted in what we consider fully developed nations yet in the US these some of these rights are fairly recent concepts...

I agree in what you say about lawless gangs... but gagging orders are not the solution... people are perhaps often forced to protest when they feel their voice is not heard.

Healthy and intelligent balance suggests... healthy, intelligent and open debate on all topics... A clever government can handle this openness, but again, there is no need for personal insult...

The true issue at hand here is Thailand's defamation laws which many hide behind in order to win rather than realise progress...

I do agree with you on the importance of free speech and protest. I was at Greenham Common camp in 1983, and have been to many smaller protests around England since then.

But in terms of social stability, I would never attend protests if there had been recent factional violence resulting from prolonged protests. For me, protesting was always about peace, so I cannot support protests like those here in 2010, which threatened stability and security and therefor peace.

It is like I said in an earlier post, it is actually the duty of government to discourage incendiary rhetoric in the years following factional violence, flames which had been fanned by the same kinds of incendiary rhetoric. When things have calmed down, people need to speak in a civilised and clear manner, in ways that strengthen society and not corrode it. But this discussion and consensus-seeking, is only possible when peace and security have been restored. There are no quick fixes to these serious problems. But I believe that peace and social calm is the essential starting-point, and if you need to enforce laws to bring about this peace and calm then that is regrettable but necessary.

Agreed - this is why I'm somewhat of a 'fence-sitter' regarding this latest Military Government.

It could work... but it will take a lot of good people, honour and a strong moral compass of those in positions of power to make it work and not cash in as quickly as possible as has occurred in the past (with all and any government).

[Fat Haggis]

It is shameful to insult anybody's wife or family, even more so if the person in question has proudly served his nation's military for forty-two years. I am old-fashioned and believe that all such elderly and distinguished gentlemen should be treated with great respect.

I am old enough to remember the pre-internet days, when people weren't so quick to throw deeply personal insults around. It is one of the few downsides to the web, you get kids who've never done anything of value in their lives, spewing out insults against their elders and betters, and talking tough from behind their soft fluffy cushions of anonymity.

And I'm also old enough to know that respect is earned, not demanded!!

[NeverSure]

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell

[NCC1701A]

one day everything you have ever posted anonymously on the internet with be attributed to you.

the gov. can do it now with a little effort when they need to, and one day it will be public info. just type in your internet id number and out it comes.

and soon you must have real full name to post... with your photo.

[Jay Sata]

Here in the UK where the Westminster system originated we need the Thai system now.

A battery of lawyers inside and outside Parliament waiting to pounce on people who oppose the premier.

Boris Johnson could be locked up along with most newspaper editors and vendors.

Mystic Meg could sort out our weather and economic problems while Cameron could announce on tv every day

that England was the land of milk and honey.

And the Labour party was now being run by Thaksin,

[BSJ]

The situation is I don't know what was said about PM and wife. If there are political grievences....sure put your point of view....but keep his or any politician's family out of it.

[ksamuiguy]

Remember this a Democracy in progress.
"The Junta" has never claimed to be a Democracy.
The system Thailand is under is a "Sovereignty".
Even in a Democracy freedoms must be tempered by reason, not driven by lies, innuendos and rumors.
If you need to know what's going on, watch K. Prayut (The Junta) every Friday night as he explains things and what is going on to the "The Thai People" Subtitles in English. Not the B.S. you read on the forums and in news papers.
I have never seen the Thai People having such a high feeling security in my over 45 years as a guest in The Kingdom.

The Kingdom of Thailand has entered a long period of peace and security.

No guns, no grenades, no fighting in the streets, we are secure in our homes.

Thailand and indeed all of S.E. Asia is probably one of the safest places to visit or live in the world.

Yes there are problems, but these problems would exist even in a democracy.

Really not bad for a country of 70,000,000 people.

Take a look around the world, where would you rather be, if it is that much better, Go There.

I am sure the Thai's won't miss you.

[NongKhaiKid]

It is shameful to insult anybody's wife or family, even more so if the person in question has proudly served his nation's military for forty-two years. I am old-fashioned and believe that all such elderly and distinguished gentlemen should be treated with great respect.

I am old enough to remember the pre-internet days, when people weren't so quick to throw deeply personal insults around. It is one of the few downsides to the web, you get kids who've never done anything of value in their lives, spewing out insults against their elders and betters, and talking tough from behind their soft fluffy cushions of anonymity.

And I'm also old enough to know that respect is earned, not demanded!!

Indeed, respect, loyalty etc should be a two-way street but i's amazing how easily it becomes one-way in application.

[Manbing]

The truth always hurts!

The truth is with all his faults he is still the best PM this country has had in the last 15 years IMO.

Not sure I would agree with the sentiment about best in 15 years.

However, he has demonstrated a willingness to root out corruption and reshuffle the deck to bust cronyism and graft in Thailand.

That is undeniable.

As is the fact that a country is not the same as an army. Instead of coordinating a parade ground, dear leader is now in the position of herding cats.

And sensitivity should not be on public display.

[Manbing]

one day everything you have ever posted anonymously on the internet with be attributed to you.

the gov. can do it now with a little effort when they need to, and one day it will be public info. just type in your internet id number and out it comes.

and soon you must have real full name to post... with your photo.

I wasn't issued with an internet ID number,

Where do I go to get one?

[Yunla]

It is shameful to insult anybody's wife or family, even more so if the person in question has proudly served his nation's military for forty-two years. I am old-fashioned and believe that all such elderly and distinguished gentlemen should be treated with great respect.

I am old enough to remember the pre-internet days, when people weren't so quick to throw deeply personal insults around. It is one of the few downsides to the web, you get kids who've never done anything of value in their lives, spewing out insults against their elders and betters, and talking tough from behind their soft fluffy cushions of anonymity.

And I'm also old enough to know that respect is earned, not demanded!!

I agree with you to some extent, but respect isn't a fixed value, it is a sliding-scale of many different levels of respect. For example I have basic respect for every person on this world, also I have a lot of respect for people who are struggling in warzones or areas of famine etc. And I have never met them in person in most cases, so they cannot actually earn my respect, but I respect them collectively for surviving hardship. This basic respect for people I don't know at all includes the basic courtesy of not insulting them or their loved ones in social media. Also as I said earlier I always respect my elders and people who serve to protect their nation, and this is earned respect.

And because it is a sliding scale, if a person I previously had great respect for starts to commit terrible crimes, I will respect them only at the very minimum basic human level, ie. they have rights to fair trials, basic dignity in prison, and not being tortured etc. But I will always have this basic respect even for the worst among us. As I said in the start of this thread, the gentleman in question has also earned my respect in many ways, he is dealing with the very difficult situation he was left with, and trying to to do the best for the nation he loves and has served for half a century. I do count that as seriously earned respect. That doesn't mean I agree with all his decisions, it just means I have great respect for him based on the entire picture but not always on the minor details.

[Emster23]

"close to identifying the person who spread false news about the prime minister and his wife."

Q: Who was that lady I saw you with last night?

A: That was no lady. That was my wife.

If decide to crackdown on TV ferrener sites, maybe we should work on our sarcasm and irony skills? That usually flies right over their heads.

[Fat Haggis]

I'm only liking this post for all your references that don't point to the General, he nor any of the other Eastern Tigers, past and present don't get any respect, as they're acting and have acted outwith the law, regardless of the reasons, the divide within this country is every bit as great, if not greater than it ever was, you cannot reconcile a country, when it blatantly appears to be persecuting one side.

There are severe abuses of power going on as well, the number of LM/112 cases has trebled under this Regime, this isn't about the good of the country Yunla, this is about making damn sure the right people are in charge of the country when the inevitable happens. Everything else is smoke and mirrors.

[tx22cb]

The situation is I don't know what was said about PM and wife. If there are political grievences....sure put your point of view....but keep his or any politician's family out of it.

Not political grievances.

Very easy to search "Prayut, Wife, Singapore, Money Transfer".

So the newspapers can't leave out Prayut's wife.

I don't blame Prayut's wife - dirty politicians do it all the time, even when there are opposition MPs around.

[boomerangutang]

The truth always hurts!

The truth is with all his faults he is still the best PM this country has had in the last 15 years IMO.

Except for Abhisit, you're pretty much correct. All in all, it's a sad reflection on the Thai people, because they chose Thaksin's proxies, and indirectly allowed the various military strongmen to stay way beyond their expiration dates.

The new Constitution should have a provision which reads: If a military government takes over, they should not feel obliged to change the wording of the Constitution. Their first order of business should be to enact nationwide elections within 12 months.

But when does top brass respect what's written in the Constitution? They've got control of the most guns and people taking orders wielding those guns, so they can do what they want, can't they?

[BigBadGeordie]

one day everything you have ever posted anonymously on the internet with be attributed to you.

the gov. can do it now with a little effort when they need to, and one day it will be public info. just type in your internet id number and out it comes.

and soon you must have real full name to post... with your photo.

I wasn't issued with an internet ID number,

Where do I go to get one?

Available at all 7-11, just pick one up when you do your next 90 day report.

[Yunla]

I'm only liking this post for all your references that don't point to the General, he nor any of the other Eastern Tigers, past and present don't get any respect, as they're acting and have acted outwith the law, regardless of the reasons, the divide within this country is every bit as great, if not greater than it ever was, you cannot reconcile a country, when it blatantly appears to be persecuting one side.

There are severe abuses of power going on as well, the number of LM/112 cases has trebled under this Regime, this isn't about the good of the country Yunla, this is about making damn sure the right people are in charge of the country when the inevitable happens. Everything else is smoke and mirrors.

We disagree on this fundamentally, and it would be offtopic of me to write an essay here about why I don't see this as a societal "us versus them" at all, rather an attempt to prevent factional bloodshed and to preserve values that are cherished as sacred and traditional. I do believe that the current government are acting in the best interests of the country, if I personally would do so in a different way is not relevant as I am just a tourist and it is truly none of my business. What I do know is that as a tourist I am safer now than I was when there was social upheaval going on all the time, and my Thai friends and their children are safer too. When I speak with my blue-collar Thai friends the mood is more optimistic than it has been in decades. And even though there are specific points that they are not happy about, this is actually a universal constant in even the most progressive democracies, people always have issues with one thing or another. But being able to go to work, run their businesses, see their children to school, without a backdrop of factional violence and constant street-protests is something that my friends roundly applaud.

[magnacarta]

It is shameful to insult anybody's wife or family, even more so if the person in question has proudly served his nation's military for forty-two years. I am old-fashioned and believe that all such elderly and distinguished gentlemen should be treated with great respect.

I am old enough to remember the pre-internet days, when people weren't so quick to throw deeply personal insults around. It is one of the few downsides to the web, you get kids who've never done anything of value in their lives, spewing out insults against their elders and betters, and talking tough from behind their soft fluffy cushions of anonymity.

Ever heard of this mag?

[aussieinthailand]

It is shameful to insult anybody's wife or family, even more so if the person in question has proudly served his nation's military for forty-two years. I am old-fashioned and believe that all such elderly and distinguished gentlemen should be treated with great respect.

I am old enough to remember the pre-internet days, when people weren't so quick to throw deeply personal insults around. It is one of the few downsides to the web, you get kids who've never done anything of value in their lives, spewing out insults against their elders and betters, and talking tough from behind their soft fluffy cushions of anonymity.

I agree with your statements on insulting people and their family's.

and a person should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, let the facts Speak for themselves.

What I also think is if there is evidence and many have seen photo's of the documents in question and the accusation's. if that is the issue that is being talked about,

When and how do you suggest that there should be questions and accountability? the problem is that here accusations get you sent too court to face liable charges regardless of truth, facts and proof of the accusations, also it's a crime to criticize the junta as you will be seen as anti government and charged with sedition and incitement, just ask the 14 uni students, so now just which platform do you suggest the public use to voice opinions? and raise questions and public awareness?

Also If a person has proof that lies and false information regarding themselves and or family is being spread, then why not disprove the accusations with independent documents?

Why has this not happened yet? show irrefutable proof and problem solved, the problem is it (the scuttlebutt ,gossip, rumors, innuendo,) is gaining traction and whispers are getting louder, so why the threats instead of ending all this stuff proof of innocents?

lastly do you know just what is being said on this matter?

BTW My personal opinion is just that, [opinion] I make statement or accuse anyone of anything. (just covering my ass)

[krdowney]

Insecure man in power. Wonder why.

Could I ask you why you talk about the 'insecure man in power' in relation to the topic?

BTW as far as I know also in your country of birth there's a defamation law and the internet with people just writing what's comes to mind has helped clearify defamation, slander and threats.

Yes, but in "our" countries, libel is a civil instead of criminal offense, and even more importantly TRUTH IS A UNIVERSAL DEFENSE. In Thailand (perhaps your country is Thailand, Rubi, I'm not certain) if you say something true about someone and they don't like it, you go to jail for a long time. This is even more true if you say something true of someone high status, then you are completely screwed. Thailand represses truth as a foundation of its legal and political culture. (see David Streckfuss "Truth on Trial in Thailand" if you can find it because it is, of course, banned here).

Thais and Falang alike need to gain a greater appreciation for how deeply embedded status, power, and manipulation are in this country. The PM doesn't "just need to learn to take the heat" because in Thailand he can simply throw everybody that pisses him off in jail. He could invoke Article 44 and arrest all the editorial writers and academics if he wanted. He knows he risks political suicide doing that though, not so much by angering the people (they don't matter) but by embarrassing his boss General Prawit, who would have him removed by car or casket.

Edited July 7, 2015 by krdowney

[baboon]

I'm only liking this post for all your references that don't point to the General, he nor any of the other Eastern Tigers, past and present don't get any respect, as they're acting and have acted outwith the law, regardless of the reasons, the divide within this country is every bit as great, if not greater than it ever was, you cannot reconcile a country, when it blatantly appears to be persecuting one side.

There are severe abuses of power going on as well, the number of LM/112 cases has trebled under this Regime, this isn't about the good of the country Yunla, this is about making damn sure the right people are in charge of the country when the inevitable happens. Everything else is smoke and mirrors.

We disagree on this fundamentally, and it would be offtopic of me to write an essay here about why I don't see this as a societal "us versus them" at all, rather an attempt to prevent factional bloodshed and to preserve values that are cherished as sacred and traditional. I do believe that the current government are acting in the best interests of the country, if I personally would do so in a different way is not relevant as I am just a tourist and it is truly none of my business. What I do know is that as a tourist I am safer now than I was when there was social upheaval going on all the time, and my Thai friends and their children are safer too. When I speak with my blue-collar Thai friends the mood is more optimistic than it has been in decades. And even though there are specific points that they are not happy about, this is actually a universal constant in even the most progressive democracies, people always have issues with one thing or another. But being able to go to work, run their businesses, see their children to school, without a backdrop of factional violence and constant street-protests is something that my friends roundly applaud.

So obviously you never leave Bangkok, therefore what you say is confined to there.

[maanoi]

The truth always hurts!

The truth is with all his faults he is still the best PM this country has had in the last 15 years IMO.

How can you possibly know that when all news about him is censered by him. You think he's going to allow critical news articles to be published?

Nobody really knows whats going on behind those sealed doors.

[magnacarta]

Elvis Costello had a song called Clowntime Is Over - not in Thailand. The self-anointed one's feelings have been hurt ...

Assuming you're on topic you're spreading lies and defame the PM. PM Prayut has not been anointed nor did he 'self-anoit' nor did he ever state to be anoited, or 'the (self) anoited one'.

Of course if you're not referring to the PM in the topic I wonder why you posted your stuff at all.

But he walks on water,if it walks like a duck,talks like a duck it's a duck.

[Yunla]

Ever heard of this mag?

Yes, I took Communication Studies as an A-level back when it was entirely print-media era. So I have read many of these things in my life. But the point is that the UK did not have years of bloody factional street battles relating to political loyalty, right before PE and other mags printed inflammatory articles. Maybe if armed groups of Tory and Labour supporters were fighting in the streets outside Ian Hislop's office, he would think very carefully about the language and images he published the next day. Those magazine editors are publishing with the luxury of having known nothing but peace and stability in their lifetimes.

[aussieinthailand]

The truth always hurts!

The truth is with all his faults he is still the best PM this country has had in the last 15 years IMO.

Except for Abhisit, you're pretty much correct. All in all, it's a sad reflection on the Thai people, because they chose Thaksin's proxies, and indirectly allowed the various military strongmen to stay way beyond their expiration dates.

The new Constitution should have a provision which reads: If a military government takes over, they should not feel obliged to change the wording of the Constitution. Their first order of business should be to enact nationwide elections within 12 months.

But when does top brass respect what's written in the Constitution? They've got control of the most guns and people taking orders wielding those guns, so they can do what they want, can't they?

WHAT THE? They have to rip up the constitution because it is unconstitutional to enact a coup so therefor that is their first action.

This is not the first time there has been talk about the PM and his family and large amounts of money and banks and transfers, this issue keeps raising it's head but under different circumstances and accusations.

So why not put out the fires of this stuff with proof each time and soon the public will not take notice of this stuff?

He is saying the rumors are coming from a UNI, Question: wouldn't possible uni students or academics be smart enough use a VPN when commenting on the powerful and supporters so they can't be tracked? Or am I assuming to much?