Night of the Iguana: Old Fogies with young Thai Nubiles. Do they mix?

[Srikcir]

Japan’s monarchy is perhaps the only monarchy in the world today with no lèse-majesté law.

Yet somehow, the monarchy survives since 1945 in a modern, full fledge constitutional monarchy without a single military coup.

Perhaps the Thai Junta should learn from the Japanese than attempt to instruct them.

Asking Japan to "reconsider housing exiled academic" is disrespectful to the Japanese People's soverneignty.

But then what can one expect from a Junta that doesn't respect its own nation's sovereignty?

[Baerboxer]

after royalist military officers staged a coup against an elected government in May 2014

well at least that's true

"after royalist military officers staged a coup against a previously elected government acting as a caretaker government in May 2014"

Now it's true.

That is true too but needs fleshing out by saying that the government were forced to disolve parliament because of a possible plan by the military, amart and yellow shirts, to encourage a rabble to occupy Bangkok, making life so difficult for the people that the government had little choice.

And why were there initial mass protests against the government - because they tried to cheat a bill through parliament to grant the criminal fugitive who owns and controls PTP a whitewash amnesty for his conviction, bail jumping, 15 outstanding serious criminal charges and any future charges that may come to light from that time period. Effectively putting Thaksin above the law and immune from the consequences of previous actions.

Thaksin miscalculated the strength of utter contempt many Thai people felt for his attempt to ride roughshod over the law. And that was what knocked the first domino over.

[Baerboxer]

Japan’s monarchy is perhaps the only monarchy in the world today with no lèse-majesté law.

Yet somehow, the monarchy survives since 1945 in a modern, full fledge constitutional monarchy without a single military coup.

Perhaps the Thai Junta should learn from the Japanese than attempt to instruct them.

Asking Japan to "reconsider housing exiled academic" is disrespectful to the Japanese People's soverneignty.

But then what can one expect from a Junta that doesn't respect its own nation's sovereignty?

Really - and does the UK, Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden all have lese-majeste laws?

Japan has not had a dominant military since 1945 - guess why?

Japan has never been governed by a non elected criminal fugitive on the run from prison and 15 outstanding court cases either?

Japan did recently allow a Thai national to flaunt its laws on guns and taking guns on planes though.

So?

Edited July 21, 2015 by Baerboxer

[Briggsy]

Thailand needs to up their game. Maybe USA can help out with tips, and we don't even have LM laws! Get a trumped up charge of rape against the guy in extradition friendly country (Sweden for US), then if lucky enough to get allies to go along with that charade and pack to country S, drag him back home to face what the real beef was about. I am speaking of Assange, btw....

Ha ha, yes indeed,

Or the Israeli option, drug him as he walks down the street, box him up and air freight him back to Bangkok.

[Praematura]

Provide your list. Lol. No one beyond China gives a shit.

[MrJohnson]

after royalist military officers staged a coup against an elected government in May 2014

well at least that's true

"after royalist military officers staged a coup against a previously elected government acting as a caretaker government in May 2014"

Now it's true.

That is true too but needs fleshing out by saying that the government were forced to disolve parliament because of a possible plan by the military, amart and yellow shirts, to encourage a rabble to occupy Bangkok, making life so difficult for the people that the government had little choice.

And why were there initial mass protests against the government - because they tried to cheat a bill through parliament to grant the criminal fugitive who owns and controls PTP a whitewash amnesty for his conviction, bail jumping, 15 outstanding serious criminal charges and any future charges that may come to light from that time period. Effectively putting Thaksin above the law and immune from the consequences of previous actions.

Thaksin miscalculated the strength of utter contempt many Thai people felt for his attempt to ride roughshod over the law. And that was what knocked the first domino over.

Sorry, but the 'utter contempt of many Thais' was a carefully managed and funded charade. The coup was planned long before then. The deck chairs have been put back where they belong and the pretenders chased out of the schoolyard. The myth making continues and an election will not occur until the ducks have been lined up - read into that what you like but it is obvious to many what is going on. The problem is that the people in charge have all the guns. Always have done. Pure and simple. Unless of course you believe the myth that someone else is actually in charge.

[LomSak27]

The article is two days old and man

that must have hit a nerve .... ( A Thai house divided)

Edited July 22, 2015 by LomSak27

[Baerboxer]

And why were there initial mass protests against the government - because they tried to cheat a bill through parliament to grant the criminal fugitive who owns and controls PTP a whitewash amnesty for his conviction, bail jumping, 15 outstanding serious criminal charges and any future charges that may come to light from that time period. Effectively putting Thaksin above the law and immune from the consequences of previous actions.

Thaksin miscalculated the strength of utter contempt many Thai people felt for his attempt to ride roughshod over the law. And that was what knocked the first domino over.

Sorry, but the 'utter contempt of many Thais' was a carefully managed and funded charade. The coup was planned long before then. The deck chairs have been put back where they belong and the pretenders chased out of the schoolyard. The myth making continues and an election will not occur until the ducks have been lined up - read into that what you like but it is obvious to many what is going on. The problem is that the people in charge have all the guns. Always have done. Pure and simple. Unless of course you believe the myth that someone else is actually in charge.

The catalyst was the miscalculation by Thaksin that he could cheat an amnesty with minimal actual reaction from the Thai people. I know a considerable number of Thais, including my wife, her groups from her university, parents of my children's school friends, neighbors, friends and colleagues who attended the protests against the amnesty. None were paid or coerced to do so and many had actually voted for PTP in 2011. They were disgusted by the way PTP was behaving by then and the blatant manipulating of the bill to whitewash Thaksin and put him above the law was the final straw. None of those I know who voted PTP, in the naive belief Yingluck would really be the leader and not be so heavily controlled by her brother, have all vowed they will never vote for a Shin owned political party again. But they also admit, the alternatives aren't much better.

Now, how that spontaneous reaction was subsequently exploited and manipulated to suit other agendas is open to conjecture as is the way the then government and caretaker government tried to deal with it even to the point of trying to get outside intervention.

[MrJohnson]

And why were there initial mass protests against the government - because they tried to cheat a bill through parliament to grant the criminal fugitive who owns and controls PTP a whitewash amnesty for his conviction, bail jumping, 15 outstanding serious criminal charges and any future charges that may come to light from that time period. Effectively putting Thaksin above the law and immune from the consequences of previous actions.

Thaksin miscalculated the strength of utter contempt many Thai people felt for his attempt to ride roughshod over the law. And that was what knocked the first domino over.

Sorry, but the 'utter contempt of many Thais' was a carefully managed and funded charade. The coup was planned long before then. The deck chairs have been put back where they belong and the pretenders chased out of the schoolyard. The myth making continues and an election will not occur until the ducks have been lined up - read into that what you like but it is obvious to many what is going on. The problem is that the people in charge have all the guns. Always have done. Pure and simple. Unless of course you believe the myth that someone else is actually in charge.

The catalyst was the miscalculation by Thaksin that he could cheat an amnesty with minimal actual reaction from the Thai people. I know a considerable number of Thais, including my wife, her groups from her university, parents of my children's school friends, neighbors, friends and colleagues who attended the protests against the amnesty. None were paid or coerced to do so and many had actually voted for PTP in 2011. They were disgusted by the way PTP was behaving by then and the blatant manipulating of the bill to whitewash Thaksin and put him above the law was the final straw. None of those I know who voted PTP, in the naive belief Yingluck would really be the leader and not be so heavily controlled by her brother, have all vowed they will never vote for a Shin owned political party again. But they also admit, the alternatives aren't much better.

Now, how that spontaneous reaction was subsequently exploited and manipulated to suit other agendas is open to conjecture as is the way the then government and caretaker government tried to deal with it even to the point of trying to get outside intervention.

Whilst i concede that there were probably genuine protesters, many were from the rent-a-crowd sector. I also agree that the drafting of the amnesty bill may have been a lightning rod for protest. However, my point is that bigger forces were at play and had been long before the amnesty bill was floated.