Prayut blames political leaders for problems

[anotheruser]

He is the laughing stock of the world right now. nuff said.

[lostoday]

He is the laughing stock of the world right now. nuff said.

The world does not know where Thailand is and often confuse it with Taiwan.

[aussieinthailand]

Don't you also want to blame the foreigners while you're at it.

He's done that many times most recently an ambassador yesterday accusing him of reporting wrongly.

[retarius]

The more you hear from this guy, the less impressive he is. If you want to change things, start naming names instead of referring to unidentified 'bad guys' and the like.

[metisdead]

Please use discretion in your references to the government. Phrases which can be considered as anti-coup will be removed. Referring to Thailand or the government as a dictatorship, military dictatorship or other such terms will be removed.

[LannaGuy]

Maybe I'm just naive, but from my calculations the military have been in power for at least 50% of the last 40 years. Now I've posted this graph before, but can someone please help me to explain what difference exactly military vs politicians vs any Joe on The Street has had an this 'Asian Tiger'?

Until this country actually wakes up to modernity and accepts some rational view of itself, it's future, and what to do, the past is destined to repeat itself ad nauseam

Now for the majority of expats living here, doesn't really matter what they do. I've lived through them all, no change. Regardless of what the TVF zealots profess, we live in a bubble, until the Thai's actually accept what their relative 'success' is, nothing changes..

useful post thanks

[selftaopath]

Good or bad at least they were VOTED in.

Voting....remember that?

LOL. Is that what it's called? Voting? In this village bt 300 will get your entire family's vote.

There is no democracy in Thailand b/c there is no rule of law. The Shin mob was great at assisting this and stealing large amounts of money from the money pot.

Honestly.... and don't get me wrong.... I love democracy, but I'm thrilled the Shin mob is ????? lessened and maybe one or two corrupt thieves will be punished (minimally I'm sure ... TIT )

Did you see Thai peoples' lives improved or the education of children made better when the Shin clan was overlords?

[micmichd]

Maybe voting is good if you get something in return.

How many of the democracy fans here do actually participate in elections?

[lostoday]

Maybe voting is good if you get something in return.

How many of the democracy fans here do actually participate in elections?

My wife and her entire family participated in every election in Thailand for the last 40 years. Her whole family are fans of democracy (voting for leaders). As are all of the Thai adults that I know.

[lostoday]

Good or bad at least they were VOTED in.

Voting....remember that?

LOL. Is that what it's called? Voting? In this village bt 300 will get your entire family's vote.

There is no democracy in Thailand b/c there is no rule of law. The Shin mob was great at assisting this and stealing large amounts of money from the money pot.

Honestly.... and don't get me wrong.... I love democracy, but I'm thrilled the Shin mob is ????? lessened and maybe one or two corrupt thieves will be punished (minimally I'm sure ... TIT )

Did you see Thai peoples' lives improved or the education of children made better when the Shin clan was overlords?

People who win like elections. People who lose elections don't like elections. You are making it so complicated.

We all know the story.

[heybruce]

Good or bad at least they were VOTED in.

Voting....remember that?

LOL. Is that what it's called? Voting? In this village bt 300 will get your entire family's vote.

There is no democracy in Thailand b/c there is no rule of law. The Shin mob was great at assisting this and stealing large amounts of money from the money pot.

Honestly.... and don't get me wrong.... I love democracy, but I'm thrilled the Shin mob is ????? lessened and maybe one or two corrupt thieves will be punished (minimally I'm sure ... TIT )

Did you see Thai peoples' lives improved or the education of children made better when the Shin clan was overlords?

"Did you see Thai peoples' lives improved or the education of children made better when the Shin clan was overlords?"

I didn't, but apparently a lot of Thai people did. Enough for the Shinawatra supported parties to win every election, including those internationally monitored.

"There is no democracy in Thailand b/c there is no rule of law."

Yeah, there is this above the law military running things in Thailand. Not everyone is happy about that.

[Thai at Heart]

There obviously isn't a word for hypocrisy in Thailand.....

[selftaopath]

He's been in charge 18 months. It's time to own your own problems.

Stop looking back, start looking forwards.

And stop whining all the time like a spoiled kid.

the problem is that the peole he is referring to are still very much players and lets face it - they shouldn't be

very easy to point the finger at the PM and say he is not running a democracy (true) but the reality is it is the only way effective changes will ever be accomplished, past democratic elected governments have shown how ineffective they are over decades of theiving - power abuse - and corruption and have failed to do anything about it - why should they, they are all enriching themselves, although the current solution is not ideal I honestly don't see any alternative, politicians in this country cannot be trusted (fact) so the only way to ensure they do what they were elected to do is to introduce stiff boundaries, rules, agencies, and laws that hold people in office to account and for the time being restrict them until such times they can be trusted

EXACTLY.

Thank you.

[lostoday]

He's been in charge 18 months. It's time to own your own problems.

Stop looking back, start looking forwards.

And stop whining all the time like a spoiled kid.

the problem is that the peole he is referring to are still very much players and lets face it - they shouldn't be

very easy to point the finger at the PM and say he is not running a democracy (true) but the reality is it is the only way effective changes will ever be accomplished, past democratic elected governments have shown how ineffective they are over decades of theiving - power abuse - and corruption and have failed to do anything about it - why should they, they are all enriching themselves, although the current solution is not ideal I honestly don't see any alternative, politicians in this country cannot be trusted (fact) so the only way to ensure they do what they were elected to do is to introduce stiff boundaries, rules, agencies, and laws that hold people in office to account and for the time being restrict them until such times they can be trusted

EXACTLY.

Thank you.

If you can't win the election why have one. I think everyone knows that.

[Ichabod]

Maybe I'm just naive, but from my calculations the military have been in power for at least 50% of the last 40 years. Now I've posted this graph before, but can someone please help me to explain what difference exactly military vs politicians vs any Joe on The Street has had an this 'Asian Tiger'?

Until this country actually wakes up to modernity and accepts some rational view of itself, it's future, and what to do, the past is destined to repeat itself ad nauseam

Now for the majority of expats living here, doesn't really matter what they do. I've lived through them all, no change. Regardless of what the TVF zealots profess, we live in a bubble, until the Thai's actually accept what their relative 'success' is, nothing changes..

A telling graph. All the more impressive when you consider that in 1960 Thailand had a higher per capita GDP than Korea, whose population was only 30% literate.

But looking for reasons for the difference in a vaguely anti-modern mentality doesn't do much to illuminate the differences in economic performance between Korea and Thailand in the last 50 years. There is a very concrete difference between the two countries in 1960 that goes a long way to explain the vast difference in development: military enemies. In 1960 Korea was surrounded by enemies: China, which had a long history of interfering in dynastic politics, North Korea with whom they had just had a civil war, and Japan that had ruled Korea exceptionally cruelly as a colony for two generations ending with the end of WWII. So, when Park Chung-hee, a Korean general and former collaborator with the Japanese, was first elected president in 1960 and later took total power in a coup, he recognized that to protect his country from the circle of enemies and the US, a major ally, but an overweening one, he would need to develop a first-class economy. So, he set about to develop Korea following the successful examples of Germany and the US in the 19th century. Park was ruthless, harsh, and anti-democratic, but he succeeded for which the Koreans were grateful enough to elect his daughter as president decades later.

Thailand's "problem" is that it has no enemies and so the elite are able to content themselves with divvying up the economy into monopolies and duopolies. rather than developing a competitive economy exporting more than low-value food. No Thai fears subjugation by Burma, Vietnam, or even China, although they sometimes claim to. The Thai military has, in fact, nothing to do, but enrich itself in partnership with the business class. While the Thai economy has grown rapidly during the last thirty years it has done so merely by renting out cheap labor to foreign companies. By contrast with the true Asian tigers, there has been no technological innovation, nor even technology transfer since after decades of making hard drives and automobiles there is no Thai-owned company manufacturing and exporting such products of its own.

In this material world there are historical causes and effects that can be understood. Attempts to explain hard economic facts, such as differential rates of economic development, by appeal to supposed national characters or vague notions of ethnic mentality are intellectually bankrupt.

[heybruce]

He's been in charge 18 months. It's time to own your own problems.

Stop looking back, start looking forwards.

And stop whining all the time like a spoiled kid.

the problem is that the peole he is referring to are still very much players and lets face it - they shouldn't be

very easy to point the finger at the PM and say he is not running a democracy (true) but the reality is it is the only way effective changes will ever be accomplished, past democratic elected governments have shown how ineffective they are over decades of theiving - power abuse - and corruption and have failed to do anything about it - why should they, they are all enriching themselves, although the current solution is not ideal I honestly don't see any alternative, politicians in this country cannot be trusted (fact) so the only way to ensure they do what they were elected to do is to introduce stiff boundaries, rules, agencies, and laws that hold people in office to account and for the time being restrict them until such times they can be trusted

EXACTLY.

Thank you.

"past democratic elected governments have shown how ineffective they are over decades of theiving - power abuse - and corruption and have failed to do anything about it"

How well have the past military governments served this country? Why has the junta ruled out corruption investigations for the military? Why isn't reform of the current military, which is over-sized, under-performing and top-heavy with generals, being considered?

Too many posters here adopt the simple-minded "logic" that since the elected governments had many problems, a military government must be a good thing. Maintaining this position requires extreme ignorance of Thailand's history and present circumstances, but they are willing to maintain this ignorance. As the great political pundit Stephen Colbert put it:

"In order to maintain an untenable position, you have to be actively ignorant."

Edited September 21, 2015 by heybruce

[rubl]

""They should use the power according to the intentions of people who voted for them. The people trust them to run the country and bring an improved standard of living to the people"

That's opposed to "thanks for voting, please go home now"

[heybruce]

""They should use the power according to the intentions of people who voted for them. The people trust them to run the country and bring an improved standard of living to the people"

That's opposed to "thanks for voting, please go home now"

If that had truly been the government's attitude it would have paid for it in the next election, assuming there had been a next election.

[micmichd]

Maybe voting is good if you get something in return.

How many of the democracy fans here do actually participate in elections?

My wife and her entire family participated in every election in Thailand for the last 40 years. Her whole family are fans of democracy (voting for leaders). As are all of the Thai adults that I know.

Sorry, I meant Farang elections. You can register with your embassy to vote overseas.

[Thai at Heart]

It's the lack of law enforcement that is the problem.

[lostoday]

Maybe voting is good if you get something in return.

How many of the democracy fans here do actually participate in elections?

My wife and her entire family participated in every election in Thailand for the last 40 years. Her whole family are fans of democracy (voting for leaders). As are all of the Thai adults that I know.

Sorry, I meant Farang elections. You can register with your embassy to vote overseas.

Sorry, I don't get the connection to Thailand. Democratic countries have elections. Totalitarian dictatorships don't. It's pretty simple. UK and US have elections; Cuba and North Korea don't.

Edited September 22, 2015 by lostoday

[rubl]

""They should use the power according to the intentions of people who voted for them. The people trust them to run the country and bring an improved standard of living to the people"

That's opposed to "thanks for voting, please go home now"

If that had truly been the government's attitude it would have paid for it in the next election, assuming there had been a next election.

Absolutely!

The previous government had paid for it and was willing to pay more again for it. Taxpayer's money though.

500 billion Baht RPPS, first car ownership, tabletPcs, first home owners, and amnesty for all politically motivated crimes.

[micmichd]

Of course taxpayers' money. Taxes are the instrument for politics.

Maybe the Shins were not so good in timing, maybe the expectations they rose were too high. So their politics may need some correction now. Why can't you accept it?

Edited September 22, 2015 by micmichd

[heybruce]

""They should use the power according to the intentions of people who voted for them. The people trust them to run the country and bring an improved standard of living to the people"

That's opposed to "thanks for voting, please go home now"

If that had truly been the government's attitude it would have paid for it in the next election, assuming there had been a next election.

Absolutely!

The previous government had paid for it and was willing to pay more again for it. Taxpayer's money though.

500 billion Baht RPPS, first car ownership, tabletPcs, first home owners, and amnesty for all politically motivated crimes.

Right, taxpayer money being spent all over the country. Before Thaksin the taxpayer money was almost entirely spent in Bangkok, which still gets a ridiculously large share.

[rubl]

""They should use the power according to the intentions of people who voted for them. The people trust them to run the country and bring an improved standard of living to the people"

That's opposed to "thanks for voting, please go home now"

If that had truly been the government's attitude it would have paid for it in the next election, assuming there had been a next election.

Absolutely!

The previous government had paid for it and was willing to pay more again for it. Taxpayer's money though.

500 billion Baht RPPS, first car ownership, tabletPcs, first home owners, and amnesty for all politically motivated crimes.

Right, taxpayer money being spent all over the country. Before Thaksin the taxpayer money was almost entirely spent in Bangkok, which still gets a ridiculously large share.

Absolutely!

Before money was spend on Bangkok and with Thaksin just spent. No wonder Prayut blames political leaders and the odd criminal fugitive.

[micmichd]

But families that were underprivileged before now do have cars, tablets, homes. And that is what counts.

[heybruce]

Absolutely!

The previous government had paid for it and was willing to pay more again for it. Taxpayer's money though.

500 billion Baht RPPS, first car ownership, tabletPcs, first home owners, and amnesty for all politically motivated crimes.

Right, taxpayer money being spent all over the country. Before Thaksin the taxpayer money was almost entirely spent in Bangkok, which still gets a ridiculously large share.

Absolutely!

Before money was spend on Bangkok and with Thaksin just spent. No wonder Prayut blames political leaders and the odd criminal fugitive.

Prayut blames others, but hasn't improved things regarding government spending or anything else.

[selftaopath]

He's been in charge 18 months. It's time to own your own problems.

Stop looking back, start looking forwards.

And stop whining all the time like a spoiled kid.

the problem hes facing is unsolveable , good luck

it will continue for generations until thai mentality changes (as if )

Not unsolvable but very, very difficult and obviously not something the present government is willing or able to do.

I would venture to say the entire Thai population is unwilling to change. Who of them would abide by the laws of the land to benefit Thailand. lol Few if any.

[micmichd]

He's been in charge 18 months. It's time to own your own problems.

Stop looking back, start looking forwards.

And stop whining all the time like a spoiled kid.

the problem hes facing is unsolveable , good luck

it will continue for generations until thai mentality changes (as if )

Not unsolvable but very, very difficult and obviously not something the present government is willing or able to do.

I would venture to say the entire Thai population is unwilling to change. Who of them would abide by the laws of the land to benefit Thailand. lol Few if any.

I would guess the Thai population would abide the laws if there is some benefit for them. The Thais that I know also love their country (a Kingdom)

[rubl]

Absolutely!

The previous government had paid for it and was willing to pay more again for it. Taxpayer's money though.

500 billion Baht RPPS, first car ownership, tabletPcs, first home owners, and amnesty for all politically motivated crimes.

Right, taxpayer money being spent all over the country. Before Thaksin the taxpayer money was almost entirely spent in Bangkok, which still gets a ridiculously large share.

Absolutely!

Before money was spend on Bangkok and with Thaksin just spent. No wonder Prayut blames political leaders and the odd criminal fugitive.

Prayut blames others, but hasn't improved things regarding government spending or anything else.

If you say so, it must be regarded with an open, questioning mind.

Anyway, I guess you dislike the infra structure project with the double track higher speed link from Bangkok to NongKai? That would open up the NorthEast and help getting more investments there. Makes more sense than the priority on Bangkok - ChiangMai with a real high spped link as the previous government wanted. They even had a Minister state that lots of commuters were waiting for such link. Even lunch boxes were properly defined for those commuters.