SURVEY: Is the rising anger in the NE likely to erupt into political violence?

[Fat Haggis]

I had no beef with the article, like I said, it's the junta themselves who are keeping the embers burning here.

The reds are indeed trouble makers but it needs some thing antognistic to set them off normally.

I still think you're giving the army way too much credit, it takes two to tango. The army are running a fear campaign, it's very noticeable if you're not wearing blinkers.

As much as you don't trust the Reds, I don't trust the military, they have been putting their fingers into pies way way way before there was a red shirt movement, way before Thaksin too, as much as you don't like it, they're still part of the problem of things today.

The constitution should never have needed redoing, The junta are doing the very same thing that the PTP were accused of doing by trying to amend it, they have double standards as far as I'm concerned.

We will always have opposite views about the junta, and I respect that too, it's healthy, and we keep it civil.

[tbthailand]

The anger is justified, violence is not.

[korkenzieher]

It would be worth some of you (mainly the Y-shirt supporters) that the army itself is a reflection of society. You don't march through the fields of Isan, with a military that is 75% Isan boys. Period.

[soalbundy]

Apathy will keep the peace

[phrisco17]

Nothing will happen as long as the army keeps checks on the red rabble rouses. Without payment and organisation the farmers won't do a thing, so making sure the rabble rouses get punished and don't get a chance to start trouble will make sure the farmers behave.

That is why they are so tough with the reds, because if they get a chance they will start trouble and then we have fighting and deaths again. If they want to protest let them go to Chang Mai and bother their own.

I might not support the junta 100% but i support them 100% in making sure that we don't get the same street protests as before.

The Army should have stopped the street protests earlier to allow a democratic government the opportunity to complete it's elected term of office. Don't like those in power, vote them out next election!

[LannaGuy]

@haggis

Do your research its reuters and Thaivisa who are spreading false propaganda not the government they are the source of this article. No idea how you link it to the government. Newspapers have to be sold just put some juicy content in.

As for the generals giving themselves amnesty for a coup, that is normal here and totally different from what YL was trying to do. This coup would not have happened without the amnesty that got the protests.

You can say that the army had to step in because of the oncoming event, maybe yes maybe no but we will never know because YL put the door wide open because she thought her brother was more important as stability in Thailand.

I think the army would have a lot more problems staging a coup without any unrest and without the amnesty bill people would not have gone out.

don't be a fool most of us know why it's all happened it's not 'maybe yes maybe no' not about 'amnesty bill', or 'rice'

you have a brain USE IT

[SpoliaOpima]

Of course. But only in the time-tested order since the first coup in 1932.

Coup, new constitution, elections, protests violence, coup.

No reason to think it'll be any different.

[mrrizzla]

@haggis

Do your research its reuters and Thaivisa who are spreading false propaganda not the government they are the source of this article. No idea how you link it to the government. Newspapers have to be sold just put some juicy content in.

As for the generals giving themselves amnesty for a coup, that is normal here and totally different from what YL was trying to do. This coup would not have happened without the amnesty that got the protests.

You can say that the army had to step in because of the oncoming event, maybe yes maybe no but we will never know because YL put the door wide open because she thought her brother was more important as stability in Thailand.

I think the army would have a lot more problems staging a coup without any unrest and without the amnesty bill people would not have gone out.

don't be a fool most of us know why it's all happened it's not 'maybe yes maybe no' not about 'amnesty bill', or 'rice'

you have a brain USE IT

You took the words right out of my mouth.

It really amazes me that some of you have been living here for so long and fail to see what is really going on here. Talks of tackling corruption, vote buying, amnesty bills and whatever other gunk they spew is all a sideshow. This saga is way bigger than one man and his political plan, they are actors in this show of course but it is not ALL about them, not even close.

I knew most of this beforehand but I did quite a bit more research on it when back home in the UK recently without fear of searching on the internet for the topic. There is a Thai style game of thrones going on at the moment. All this other talk is pointless bickering when you look at the bigger picture,

[empireboy]

If history means anything and there is insufficient change towards fairness, the answer is obvious to me!

You can only poke the bear a limited number of times before the bear retaliates physically!

[FangFerang]

With all the pressure imposed on rice farmers it wont take long before poverty turns to anger , This governments only concern is for its own longevity and believes people can survive on nothing , it wont bother the government as they still get paid .

This governments only concern is for its own longevity and believes people can survive on nothing , it wont bother the government as they still get paid .

You are talking about the shin governments, right?

No, he is talking about the military, undemocratic junta. I know you were being intentionally dull, but...on second thought, maybe it comes naturally.

Edited October 6, 2015 by FangFerang

[elgordo38]

@haggis

Do your research its reuters and Thaivisa who are spreading false propaganda not the government they are the source of this article. No idea how you link it to the government. Newspapers have to be sold just put some juicy content in.

As for the generals giving themselves amnesty for a coup, that is normal here and totally different from what YL was trying to do. This coup would not have happened without the amnesty that got the protests.

You can say that the army had to step in because of the oncoming event, maybe yes maybe no but we will never know because YL put the door wide open because she thought her brother was more important as stability in Thailand.

I think the army would have a lot more problems staging a coup without any unrest and without the amnesty bill people would not have gone out.

don't be a fool most of us know why it's all happened it's not 'maybe yes maybe no' not about 'amnesty bill', or 'rice'

you have a brain USE IT

You took the words right out of my mouth.

It really amazes me that some of you have been living here for so long and fail to see what is really going on here. Talks of tackling corruption, vote buying, amnesty bills and whatever other gunk they spew is all a sideshow. This saga is way bigger than one man and his political plan, they are actors in this show of course but it is not ALL about them, not even close.

I knew most of this beforehand but I did quite a bit more research on it when back home in the UK recently without fear of searching on the internet for the topic. There is a Thai style game of thrones going on at the moment. All this other talk is pointless bickering when you look at the bigger picture,

As the G of T is one of my favorite series I can and do relate to what you are saying. To bad you could not share the information you gleaned in the UK. I did read an article in one of the newspapers here that explains a lot and I was surprised that they published it without some political backlash. Sadly G of T is playing out in more countries in the world including my home country. Sometimes I think the instigators watch the series. The TPP will be another job killer in the Western world. Everything was done in secret so you can be guaranteed there is nothing there for ordinary workers. We are sinking into an abyss manufacturing is falling unemployment is rising and the stock market goes up on the basis that another QE financial fix is just around the corner. We are financial junkies awaiting our next fix.

[northernphil]

The portrayal by a bangkok based media as the poor as scroungers radically undermines the facts..

In the 'good old days' that the military is trying to return us to.. The 80s and 90s.. The rural economy received 5 - 10% of the countries budget allocation..

In 2001 that had risen to 16%.. and now it is in the low to mid 20% range.. Bangkok has 16% of the Thai population and 70% of its tax revenue.. Isaan has 30% the countries population and gets 6% of its revenue !!! A bangkok Thai gets 100's of per cent more proportionally spent on them.. Bangkok gets 400% the education budget per child.. 16x the medical spending per person..

But as Thailand works mostly on consumption taxes even tho income tax payments from the poor is low they contribute too.. VAT makes 50% of the government revenue and the poor pay that dis-proportionally than the rich.

Yet the yellow media would have you believe its the poor wanting handouts.. How about reducing the bangkok budget to nearer equality to the rural budgets based on populations..

These numbers are no longer a secret to the poor.. They know they are being given the crumbs while being accused of asking for too much.. The insult that is being told to live a 'sufficiency economy' while single shopping malls in bangkok consumer more electricity than entire provinces in the North is just stunning hypocrisy.

Those balances will be redressed.. either safely and calmly in the ballot boxes, or more dangerously outside of them.

How about the budget gets divided based on tax income, sounds fair to me most of the tax is paid in BKK and most of the money is made in BKK seems fair that most of it is spend there then too.

Based on population, of course not based on where the tax income is derived. That is much fairer investing in a place that makes money vs giving money to a bottomless well.

Please quote your sources and some actual numbers.. 30% of the countries population, issan, receives just 6% of the expenditure.. Given consumption taxes make the largest single section of government revenue I would assume 30% of the countries population contribute more then 6% of the budget..

The statement that issan is asking for handouts is simply a crock.. Isaan is asking for a fairer rebalancing of the budgets.. And when Tacky did that, diverting just a few fractions of the government budget into infrastructure and investment in the poorest, the country boomed.. If you want to create a strong economy you create a strong middle class.. You do that by investing in the poor, and the whole country then benefits.

and as a rider to that ,Thailand and Bangkok are two separate places. I live way up north and the town is empty at night , a new proper English type pub opened a few months ago ,last night only me in, I left so did the boss. I asked why so quiet and he said people don't want to go out as they are not happy. He added " Next year there will be fighting and I will be one."

[soalbundy]

If history means anything and there is insufficient change towards fairness, the answer is obvious to me!

You can only poke the bear a limited number of times before the bear retaliates physically!

Poking bears, is that the same as muffin the mule ? I've lived in a village in Isaan for 10 years, do i see hardship ?, yes, people in debt ? yes, poverty ? yes, hunger ? no, anger ? no.

[elgordo38]

If history means anything and there is insufficient change towards fairness, the answer is obvious to me!

You can only poke the bear a limited number of times before the bear retaliates physically!

Poking bears, is that the same as muffin the mule ? I've lived in a village in Isaan for 10 years, do i see hardship ?, yes, people in debt ? yes, poverty ? yes, hunger ? no, anger ? no.

I am afraid you cannot have one without the other. They go hand in hand. The social media aspect of life today shows the real Thailand not the glossed over version spoon fed by the politicos. In todays world the rich are really pushing the envelope and before long the poor masses will push back. Its just history repeating itself time and again.

[soalbundy]

If history means anything and there is insufficient change towards fairness, the answer is obvious to me!

You can only poke the bear a limited number of times before the bear retaliates physically!

Poking bears, is that the same as muffin the mule ? I've lived in a village in Isaan for 10 years, do i see hardship ?, yes, people in debt ? yes, poverty ? yes, hunger ? no, anger ? no.

I am afraid you cannot have one without the other. They go hand in hand. The social media aspect of life today shows the real Thailand not the glossed over version spoon fed by the politicos. In todays world the rich are really pushing the envelope and before long the poor masses will push back. Its just history repeating itself time and again.

I think we foreigners see to much into things that leave Thais cold. Their religion, the royal family, a bowl of rice, a chat down at the village shop is all they need, they are protected by ingrained apathy. When the latest riots started i was at the village shop and saw a lot of villagers watching the stand off with the reds and the police on TV, they were partly amused and partly bemused, some shook their heads but most just laughed. A few asked me what i thought of it,when i said they get paid 500 Baht to protest a couple of women asked where they could sign up, all in good humour.

[Rancid]

As Benjamin Franklin said: Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.

The majority in any democracy votes for who will give them the most not in the interests of the country.

Democracy eventually gets circumvented by the money interests that see it is as easier to buy politicians than be visible themselves. Politicians in turn use those funds and throw some scraps to the poor to get elected.

That's partly why the world is such a mess. Bankers etc run the big picture stealing huge amounts and voters want economic goodies that are unaffordable.

Thailand of course has its own issues to further complicate. There are suggestions the US was behind Thailand's colour revolutions as in so many countries. Thus it all gets more confused, will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

[elgordo38]

As Benjamin Franklin said: Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.

The majority in any democracy votes for who will give them the most not in the interests of the country.

Democracy eventually gets circumvented by the money interests that see it is as easier to buy politicians than be visible themselves. Politicians in turn use those funds and throw some scraps to the poor to get elected.

That's partly why the world is such a mess. Bankers etc run the big picture stealing huge amounts and voters want economic goodies that are unaffordable.

Thailand of course has its own issues to further complicate. There are suggestions the US was behind Thailand's colour revolutions as in so many countries. Thus it all gets more confused, will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Yes you pretty well describe the political/big business daisy chain that surrounds us. The bankers have the most greed and we of course have a little. They must throw us a scrap of bone once in a while before they take the whole juicy steak for themselves. In the end we are possibly the dumbest people/species on the planet. The early Indians in North America had it right. Take only what you need. Greed as we experience now was unknown back then. At my advanced age I can now track in my mind how greed evolved over the years to become the monster that it is today maybe even a God that the moneyed worship. Eventually greed will overrun us and destroy us all.

[ginjag]

TOPIC Rising anger in the North East ??? I am smothering the area UDON and honestly ---I mean honestly without a word of a lie-----what rising anger ????????? city and locals are not even mentioning any thing. Not angry mood, this topic is provided to let us all see who are the agenda people on TVF. and it shows, rallying to the reds----Ha ha ha.

Yes because they're all going to tell you, a complete stranger and a farang at they that they're pissed off with the junta... Dream on, maybe you missed the post by others who live in the North East, and I can also tell you that people are not happy in and around parts of Korat that I go to, and that's coming from family members, especially the ones who grow rice!!!

Your post smacks of ignorance and reeks of " I know it all" and that your some sort of expert, reality check is that like most farangs here, Thai people tell you what you want to hear, and I don't believe for one minute Thais you don't know openly discuss politics with you. Especially one who has an agenda!!

YOUR post smacks agenda----Korat is ONLY the gateway to the N/E, go a bit farther and your really in ex Thaksin country. move up north more. They grow rice in ISSAN Korat is the gate to that AREA only. I do not have to have an agenda----only living through more than you will ever do HERE.

I have nothing here to gain, having said so many times, You can have your reds---you can have your Yingluck, voted in many times---and thrown out as many.

City farm-------There is NO repeat NO massive anti government anger, as you seem to want, minority yes-----if not they would be on the streets, Thai people do these things if it is bad. Do not tell me they are not on the streets because the army have GUNS-------get a life agree there always will be people opposing---same you.....................if it was hostile I would be the first one to feel it and see it. Go into Nong Khai---Nong bua---K Khen---Udon----Ubon-----Maha Sarakham--------show me where the anger is with most people.-------and you have the audacity to say I have an agenda. I will welcome elections once the Thaksin bank money stops paying for problems.

[JAG]

Ginjag, you have the biggest fattest agenda of anyone who posts on this forum!

[hbullinger]

duckmandon asks:

"Why aren't the government planning for jobs in the north?"

Maybe the reason is that most of the workers - at least the male ones, while their women are working in the rice fields - are more interested in gulping down their Lao Khao then to work in factories.

[Thai at Heart]

As Benjamin Franklin said: Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.

The majority in any democracy votes for who will give them the most not in the interests of the country.

Democracy eventually gets circumvented by the money interests that see it is as easier to buy politicians than be visible themselves. Politicians in turn use those funds and throw some scraps to the poor to get elected.

That's partly why the world is such a mess. Bankers etc run the big picture stealing huge amounts and voters want economic goodies that are unaffordable.

Thailand of course has its own issues to further complicate. There are suggestions the US was behind Thailand's colour revolutions as in so many countries. Thus it all gets more confused, will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

The parties have to grow up and offer policies that are beneficial to both country and their supporters over all. However, they dont propose things which are for the greater good. They offer things which will get them elected.

[MaeJoMTB]

The parties have to grow up and offer policies that are beneficial to both country and their supporters over all. However, they dont propose things which are for the greater good. They offer things which will get them elected.

I don't believe the yellows have ever offered "things which will get them elected"

Which is why they keep having to take control at gunpoint.

[Thai at Heart]

The parties have to grow up and offer policies that are beneficial to both country and their supporters over all. However, they dont propose things which are for the greater good. They offer things which will get them elected.

I don't believe the yellows have ever offered "things which will get them elected"

Which is why they keep having to take control at gunpoint.

The dems have a very long history of ignoring the north and North East. They partnered with local politicians to make loose coalitions, not put their own candidates up there.

This is why they are largely distrusted in these areas.

[soalbundy]

duckmandon asks:

"Why aren't the government planning for jobs in the north?"

Maybe the reason is that most of the workers - at least the male ones, while their women are working in the rice fields - are more interested in gulping down their Lao Khao then to work in factories.

A bad generalization, it isn't true, i bet you go all PC though if someone insults the Chinese or Indians or whatever

[dru2]

I live in a small village in rural northern Thailand.

The people around me are already beating their ploughshares into swords. Their fury is palpable. Just yesterday one said to me: "A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another".

I tremble for the elites and their foreign running dogs.....

Now I am going back to sleep.

[Thai at Heart]

I live in a small village in rural northern Thailand.

The people around me are already beating their ploughshares into swords. Their fury is palpable. Just yesterday one said to me: "A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another".

I tremble for the elites and their foreign running dogs.....

Now I am going back to sleep.

This bloke seems very eloquent for a villager.....

[willyumiii]

There are to many factors to give a definitive Yes or No answer but my gut feeling is that something will happen before the next, whenever that is, election.

The red shirts may not be seen....or heard from so much, but they are there in the shadows getting on with their scheming and plotting!

200 BHT buys a vote and makes Thaksin a good guy, I personaly never mention his name as many believe in him and not only in the North East.

If violence erupts then welcome many more years of military ruin, Thaland fast becoming a state of China.

My answer is highly probable.

Yes.

"200 BHT buys a vote"

Where do you live?

They cost at least 1000 in my rural area in the "north east".

and remember, you can not buy or sell votes without elections.

Edited October 6, 2015 by willyumiii

[Fat Haggis]

TOPIC Rising anger in the North East ??? I am smothering the area UDON and honestly ---I mean honestly without a word of a lie-----what rising anger ????????? city and locals are not even mentioning any thing. Not angry mood, this topic is provided to let us all see who are the agenda people on TVF. and it shows, rallying to the reds----Ha ha ha.

Yes because they're all going to tell you, a complete stranger and a farang at they that they're pissed off with the junta... Dream on, maybe you missed the post by others who live in the North East, and I can also tell you that people are not happy in and around parts of Korat that I go to, and that's coming from family members, especially the ones who grow rice!!!

Your post smacks of ignorance and reeks of " I know it all" and that your some sort of expert, reality check is that like most farangs here, Thai people tell you what you want to hear, and I don't believe for one minute Thais you don't know openly discuss politics with you. Especially one who has an agenda!!

YOUR post smacks agenda----Korat is ONLY the gateway to the N/E, go a bit farther and your really in ex Thaksin country. move up north more. They grow rice in ISSAN Korat is the gate to that AREA only. I do not have to have an agenda----only living through more than you will ever do HERE.

I have nothing here to gain, having said so many times, You can have your reds---you can have your Yingluck, voted in many times---and thrown out as many.

City farm-------There is NO repeat NO massive anti government anger, as you seem to want, minority yes-----if not they would be on the streets, Thai people do these things if it is bad. Do not tell me they are not on the streets because the army have GUNS-------get a life agree there always will be people opposing---same you.....................if it was hostile I would be the first one to feel it and see it. Go into Nong Khai---Nong bua---K Khen---Udon----Ubon-----Maha Sarakham--------show me where the anger is with most people.-------and you have the audacity to say I have an agenda. I will welcome elections once the Thaksin bank money stops paying for problems.

My only agenda and wish, is for the Military to stop interfering and stay out of politics, you of all people, with your millions of years here can't seem to see that the military is the common denominator, they were interfering way before Thaksin was in politics.. but it's always the reds you blame... and you say you don't have an agenda?

and your typical sycophantic bullshit response in "I've been here and will see more than you" crap is pretty juvenile, that's your problem, you've been here so long you've been brainwashed, you've been cut off from the real world.

please tell me since you're such an expert and old timer, what exactly was so bad with your way of living under the Shins, not one of you sycophants have given an answer, as you can't, as your life was no different than it was 10 years ago, or even 20 years ago..

What I dislike more than the reds and more than the yellows are the old age pensioner farangs who were raised in an era where a world war was fought against tyrannical countries, such as Germany, and Japan, and the it was the like of you who used to throw it into the youngsters faces about how your fathers fought for freedom and justice and oppression, and here you sit, as bold as brass supporting a junta, that's denying all of those to the people..

People like you who came from Britain, who stood against such tyranny all through the second world war, the Korean War, who now believe in a Junta, I'd just love to use the D word, but I'd just get banned, just make me sick.

Here's a word you should be familiar with.. Quisling..

You do have an agenda, get over yourself, you're just like the rest of us in this country.. a NOBODY !!!

[chiang mai]

TOPIC Rising anger in the North East ??? I am smothering the area UDON and honestly ---I mean honestly without a word of a lie-----what rising anger ????????? city and locals are not even mentioning any thing. Not angry mood, this topic is provided to let us all see who are the agenda people on TVF. and it shows, rallying to the reds----Ha ha ha.

Yes because they're all going to tell you, a complete stranger and a farang at they that they're pissed off with the junta... Dream on, maybe you missed the post by others who live in the North East, and I can also tell you that people are not happy in and around parts of Korat that I go to, and that's coming from family members, especially the ones who grow rice!!!

Your post smacks of ignorance and reeks of " I know it all" and that your some sort of expert, reality check is that like most farangs here, Thai people tell you what you want to hear, and I don't believe for one minute Thais you don't know openly discuss politics with you. Especially one who has an agenda!!

YOUR post smacks agenda----Korat is ONLY the gateway to the N/E, go a bit farther and your really in ex Thaksin country. move up north more. They grow rice in ISSAN Korat is the gate to that AREA only. I do not have to have an agenda----only living through more than you will ever do HERE.

I have nothing here to gain, having said so many times, You can have your reds---you can have your Yingluck, voted in many times---and thrown out as many.

City farm-------There is NO repeat NO massive anti government anger, as you seem to want, minority yes-----if not they would be on the streets, Thai people do these things if it is bad. Do not tell me they are not on the streets because the army have GUNS-------get a life agree there always will be people opposing---same you.....................if it was hostile I would be the first one to feel it and see it. Go into Nong Khai---Nong bua---K Khen---Udon----Ubon-----Maha Sarakham--------show me where the anger is with most people.-------and you have the audacity to say I have an agenda. I will welcome elections once the Thaksin bank money stops paying for problems.

My only agenda and wish, is for the Military to stop interfering and stay out of politics, you of all people, with your millions of years here can't seem to see that the military is the common denominator, they were interfering way before Thaksin was in politics.. but it's always the reds you blame... and you say you don't have an agenda?

and your typical sycophantic bullshit response in "I've been here and will see more than you" crap is pretty juvenile, that's your problem, you've been here so long you've been brainwashed, you've been cut off from the real world.

please tell me since you're such an expert and old timer, what exactly was so bad with your way of living under the Shins, not one of you sycophants have given an answer, as you can't, as your life was no different than it was 10 years ago, or even 20 years ago..

What I dislike more than the reds and more than the yellows are the old age pensioner farangs who were raised in an era where a world war was fought against tyrannical countries, such as Germany, and Japan, and the it was the like of you who used to throw it into the youngsters faces about how your fathers fought for freedom and justice and oppression, and here you sit, as bold as brass supporting a junta, that's denying all of those to the people..

People like you who came from Britain, who stood against such tyranny all through the second world war, the Korean War, who now believe in a Junta, I'd just love to use the D word, but I'd just get banned, just make me sick.

Here's a word you should be familiar with.. Quisling..

You do have an agenda, get over yourself, you're just like the rest of us in this country.. a NOBODY !!!

That's just so much crap FH, right from your "show me what was so bad about the Shins", all the way through to the "pensioners throwing it in the faces of youngsters about fighting for freedom", so much crap. Thank god social forums exist for the likes of you to vent your frustration otherwise I can't imagine what you would resort to!

Poster ginjag is pretty close to being spot on, people who live in various communities, regardless of their nationality or origin, are much better able to feel the pulse than those imagining from afar what a pulse might feel like!

And the shins, what was so bad: they were stealing, plain and simple theft and that's what the current government is good at helping stop. The my"D" word, democracy is not for everyone and is not right for every country, some simply can't handle it which is why we now see such low voter turnout in established democracies, like the UK, a trend that has only formed in the time since the second world war!!!

[Fat Haggis]

in other words your personal lives were pretty much the same, and not one of you suffered any more or any less, than at any other times of your lives and that you're all basically whingeing and moaning over something that you don't even have control over or a say in.

I thought as much.

Poster Ginjag dismissed other posters who HAVE noticed discontent, so how can you state he's spot on? what you're basically accusing other posters of is not living in Thailand, when you mention afar, you're another ignorant poster sir, you don't think people can communicate with family and friends that they have ALL OVER Thailand?

Thank god social forums exist for the likes of you to vent your frustration otherwise I can't imagine what you would resort to!

What's that supposed to mean? what I'd resort to? I wouldn't resort to anything, I wouldn't be trying to interfere in Thai affairs like you sycophants for starters.

you'd also be surprised that my live in Thailand is pretty good, I've not seen a single change in anything in my near 4 years here, I keep myself to myself, have integrated into the village quite nicely, I don't have much of a beef with anyone other than the expats here who constantly paint a picture that it was a nightmare living here under the Shins... Thai politics is for Thais, if one man wants to pay people to vote for him, that's down to them, get over it, vote buying has been happening for years, it happened before Thaksin came along.

The problem with you lot is you haven't lived outside of Thailand for any length of time, you're in a bubble, no country is perfect, but most of the countries expats hail from are not running it like an oppressive regime, which is what the Junta are doing. blah blah blah the Shins did the same, well that makes it worse in my opinion, as the junta are merely a mirror image of everyhting that was wrong with the Shins.

You say the Shins stole, and you're so sure that the current snouts are not raping and pillaging the systemn too, because they're very very very transparent aren't they? They just haven't been caught out yet... they're whiter than white. They have lied through their teeth since day one "no army personnnel are involved in human traffiking " ... oh dear oh dear "The Army didn't kill innocent students down in the South" ... oh dear oh deart oh dear.

Had the army actually started reconcilliation, they would have been more acceptable, but they are still in the "studying" stage, maintianing a tight grip on some regions, why?

Ginjag said it's all sweetness and roses, your beloved Junta doesn't seem to agree with that, so either Ginjag is right, and that everything is just fine, and there's no need to maintain article 44/Martial law, or the Junta is right, and there's simmerings of discontent and that Martial Law/article 44 stays in place in certain regions?

I would love to believe the country was more united than it ever has been, but that's NOT the picture the Junta itself paints.