US Ambassador Glyn Townsend Davies: 'We are guilty of having very high expectations of Thailand'

[big carl]

The USA basically want 2 things from Thailand : free access for American business to Thai resources (especially oil) and a friendly, non-muslim ally in a strategically important position in the world.

Which means they would rather have Thaksin back. He will sell them anything as long as he has a finger in the pie. By contrast, Prayuth is fiercely patriotic and would like to kick all foreigners out if he could. He is not good news for American business.

They don't give a flying about anything else. You can be sure they know exactly who is behind all the violence and are willing to turn a blind eye to get the result they want. The careful diplomatic talk by the new Ambassador is very interesting if you think a little about his choice of words and the things he avoids saying.

I'm a big supporter of the USA because unlike Russia or China they will at least try to do the right thing if they can as part of their bigger picture, but I have no illusions about their cold blooded ruthlessness if needed.

Why would the U.S. need their oil? The U.S. is flush with it.

The USA doesn't even need all their own oil. They are just greedy pigs out to see how fast they can waste non renewable energy sources.

[big carl]

"...how it is debated and done must be a Thai approach..."

That must mean NO CRITICIZING, no matter how accurate. After all, we don't want to see the ambassador arrested for defamation. Ambassador Davies, you're not in Kansas any more.

The United States has no idea of what is going on in Thailand. They freely use corruption to line their pockets and are not used to groups being against the practice. It is frightening to them to see a for lack of a better word dictator taking over and making moves to stop the corruption. To unite a country. It is alarming to them when they see the press controlled to the point where they can not create disunity. Yes there are those who would strive to create the disunity Thailand had with the same old nonsense they had used to keep Thailand disunited.

Now is there chance to help unite Thailand and work for the common good. It is distracting when the government has to keep fighting the same battles with the dissidents that brought Thailand to the point where it was not safe to be on the streets. To this end they have shut them down and Thailand is a better place for it.

The United States urges them to have an election rather than bring peace to the nation and put it on a solid foot hold. Why? Palestine had an election and they would not recognize them.

It is time The United States and some of the dissidents learned that they must break eggs to make an omelet. There will be an election and it will be more honest than the past ones. When it is over they will have a new Prime Minister who will still have many changes to make but he will have a solid footing to work from. It is not as some posters would believe an overnight occurrence. It is a long process to bring Thailand back to a country that is not being bought by a fugitive living in self exile. The people must learn that they count. They are not tools to give wealth and power to a select group. A daunting task but it will be accomplished in due time. Not over night.

Don't think I agree with any of that. It may be right for Swaziland or Libya or somewhere but I don't recognise Thailand from this rather - idosyncratic - perspective at all.

Normally I can find something to agree with in a multi-paragraph post, even if it's quite a small something, but this time I couldn't. It's rare to see someone's view so uniformly distorted. Ironically, the only bit I might have been able to agree with is the last 4 sentences, but even those are not right in the way you think they are. Everyone's entitled to an opinion and to express it (or should be), but that doesn't mean that all opinions are equal.

In my opinion, a rude awakening is coming for Thailand and it's feudal elites. I guess it will surprise you a bit when it does. And the few others in TV who keep trying to put lipstick on the pig. Fewer now than yesterday, fewer still tomorrow when the realisation that they've been arguing a nonsense continues to dawn on them, bit by bit. Tuk wan, taa sawang noi qua.

It isn't hard to influence populations once you know how it can be done. Mr Prayuth and his PR team are discovering how effective it can be when it's directed against them and they really don't understand very well what's going on because it isn't at all what they think is going on.

I'm afraid the General is riding a crippled horse, and quite soon the other jockeys will stop taking any notice of him when he tells them they have to let him win. He's dead in the water already.

I see you just joined us this afternoon. Stick around and try to keep an open mind.

[kowpot]

The USA basically want 2 things from Thailand : free access for American business to Thai resources (especially oil) and a friendly, non-muslim ally in a strategically important position in the world.

Which means they would rather have Thaksin back. He will sell them anything as long as he has a finger in the pie. By contrast, Prayuth is fiercely patriotic and would like to kick all foreigners out if he could. He is not good news for American business.

They don't give a flying about anything else. You can be sure they know exactly who is behind all the violence and are willing to turn a blind eye to get the result they want. The careful diplomatic talk by the new Ambassador is very interesting if you think a little about his choice of words and the things he avoids saying.

I'm a big supporter of the USA because unlike Russia or China they will at least try to do the right thing if they can as part of their bigger picture, but I have no illusions about their cold blooded ruthlessness if needed.

Why would the U.S. need their oil? The U.S. is flush with it.

The USA doesn't even need all their own oil. They are just greedy pigs out to see how fast they can waste non renewable energy sources.

Hey Big Carl, you really need to keep up with times. It makes you sound like you have been living in a cave. The U.S. has just enacted a bill that will drop the export ban. So that the U.S. can now start exporting oil to other countries. The U.S. has lessoned its energy use so much by having more solar power and wind power and cars that use less gasoline, that now it can afford to export its oil. It doesn't sound like its waisting energy sourses to me. But, then again I live in the real world.

[LomSak27]

Great quote, liking this guy

This article hit a nerve as the trollers are out in force, having major hissy fits.

We have Thailand as a major Petroleum producer, and where did that came from? After you guys get down with the obligatory US exploiting and pillaging poor little Thailand narrative, it is nice that the ambassador was indeed diplomatic in the above interview. Thailand sells far more to the US that the US does to Thailand. Those exports and trade surplus are indeed crucial for the Thai economy. As buyers are now being pressured about oh, fish products like pet foods or farmed shrimp (they use a food for the prawns that is made from the fish, yep caught by the ghost fleet) There are serious bad things on the horizon.

Best you trollers try and avoid that though. Never let reality intrude on your conspiracy rants

[willyumiii]

" I feel that somewhere in my last 35 years in my career, I must have made enough merit to deserve this assignment. This is a wonderful assignment for an American diplomat towards the end of his or her career"

This sounds like a statementfrom a Buddhist.

Could be be?

Naw...you must at least pretend to be a Christian to be part of the U.S. government.

[hawker9000]

" I feel that somewhere in my last 35 years in my career, I must have made enough merit to deserve this assignment. This is a wonderful assignment for an American diplomat towards the end of his or her career"

This sounds like a statementfrom a Buddhist.

Could be be?

Naw...you must at least pretend to be a Christian to be part of the U.S. government.

Pretend to be Christian? Naaah. At least currently just a demonstrated ability to destroy old emails and hard drives...

[tuanku]

The real dialogue takes place well away from the public view. Wi.......ks has a whole set of interesting not for public consumption comments attributed to past US ambassadors and their staff.

[johncat1]

Has the Ambassador actually ventured out of the American embassy or his hi- hi so friends homes ?... The REAL Thailand awaits you

[bangon04]

Many people with high expectations for Thailand...have been very disappointed....and seem to find their way to TVF to vent...

The Ambassador is probably an active member already.....

[Jingthing]

Many people with high expectations for Thailand...have been very disappointed....and seem to find their way to TVF to vent...

The Ambassador is probably an active member already.....

I seriously doubt that as I'm sure he's got his THAI VISA well sorted already. Don't forget those 90 day reports! Do ambassadors have to do them?

[willyumiii]

" I feel that somewhere in my last 35 years in my career, I must have made enough merit to deserve this assignment. This is a wonderful assignment for an American diplomat towards the end of his or her career"

This sounds like a statementfrom a Buddhist.

Could be be?

Naw...you must at least pretend to be a Christian to be part of the U.S. government.

Pretend to be Christian? Naaah. At least currently just a demonstrated ability to destroy old emails and hard drives...

Are you saying that she does not claim to be Christian like all presidential candidates?

Except Bernie Sanders, he claims to be a Jew...same god, same religion, just like the Muslims, all the same imaginary friend.

[JimGant]

Wow, someone's got a lot to learn about Thailand ...

Would that be you? The US Ambassador certainly sounds like he's completely grounded on the current situation.