Was Thaksin That Bad?

[summerT]

O.K your a falang and living here (either on ya 30 dayer or legit) anyway what did thaksin do that upset you so much?? How did he effect the falang here so badly?? everyone seems to hate him but no one gives any sloid reasons why. Maybe most just blame him for shutting the bars in bkk early!!!

Edited October 4, 2006 by summerT

[onlooker]

It doesnt matter who's in charge of any country - people will always bitch and moan after a while. The bottom line is that amongst Thais Thaksin would have won any upcoming election and he was the democratically elected leader.

It's not as though the Democrats would embrace foreigners - that ain't a vote winner in Isaan or even in Bangkok. Nothing at all to indicate that they'd be fairer or would remove any policies put in place by TRT that affect farangs. Why would they? To get the vote of the farang Thai wife block??

Also, you cant criticise the new order, as they're officially beyond reproach, and people have to have someone to slag off - so Thaksin's the easy target now.

[atlastaname]

O.K your a falang and living here (either on ya 30 dayer or legit) anyway what did thaksin do that upset you so much?? How did he effect the falang here so badly?? everyone seems to hate him but no one gives any sloid reasons why. Maybe most just blame him for shutting the bars in bkk early!!!

Surely your last sentence is enough reason to blame him. As a farang i remember the good days b4 Taksin , where the nightlife was hot and long, now its tame and finishes before most of us have started getting going. Thats enough reason for me .. and obviously thousands of others.

Plus i can't think of anything he did to benefit farangs , only things he did to obstruct them and spoil the fun.

[Ulysses G.]

I thought that he improved a lot of things ( other than the nightlife ) including making it much easier for us lot to get long term visas, however, it seems as if his ambition grew too large and he refused to cool it for a while in the face of so much opposition.

If he had played this whole thing right, he would have been back in a year or two and bigger than ever, but he wouldn't back off. It seems pretty obvious that the King supports the new Government and that Thaksin is history!

[boppia]

The farangs who would like Thailand to stay a haven of corruption are for Thaksin. Those of us who would prefer to see Thailand to move away from the things that have kept the majority of the people down are against Thaksin.

By the way, many of us have children who are Thai citizens who will spend their lives here or connected to this country.

Would you accept an outright corrupt leader in your home country? Would you accept a leader who forces the media to release only his view of the news and someone who would turn a blind eye to violent oppresion of those who oppose him?

The military involved in the Coup D'etat had good reason to take action. Thailand has had many military Coup D'etats in the past which were violent; this one was not. There is peace on the streets. The Thai people have to accept the current situation because Thaksin failed as a leader. He was a failure. If he did the right thing Thailand wouldn't be in the situation it is in today. Thaksin is also a coward to hide in England. He is a coward and a liar. Thousands of Thais have died under his regime. He won't put his azz on the line. And to put his children through the hel_l he has put them through, I'd say he is a really sick man.

Edited October 4, 2006 by boppia

[Buckwheat]

Ok, he may have inproved some things, but let's look at a few things he did that may not have been helpful to THAI's...not farangs

1) Removed the price subsidies for gas and diesel (not too good for farmers)

2) Closed all gas stations after 10:00pm (unless you want to pay double out back)

3) Tried to privatize EGAT so he and his cornies would run not only the telecom industry but the power industry in Thailand too. (so obviously illegal that it was struck down by one of his own appointed judges)

Thats just off the top of my head....did I miss any?

[Ulysses G.]

The farangs who would like Thailand to stay a haven of corruption are for Thaksin. Those of us who would prefer to see Thailand to move away from the things that have kept the majority of the people down are against Thaksin.

B.S.

I could easily buy a long term visa, residency and much else before Thaksin, but he not only put a stop to much of that type of corruption, but made it possible to get these things legally.

He had his bad points, but he had his good ones.

[Thaiquila]

When I heard the report of thousands of government sanctioned extra-judicial murders to fight yaa baa under Thaksin, thats all I needed to hear. That was that bad. I also didn't like the blatant vote buying.

Edited October 4, 2006 by Thaiquila

[britmaveric]

When I heard the report of thousands of government sanctioned extra-judicial murders to fight yaa baa under Thaksin, thats all I needed to hear. That was that bad. I also didn't like the blatant vote buying.

Actually drug sweep was good.... most of the thai(s) think so too, well unless you are one of those taking a dirt nap.

[robert2]

All the Thai ladies I know thinks he's been good for Thailand

[Thaiquila]

When I heard the report of thousands of government sanctioned extra-judicial murders to fight yaa baa under Thaksin, thats all I needed to hear. That was that bad. I also didn't like the blatant vote buying.

Actually drug sweep was good.... most of the thai(s) think so too, well unless you are one of those taking a dirt nap.

Yes, I am aware that there was little Thai outrage over these murders.

So what? We are supposed to leave all of our values at the airport?

Extra-judicial murders are objectively bad.

[OldAsiaHand]

The farangs who would like Thailand to stay a haven of corruption are for Thaksin. Those of us who would prefer to see Thailand to move away from the things that have kept the majority of the people down are against Thaksin.....

What simple-minded rubbish this is, and how well it illustrates the kind of foreigners that always have been and apparently will continue to be drawn to Thailand.

To return to the OP's question, a lot of foreigners that come to Thailand are desperate to feel they belong here. The I-am-more-Thai-than-thou crowd brings a new energy to the concept of political correctness. They embrace whatever they think most Thais want them to say and shout it more loudly than anyone else. Thus the outpouring of scorn and even hate for a political leader about whom they actually know little or nothing.

[John K]

Well lets see for starters,

He told me when my bedtime was and other ways of trying to say everyone but him was a idiot or immature.

He lied and made no attempts to hide it. Misleading information that can effect business decisions.

He insulted me and everyone else who has any type of education.

[britmaveric]

Simply put if Thaskin returned tomorrow - vast majority of the people in thailand would re-elect him. That is what the point of the coup was from my vantage point - keep him out so he can't be re-elected. He pissed off BKK educated elite and well even though he had numbers (voters) that wouldnt be enough.

[george]

Sorry guys, we are not allowed to discuss sensible political issues during the current martial law.

More info here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?act=boardrules

Thanks for your understanding.

Thread closed.

/Admin