Protesters tell US ambassador to "go home"

[kaorop]

Anytime those protesting want to cough up all the aid given over the years, then have at it, otherwise crawl back to your myopic windowed abode.

[Frank James]

This ambassador didn't do any of us Americans living here any favors. I fear a painful anti-American backlash, while this fool gets posted elsewhere.

[hookedondhamma]

Regardless of how ones feels about this protest, and the insistence on the American to keep needling Thailand in public, this monk Luang Pu Buddha Issara should be removed from the monkshood immediately. He is serving no construction purpose, as he has completely forgotten his role as a monk, and a representative of Buddhism. The man has more than likely not spent a single minute in meditation in the past decade. He is a troublemaker. He is a instigator. He is a freak. He should be arrested, jailed, and sent to prison. If protests are illegal, then an instigator of protests must be a criminal, correct? Send the man away. Or better yet, revoke his passport and deport him to Bahrain.

He's an idiot, but so are those supporting him - directly and indirectly (read: council of m0nks).

The golden age of Buddhism here ended a while back. Now things get worse and worse as time goes by, and the not-good monks overshadow the sincere ones by a longshot. But that's what happens when the stable door is closed after the horses leave.

[thhMan]

Lets hope the US responds by throwing out all the Thais that live there.... or at the very least, revoke whatever rights they have

Make all Thais that are US Citizens, become just tourists and have visas accordingly, with $800,000 for Retirement.. and so on....

After all, it should work both ways....

[jacky54]

My full respect for the Thai protesters. They are 100% correct. America <deleted> yourself. No need to put your nose in the business of other countries.

You can respect these morons if you like. I prefer to respect the USA as it not only saved Europe and Asia from fascism and the communists, but without them Thailand would very probably have been over run by communists as well. Sneer all you like at the USA, I prefer to say thank you for defending freedom, and I am not an American. They have not always been right and have made some bad decisions, but on balance the world would have been utterly screwed without them.

[LukKrueng]

So is this all Americans they want out?, or just the Ambassador,

and why do they want them out? get out,but leave your money.

regards Worgeordie

Well, I guess any American that comes and tell Thais what they should and shouldn't do is not welcome here. Just look what happened and happens to all the places America has intervened at. Nothing good comes to those places. The only winners are the Americans (unless it comes back and bites them in the aXX)

They (the Americans) put on a face as if they are the "protectors of the free world" while what they actually do is protect their own interests without any regards to the local people they disturb.

[LukKrueng]

I just love the "if you don't agree with everything about us go home" brigade. Hardly original and mature. These are the anti western everything, except for their western mobile phones, western cars and designer western clothes. Hypocrisy at the highest level.

I don't think they are "anti western everything". I think it's more of "live and let live" - something the American don't know, don't appreciate and don't accept.

[spidermike007]

My full respect for the Thai protesters. They are 100% correct. America <deleted> yourself. No need to put your nose in the business of other countries.

You can respect these morons if you like. I prefer to respect the USA as it not only saved Europe and Asia from fascism and the communists, but without them Thailand would very probably have been over run by communists as well. Sneer all you like at the USA, I prefer to say thank you for defending freedom, and I am not an American. They have not always been right and have made some bad decisions, but on balance the world would have been utterly screwed without them.

A more accurate portrayal of the events of WWII would be that Thailand would more than likely have become a Japanese colony, if it were not for the very heroic sacrifices of American and British soldiers, among others, and the enormous commitments of those governments toward the defeat of the Japanese imperialists.

[LukKrueng]

These people are indebted to Thaksin for the 30 baht health scheme without which they could not have afforded their lobotomies.

They are also indebted to him for they more than triple domestic debt and many other ills

[lostinisaan]

I know English standards in Thailand are bad but if you're going to make a banner to hold up at a protest, you should at least make sure all the words at the spelled correctly.

Since when did <deleted> have an 'e' in it?

Just another day in the Land of Xenophobia.

<deleted> you on about?

It's not an e in &lt;deleted&gt;. It's a c.

[Wilsonandson]

Is Issara the Rasputin of Thailand? The mad monk is a bad influence. Pls control your temper, try some meditation and cool down.

[kimamey]

I just love the "if you don't agree with everything about us go home" brigade. Hardly original and mature. These are the anti western everything, except for their western mobile phones, western cars and designer western clothes. Hypocrisy at the highest level.

Don't forget the western coloured skin as well.

[tbthailand]

interesting to read the anti-davies and anti-american comments ... most of them indicate that the posters did not even understand what the Ambassador said in his comments or why the crazies were out protesting ...

Rather amazing, ...

[digibum]

Only 200 ? I'm sure many more in spirit want the US ambassador and spies out and rightly so. And take US companies with you.

If Thais really want US & their interest out , vote with your money, don't buy american.

I think you have it the other way around. The US is the largest buyer of Thai products in the world.

In essence, the US is Thailand's best customer and when the US suggests changes that would enable the US to continue and increase the amount of business with Thailand, they're being told to shut up.

Sounds about right in Thailand.

I forget where I heard the saying but it went something like, "Just remember, there are no customer satisfaction surveys in Thailand."

Is this really different than what would happen in a lot of Thai restaurants if you complained about the food or the service? <deleted> off. Go somewhere else if you don't like it.

Unless you are commenting about how great things are, they don't give a <deleted> what your opinion is and would rather you keep it to yourself.

If anyone should be voting with their wallet here, it should be the US.

[digibum]

Regardless of how ones feels about this protest, and the insistence on the American to keep needling Thailand in public, this monk Luang Pu Buddha Issara should be removed from the monkshood immediately. He is serving no construction purpose, as he has completely forgotten his role as a monk, and a representative of Buddhism. The man has more than likely not spent a single minute in meditation in the past decade. He is a troublemaker. He is a instigator. He is a freak. He should be arrested, jailed, and sent to prison. If protests are illegal, then an instigator of protests must be a criminal, correct? Send the man away. Or better yet, revoke his passport and deport him to Bahrain.

This is the problem with all organized religions. At some point the leaders transition from spiritual leaders into political leaders. And the deeper into politics they get the more donations come their way so it's a positive feedback loop that takes them farther and farther away from their original purpose.

[SiSePuede419]

But leave the Weekends. We like your crazy American idea of taking both Saturday and Sunday off,555

[lostinisaan]

These people are indebted to Thaksin for the 30 baht health scheme without which they could not have afforded their lobotomies.

Why are you talking about "Health schemes" ?? This is about telling the US to go home. .. the USA with the worst, biggest ripoff "health scheme" ever, where people are having to sell up homes, everything, to cover the cost of life saving treatments. .... pathetic

+ 1. And the 30 baht was stolen by Thaksin from another politician.

You can die right in front of an American hospital if you don't have the right insurance. Just wondering what the Third World Country here is, if you don't think about your own folks first.

And you don't need high-speed trains, just go and invade a country that has enough oil to keep the benzine affordable and you can sell some weapons as well. Or drugs for guns? Hmmmm...... .

[digibum]

Having said all that, I am an American, and I am constantly astonished at my countries desire to speak out, in such a public forum, on all of the things that Thailand is doing wrong. I feel this kind of dialogue is better suited to private meetings, rather than in the press, which Thailand obviously detests. It is called the art of diplomacy after all. Not much of an art, with this administration, which is so over it's head, even with the small stuff. If you are going to speak out, with a consistent and believable, and credibly foreign policy, speak out against the atrocious offenders like Saudi Arabia, Kazakstan, Cuba,China, Bahrain, and others. We are silent, since you have massive oil reserves, or great wealth, but speak against Thailand since you do not have quite the amount of natural resources. The US promotion of democracy is complete nonsense. It is utterly false and disingenuous. Complete, and utter BS. Juvenile drivel, and utterly churlish foreign policy.

That seems like an overly simplistic view. While I agree that the US doesn't do enough in some countries, it's is naive to think that one tool should be used for every job. For instance, speaking out about atrocities in China might not get the same outcome as speaking out about atrocities in Thailand.

And Saudi Arabia and China hold far more cards to play than Thailand does. In fact, we just saw Thailand overplay their hand with the rice scheme where they thought by withholding their rice from the market they would drive up the world price of rice only to find out Vietnam and India are more than happy to pick up the slack.

Thailand's problem is that it plays a near zero political, economic, or strategic role in the world anymore. They used to be an island of democratic stability in SEA but today they are simply one of many. The US doesn't need Thailand's assistance in holding off communism in Asia anymore.

Now, instead of coddling Thailand like the US and European countries have been doing since before the Vietnam war, they're asking Thailand to grow up.

And like an insolent teenager, with one hand Thailand is giving the US the finger and declaring that they don't need to be told what to do and with the other hand demanding their allowance.

[ResandePohm]

These idiots have no idea how much aid money US gave Thailand and continues to do so, not only that they help protect Thailand from threats and stability of the country.

So you think it OK for the US to behave like Thaksin and buy their popularity so that they can rape and pillage the Thai economy by American businesses in the same way Thaksin did for himself?

[digibum]

Never bite the hand that feeds you - Exactly who and how many should get out all or just the ones they do not like. Cannot have it all. Another example of shooting yourself in the foot. Protesters

Every American will be ordered to Thai Immigration and asked if they love Thailand, Thai food, Thai culture, and Thai people . . . oh, wait. That already happens every day.

I have done my fair share of traveling over the years and I have yet to encounter a country so seeking in approval from others. Regardless of what politicians say and regardless of what they protestors are ranting about, Thais are like a needy girlfriend who has to be told she's beautiful 20 times a day or she goes into a funk of depression.

Other countries/cities may be overtly proud (NYC, Greatest City in the World, etc) but Thailand takes the cake for constantly needling others to validate them.

[digibum]

Clearly, as a diplomat he has screwed up. It's not his role to agitate for change in his host country.

As to the monk, consider the conservative network that has controlled Thailand for decades.

Clearly you don't know the job of an ambassador.

[fey]

Thailamd is in miserable shape at every angle. Except cronyism. I have been coing to LOS for 30 years. The last 10 years...Less and less...I wonder why?

The last 12-15 years I would say and for many things I don't see any difference between Thaksin, Prayut, Abhisit....

dod you know, that im a man thats looking to get off, and stroke a monkey shines. taming a snake is a hard endeavor. vicious spitting snakes can be quite a nusance in the desert and jungle locales.

[ResandePohm]

That's exactly right get out but leave our all mighty dollars behind and all our free weapons and military aircraft and cruisers and destroyers that we give this country every single year.

Yeah that would be real good move for Thailand

Sounds like blackmail to me.

Do as we say or we will take away all your naughty war toys.

[than]

Remember that the US does not have friends, just interests

[DeepInTheForest]

These idiots have no idea how much aid money US gave Thailand and continues to do so, not only that they help protect Thailand from threats and stability of the country.

These idiots have no idea how much aid money US gave Thailand and continues to do so...

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you don't have any idea either.

Posters in TV are rarely interested in tracking down facts to buttress their arguments. If you had googled, you would have discovered that in 2015 the US allocated a whopping $11 million dollars in aid to Thailand, which, given the size of the US economy, is about the equivalent of tossing a penny. Djibouti and Cape Verde received more, at $13 million and $14 million, respectively.

(Although some aid from various quarters of the US bureaucracy is unavailable, the $11 million figure is the best available data.)

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/politics/aid/140811/charts-us-foreign-aid-requests-2015

The US state department breaks down foreign aid into categories. None of the Thailand aid was in the "democracy, human rights and governance" category. Rather, all the aid was in the "peace and security" category. The largest part of the aid went for "stabilization operations and security sector reform". Obviously this is intended as anti-terrorism money.

Despite the fond delusions of many US citizens (often expressed in this forum), a huge amount of US aid has the purpose of increasing economic gains for the donor. In many cases, the aid is immediately turned around as purchases from US corporations.

Edited November 28, 2015 by DeepInTheForest

[anotheruser]

I know English standards in Thailand are bad but if you're going to make a banner to hold up at a protest, you should at least make sure all the words at the spelled correctly.

Since when did <deleted> have an 'e' in it?

Just another day in the Land of Xenophobia.

The words are spelled correctly. Carry on.

[farang000999]

As far as I am concerned 30 years in prison for a facebook post is too light. I think Saudi Arabia has much better method. Take them outside the courthouse and let them hang and/or cut off their heads so everyone can see. These people are scum and deserve death for a hundred lives.

[SiSePuede419]

"You can die right in front of an American hospital if you don't have the right insurance."

Nope. Hospitals must provide acute care to everyone, regardless of insurance status.

Insurance companies in America are the real "death panels". Capitalism at its worst.

[ResandePohm]

The sangha should take disciplinary action against this monk and defrock him. Surely he neglects his monastic duties and vows and he clearly prefers being a politician.

And is there some reason the NCPO doesn't enforce its own ban on political gatherings of more than four people???

At least he is not as vocal and unpleasant as Pastor Ian Paisley. It seems that every country has them.

[ResandePohm]

My full respect for the Thai protesters. They are 100% correct. America <deleted> yourself. No need to put your nose in the business of other countries.

America? What about the UK, France, Germany, Australian and all the other 'colonizers' who marauded around the world stealing natural resources and creating cultural repression. Do you know how many Pacific Island and Caribbean Island nations 'received their independence' from the UK, France and the US in the last 50 years? This is not an America go home issue.

In case you have forgotten, when a country is invited to open an embassy, the host government is allowing certain privileges. That's right, in essence the Thai government is saying to every country that has an embassy there that they can stick their nose in their business,

Maybe you can encourage the protesters to read and learn about global repression, but wait, I think they would have to know how to read English. Then maybe their mantra will change to what it should be which is Thai government give us real democracy and stop the more than 100 years of repression.

Oh please

What a lot of codswallop you write.

Giving a country independence with a working and democratic government cannot be compared with the way the US goes into a foreign country and removes its government and then leaves it in a state of disarray with do working government.

What moral planet are you from