significantly raising the payments for care is the same thing as scrapping the program. It's like US Republicans claiming they are going to save social security by privatizing it... and that is just another means of killing the program,...

In spite of the title of this article in The LapDog, they are considering major changes by raising the co-pay... pretending that it is such a burden on the budget. The military is a burden on the budget. The rich not paying their own way in this country is a burden on the budget. Providing healthcare which saves lives is not a burden on this country.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/No-major-change-to-health-scheme-30275788.html

This the same stupid trial balloon the Junta tried in the summer of 2014.

They really don't care about the Thai people, well, at least not the ones who are not rich...

In the mean time the National Healthcare Scheme remains underfunded since it was introduced almost 14 years ago. Public hospitals have been forced to provide the service with minimal funding. At the same time we see valuable staff moving to private hospitals with higher salaries and less work pressure.

The previous government mentioned that 'of course' private hospitals also offer the 30 Baht service and forgot to tell what that 30 Baht included.

Till now some seem to only care about being able to make the 30 Baht healthcare link to an Amply Rich billionair in 'self-exile'. At least the current government is looking at how the Healthcare Scheme can be funded without having to put (too many) restrictions of the type and level of service provided.

The Government are just trying to solve the budget problems -

Maybe they could tap into the 207 billion baht budget for the armed services.

Wash your mouth out with soap. This is sacrosanct, untouchable, immovable, cast in stone leave it alone area.

The Government are just trying to solve the budget problems -

Maybe they could tap into the 207 billion baht budget for the armed services.

or the 500+ billion spent on foreign hackers.

"On January 27, Natthawut Saikua, a red leader, spoke to the red crowd at Khao Soi Dao, Chanthaburi. He said: "If they seize power, we'll start fires throughout the whole country. Burn them all, my fellow friends and brothers. I will assume the sole responsibility. If they want to find fault with someone, come and get me. If you seize power, just burn it." "

It wasn't public responding to anything. It was red-shirts doing what they intended from the start.

Do you lie on purpose or do you really have no clue what is going on ?.

A 'pea sized brain' would be an upgrade for some people.

EJ, the images of people being killed were much more readily available to everyone, supporters and non-supporters, than the speech which you reference.

You are soooo hopelessly uninformed and blinded by a willing bias to remain uninformed that you have no ability at all to comment intelligently on topics like these.

So why wasn't there a massive uprising against the military's actions instead of a few dozen arsonists? Has it ever occurred that most Thais applauded the removal, or simply didn't care?

If as a cost-cutting measure, he removes the B30 payment known to cost more to administer than it raises, what odds on any future Thaksinist government restoring it?

The party which allegedly cares for the poorest Thais did, purely for their own political benefit.

"On January 27, Natthawut Saikua, a red leader, spoke to the red crowd at Khao Soi Dao, Chanthaburi. He said: "If they seize power, we'll start fires throughout the whole country. Burn them all, my fellow friends and brothers. I will assume the sole responsibility. If they want to find fault with someone, come and get me. If you seize power, just burn it." "

It wasn't public responding to anything. It was red-shirts doing what they intended from the start.

Do you lie on purpose or do you really have no clue what is going on ?.

A 'pea sized brain' would be an upgrade for some people.

EJ, the images of people being killed were much more readily available to everyone, supporters and non-supporters, than the speech which you reference.

You are soooo hopelessly uninformed and blinded by a willing bias to remain uninformed that you have no ability at all to comment intelligently on topics like these.

So why wasn't there a massive uprising against the military's actions instead of a few dozen arsonists? Has it ever occurred that most Thais applauded the removal, or simply didn't care?

Has it ever occurred that most Thais don't like being shot in the head, no matter how much they support a cause?

Earth.

Democratically elected - 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2014 -------ALL RED

Coups - 2006, 2008 and 2014 -------ALL YELLOW

The 2006 and 2014 elections were rendered invalid because insufficient constituencies returned MPs. In 2006, this was achieved by a boycott orchestrated by the Democrat party. There was another problem with the 2006 election - polling stations were organised so that it was easy to check that electors were voting for the correct party. In 2014, strong-arm tactics were used to prevent polling in some constituencies, and strong-arm tactics were also used to prevent candidate registration in the south. This was not orchestrated by the Democrat party, though the orchestrators tended to be associated with that party.

There was no coup in 2008. What happened is that a number of MPs, including the prime minister Somchai (Thaksin's brother-in-law) were disqualified because of irregularities in the 2007 election, and most of the parties were dissolved because of irregularities in the same election. The dissolution loosened the bounds of party organisation, though replacement parties had already been formed and soon absorbed the MPs of the dissolved parties. This has been called a 'judicial coup' on the basis that it is wrong to enforce electoral law. It appears that the army put it to various factions that it would not be a good idea to continue with a Thaksinite government, and one faction of TRT/PPP, namely the 'friends of Newin', rather than join the PT, the new Thaksinite party, formed an alliance with the Democrats. The minor parties, in the form of their successor parties, also switched from the former PPP coalition to the Democrat-led coalition, probably on the principle that they should be in government, a principle which had outweighed their election pledges not to form a coalition with the PPP. Note that Thai democracy uses the system of representative government - the people elect MPs who then choose and remove governments.

The by-elections in 2008 indicated that the Democrat-led coalition had majority support, but the friends of Newin steadily lost support during the tenure of the government.

Earth.

Democratically elected - 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2014 -------ALL RED

Coups - 2006, 2008 and 2014 -------ALL YELLOW

The 2006 and 2014 elections were rendered invalid because insufficient constituencies returned MPs. In 2006, this was achieved by a boycott orchestrated by the Democrat party. There was another problem with the 2006 election - polling stations were organised so that it was easy to check that electors were voting for the correct party. In 2014, strong-arm tactics were used to prevent polling in some constituencies, and strong-arm tactics were also used to prevent candidate registration in the south. This was not orchestrated by the Democrat party, though the orchestrators tended to be associated with that party.

There was no coup in 2008. What happened is that a number of MPs, including the prime minister Somchai (Thaksin's brother-in-law) were disqualified because of irregularities in the 2007 election, and most of the parties were dissolved because of irregularities in the same election. The dissolution loosened the bounds of party organisation, though replacement parties had already been formed and soon absorbed the MPs of the dissolved parties. This has been called a 'judicial coup' on the basis that it is wrong to enforce electoral law. It appears that the army put it to various factions that it would not be a good idea to continue with a Thaksinite government, and one faction of TRT/PPP, namely the 'friends of Newin', rather than join the PT, the new Thaksinite party, formed an alliance with the Democrats. The minor parties, in the form of their successor parties, also switched from the former PPP coalition to the Democrat-led coalition, probably on the principle that they should be in government, a principle which had outweighed their election pledges not to form a coalition with the PPP. Note that Thai democracy uses the system of representative government - the people elect MPs who then choose and remove governments.

The by-elections in 2008 indicated that the Democrat-led coalition had majority support, but the friends of Newin steadily lost support during the tenure of the government.

Is there any doubt as to which side won, or would have won, every single election this millennium?

EVERY time Thaksin's side has formed government it was as a result of election victories!

EVERY time the Democrat/Military/Yellow side formed government is was NOT a result of an election victory!

Street mobs, nationalist violence, false border conflicts, judicial shenanigans, abuse of 112, electoral commission interference, strong arming political parties, airport shutdowns, election boycotts, election sabotage, voter intimidation, re-education camps, extra-judicial detention, section 44, martial law, media censorship and oppression, unexplained deaths in custody, and of course, military coups....ALL tactics of the side that CANNOT and will not EVER win the popular support of the masses via an election.

The Democrat/Military/Yellow side of this conflict are operating on an unsustainable basis, their crimes will simply not be tolerated by the people indefinitely. There will be a massive change in this country in the not too distant future and instead of a peaceful and orderly transition into a new egalitarian and just social order the Democrat/Military/Yellow side, through their own recalcitrance, are going to find themselves on the receiving end of what will be an unfortunate but necessary violent overthrow of the existing order.

The people want what the people want, and sooner rather than later, they are going to get what they want!

How can anyone sow panic in a country, where 99.3 % ( ) support the ruling junta??

Right. And it'll be 100% once they 're - educate' the remaining 0.7%

Edited December 29, 201510 yr by dbrenn