NCPO grants police powers to military

[lkv]

To the tune of YMCA from the Village People ... I kid you not

No man does it all by himself.

I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf,

And just go there, to the N.C.P.O.

I'm sure they can help you today.

It's fun to play with the N.C.P.O.

It's fun to play with the N.C.P.O.

They have everything for you men to enjoy,

You can hang out with all the boys...

Lol where's that. Any links?

1st Army Area Dusit Ratchadamnoen Nok Rd. Bangkok 10300 Thailand

I actually believed they modified the song and published it somewhere in that form. Would not surprise me. The poster said "I kid you not".

To tuanku, I am actually middle aged, thanks, I do know YMCA, and I believe I'm old enough to be reading/posting here.

[Wilsonandson]

To the tune of YMCA from the Village People ... I kid you not

No man does it all by himself.

I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf,

And just go there, to the N.C.P.O.

I'm sure they can help you today.

It's fun to play with the N.C.P.O.

It's fun to play with the N.C.P.O.

They have everything for you men to enjoy,

You can hang out with all the boys...

Hey just joking. You get best post of the day. You made my day. Kiss

Edited March 31, 2016 by Wilsonandson

[tuanku]

Reaction here;http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3515424/Thai-junta-chief-gives-military-broad-new-police-like-powers.html

[geriatrickid]

"...rooting out underworld influences and unduly “influential people” in the economy and society."

This is exactly what most people have been demanding for decades.

Using soldiers to arrest heavily-armed underworld groups and crime-bosses, is just basic common sense, because many serious gangsters have the kind of firepower that would put the lives of normal policemen and policewomen in danger.

So I will wait and see, I hope that they do break up underworld gangs, and apprehend the crime bosses.

I know I will be barbecued for writing this.

That's crap. The military had the power all along. Go and read the "law" under which the military rules Thailand.

To be blunt, I find your comment offensive because it is intentionally misleading.

Remember that army general who was implicated in the human trafficking scandal of a year ago? What happened to him?

He was subject to military law and under the command of the military wasn't he?

When you can come back and tell everyone in this forum that the general was subject to a transparent judicial process, you will have a substantiated position.

And what of the officials implicated in the land encroachments and the corruption of Phuket? The military has the power right now to wipe them out. It has not, has it?

I believe the comments that this is all about stifling dissent and pushing through the new constitution are more credible.

Well, I'm not comparing the current situation with a perfect world scenario.

I'm comparing the current situation with the previous situation.

Under Yingluck there were no priority corruption purges, there were however priorities such as amnesty and passports for criminal fugitive family-members, and also some might say there was an actual increase in overall corruption under her leadership. There was also a constant barrage of threats to stability.

In any case, under the last leadership, we did not receive weekly announcements of corruption purges, or see the sackings and arrests of discredited persons.

Under the current leadership, we are seeing stability and security, and also the very real signs of anti-corruption initiatives being mobilised, slowly but surely. I applaud these things, and will continue to do so.

Under the previous democratically elected government, the military blocked anything that it disagreed with. In case you forgot, the military says that it is not accountable to a democratically elected civilian government. It said it had that right.

I get it, you didn't like the amnesty issue. Know what though? The democratically elected MPs didn't allow the amnesty did they? They held it up for public scrutiny and it never went through. Abhisit was leader of the opposition and he did his job.

You now claim that because there are "weekly announcements of corruption purges and arrests of discredited persons' things are better. That is just BS and you cannot be expected to be treated respectfully when you make such a false and misleading statement. The military has had absolute control for 22 months. In that time, please name one current government official who has been arrested, charged and convicted of corruption. To date we have seen a vendetta against former members of the last democratically elected government. Lots of accusations of malfeasance but no evidence. I don't doubt some of them were corrupt. Well, get the evidence and make a case. In the meantime, in the triangle of corruption, it is as bad as ever. The removal of commercial enterprises from the beaches in Phuket was all for show. The state of corruption is far worse in Phuket today than it has ever been. The taxi mafia rule with impunity. The shakedowns of bars continue. Name one Phuket official who has been arrested and charged. Name one official from Samui who has been arrested and charged. Go on, do it.

You claim there is stability. Is that because the military and its proxies are no longer sabotaging the democratically elected government?

This year, the burning in Chiang Rai was worse than it ever was. And yet, nothing was done by the military government was there?. No arrests, no action. NOTHING. Why not? There are enough army bases and personnel all over the place to have done something.

Do you know what Yaba is and where it comes from? It comes in over the border from Myanmar. Who controls the Thai border?

How can tons of that poison make their way across the border and into every town and village of Thailand when the military has been in absolute control for almost 2 years. Ask yourself why.

Your use of the term "discredited persons" is lifted from the language of repressive regimes. Who decides what a discredited person is?

Make no mistake, I am against corruption and I don't care who is arrested for it. The issue for me as it is for those who travel around the country regularly is that we see the different treatments accorded people and how much worse it is in some regions. Phuket is absolutely disgusting. There isn't supposed to be commercial activity on the beaches. I counted almost 100 jet skis on Patong beach. These machines are illegal, yet they operate with the protection of the Marine 5 office. Please explain how this is done 2 years into absolute military rule.

[fey]

Not quite sure what to write.

Sure, it's scary for the military to have sweeping power over civilians, with no oversight or accountability. But that was absolutely the same for the police...

military and police not at all the same, though some overlap

military are trained to use force first against enemy combatants

police are trained to defuse situations and use force as a backup

very different philosophies which are ingrained and not that easy to change

Edited March 31, 2016 by fey

[mrrizzla]

excellent post geriatrickid. I wonder if you'll get the typical "but Thaksin" reply.

[heybruce]

Wow, arrive less than a day late and miss a lot.

First, a statement of the obvious--War fighting and law enforcement are two very different skill. Apparently some simple-minded people think that since they both involve people with uniforms and guns they must be the same. They're not. That's why no civilized nation uses its' military as police except in situations of extreme emergency.

The Thai military doesn't want to eliminate corruption. The Thai military is thoroughly corrupt http://government.defenceindex.org/countries/thailand/ . It talks about eliminating corruption but doesn't do anything meaningful, such as open budgets to public scrutiny, require disclosure of assets by people (generals) who are in a position to profit from corruption, or free up the press to report on suspicious wealth and practices without fear of legal action or other retribution.

This isn't a first step towards reforming the RTP. The junta has made it clear that it won't restructure the RTP http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/888181-dpm-prawit-there-will-be-no-restructuring-in-police-reform/?hl=%2Bpolice+%2Breform which seems to mean any "reform" will be minor. Apparently the RTP works fine in the eyes of the junta.

It's easy to see why is untouchable. When the junta released statements saying the human trafficking in the south was done entirely by local officials and the police, the RTP responded by providing damning evidence of involvement by LtGen Manas http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/829978-alleged-human-trafficking-lt-general-manas-suspended/?hl=manas . The junta has gone easy on the RTP ever since, once they were reminded what happens when they turn on their partners in crime.

Finally, in a short period of time the junta has released the draft constitution, made it clear it is illegal to criticize the draft constitution, and greatly increased the number of "law-enforcement" officers with people who have no experience in law enforcement but that will follow orders. Is this a coincidence?

[heybruce]

I think there are a few people here that don't realise just how deep this problem is in Thailand or they are part of it, either way there is a criminal corrupt organised devisive element in this country and it is getting worse, if the current administration feel the need to invoke special powers to deal with it then they get no argument from me, it happens everywhere in the world when a problem gets so serious, USA UK do it and watch what is going to happen in the EU over the next 12 months, just a few days ago 4 governors were removed from office, slowly but surely these people are being routed out and cleansed from Thai society for good - I hope it continues

I once asked you if you would have put Al Capone in charge of cleaning up bootlegging in old Chicago or made Pablo Escobar responsible for eliminating the cocaine trade in Columbia. You never answered.

However since you seem to have great confidence in the motives and ability of a corrupt military in its fight against corruption, I can only assume that you think that put criminals in charge of controlling crime is the way to get things done.

[heybruce]

Nothing to do with supplementing/assisting the police in fighting organized crime, everything to do with further consolidating the grip on power.

And @ "Pedro 01", it began with the coup. Just because it hasn't impacted your lifestyle doesn't mean that it isn't happening, nor does it mean that it isn't affecting the Thais.

Still, you've got your chill pills - possibly the most naive and foolish response - as well as being staggeringly contemptuous of the people amongst whom you live.

Aaaaah "The Thais".

Well - my wife is Thai, my kids are Thai, my employees are Thai, my Maid is Thai, I have lots of Thai relatives.

None of these people have been negatively impacted by the coup. I know that because we are allowed to discuss it openly without fear. And so we do.

The only observable impact is that we no longer have to worry about street protests. Having been caught in Silom when shooting started and having the army come and grab me to get me to shelter, I am happy for that.

I've discussed this with many of the Thais I know, with very few exceptions (the girl that cuts my hair), people feel much safer now but there is a general sentiment of disappointment about the lack of action since the coup.

So you can comment I an naive, foolish and contemptuous if you like. Carry on saying it's like Nazi German here, that there are no freedoms ya de ya de ya. What I am is informed. You guys banging the "fear" and "nazi" drum are out of touch with reality.

Life hasn't changed here.

I don't agree, life has changed a LOT since the army is in power. BKK is safe again, no more shootings/bombings/occupying roads.

We get much more public transport, the 300 firetrucks will come to the city, police never stopped me again for a bribe only.....All much better! And i don't care what those countryboys think, they never come to BKK.

Corruption is being dealt with, although it goes slow.

The drought is because of the ricebying program which used too much water or the dams would be full still.

Things are going well in Bangkok. Isn't that nice. Do you ever get out of Bangkok, or do you think Bangkok is all that matters?

How long have you been in Thailand? Did you know that up until the year 2000 the Thai government spent 90% of government investment on Bangkok? Bangkok was building state of the art infrastructure while the majority of the country lived a third world existence.

Thaksin had many faults, but he did increase government spending to badly neglected parts of Thailand where the majority of the people lived, building roads, schools and clinics. Parents saw fewer of their children die of preventable diseases and more of them graduate from secondary school and go to university. Thaksin showed the Thai people that the Thai government can serve all of Thailand, which is why he and his parties keep winning elections. It's also why the traditional powers in Bangkok, and expats who confuse Bangkok with Thailand, hate him.

The Thai people have experienced democracy and like it. The only thing that will bring lasting peace and stability to Thailand is for the Bangkok elite to accept real democratic rule in Thailand. Until then any peace in Bangkok will only be a respite between the violence.

[Mosha]

Would you like to watch it again.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=iwGdHRakegI

I can't watch it on the phone, I may have got the wrong week. I know what I heard.

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

[jerojero]

I think most of the Thai population believe or believed the military had these powers already!

[JAG]

"...rooting out underworld influences and unduly “influential people” in the economy and society."

This is exactly what most people have been demanding for decades.

Using soldiers to arrest heavily-armed underworld groups and crime-bosses, is just basic common sense, because many serious gangsters have the kind of firepower that would put the lives of normal policemen and policewomen in danger.

So I will wait and see, I hope that they do break up underworld gangs, and apprehend the crime bosses.

I know I will be barbecued for writing this.

That's crap. The military had the power all along. Go and read the "law" under which the military rules Thailand.

To be blunt, I find your comment offensive because it is intentionally misleading.

Remember that army general who was implicated in the human trafficking scandal of a year ago? What happened to him?

He was subject to military law and under the command of the military wasn't he?

When you can come back and tell everyone in this forum that the general was subject to a transparent judicial process, you will have a substantiated position.

And what of the officials implicated in the land encroachments and the corruption of Phuket? The military has the power right now to wipe them out. It has not, has it?

I believe the comments that this is all about stifling dissent and pushing through the new constitution are more credible.

Well, I'm not comparing the current situation with a perfect world scenario.

I'm comparing the current situation with the previous situation.

Under Yingluck there were no priority corruption purges, there were however priorities such as amnesty and passports for criminal fugitive family-members, and also some might say there was an actual increase in overall corruption under her leadership. There was also a constant barrage of threats to stability.

In any case, under the last leadership, we did not receive weekly announcements of corruption purges, or see the sackings and arrests of discredited persons.

Under the current leadership, we are seeing stability and security, and also the very real signs of anti-corruption initiatives being mobilised, slowly but surely. I applaud these things, and will continue to do so.

Under Yingluck the various priorities of government reflected to a significant degree those of the electorate who selected her and her government. Moreover when presented with a significant extra parliamentary challenge (Suthep and Co) she went back to the electorate - called an election. It was prevented.

The present junta's policies are neither selected nor open to scrutiny (or even criticism) by the electorate. There is no realistic hope of that ever being the case. I suppose it is a sort of stability, in the way that the various European totalitarian regimes of the last century were stable.

You applaud that?

Remarkable!

Edited April 1, 2016 by JAG

[tbthailand]

well, for those who still think this is about chasing mafia, ...

Activists Swept Up in Military Campaign Against ‘Influential Figures’

One was a 65-year-old activist opposed to the military’s eviction of his fishing community; two others were his colleagues. Another led a campaign against a power plant the military government wants to build north of the capital.

Activists targeted in junta’s crackdown on mafia

The Thai military summoned a key leader of a group campaigning against a waste-fired power plant for a discussion, saying that he is on the list of ‘influential figures’.

Sure, this is all about a crackdown on the mafia...

[Plutojames88]

A rice farmer who complained at a public forum about the Government and lack of interest in their plight ( whilst in drought) has been taken.

He is 66 and two Farang men said they watched 4 army men arrest him yesterday afternoon.

They were told ( in no uncertain terms ) to leave.

According to one Thai wife he was a vocal man .

And spoke his mind.

Twice villagers tried to ask about the man at the local police station.

His daughter is frantic.

That was 18 hours ago still no sign.

That's happening all over the country as we speak.

[MZurf]

It would help if the army were given the powers of the judiciary as well as the police and the executive - then they could legally kill anyone, anytime, anywhere, for any reason. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having granted themselves the mother of all amnesties and god-like powers through article 44 they already can.

[Toscano]

" Old Habits Die Hard " !!! Changing anything in Thailand is extremely difficult . Get rid of a few corrupt people and there are plenty more to replace them .

Every country has its Mafia in some form or other , usually with financial connection to people in high places .

In my view this new law is to widen the scope of control right across the country , to seek out any " Nook or Cranny " of believed dissent ;

such as the lady who posted pictures of the Shinawatra's , brother and sister on Facebook .

[yellowboat]

Nothing to do with supplementing/assisting the police in fighting organized crime, everything to do with further consolidating the grip on power.

And @ "Pedro 01", it began with the coup. Just because it hasn't impacted your lifestyle doesn't mean that it isn't happening, nor does it mean that it isn't affecting the Thais.

Still, you've got your chill pills - possibly the most naive and foolish response - as well as being staggeringly contemptuous of the people amongst whom you live.

Aaaaah "The Thais".

Well - my wife is Thai, my kids are Thai, my employees are Thai, my Maid is Thai, I have lots of Thai relatives.

None of these people have been negatively impacted by the coup. I know that because we are allowed to discuss it openly without fear. And so we do.

The only observable impact is that we no longer have to worry about street protests. Having been caught in Silom when shooting started and having the army come and grab me to get me to shelter, I am happy for that.

I've discussed this with many of the Thais I know, with very few exceptions (the girl that cuts my hair), people feel much safer now but there is a general sentiment of disappointment about the lack of action since the coup.

So you can comment I an naive, foolish and contemptuous if you like. Carry on saying it's like Nazi German here, that there are no freedoms ya de ya de ya. What I am is informed. You guys banging the "fear" and "nazi" drum are out of touch with reality.

Life hasn't changed here.

I don't agree, life has changed a LOT since the army is in power. BKK is safe again, no more shootings/bombings/occupying roads.

We get much more public transport, the 300 firetrucks will come to the city, police never stopped me again for a bribe only.....All much better! And i don't care what those countryboys think, they never come to BKK.

Corruption is being dealt with, although it goes slow.

The drought is because of the ricebying program which used too much water or the dams would be full still.

And they said there would be reconciliation. Iron fist policies tend to hurt a country in the long run. Also, given the size of all the protests, violence was minimal. Instead of blaming the "countryboys", you should wonder how things became like this, and it is not just the rice buying policy. If you and others are happy to trade civil liberties for a small amount of safety, they you do not deserve liberty.

[greenchair]

As foreigners there is to much idle chatter going on about things that don't concern you.......but don't forget your toiletry bag and a change of underwear if the army come a knocking!

It does concern us, since a soldier will have powers over immigrant issues with exception from judicial process.

It concerns us because we are subject to the same laws as Thai citizens.

It concerns because we also pay our taxes in the form of vat everytime we purchase an item.

It concerns us because we have wives and husbands and children that could dissappear at any moment because of this law.

It concerns us because some have invested in long long term business ventures, that in turn brings jobs and taxes to this country.

Don't say the laws, constitution, or situation in Thailand does not concern foreigners, tourist and expats.

We all contribute just as much as the Thai to the benefit of this country.

[geriatrickid]

This will have a direct impact on every western foreigner in Thailand. Why? Think Myanmar and the international sanctions. It is 2016 and a country which depends heavily upon exports and financial transactions with the developed world cannot expect to;

1. Suspend basic civil rights such as habeas corpus;

2. Extend draconian military rules over a civilian populate;

3. Allow questionable labour practices and;

4. Attempt to play the developed free world off against China and Russia

and not suffer economic consequences.

Myanmar did this and became an international pariah. Don't laugh, because the military junta is pushing the envelope with this official status decision. The west will have no choice as the EU, USA, Canada, Australia all have laws on their books concerning trade with despot states. Thailand cannot expect to have favoured trade status with the USA. Australia will have to act consistently. It can't condemn Indonesia for far less and remain quiet while this occurs. Canada will follow the EU, and the EU will have to remain consistent on its human rights stance.

Thailand has played its China &Russia cards and lost. Russia has no money to squander like the west and China isn't buying the profitable export goods that go to the west. If Thailand loses any of this vital western generated foreign currency, the Thai economy will collapse. That FX is needed to pay for energy and petrochemical component imports that drive the Thai economy.

[Yunla]

Under the previous democratically elected government, the military blocked anything that it disagreed with. In case you forgot, the military says that it is not accountable to a democratically elected civilian government. It said it had that right.

I get it, you didn't like the amnesty issue. Know what though? The democratically elected MPs didn't allow the amnesty did they? They held it up for public scrutiny and it never went through. Abhisit was leader of the opposition and he did his job.

You now claim that because there are "weekly announcements of corruption purges and arrests of discredited persons' things are better. That is just BS and you cannot be expected to be treated respectfully when you make such a false and misleading statement. The military has had absolute control for 22 months. In that time, please name one current government official who has been arrested, charged and convicted of corruption. To date we have seen a vendetta against former members of the last democratically elected government. Lots of accusations of malfeasance but no evidence. I don't doubt some of them were corrupt. Well, get the evidence and make a case. In the meantime, in the triangle of corruption, it is as bad as ever. The removal of commercial enterprises from the beaches in Phuket was all for show. The state of corruption is far worse in Phuket today than it has ever been. The taxi mafia rule with impunity. The shakedowns of bars continue. Name one Phuket official who has been arrested and charged. Name one official from Samui who has been arrested and charged. Go on, do it.

You claim there is stability. Is that because the military and its proxies are no longer sabotaging the democratically elected government?

This year, the burning in Chiang Rai was worse than it ever was. And yet, nothing was done by the military government was there?. No arrests, no action. NOTHING. Why not? There are enough army bases and personnel all over the place to have done something.

Do you know what Yaba is and where it comes from? It comes in over the border from Myanmar. Who controls the Thai border?

How can tons of that poison make their way across the border and into every town and village of Thailand when the military has been in absolute control for almost 2 years. Ask yourself why.

Your use of the term "discredited persons" is lifted from the language of repressive regimes. Who decides what a discredited person is?

Make no mistake, I am against corruption and I don't care who is arrested for it. The issue for me as it is for those who travel around the country regularly is that we see the different treatments accorded people and how much worse it is in some regions. Phuket is absolutely disgusting. There isn't supposed to be commercial activity on the beaches. I counted almost 100 jet skis on Patong beach. These machines are illegal, yet they operate with the protection of the Marine 5 office. Please explain how this is done 2 years into absolute military rule.

I think that it is not possible for you and I to discuss this subject.

We do not merely have polarised views, we also have deeply entrenched views. And I am too ill to engage in trench warfare, knowing that neither myself or the other person is going to move an inch.

In my social-science books, I put stability and security before anything else, as I believe stability and security are the foundations upon which everything can be built. I support the current leadership, as they have brought stability and security. You prefer the leadership of PTP to the current leadership. That is your view, and I respect it. However, neither of us are going to change our views, and I could sit here and write essays about why I have my views, it would make no difference.

So I will bid you farewell, and I will just let history decide which of these two positions was the right one.

[HikeFromLA]

Goes to show the extend of reach of underworld influences in the Thai police force.

I was wondering that.

(If you are being serious here.)

In Mexico, where I last lived, the military are indeed used to step in when police are compromised.

I certainly don't like the sound of it, and agree with the poster above that opponents may become targets of warrantless intrusions etc. Since government is military, perhaps they have less control over police in some areas... Hence this new law

But is there a shred of a possibility that this could actually BE an anti-corruption measure? I am thinking of the time under Thaksin, when drug pushers were dying, and we all cheered. Maybe not all kosher, but objectively a good thing.

And of Baja California where I lived. It made us proud to see the military there, they were doing a great job in that state, had ended drug violence.

A shred, or no?

[Gandtee]

I seem to recall this EXACT SAME THING happening in Europe about 75 years ago when Hitler gave all his SS commandos police powers.

That worked out great didn't it?

Last week the .PM was on TV around 9:00 pm. He said something along the lines, that children who see their parents doing something wrong or damages the countries image, should tell to stop doing it. English subtitles. I thought at the time is this how it started in 1930s Germany? What next encourage the children to report their parents?

Sent from my SMART_4G_Speedy_5inch using Tapatalk

Sometime i really struggle to understand what you people really means when writing things like that....

SSiam.jpg

If you had lived during that 1930s period, or read of it you may understand. From little acorns, mighty oaks grow! It's a creeping evil.

[MorristheRunt]

Does not matter what the colour of the uniform, brown or green, both are rotten from the core to the very top.

[heybruce]

Goes to show the extend of reach of underworld influences in the Thai police force.

I was wondering that.

(If you are being serious here.)

In Mexico, where I last lived, the military are indeed used to step in when police are compromised.

I certainly don't like the sound of it, and agree with the poster above that opponents may become targets of warrantless intrusions etc. Since government is military, perhaps they have less control over police in some areas... Hence this new law

But is there a shred of a possibility that this could actually BE an anti-corruption measure? I am thinking of the time under Thaksin, when drug pushers were dying, and we all cheered. Maybe not all kosher, but objectively a good thing.

And of Baja California where I lived. It made us proud to see the military there, they were doing a great job in that state, had ended drug violence.

A shred, or no?

"But is there a shred of a possibility that this could actually BE an anti-corruption measure?"

Sure. There is also a shred of a possibility that the moon is made of green cheese, and the rocks collected for study were taken from the wrong place.

Is there any evidence that this is an anti-corruption measure? While the junta talks about fighting corruption, its actions are against anything resembling criticism or dissent. A Thai woman was arrested for posting a picture on Facebook of herself with a red bowl signed by the Shinawatra's with new year's greetings http://www.ifex.org/thailand/2016/03/31/sedition_redbowl_photo/ . She was charged with sedition and faces seven years in prison. In the same story Deputy PM Chawit defended her arrest:

“The charge [against Theerawan] is not arbitrary or groundless. She violated the law. Tell me if you think what she did was not provocative or led to division in the society. We don't want to arrest anyone. But those people should listen to our warning not to undertake political activities.”

I pointed out in an earlier post that in a short of time the final draft of the constitution was released, criticism of the draft banned, and the junta greatly expanded the police force with people who have no training in law enforcement but who can be trusted to follow orders. To the list we can add more actions against anything that remotely looks like "dissent", in this case a Facebook post with a family name the junta seems determined to erase from history. Is this police force expansion to fight corruption or repress any form of dissent?

Edited April 1, 2016 by heybruce

[fey]

can people stop quoting these long blocks of text. im tired of reading the same thing multiple times just to get a new morsal of info or a small remark at the end.

[phoenixdoglover]

can people stop quoting these long blocks of text. im tired of reading the same thing multiple times just to get a new morsal of info or a small remark at the end.

The key is shorter posts to begin with. Brevity is close to godliness.

[kareona]

As foreigners there is to much idle chatter going on about things that don't concern you.......but don't forget your toiletry bag and a change of underwear if the army come a knocking!

It does concern us, since a soldier will have powers over immigrant issues with exception from judicial process.

It concerns us because we are subject to the same laws as Thai citizens.

It concerns because we also pay our taxes in the form of vat everytime we purchase an item.

It concerns us because we have wives and husbands and children that could dissappear at any moment because of this law.

It concerns us because some have invested in long long term business ventures, that in turn brings jobs and taxes to this country.

Don't say the laws, constitution, or situation in Thailand does not concern foreigners, tourist and expats.

We all contribute just as much as the Thai to the benefit of this country.

Well said. I feel the same.

[mrrizzla]

geriatrickid and heybruce dropping some absolute truth bombs. Yunla has taken his ball and gone home because he cannot actually counter any of the FACTS that geriatckid posted.

If you dislike Thaksin, fine. There is a lot to dislike about him. But acting like the army the Thailand's godly saviors is myopic and foolish. History has proved that wasn't ever the case and low and behold history is repeating itself now.

[Moonmoon]

anyone can put on a uniform n just do anything he likes cos there is no need for warrants.

[Throatwobbler]

Under the previous democratically elected government, the military blocked anything that it disagreed with. In case you forgot, the military says that it is not accountable to a democratically elected civilian government. It said it had that right.

I get it, you didn't like the amnesty issue. Know what though? The democratically elected MPs didn't allow the amnesty did they? They held it up for public scrutiny and it never went through. Abhisit was leader of the opposition and he did his job.

You now claim that because there are "weekly announcements of corruption purges and arrests of discredited persons' things are better. That is just BS and you cannot be expected to be treated respectfully when you make such a false and misleading statement. The military has had absolute control for 22 months. In that time, please name one current government official who has been arrested, charged and convicted of corruption. To date we have seen a vendetta against former members of the last democratically elected government. Lots of accusations of malfeasance but no evidence. I don't doubt some of them were corrupt. Well, get the evidence and make a case. In the meantime, in the triangle of corruption, it is as bad as ever. The removal of commercial enterprises from the beaches in Phuket was all for show. The state of corruption is far worse in Phuket today than it has ever been. The taxi mafia rule with impunity. The shakedowns of bars continue. Name one Phuket official who has been arrested and charged. Name one official from Samui who has been arrested and charged. Go on, do it.

You claim there is stability. Is that because the military and its proxies are no longer sabotaging the democratically elected government?

This year, the burning in Chiang Rai was worse than it ever was. And yet, nothing was done by the military government was there?. No arrests, no action. NOTHING. Why not? There are enough army bases and personnel all over the place to have done something.

Do you know what Yaba is and where it comes from? It comes in over the border from Myanmar. Who controls the Thai border?

How can tons of that poison make their way across the border and into every town and village of Thailand when the military has been in absolute control for almost 2 years. Ask yourself why.

Your use of the term "discredited persons" is lifted from the language of repressive regimes. Who decides what a discredited person is?

Make no mistake, I am against corruption and I don't care who is arrested for it. The issue for me as it is for those who travel around the country regularly is that we see the different treatments accorded people and how much worse it is in some regions. Phuket is absolutely disgusting. There isn't supposed to be commercial activity on the beaches. I counted almost 100 jet skis on Patong beach. These machines are illegal, yet they operate with the protection of the Marine 5 office. Please explain how this is done 2 years into absolute military rule.

I think that it is not possible for you and I to discuss this subject.

We do not merely have polarised views, we also have deeply entrenched views. And I am too ill to engage in trench warfare, knowing that neither myself or the other person is going to move an inch.

In my social-science books, I put stability and security before anything else, as I believe stability and security are the foundations upon which everything can be built. I support the current leadership, as they have brought stability and security. You prefer the leadership of PTP to the current leadership. That is your view, and I respect it. However, neither of us are going to change our views, and I could sit here and write essays about why I have my views, it would make no difference.

So I will bid you farewell, and I will just let history decide which of these two positions was the right one.

You will be on the wrong side of history. You'd better get used to that fact.