DPM Thanasak offers an apology for his men’s rudeness

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister Thanasak Patimaprakorn has offered an apology to motorists who felt offended by his forward team of motocyclists which helped clear the traffic for his motorcade and promised an investigation into the incident.

 

The incident took place on the Chaengwattana exit of the expressway on Sunday. A netizen who appeared to be one of the motorists posted a message in the social media, saying that the motorbikers pressed the horns, fingerpointing and reprimanding motorists as they tried to clear the traffic jam for the motorcade of their boss riding in a S-Class Mercedes Benz with license plat No 3kor-yor 585.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/dpm-thanasak-offers-apology-mens-rudeness/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-09-06

What's with all these motorcade anyway convoys of vehicles, it's just a show to say look at me little people I am so bloody important now step aside and bow as I pass.  You don't see this in places like Australia, the P.M gets a government car and driver that's it.  Self importance and indulgence is way over the top in Thailand.

Elitist mentality, no different if military or democratic politicians. Pompous ass.

This kind of mentality goes all the way down to the bottom. If you've ever seen a security guard, motorcycle taxi rider, etc, helping a car come out of their house or onto a main road, there's this feeling of importance. 

 

Often you'll see a security guard stop people as they're walking like the security guard is in the secret service and the person pulling out is very important. I just ignore them as they put their hand up and I continue walking. None of you are important, and 'you' can wait til it's clear to go. I was walking here first. 

Get out of my way peasants...

That is the pompus assed mentality of these people.

Why should every government official have this kind of treatment>??

All the cars / police / hangers on have better things to do with their time than helping make these clowns look important.

Not very Buddhist!

Seems rather appropriate to me!

 

Don't you know who I am?,  I'm YAI,  I'm BIG,  I'm UP,  This motorcade snot is bloody stupid, get over yourself and see how the real world woks man, and yeah that means traffic jam's even when you are in a rush.  Self indulgent, self important, whack job's ' who have been getting this kind of treatment for generations The country need's to join the real world and the people are getting sick of it...

I doubt he has any inkling of why he ought to apologize, I expect they have acted like this since his first ever cavalcade, which he has probably had for a considerable time even before he was in the NCPO.  

 

Even the military officers have bought into the army fairytale and really do believe they are superior beings and this is their right. The sadder thing is that so many Thais appear willing and to accept they are second class citizens.

The should do it as they do/did in India,where the

car supplied to Government ministers is a 50's

design, Standard Ensign,not a Merc or BMW.

regards Worgeordie

" ...summoned the men concerned for a lecture."

 

It appears that at no time during the ride did he instruct his escort to slow it down. So, he most likely liked being in a position to show the commoners that he is above them.

 

However, if by some very small chance he disapproved of their behavior, they must be shaking in their pants out of fear of receiving the harshest possible sentence for military and police personnel...Transfer to an inactive post.

Edited September 6, 20169 yr by jaltsc
typos

There are hundreds of these motorcades everyday, from Royals to military, to police, to diplomats (not so much), to "unknown",  and they impact the ambulance service a lot too! 
Ambulances must stop (even with lights on and sirens blaring) for motorcades. They have precedence! Unbelievable,.. life threatening. 

AJFYI did you know that when the kings son (and other selected royal members) visit an area, the local police have to submit their guns to their respective stations. Next time look for the guns on hips of police when a high ranking royal member passes. Only "special" police and body guards have them. 
I can only guess this means local police can't be trusted!? 

Stuck again today for over 40 minutes waiting for the VIPos to go by. Seems to happen at least once a week where thousands and thousands of commuters just trying to get to work have to wait for an hour for some idiot. For Christ sake just put them on a helicopter and fly them where they need to go, and let us commoners use the road and get to work on time. I suppose if they did a cost analysis of how much time people are missing at work compared to these idiots that need to have the road all for themselves it would be pretty amazing.


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1 hour ago, aussieinthailand said:

Don't you know who I am?,  I'm YAI,  I'm BIG,  I'm UP,  This motorcade snot is bloody stupid, get over yourself and see how the real world woks man, and yeah that means traffic jam's even when you are in a rush.  Self indulgent, self important, whack job's ' who have been getting this kind of treatment for generations The country need's to join the real world and the people are getting sick of it...

 

" people are getting sick of it "  ??

 

NO WAY !  On the contrary...

For the average Thai it is all normal, part of daily life, part of their buffalo culture...

EVERY day, Morning AND Evening, the intersections of all big and small sois that leads to Sukhumvit Rd, are closed for traffic for more than 30 min just because a "VIP" has to pass there. Then first police car with VERY HIGH SPEED and sirenes ON, 1 min later another one, and another and another.... After 8 - 10 police cars has passed with an interval of 30+ seconds, the VIP car passes with HIGH SPEED surrounded by some other "important cars"...  Then again a bunch of noisy police cars with very high speed and then, finally, people are allowed to enter or cross Sukhumvit Rd. They are all politely and patiently waiting, showing respect as it is all part of this CIRCUS SHOW.

 

Oh, the most ridiculous thing is... by the time that VIP car passes, that first noisy and speedy police car is already 10 kms further !!!

i really have no words for this... They just dont understand that all none Thais find this very annoying and disturbing when have to wait for such nonsens...  But then again, what do they care about what the farang think eeh ??  

The problem is that some politicians forget that they are there to serve the people, not the other way round. And does THAI still have a separate check-in desk for MPs, so they won't have to queue with the peasants? Disgusting.

However, not all escorts speed their way through. I once had the tough task of taking care of the Russian tennis player Anna Kournikova when she visited Thailand. We had a police escort from the airport in Bangkok to Pattaya, but they kept to the speed limit which added quite some time to the journey late at night.

6 minutes ago, HOOD Robin said:

They just dont understand that all none Thais find this very annoying and disturbing when have to wait for such nonsens...  But then again, what do they care about what the farang think eeh ??  

 

Americans are very good at it as well. I was at the US Open tennis when Mayor Bloomberg paid a visit, and long before he left - with a massive police motorcade - the elevators were blocked so he wouldn't have to wait for one. On the other hand, when George Bush senior visited while President he wandered through the press box chatting to reporters with no fuss at all.

Another time I happened to be staying at the same hotel as Bill Clinton in Berlin. And 30 minutes before he left the building, to a normally busy road that was completely blocked off for a few hundred metres during the entire length of his stay, no-one was allowed to enter the hotel.

12 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

Americans are very good at it as well. I was at the US Open tennis when Mayor Bloomberg paid a visit, and long before he left - with a massive police motorcade - the elevators were blocked so he wouldn't have to wait for one. On the other hand, when George Bush senior visited while President he wandered through the press box chatting to reporters with no fuss at all.

Another time I happened to be staying at the same hotel as Bill Clinton in Berlin. And 30 minutes before he left the building, to a normally busy road that was completely blocked off for a few hundred metres during the entire length of his stay, no-one was allowed to enter the hotel.

 

LOL....  ive encountered the same with Bill in Antwerp about 17 years ago... All and everything had to wait for him, no matter how long it took...  

I had that on the tollway coming into Bangkok last year. Traffic gridlocked in every lane. Stationary nose to tail. Cop on a bike behind me angrily waving for me to get out of the way to let some bigwig in a Benz van through. Obviously thought I'd installed the optional VTOL on my car...

Edited September 6, 20169 yr by mca

Remember when Bush visited Bangkok, they shut the whole city block off, he had two 747 land at Utaphao with his vehicles, 35 if I recall correctly!

4 hours ago, Thechook said:

What's with all these motorcade anyway convoys of vehicles, it's just a show to say look at me little people I am so bloody important now step aside and bow as I pass.  You don't see this in places like Australia, the P.M gets a government car and driver that's it.  Self importance and indulgence is way over the top in Thailand.

the system has been handed down. he is magnanimous to apologise. the next time perhaps use a more streamlined motorcade.

2 minutes ago, CGW said:

Remember when Bush visited Bangkok, they shut the whole city block off, he had two 747 land at Utaphao with his vehicles, 35 if I recall correctly!

mark of respect.

7 minutes ago, mca said:

I had that on the tollway coming into Bangkok last year. Traffic gridlocked in every lane. Stationary nose to tail. Cop on a bike behind me angrily waving for me to get out of the way to let some bigwig in a Benz van through. Obviously thought I'd installed the optional VTOL on my car...

it happens sometimes.

In Chiang Mai they escort groups of commercial toyota vans and even the large private tour buses (single and in groups). I have seen chang klan road shut to all traffic for up to an hour for who ever is on route that way.

 

The use of motor cycle, highway patrol, and police pickup all included as well as foot bib at all side roads blocking traffic.

Yesterday, on Bangkok - Bangpa-in motorway outbound at about 8:30am, standstill 50 mins just before the 2nd toll gate. On the way back, inbound at about 3:00pm, standstill 45mins before 1st toll gate. Learn't later it was some VIP visiting Rangsit - Nakhon Nayok road.

40 minutes ago, sahibji said:

it happens sometimes.

 

SOMETIMES ??????

 

Hahahaha........ wayyyyyy TOO  much !!!!!!!

3 hours ago, BigBadGeordie said:

Seems rather appropriate to me!

 

I miss the statement of Ms. Kobkarn under the picture. Something like:

Tourists are safe in Thailand! It's just that members of the government, which is backed up by 97% of the population, feel they need a little more security...

5 hours ago, rkidlad said:

This kind of mentality goes all the way down to the bottom. If you've ever seen a security guard, motorcycle taxi rider, etc, helping a car come out of their house or onto a main road, there's this feeling of importance. 

 

Often you'll see a security guard stop people as they're walking like the security guard is in the secret service and the person pulling out is very important. I just ignore them as they put their hand up and I continue walking. None of you are important, and 'you' can wait til it's clear to go. I was walking here first. 

 

Yep, do the same. And I usually ignore then when they stand at the side of the road waving their little red flag at me.

 

10 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

I miss the statement of Ms. Kobkarn under the picture. Something like:

Tourists are safe in Thailand! It's just that members of the government, which is backed up by 97% of the population, feel they need a little more security...

 

It's nothing to do with security. These elite buffoons feel that traffic queues and jams are only for minions. They are much to important for that.

5 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

It's nothing to do with security. These elite buffoons feel that traffic queues and jams are only for minions. They are much to important for that.

I agree with you. However, I think they will use the security excuse to underline the necessity. Like former government's members where offered weapons for a 50% reduced price.

Btw the King of Norway frequently went on public transport...

5 hours ago, rkidlad said:

This kind of mentality goes all the way down to the bottom. If you've ever seen a security guard, motorcycle taxi rider, etc, helping a car come out of their house or onto a main road, there's this feeling of importance. 

 

Often you'll see a security guard stop people as they're walking like the security guard is in the secret service and the person pulling out is very important. I just ignore them as they put their hand up and I continue walking. None of you are important, and 'you' can wait til it's clear to go. I was walking here first. 

 

Have you ever thought they were just helping the motorist pull out of a building? They have to do this, because most drivers here are not known for being courteous and stopping to let someone out.

 

It is not a case of the security guard thinking the driver is more important, just that they are helping them out. Sounds like you are the one with the case of self-importance and entitlement.