Thailand steadily slipping behind its neighbours

[candide]

5 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

The other countries in Asean are way behind in GDP, so it is easier to grow in percentage while in $ they are the same or less.

If you go to the IMF website "economic outlook", you will find out that they put Thailand in a category of developping Asian countries which are comparable. This category includes more asian countries than the ASEAN and the gdp growth of Thailand was less than half of most of the others' growth.

[mikiea]

On 8/11/2017 at 5:49 AM, BasalBanality said:

Change comes from within.

Oop's there it is a 

[Baerboxer]

On 8/11/2017 at 3:41 PM, Tilacme said:

Struggling country wasting excessive cash on foreign military hardware.

 

Are you privy to the strategic plans of the military here?

 

I don't think so. And as you like to point out, it's not your country, your a welcome guest grateful for its protection. 

Edited August 18, 2017 by Baerboxer

[zzaa09]

5 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Are you privy to the strategic plans of the military here?

 

I don't think so. And as you like to point out, it's not your country, your a welcome guest grateful for its protection. 

Indeed.

It's all about their benign championing of protection for foreigners and Thais alike.

The Thai establishment elite are such good people, and a history to show for it.

 

[Baerboxer]

Just now, zzaa09 said:

Indeed.

It's all about their benign championing of protection for foreigners and Thais alike.

The Thai establishment elite are such good people, and a history to show for it.

 

 

No it's not. It's about one poster telling others they must never criticize Thailand or anything Thai and only make positive comments - but that his rules don't apply to himself apparently.

[Jai Dee]

Several flame posts and replies have been removed from this thread.

[Jai Dee]

A comment on moderation has been removed from this thread (in accordance with the Forum Rules which you can read here).

[stud858]

On 08/11/2017 at 6:33 AM, Just1Voice said:

I've said before, but I'll say it again.  A crash is coming. One year?  Two years?  That I don't know, but I do know it will happen.  With a GDP of only 3.5 for the past 3 years, while other SE Asian countries surpass that, combined with the massive expenditures of the military, the country can't sustain itself.  Household debt is increasing at an alarming rate.  Banks are turning down personal loans for fear of default. Cost of living is increasing faster than the economy is growing.  

 

And when this crash happens, it will make the last one look like a picnic in the park. 

 

 

But doesn't the government just print more money and keep the divide between rich and poor to keep the economy going?

You may be right.

[jayboy]

20 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Are you privy to the strategic plans of the military here?

 

I don't think so. And as you like to point out, it's not your country, your a welcome guest grateful for its protection. 

The same question could have been posed by a foreigner in Berlin in the late 1930's.What do we know of the strategic plans of the fascist leadership? We are being protected and the left wing riffraff and socialist mobs are no longer clogging up the streets.It's not our country and we should be grateful to the Fuhrer as falling under his protection.

 

You might say the comparison to Nazi Germany is unfair.I completely agree.The transfer of power to National Socialism was undertaken in the context of the existing constitutional framework.In Thailand it was illegally seized by force of arms.

 

Actually I don't think many foreigners in Germany had that disgusting attitude.But in every country where repression is pitted against democracy, you will always find a small quisling element.In the end of course these people find they have made the wrong bet.

[spidermike007]

There is no doubt this is true. Why is Thailand falling behind? There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists. The very first thing would be to repeal the anti faring wine bill, that was passed by a few very corrupt senators way back when, to protect an anemic local wine industry. They are losing billions of dollars a year in revenue, that would be had from a 100% wine duty, instead of 460%. The five star hotels would have major wine events, and the entire industry would flourish here. But again, the lack of vision, combined with a naive, surly, silly, churlish, and ignorant sense of nationalism, bites the country in the butt. And again, who is the loser? The Thai people. 

 

Then there is immigration policy. It could and should be simplified to make it easier for tourists, and especially easier for ex-pats who are living here long term, and bring alot of the table in terms of economic stimulation, and cultural diversity. 

 

Then there is the national pride issue. Somehow many have a feeling that this is the most important country in the world. The knowledge that where we are living is the center of the universe. A people bursting with pride, at knowing that they are at the apex of culture, finance, power, and intellectual prowess. A country with the real, true religion, and with smart and benevolent leaders, who are spending every minute, of every day trying to make life better for the common man. A vastly superior moral and ethical nature, that allows the Thai people to rise above the rest of the world, and live in absolute, and complete harmony with each other. And a grand vision for the future of this illustrious nation.

 

The goons in charge are focusing their efforts in all the wrong areas. They are trying to make Thailand a Quaker State. A land of purity. Total BS. Nonsense. Misplaced priorities, and wasted efforts. They should be focusing their efforts on traffic and public safety, easing import tariffs, making visa policy simpler, and more friendly, boosting Western tourism, real crackdowns on slavery, and illegal fishing instead of nonsensical hyperbole, cleaning up the water, the air, the rivers, and the beaches, and other things that actually improve lives.

 

It is a real shame, as I find most Thai people to be quite lovely, friendly, warm, helpful and fun to be around. I am sure many feel the same way. But, unfortunately they are cursed with a government that is incompetent, myopic, non-visionary, indifferent, and reckless beyond imagination.

 

Little P. Not making Thailand great again, but rather leading Thailand backwards at an astonishing and alarming pace.

 

 

 

[Tilacme]

59 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

There is no doubt this is true. Why is Thailand falling behind? There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists. The very first thing would be to repeal the anti faring wine bill, that was passed by a few very corrupt senators way back when, to protect an anemic local wine industry. They are losing billions of dollars a year in revenue, that would be had from a 100% wine duty, instead of 460%. The five star hotels would have major wine events, and the entire industry would flourish here. But again, the lack of vision, combined with a naive, surly, silly, churlish, and ignorant sense of nationalism, bites the country in the butt. And again, who is the loser? The Thai people. 

 

Then there is immigration policy. It could and should be simplified to make it easier for tourists, and especially easier for ex-pats who are living here long term, and bring alot of the table in terms of economic stimulation, and cultural diversity. 

 

Then there is the national pride issue. Somehow many have a feeling that this is the most important country in the world. The knowledge that where we are living is the center of the universe. A people bursting with pride, at knowing that they are at the apex of culture, finance, power, and intellectual prowess. A country with the real, true religion, and with smart and benevolent leaders, who are spending every minute, of every day trying to make life better for the common man. A vastly superior moral and ethical nature, that allows the Thai people to rise above the rest of the world, and live in absolute, and complete harmony with each other. And a grand vision for the future of this illustrious nation.

 

The goons in charge are focusing their efforts in all the wrong areas. They are trying to make Thailand a Quaker State. A land of purity. Total BS. Nonsense. Misplaced priorities, and wasted efforts. They should be focusing their efforts on traffic and public safety, easing import tariffs, making visa policy simpler, and more friendly, boosting Western tourism, real crackdowns on slavery, and illegal fishing instead of nonsensical hyperbole, cleaning up the water, the air, the rivers, and the beaches, and other things that actually improve lives.

 

It is a real shame, as I find most Thai people to be quite lovely, friendly, warm, helpful and fun to be around. I am sure many feel the same way. But, unfortunately they are cursed with a government that is incompetent, myopic, non-visionary, indifferent, and reckless beyond imagination.

 

Little P. Not making Thailand great again, but rather leading Thailand backwards at an astonishing and alarming pace.

 

 

 

Agree regarding tariffs on wine imports.  There are few endearing features in that berry plonk adorning the shelves of every 7-11 and, I refuse to pay for 4 times over the odds for bottom end imported wine that I wouldn't drink in UK, and the beer situation is no better.   Abstinence might suit the prevailing high moral code but it doesn't raise revenue for the public purse.

[spidermike007]

26 minutes ago, Tilacme said:

Agree regarding tariffs on wine imports.  There are few endearing features in that berry plonk adorning the shelves of every 7-11 and, I refuse to pay for 4 times over the odds for bottom end imported wine that I wouldn't drink in UK, and the beer situation is no better.   Abstinence might suit the prevailing high moral code but it doesn't raise revenue for the public purse.

 

Not long ago, while visiting a restaurant on Samui, called Dr. Frogs, I noticed a little sign on the table. We are proud to offer our new house wine. Yellow Tail cabernet. Only 1,499 baht, per bottle. I had just returned from the US, and the markets were absolutely flooded with this swill, at $3.99 a bottle. That is about 135 baht! So, yes I agree with you. Why drink absolute junk, for inflated prices? 

 

Yellow Tail is the best selling imported wine in the United States. Yellow Tail accounted for 11 percent of all U.S. imports in 2005. This one wine brand represents about 8 percent of all Australian wine production and 15 percent of that country’s total wine exports. Yellow Tail sells more wine in the U.S. than all French producers combined. And that say alot about the average American wine palate.  

 

Again, the government misses the mark, and does not have the vision, nor the courage to undo an injustice, perpetrated by very corrupt senators, who sabotaged the Thai economy, in a feeble effort to protect a few unbelievably inferior local wine producers. Also, this is in direct contravention to the ASEAN charter that Thailand signed, and is a party to, that allows the distribution, importation, and export of all alcoholic beverages between all ASEAN members, duty free. When is the last time you saw a bottle of Saigon beer, 33 beer (both Vietnamese beers), Hitachino Nest white ale, India pale ale (both from Cambodia), or Bintang beer (Indonesian) on the supermarket shelves? Beer Laos, if you are lucky enough. I can understand why the giant Thai beer companies would do everything in their power to squash the implementation of this law. Their product is way, way inferior, to that of their neighbors. But, the government has a responsibility to follow through with laws they are a party to. Even if that means saying no to massive hand outs.

Edited August 20, 2017 by spidermike007

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

There is no doubt this is true. Why is Thailand falling behind? There are countless things the government could be doing, if they wanted to attract the high quality tourists. The very first thing would be to repeal the anti faring wine bill, that was passed by a few very corrupt senators way back when, to protect an anemic local wine industry. They are losing billions of dollars a year in revenue, that would be had from a 100% wine duty, instead of 460%. The five star hotels would have major wine events, and the entire industry would flourish here. But again, the lack of vision, combined with a naive, surly, silly, churlish, and ignorant sense of nationalism, bites the country in the butt. And again, who is the loser? The Thai people. 

 

Then there is immigration policy. It could and should be simplified to make it easier for tourists, and especially easier for ex-pats who are living here long term, and bring alot of the table in terms of economic stimulation, and cultural diversity. 

 

Then there is the national pride issue. Somehow many have a feeling that this is the most important country in the world. The knowledge that where we are living is the center of the universe. A people bursting with pride, at knowing that they are at the apex of culture, finance, power, and intellectual prowess. A country with the real, true religion, and with smart and benevolent leaders, who are spending every minute, of every day trying to make life better for the common man. A vastly superior moral and ethical nature, that allows the Thai people to rise above the rest of the world, and live in absolute, and complete harmony with each other. And a grand vision for the future of this illustrious nation.

 

The goons in charge are focusing their efforts in all the wrong areas. They are trying to make Thailand a Quaker State. A land of purity. Total BS. Nonsense. Misplaced priorities, and wasted efforts. They should be focusing their efforts on traffic and public safety, easing import tariffs, making visa policy simpler, and more friendly, boosting Western tourism, real crackdowns on slavery, and illegal fishing instead of nonsensical hyperbole, cleaning up the water, the air, the rivers, and the beaches, and other things that actually improve lives.

 

It is a real shame, as I find most Thai people to be quite lovely, friendly, warm, helpful and fun to be around. I am sure many feel the same way. But, unfortunately they are cursed with a government that is incompetent, myopic, non-visionary, indifferent, and reckless beyond imagination.

 

Little P. Not making Thailand great again, but rather leading Thailand backwards at an astonishing and alarming pace.

 

 

 

Thailand has a system of government by unelected people who are the least capable of leading or producing and who are least likely to succeed or sustain themselves are rewarded with goods and services paid for by confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers. That in a nutshell is a military government.

 

[Tilacme]

4 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

 

Not long ago, while visiting a restaurant on Samui, called Dr. Frogs, I noticed a little sign on the table. We are proud to offer our new house wine. Yellow Tail cabernet. Only 1,499 per bottle. I had just returned from the US, and the markets were absolutely flooded with this swill, at $3.99 a bottle. That is about 135 baht! So, yes I agree with you. Why drink absolute junk, for inflated prices. Again, the government misses the mark, and does not have the vision, nor the courage to undo an injustice, perpetrated by very corrupt senators, who sabotaged the Thai economy, in a feeble effort to protect a few unbelievably inferior local wine producers. 

 

Yellow Tail is the best selling imported wine in the United States. Yellow Tail accounted for 11 percent of all U.S. imports in 2005. This one wine brand represents about 8 percent of all Australian wine production and 15 percent of that country’s total wine exports. Yellow Tail sells more wine in the U.S. than all French producers combined. And that say alot about the average American wine palate.  

I paid 1200bt for a bottle of chardonnay in the exclusive winery in the food hall in Terminal 21 Asok, and it was worse than Yellow Tail.  Thailand only gets the dregs and it is absolutely down to the import duty and protectionism.

[spidermike007]

23 minutes ago, Tilacme said:

I paid 1200bt for a bottle of chardonnay in the exclusive winery in the food hall in Terminal 21 Asok, and it was worse than Yellow Tail.  Thailand only gets the dregs and it is absolutely down to the import duty and protectionism.

 

In California, for $35 you can get an exceptional bottle of chardonnay. For $30-50 I get single vineyard pinots that are life changers. 

 

Thailand could do alot better. One of the chief reasons that really high end tourists have essentially abandoned Thailand, is the fact that the wine service and selection is so poor, and the industry is so bereft. 

 

I was at a high end Italian restaurant recently, at Em Quartier. Called Bella Rocca. I was with a group of friends. We decided to order a bottle of wine. I inquired about a specific wine, and the waitress knew nothing. I asked if she could get the manager or the sommelier to come over, and offer me some advice on the wine choice. She said there was NODBOY in the restaurant that knew ANYTHING about any of the wine. I just did not know what to say. So, I picked one of the Chianti wines, that was on the list. It was a 2011. She said all they had was 2015. I picked another. It was a 2009. Again, only 2015. We are talking about 3,000 baht bottles. I asked why don't they revise the list? No response. Finally, I turned to our group, and suggested we leave, and find an adequate restaurant that took some pride in what they did. Please avoid this charlatan of an Italian restaurant. 

[Global Guy]

On 8/11/2017 at 6:58 AM, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

What to expect when you chase away the needed foreign workers and make it very unattractive to invest here as a foreigner? Their xenophobia and nationalism will bite them in the rear and they will come begging like a bargirl for lady drinks when they understand that they are broke. (and they will probably also blame foreigners for their bad economy)

Just a small example from my situation. I'm both an individual investor and lead a group of investors. But after years of trying to crack the investment code here I realized that there is almost zero rule of law for foreigners. Contracts and anything backed by laws are non-existent for us. They're barely existent for Thais. It's a system from top to bottom that doesn't want foreigners to invest but they'd gladly rip you off to take your money. 

 

So, I told our group we have to pass on Thailand and look elsewhere.  Also, I had planned on buying a house or at least a condo. But that scenario changed when I see construction problems as the norm, and as in the above example, zero rule of law for any problems that may arise.

 

So, I passed on buying anything myself.

 

Then I thought about starting a business. I've done that before with a Thai partner/friend, but that was in 2003. Again, no rule of law and with the attitude about scamming foreigners, I passed on starting a business here.

 

So, that's about 100-150 million baht (just to start) that's not not coming to Thailand from one person alone. Multiply that by how many 100s or 1000s of foreigners who choose not to invest here because Thais just don't want us to. Oh, they say they do, but do nothing to improve the legal system, the law enforcement system, etc. You can't ask for foreign investment money but support a system that's rigged against them.

 

I don't expect any of it to change and that's fine. 

Edited August 20, 2017 by Global Guy

[Tilacme]

7 minutes ago, Global Guy said:

Just a small example from my situation. I'm both an individual investor and lead a group of investors. But after years of trying to crack the investment code here I realized that there is almost zero rule of law for foreigners. Contracts and anything backed by laws are non-existent for us. They're barely existent for Thais. It's a system from top to bottom that doesn't want foreigners to invest but they'd gladly rip you off to take your money. 

 

So, I told our group we have to pass on Thailand and look elsewhere.  Also, I had planned on buying a house or at least a condo. But that scenario changed when I see construction problems as the norm, and as in the above example, zero rule of law for any problems that may arise.

 

So, I passed on buying anything myself.

 

Then I thought about starting a business. I've done that before with a Thai partner/friend, but that was in 2003. Again, no rule of law and with the attitude about scamming foreigners, I passed on starting a business here.

 

So, that's about 100-150 million baht (just to start) that's not not coming to Thailand from one person alone. Multiply that by how many 100s or 1000s of foreigners who choose not to invest here because Thais just don't want us to. Oh, they say they do, but do nothing to improve the legal system, the law enforcement system, etc. You can't ask for foreign investment money but support a system that's rigged against them.

 

I don't expect any of it to change and that's fine. 

Although you have no doubt wasted a lot of time, at least you have been astute enough to not lose skin.

 

My rule to self is don't invest more than you are prepared to walk away from if it all goes tits up.  There are other esteemed commentators here who will say never invest anything in Thailand and I respect that position, but that's a bit difficult if you live here.

 

Comments like yours makes it easy to see what a boost the country would get if it gave a level playing field.

 

 

[Tilacme]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

 

Not long ago, while visiting a restaurant on Samui, called Dr. Frogs, I noticed a little sign on the table. We are proud to offer our new house wine. Yellow Tail cabernet. Only 1,499 baht, per bottle. I had just returned from the US, and the markets were absolutely flooded with this swill, at $3.99 a bottle. That is about 135 baht! So, yes I agree with you. Why drink absolute junk, for inflated prices? 

 

Yellow Tail is the best selling imported wine in the United States. Yellow Tail accounted for 11 percent of all U.S. imports in 2005. This one wine brand represents about 8 percent of all Australian wine production and 15 percent of that country’s total wine exports. Yellow Tail sells more wine in the U.S. than all French producers combined. And that say alot about the average American wine palate.  

 

Again, the government misses the mark, and does not have the vision, nor the courage to undo an injustice, perpetrated by very corrupt senators, who sabotaged the Thai economy, in a feeble effort to protect a few unbelievably inferior local wine producers. Also, this is in direct contravention to the ASEAN charter that Thailand signed, and is a party to, that allows the distribution, importation, and export of all alcoholic beverages between all ASEAN members, duty free. When is the last time you saw a bottle of Saigon beer, 33 beer (both Vietnamese beers), Hitachino Nest white ale, India pale ale (both from Cambodia), or Bintang beer (Indonesian) on the supermarket shelves? Beer Laos, if you are lucky enough. I can understand why the giant Thai beer companies would do everything in their power to squash the implementation of this law. Their product is way, way inferior, to that of their neighbors. But, the government has a responsibility to follow through with laws they are a party to. Even if that means saying no to massive hand outs.

Final paragraph says it in a nutshell.

[Global Guy]

8 minutes ago, Tilacme said:

Although you have no doubt wasted a lot of time, at least you have been astute enough to not lose skin.

 

My rule to self is don't invest more than you are prepared to walk away from if it all goes tits up.  There are other esteemed commentators here who will say never invest anything in Thailand and I respect that position, but that's a bit difficult if you live here.

 

Comments like yours makes it easy to see what a boost the country would get if it gave a level playing field.

 

 

Thanks. One of the good things about Thailand is that rents are pretty cheap compared to buying in relation to countries in the West. Renting here has many advantages, one being the low cost. In the West, rents are much higher and often more than a mortgage payment so renting is often financially a bad way to go there.

 

Here, especially now, you can get good rent rates, and if it turns out bad, like having lousy neighbors or a bad landlord, it's cheap to pick up and move elsewhere. Besides, I own properties in my native country so I don't have that bug to buy here. 

 

It also depends on one's investment portfolio too. 

[tomta]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

 

 

 

Again, the government misses the mark, and does not have the vision, nor the courage to undo an injustice, perpetrated by very corrupt senators, who sabotaged the Thai economy, in a feeble effort to protect a few unbelievably inferior local wine producers. Also, this is in direct contravention to the ASEAN charter that Thailand signed, and is a party to, that allows the distribution, importation, and export of all alcoholic beverages between all ASEAN members, duty free. When is the last time you saw a bottle of Saigon beer, 33 beer (both Vietnamese beers), Hitachino Nest white ale, India pale ale (both from Cambodia), or Bintang beer (Indonesian) on the supermarket shelves? Beer Laos, if you are lucky enough. I can understand why the giant Thai beer companies would do everything in their power to squash the implementation of this law. Their product is way, way inferior, to that of their neighbors. But, the government has a responsibility to follow through with laws they are a party to. Even if that means saying no to massive hand outs.

I'm not sure if you're correct in the first sentence of the paragraph I quote here. As I understand it (I could be wrong), wine is taxed as  a luxury good (when we all know it is a vital necessity of life and as Australian producers argued in an article I saw some years ago, it is essentially an agricultural product). Thai wine is also taxed as a luxury good so Thai wines are a very high price, pretty much comparable to imported wines. And I have actually tasted one or two quite good Thai reds. So I don't think it's about protecting Thai wine producers which are and perhaps always will be boutique operations that rich people can subsidize as a tasteful hobby attached to their resort operation and finance from their earnings in other fields. What it's really about is protecting the local duopoly of Chang and Singh as alcohol producers. The rules to prevent micro-breweries also reinforce this. Somchai from the suburbs and Korn from Khon Khaen are not going to switch from Sangsom at less than 300 baht a big bottle or even the special occasion, extra bit of class Johnny Walker, for 6 bottles of wine which will go for more than 4000 baht for bog standard wines like Yellowtail or Jacob's Creek which retail here for 700-800 baht but which in Oz cost  the equivalent of 150-200 baht. Two buck chuck was what we used to call them. Not enough bang for the baht so if you want to get your party off  to a good start, you'll stick with the local product and keep making Chang and Singh richer. OF course, the logical way to tax alcoholic products would be on the alcohol in the product, not on the nature of the product. This would make wine way cheaper and spirits rise dramatically. IF this happened, the next party you go to in the backwoods of Udon Thani may involve sophisticated wine tasting competitions among the locals. The Yellowtail has a good nose, with a touch of ripe cherries and just a hint of somtam. No I prefer the Jacob's creek, stronger, a slightly stench pla ra taste. Goes well with the raw larb neua. I agree though with everything else you said in your post. Thailand is essentially not abiding by the agreements it has signed with its ASEAN neighbours and also with wine producing countries around the globe such as Australia.

[tomta]

On 8/14/2017 at 1:40 PM, billd766 said:

 

quote "Incompetence, nepotism, corruption....seem to be the current juntas creed!"

 

PMs since 2001.

 

Thaksin Shinawatra   Feb 2001 to April 2006

Chitchai Wannasathit April and May 2006 (acting PM)

Thaksin Shinawatra  May to September 2006 (caretaker PM)

Sonti Boonyaratglin September to October 2006 (Army)

Surayud Chulanont October 2006 to January 2008 (Army)

Samak Sunderavej January to September 2008 (removed by the courts)

Somchai Wongsawat September to December 2008 (removed by the courts) (also Thaksin's brother in law)

Chaovarat Chanweerakul 2 weeks in December 2008 could not form a coalition government

Abhisit Vejjajiva December 2008 August 2011 lost the election

Yingluck Shinawatra 2011 to May 2014 (removed by the courts) (also Thaksin's sister)

Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan May 2014 caretaker PM for 2 weeks

Prayuth Chan O Cha Army current PM

 

Nothing to do with nepotismreally but Thaksin was PM twice, his BIL Somchai once, his sister Yingluck once. His good friend Samak was also there.

 

So over nearly 16 years Thaksin and his surrogates were PMs for over 10 of them and you are complaining about Nepotism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Only two of these premiers were allowed to rule without being completely hamstrung - Thaksin from 2001-2005 and Prayuth from 2014-2???

 

[Negita43]

Another example of "Thai English" for steadily read rapidly.

[watcharacters]

7 hours ago, Cadbury said:

Thailand has a system of government by unelected people who are the least capable of leading or producing and who are least likely to succeed or sustain themselves are rewarded with goods and services paid for by confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers. That in a nutshell is a military government.

 

Are you saying you disapprove of the current military government?

[al007]

On 8/11/2017 at 7:15 AM, colinneil said:

No need to worry folks, the general will use article 44 to fix everything.

You give me great hope I always enjoy your humor and positive attitude, it very refreshing and even upsets a few who can not cope with us happy ones

 

Thank you 

 

stay well

[watcharacters]

1 minute ago, al007 said:

You give me great hope I always enjoy your humor and positive attitude, it very refreshing and even upsets a few who can not cope with us happy ones

 

Thank you 

 

stay well

Thanks,

 

We will all send you post cards.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, tomta said:

Only two of these premiers were allowed to rule without being completely hamstrung - Thaksin from 2001-2005 and Prayuth from 2014-2???

 

 

The others broke the laws of the land as did Thaksin when he quit in 2006  and a few weeks later decided to take back the PM post.

 

Somchai could not get a coalition together and under parliamentary rules the Democrats were offered the chance and managed to get a coalition together.

 

Yingluck dissolved parliament in December 2103 herself despite having a majority in parliament and she could have stayed in power without an election until 2015.

[NanLaew]

On 8/11/2017 at 4:49 PM, Baerboxer said:

 

Did you miss the part in the OP that referred to these low rates for 10 years? This isn't just a Junta problem.

Maybe not THIS junta. There was the previous one that wallowed in their own distinctive pool of mediocrity before the 2007 elections where godammit! the PPP beat their 'preferred' candidate (again). Then the 2008 political crisis with kangaroo courts and arbitrary 5-year bans that pretty much hamstrung any semblance of trying to do business and after the Newin-led defections, ended in a wipe-out and two-and-half years of the weak and wobbly Abhisit administration. No wonder that any interim 'democratically elected' or 'military approved' government hasn't exactly covered themselves in glory when they had to put up with the internecine strife and stifling domestic political squabbles by the guess who's on BOTH sides.

[NanLaew]

On 8/14/2017 at 9:59 AM, StayinThailand2much said:

I noticed Tesco-Lotus has more staff now, at check-outs and for other tasks...

Not at the Pattaya branch on Sukhumvit they don't!!!

[NanLaew]

On 8/14/2017 at 0:08 PM, Maverell said:

Agreed. Two of my mates have already gone to Vietnam. 

Mavericks! When they see the hoops they need to jump through to bed some local totty in Saigon, they'll be back.

 

...but only for the weekend.

[NanLaew]

On 8/18/2017 at 4:14 PM, Baerboxer said:

 

Are you privy to the strategic plans of the military here?

 

I don't think so. And as you like to point out, it's not your country, your a welcome guest grateful for its protection. 

Yeah!... you tell 'em. We need the subs to protect us from all those ever-present hordes of pirates and other sea invaders that are just itching to get their hands on all the prime Thai real estate, the honest, hard workers and the boundless natural resources.