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On Behalf Of the Rural Farang.


Julian2

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The last couple of months have seen plenty of spleen vented by hard working, highly paid expats whose businesses or jobs have suffered during the unrest.

One of their targets has been fellow foreigners who they consider to support the people behind the chaos.

Many of those, like me, live among the demonstrators and their relatives. We’ve chosen to do this because we love rural Thailand and its people. You can hate Thais and live in Bangkok, you can’t hate Thais and live in Chiang Rai province or Nong Khai or Surin.

These people are our friends and relatives. We work with them, they nurse us when we are sick and help us through the many problems we face here.

Many of these Thais felt robbed when the government they had elected was over turned. The issue was clouded because most of the media was openly antagonistic towards the out going government. This only contributed to the anger of its supporters.

 

Much has been said by extremely angry commentators about how the political process was not only justified but completely legal.

This is not understood here or in the North East, it will never be understood. It’s hard enough trying to talk to an angry person on the internet; it’s harder and even dangerous to do it face to face.

So we lend moral support and try to explain their circumstances to others.

 

Many Bangkok farang stand to lose jobs and businesses and they and their families feel threatened by rioters. My full sympathies are with them, but people like me stand to lose all we have with little hope of starting again. Virtually every spare cent I own is invested in my life style. I leave Thailand and it’s the knacker’s yard for me.

We too, have a stake in this country.

 

It was suggested my opinion would change when the riots spread to my secure home in the country. Well your wish is granted, they’re right next door.

 

 

 

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One of the advantages/disadvantages of the internet is the ability to let fly with opinions that one may normally reserve for another time.

 

Mi Wi Mee and all of her Surin family are pro Takky and Red Shirt.

 

I of course am not.

 

They see whatever Takky did for them. I see the outsider's picture.

 

I also see that in any conflict, the transition to a better place is undoubtedly painful.

 

There is no question that what is happening is the result of one side losing.

 

And though there is and will be significant hurt amongst the poor and rural, I really do hope that the ideals of democracy and education and fairness and modernity as seemingly exhibited by the current government, will result in a more modern Thailand, with a higher standard of living and morality for all.

 

This last is of course diametrically opposed to my mongering interests.

 

Coss

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"Thais felt robbed when the government they had elected was over turned"

 

I could have won that election too had I promised to give 1,000,000 baht per village of taxpayer money.

Governing is all about allocating taxpayer money. While in many cases, handouts are ineffective policies if not counter-productive, one could argue that practically ALL actions of any government in regards of state budget are handouts. Tax-cuts are handouts to whomever gets them.

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Julian,

 

Sorry, cannot commiserate with you at all. You have a very wrong perception of all the "highly paid expats" on this forum that are the main communicators.

 

You don't love Thailand or the Thai people more or less than any others.

 

You don't have more of a connection or less of a connection to Thailand than any others.

 

Your friends and relatives are no different than any of ours.

 

And - your friends/family - if felt done over by the government - must only channel their protest in the proper way. No one takes that away from them. No one takes away that the poor are taken advantaged of - by there own actions in some cases.

 

It is / was not their government - it was all Thai's government. The government was overturned in a democratic process - why is that so difficult for you to accept?

 

So instead, certain very smart people were able to use every tactic known to try to un-democratically remove this government - instead of the normal way inside parliament.

 

It was their same PM's that are in the government - nothing changed EXCEPT some very influential leaders changing sides which happens and is extremely democratic - people can have their own opinion.

 

What we saw the last 8 weeks - most people could see through the rhetoric - but many more on this forum and others could not hold a rational discussion about it - so if you take that to mean we were and are anti-Thai - then your not getting anywhere at all.

 

Today the Reds are saying that hundreds died - and the government hid all their bodies.

 

I may not be a fan of the Thai police (at all) - and have little respect for the top leaders of the Thai Army - but I have full respect for the soldiers yesterday that accomplished what was needed - unfortantely is came at a very heavy price for both people and property - but also for the country.

 

I have no plans to leave - but I do have plans to change my focus/direction after this.

 

Today is a good day again - so Cheers! can come back.

 

(sorry for the rant - was typed all in one go)

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Hi J2,

 

I've spent a reasonable amount of time in rural Thailand, though more in the centre than in the nort or in Isaan, and I also love Thai people. I speak Thai, I love the food, and I love the Thai approach to life.

 

I also feel for the poor and disempowered in Thai society.

 

I was in Udon Thani recently, where I hung out with some girls, some of whom were mixed Thai-Farang who ran a bar in town.

 

One of the ladies I took out for a night on the town was a new arrival from Chaiyaphum. She was older, maybe in her late thirties, and not very pretty at all, but she was sweet. She spoke hardly any English, but she was keen to chat when she realized I speak Thai. To cut a long story short, she was there to sell her body because she couldn't make a decent living and offer her kids a future as a fruit seller.

 

I spoke to Bangkok taxi drivers from Isaan during my last trip too. Most Isaan taxi drivers send their money back home and visit their families only once in a while, because there is no work for them at home.

 

Same with those in menial jobs, many of whom come from the poorer parts of the country.

 

The way I see it, the blame for this latest mess lies firmly with Thailand's scumbag rich, on both sides.

 

Thaksin, being a shrewd businessman saw the generations of neglect of Thailand's poor by government after government, as a niche he could use to enrich himself.

 

He never gave a rat's arse about the poor. Anyone who thinks he did is a moron.

 

The poor were impatient, and when the Red propaganda machine, backed by Thaksin's ill-gotten gains, swung into motion, they went along with it.

 

At the hight of the protests, Thailand's entrenched, pro-monarchist elite was faced with a choice: civil strife or social justice. Being the selfish b@stards that they are, they chose civil strife (though it is hard to see what choice they had once the roadmap was rejected).

 

So, the way I see it, this entire conflict was not really a class conflict, it was a conflict between two groups of rich, corrupt, mafia scumbags, one of which happened to brainwash and fool the rural poor into giving them their backing.

 

Now look what has happened. The cause of Thailand's rural poor has been forever tarnished, since they aligned themselves with Thaksin and his mob.

 

Now the rural poor are seen by many as violent savages.

 

They'll never get justice now. And they have the likes of Thaksin and the Red Shirt leaders to blame for this.

 

The Red Shirt leaders threw in their lot with Thaksin because they believed THEY'D benefit in the end.

 

This whole mess is a tragedy for Thailand's rural and urban poor.

 

I wish they had people who were better able to advise them/support them and speak on their behalf.

 

Sadly, this was not the case, and they've done themselves enough damage to set their cause back another generation.

 

 

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