Message To The World From Thailand

[Flashermac]

So one family has to move to make place for the 'old guard' families so they can get back to power. Guaranteed without corruption?

 

 

Only if you buy into Pheu Thai's claim that the evil "Bangkok elite" are denying a "poor boy" from Chiang Mai his time in the sun. Everyone agrees that reform is needed, even Yingluck (at least openly). I have very mixed feelings about trying to stop the election, since that is a far cry from a boycott. However, Yingluck is spending her time in the North and Northeast trying to solidify PT's control there (since many red shirts were furious over PT's attempt to ram through an amnesty for all which would have included the soldiers who ended their take over of Bangkok). She is not even pretending to be a caretaker PM, acting simply like a candidate on the campaign trail. Thailand really appears to be without a government at the moment.

 

I honestly don't think Suthep thought that far ahead when he continued the moves to oust the "Thaksin regime" after the Senate rejected the amnesty bill in panic after they saw how unpopular it was. But planning ahead has never been a Thai strong point. Even Thaksin tends to shoot from the hip with his grand ideas. The biggest fear right now is that if reform is delayed until after the election, it will mean that reform either won't happen or at least will be watered down so much that nothing changes.

 

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Police battle protesters at Thai-Japanese Stadium

 

 

Police used teargases and rubber bulletses to fend off protesters from storming into the compound of the Thai-Japanese Stadium Thursday morning.

 

Police started firing teargases at about 7:20 am after protesters led by the Students and People's Network for Thailand's Reform cut the padlock of Gate 2 and tried to storm in. After the gate was opened, they encounter a police truck that blocked the gate.

 

Police fired several teargases at the protesters, who tried to grabbed some canisters and hurled them back into the compound.

 

Channel 3 reported that a protester was hit by a rubber bullet on his leg and was slightly injured.

 

The clash occurred after representatives of 27 political parties arrived the Thai-Japanese Stadium for party-list number draw at 06.40.

 

Police closed all gates and parked police vehicles in front of the gates to prevent protesters from pushing through the gates.

 

 

http://www.nationmul...m-30222969.html

[StoneSoup]

The main problem is that even as they are saying "We fully support democracy, we just insist that the swamp of corruption be drained, before we hold an election", what they really mean is "we must prevent a fair and democratic election at all costs, because if there is a fair election, the rural lower class faction will always win at least a plurality."

 

No matter how you dress that position up, it is still an untenable position in the modern world.

 

The various opposition parties need to play the game by the rules - and appeal to a large enough portion of the electorate to form a coalition majority. A smart political team should be able to leverage the discontent arising from the large number of rice farmers that have not been paid for their mortgaged rice, and hammer out a thin win.

 

Cheers!

SS

[limbo]

Mac, I'm well aware that not only the 'middle class' hits the streets in BKK, but Suthep is nothing but a marionette in a high stakes chess game.

 

Fully agree that the Shinawatra clan has taken corruption to a new level in Thailand but the ideas that Suthep stands for don't fill me with confidence, let alone stopping or boycotting the elections is the way forward.

 

One corrupt family may be ousted but who will replace them?

 

Fully agree on what Yingluck is up to at the moment. You won't see her any further South as Hua Hin.

 

I can't fathom that the Democrats can't play into the 'evils' of PT and, they need to keep hammering away on the shortcomings of PT and convince the 'people of Thailand' that it's time for a change in a democratic way. Look for the weaknesses of the opposite party and use them to your advantage.

[Flashermac]

I don't know that much about Suthep, just that he dominated the government as Deputy PM and was even considered more powerful than PM Abhisit. If he is a marionette, who is pulling his strings? Whoever it is certainly picked the right man, since people are rallying behind him. Still, I've always had the feeling that they have no love for the man and are following him for the same reason most of my university students told me they had voted for Thaksin: "We've tried everyone else, so we may as well try him."

 

I was disappointed by the Democrats' decision to boycott the election, since it was clear that Pheu Thai was going lose many seats and i wanted to see how many it would be. The boycott may well end up being to Pheu Thai's advantage, which is hardly what the boycotters intended.

 

As to the "rural lower class" giving their votes to Thaksin, it is only those in the North (and he is a Northerner from a powerful Northern family) and the Northeast, which genuinely beneftied under his rule. But the North and Northeast combined are enough to put PT in the lead. The central and Southeastern provinces do not support Thaksin in any large numbers, while the South basicaly hates his guts. Thaksin has turned the Thais against each other, which will probably be the way he is remembered in history - as a divider, definitely not a uniter.

 

I have no idea how all this is going to end.

[buffalo_bill]

Khun wearth you should not lower yourself to a level of political ignorance that makes you post utter crap like this video . Reading your pieces that deal with the current unrest make me wonder if you did recently smoke something that is not good for your health .

 

By trying to stop competing parties to register for a coming election means violating one of the very basic democratic rights , just another proof that these guys are basically fascists . But all in good spirit of course and it is for reformation of the country . Big Brother in Dubai should be awarded the next Nobel Prize for Peace for not sending the troops ( so far ) . Should the Red Shirts decide to march for true democracy , oh dear .

[waerth]

And the character assasination continues. My dear Bubi, if something is bothering you. Please call, or pm or email. Or maybe I should send in the bill for the remaining work that I did?

 

As far as your healthconcerns. My health is very bad. But not from smoking nor drinking.

 

As far as ignorant, I am far from it. How can you have an election in this situation? Please explain to me how an election will stop all of this and you think that evertbody will sing and join hands together after that. Even the red shirts themselves are now starting to ask for reforms before the elections and are angry at the party list of the PTP.

 

Big brother will be awarded his prices as soon as he turns himself in for his jailterm and to go to court in the over 10 other cases there are against him. Or when he throws himself from the Burj Khalifa. Do not forget this whole mess would not have happened if the government did not press for amnesty for him. Which they promised (by the mouth of his own sister) for two years that they would never do, yet they did.

 

You are the one whom is ignorant. Not only have you followed what has happened in this country half heartedly. You are not even living here. You do not speak Thai. Furthermore you are narrowmindedly thinking that democracy equals elections. You are forgetting that a part of democracy is .... debate (which PTP is refusing in parliament) ..... checks and balances (which PTP is destroying one by one). Your beloved darling Yingluck is not even showing up in parliament 95% of the time. This year she was there only 3 times, citing a busy schedule as a reason to avoid going there.

 

As you see every time you assasinate me I come up with counter arguments. It would be nice if you did the same. If you continue with your one liners, I will answer with one worders, or maybe 2-3 worders. Being old does not excuse you from reading things.

[buffalo_bill]

I have no personal issues left with you Sir , all buried due to lack of importance ; though your proposal to let me have your bill for unpaid work sounds a bit strange . T try to be polite .

 

What i do not get is that somebody with a Western education can ever support what is going on in the kingdom right now . I do not even follow the political details quarter- or fifth-hearted . My point is exclusively that if you leave the mecanics of a constitutional democracy to the mood of a random group which is trying to shut the country down , you are heading for a type of government that does what it wants by claiming it is the people that speak through them . Even wise Khun Flashermac confirms that the yellowshirt supporters are average nice people according to his observation as per today as if that proves anything .

 

Italy : Khun Berlusconi being an outright criminal subject beating lovely Thaksin by 5:1 has been re-elected by the Italians repeatedly without the " good " Italians launching public uproar . They left it to justice and parliamentary procedures which finally succeeded . One day the redshirts or Blueshirts or whoever will remember the current turbulance once things do not suit them should somebody else be in power .

 

And if the evil Yingluck and friends use a forklift to steal public money it is a matter of jurisdiction and parliamentary decision to deal with it . Only that is my point .

 

About me being old , Sir : If you wish so we could start a race down Sukhumvit under the supervision of our great leader Khunsanuk as referee ; starting at Soi 1 I would offer that they even switch off my pacemaker at Bumrungrad for the occasion .

 

Over to you .

[Flashermac]

And you conveniently overlook my point that the protesters are being painted with a wide brush as the Bangkok elite or middle class. They ain't ... they are largely working class. The foreign press has no idea what is happening here. (Not that I do either ... )

 

p.s. May I help judge the race?

[Flashermac]

Let me clarify that I do not support preventing candidates from registering to vote or stopping people from voting. However, even the Election Commission is practically begging the government to postpone the election and have reforms made first. Polls have shown that the majority of Thais want that. But the government absolutely refuses to even consider it. All I can figure is that if the election goes ahead as planned, Pheu Thai will not have to worry about facing the Democrats and expects to gain seats in usually Democrat districts. If it is postponed, they will have a genuine election on their hands with far less predictable results.