robaus

Would you like an unelected upper house appointed by Obama in the USA?..and if not, why not?

It doesn’t sound very democratic. >> All senators should be appointed, as electing them "won't do any good", he said. >> to make polls free and fair and allow only good people to serve the public. >> Somchai also threw his weight behind an idea to try to stop political parties from campaigning on specific monetary promises or populist policies that voters will enjoy in return for their votes. ...ridiculous...so an election candidate will not be allowed to say what he wants to do to improve people’s lives. ...and guess who will be selecting all the senators, deciding who is a good person, and what is populist and what isn't. It will be interesting to see whether anyone bothers to ask the Thai people whether they approve of the new constitution by way of a referendum.

>>Becoming a Thai citizen does not give you the right to vote until five years later. ...and even then don't bother...you'll be disenfranchised anyway.

Precisely..just shows you how dopey they are at The Nation for publishing an article that proves the opposite of their biased intent.

Are you serious or having a laugh? If the latter..OK you got me. I thought you were dinkum. The first time tourist numbers declined when the yellow shirts blockaded the airport, Thai consulates started to issue free visas to boost tourism.

..and I always comment on my cut and pastes to show where I stand on an issue. If you can't find any pro red shirt or anti coup news, maybe you aren't looking in the right places. Try http://www.pattayanewsflash.com/2014/militarytakescontrol.html

Now that's more like it..a proper tu quoque fallacy argument. If you want to discuss sexpat/expat morality, maybe a discussion of Yingluck's lack of investment or graft skills is not the place.

Tu Quoque translates in English as "You also" and refers to the critic being guilty of the criticism himself. I think you'll find that tu quoque fallacy means something similar to "the pot calling the kettle black" eg a heavy smoker suggesting that drug addicts should be jailed or draft dodgers like Bill O'Reilly advocating compulsory national service. >>you suggest that the other politicians and Prayuth are the same [as Yingluck]. ...far from it. I just showed from your cut and paste smear that those figures about her finances do not prove corruption at all...in fact they demonstrate just opposite. >>I don't give a damn one way or the other about Yingluck ... Your almost daily anti Shinawatra posts imply otherwise.

I think you have misunderstood the Tu Quoque fallacy. You are not being accused of corruption. You republished this smear campaign article which disparages Yingluck as some sort of Marie Antoinette figure. And it’s backfired on you. When it comes to corruption it appears Yingluck is as useless as a one legged man in an arse kicking contest. She would have been better off putting all her assets into a blind trust like Obama has to by US law and allowing professional investors to make far more money for her.

Quite frankly that doesn’t smack of corruption at all...actually it's just the opposite!! In fact that’s a pretty ordinary/piss poor return on stock market investments during that period of her office 311 days from 30 June 2013 to 7 May 2014....33 million is about 7.2% annualised on her initial capital of 540 m (601now -28 debt-33 profit). And that includes her salary and dividends. She should have had me as her financial adviser...I do much better than that. If she had had a diversified portfolio instead of a patriotic Thai one and simply used a buy and hold and don't even read the financial pages strategy (not even trading), she could have had a share in... Dow Jones up 10.4% during that same period Aussie top 200 index up 13.7% FTSE up 8.6% Plus her salary and Plus dividends..so add on at least another 5%. Any comparative figures of Abhisit and Suthep’s % increase in net worth during their periods in office.?? Perhaps Prayuth will subject himself to the same scrutiny. Perhaps not...the NACC are obviously still too busy tracking down the watch she sold before she came to office. For comparison's sake that working class hero socialist ex British PM Tony Blair is worth 4 billion baht and Wikipedia makes some interesting reading http://en.wikipedia....nt_by_net_worth...John Key current PM of little ole NZ is worth over 1.2 billion baht!

..as in Brazilian coiffures. Things are still lively down Funtown way. Last week there was plenty of action at Sweeny Todd GoGo and its demon barber manager.[no names no pack drill] All the girls were under instruction to get their gear off on cue from him. Some of them had quite bushy maps of Tasmania, so out came the shaving cream and razor and the bearded clams were trimmed with the mamasan holding a torch much to the delight of the customers. Quite a night..eyebee would have loved it!

>>Very few places in the world where the political system is honest and fair, IMO. ..yes,..."All power corrupts etc.." ...I agree with you although I'm not such an expert on US affairs. But at least you could stand outside the White House and say all the above....if you didn't get arrested for protesting without a permit that is! hehe

The article seems to be all over the place quoting from Winston Churchill to the Bee Gees in an attempt to justify the current Thai military dictatorship. In essence the writer is simply shooting the messenger with “The US pot is calling the Thai kettle black.†Or you could put it another way “Two wrongs don’t make a right.†But for all its imperfections I know I’d rather be a citizen of USA where there are checks and balances on politicians and the freedom of speech to expose corruption and mistakes. The junta at the moment is trying to present itself as the honest broker, the headmaster calling the two naughty students into his office and forcing them to shake hands and make up. But in the light of Suthep’s admission that Prayuth and he have been conspiring for the last 4 years to seize back power from the popular vote, I have my doubts about the impartiality of the junta. I suppose the jury will be out for the next couple of years until we discover who is telling the truth. If this calming down period works, and the “mystery reforms†are fair to all sides, maybe some form of proportional representation, transparent accountability (capping?) of election expenses and donors, publication of all politicians assets and blind trusts when they are in office, maybe this will be the last coup and Thailand can make real economic and social progress. If it’s just stacking parliament and the judicial organisations with unelected military, or people sympathetic to the yellow shirts and other get the Shinawatras and their sympathisers at all costs measures while turning a blind eye to the other side's corrupt grab for power, then we are back to square one, with the majority (lets not forget that) of Thais being very unhappy voters who have now been disenfranchised 3 times. I hope it’s the former, but TIT.

oops, sorry....now I feel a right cunt!

>>China rushed to praise the military junta yesterday ..No surprise there then. China doesn't give a shit about human or animal rights.

This place sounds more like Egypt every day! I wonder if they'll close down this forum. You pro junta fans can always get a job at the Ministry of Truth. http://www.bangkokpost.com/lite/topstories/417407/ncpo-sets-up-five-panels-to-watch-media The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has set up five panels to monitor content in all branches of the media. Published: 26/06/2014 at 05:54 AM It says the panels will help prevent the media from becoming tools to distribute false information stirring up violence and provoking public hatred against the monarchy. The decision to set up the panels was made at a meeting of state agencies chaired by the NCPO’s deputy chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew, who is in charge of special affairs. The panels will be made up of representatives of the Royal Thai Police, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Public Relations Department and other state agencies. Pol Gen Adul said the panels will have separate responsibilities in monitoring content in radio broadcasts, television, print, online and social media, and foreign media. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission will be responsible for examining radio and television content. Pol Maj Gen Rewat Klinkesorn, acting Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commissioner, said the CIB would monitor print media specifically for content that may stir up unrest or provoke criticism of the monarchy. While online media will be screened by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, foreign media content will be monitored by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Any media found spreading inappropriate content will face criminal charges, said Pol Gen Adul. He said the police would not pursue legal action against media organisations, as long as journalists comply with the law in performing their duties and present and broadcast their views and information to the public in a straightforward and fair manner. The panels will report to NCPO’s chief Prayuth Chan-Ocha immediately if false information about the NCPO’s work is found in the media. The panels also will prepare daily and weekly work reports for Gen Prayuth to examine. The Thai Journalists Association says the NCPO’s guidelines are too broad and could result in the rights of the media being trampled on. Nattharavut Muangsuk, a media representative, said the NCPO was asking for the media’s cooperation in not carrying reports that may widen divisions or criticise the coup. It was obvious the order implied that the NCPO wanted to interfere with the media’s work. "This makes it impossible for the media to scrutinise the work of NCPO," said Mr Nattharavut. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, director of Prachatai, said the order relating to the media will only hurt the NCPO’s image, because local media organisations are professional and careful to not criticise the coup or the royal family in its broadcasts and reports.

Not sure which forum this should be in ....Regional Sanuk or Non Thailand News http://news.ninemsn....in-giant-vagina ..whatever gets you through the night, mate! Rescue crews have been called in to free an American exchange student from a giant stone vagina in Germany. Read more at http://news.ninemsn....v9A1HjXgcaOJ.99 http://prod.static9....shx?h=360&w=640

The smear job by innuendo continues..what a hack journo.. reportedly close to former PM Thaksin Shinawatra Apichat reportedly was close to Wattana and Thaksin. Apichat was allegedly associated with Siam Indica, a company that secured some rice deals from the Yingluck Shinawatra government as well. If it's true that Thaksin and Yingluck were involved in his corruption , then the journo should fucking well say so, do a proper research job, and prove it...not hide behind weasel words..with a nudge nudge, wink wink. Pathetic.

Thailand has had more coups than any other country during the last 100 years. According to Channel NewsAsia Thailand has seen at least 19 successful or attempted coups since 1932. Interesting timeline... http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/key-dates-in-thailand-s/1117264.html Maybe the military are trying for an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. Maybe this is why Thailand is still in the 3rd world.

Looks like you supporters of the military dictatorship may be on the wrong side of history. US cuts more Thailand aid and may move Cobra Gold exercise to Australia...and Thailand's 2nd biggest investor EU ($41bn) cuts back economic ties. Win, win..I'm in Pattaya consoling the tilaks while the US navy is in Darwin helping out with my taxes. https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/world/a/24313206/us-cuts-more-thailand-aid-considers-moving-exercises/ US cuts more Thailand aid, considers moving exercises AFP June 25, 2014, 6:01 am Washington (AFP) - The United States said Tuesday it has suspended more assistance to Thailand in response to a military coup and was considering moving a major regional exercise out of the kingdom. Washington has blocked $4.7 million in security-related aid to Thailand, which accounts for roughly half of its $10.5 million in annual assistance to the longtime ally, State Department official Scot Marciel said in testimony to Congress. The United States swiftly rebuked Thailand's military after it defied warnings not to intervene in the political chaos. The State Department announced that it had frozen $3.5 million in aid just one day after the May 22 coup. The additionally suspended assistance has included a US-sponsored firearms training program for the Thai police and a study trip to the United States for senior Thai police officers, another US official said. Marciel said that the United States was also considering moving next year's Cobra Gold -- one of the largest US military exercises and a key element in the US strategy of pivoting power to Asia. The United States and Thailand have held the annual exercises together since 1980, this year involving some 13,000 participants from US-friendly nations across the region. "We'll certainly be looking at it very closely. It will depend partly on what happens on the ground there," Marciel said in response to a question. Representative Steve Chabot, the chair of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Asia, said that exercises in Thailand "could clearly send the wrong message" to Thailand and around the world "in light of the repressive nature" of the junta. Chabot called on President Barack Obama's administration to study moving the 2015 exercises, generally held early each year, to Darwin, Australia, where some 2,500 US Marines are deploying as part of the pivot to Asia. - 'Clear' support for democracy - Thailand has been in turmoil since 2006 when the military overthrew elected prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire turned populist champion of the poor who has shaken Bangkok's elite and its allies in the army. The military has clamped down harder with the latest coup. Army chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha has suspended the constitution, assumed sweeping powers and smothered dissent. While some supporters of the "Yellow Shirt" protest movement have called for changes to dilute the role of elections, Marciel said he believed that Thais broadly supported democracy. If Thailand does not restore freedoms and allow elections, "over time there will be more and more Thai people who will look for opportunities to express their unhappiness," Marciel said. "Can't really put a timeframe on it, but I do think the majority of Thai people have made clear they want democracy and certainly that's our view as well," he said. http://online.wsj.com/articles/eu-scales-back-ties-with-thailand-1403549907 EU Scales Back Ties With Thailand Bloc Will Put Signing of Political Pact on Hold, Suspend Official Visits After Coup LUXEMBOURG—The European Union will scale back political ties with Thailand following the recent coup, putting on hold the signing of a political pact and suspending official visits, the bloc said Monday. At a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg, the EU also signaled it will freeze talks on a possible trade deal and said it could announce further penalties if the situation in Thailand deteriorates. In a statement, the foreign ministers expressed "extreme concern" about the recent developments. The bloc urged Thailand's new authorities to release political detainees and to refrain from further arrests and remove censorship. "Fully functioning democratic institutions must be brought back to ensure the protection and welfare of all citizens," the EU said. Thailand's army chief announced last month that the military had taken power, two days after the army declared martial law amid a political conflict between supporters and opponents of ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Last November, the EU gave initial approval to a political agreement with Thailand that also could have paved the way for a new trade accord. Negotiations on a trade deal had already started. The foreign ministers said "official visits to and from Thailand have been suspended" and that the bloc won't sign the political agreement—the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement—until "a democratically elected government is in place." The bloc said "other agreements will, as appropriate, be affected." Member states have started reviewing their military ties with Thailand, the EU said. An official said no dates are being considered for resuming trade talks. "The EU will keep its relations with Thailand under review and will consider further possible measures, depending on circumstances," the bloc said. The EU is the second-biggest investor in Thailand and the Asian country's third-biggest trade partner, with exports and imports valued at almost €30 billion, or about $41 billion, according to the most recent annual figures.

Obviously the truth is hitting a raw nerve with you. I love Thailand...that’s the whole point. I don’t like bully boys, and I don’t like injustice. This was obviously a well prepared coup by Prayuth. Suthep has now spilled the beans that they have been in cahoots for the last 4 years conspiring to disenfranchise the majority of Thai voters. Where was the army protecting democracy when yellow shirt armed thugs were attacking polling booths to prevent free and fair elections? Now Thaksin may be as corrupt as buggery ..even as corrupt as Suthep. But if you want to win an election, offer the voters better policies. Don’t stick a gun in their face, silence any dissent, then fiddle the election rules until you have a facade of democracy, so that the army backed elite can win. If you are cheering on those with the power and the guns to ban freedom of speech, that is exactly the world that one day you will have to live in...just ask the people of Germany. “Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.â€

Gutter journalism. Smear by innuendo. Of course, no embezzlements ever took place during Abhisit and Suthep's regime, nor will they do so under the military dictatorship? ho ho ho Presumably the Thai tax office will be sending "please explain" letters to wealthy PDRC supporters and perhaps a few army officers too....err, but don't hold your breath. Tax dodgers draw probe The Revenue Department will launch an investigation into whether owners of residential properties worth 40 million baht or more have understated their income and require those who own cars worth more than 3 million baht to report their possessions as part of measures to prevent tax evasion. http://www.bangkokpo...gers-draw-probe

Sadly I was wrong. The US is still supporting the new Egyptian dictatorship. The US, UK, Aus et al invade Iraq to bring freedom and democracy while supposedly looking for non existent WMD but instead caused a civil war and millions dead. Now just a few kilometres away the US is propping up a regime that kills, tortures and imprisons thousands of its own citizens for practising democracy. What a strange world we live in... There is of course a nearby country that is the common denominator in all of this, but I won't open that particular can of worms. http://online.wsj.co...isit-1403426551 John Kerry Voices Strong Support for Egyptian President Sisi Secretary of State Becomes Highest-Ranking U.S. Official to Meet Sisi Egyptian President Sisi (right) meets John Kerry in Cairo on Sunday. The Egyptian Presidency/Reuters CAIRO—Secretary of StateJohn Kerry voiced strong U.S. support for Egypt's new president and signaled that Washington will continue the flow of military aid in an American welcome of the post-coup government. Mr. Kerry is the most senior Obama administration official to meet Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, the former commander of the Egyptian armed forces, since his inaugurationas president earlier this month. The American diplomat stressed that Washington was eager to kick-start its strategic relationship with Cairo anew. Mr. Kerry said that the U.S. had recently released $575 million in assistance for Egypt's military and that he was confident 10 Apache helicopters would be delivered to Egypt soon.

Thaksin never banned freedom of speech, making a boy scout salute or wearing whatever coloured T shirt you liked.

So a man is reading “1984†as a non violent protest against a military dictatorship. The military in an attempt to stifle freedom of speech, thought and expression have arrested him. Sounds pretty Orwellian to me! With all the publicity it generated it looks like they failed miserably.