On Behalf Of the Rural Farang.

[gobbledonk]

Urban elete is also total BULLSHIT, majoroty of Bangkokians and other Urban Thais are hard working TAX PAYERS, whereas many of the Rural Poor have not contributed a single satang to the state in all theur lives yet expect handouts.

 

 

Your best wishes aside Mekong, I have often wondered how the hell the Thais raise taxes when they have this huge cash economy. I seem to recall seeing plenty of new pickups in places like Udon and Chumphon - some rural Thais are clearly earning enough to pay off a car loan, but not enough to pay tax ? They cant all have 5 daughters working in Pattaya and sending money home.

 

[Coss]

>>>I seem to recall seeing plenty of new pickups in places like Udon and Chumphon....

 

 

Loans

[LizardKing]

aka Thaksin's Village Fund...

[Nervous God]

<<

Back to the roads. The problem is with the local patriarchal leadership, the "poo yais." They got paid by Thaksin, so made shit happen. They don't get paid by the Dems, so steal the money that is supposed to be used to do the works in the area. Simple, and well established. And obviously, has nothing to do with democracy, and everything to do with croneyism. >>

 

The Poo Yai funds as you like to call them building roads IN village today, these of course are funds the local governmnet get and spend as they wish.

 

The MAIN rods, which bust refers too, are roads part of Abhisit's "No more dusty roads" project, funds DIRECT from CENTRAL government to mates of Newin.

 

In this case it was Abhisit's OWN MATES who are ripping him off, and making him look stoopid.

 

Which is a pity.

 

Just pointing out the facts.

[bust]

So fair enough. Your Thai friend is telling you that he did not want HIS tax money spent that way then, implying he is speaking for everyone in his social class? Because if he is in Sydney, even on holiday, he is certainly part of the urban elite, at least by red standards. I'd love to hear your conversations with him.

 

Back to the roads. The problem is with the local patriarchal leadership, the "poo yais." They got paid by Thaksin, so made shit happen. They don't get paid by the Dems, so steal the money that is supposed to be used to do the works in the area. Simple, and well established. And obviously, has nothing to do with democracy, and everything to do with croneyism.

 

From my post you are quoting"Their view was Thailand has been a democracy since the '90's," implying nothing. WHERE DOES IT IMPLY THEY WERE SPEAKING FOR EVERYONE IN THEIR SOCIAL CLASS? WHERE DOES IT IDENTIFY WHAT CLASS THEY ARE FROM?

 

So before you start making assumptions understand the context.

[LizardKing]

Hmmmm. You said "Had an interesting conversation with a thai here today...blah, blah, blah...but that was not how the urban elite wanted their tax money spent."

 

That's how I read it. Same as if I make a declarative blanket statement that expats in Thailand want "X." It implies I am speaking for all.

[bust]

Again you make an ussumption they are part of the urban elite. I never mentioned anything about them. I repeated their view.

 

One thing we did speak about though and seeing you are so interested, is their distaste to the "know it all expats" who consider themselves experts on everything Thai.

[gobbledonk]

One thing we did speak about though and seeing you are so interested, is their distaste to the "know it all expats" who consider themselves experts on everything Thai.

 

Thats odd - I seem to recall that many of the expats om this board feel exactly the same way about those folk. I wonder how their kids get on, both in Thailand and back in Ye Olde Country, with one or more parents who are obsessed with Thailand. Luckily there is no-one like that here.

 

[LizardKing]

Again you make an ussumption they are part of the urban elite.

Mate, when you find yourself in hole, best move is to stop digging.

 

If they are abroad, they are "elite." You don't find Somchai and his trusty kwai wandering the streets of Sydney. You find educated middle and upper classes there -- you can't get a visa to go there unless you are (or a heavily sponsored BG). That's what the reds call elite. Listen to the speeches. You don't need to be a expat to do that, just have some modicum of awareness.

[bust]

Pal that just goes to show how arrogant you are.

 

Again you make an assumption. You know absolutely nothing about the person I spoke to yet you label them "elite"

 

Start opening up your narrow views and maybe you might start to grasp the bigger picture