The country needs a vaiable alternative to the current government for democracy to work. All this rejection of democracy, cooking show bans and ultimately complete undermining of the whole justice system ultimately does is increase PTP popularity and harden their support. While in the short term fight for democracy this may be good, in the medium term it is never good to not have an alternative. The sooner the losers (parliamentary and non-parliamentary) realise this the sooner things move back on track and the time until the eventual rejection of the current government, albeit maybe a long time, comes closer. Everything those who despise Thaksin etc do just makes it worse for them and him more popular. It is almost insane.
Having said that no doubt there are also elements of power vacuum politics within the democrats as part of this with the uber-yellows making this play as new executive time draws nigh and maybe some more pragmatic elements dont exactly agree. But do the demos want to become an increasingly yellow party, which would further undercut their appeal with non-yellows or do they want to reinvent as a future viable option? A big test for them. If one of their big hitters came out to denounce this, and really denounce the move rather than the “it is an individual” nonsense, then we could maybe have more hope for the future.
Living in Thailand and listening to people across the political and a-poltical spectrum and across class, one thing is very clear, there is an increasing feeling of time to move on and meddling in the election again will create problems well beyond just the red movement this time.
Talking about the Rule of Law, the PTP had the Red Shirts to distract other while running for the vote? And just said that there’s nothing to do with the party? And again the Red shirt big name guys also appeared in the list of proposed carbinet member. To be honest, any differnce in a flip flop word? Poor Thailand!
The ‘law’… the ‘law’… when what you’re talking about is what the Royal Thai Army put in place to replace the law when they tore up the constitution and, on the very next day, appointed the so-called Election Commission… in reality the Popularly Elected Government Dissolution Commission.
…………….Of course it could be that since he has resigned the party leadership and the rest of the executive has gone with him, that the party is now effectively rudderless and no one is in a position to take charge – hence plenty of scope for the idiots.
.
Mind you, you’re at risk of LM charge writing the above. Consider getting a new passport before the next trip to Thailand.
Abhisit also cooked crispy noodle so I hope what you mean is “every politician” and not just the one that you hate that have to operate under the law.
Very much every one of them Tarrin. Until the day comes when politicians do fear the law there will be no end to the present level of political corruption.
Funny enough I just read in the Post that the complaint about Yingluck’s cooking was made to the EC by Korat voter. Now what do you think the EC should do? Should they look into a complaint by a member of the public, or just ignore it? Of course it probably has no basis and will be forgotten in a week, but by the comments on NM you would think the sky is falling.
“Should politicians running for office be excused from election laws?”
It seems that many people confuse “democracy” with “dictatorship” !
The fact that a given Party gets elected does not free anyone from following the law !
And the Majority is even not allowed to murder their opponents …
(strange, eh ?)
There is a role for the Opposition in a democracy, and in this case it is to track each and every scam the Thaksinists will do and expose them for the people to see.
As a beginning, I propose that the “Thaksin money” should be given back via a voluntary fund (only T. “fans” would undoubtedly pay !)
It’s not about the “cooking” that could roast Yingluck and the Peau Thai Party guys . . . but NM would like to pretend so. The serious election laws violations pertain to 5-year ban against the 111 TRT executives from politics-and-elections. And many of those banned TRT executives flaunted the ban openly campaigning for Yingluck and PTP (caught on many video clips btw). Fugitive Thaksin was the most prominent flaunting the election laws and the Peau Thai Party (don’t they have constitutional lawyers giving them advice . . . very silly of them).
I was thinking of an environment more like the Philippines.
This Korat noodle fiasco can surely explode, literally. Yet listening to Abhisit a few times after his party’s electoral mandate not to bother trying to run the government again, I heard distinct personal undertones of “We” – and who might that be? – “don’t want any moves to have Thaksin pardoned or Red Shirts in cabinet posts.”
All around Thailand, we need to admit, are those who say, “We will sacrifice our lives…” when in fact they mean they will sacrifice yours and mine or someone else’s lives for what they believe in.
In observing the situation here in Thailand closely, I think that it’s a foregone conclusion that Clash is Coming. Not one nation on the face of the earth has been able to get rid of power-mad egotists without shedding blood. The construction of such inevitability is one of the ugly faces of culture where inculcated beliefs and practices run rampant over civil and human rights.
Such a nice-looking country, such a horrible prospect of violence. It seems the two sides are both well-aware of the other’s entrenched position and in denial of its own. As well, each in some way but I believe the traditionalists per se refuse to recognize the wrongness of their ways and Devil be Damned they want to restore their order in the face of righteous resistance.
If Thai elections laws would be valid in Germany the every single party would have been dissolved for vote buying. An election campaign there would be unthinkable without parties giving out free pens and other trinkets with their party logo.
Some would say that Western media coverage is in fact skewed towards the ‘genocidal’ wars waged against minorities especially Christians. The recent spike in the number of ASSK news stories is simply related to her being free, receiving foreign officials and politically active once again.
How many LED marques do you reckon, my dear plan B, will make up for turning away Michelle Yeo at the airport? Was it really necessary, perhaps good PR in their book?
Perhaps you cannot begin to imagine that unceasing repressive and coercive measures, repeatedly frustrating the aspirations to freedom, both social and economic, of all our diverse nationalities, can be indicative of SG Than Shwe and his cohort making the same mistake over and over again.
Here’s a link to a Bangkok Post story with more detail on Yingluck stopping at a noodle vendor and helping to stir some Pad Thai, an act that is now being “thoroughly and transparently investigated, according to the Rule of Law and International Norms” to determine whether or not Thailand’s 1st female Prime Minister should be dis-qualified from holding office. Unfortunately, this is not a story from NotTheNation….
Thank you for your comments and feedback. I’m glad that you enjoyed the book. I’m happy to share a few ideas I have about your research topic on Siam/Thailand’s aviation history. Send your email address to me at [email protected] and I’ll forward those suggestions to you.
And, yes, it is the episode in which the Buddha initially transmits his enlightenment to his followers in a deer park that is important to that section, not the actual moment of enlightenment. I could have been more explicit in pointing out that it is the artistic representation of the famed deer park at Sarnath – the Isipatana – that has generated the deer iconography evident on Thai wat that in turn encouraged these Thai soldiers to link deer with Buddhist sanctity. And, to a lesser degree, the story of the King of the Banyan Deer and other deer-themed stories in the Jataka Tales play a similar role in cementing this connection.
Tito died; Yugoslavia is attributed with being refered to in past tense; the former Kingdom of Siam? Comments from this site has always been greaty appreciated.
You’d think that after Prime Minister Samak Samaravej’s episode after his cooking show, Thai politicians would heed President Truman’s advice: If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
Yes, civil war for sure if the EC does listen to Democrat’s complaint and take action against Pheu Thai. Thailand will become another Libya but people will prevail over ammat in the end. Besides, it’s still fresh in people’s memory how Samak was ousted in 2008 and this time will never allow that to happen again.
Hard to see what else Abhisit is going to do really, he’s had his orders and he will follow them, if only to avoid criminal charges. Her indoors and her cup-bearer are pulling the strings now that himself is safely on the sidelines – they have been for some time despite the prodigal son, who by now must fear he will be leap-frogged come the day. The stakes are high, and she still wishes to be the warrior. A most suitable case for treatment.
Tears before bedtime looking more and more inevitable, because if this nonsense proceeds, its difficult to see the alternatives to some very nasty and very widespread conflict. An abandoning of all democratic pretence perhaps is possible, after all, they’ve lost every round and they must know they’re in the wrong game by now, They got their asses kicked again – same as the last time, and it must have stimulated at least a little extra blood-flow to the brain surely?
Possibly why Prayuth has been so quiet of late – been told to keep his mouth shut I expect, if a coup is in the offing, radio silence from him would make sense..
Things are about to start getting interesting I suspect, and the plotters will likely get some bitter medicine to quaff. A last hurrah? Perhaps himself will come riding in on a white charger again but I suspect he’s been permanently neutralised.
Should politicians running for office be excused from election laws? Otherwise why have a constitution in the first place?
Thaksin’s antics of ‘honest mistakes’ to win elections continue . . . and he tempts the patience of the Thai Supreme Courts with his serial honest mistakes.
I could cite the name of a village (but won’t do it for evident reasons) where the Head of the village received from the Yellows 500 bath per voter, and distributed 300 to each, keeping the remaining 200 for himself. He was supposed to enforce a Yellow vote. Condition on this handout of money: either to reimburse all if the Yellow votes lose against the red’s or get a bullet in the head if he fails to reimburse. And of course the village voted Red by a large majority (without any cash from the Reds, as they were sure to win, and nobody reimbursed the Head of the village so far….
As for the Majority in the Parliament, don’t worry, the Yellows will buy up enough “weak hands” (Bath 50 mio per head is the standard price, or else accidents may happen to their family) to gain back enough votes to put an old or new puppet as PM. That’s how Bumipol’s Absolute Royal Democracy worked in the past and is supposed to continue to work with the active help of the Army-thugs (many of them with fortunes way above “honest”American investment bankers) and the local mafia.
The accusation is that Puea Thai allowed people subject to five-year political bans to become involved in policy planning, phone-ins and video addresses and also the selection of candidates,” he said.
So used are they to their double standard that they simply pretend not to see that they are charging the Phuea Thai with their own and Baarnharn’s and Newins’ MO of the past three years.
My guess is they feel secure in the international acceptance of this foolish and farcical move, and that they can totally discount the Thai people.
If Thailand had any oil the US/NATO cruise missiles would be soaring into Bangkok on this one. But they seem to feel they are on the right side of the Fourth Reich.
Joe Gordon rots in jail, totally unremarked by the US Embassy to Thailand. They do seem to have the Reich’s support.
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National lunacy
The country needs a vaiable alternative to the current government for democracy to work. All this rejection of democracy, cooking show bans and ultimately complete undermining of the whole justice system ultimately does is increase PTP popularity and harden their support. While in the short term fight for democracy this may be good, in the medium term it is never good to not have an alternative. The sooner the losers (parliamentary and non-parliamentary) realise this the sooner things move back on track and the time until the eventual rejection of the current government, albeit maybe a long time, comes closer. Everything those who despise Thaksin etc do just makes it worse for them and him more popular. It is almost insane.
Having said that no doubt there are also elements of power vacuum politics within the democrats as part of this with the uber-yellows making this play as new executive time draws nigh and maybe some more pragmatic elements dont exactly agree. But do the demos want to become an increasingly yellow party, which would further undercut their appeal with non-yellows or do they want to reinvent as a future viable option? A big test for them. If one of their big hitters came out to denounce this, and really denounce the move rather than the “it is an individual” nonsense, then we could maybe have more hope for the future.
Living in Thailand and listening to people across the political and a-poltical spectrum and across class, one thing is very clear, there is an increasing feeling of time to move on and meddling in the election again will create problems well beyond just the red movement this time.
National lunacy
Talking about the Rule of Law, the PTP had the Red Shirts to distract other while running for the vote? And just said that there’s nothing to do with the party? And again the Red shirt big name guys also appeared in the list of proposed carbinet member. To be honest, any differnce in a flip flop word? Poor Thailand!
National lunacy
The ‘law’… the ‘law’… when what you’re talking about is what the Royal Thai Army put in place to replace the law when they tore up the constitution and, on the very next day, appointed the so-called Election Commission… in reality the Popularly Elected Government Dissolution Commission.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2LEiZknpOGg/Thc05OBW-iI/AAAAAAAANTA/vSf5nXSczog/s400/774_BB.jpg
Very heartening!
National lunacy
Sceptic # 5
.
Mind you, you’re at risk of LM charge writing the above. Consider getting a new passport before the next trip to Thailand.
National lunacy
Tarrin – 19
Abhisit also cooked crispy noodle so I hope what you mean is “every politician” and not just the one that you hate that have to operate under the law.
Very much every one of them Tarrin. Until the day comes when politicians do fear the law there will be no end to the present level of political corruption.
Funny enough I just read in the Post that the complaint about Yingluck’s cooking was made to the EC by Korat voter. Now what do you think the EC should do? Should they look into a complaint by a member of the public, or just ignore it? Of course it probably has no basis and will be forgotten in a week, but by the comments on NM you would think the sky is falling.
National lunacy
“Should politicians running for office be excused from election laws?”
It seems that many people confuse “democracy” with “dictatorship” !
The fact that a given Party gets elected does not free anyone from following the law !
And the Majority is even not allowed to murder their opponents …
(strange, eh ?)
There is a role for the Opposition in a democracy, and in this case it is to track each and every scam the Thaksinists will do and expose them for the people to see.
As a beginning, I propose that the “Thaksin money” should be given back via a voluntary fund (only T. “fans” would undoubtedly pay !)
National lunacy
It’s not about the “cooking” that could roast Yingluck and the Peau Thai Party guys . . . but NM would like to pretend so. The serious election laws violations pertain to 5-year ban against the 111 TRT executives from politics-and-elections. And many of those banned TRT executives flaunted the ban openly campaigning for Yingluck and PTP (caught on many video clips btw). Fugitive Thaksin was the most prominent flaunting the election laws and the Peau Thai Party (don’t they have constitutional lawyers giving them advice . . . very silly of them).
Honest mistake(s) again?
National lunacy
I was thinking of an environment more like the Philippines.
This Korat noodle fiasco can surely explode, literally. Yet listening to Abhisit a few times after his party’s electoral mandate not to bother trying to run the government again, I heard distinct personal undertones of “We” – and who might that be? – “don’t want any moves to have Thaksin pardoned or Red Shirts in cabinet posts.”
All around Thailand, we need to admit, are those who say, “We will sacrifice our lives…” when in fact they mean they will sacrifice yours and mine or someone else’s lives for what they believe in.
In observing the situation here in Thailand closely, I think that it’s a foregone conclusion that Clash is Coming. Not one nation on the face of the earth has been able to get rid of power-mad egotists without shedding blood. The construction of such inevitability is one of the ugly faces of culture where inculcated beliefs and practices run rampant over civil and human rights.
Such a nice-looking country, such a horrible prospect of violence. It seems the two sides are both well-aware of the other’s entrenched position and in denial of its own. As well, each in some way but I believe the traditionalists per se refuse to recognize the wrongness of their ways and Devil be Damned they want to restore their order in the face of righteous resistance.
National lunacy
If Thai elections laws would be valid in Germany the every single party would have been dissolved for vote buying. An election campaign there would be unthinkable without parties giving out free pens and other trinkets with their party logo.
Kevin Rudd and Aung San Suu Kyi
Some would say that Western media coverage is in fact skewed towards the ‘genocidal’ wars waged against minorities especially Christians. The recent spike in the number of ASSK news stories is simply related to her being free, receiving foreign officials and politically active once again.
How many LED marques do you reckon, my dear plan B, will make up for turning away Michelle Yeo at the airport? Was it really necessary, perhaps good PR in their book?
Perhaps you cannot begin to imagine that unceasing repressive and coercive measures, repeatedly frustrating the aspirations to freedom, both social and economic, of all our diverse nationalities, can be indicative of SG Than Shwe and his cohort making the same mistake over and over again.
National lunacy
Here’s a link to a Bangkok Post story with more detail on Yingluck stopping at a noodle vendor and helping to stir some Pad Thai, an act that is now being “thoroughly and transparently investigated, according to the Rule of Law and International Norms” to determine whether or not Thailand’s 1st female Prime Minister should be dis-qualified from holding office. Unfortunately, this is not a story from NotTheNation….
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/246166/ec-probes-poll-noodle-frying
Review of Ruth
Thomas Salazar
Thank you for your comments and feedback. I’m glad that you enjoyed the book. I’m happy to share a few ideas I have about your research topic on Siam/Thailand’s aviation history. Send your email address to me at [email protected] and I’ll forward those suggestions to you.
And, yes, it is the episode in which the Buddha initially transmits his enlightenment to his followers in a deer park that is important to that section, not the actual moment of enlightenment. I could have been more explicit in pointing out that it is the artistic representation of the famed deer park at Sarnath – the Isipatana – that has generated the deer iconography evident on Thai wat that in turn encouraged these Thai soldiers to link deer with Buddhist sanctity. And, to a lesser degree, the story of the King of the Banyan Deer and other deer-themed stories in the Jataka Tales play a similar role in cementing this connection.
Best regards.
RR
The army and the god king
Tito died; Yugoslavia is attributed with being refered to in past tense; the former Kingdom of Siam? Comments from this site has always been greaty appreciated.
National lunacy
You’d think that after Prime Minister Samak Samaravej’s episode after his cooking show, Thai politicians would heed President Truman’s advice: If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
National lunacy
Samak was disqualify for “cooking in from of TV” so what do you expect?
LesAbbey – 7
For me it’s good to see politicians being reminded that they have to operate inside the law.
Abhisit also cooked crispy noodle so I hope what you mean is “every politician” and not just the one that you hate that have to operate under the law.
National lunacy
Yes, civil war for sure if the EC does listen to Democrat’s complaint and take action against Pheu Thai. Thailand will become another Libya but people will prevail over ammat in the end. Besides, it’s still fresh in people’s memory how Samak was ousted in 2008 and this time will never allow that to happen again.
National lunacy
Hard to see what else Abhisit is going to do really, he’s had his orders and he will follow them, if only to avoid criminal charges. Her indoors and her cup-bearer are pulling the strings now that himself is safely on the sidelines – they have been for some time despite the prodigal son, who by now must fear he will be leap-frogged come the day. The stakes are high, and she still wishes to be the warrior. A most suitable case for treatment.
Tears before bedtime looking more and more inevitable, because if this nonsense proceeds, its difficult to see the alternatives to some very nasty and very widespread conflict. An abandoning of all democratic pretence perhaps is possible, after all, they’ve lost every round and they must know they’re in the wrong game by now, They got their asses kicked again – same as the last time, and it must have stimulated at least a little extra blood-flow to the brain surely?
Possibly why Prayuth has been so quiet of late – been told to keep his mouth shut I expect, if a coup is in the offing, radio silence from him would make sense..
Things are about to start getting interesting I suspect, and the plotters will likely get some bitter medicine to quaff. A last hurrah? Perhaps himself will come riding in on a white charger again but I suspect he’s been permanently neutralised.
Dull it isn’t over there.
National lunacy
Here we go again . . . .
Should politicians running for office be excused from election laws? Otherwise why have a constitution in the first place?
Thaksin’s antics of ‘honest mistakes’ to win elections continue . . . and he tempts the patience of the Thai Supreme Courts with his serial honest mistakes.
National lunacy
I could cite the name of a village (but won’t do it for evident reasons) where the Head of the village received from the Yellows 500 bath per voter, and distributed 300 to each, keeping the remaining 200 for himself. He was supposed to enforce a Yellow vote. Condition on this handout of money: either to reimburse all if the Yellow votes lose against the red’s or get a bullet in the head if he fails to reimburse. And of course the village voted Red by a large majority (without any cash from the Reds, as they were sure to win, and nobody reimbursed the Head of the village so far….
As for the Majority in the Parliament, don’t worry, the Yellows will buy up enough “weak hands” (Bath 50 mio per head is the standard price, or else accidents may happen to their family) to gain back enough votes to put an old or new puppet as PM. That’s how Bumipol’s Absolute Royal Democracy worked in the past and is supposed to continue to work with the active help of the Army-thugs (many of them with fortunes way above “honest”American investment bankers) and the local mafia.
National lunacy
The accusation is that Puea Thai allowed people subject to five-year political bans to become involved in policy planning, phone-ins and video addresses and also the selection of candidates,” he said.
So used are they to their double standard that they simply pretend not to see that they are charging the Phuea Thai with their own and Baarnharn’s and Newins’ MO of the past three years.
My guess is they feel secure in the international acceptance of this foolish and farcical move, and that they can totally discount the Thai people.
If Thailand had any oil the US/NATO cruise missiles would be soaring into Bangkok on this one. But they seem to feel they are on the right side of the Fourth Reich.
Joe Gordon rots in jail, totally unremarked by the US Embassy to Thailand. They do seem to have the Reich’s support.