Two observations. First, all the construction, as you note has not benefited everyone equally. After all, dam construction is one of the reasons for the current conflict. Damaging the bridges also makes moving heavy equipment around difficult around.
Second, your observation regarding this making it difficult for the Burmese military is undoubtedly correct, but look for the regime to round up porters, as is its usual practice, to partially overcome its logistical difficulties.
they can shoot people on street
they can hang people in public
they can burn people alive
they can disappear people forever
they can coup again and again
they can even rob those saudi diamonds
sure why can’t they just downsize that darn logo a bit
Interesting the Democrats are offering yet another land deal to the poor, wonder if the poor remember which class and friends of the Democrats ended up with all the land last time. Amnesty is hardly worth mentioning, what Thai doesn’t know that Taksin will get one if PT is elected?
Polls are interesting I suppose, however the only one that counts is on election day. However the real fun should start after the election. I don’t really see the PAD as a player, we all know now who they really support and their plans for a permanent unelected fascist over-class. Would probably be more dictatorial and corrupt than Taksin, certain irony there.
Analyzing the heroic victory of the great Thai Army over protesters armed to the teeth with slingshots and som tum pestles.
Urban warfare? Hardly — they should have gone to Fallujah or Mogadishu for a a dose of that, against an enemy who’s actually armed, entrenched, closely familiar with the terrain, and prepared for a drawn-out fight (asymmetric as it may be).
This was just a riot dispersion operation gone wild… and a spectacularly unsuccessful one, given the failure to prevent both high civilian casualties *and* major property damage (especially burning of Center One mall which wasn’t close to the action or in an area occupied by the Red Shirts).
Yes, the army *won* and cleared out Rachaprasong of protesters — who would have expected otherwise? Last time they fought a semi-competent foreign army (of mighty Laos), they actually lost…
“Did the red shirt supporters set any of the fires? ”
Probably. Eyewitness accounts as well as anecdotal evidence suggest that red supporters probably started the fires at SET, Channel 3, and a few vehicles. But the largest fire at Central World and the other one at the mall up near Victory Monument seem more mysterious in origin. Occam’s Razor could just as easily suggest that opportunism is more likely than outright protest arson, because Thailand has a history of opportunistic fires (markets, slums, contested real estate, insurance scams, etc).
An analogue would be Thaksin’s “War on Drugs.” Out of the 2,500 people killed, I’m sure a lot were drug dealers or people in the drug trade. But the likelihood of opportunism to just settle grudges, kill informants, grab turf, or eliminate rivals in the confusion cannot be ignored.
Now if Kate had said “I won’t vote for the people who shut down my beloved malls,” the logic would be clear. But “burning the city” oversimplifies and presumes, in my mind.
Kate #7. So we have a puppet who is only good at smiling and posing (I presume) for photos, contesting an election against a stooge who is only good at talking. Every Thai I have ever met knows who controls the puppet and the stooge. I look forward to the results of the election to see who is most loved in Thailand, the puppet master or the stooge wrangler.
Unfortunately, in Thailand, no one ever knows who actually started a fire.
Is that any particular fire or all the fires? Did the red shirt supporters set any of the fires? Certainly looked they did when I visited them at the SET building. Then again even eyewitness accounts can be wrong. Still it’s worth applying Occam’s Razor or to put it simply, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, there’s a pretty good chance it’s a duck.
Andrew Walker says: My general rule of thumb is that given a choice between a conspiracy and a stuff-up, it is usually the latter.
Then again, there might be a conspiracy to stuff up.
To quote Tyrell Haberkorn in “Revolution Interrupted” about another incident from the mid ’70s:
This fragmentation…appeared to be a strategy of governance. In other words, what if this striking disunity of the Thai state was not seen as a temporary aberration but rather as constitutive of the state and its violence(s)?
If you actually read the article, you would have noticed that the issue is not so much about the logo, but the empty space that may make people fill the wrong box.
In response to Rajprasong’s comment; you jump too quickly to the conclusion about the “undecideds” . If the pollster use phone it will be very unreliable, unscientific sampling method. There are more than 15% margin of error both ways. As a Thai citizen who follows politics closely and critically, I believe there are over 30-35% of eligible voters nation wide who really oppose to both major parties and other “corrupt-as-usual” politicians who only seek to accumulate their wealth or fill their pockets if elected. The so-called democracy Thai style is based on traditional “client-patronage system” , revolving doors politics and failure to create any progress for the benefit of people without hidden agenda to corrupt or seek personal gains rather than for common goods of the people. The past history of Thailand’s failed parliamentary system is the case in point. Foreigners will never understand that getting votes to win election here in this country requires a large sum of money to buy vote outright or to cheat in various ways you wouldn’t be able to imagine. This is the reason why the so-called “Yellow Shirt” (PAD) campaign to solicit “Vote No” (Vote in the provided box of “Do not wish to cast a vote”) is getting strength and perhaps will become a new political phenomena in Thailand.
It doesn’t change the fact that the lady is merely a puppet who doesn’t have her own political standing point. She can’t go on a single public speech without a script. She refused to participate in PM candidate debate to show her visions and/or take questions. When reporters ask her questions, we hardly get anything out of her answers. No offense but it seems to me that all she’s good at is smiling and posting for photos. 🙂
“as at June 28 both links are blocked in Thailand by the MICT”
Certainly not on all Thai ISPs. My 3BB connection still goes straight through to those links. TOT and certain other ISPs are usually more prone to blocking – presumably (though not definitely) on instruction from/at the request of MICT.
EC clearly states that the logo they use is the one PTP registered with the registrar. It is not the EC designated logo/graphic whatsoever. I don’t understand why red shirts/PT supporters try so hard to make it look like the EC is siding with DP. Besides who care for party logo ? It’s a NUMBER that matter, isn’t it ?
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Bridges bombed in Kachin war
Two observations. First, all the construction, as you note has not benefited everyone equally. After all, dam construction is one of the reasons for the current conflict. Damaging the bridges also makes moving heavy equipment around difficult around.
Second, your observation regarding this making it difficult for the Burmese military is undoubtedly correct, but look for the regime to round up porters, as is its usual practice, to partially overcome its logistical difficulties.
Andrew Marshall’s Thai Story
A half time summary is given by http://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/wikileaks-cables-truth-and-thailand/ and I share the concerns raised.
Can the Democrats make it six in a row?
If I remember correctly, the late Samak clearly attributed the cobra story to one of the Aesop’s fables, not a Thai farmers’ story.
Almost no logo
they can shoot people on street
they can hang people in public
they can burn people alive
they can disappear people forever
they can coup again and again
they can even rob those saudi diamonds
sure why can’t they just downsize that darn logo a bit
From the archives: Thailand and Australia
Isn’t this the project Google abandoned last month? (http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/may/20/google-newspaper-archive-online)
Abhisit’s blunder
Youtube link to Abhisit’s and various other speeches:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNLIRAPgZX4
Election countdown: polls and policies
Interesting the Democrats are offering yet another land deal to the poor, wonder if the poor remember which class and friends of the Democrats ended up with all the land last time. Amnesty is hardly worth mentioning, what Thai doesn’t know that Taksin will get one if PT is elected?
Polls are interesting I suppose, however the only one that counts is on election day. However the real fun should start after the election. I don’t really see the PAD as a player, we all know now who they really support and their plans for a permanent unelected fascist over-class. Would probably be more dictatorial and corrupt than Taksin, certain irony there.
The military strategy at Ratchaprasong
Analyzing the heroic victory of the great Thai Army over protesters armed to the teeth with slingshots and som tum pestles.
Urban warfare? Hardly — they should have gone to Fallujah or Mogadishu for a a dose of that, against an enemy who’s actually armed, entrenched, closely familiar with the terrain, and prepared for a drawn-out fight (asymmetric as it may be).
This was just a riot dispersion operation gone wild… and a spectacularly unsuccessful one, given the failure to prevent both high civilian casualties *and* major property damage (especially burning of Center One mall which wasn’t close to the action or in an area occupied by the Red Shirts).
Yes, the army *won* and cleared out Rachaprasong of protesters — who would have expected otherwise? Last time they fought a semi-competent foreign army (of mighty Laos), they actually lost…
Election advice
“Did the red shirt supporters set any of the fires? ”
Probably. Eyewitness accounts as well as anecdotal evidence suggest that red supporters probably started the fires at SET, Channel 3, and a few vehicles. But the largest fire at Central World and the other one at the mall up near Victory Monument seem more mysterious in origin. Occam’s Razor could just as easily suggest that opportunism is more likely than outright protest arson, because Thailand has a history of opportunistic fires (markets, slums, contested real estate, insurance scams, etc).
An analogue would be Thaksin’s “War on Drugs.” Out of the 2,500 people killed, I’m sure a lot were drug dealers or people in the drug trade. But the likelihood of opportunism to just settle grudges, kill informants, grab turf, or eliminate rivals in the confusion cannot be ignored.
Now if Kate had said “I won’t vote for the people who shut down my beloved malls,” the logic would be clear. But “burning the city” oversimplifies and presumes, in my mind.
เรารัก-ยิ่งลักษณ์
Kate #7. So we have a puppet who is only good at smiling and posing (I presume) for photos, contesting an election against a stooge who is only good at talking. Every Thai I have ever met knows who controls the puppet and the stooge. I look forward to the results of the election to see who is most loved in Thailand, the puppet master or the stooge wrangler.
Election advice
WLH – 6
Unfortunately, in Thailand, no one ever knows who actually started a fire.
Is that any particular fire or all the fires? Did the red shirt supporters set any of the fires? Certainly looked they did when I visited them at the SET building. Then again even eyewitness accounts can be wrong. Still it’s worth applying Occam’s Razor or to put it simply, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, there’s a pretty good chance it’s a duck.
Almost no logo
Andrew Walker says: My general rule of thumb is that given a choice between a conspiracy and a stuff-up, it is usually the latter.
Then again, there might be a conspiracy to stuff up.
To quote Tyrell Haberkorn in “Revolution Interrupted” about another incident from the mid ’70s:
This fragmentation…appeared to be a strategy of governance. In other words, what if this striking disunity of the Thai state was not seen as a temporary aberration but rather as constitutive of the state and its violence(s)?
Andrew Marshall’s Thai Story
Re Andrew’s comment #14.
Does the total number of X’s give us a clue as to what the word is?
Almost no logo
Kate
These are the registered logos:
http://www2.ect.go.th/home.php?Province=election
If you actually read the article, you would have noticed that the issue is not so much about the logo, but the empty space that may make people fill the wrong box.
Election countdown: polls and policies
In response to Rajprasong’s comment; you jump too quickly to the conclusion about the “undecideds” . If the pollster use phone it will be very unreliable, unscientific sampling method. There are more than 15% margin of error both ways. As a Thai citizen who follows politics closely and critically, I believe there are over 30-35% of eligible voters nation wide who really oppose to both major parties and other “corrupt-as-usual” politicians who only seek to accumulate their wealth or fill their pockets if elected. The so-called democracy Thai style is based on traditional “client-patronage system” , revolving doors politics and failure to create any progress for the benefit of people without hidden agenda to corrupt or seek personal gains rather than for common goods of the people. The past history of Thailand’s failed parliamentary system is the case in point. Foreigners will never understand that getting votes to win election here in this country requires a large sum of money to buy vote outright or to cheat in various ways you wouldn’t be able to imagine. This is the reason why the so-called “Yellow Shirt” (PAD) campaign to solicit “Vote No” (Vote in the provided box of “Do not wish to cast a vote”) is getting strength and perhaps will become a new political phenomena in Thailand.
Election advice
Kate @5:
“I’m not voting for those who burned my hometown. ”
Indeed, no one should.
Unfortunately, in Thailand, no one ever knows who actually started a fire.
Election advice
Cool billboard !!! I’m not voting for those who burned my hometown. 🙂
เรารัก-ยิ่งลักษณ์
It doesn’t change the fact that the lady is merely a puppet who doesn’t have her own political standing point. She can’t go on a single public speech without a script. She refused to participate in PM candidate debate to show her visions and/or take questions. When reporters ask her questions, we hardly get anything out of her answers. No offense but it seems to me that all she’s good at is smiling and posting for photos. 🙂
Andrew Marshall’s Thai Story
c78
“as at June 28 both links are blocked in Thailand by the MICT”
Certainly not on all Thai ISPs. My 3BB connection still goes straight through to those links. TOT and certain other ISPs are usually more prone to blocking – presumably (though not definitely) on instruction from/at the request of MICT.
Almost no logo
EC clearly states that the logo they use is the one PTP registered with the registrar. It is not the EC designated logo/graphic whatsoever. I don’t understand why red shirts/PT supporters try so hard to make it look like the EC is siding with DP. Besides who care for party logo ? It’s a NUMBER that matter, isn’t it ?