Comments

#8 “seems most can’t take the rigour of having their sloganising exposed for what it is.”

“Sloganising” would involve spouting the doctrines of informed others, and I don’t find much evidence of it from either side of the argument on this forum – for the very simple reason that there is no real doctrine in this country worth spouting. Mutual character assassination is about as far as the political lightweights, scoundrels and poseurs here ever get. You can count the number of well-informed, rounded and grounded politicians here on one hand. (And even that seems an exagerration on the high side.) When the various stuffed shirts eventually summon up enough of the necessary commonsense to create proper political parties, there might begin to be something worth sloganizing about. Until such time, New Mandala is likely to remain little more than a slapfest for the various squabbling factions of Thailand’s feckless establishment, their expat apologists and their gold-panning hangers-on.

Is school books that teach this version of “history” still used in Thailand? Is the Prince”s book or books using that as source in use? Because from this article it seems that until 1930s whole history of Thailand was pure fake and imagination taught in schools. The Prince just made up things for buddhas sake!

Do Thai school system recognize the Khmer culture, religion and history in Lopburi, Ayatthaya, Sukothai etc? Or is it explained, as David Chandler’s example, as “Thai style, Khmer period”?

This discussion paper is 7 months old and I have just found it so what I write may never be read! However, I feel a need to speak!

I am a foreigner living in this wonderful country, sitting and observing the politics. Sadly, so much is not spoken of – I am unsure if it is deliberate or not. But I want to say I find it difficult to understand why local people even bother to talk politics when BN (UMNO) control purely as a result of money distribution.

In my kampung everyone received RM70 to vote BN at the last election. Plain and simple – short term gain is far more important for local people than the long term benefits (or otherwise).

In my kampung we all received a new water tong from our YB for Hari Raya last year. Previously we had all received a Nokia handphone, and prior to that we all received 2 lorry loads each of landfill. In western terms it is called corruption, but the local Barjau population here in Sabah prefer to see it as “isn’t our YB good to us”.

At the last election, the Army and Police voted many days ahead of the election; indeed, I know of one balai polis that did not get to do their own voting – someone voted for them, and then on election night these ballot boxes full of BN votes were distributed around to areas when the BN candidate was losing. Democracy? Sure is! Share the votes … selectively.

Why does no-one ever speak of these, and other appalling actions?

PAS PKR DAP MCA etc …. nevermind, whilst BN control the money, giving it out at election time to selected groups, particularly in Sabah, there is no way any other group is going to govern.

c6: “Just as the propagandist try to make it black & white, or red & yellow or republican & royalist, something pops up that makes them all look a little silly.”

In my experience, propagandists tend to look silly without help from external events. Fortunately, propagandists on NM are few and far between – seems most can’t take the rigour of having their sloganising exposed for what it is.

However, the underlying truth is that S.P. Somtow has blinders on about how deep the resentment has become against the double standards felt by the common man

Saw a film “White Material” last night about a coffee plantation owner (Isabelle Huppert) in Africa at a time of civil unrest. She complacently shrugged off increasing threats to her safety because she “had seen it all before”. She had not recognised that the game had changed.

She came to a sticky end.

Tom, I don’t believe you will ever find that placard cited by Somtow. Aristocrat and fantasy writer S.P. Somtow wasn’t an on-the-scene observer of the unrest from April to May 2010. He was merely a Bangkok “hi-so” luminary living abroad who was summoned by the “powers that be” to create a narrative fiction pleasing and comforting to the status quo. I understand from reading his webpage at the time that he was residing in London, conducting Mahler for the local philharmonic orchestra!

To some degree the Western journalists did simplify the storyline, but that is understandable given the realities of 24 hour satellite TV journalism. Ironically, CNN journalist Dan Rivers was a Bangkok regular and not unacquainted with Thai politics, and seemed to me to be overly chummy and sympathetic with the Abhisit government prior to the first bloodbath of April 18, 2010. That he is now unwelcome in Thailand tells me that the ruling class are trying very hard to control the message, much like the Mubarik regime in Egypt.

However, the underlying truth is that S.P. Somtow has blinders on about how deep the resentment has become against the double standards felt by the common man. Look at Thailand’s non-existent justice system, for instance. On the one hand there is the case of the 16-year-old with the last name of na Ayutdhya–a title only conferred by the Royal Family–who recklessly crashed a car on the expressway causing the deaths of 9 people, who we all know will never see a day in detention for negligent homicide; and on the other hand there is the ongoing court case of the webmaster of Prachathai.com, who is facing 20 years in prison for failing to remove comments quickly enough to satisfy the MICT censors. This parody cannot long endure.

Too much is made of specific courses that students take. Its OK to be on a general degree (liberal arts or otherwise). One would still be able to get a job. One needs specific degree for engineering, accountancy, medical, pharmaceutical, but a whole world of commercial jobs do not need specialised education.

Business, marketing, investment analysis, even banking…. Basic College education is suppose to teach one how to think, analyse and search for information. Armed with that, one can do almost any no specialised jobs. However, with half ass tutors and students, then it would be difficult, as the graduate is simply not equiped.

I think Somtow actually fall victim to his own word, when Somtow made the statement, he already has his own bias toward what he wants to believed. Under that circumstances there’s no other way for Somtow to look at the red any other way around but a much of paid thug.

A very interesting piece showing how the member of the royal family don’t really get along. I was more interested with Srisasm reaction when they talked about the princess, quite predictable but surprising non the less.

@hrk,

“Not 90% of graduates are unemployed, but rather 90% of the unemployed graduates are Bumiputra, which is a bit different.”

Thank you for making this clear.

Your suggestion (as also made by CLee) about researching the courses which contributes to unemployment is also important.

It is most likely that these graduates are from the liberal arts fields.

It would be good if data on these types of issues were publicly available for researchers to analyse.