Have to agree with the sentiments expressed by Thai Capital.
And why, I hope you ask?
Maybe I’m living in a different Thailand than Khun Oranuch, the writer of this piece.
I find all this manufactured ‘evidence’ and rhetoric of a sufficiency economy all rather tedious.
Couple this with the many negative comments made to me by Department of Land Development technical staff concerning the waste, corruption and mismanagement of the rural economy, I cannot help but conclude that the sufficiency economy is simply another cleverly stage managed sham designed to maintain the impression (yet another) that all is well in Thailand.
Perhaps Khun Oranuch would care to tell us why the vast majority of the rural population still live from hand to mouth, have little or no opportunities in life and still wait patiently for handouts from the monarchy and government when times are hard – which seems pretty much all the time.
Revealing picture from Prachatai webboard: military wearing blue neckerchiefs – symbol of the Queen – during the operation against the Reds at Pathumthani yesterday: http://www.prachataiwebboard.com/webboard/id/41283
I’m not sure if there are any other sources that can confirm that the soldiers in some units are wearing this symbol of the Queen.
If the situation does get bloody and such pictures are circulated in the Red heartlands – and internationally – one would have to wonder about the Queen’s future in Thailand.
Perhaps this speech from over a year ago was overshadowed by the speech Arisaman made just before the current demostrations where he urged every person to bring a bottle with them to Bangkok. Petrol would supplied when they got there.
TH
‘Incisive’ is an anagram of ‘sei vinci’, or ‘you win’ in Italian. Italy is close to Montenegro. Clearly a coded reference to information about a certain former PM. Or perhaps I don’t get out enough. I’d like to get out more, but it’s quite difficult at the moment.
This excellent video – which possibly counts as ‘incisive commentary’ – sums it all up rather nicely, I think:
If the above analysis is correct, then deliberately targeting the Toy Boy Colonels on April 10 will have given the Royals’ enforcers much to think about.
Not many of them will be such fanatical believers in Chakri sanctity that they will be happy to die just for a royal bathing rite and posthumous promotion.
The way the situation in Bangkok is handled over the next week or so will impact on the quality of life for all those who life in Thailand for the next 5 years. So let’s hope that those responsible for security bring mature and sensitive minds to the task in hand. The poor deserve a dignified response to their demands for democracy.
>>The career concerns of these two officers ladder of these two generals remain crucial to the evolving political situation. They help explain why the mass rallies of the “Prai” are so fierce in their retaliation against the forces of the “Ammat”.
In this paragraph, what exactly does the first sentence mean? (I think I can guess, but I’d like to be sure.)
How do the career concerns of these two officers explain why the rallies of the red shirts “are so fierce in their retaliation against the forces” of the elite?
And if your contacts in the RTA say that the violence on 10 April was due to mercenaries trying to assassinate them, how do they explain why so many more civilians were killed the same night, apparently in the same way?
One thing that has bothered me for quite sometime is HM the King’s extended stay in hospital. From September until now, and for the foreseeable future. The person who writes at Thailand Crisis asked Why the King is kept in hospital ? in December of last year. It had been 3 long months then since HM disappeared into the hospital. It’s been 8 now.
As the Thai Crisis witer pointed out then:
1-We can assume without any risk that the King of Thailand would be able to get all doctors and equipments money and modern science can buy. When he wants. And where he wants.
2-It would be rational to assume that the King would prefer to be in his palace, home, while being treated, rather than in a hospital room.
3-And we can assume, due to past events (the attempts to water down the reality of the health situation), that it would be in the interest of the state apparatus to continue the same policy. AKA : stability. We could even say : it’s in the public interest. For that matter, It would be perfectly logic to try, as far as possible, to shorten and/or to hide the most visible proof of abnormality, AKA the King’s hospitalization.
And now this writer asserts:
In conversation with this writer, many Army officers have spoken candidly about a certain 90-year-old cavalry officer, about the 83-year-old Father of the Nation, and about these two men’s being those most responsible for the political turbulence of the past four years. “As the soul of the nation, he should warn his wife not to meddle in the national security operations or control her behaviour,” lieutenant generals from Class 11 and Class 14 have remarked. The Queen has openly shown her sympathies to the royalist, middle-class-dominated, Yellow-Shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD). It is an open secret that Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, chairman of the Privy Council, is in strong alliance with the Queen…
Rightists have viewed the petition of former prime ministers Somchai Wongsawat and Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh petition for the King’s advice to help resolve the current political deadlock as an attempt to embarrass His Majesty. They see it as an attempt to reveal his alleged loss of sacred power and practical clout.
Is HM the King being kept, drugged perhaps, a prisoner in hospital in Bangkok? Is ‘Plot targets monarchy’ merely a description of a fait accompli, not by the UDD but by the so-called “royalists” themselves?
Interesting video. I found Peter Warr’s comments particularly noteworthy, and especially because, as he says, the role of the global economic crisis in the Red Shirts’ dissatisfaction with Abhisit’s government has been so little discussed in any of the recent journalism on Thailand’s current crisis.
Nich’s Google Trends got me curious, so I tried the equivalent terms in English. Perhaps not surprisingly, in English the hot topic is Thaksin.
An atomic bomb waiting to be exploded. A revolution that can be avoided but being ignored from the top. This turns a smiling country into a war zone. What a pity! A dictator turns into a tyrant. What a country, one person has the right to order the army to shoot and kill civilians and its people who see things differently and not having to take any responsibility.
Yes, I’m sure the sufficiency concept is something many countries would like to copy, since it has been so successful here in Thailand. Let’s see how the SE philosophy works in practice:
1. As of 2009, Thailand ranks 91st in the World for GDP per head – below even Iran and Angola. Unlike Thailand’s “Happiness Index”, GDP/head tells us a lot about the quality and standard of living in any particular country.
2. The average IQ of school leavers is 86, which is the same as a rural farmer, and close to the level of a retard (80). Source: Ministry of Education.
3. The Thai King is the wealthiest monarch on the planet (Forbes rich list 2009).
4. According to a survey by the Asian Economic Development Council, only 16% of Thais believe that the rural poor should be allowed to participate in elections – the lowest figure in Asia.
5. The military spend 7% of the countries GDP and are wholly unaccountable for how they spend that money. There is no value for money accounting, no audit. Many items have recently been discounted as either heavily overpriced or just plain fake, eg. GT200 bomb detectors, Swedish jet fighters, an air balloon that doesn’t fly. The military even have the gall to travel the country and hold “workshops” in which they educate the poor in the SE philosophy.
6. Thailand has had 18 military coups since 1932 – just to prove how sustainable military Governments are.
7. The Thai Government regularly kills it’s own citizens to maintain power.
8. There are no democratic systems in place (eg. an effective legal system, or fair elections) to avoid widespread civil unrest such as we are seeing now.
So, I can see why so many countries out there envy Thailand and it’s well-thought out philosophies. I’m sure they will all jump at the chance to have these benefits.
Compare to Malaysia, the industrial development in Thailand is more impressive and rapid due to the BOI supported private sector and foreign investments in establishing the Industrial estates. (Especially the development of large scale industrial zones like Nawanakorn near Rangsit and other regional zones.)
Just look at the huge number of American and Japanese automobiles made/assembled in Thailand and then exported to the developed countries like Australia.
Even these imported popular cars do not carry the Made in Thailand sticker on them their compulsory VIN or Chasis numbers clearly show the Thai origin. (While Malaysia is almost giving away their government-subsidized Protons without much success.)
The way Thailand is developing the skilled and semi-skilled workers is also very private sector oriented. The workers mainly from the rural areas like Isan initially acquire basic skills and English language capabilities in the lower-paid, low-tech, labor-intensive factories. Within few years they then moved up to higher-paid jobs in the high-tech, capital-intensive factories.
Thai universities also produce sufficient number of engineers and managers and these professionals occupy nearly all mid and lower management positions even in the foreign-owned firms since the BOI restricts the number of expatriate managers after the period of initial development to accelerate the skills and management transfer.
A big thank you to the author for breaking this down. It’s long been at the heart of this current crisis. And intra-military tension has resulted many times in civilian bloodshed in Thailand.
Sondhi L – And at the moment there are rumours that someone in the sky ordered the hit on me. And those in a high place don’t know whether it is the rumour that they spread. And who spread it they know. It was said it was spread through one monk near the Yawana district, but that monk was angry and denied it. He telephoned me and to someone high up that he was not involved and said who was it that spread this rumour. This is is distressing. It cannot be completely concealed. How can you use your hand to cover up the sky?
Awesome. Incisive reporting with incitive conclusions. Surely another important story about to be lost in the mainstream king-saving hysteria. I plan to pass this information onto any Thai who will listen. (Unfortunately a minority these days). Thanks to the author.
“Giles Ji Ungpakorn will unite the country and Thailand will become a modern country with justice for all.”
Srithanonchai, wake up, mate. Though Puay Ungpakorn, Gile’s dad, has been acknowledged as a democratic fighter since the 1970’s, Gile is just a rouge lecturer in the same camp of Thongchai of Wisonsin and Somsak of Thammasat. Gile is just the one-sided who cannot see himself in the Thai mirror.
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Oranuch on sufficiency economy
Have to agree with the sentiments expressed by Thai Capital.
And why, I hope you ask?
Maybe I’m living in a different Thailand than Khun Oranuch, the writer of this piece.
I find all this manufactured ‘evidence’ and rhetoric of a sufficiency economy all rather tedious.
Couple this with the many negative comments made to me by Department of Land Development technical staff concerning the waste, corruption and mismanagement of the rural economy, I cannot help but conclude that the sufficiency economy is simply another cleverly stage managed sham designed to maintain the impression (yet another) that all is well in Thailand.
Perhaps Khun Oranuch would care to tell us why the vast majority of the rural population still live from hand to mouth, have little or no opportunities in life and still wait patiently for handouts from the monarchy and government when times are hard – which seems pretty much all the time.
Ominous signs
Revealing picture from Prachatai webboard: military wearing blue neckerchiefs – symbol of the Queen – during the operation against the Reds at Pathumthani yesterday: http://www.prachataiwebboard.com/webboard/id/41283
I’m not sure if there are any other sources that can confirm that the soldiers in some units are wearing this symbol of the Queen.
If the situation does get bloody and such pictures are circulated in the Red heartlands – and internationally – one would have to wonder about the Queen’s future in Thailand.
The speech that wasn’t televised
Perhaps this speech from over a year ago was overshadowed by the speech Arisaman made just before the current demostrations where he urged every person to bring a bottle with them to Bangkok. Petrol would supplied when they got there.
TH
Government crackdown on “incisive messages”
‘Incisive’ is an anagram of ‘sei vinci’, or ‘you win’ in Italian. Italy is close to Montenegro. Clearly a coded reference to information about a certain former PM. Or perhaps I don’t get out enough. I’d like to get out more, but it’s quite difficult at the moment.
This excellent video – which possibly counts as ‘incisive commentary’ – sums it all up rather nicely, I think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7mtIvpE1Sk
“The deep political crisis within the Royal Thai Army officer corps”
If the above analysis is correct, then deliberately targeting the Toy Boy Colonels on April 10 will have given the Royals’ enforcers much to think about.
Not many of them will be such fanatical believers in Chakri sanctity that they will be happy to die just for a royal bathing rite and posthumous promotion.
“The deep political crisis within the Royal Thai Army officer corps”
Butterfly @8, “ignorance is a great source of income.”
Isn’t that the motto of the Nation?
Er, except that they’re bankrupt.
“The deep political crisis within the Royal Thai Army officer corps”
The way the situation in Bangkok is handled over the next week or so will impact on the quality of life for all those who life in Thailand for the next 5 years. So let’s hope that those responsible for security bring mature and sensitive minds to the task in hand. The poor deserve a dignified response to their demands for democracy.
“The deep political crisis within the Royal Thai Army officer corps”
Three quick questions for the author:
>>The career concerns of these two officers ladder of these two generals remain crucial to the evolving political situation. They help explain why the mass rallies of the “Prai” are so fierce in their retaliation against the forces of the “Ammat”.
In this paragraph, what exactly does the first sentence mean? (I think I can guess, but I’d like to be sure.)
How do the career concerns of these two officers explain why the rallies of the red shirts “are so fierce in their retaliation against the forces” of the elite?
And if your contacts in the RTA say that the violence on 10 April was due to mercenaries trying to assassinate them, how do they explain why so many more civilians were killed the same night, apparently in the same way?
“The deep political crisis within the Royal Thai Army officer corps”
One thing that has bothered me for quite sometime is HM the King’s extended stay in hospital. From September until now, and for the foreseeable future. The person who writes at Thailand Crisis asked Why the King is kept in hospital ? in December of last year. It had been 3 long months then since HM disappeared into the hospital. It’s been 8 now.
As the Thai Crisis witer pointed out then:
And now this writer asserts:
Is HM the King being kept, drugged perhaps, a prisoner in hospital in Bangkok? Is ‘Plot targets monarchy’ merely a description of a fait accompli, not by the UDD but by the so-called “royalists” themselves?
Video of Thailand on the Verge
Interesting video. I found Peter Warr’s comments particularly noteworthy, and especially because, as he says, the role of the global economic crisis in the Red Shirts’ dissatisfaction with Abhisit’s government has been so little discussed in any of the recent journalism on Thailand’s current crisis.
Nich’s Google Trends got me curious, so I tried the equivalent terms in English. Perhaps not surprisingly, in English the hot topic is Thaksin.
р╣Гр╕Щр╕лр╕ер╕зр╕З, р╕Чр╕▒р╕Бр╕йр╕┤р╕У, р╕нр╕ар╕┤р╕кр╕┤р╕Чр╕Шр╕┤р╣М – World
р╣Гр╕Щр╕лр╕ер╕зр╕З, р╕Чр╕▒р╕Бр╕йр╕┤р╕У, р╕нр╕ар╕┤р╕кр╕┤р╕Чр╕Шр╕┤р╣М – Thailand
(I guess pretty much all Thai ISPs are Bangkok-based)
Bhumibol, Thaksin, Abhisit – World
Bhumibol, Thaksin, Abhisit – USA
“The deep political crisis within the Royal Thai Army officer corps”
An atomic bomb waiting to be exploded. A revolution that can be avoided but being ignored from the top. This turns a smiling country into a war zone. What a pity! A dictator turns into a tyrant. What a country, one person has the right to order the army to shoot and kill civilians and its people who see things differently and not having to take any responsibility.
“The deep political crisis within the Royal Thai Army officer corps”
The usual wild speculation, one can only wonder how so many blogs can get away with so much non-sense. I guess ignorance is a great source of income.
Oranuch on sufficiency economy
Yes, I’m sure the sufficiency concept is something many countries would like to copy, since it has been so successful here in Thailand. Let’s see how the SE philosophy works in practice:
1. As of 2009, Thailand ranks 91st in the World for GDP per head – below even Iran and Angola. Unlike Thailand’s “Happiness Index”, GDP/head tells us a lot about the quality and standard of living in any particular country.
2. The average IQ of school leavers is 86, which is the same as a rural farmer, and close to the level of a retard (80). Source: Ministry of Education.
3. The Thai King is the wealthiest monarch on the planet (Forbes rich list 2009).
4. According to a survey by the Asian Economic Development Council, only 16% of Thais believe that the rural poor should be allowed to participate in elections – the lowest figure in Asia.
5. The military spend 7% of the countries GDP and are wholly unaccountable for how they spend that money. There is no value for money accounting, no audit. Many items have recently been discounted as either heavily overpriced or just plain fake, eg. GT200 bomb detectors, Swedish jet fighters, an air balloon that doesn’t fly. The military even have the gall to travel the country and hold “workshops” in which they educate the poor in the SE philosophy.
6. Thailand has had 18 military coups since 1932 – just to prove how sustainable military Governments are.
7. The Thai Government regularly kills it’s own citizens to maintain power.
8. There are no democratic systems in place (eg. an effective legal system, or fair elections) to avoid widespread civil unrest such as we are seeing now.
So, I can see why so many countries out there envy Thailand and it’s well-thought out philosophies. I’m sure they will all jump at the chance to have these benefits.
Economic strategy and the roots of Thai political turmoil
Compare to Malaysia, the industrial development in Thailand is more impressive and rapid due to the BOI supported private sector and foreign investments in establishing the Industrial estates. (Especially the development of large scale industrial zones like Nawanakorn near Rangsit and other regional zones.)
Just look at the huge number of American and Japanese automobiles made/assembled in Thailand and then exported to the developed countries like Australia.
Even these imported popular cars do not carry the Made in Thailand sticker on them their compulsory VIN or Chasis numbers clearly show the Thai origin. (While Malaysia is almost giving away their government-subsidized Protons without much success.)
The way Thailand is developing the skilled and semi-skilled workers is also very private sector oriented. The workers mainly from the rural areas like Isan initially acquire basic skills and English language capabilities in the lower-paid, low-tech, labor-intensive factories. Within few years they then moved up to higher-paid jobs in the high-tech, capital-intensive factories.
Thai universities also produce sufficient number of engineers and managers and these professionals occupy nearly all mid and lower management positions even in the foreign-owned firms since the BOI restricts the number of expatriate managers after the period of initial development to accelerate the skills and management transfer.
“The deep political crisis within the Royal Thai Army officer corps”
Excellent article. Wassana Nanuam, lady columnist of The Bangkok Post, now has a “rival” in military affairs reporting.
Btw, she has been silenced and told to quit her radio program. See this link: http://www.tumblerblog.com/
“The deep political crisis within the Royal Thai Army officer corps”
A big thank you to the author for breaking this down. It’s long been at the heart of this current crisis. And intra-military tension has resulted many times in civilian bloodshed in Thailand.
The speech that wasn’t televised
yes… a powerful metaphor
is an english translation of the whole available anywhere
i cant see it on wikiquote…
The speech that wasn’t televised
This speech by Sondhi Lim is cited by Bangkok Pundit as an ASTV report
р╕кр╕Щр╕Шр╕┤ – р╣Бр╕ер╣Йр╕зр╕Бр╣З р╕Кр╣Ир╕зр╕Зр╕Щр╕╡р╣Йр╕Бр╣Зр╣Др╕Ыр╕Ыр╕ер╣Ир╕нр╕вр╕Вр╣Ир╕▓р╕зр╕ер╕╖р╕нр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╕Ьр╕бр╕Щр╕╡р╣Ир╕Цр╕╣р╕Бр╕кр╕▒р╣Ир╕Зр╕вр╕┤р╕Зр╣Вр╕Фр╕в..р╣Вр╕Фр╕вр╕Яр╣Йр╕▓ р╣Бр╕ер╣Йр╕зр╣Ар╕Вр╕▓р╕Бр╣Зр╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕гр╕╣р╣Йр╕Щр╕░р╕Др╕гр╕▒р╕Ър╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╕Вр╣Йр╕▓р╕Зр╕Ър╕Щр╣Ар╕Вр╕▓р╕Бр╣Зр╕гр╕╣р╣Йр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╕Щр╕╡р╣Ир╕Др╕╖р╕нр╕Вр╣Ир╕▓р╕зр╕ер╕╖р╕нр╕Чр╕╡р╣Ир╕Юр╕зр╕Бр╣Ар╕Вр╕▓р╕Ыр╕ер╣Ир╕нр╕вр╕бр╕▓ р╣Бр╕ер╣Йр╕зр╣Гр╕Др╕гр╕Ыр╕ер╣Ир╕нр╕вр╣Ар╕Вр╕▓р╕Бр╣Зр╕гр╕╣р╣Й р╕Ыр╕ер╣Ир╕нр╕вр╕Ьр╣Ир╕▓р╕Щр╕Юр╕гр╕░р╕нр╕Зр╕Др╣Мр╕лр╕Щр╕╢р╣Ир╕Зр╣Бр╕Цр╕зр╣Ж р╕вр╕▓р╕Щр╕Щр╕▓р╕зр╕▓ р╕Юр╕гр╕░р╕нр╕Зр╕Др╣Мр╕Щр╕▒р╣Йр╕Щр╕Чр╣Ир╕▓р╕Щр╕Бр╣Зр╕Йр╕╕р╕Щр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╣Ар╕нр╕▓р╕Чр╣Ир╕▓р╕Щр╣Др╕Ыр╣Ар╕Бр╕╡р╣Ир╕вр╕зр╕Вр╣Йр╕нр╕Зр╕нр╕░р╣Др╕г р╕Чр╣Ир╕▓р╕Щр╕Бр╣Зр╣Вр╕Чр╕г.р╣Др╕Ыр╕гр╕▓р╕вр╕Зр╕▓р╕Щр╕Яр╣Йр╕▓р╣Ар╕лр╕бр╕╖р╕нр╕Щр╕Бр╕▒р╕Щр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╕Чр╣Ир╕▓р╕Щр╣Др╕бр╣Ир╣Ар╕Бр╕╡р╣Ир╕вр╕зр╕Вр╣Йр╕нр╕З р╣Бр╕ер╣Йр╕зр╕Ър╕нр╕Бр╕Фр╣Йр╕зр╕вр╕зр╣Ир╕▓р╣Гр╕Др╕гр╣Ар╕Ыр╣Зр╕Щр╕Др╕Щр╕Ыр╕ер╣Ир╕нр╕вр╕Вр╣Ир╕▓р╕зр╕ер╕╖р╕н р╕Щр╕╡р╣Ир╕Др╕╖р╕нр╕Др╕зр╕▓р╕бр╕Чр╕╕р╕Бр╕Вр╣М р╕бр╕▒р╕Щр╕Ыр╕┤р╕Фр╣Др╕бр╣Ир╕бр╕┤р╕Фр╕лр╕гр╕нр╕Б р╣Ар╕нр╕▓р╕бр╕╖р╕нр╕Ыр╕┤р╕Фр╕Яр╣Йр╕▓р╣Др╕Фр╣Йр╕вр╕▒р╕Зр╣Др╕З
Sondhi L – And at the moment there are rumours that someone in the sky ordered the hit on me. And those in a high place don’t know whether it is the rumour that they spread. And who spread it they know. It was said it was spread through one monk near the Yawana district, but that monk was angry and denied it. He telephoned me and to someone high up that he was not involved and said who was it that spread this rumour. This is is distressing. It cannot be completely concealed. How can you use your hand to cover up the sky?
“The deep political crisis within the Royal Thai Army officer corps”
Awesome. Incisive reporting with incitive conclusions. Surely another important story about to be lost in the mainstream king-saving hysteria. I plan to pass this information onto any Thai who will listen. (Unfortunately a minority these days). Thanks to the author.
Giles Ji Ungpakorn on Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn
Srithanonchai // Jan 16, 2010 at 7:21 pm
“Giles Ji Ungpakorn will unite the country and Thailand will become a modern country with justice for all.”
Srithanonchai, wake up, mate. Though Puay Ungpakorn, Gile’s dad, has been acknowledged as a democratic fighter since the 1970’s, Gile is just a rouge lecturer in the same camp of Thongchai of Wisonsin and Somsak of Thammasat. Gile is just the one-sided who cannot see himself in the Thai mirror.