One thing I remember about the roads in Burma is the highway north out of Lashio. As it heads towards China it goes through a number of switchbacks and back then it was missing a lot of pavement. The switchbacks had dead eels all along them. The eels were being transported in tanks up to China, but got sloshed out on the turns.
Yes. Srithanonchai is correct. But, the use of the term has a particular and important ideological significance in today’s military junta-dominated Thailand. All the more reason why the academics who are signing their names to NIDA’s conference that provides sucour for the military junta should explain their motivations. Why are they lending their names and stature to a military junta for local and international propaganda purposes? Sure they might say that “alternatives” need to be discussed, but that counts for little in an event organised to support a particular ideology.
BTW: Surayud said that the deficit budget his government presented to the military-appointed “assembly” followed the sufficiency economy philosophy. It seems that one can say just about any nonsense these days about SE.
“р╕бр╣Зр╕нр╕Ъ”? How dare Surawit Wirawan sully the sacred Thai language with an English loanword! What is he, a Singaporean? This is cultural treason! Someone, quick, report this slime to Ladda Tangsupachai!
We have no need for foreign words, when we could use words that are truly Thai, such as “р╕Бр╕ер╕╕р╣Ир╕бр╕Ьр╕╣р╣Йр╣Ар╕Фр╕┤р╕Щр╕Вр╕Ър╕зр╕Щ” or “р╕бр╕зр╕ер╕Кр╕Щр╕гр╕╕р╕б”! This is not keeping in line with Sufficency Linguistics!
Death to Surawit Wirawan!
Death to the Manager!
Remember the Alamo Bang Rajan!
Reminds me of the pithy humour of Northern Thai folk stories and sayings, like in Vigo Brun’s massive collection transcribed in central Thai alphabet around 1976, fantastic reading.
“Mawp Rak Khai Maew” would be only half a Suphasit though, it needs either a witty beginning or ending.
Do you have any more information on this “Alternative Development” conference? I am in Hanoi now and I am would be very interested to attend, but I don’t even know how to register and your blog is the only information I can find on the web!
“I’m referring to the confrontation between the people and the junta…not between Thaksin & the junta…I couldn’t give a rats about Thaksin”
Taxi Driver, it all depends on whether you think it will be easier for the people to defeat the generals or Thaksin.
Personally, I think it’s only a matter of time before the people will defeat the generals, but I don’t have much faith that they would ever be able to defeat Thaksin & his voodoo.
Therefore, I prefer it if the junta take out Thaksin first, rather than the people have to take on the junta and then Thaksin.
Taxi Drivers must be losing a lot fares . . . and blaming the junta for revenue declines (since Thaksin) to be so angry at the junta. Would one more Taxi Driver ram his cab against a tank soon?
But I tend to agree with Taxi Driver that the Thai people should start to put pressure on the generals to abide by their promise of an election within this year!
More excuses and more delay may just prompt me as well to ram my motorcyle against a tank. I am disappointed that the remaining political parties and their leaders have not been so vocal and insistent on this every issue against the junta.
P.S. The: р╕Чр╣Ир╕нр╕Щр╣Йр╕│р╣Ар╕ер╕╡р╣Йр╕вр╕З mentioned in the headline of the manager article has also been used for the past weeks by papers such as Krungthep Thurakit in order to defame the protests at Sanam Luang. It was even claimed that the freeze of Thaksin’s assets aimed at blocking this р╕Чр╣Ир╕нр╕Щр╣Йр╕│. As usual, it was used with defamatory intention, not as a fact that the papers’ reporters had come across.
“it also asks who provides the funding for various anti-regime/anti-draft constitution publicity campaigns as well as other activist-academic publications put out by, for example, Fah Diaw Kan.” >> It is easy to say where the money comes from that the CNS, the government, the CDA, the CDC, and the NLA have been using: from the taxpayers! So, that seems to be all right.
“The anti-coup movement.” It is not an easy task to locate any such movement.
Ngarn, Sonthi himself originally pledged that elections will be held by October 2007. Now that its going to be delayed by at least three months and possibly six, what does this say about the man and his words? Certainly not the ‘my word is my bond’ type of soldier is he?
I can’t understand why you do not apply the same standards to the junta as you apply to Thaksin. These standards are good, and all Thais should have them and they should be applied to ALL who are in power. Only then will we have accountable, honest politicians to represent us in parliament.
The final confrontation, as you call it, must happen sooner rather than later. [I’m referring to the confrontation between the people and the junta…not between Thaksin & the junta…I couldn’t give a rats about Thaksin]. Delaying it just puts the country at a disadvantage economically, sociallly, and politically. As I said before, what does not kill us will make us stronger, so lets bring it on.
BOTH you and your “informant” are correct. the phrase “mod khai maew” is a play on BOTH Veera’s nickname AND Thaksin’s testicle. (It came from Veera’s nickname and was ‘twisted’ to refer to Thaksin’s testicle, while retaining the reference to Veera at the same time.)
When the Asian Human Rights Commission submitted an open letter to The Nation criticising its editorial line that human rights had improved in Thailand since the coup (!) (http://www.ahrchk.net/ahrc-in-news/mainfile.php/2007ahrcinnews/1049/) the following day the paper published a reader’s response that boiled down to “who/what is this AHRC and where do they get their money?” A journalist claiming to represent a respectable international news weekly also contacted with the same one-point inquiry. It is a red herring and one very easily used by anyone with a shortage of original ideas, often made up for by a surplus of vitriol
I have just read your essay and will admit that I basically agree with your description of the Thaksin regime. I do think it was balanced and accurate. It is odd that you chose to end the essay in a way that appeared to betray this.
I would note that although Thaksin was brutal beyond justification, drugs have been a major problem in Thailand, and especially for the Thai poor. Historically the military has been far more closely linked to drug dealing than politicians. You were also accurate, unlike most of the anti-Thaksin crowd, in not assigning blame for much of what has happened in the South, especially the massacre at Krue Sae Mosque where Thaksin’s minister of defense ordered troops to hold fire and was overriden by the military.
At the end of the day, i would be happy if Thaksin concentrated his efforts on running a football team and was banished from Thai politics forever. But again, the issue at hand seems to be the relentless grip the military has on power. Perhaps they could also be persuaded to buy a team or two. Surely the military has stolen more than Thaksin.
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Self-serving army, self-serving media?
Although i will give them credit for this one:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/06/22/opinion/opinion_30037524.php
Self-serving army, self-serving media?
To be fair to The Nation, it is hard to think about Thaksin 24 hours a day and have much time for anything else.
A smooth ride to coastal Burma?
Great pictures. Where are they from?
One thing I remember about the roads in Burma is the highway north out of Lashio. As it heads towards China it goes through a number of switchbacks and back then it was missing a lot of pavement. The switchbacks had dead eels all along them. The eels were being transported in tanks up to China, but got sloshed out on the turns.
Reasonableness, moderation and inanity
Good questions, Historicus, but don’t expect any answers.
Reasonableness, moderation and inanity
Yes. Srithanonchai is correct. But, the use of the term has a particular and important ideological significance in today’s military junta-dominated Thailand. All the more reason why the academics who are signing their names to NIDA’s conference that provides sucour for the military junta should explain their motivations. Why are they lending their names and stature to a military junta for local and international propaganda purposes? Sure they might say that “alternatives” need to be discussed, but that counts for little in an event organised to support a particular ideology.
Reasonableness, moderation and inanity
BTW: Surayud said that the deficit budget his government presented to the military-appointed “assembly” followed the sufficiency economy philosophy. It seems that one can say just about any nonsense these days about SE.
Thaksin’s eggs
“р╕бр╣Зр╕нр╕Ъ”? How dare Surawit Wirawan sully the sacred Thai language with an English loanword! What is he, a Singaporean? This is cultural treason! Someone, quick, report this slime to Ladda Tangsupachai!
We have no need for foreign words, when we could use words that are truly Thai, such as “р╕Бр╕ер╕╕р╣Ир╕бр╕Ьр╕╣р╣Йр╣Ар╕Фр╕┤р╕Щр╕Вр╕Ър╕зр╕Щ” or “р╕бр╕зр╕ер╕Кр╕Щр╕гр╕╕р╕б”! This is not keeping in line with Sufficency Linguistics!
Death to Surawit Wirawan!
Death to the Manager!
Remember
the AlamoBang Rajan!Reasonableness, moderation and inanity
I wonder what excuses/explanations others have? e.g. Baker, Ong, Evans, Unger.
Reasonableness, moderation and inanity
Berkeley student: You might contact the Centre for Philanthropy and Civil Society, the organizer, at Tel. nos. 662-3777206 or 662-7273501-3.
Thaksin’s eggs
Reminds me of the pithy humour of Northern Thai folk stories and sayings, like in Vigo Brun’s massive collection transcribed in central Thai alphabet around 1976, fantastic reading.
“Mawp Rak Khai Maew” would be only half a Suphasit though, it needs either a witty beginning or ending.
Reasonableness, moderation and inanity
SRITHANONCHAI,
Do you have any more information on this “Alternative Development” conference? I am in Hanoi now and I am would be very interested to attend, but I don’t even know how to register and your blog is the only information I can find on the web!
Thanks for any info you might have.
Mapping the post-coup academic landscape
BTW, I’m not advocating rolling over to the junta, but rather I’m saying don’t play into Thaksin’s hands because you will regret it later.
Mapping the post-coup academic landscape
“I’m referring to the confrontation between the people and the junta…not between Thaksin & the junta…I couldn’t give a rats about Thaksin”
Taxi Driver, it all depends on whether you think it will be easier for the people to defeat the generals or Thaksin.
Personally, I think it’s only a matter of time before the people will defeat the generals, but I don’t have much faith that they would ever be able to defeat Thaksin & his voodoo.
Therefore, I prefer it if the junta take out Thaksin first, rather than the people have to take on the junta and then Thaksin.
Mapping the post-coup academic landscape
Taxi Drivers must be losing a lot fares . . . and blaming the junta for revenue declines (since Thaksin) to be so angry at the junta. Would one more Taxi Driver ram his cab against a tank soon?
But I tend to agree with Taxi Driver that the Thai people should start to put pressure on the generals to abide by their promise of an election within this year!
More excuses and more delay may just prompt me as well to ram my motorcyle against a tank. I am disappointed that the remaining political parties and their leaders have not been so vocal and insistent on this every issue against the junta.
Thaksin’s eggs
P.S. The: р╕Чр╣Ир╕нр╕Щр╣Йр╕│р╣Ар╕ер╕╡р╣Йр╕вр╕З mentioned in the headline of the manager article has also been used for the past weeks by papers such as Krungthep Thurakit in order to defame the protests at Sanam Luang. It was even claimed that the freeze of Thaksin’s assets aimed at blocking this р╕Чр╣Ир╕нр╕Щр╣Йр╕│. As usual, it was used with defamatory intention, not as a fact that the papers’ reporters had come across.
Thaksin’s eggs
“it also asks who provides the funding for various anti-regime/anti-draft constitution publicity campaigns as well as other activist-academic publications put out by, for example, Fah Diaw Kan.” >> It is easy to say where the money comes from that the CNS, the government, the CDA, the CDC, and the NLA have been using: from the taxpayers! So, that seems to be all right.
“The anti-coup movement.” It is not an easy task to locate any such movement.
Mapping the post-coup academic landscape
Ngarn, Sonthi himself originally pledged that elections will be held by October 2007. Now that its going to be delayed by at least three months and possibly six, what does this say about the man and his words? Certainly not the ‘my word is my bond’ type of soldier is he?
I can’t understand why you do not apply the same standards to the junta as you apply to Thaksin. These standards are good, and all Thais should have them and they should be applied to ALL who are in power. Only then will we have accountable, honest politicians to represent us in parliament.
The final confrontation, as you call it, must happen sooner rather than later. [I’m referring to the confrontation between the people and the junta…not between Thaksin & the junta…I couldn’t give a rats about Thaksin]. Delaying it just puts the country at a disadvantage economically, sociallly, and politically. As I said before, what does not kill us will make us stronger, so lets bring it on.
Thaksin’s eggs
BOTH you and your “informant” are correct. the phrase “mod khai maew” is a play on BOTH Veera’s nickname AND Thaksin’s testicle. (It came from Veera’s nickname and was ‘twisted’ to refer to Thaksin’s testicle, while retaining the reference to Veera at the same time.)
Thaksin’s eggs
When the Asian Human Rights Commission submitted an open letter to The Nation criticising its editorial line that human rights had improved in Thailand since the coup (!) (http://www.ahrchk.net/ahrc-in-news/mainfile.php/2007ahrcinnews/1049/) the following day the paper published a reader’s response that boiled down to “who/what is this AHRC and where do they get their money?” A journalist claiming to represent a respectable international news weekly also contacted with the same one-point inquiry. It is a red herring and one very easily used by anyone with a shortage of original ideas, often made up for by a surplus of vitriol
Selling City out?
Thad Williamson,
I have just read your essay and will admit that I basically agree with your description of the Thaksin regime. I do think it was balanced and accurate. It is odd that you chose to end the essay in a way that appeared to betray this.
I would note that although Thaksin was brutal beyond justification, drugs have been a major problem in Thailand, and especially for the Thai poor. Historically the military has been far more closely linked to drug dealing than politicians. You were also accurate, unlike most of the anti-Thaksin crowd, in not assigning blame for much of what has happened in the South, especially the massacre at Krue Sae Mosque where Thaksin’s minister of defense ordered troops to hold fire and was overriden by the military.
At the end of the day, i would be happy if Thaksin concentrated his efforts on running a football team and was banished from Thai politics forever. But again, the issue at hand seems to be the relentless grip the military has on power. Perhaps they could also be persuaded to buy a team or two. Surely the military has stolen more than Thaksin.