1. Payments for rice purchases were made direct to farmers instead of leaving to rich middle-men to decide how much they could ‘afford’ to pay poor farmers.
2. Real and major reforms to the formal education system, to begin replacing the Confucian-based education system with one rewarding individual merit more than collective acceptance.
Thank you for the very interesting link. But what stood out the most was this:
“Another is Adm. Banawit Kengrian, the former deputy permanent secretary of defense, who is listed as one of many shareholders in the British Virgin Islands company Vnet Capital International Co., Ltd in 1998.
Kengrian was appointed a member of the National Legislative Council after the military coup in 2006. He resigned as a naval officer in 2007 but was later appointed chairperson of a transportation committee under the National Legislative Council with a mandate to investigate corruption cases within the Ministry of Transportation that had allegedly occurred under the previous government led by Shinawatra.
Kengrian said he had bought a small stake in the company as a personal investment. “I have never gotten involved with company management,” he said. “As far as I understand, the company has changed status. It has merged with another company a while ago. I do not really have the details though.”
A 2006 junta helper and perennial military meddler Banawit.
Corruption is Thailand is certainly well distributed across the supposed “good people” and “bad people”!
I’m not sure it would help too much. The Bangkok middle class are quite educated, and yet many of them are capable of following such figures as Suthep and Aphisit.
Agreed. If the protesters were really against corruption and not just using it as an excuse, they would be protesting against the National Anti-Corruption Commission for failing to do it’s job … and even occupying it by force as with the other ministries.
Yes Nation is bias to a point, but its up to you to judge if what the writer writes is balance. BP has some good writers like Vorachai, and the others so so to no good. If you are so quickly to dismiss the Nation instead of looking at the content, you are forever blinded by the other bias point of view.
a guest cook who got paid while being PM at the same time. Haha as if being guest cook made any difference, he was a weekly guest cook then, how about that.
I have to disagree with the point that the majority of the middle class don’t know about the power struggle. Its ironic that foreigners think only they know about the problem when they learn these facts from Thais. A big majority of middle and high class Thais who is in tune with politics know about the power struggle but REFUSE to talk about it due to the laws. Do you honestly think they can campaign about it? If people really know about the power struggle, they should also be very alarmed about the Thaksin camp, the history on how money was siphoned out from government offices to fund their little activities and support individuals/individual who hasn’t done much public service. So is the PTP really a better alternative to the Dems? NO, both are rubbish for the society, parasites that are holding the country back.
“Populism deconstructed: Anger over being robbed”
Tax payers should have a say, after all the government lied and continue to lie about sustainability of schemes that are costing the country. Should we tell farmers to go home because they have no right to protest after the rice funds are dried up too? Believe it or not, a big part of the middle class supported Thaksin during his initial term, the change he brought. After all PTP did win close to 40-45% of the votes from the Bangkok middle class! You should know this right?
The laws are there, but just not enforced hence all these problems. The very pesons who are suppose to enforce it don’t give a damn and plays politics with it a well.
Not yet, I think, but possibly in need of intensive care. The same may possibly be true of the PDRC. It must be costing quite a lot and one wonders how much patience its financial backers have, particularly given the direct effect it is having on their business interests. May they yet decide that financing a Bangkok street party is not worth the candle? My guess is that everything is still in the balance.
It looks like the vast majority of Thais are planning to participate in the upcoming elections on February 2.
‘About 80% of people polled said they would vote on Feb 2 if the polls go ahead, and the majority opposed another military coup,even if anti-government rallies turn violent,’ according to the Bangkok Poll, announced Friday, January 24 and cited in the Bangkok Post.
There has been no announcement yet from the Constitution Court on whether the EC or the government have the power to delay the polling date.
I remember at that time the protest leaders were accusing Thaksin of a conflict of interest wrt his ownership of Shin Corp, and my impression from the news at that time was that he sold Shin Corp to resolve that issue.
Regardless, I think the law to up the cap on foreign ownership from 25% to 49% was good for Thailand’s economy in terms of encouraging foreign investment.
“…because of the imports from the south, dominated by swarthy dark young men in army-surplus gear and shades. The paler, more genteel Bangkokians often seem uneasy in this atmosphere.”
Can you cite any evidence of this unease, Chris, or is just gratuitous racism?
Are you sure that you do not stumble into the “false dilemma” trap? We have to choose only between undemocratic appointing and election? Do we have more than 2 choices? Is it possible to have election with strongly effective democratic citizenship education? Please notice that I do not mean to look down the people and I do not would like to take the power away from them but is it possible that election without strongly effective democratic citizenship education causes lots of political problems along 81 yrs of Thai democracy? Please open your mind to learn more on this.
If indeed Thailand holds an election come Feb 2nd (why on earth for, only Yingluck and Thaksin and those 310-Thaksin-servants-posing-as-lawmakers could fathom), the next Yingluck government will graduate to a ‘zombie government’ with ghostly ministers running about with their Thaksin chains clanging loudy along.
After Feb 2nd, the ‘Ghost of Jit Phoomisak’ may not be the only silly ghost in town.
Ah Vichai, how lonely it is to be among the very few, who see the Shinawatras for what they really are. Well said. It’s all a family game and the winner gets a free all-paid trip to Zurich or Beijing, all expenses paid.
Every time I see PM Yingluck, my first image is of a group of cackling 17-year old Japanese school girls in the Ginza district. Her lessons in leadership should have occurred far far earlier than they are now.
I am quite sure the Generals share that view. What they do with that view, remains to be seen.
I had doubts about the emergency decree and failed to see how it was going to help the government unless it was prepared to use force, which is clearly not the case. However the reason only became obvious to me after Yingluck’s meeting with the defence chiefs yesterday. It seems that as a result of the decree it is now going to be much easier for the government to ensure that the army is deployed to defend and protect the election – and much more difficult for any reluctant generals to withhold support from the pursuit of that objective.
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Middle class rage threatens democracy
1. Payments for rice purchases were made direct to farmers instead of leaving to rich middle-men to decide how much they could ‘afford’ to pay poor farmers.
2. Real and major reforms to the formal education system, to begin replacing the Confucian-based education system with one rewarding individual merit more than collective acceptance.
3. ‘Sarcasm – the lowest form of wit’
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Thank you for the very interesting link. But what stood out the most was this:
“Another is Adm. Banawit Kengrian, the former deputy permanent secretary of defense, who is listed as one of many shareholders in the British Virgin Islands company Vnet Capital International Co., Ltd in 1998.
Kengrian was appointed a member of the National Legislative Council after the military coup in 2006. He resigned as a naval officer in 2007 but was later appointed chairperson of a transportation committee under the National Legislative Council with a mandate to investigate corruption cases within the Ministry of Transportation that had allegedly occurred under the previous government led by Shinawatra.
Kengrian said he had bought a small stake in the company as a personal investment. “I have never gotten involved with company management,” he said. “As far as I understand, the company has changed status. It has merged with another company a while ago. I do not really have the details though.”
A 2006 junta helper and perennial military meddler Banawit.
Corruption is Thailand is certainly well distributed across the supposed “good people” and “bad people”!
Middle class rage threatens democracy
I’m not sure it would help too much. The Bangkok middle class are quite educated, and yet many of them are capable of following such figures as Suthep and Aphisit.
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Agreed. If the protesters were really against corruption and not just using it as an excuse, they would be protesting against the National Anti-Corruption Commission for failing to do it’s job … and even occupying it by force as with the other ministries.
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Are those who are owed payments under the rice-pledging scheme and who threaten to join Suthep’s protest from a middle class?
The shutdown: In honor of NN
The government has put no effort into dispersing the protesters, and often even intentionally lets them take over ministries without a fight.
I believe the SoE was enacted as a means to better deal with the almost daily gun and grenade attacks, not as a means to fight off the protesters.
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Yes Nation is bias to a point, but its up to you to judge if what the writer writes is balance. BP has some good writers like Vorachai, and the others so so to no good. If you are so quickly to dismiss the Nation instead of looking at the content, you are forever blinded by the other bias point of view.
Middle class rage threatens democracy
a guest cook who got paid while being PM at the same time. Haha as if being guest cook made any difference, he was a weekly guest cook then, how about that.
Middle class rage threatens democracy
I have to disagree with the point that the majority of the middle class don’t know about the power struggle. Its ironic that foreigners think only they know about the problem when they learn these facts from Thais. A big majority of middle and high class Thais who is in tune with politics know about the power struggle but REFUSE to talk about it due to the laws. Do you honestly think they can campaign about it? If people really know about the power struggle, they should also be very alarmed about the Thaksin camp, the history on how money was siphoned out from government offices to fund their little activities and support individuals/individual who hasn’t done much public service. So is the PTP really a better alternative to the Dems? NO, both are rubbish for the society, parasites that are holding the country back.
“Populism deconstructed: Anger over being robbed”
Tax payers should have a say, after all the government lied and continue to lie about sustainability of schemes that are costing the country. Should we tell farmers to go home because they have no right to protest after the rice funds are dried up too? Believe it or not, a big part of the middle class supported Thaksin during his initial term, the change he brought. After all PTP did win close to 40-45% of the votes from the Bangkok middle class! You should know this right?
The laws are there, but just not enforced hence all these problems. The very pesons who are suppose to enforce it don’t give a damn and plays politics with it a well.
The shutdown: In honor of NN
Not yet, I think, but possibly in need of intensive care. The same may possibly be true of the PDRC. It must be costing quite a lot and one wonders how much patience its financial backers have, particularly given the direct effect it is having on their business interests. May they yet decide that financing a Bangkok street party is not worth the candle? My guess is that everything is still in the balance.
The shutdown: In honor of NN
It looks like the vast majority of Thais are planning to participate in the upcoming elections on February 2.
‘About 80% of people polled said they would vote on Feb 2 if the polls go ahead, and the majority opposed another military coup,even if anti-government rallies turn violent,’ according to the Bangkok Poll, announced Friday, January 24 and cited in the Bangkok Post.
There has been no announcement yet from the Constitution Court on whether the EC or the government have the power to delay the polling date.
Thoughts of a pro-government leader
I remember at that time the protest leaders were accusing Thaksin of a conflict of interest wrt his ownership of Shin Corp, and my impression from the news at that time was that he sold Shin Corp to resolve that issue.
Regardless, I think the law to up the cap on foreign ownership from 25% to 49% was good for Thailand’s economy in terms of encouraging foreign investment.
The shutdown: In honor of NN
“…because of the imports from the south, dominated by swarthy dark young men in army-surplus gear and shades. The paler, more genteel Bangkokians often seem uneasy in this atmosphere.”
Can you cite any evidence of this unease, Chris, or is just gratuitous racism?
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Please tell us about the “reforms” put in place when the Democrats became Govt thru coups.. please.. thanks
Middle class rage threatens democracy
I tend to give more tips to the poor girls from Isaan. Do you?
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Are you sure that you do not stumble into the “false dilemma” trap? We have to choose only between undemocratic appointing and election? Do we have more than 2 choices? Is it possible to have election with strongly effective democratic citizenship education? Please notice that I do not mean to look down the people and I do not would like to take the power away from them but is it possible that election without strongly effective democratic citizenship education causes lots of political problems along 81 yrs of Thai democracy? Please open your mind to learn more on this.
The shutdown: In honor of NN
If indeed Thailand holds an election come Feb 2nd (why on earth for, only Yingluck and Thaksin and those 310-Thaksin-servants-posing-as-lawmakers could fathom), the next Yingluck government will graduate to a ‘zombie government’ with ghostly ministers running about with their Thaksin chains clanging loudy along.
After Feb 2nd, the ‘Ghost of Jit Phoomisak’ may not be the only silly ghost in town.
Middle class rage threatens democracy
Ah Vichai, how lonely it is to be among the very few, who see the Shinawatras for what they really are. Well said. It’s all a family game and the winner gets a free all-paid trip to Zurich or Beijing, all expenses paid.
Every time I see PM Yingluck, my first image is of a group of cackling 17-year old Japanese school girls in the Ginza district. Her lessons in leadership should have occurred far far earlier than they are now.
I am quite sure the Generals share that view. What they do with that view, remains to be seen.
The shutdown: In honor of NN
Yingluck Government:’Dead Man Walking’
Middle class rage threatens democracy
I had doubts about the emergency decree and failed to see how it was going to help the government unless it was prepared to use force, which is clearly not the case. However the reason only became obvious to me after Yingluck’s meeting with the defence chiefs yesterday. It seems that as a result of the decree it is now going to be much easier for the government to ensure that the army is deployed to defend and protect the election – and much more difficult for any reluctant generals to withhold support from the pursuit of that objective.