A Dinner Conversation

**hillbilly** · 21-03-2010, 09:27 AM

Had a few Thai friends over recently for dinner and drinks. As the evening wore on, the red and yellow shirt came in to debate.

As I have no dog in this fight per se, I asked questions and listened. This is what I came away with.

Half of my guests favored the yellow shirts. One had even participated in the group that shut the airport.

With the other half their hearts were where they were born upcountry.

Both sides did agree that a civil war in Thailand was possibly on the horizon.

One friend and his wife got so aggravated that they left abruptly.

Your opinion?

**FlyFree** · 21-03-2010, 09:35 AM

Cannot think of any, except maybe dinner was boring?
I mean, c'mon, from what you've posted, what opinion could there be? Some Thai support red, some yellow. They sometimes argue and get aggravated. May or may not lead to civil war. All bases already covered. Does not leave any room for opinion.

**Butterfly** · 21-03-2010, 09:35 AM

the reds are feeding the division for one purpose only, the vendetta of a billionaire

it's quite sad really, to see such division over nothing

This is one topic I would avoid when I have Thai guests at home, there is no possible debate when one side has a wrapped view of reality and keep confusing issues at hand.

The reds remind me of conservative right wing loonies in the US, keep dodging the real issues and shutdown as soon as the hard questions are asked.

**Mid** · 21-03-2010, 09:35 AM

Originally Posted by hillbilly

One friend and his wife got so aggravated that they left abruptly.

red or yellow ?

**hillbilly** · 21-03-2010, 09:40 AM

Yellow.

**Mid** · 21-03-2010, 09:42 AM

that'll be the side that starts the proceedings , they have the most to lose

**Butterfly** · 21-03-2010, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by hillbilly

Yellow.

the sad thing is that I am sure if you removed the color shirt coding labeling, the two sides would agree on a number of issues.

**hillbilly** · 21-03-2010, 09:49 AM

The Thai friends of our that we had over; have known my wife for a long time. Subsequently, I have known these people for over 10 years.

Their income (guessing) varies from B100,000 to who reallys know per month.

All seemingly intelligient people (I was perhaps the misfit) felt strongly in their T-shirt color views.

**Butterfly** · 21-03-2010, 09:53 AM

^ the PAD were nasty fuckers, but they did an excellent job of getting rid of one problem. I can't believe anyone would keep supporting them past that job. Or maybe it's a reaction to the reds movement ?

among the yellow, how many were former TRT supporters ? I bet all of them

**Marmite the Dog** · 21-03-2010, 10:19 AM

Both sides have no idea.

**Cenovis** · 21-03-2010, 10:21 AM

I stay in contact with Thaksin at the moment. He will start a online campaign to get more people on his side. If he signs I will write red here, otherwise it will be yellow

**nidhogg** · 21-03-2010, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by hillbilly

Half of my guests favored the yellow shirts. One had even participated in the group that shut the airport.

With the other half their hearts were where they were born upcountry.

Your opinion?

Its funny. Most of the people I have spoken to (from the whole spectrum of society) just simply wish that they (red and yellow) would just give it a rest, and let people get on with their lives. Mostly they see neither side as representing their interests.....

**barbaro** · 21-03-2010, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by hillbilly

Both sides did agree that a civil war in Thailand was possibly on the horizon.

......Your opinion?

I'm just piggy-backing off what I read in the papers.

There is polarization, no doubt.

But to have a civil war there needs to be at least:

1. financing

2. organization & planning

3. a leader or groups of leader that are together, and agree on methods and strategies.

4. other things.

I don't know if these criteria as met at this time.

Others know more than I do.

**Bangyai** · 21-03-2010, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by hillbilly

Your opinion?

Talking politics after dinner with people of differing opinions is not conducive to a convivial atmosphere and is likely to end in the sulks. Best try to change the subject.

**sabang** · 21-03-2010, 01:08 PM

Too much talk about Thaksin, in both yellow and red circles, and not enough about the real problems with Thailand- in particular corruption, legal accountabily, and respect for the Democratic process. I do give Abhisit the benefit of the doubt as an individual- I think he represents a new generation of Thai politicians that do want to rein in the excesses of official corruption, cronyism and nepotism in this country. Conversely, while he definitely had some good and succesful policies, Thaksin does not. But Abhisit has no real power- his parliament is controlled by the 'Old guard' in cohorts with the military. If he tries to appoint a reformer to any influential position, it is just overturned.

At least the Red shirts demonstrating helps keep this in the public eye, and they are certainly proving a thorn in the side of the 'powers that be'. But I think their message would be more effective if they banged the Thaksin drum less. Thaksin and sympathisers were ousted and replaced by equally corrupt figures, in an obvious political vendetta. He got on the wrong side of the Military, and other influential power groups. But the same problems remain and are not being addressed. As the Red shirts correctly point out though, at least Thaksin did something to court their vote.

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