Thread: Coup 2014 !!!! : Military 'takes control' in Thailand

The whole point of diplomatspeak is that one rarely commits to anything unless the endgame is already formulated.

The septics have undertaken to "review" their relationship. Do you seriously think for one nano second that the septics will forsake their special relationship with Thailand at a time when China is developing its influence in the region?

If so, you are a bigger fool than most of us we more intelligent of the forum have taken you for.

^

Well considering what happened back in 2010 its safe to say the Thais have matured a tad and certainly do not want to revisit this scenario.

Hence why the military decided to step in and act as a circuit breaker before the Reds and Yellows really kicked it off.

Worked a treat so far with some nice reforms being done.

Jesus, they are not fuking around in Phuket.

Originally Posted by Exit Strategy

Civil war would be hell, insane people with no military background want to kill and murder like some on this family friendly forum.

There was indeed posters on this forum calling for death to the Yellows.

When you read that sort of post you realize just how simply retarded some Farang are.

Some of the hard core political nutters on this forum were quite a good read.

Good for ridicule anyway.

Very quiet now this lot.

Originally Posted by terry57

There was indeed posters on this forum calling for death to the Yellows

To be fair, I think there were posters calling death to Reds too.

Both wrong.

Originally Posted by terry57

There was indeed posters on this forum calling for death to the Yellows. When you read that sort of post you realize just how simply retarded some Farang are. Some of the hard core political nutters on this forum were quite a good read. Good for ridicule anyway.

It's ridiculous, Terry, to claim that your posts aren't political. You think the coup's great because Prayuth is making the trains run on time. Other posters think the coup is bad because basic rights to freedom of speech and the right to vote have been ripped away. Both are political views. Just coming from different value systems.

Originally Posted by terry57

The punters who actually live here will tell you that the place is ticking along very well with Military rule.

I live here, Terry, so don't presume to speak for me.

Originally Posted by terry57

Originally Posted by taxexile

A welcome side effect of the coup is that it also seems to have silenced the sixth form amateur socialists cadre ( teak door branch), many of whom were predicting an armed uprising by the wurzels, mass bloodshed and a bonfire of the benzes on sukhumvit.

I suspect they are all headsdown and very busy now, engaged in wound licking and re grouping therapy.

Very fair post this and exactly what I had said all along.

So many long term Expats on this forum who have been through it all before and yet some of the tools where sprouting off predicting civil war , blood shed in the street and a massacre regards Red versus Yellow.

Betty has been very quiet lately and Yasojack has simply disappeared.

Fuked up EH boys.

All good innit.

A greater civil war here will never come about, as it hasn't in the past during similar turbulent times. Sure, there has been pockets of subversiveness and resistance throughout Thai history, not of significant influence throughout the bowels of society. It's just not written in the nature of the overall population to rise up against entities that truly aren't that directly detrimental to their lives - this includes corrupt civilian government to militarism to elite power. Things remain the same regardless of the manufactured surface observations and events.

Originally Posted by Exit Strategy

"Pimsiri Petchnamrob stands silently in a mass of sharply dressed Bangkok commuters, her hands clutched around a copy of George Orwell's 1984.

Next to her a small group of young men and women, their faces sombre and their heads bowed low, also read books about fictional and real totalitarian worlds in silence."

My friends told me when they read 1984 for the first time they could never imagine there would be a country like that, but it’s happening now in Thailand,” says Pimsiri.

Orwell's '1984' suddenly fashionable on Bangkok streets - CSMonitor.com

I can imagine that no one could tell me that there was much, if any, difference of general suppressive atmosphere from two/three months ago in comparison to this day. I have to wonder if anyone is paying attention. We're being played upon.

One wonders what these earnest young readers of great literature on their daily commute think they will achieve by such an act. What sacrifice has been wrought from this selfless, courageous pantomime of defiance? The only thing occurring to me is perhaps a denial of Facebook time or possibly temporary withdrawal from the more usual pastime of playing inane games on their IPhone.

Yep, that'll do it. The Bangkok Spring has begun. Well, as much as it can at the beginning of any rainy season, that is.

Originally Posted by thegent

One wonders what these earnest young readers of great literature on their daily commute think they will achieve by such an act. What sacrifice has been wrought from this selfless, courageous pantomime of defiance? The only thing occurring to me is perhaps a denial of Facebook time or possibly temporary withdrawal from the more usual pastime of playing inane games on their IPhone. Yep, that'll do it. The Bangkok Spring has begun. Well, as much as it can at the beginning of any rainy season, that is.

They have a point of view. They have things they want to say about the way they want the political structure of their country to be defined. Other avenues of political expression have been banned. Try raising three fingers to the Thai army to the army and see what happens to you. They are reading books publicly and making points about the fact that they want to be able to think freely. In almost all of your posts, you criticize Thais as a lazy, feckless, indoctrinated mass of plebeian idiots who should just stick to farming rice. And when a few young people stop playing facebook or their "inane games" as you say, and make a protest that actually puts them out of step with much of their society and many of their peers, and which puts them in danger of arrest, all you can do is sneer.

They know that some of their professors and some of their fellow students have been detained and released. They know that some have been detained and not released. They know that some are in hiding or on the run or overseas. They know that some have been charged with offences that could get them 15 years in jail. They know that the military has absolute, arbitrary power. The military can identify them and "invite" them to come for "attitude re-adjustment". These "earnest young readers of great literature" are braver than me and I would think braver than you. But sneer on.

You think these students are unaware of the deaths of students in 1973 and 1976 and of students and other demonstrators in 1992 and 2010. Most students are or don't want to know about it. These "earnest young readers" do know about these things. Most of their peers don't know about it or don't want to know about it. History is boring. These are the young people who want to learn from and understand history. And you sneer at them for this?

Tomta. 1973 and 1976 are not forgotten.

Black May of 1992 and live fire zones of 2010 are not forgotten either.

Originally Posted by Exit Strategy

Tomta. 1973 and 1976 are not forgotten.

...and 1933, 1957, 1964, 1983, 1992, 2000, 2010. Yet, nothing quite compares to those two Octobers that you mention. Hallmarks.

Originally Posted by Thormaturge

Good luck with renewing driving licenses

Going to Chatuchak to renew my 5-year soon... no problems at all before, but now, who knows.

^
I'd take a wad just in case.

The local fallang Pattaya radio stations seemed to have re appeared today.

I have no idea why farang capitulate so easily to coercion designed to elicit bribes.
If the revenue declined to discharge its duty according to the law then record the fact with one's lawyer present and then complain formally with suitable published correspondence where appropriate.

Certainly, in the current climate one can have a lot of fun. General Prayuth has issued an edict stating the law should prevail equally. Presumably the Revenue Dept. official may wish to be made aware.

You are so blisteringly naive it hurts.

It takes TWO YEARS to get a reply from the Revenue Department Head Office on matters of law.

My company would be out of business waiting for a response if we followed your suggestion. Additionally everything is verbal and deniable. Turn up with a lawyer and you wind up looking daft. Corrupt, what us? Never! Lawyer hands you his bill, thinks you are stupid, and the next time you get hit up for more.

It takes TWO YEARS to get a reply from the Revenue Department Head Office on matters of law.

My company would be out of business waiting for a response if we followed your suggestion. Additionally everything is verbal and deniable. Turn up with a lawyer and you wind up looking daft. Corrupt, what us? Never! Lawyer hands you his bill, thinks you are stupid, and the next time you get hit up for more.

Why do you subject yourself to the extortion, the lies, the cheating, the shakedowns and the corruption involved in doing business with these primitives?

Originally Posted by taxexile

It takes TWO YEARS to get a reply from the Revenue Department Head Office on matters of law.

My company would be out of business waiting for a response if we followed your suggestion. Additionally everything is verbal and deniable. Turn up with a lawyer and you wind up looking daft. Corrupt, what us? Never! Lawyer hands you his bill, thinks you are stupid, and the next time you get hit up for more.

Why do you subject yourself to the extortion, the lies, the cheating, the shakedowns and the corruption involved in doing business with these primitives?

Matter of survival. Odd and contradictory as it might appear, sometimes it's best to go along to get along.

^^ He has no choice- thus it has ever been. It is a 'condition of doing business' in Thailand, and numerous other places too. The reality is, elected PT, appointed Dem, or coupist Military, the corruption machine rolls on much the same- just different jockeys. Business people just deal with it.

Originally Posted by sabang

The reality is, elected PT, appointed Dem, or coupist Military, the corruption machine rolls on much the same- just different jockeys.

This reality doesn't seem to sink in very well with many.