Thailand protest leader gives PM 'two-day ultimatum'

Give me an example of Taksin’s socialism.

Err, there are lots of examples, but the 30 baht healthcare scheme is a good start.

How could you live there and not know that Thaksin was a populist leftist? And a corrupt one at that. The Yellow shirts are mostly the middle, upper and business classes standing together to prevent Thailand from becoming a socialist wasteland.

Best looking Thai PM I’ve ever seen ;^)

Yeah, I'll give you that - Yingluck is a hottie. But then, Thai women are generally beautiful. I can just walk around the city with a smile on my face looking at all the lovelies.

My family and I have enjoyed the lack of tumult that now seems to be returning with abandoned.

Well, none of this would be happening if Yingluck hadn't tried to jam an amnesty through and bring her brother back. The opposition (yellow shirts) had been mostly quiet since she was decisively elected, but then she and her cronies had to try to bring Thaksin back - which has been her goal all along.

Look I agree Thaksin and TRT would win again today if they could run. The rural poor like him because he pushed populist left policies. But the same thing applies in Venezuela, Bolivia, etc, and look what that got them.

I'm glad to see the producers stand firmly against leftist nonsense. It's going to make my next trip in January pretty interesting I think.

Cheers!

Great reply , kap khun . I do not live in Thailand . I have just never seen Taksin as all that Left . Of course I do not examine Thai politics thru the same filters and perceptions that I apply to US politics . I always compared Taksin to his many predecessors , whose chaotic regime I did have to live thru at times over the years , and saw him as the best of that lot. I think the things you might be classifying as ‘socialist’ might rather be examples of the typical Thai tendency to vote buy ; you know , like Obama does . Low cost health care offers , unsecured loans and crop advances to the rural poor . Not out of any socialist ideology but as a way to create a vast rural base . Which he did . b/t/w , not all the rural baan-nok-ers are ignorant hicks . There as many sophisticated red shirts throughout the Changwats that like Taksin because he was the ONLY one that ever did squat for them . Talk to them , they’ll tell you . They see most of the Krung Theppers as a bunch of pampered blood suckers that hoard everything they can and build wealth on the back of everyone else . Watch Thai TV and you can see classic examples of this urban decadence every night . The so-called ‘good guys ‘ wear yellow to capitalize on the fact that the color is associated with His Majesty and the Royal family . THis does not mean ‘the reds’ love their King any less . It would be interesting to see what Nai Luang would say if he ever did choose to make remarks about this weird situation. Notice that when (rarely) he does get involved he does not automatically go with the populous rabble rousers ; ie Chamlong and the Palang Dharma crowd . Me, I do not take a side , red or yellow . As a farang I do not think it is my place to overtly take sides . I go thru the roof when some Thai tries to tell me what a great guy Obama is ! However ,as one with an interest and a love of the country and the people I merely wish that all sides would knock it off and realize that they have it made far more than any of their neighbors and all the squabbling makes the Thai look petty . Not noble .

I think the things you might be classifying as ‘socialist’ might rather be examples of the typical Thai tendency to vote buy ; you know , like Obama does . Low cost health care offers , unsecured loans and crop advances to the rural poor . Not out of any socialist ideology but as a way to create a vast rural base .

Well yeah, I guess I sort of agree with you here. Thaksin and his Thai Loves Thai party pushed populist left policies to buy off the rural poor. But that doesn't make it good. That's precisely what Chavez did in Venezuela, and Morales in Bolivia, and the endless string of leftists in Argentina, etc, and the list goes on. I mean, that is socialism. It may not be outright communism, but it starts down the road to leftist governance - which is not a good thing. Heck I wish the producers here in this country (the US) stood against this stuff going all the way back to FDR.

They see most of the Krung Theppers as a bunch of pampered blood suckers that hoard everything they can and build wealth on the back of everyone else.

You know, this sounds pretty much like what the occupy wall street crowd has to say about the successful business class. I don't really think that's a good attitude to have.

It would be interesting to see what Nai Luang would say if he ever did choose to make remarks about this weird situation. Notice that when (rarely) he does get involved he does not automatically go with the populous rabble rousers

As I recall, the King did make statements chastising Thaksin many years back when Thaksin was still in office. They were very veiled as you'd expect, but the media and public did take them that way at the time as I recall.

As a farang I do not think it is my place to overtly take sides . I go thru the roof when some Thai tries to tell me what a great guy Obama is !

I agree with you about this. When I am in country, I never pick sides publicly. My Thai friends are mostly in the business community so they are most definitely Yellow's, but when I am outside of that group I never voice an opinion. I am even conscious not to wear noticeable red or yellow clothes when there is even a hint of protest actions going on.

I merely wish that all sides would knock it off

Not to sound selfish, but I wish they'd knock it off till after my next trip ;) I don't want a replay of 2010. Please no burning down malls while I am busy trying to catch up and chill out in BKK.

Cheers.

heh heh heh

“They see most of the Krung Theppers as a bunch of pampered blood suckers that hoard everything they can and build wealth on the back of everyone else.”

“You know, this sounds pretty much like what the occupy wall street crowd has to say about the successful business class. I don’t really think that’s a good attitude to have. “

There’s a big difference ; the Occupier weenies are a bunch of bums and shiftless kids that do not work or contribute anything to our society other than their precious ‘dissent’ The red shirts on the other hand are comprised of millions of incredibly hard working rural folks . Not the village drunks , who can’t make it off their bamboo benches in the shade in the villages . The ‘rurals’ of Thailand ( khon baan nok , or chao suan ) actually DO deserve more credit than they get . It is not a misconception that the power brokers and Sino-Thai champions of business/politics and most levels of government and military/law enforcement in Bangkok do not give much thought to their lot in life . They love nai Taksin because he appeared to . In tangible ways . Taksin was the only one to really sock it to the Burmese backed and organized crime controlled yah-bah methamphetamine scourge too . Giving orders that allowed for ‘extra judicial’ execution of offenders really put a crimp on things for awhile . Maybe we should try that ;^)

Yep. Avoid Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya.

Chiang Mai is beautiful and inexpensive.

It’s also on my short list of retirement destinations.

I can live like a Prince in Thailand just on my Social Security, and that’s if I opt to take it at age 62

Once I get a handle on my actual monthly expenses, I’m going to see if Koh Samui is within my budget.

It actually is, but I want to be able to save some money every month in addition to my “seed” money to move over there and have enough in the bank for emergencies.

If SS goes under or stops paying out for a while, I’ll have enough to live on for a while as well as an “exit plan”

LeoWindhorse wrote:
“(snip) ... I was in this place in rural Thailand once , years ago ...”

I was in Thailand, not wearing a U.S. Flag pin, but the uniform of the U. S. Air Force, from 1971 to 1974, stationed and operating from Royal Thai Naval Air Field U-Tapao, 90 miles south of Bangkok. I am aware of the Thai Communists that were waging war in Northern Thailand, and the Thai Mohammedans, waging war in the Southern Peninsula, and in the bordering nation of Malaysia. I’ve met many Cambodian, Laotian, Malay, and Thais that had stories of this nature.

Now, in this time, to see that crap growing and spreading in my own land, puts one’s self-disicpline to the test.

” I’m going to see if Koh Samui is within my budget.”

Check out Koh Chang , beyond Rayong , way less tourists , way more wildlife and fish , and not a magnet for stinky Euro hippies ( unless you like stinky Euro hippies...)

” If SS goes under or stops paying out for a while, I’ll have enough to live on for a while as well as an “exit plan”

Teach English . Lots of fun and fairly lucrative . I used to make 500 baht for a 2 hour tutoring session , fees shared among the number of students . That’s more than a Thai laborer makes in several days . Commit several days of your week to this , several sessions a day and you should be good to go . Make it fun , make them study , give interesting projects , conduct field trips that require your student to speak English in describing things in their own environment. They love it . Most Thai that wish to speak English get little opportunity to practice in a low pressure non-classroom situation . In the process , you will learn Thai very well. If you are going in live in Thailand YOU MUST learn Thai . Do not listen to any lazy expat that tells you it is not necessary . In 2 years you will be an ace .

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