Comments on: Six threats and one opportunity

By: rick doner

rick doner — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:47:33 +0000

Andrew – I found your comments quite compelling. What seems to be missing from those comments and the long list of responses to them is a systematic focus on the Democrat Party. This party is arguably one if not the major force, given its relatively solid electoral base in the South, that could help promote some degree of reconciliation. Could you or others provide some sense of 1) the degree of coherence or unity within this party, and 2) the party’s overall political calculus (if there is one).

Many thanks for your excellent work!

Rick

By: Frank G Anderson

Frank G Anderson — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:39:13 +0000

Talking about making changes…
A few years ago, a long time ago, in fact,
(972-73) I was teaching at NIDA in Bangkok, and one of my favorite activities was criticizing the then Thai government. A colleague I shared an office with would from time to time mention, “My father-in-law is doing all he can about fighting corruption.” It finally got to me and I said, “Listen, you tell me this all the time. But just who is your father-in-law anyhow?”
My friend wrote down on a piece of paper, “”PM.”
I was slow!
“Who?” I asked.
“Prime Minister.”
Whoa! Did I lay an egg! My friend was Dr. Suvit Yodmani, who had married Thanom Kittikajorn’s youngest daughter. That was my lesson in not just personal ignorance, but also in seeing that the guys at the top themselves sometimes think they are doing the right thing – even when they are not. The next year we had already taken off for my new job in Iran, and Thanom and the other two dictators were ousted.

By: Frank G Anderson

Frank G Anderson — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:31:54 +0000

High regard et. al…
I would venture to say that most of it is high regard, but not out of any purely metaphysical origin. More impregnated and orchestrated, although some arising from observation of the many positive contributions made to society.
That taboos are far and wide on discussing role, possible faulty acts, or succession and so on is a clear reflection on this country’s basic ruling elite coalition, none of whose membership wants to lose privileges or be responsible to public agencies.
That a senior PC member was taken out of the PC made PM and then brought back into the PC clearly indicates highest levels of inside involvement in 19 September 2006. There was a top-level power struggle going on, which by the way, is not over. That Thaksin’s brother-in-law is in at the moment says mountains about what’s in store unless things are forced to change. Thus the PAD and hopefully students, state enterprise unions and others need to get involved, and all of these need to stop kidding themselves and us about how deeply committed to HMK they are, or say they are. Using such a high element to coalesce favorable opinion is working in the short term but will have socially damaging effects later on, I fear.

By: sueksit nanhuay

sueksit nanhuay — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:46:42 +0000

Thank you, Andrew Walker, for the seven threats to Thailand. I agree with you entirely. Actually, my friends of the like mind and I have talked about these for many years, and hope to effect some changes where we can. And now comes this demonstration at Makhawan Bridge. Let us hope that those five iguanas who lead the demonstration will see light. They are not an alliance for democracy, but rather an alliance for secret money. We can see Iguana Suriyasai, for example, acts quite hilariously because the fund is ample for him, whose motto seems to be “Fund and fight”. His conduct confirms completely Walker’s remarks.

By: The security state

The security state — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 02:53:04 +0000

[...] is the paper presented by Chairat Charoensin-o-larn of Thammasat University at the Thailand Update held at the ANU late last month [chairat-2007.pdf]. I think it is a balanced and nuanced account [...]

By: Mariner

Mariner — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:54:10 +0000

Off topic I suspect, but today I got my first real glimpse into just how popular and highly regarded is his majesty king Bhumipol. Looking through You tube (now accessible) I could not find one single derogatory video of the esteemed king _And I mean NOT ONE! A truly beloved leader, indeed.

By: jeru

jeru — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:14:12 +0000

Historicus you should ask Andrew Walker who worries. I think thrice already Andrew Walker’s blocking-deleting-censorious fingers were attentively active with my posts.

Thaksin’s democracy had to end extra-constitutionally Historicus, there was no other way, either Thaksin’s coup or the pre-emptive General Sonthi coup that was successful. So far none of the NM bloggers can show me how Thaksin’s democracy, with the divisions and non-stop protests, was supposed to culminate.

By: nganadeeleg

nganadeeleg — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 22:51:04 +0000

Historicus: Why would I be ’suddenly’ worried?

I admit I do worry, but there is nothing sudden about it, as I have consistently stated that the electoral masses need to be more discerning before things can get better.

I note you have avoided my question in post #76 above.

By: Historicus

Historicus — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:41:14 +0000

Like the military junta and its puppet government, jeru and nganadeeleg have suddenly become worried that their views are not as widely held as they imagined.

By: Historicus

Historicus — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 16:38:22 +0000

jeru: I gave you the facts, you give none. “so where did Historicus get his conclusion that anti-Thaksin prostesters have quieted down?” – from tha Bangkok press. I cited all of the events. You now scratch around for protests in NYC and London. Do these equal the “massive street protests” that you wrote of above? You are doing a fine job of avoiding facts. I am not rewriting that’s your job for the boys in khaki and green. That should be absolutely clear to all on NM. You are not serious but a (self-appointed?) blogger for the junta.