Tanks

[Snick]

Most analysts now think the Coup will be good for business, as the Thai market had been underperforming all year due to uncertainty.

The new government may also resolve the issue of foreign ownership thru proxy companies, which could be a positive step (if the new rule fosters foreign purchase of property, etc..).

[Snick]

The Cage movie has a scene thats supposed to be Patpong, but they used Soi Cowboy instead (and called it Patpong)

[Guest]

(Snick @ Sep. 22 2006,10:13) Most analysts now think the Coup will be good for business, as the Thai market had been underperforming all year due to uncertainty.......

These, of course, are the same analysts who try like hell every day of the world to convince you to buy stock regardless of what is happening. Somebody blows up California tomorrow and I promise they will tell you that will be good for the market because oil prices will fall with all those folks in LA not driving anymore.

[Guest]

(stogie bear @ Sep. 21 2006,07:39) Fuck the 'political process!' It's these wolly minded, cowardly crooks that spend a lifetime worshipping the political process that have invited this sudden change.

[BAM]

(PigDogg @ Sep. 22 2006,09:09) Cage persuaded the producer to send everyone home, according to the report.

What a wimp Nicolas Cage is... running home scared shitless because of the coup. He always plays some though guy in his movies... now we see what he's really like,,,, a fucking WIMP!

Now if it was Arnold Schwarzenegger he'd be there smoking cigars with all the amy boys and driving their tanks around town.

[thaibound]

(Bam @ Sep. 22 2006,21:55) Now if it was Arnold Schwarzenegger he'd be there smoking cigars with all the amy boys and driving their tanks around town.

whaaa?
and lose his favorite seat at Casanovas?

[Stewart]

For the Thai people this military response has ended months of political uncertainty as Thailand had blundered through it's political life recently with a 'caretaker prime minister.' Now, suddenly, all the soldiers with flowers on their guns, yellow arm bands of peace and patriotic fervour and clearly thought out vision and plan for the future suddenly ended all of that.

The coup was a well orchestrated stroke of genius and was perfectly timed.

So - this must be sending shudders down your spine if you are a politition, eh? That a country with a solid economy and democratically elected government the size of Thailand could be usurped with open arms in one day by some well intentioned Muslim soldier...

So; governments and political bigwigs all over the world are saying "No no no... this is all wrong!" But clearly it isn't. The people want it and it looks like it'll actually do wonders for democracy in the long run. So BEWARE you polititions out there... this kind of revolution may be coming to a country near you too, sooner than you think!

So, let me get this right. The guy was elected by a big majority....twice I believe....would probably have done so again in November, and suddenly it's all right for a bunch of unelected generals to say "not cool, we know better". That is what you are saying?

A more accurate analysis above might have said "the BANGKOK people want it". Last time I looked, the government of Thailand was supposed to support 60-70m Thais across the country, not just 10m in Bangkok.

So, 2 observations from me:

1. Looks just like have and have nots to me. The poor people (who voted him in) don't count. And silly me thought that democracy had some notion of everyone being equal about it.
2. The generals in Burma must be pissing themselves laughing, and the Burmese people have just been condemned to another generation of poverty and oppression......is this the "clearly thought out vision" you are talking about above?

Democracy is not perfect, but I don't see too many other systems that are fairer

[Guest]

Stewart,

Thanks for raising a hand and saying that. I'm flabbergasted that so many foreigners are falling all over themselves to fall in line with the New Think party line that the Thai press is now toeing. Are we so desperate to fit in here that we're willing to discard even our most basic principles of right and fairness to do it?

[stogie bear]

Looks just like have and have nots to me. The poor people (who voted him in) don't count. And silly me thought that democracy had some notion of everyone being equal about it.

Looks just like have and have nots to me. Erm... and the business of politics ISN'T about the 'haves and have nots?' Ha ha!

The poor people (who voted him in) don't count. This is as it should be. If you can buy a vote with a sandwich and a can of Coke you don't deserve it. Fuck the stupid people.

And silly me thought that democracy had some notion of everyone being equal about it.  Still learning about the world from books, eh? LOL!

[rxpharm]

Those who think the coup is wrong are not looking at the entire picture.

In Thailand the TRT had fine honed the art of vote buying as Stogie has pointed out. They would hold rallies in the country side where free food was given out in exchange for a pledge to vote for the party. TRT also developed totally unstainable policies to guarantee the votes of the rural poor - the 30 Baht health plan being one of them - now their hospitals do not have the funds or resources to deliver that program. Promising paved roads in remote areas that do not have any kind of commerical business.

So you say, just vote them out next election - well as long as the poor people think that TRT is the best thing since sliced bread the country would be bankrupted, while Thaksin and his cronies amass their fortunes. This is not counting the tampering with the election commission, suppressing the press with countless lawsuits of slander, buying out the television stations and firing news producers who do not agree with the TRT party line, making unilateral decisions to give party hacks important positions without experience, summary excecutions of drug dealers without due process (some will say this is a good thing - but how many were really drug dealers?), and the list goes on.

It is easy to arm chair quarterback and say basic rights and freedoms, but it really takes getting knowledge of the situation to see why this was done.

[Stewart]

hose who think the coup is wrong are not looking at the entire picture.
In Thailand the TRT had fine honed the art of vote buying as Stogie has pointed out. They would hold rallies in the country side where free food was given out in exchange for a pledge to vote for the party. TRT also developed totally unstainable policies to guarantee the votes of the rural poor - the 30 Baht health plan being one of them - now their hospitals do not have the funds or resources to deliver that program. Promising paved roads in remote areas that do not have any kind of commerical business.
So you say, just vote them out next election - well as long as the poor people think that TRT is the best thing since sliced bread the country would be bankrupted, while Thaksin and his cronies amass their fortunes. This is not counting the tampering with the election commission, suppressing the press with countless lawsuits of slander, buying out the television stations and firing news producers who do not agree with the TRT party line, making unilateral decisions to give party hacks important positions without experience, summary excecutions of drug dealers without due process (some will say this is a good thing - but how many were really drug dealers?), and the list goes on.
It is easy to arm chair quarterback and say basic rights and freedoms, but it really takes getting knowledge of the situtaion to see why this was done.

None of that is news to me. I am fully aware that Thaksin was controversial to say the least.

The world community just sitting back and not caring is a very strange attitude when on the other hand that same community preaches democracy, rule of law, etc, etc.......If I was that Burmese opposition lady under house arrest by...errr a bunch of generals.....I would give up right now.

[Stewart]

Looks just like have and have nots to me. The poor people (who voted him in) don't count. And silly me thought that democracy had some notion of everyone being equal about it.

Looks just like have and have nots to me. Erm... and the business of politics ISN'T about the 'haves and have nots?' Ha ha!
The poor people (who voted him in) don't count. This is as it should be. If you can buy a vote with a sandwich and a can of Coke you don't deserve it. Fuck the stupid people.
And silly me thought that democracy had some notion of everyone being equal about it. Still learning about the world from books, eh? LOL!

Well, on the last point, guilty I suppose....I admit I was not actually in the same room as the generals when they made their decision, and I was not driving one of the tanks. I guess no-one else on this forum was either.

So, yep, I read lots of books, journals, websites and other news sources to try to form my opinions.

As for the rest of the points, I rest my case History is full of examples of what happens when the poor/stupid people have no say in their lives.

I don't think it will turn ugly in Thailand this time, so they will probably muddle through. Hope so anyway

[allstar88]

if an election is held next year and say thaksin wins again will the army have another coup ? sadley thailand is now a laughing stock that keeps shooting itself in the foot          

[stogie bear]

History is full of examples of what happens when the poor/stupid people have no say in their lives.

There are many MORE examples of what happens when they do!

sadley thailand is now a laughing stock that keeps shooting itself in the foot

Who's laughing? The coup is the best thing to happen to the credibility of Thai politics in 10 years!

Political types will tell you it's wrong to have a coup because they are scared to death it will happen to them!

I was out and about all over Bangkok yesterday and the day before and it's very much business as usual and Thais are generally very happy with what has happened.

With that crook Thaksin in exile and the rest of the crooks in government out of the way it's actually stabilised the country in many ways. If people are laughing then they are farangs that don't understand what's happening.

[Bit Beefy]

Ive been in Bangkok a day now and ive only seen 4 soldiers, so its as every one has said business as usual