Thailand abstains

[reader]

From Thai PBS. world

Thailand has abstained, as did China and India, in a vote on the UN resolution not to recognise the four regions of Ukraine which Russia has claimed, following referenda held late last month.

The UN General Assembly passed the resolution by a large majority on Wednesday, demanding that Moscow reverse course on its “attempted illegal annexation” of parts of Ukraine.

The results were 143 member states in favour, with five voting against and 35 abstentions. The countries voting against were Belarus, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Nicaragua, Russia and Syria.

The resolution, now passed in the Assembly, calls on all states, the UN and international organisations not to recognize any of Russia’s annexation claims and demands the immediate reversal of its annexation declaration.

On Monday, the UN rejected Russian efforts hold a secret ballot on the matter. A majority of member countries elected to hold the vote in public.

Thailand also abstained in a vote to suspend Russia from UN Human Rights Council in April this year, citing inclusivity. In March, Thailand did, however, vote to condemn Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

[PeterRS]

Absolutely disgraceful!

[TMax]

4 hours ago, reader said:

Thailand has abstained, as did China and India

And I wonder if there was any "friendly" coercion put on Thailand by those other 2 to abstain? 

[gayinpattaya]

I feel far safer living in a country that abstained. 
Don't poke the bear! 

[Moses]

Smart step. More than half of Earth population abstained or voted against. 

Double standards implied in this voting.

[PeterRS]

29 minutes ago, Moses said:

Double standards implied in this voting.

That's basically nonsense! There is no parallell with Russia's invasion of Ukraine!

[vinapu]

Kosovo attempt on separation was not orchestrated by  invasion by neighboring atomic power like Albania, Macedonia, Serbia or even Montenegro so Peter is right, only paralell will be that most Kosovars don,t want to be in Serbia neither most Ukrainians want to be part of Russia. 

As for half world population abstaining, spare us that propaganda Moses. Nobody asked them. Even you in Russia don't know what Russian populace really thinks about the war since very few will be brave enough to voice dissent, facing such oppressive regime nobody blames them. 

What about most of world GDP and/or firing power voted against Russian aggression. I'd venture even to state that most countries good in football voted against and this is what counts for world's public opinion. 

[scott456]

Thailand has been politically neutral in the history of international stage.  Russian tourists account for a big portion to Thailand tourism industry. 

[vinapu]

3 hours ago, Moses said:

 

Double standards implied in this voting.

Nothing wrong with that facing warmonger nation. 

When China invades Russia to get back Siberia, then we will stick with you and won't worry about double standards. 

[vinapu]

2 minutes ago, scott456 said:

Thailand has been politically neutral in the history of international stage. 

Specially when sheltering Khmer Rouge after Vietnamese chased them away from most of Cambodia. 

That shame shares with the West though. 

[reader]

4 hours ago, gayinpattaya said:

Don't poke the bear! 

That was Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement with another animal in 1938. 

[Moses]

4 hours ago, PeterRS said:

That's basically nonsense! There is no parallell with Russia's invasion of Ukraine!

Seriously? Do you remember what NATO did with Yugoslavia?

Donetsk and Lugansk declared independency in 2014. Since that time Ukraine 7+ year bombed and shelled them. Even when they have the same rights as Kosovo.

By the way: anybody here think what referenda is false in these regions? Maybe here is somebody who really thinks what they will prefer to join Ukraine after 7+ years of Ukrainian bombing?

[gayinpattaya]

1 hour ago, reader said:

That was Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement with another animal in 1938. 

You are entitled to your opinion. I am mine. 
The US / EU and UK governments I regard as criminal filth. I would condemn them before any other global leaders. While Thailand may be corrupt, it has nothing on Ukraine (which most under 40s can't even point to on a map). 

Follow the money. The scum then (30s,40s), are being funded by the same people as the scum now. 

[reader]

Stalin was informed of Hitler’s designs on Russia and he chose to disbelieve it. 

Appease a bully today and be prepared to suffer consequences tomorrow.

That’s a lesson that goes back millennia.

 

[gayinpattaya]

31 minutes ago, reader said:

Stalin was informed of Hitler’s designs on Russia and he chose to disbelieve it. 

Appease a bully today and be prepared to suffer consequences tomorrow.

That’s a lesson that goes back millennia.

 

The USA is the bully. 
The rest of the world need to stop appeasing warmongers. This is all caused by NATO's advance east.
I am 100% anti-war. I feel great sorrow in the suffering of the civilians in Ukraine. 

If as a species we found a better way to organise ourselves, maybe all this pointless killing could be avoided. 

[reader]

Thailand to become a more popular destination for Russians fleeing Putin’s draft

From Pattaya Mail

By Barry Kenyon

After a seven months hiatus, Aeroflot flights from Moscow to both Phuket and Bangkok are scheduled to begin at the end of the month. This was confirmed by Vladimir Sosnov, the Russian consul general in Phuket, and by CNN correspondents who say that tickets are indeed on sale in the Russian capital. There have been no direct flights since March 2022, largely because aero spare parts have been hard to obtain since the imposition of western sanctions.

To date, about 90,000 Russians, mostly bona fide tourists or expats, have entered Thailand since the Ukraine war began last February. This largely reflects travel difficulties as air passengers must generally go first to countries – Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are examples – which offer visa-free entry to Russians and onward flights to Bangkok. In 2019, prior to the Covid pandemic almost one million Russians entered Thailand in a similar seven months period.

Draft escapee Vadim is a 26 year old Russian, currently residing in Pattaya, who says he fled Moscow via Turkey to avoid the compulsory call-up to the Russian military. He says that he expects more men, hoping to escape the draft, to arrive in Thailand once flights resume. “They are likely to be questioned by the police in Russia prior to departure and they won’t carry too much luggage to avoid suspicion.” But he expected many to get through. “Actually, Putin prefers people opposed to him to be out of the country.”

His colleague Alexei, 28, said Thailand had its merits and disadvantages as a bolt hole for draft deniers. “Russians don’t need a visa to come here for 30 days and extensions are easy to obtain. On the other hand, the work permit rules here are very strict.” He said he had been a waiter in both Kazakhistan and Turkey, but that was impossible in Thailand. Alexei complained that he had met some official hostility even in Pattaya. “Bank accounts are very hard to open here and I was told by an official to forget the idea unless I could produce a 12 months’ rental contract. That kind of discrimination doesn’t seem to apply to other nationalities.”

Russian journalist Ekaterina Kogutov said the biggest problem for most escapees was how to support themselves abroad. “Some countries have given them refugee status, but others have banned them or made clear there is no state support.” Thai authorities do not provide financial help. Ekaterina explained that many men who had fled here worked remotely as digital nomads beneath the radar. Others were self-sufficient for now or received financial support from their families in Russia.

Of course, most Russian draft escapees have transferred by land to those neighboring countries willing to admit them. Those fleeing abroad by air are likely to be the more affluent or well-connected and hundreds are known to have flown out by private jets. But now that Thailand is becoming more accessible by air, and with a history of welcoming one and a half million Russians in 2019, the arrival of more draft escapees is inevitable. A policy statement from the Thai government is clearly overdue.

[alvnv]

4 hours ago, Moses said:

Seriously? Do you remember what NATO did with Yugoslavia?

Donetsk and Lugansk declared independency in 2014. Since that time Ukraine 7+ year bombed and shelled them. Even when they have the same rights as Kosovo.

Chechnya 

[alvnv]

2 hours ago, reader said:

Thailand to become a more popular destination for Russians fleeing Putin’s draft

How long before Russians are as prevalent in the MB scene in Thailand as Cambodians, Burmese, Vietnamese and Laos?

[Moses]

43 minutes ago, alvnv said:

How long before Russians are as prevalent in the MB scene in Thailand as Cambodians, Burmese, Vietnamese and Laos?

These who has $1500 for tickets via Turkey, will rent villas and f*ck local gals and guys. These who are ready to sell asses don't have money for tickets.

By the way: panic is almost over here - yesterday crossing border with Kazakhstan was 7000 to and 11000 from KZ as per Kazakh border service.

[vinapu]

9 hours ago, Moses said:

Seriously? Do you remember what NATO did with Yugoslavia?

Donetsk and Lugansk declared independency in 2014. Since that time Ukraine 7+ year bombed and shelled them. Even when they have the same rights as Kosovo.

By the way: anybody here think what referenda is false in these regions? Maybe here is somebody who really thinks what they will prefer to join Ukraine after 7+ years of Ukrainian bombing?

NATO did not invade Yugoslavia and did not stage mock referendum to split her between Bulgaria and Hungary. 

Somehow Russia did not allow for independence referendum in Chechnya instead soaked her in blood to keep her in. 

Selective propaganda at it's best. 

[vinapu]

7 hours ago, gayinpattaya said:

The USA is the bully. 
The rest of the world need to stop appeasing warmongers.
 

This is exactly what West is doing supporting Ukraine and standing up to USSR disguised as Russia. 

NATO eastward expansion was at request countries there, now we can see how farsighted they were. Without membership they would be now at mercy of Russia, you and Moses, perish the thought. 

[Mavica]

5 hours ago, alvnv said:

How long before Russians are as prevalent in the MB scene in Thailand as Cambodians, Burmese, Vietnamese and Laos?

I, for one, would welcome an influx of some of the handsome Russian young men.  Diversity!

[PeterRS]

9 hours ago, reader said:

Stalin was informed of Hitler’s designs on Russia and he chose to disbelieve it. 

You may be correct but I would like to see a source. In Simon Sebag-Montefiore's masterful biography Stalin: The Court of the Last Tsar it is made abundantly clear that Stalin was not informed of Hitler's designs on Russia. After a visit by Molotov to Berlin in December 1940, on December 29 Hitler signed Directive No. 21 on Operation Barbarossa. Molotiv was then No. 2 to Stalin in the Soviet hierarchy. 11 days later Stalin found out from his spies who "alerted him to its existence." Stalin was aware the Soviet Union would not be ready for war before 1943. He "hoped to delay it by frantic rearming and aggressive brinkmanship . . .  but without provoking Hitler . . .

"Stalin's panic to produce the best weapons and create the best strategy created a new Terror around him. The countdown to war redoubled the unreal miasma of fear and ignorance at the heart of Soviet power." (see page 302)

[reader]

From the BBC (21 JUNE, 2011)

Barbarossa Hitler Stalin: War warnings Stalin ignored

By Patrick Jackson

BBC News

 

Russia and other parts of the former USSR commemorate one of the darkest days of their history on Wednesday, the 70th anniversary of Hitler's invasion.

It has long been known that Stalin received warnings of an impending attack, prompting one of the great questions of military history: why were Soviet forces, despite their impressive numbers, so ill-prepared to withstand the Nazi blitzkrieg?

Some accounts of the war have sought to play down the amount of intelligence the Kremlin had to go on, but this week a wealth of damning detail has emerged in the Russian media. 

In an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper, Russian military historian Arsen Martirosyan revealed that Soviet intelligence had named the exact, or almost exact, date of the invasion 47 times in the 10 days before Germany struck.

Moscow knew of Nazi invasion plans from 1935, the historian argues, and was aware as early as 1936 of an attack plan called the Eastern Campaign.

It seems that Hitler himself all but let the cat out of the bag in May 1941, when he sent a letter to Stalin, who at the time was still a nominally friendly leader under the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggression pact.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-13862135

[tassojunior]

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

This is exactly what West is doing supporting Ukraine and standing up to USSR disguised as Russia. 

NATO eastward expansion was at request countries there, now we can see how farsighted they were. Without membership they would be now at mercy of Russia, you and Moses, perish the thought. 

The Donbas has been fighting for secession from Ukraine and to rejoin Russia for many many years and there was a peace treaty in 2014 that Ukraine signed to recognize Donbas autonomy. After the  coup in Ukraine organized by the US Zelinksy was voted in as the pro-Russian candidate. However the US decided it wanted war and Zelensky turned on a dime (after buying a multi-million dollar beach house in Israel on his government salary.) He sent troops in and 14,000 people in Donbas were killed by Ukraine. The US wanted a war to weaken Russia as an international competitor to Wall Street hegemony. The US wanted as much death as possible and as much war as possible to that end. Just like Iraq. Every death in the war is more money in Secretary of Defense Austin's pocket. The US killed by genocide 1 million people in Iraq and 7 million exterminated in Vietnam. It holds the record over Hitler for the most people murdered in the past 100 years by far. Killing is America's biggest industry and America wants a World War now for some reason. Somehow they think that's good for Wall Street. (It may be as long as Wall Street relocates).