PattayaMale Posted February 20, 2011 Posted February 20, 2011 There is a good thread about Mideast protests. I was talking to a few people today and 1 person expressed that he felt many of the concerns in the Mideast could spread to Thailand. Corruption,lack of educational opportunities which will lead to world class pay, internet and media suppression, police and judicial injustice, etc. How probable would it be that the kind of protests in the MidEast could happen in Thailand? Quote
pong Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 they have already. but perhaps in that isolated Pattaya bubble you are not aware. I happen to live (part of the year) in a part of BKk side by side to all the protest-areas. Last one was sat 19-by those clad in red, following their dear and beloved leader, now living in a broke oil-state somewhere near the Gulf. Alas-this time he was not live online, though he about started the twitter fenomenon (followed by the Tunisians?). Maybe he was again flying around in the first class cabin of an airline chasing his investments in black mountains or other very important personal things. But he was online live! last week, sun 13, when he drew giant crowds, said to be around 30.000, and many coming from far beyond Khorat. BTW: this crony is living out of Thailand, as he refuses to sit in prison, due to exuberant corruption, favouring his mobuy-fone empire of the time. The pay-out for attention is said to be 500 THB=more/nearly double the daily rate (in case you did not know) for manual Thai workers. This even overcomes the eternal Thai superstition-as there are said to be 100s of 'phee''=ghosts roaming around in that area from the fallen comrades last year. This pay-out is also not apparent in the Mid East. Their fuming speeches are/were mainly about ''we will not forget'' and the shirts they wear often have ''kwaam ching wannee=the truth TODAY!'' on them. Many others think, they only do half the truth from yesterday. (conveniently forgetting torching of superstores and black-clad snipers among their last year demo). To make the picture even for all sides: since some 3/4 weeks now there is also a yellow clad protest (in the hot daytime on asfalt) numbering maybe a few dozen, Nonetheless, they occupy a large part of a very wide avenue, which mainly leads to further traffic jams in the area. It seems they oppose something from the Khmer neighbours (you may know it as Cambodia) as they claim a few square mtrs of THAI holy soil is occupied by them! And: this very same topic, but under a slightly different name, is already presented by our dear multi-contributor khun FH=FountainHall. Another well-known general Thai forum, mainly visited (so it seems to me) by always moaning and groaning expats, named thaivisa, also has a long thread about it. Any opinion vented is already there. So please-leave this forum to what the name says. Or-that is what I think of it. Quote
Bob Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 How probable would it be that the kind of protests in the MidEast could happen in Thailand? Nobody knows but my guess would be not likely at least while the current King is with us. Thais in general seem to just roll with the punches (corruption is just considered normal and nothing to get all that upset about, the coup-of-the-week is largely ignored, etc.). You often hear of irate westerners about this or that (and, frankly, some of the stuff that happens here would cause a major protest or revolt in western countries) but the Thais in general don't seem to get too bent out of shape about anything (excepting a very small portion of the population wearing colored shirts). Quote
PattayaMale Posted February 21, 2011 Author Posted February 21, 2011 pong..." but perhaps in that isolated Pattaya bubble you are not aware" Actually, I live in a house not a bubble. It has TVs and computers, internet, and I get the Bangkok news papers. That is as close to Bangkok as I wish to be.......... The protest in Bangkok, in my opinion, are not the same type as those in the Middle East. In Bangkok, as you said pong, some are paid to protest. It is in my mind very party political. I believe, that those in the Middle East are spontaneous. Not fueled by different political parties. To me it seems (from reports on the internet), that people feel repressed. True democratic freedoms have been with held by a single ruling party. Though Thailand's political system is much different on the surface, the military and police seem to be the ruling power. When it suits some generals, they take over the government. So the politicians, many which are former high ranking military or police officers must appease the military not really the people. This power is seen in the huge corruption that is even sometimes reported in the newspapers from Bangkok. Things like construction projects, internet (still no real 3G because of "ministerial" disputes, internet sites blocked, legal cases, education (students from rich families do not attend class and still get passed), etc. Thais and the rest of the world (except a few farangs living in Bangkok)know this and most do not like it. Many of the middle east protesters have been dominated all the lives. Rulers and middle east kings have held power for decades. Longer than many of the of the protesters have been alive. So what has caused these sudden upheavals? The people in those countries have put up with it for years. Why is it spreading through out those regions and to some extent into China? Is it probable that it will spread into Thailand not as political party protests but a truer grass roots movement? Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 So what has caused these sudden upheavals? The people in those countries have put up with it for years. Why is it spreading through out those regions and to some extent into China? What sudden upheavals in the Middle East have had any effect recently on China? None! I have a long post on the Middle East Turmoil? Will True Democracy or More Irans Emerge? thread which touches on China's development. It includes a quote from the Japan Times - “Most non-Chinese would be surprised to learn that the country already holds more elections than any other in the world. Under the Organic Law of the Village Committees, all of China's approximately 1 million villages — home to roughly 600 million voters — hold local elections every three years.” Quote
Guest fountainhall Posted February 21, 2011 Posted February 21, 2011 Re my last post, apologies to PattayaMale. I had not read of any unrest in China, or seen it on the BBC's website or The Guardian online when I typed that post. However, I just saw an article in The Nation which clearly states there were small demonstrations in Beijing and Shanghai. As the Reuters report below indicates, however, they seem to have involved very few people. Police dispersed dozens of people who gathered in central Beijing and Shanghai on Sunday after calls spread on overseas Chinese websites urging "Jasmine Revolution" gatherings. The police and foreign reporters outnumbered aspiring participants and curious passers-by caught up in the crowd. There were no signs of further protests in Beijing on Monday. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/21/us-china-unrest-idUSTRE71K0PQ20110221 According to the reports I have seen, these token protests did not spread to other cities. Quote
