New Prime Minister

[firecat69]

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/427925/prayuth-unanimously-voted-pm

[vinapu]

another confirmation of what rubber-stamp parliament means, ,just like North Korea or Soviet Union

[paulsf]

Interestingly, I just came in from Soi Twilight. I asked a couple of boys what they thought and they didn't have any idea of it happening.

Most of them are there to make a living and if it doesn't directly affect them , they don't care much about politics.

So much for metered taxis. Leaving, the first 2 asked for 100. 3rd used meter.

[vinapu]

are shows in soi Twilight back to normal or still tame affairs  with boys in top tanks and jeans ?

 

No surprise boys don't care about politics, they are busy surviving.

 

Taxis around Patpong at night are know for being meter shy but it really takes 1-2 minutes for one using meter to appear . Was difference in price between 100 and mater rate worth waiting? I do not support  drivers who are cheating but on more than one occasion non-meter rate they were quoting was not that outrageous, i.e. to Malaysia Hotel  I was quoted 20 baht more than meter finally shown, I gave him this 20 anyways just to impress boy special how good heart I have .

[Alexx]

Great news that Thailand has a PM again. Well, almost, pending the Royal Command.

[NIrishGuy]

^^^  Really ?? - even if a totally unelected one who secured their position by means of force or the threat of same - and that's not a comment on the activities of the current PM or otherwise but more just a question as to is it worth having a PM in ANY Country at ANY price and to hell with everything else ?

[Bob]

What is saddest to me is that almost all Thais don't really give a damn.  Reminds me of the few Thais I asked in a neutral fashion what they thought about the 2006 military coup.  The standard answer was:  "It's not my business."

 

Of course, I find the proceedings exceedingly distasteful because I was raised with those crazy foreign views that democracy is the best (but not perfect) avenue to choose a government, the military must be totally subservient to the civilian government, everyone is entitled to free speech (about everybody) and freedom of assembly, and other silly falang ideas.

[paulsf]

Soi twilight shows are still tame. I didn't go to see one as I have seen many, but will someday this week, just to see what they are like. But my friend said, just no fuck shows.

Taxi to my apartment is 40 baht, so yes, 100 is high. But they always ask for 100 in that area at night.

 

You look at what is going on in Russia with their little dictatorship and it is all over the press . But here, you have to dig to find out that anything is happening. I just got here yesterday, so I'm still a bit off schedule, but I must have turned 7 tv channels at news time before I saw a story on the General. I did catch an interview on BBC with a Thai commentator who said he thinks this will last about 2 years before people really start getting involved.

[Guest abang1961]

What is democracy to the commoners?

Is it just another Western ideology - are Thai (and even Singaporeans) really interested in politics?  

 

It really does not matter who is ruling the country...what's more important is social and economic stability.

The hungry are fed and there is no "mass" protest.. bring back the good-old ways of tourism...

Let Thailand remains as the destination to find happiness....forget the harsh reality of life..

[vinapu]

^^^  Really ?? - even if a totally unelected one who secured their position by means of force or the threat of same - and that's not a comment on the activities of the current PM or otherwise but more just a question as to is it worth having a PM in ANY Country at ANY price and to hell with everything else ?

I like your phrase you used on another forum  " rushed acclamation favored by dictatorships and communists of old".

 

To answer your question , not at any price but likely is good to have somebody in charge, if anybody has doubts just see how Somalia is doing without PM, tax authorities and another trimmings of state.

 

But as I mentioned on few occasion before , elections, not a coup are ways to have government in 21 century  

[vinapu]

Soi twilight shows are still tame. I didn't go to see one as I have seen many, but will someday this week, just to see what they are like. But my friend said, just no fuck shows.

Taxi to my apartment is 40 baht, so yes, 100 is high. But they always ask for 100 in that area at night.

 

You look at what is going on in Russia with their little dictatorship and it is all over the press . But here, you have to dig to find out that anything is happening. I just got here yesterday, so I'm still a bit off schedule, but I must have turned 7 tv channels at news time before I saw a story on the General. I did catch an interview on BBC with a Thai commentator who said he thinks this will last about 2 years before people really start getting involved.

Fortunately for Thais their military rulers use to be pretty tame as per world stanards for army in power  which may explain why they don't care much. With no memory of thousands detained in the stadiums as in Chile as massive disappearances as in Argentina they just go about their business and let army to go about theirs but likely only for that long.

 

I wouldn't call Russia dictatorship as at the moment it looks that Putin and Co would win any election if called now. Unfortunately for the Russia and world at large.  

[NIrishGuy]

I like your phrase you used on another forum  " rushed acclamation favored by dictatorships and communists of old".

 

Alas I wish I could lay claim to such a well thought out phrase but as anyone who reads most of my posts will agree the above is way beyond my level of a basic grasp of english ( and not even that most times lol) so someone else must get the credit for the above unfortunately but certainly not me.

[NIrishGuy]

Alas I wish I could lay claim to such a well thought out phrase but as anyone who reads most of my posts will agree the above is way beyond my level of a basic grasp of english ( and not even that most times lol) so someone else must get the credit for the above unfortunately as it certainly didn't come from me.

[Alexx]

I recently read an interview with "Mom Noi" - a Thai movie director and member of the aristocratic elite - in the weekly BK Magazine. Here's a link to the online version, so that you know what I'm talking about in case you're interested:

 

http://bk.asia-city.com/city-living/news/ml-pantevanop-tevakul-the-scar?page=12

 

Reading that, I wasn't really surprised but still a bit baffled that he's so frank expressing his views on democracy and the Thai people's (lack of) suitability for it. This goes far beyond the NCPO's goal of reform to make Thailand fit for democracy again, which they claim they can and want to accomplish in a year or so.

 

Now comes the surprising part: After reading this interview, I discussed it with a number of Thai friends. Anyone who'd listen, basically. Even those from a very humble background didn't oppose his view. Nobody did. Most weren't really interested in this discussion at all, quickly diverting to more important subjects like whether to eat ice cream next. But those who were interested agreed with what he had to say, at least to a high degree.

 

That's not the first time I've had this kind of response either. So you've got the strange situation that "almost all Thais don't really give a damn", as Bob has put it - very correctly, in my opinion. For this very reason, there is no hope for democracy in Thailand. Therefor, all I personally hope for is stability and leaders who are as benevolent as humanly possible. Anything that goes beyond that would require earth-shattering changes in Thai society.

[bkkguy]

So you've got the strange situation that "almost all Thais don't really give a damn", as Bob has put it - very correctly, in my opinion. For this very reason, there is no hope for democracy in Thailand. Therefor, all I personally hope for is stability and leaders who are as benevolent as humanly possible. Anything that goes beyond that would require earth-shattering changes in Thai society.

 

and those changes would probably destroy most of what most expats and tourists (and Thais) love about Thailand - so isn't it time for the western democracies to stop preaching to the Thais about how to run their own country and stop frightening their citizens from traveling here?

 

bkkguy

[vinapu]

Alas I wish I could lay claim to such a well thought out phrase but as anyone who reads most of my posts will agree the above is way beyond my level of a basic grasp of english ( and not even that most times lol) so someone else must get the credit for the above unfortunately but certainly not me.

check you post on gaybutton  on Aug 21 at 4.47 p,m.under "Thailand coup General named PM", don't be shy and claim credit for what is due.

[NIrishGuy]

:-) thank you for the thought that that one was down to me but unfortunately there is no credit die and that entire post was a cut a paste from the linked source I'd copied in below it. I had added my comment to the too of the post which would have made it obvious the rest was a paste but GB edited my one line contribution out but annoyingly left the rest, so credit in this instance goes to some BBC staff reporter and not me I'm afraid.

[vinapu]

:-) thank you for the thought that that one was down to me but unfortunately there is no credit die and that entire post was a cut a paste from the linked source I'd copied in below it. I had added my comment to the too of the post which would have made it obvious the rest was a paste but GB edited my one line contribution out but annoyingly left the rest, so credit in this instance goes to some BBC staff reporter and not me I'm afraid.

bottom line is  I liked the phrase so thank you for bringing it up one way or another

[fedssocr]

Yeah, the taxis that wait around Surawong always ask for 100. I usually just walk up the road a bit (towards Tawan) and typically find a moving taxi fairly quickly. The guys out driving (i.e. not parked and waiting for customers) have never not used the meter in my experience.

[Guest Promsak]

In many years, I've almost never got a taxi opposite Silom Soi 4 (outside the huge 7-11) that has refused to use the meter.

Of course my destination might be a favourable one (mid Sukhumvit -- 70 Baht) where they have the chance of a return fare to Silom.

[Up2u]

I guess I missed something, is the new Prime Minister also a taxi driver?

[vinapu]

I guess I missed something, is the new Prime Minister also a taxi driver?

if that's the case Yingluck would be happy if he returned to his original job

[Alexx]

So, to get this thread back on track, let's post the newest: The 29th PM of Thailand has been confirmed by Royal Command this morning, making his appointment official. Which means we'll probably see the full cabinet lineup soon.

 

http://bangkokpost.com/news/politics/428523/prayuth-receives-royal-command-at-army-hq

[Guest frequentflier]

Duly elected...not.

[ChristianPFC]

Taxi drivers have an idea what a certain trip would cost by meter, and usually ask twice that amount. It's easy to avoid these, I used them only twice in five years of coming to Thailand: my very first ride from the airport and Songkran last year (but only because I had a drunken boy in tow, otherwise I would have taken the bus).

 

Back to the subject. I think dictatorship is viable alternative to democracy. Centuries ago, Whites tried to force Christianity on other people, fortunately these times are over. Now they try, and usually fail, to bring democracy to others.