Bangkok Mar 12-14

[Admin_2]

Also, there are rich people that come from Isaan, but VERY few. VERY few. Again, you are pointing out a small exception that go against the general/overall situation here.

LG is correct in that the situation is more complex than how you are portraying.

But I'd like to pose another question:

Why do the poor people of Isaan only elect the rich among them to represent them?

How many farmers, NGO leaders, community activists do you see getting elected to parliament from Isaan?

Just about zero.

Who gets elected? Newin Chidchob, Adisorn Piangket, etc. All big businessmen who are worth tens of millions of dollars. These people have been in office for about 20 years now (and involved in numerous corruption scandals), before during and after Thaksin. Their various parties have been in power through most of that time. And have the problems of Isaan people been solved? How much has really changed?

Community activists in Isaan and the north more often than not are threatened (I wonder by who), and sometimes murdered.

Yet we are told the problem is the Bangkok elite.

Who says the problem lies within the Bangkok elite? The problem is within the entire system here. In any country it is abnormal to have a poor person get elected as a leader of a large group. You need money to get votes.

BKK is much more than just hiso's for sure. Sorry if that's how my point came across. My point is that money talks here...f*ck that...money YELLS here. Thailand's society is build on a hierarchy where money rules everything from traffic cops to who gets elected as prime minister.

[Loburt]

Who says the problem lies with the Bangkok elite?

Thaksin and the entire red shirt movement does. And they are often parroted in this portrayal by some of the foreign press.

If the system is the problem, then Isaan people also play a role in perpetuating that system by voting for the people they vote for.

[LakeGeneve]

Guys, as I'm half BKKian and half Issarn born and raise here. I don't thin Bangkokian think ppl from up countries are low.

I really disagree. When hiso Thais ask if I have a gf they smile and say great. Then they ask where she is from and I say Isaan, usually the demeanor changes. I've even had some people get sour faces in disgust and ask me "Why? Why do you like a girl from Isaan?" I tell them she has a uni degree and is a good person, but no...it doesn't work.

If you say she is from Bangkok, you don't get that sort of response. Bangkokians usually think that upcountry people are low from my experience.

It is really none of my business Rob but does your wife know that you have a gf?

[Admin_2]

Who says the problem lies with the Bangkok elite?

Thaksin and the entire red shirt movement does. And they are often parroted in this portrayal by some of the foreign press.

I was referring to who within this thread is saying that. Obviously the reds need to declare their war on something, and saying that it's against the elite of Thailand is perfect as it earns them sympathy.

If the system is the problem, then Isaan people also play a role in perpetuating that system by voting for the people they vote for.

Exactly. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

[Admin_2]

Guys, as I'm half BKKian and half Issarn born and raise here. I don't thin Bangkokian think ppl from up countries are low.

I really disagree. When hiso Thais ask if I have a gf they smile and say great. Then they ask where she is from and I say Isaan, usually the demeanor changes. I've even had some people get sour faces in disgust and ask me "Why? Why do you like a girl from Isaan?" I tell them she has a uni degree and is a good person, but no...it doesn't work.

If you say she is from Bangkok, you don't get that sort of response. Bangkokians usually think that upcountry people are low from my experience.

It is really none of my business Rob but does your wife know that you have a gf?

lol...I looked at that twice before submitting...It's the Thai language killing my English again. For some reason it's preferred if I say girlfriend (Ό) instead of wife (àÁÕÂ).

[zeusbheld]

lastly, they haven't imperiled the food supply yet, 7/11 still has ham and cheese.

I'f the cheese supply stops i will start bashing indiscriminately... I've just ripped a table leg off and already pressed a lovely creamy white shirt.

Whose with me??

if the cheese supply stops then it's time to get ugly. and i do mean U-G-L-E ugly. it will be time to revive the No Shirts protest. we will get every farrang expat in Thailand to join our protest, dressed only in a codpiece, socks and sandals. all that pasty, overfed, old white flesh is pretty much guaranteed to make *any* other protesters run away. we'll all just have to wear really dark glasses so we can't see each other (or ourselves)...

[PiAnt]

Obviously, it's important to remember that anyone who realy matters couldn't care less about what anyone here thinks and whatever your brilliant ideas are as to how things ought to be done, you are merely pissing in the wind.

[Admin_2]

Obviously, it's important to remember that anyone who realy matters couldn't care less about what anyone here thinks and whatever your brilliant ideas are as to how things ought to be done, you are merely pissing in the wind.

Thank you, PiAnt. And now...back to our regularly scheduled program "If I was important."

[PiAnt]

Obviously, it's important to remember that anyone who realy matters couldn't care less about what anyone here thinks and whatever your brilliant ideas are as to how things ought to be done, you are merely pissing in the wind.

Thank you, PiAnt. And now...back to our regularly scheduled program "If I was important."

Doesn't Democracy just rock?

It's like saying that I place any of my important opinions and decisions in someone else's hands and take no responsibilty for doing so but reserve the right to piss and moan about it later.

[Crustyjuggler]

Also, there are rich people that come from Isaan, but VERY few. VERY few. Again, you are pointing out a small exception that go against the general/overall situation here.

LG is correct in that the situation is more complex than how you are portraying.

But I'd like to pose another question:

Why do the poor people of Isaan only elect the rich among them to represent them?

How many farmers, NGO leaders, community activists do you see getting elected to parliament from Isaan?

Just about zero.

Who gets elected? Newin Chidchob, Adisorn Piangket, etc. All big businessmen who are worth tens of millions of dollars. These people have been in office for about 20 years now (and involved in numerous corruption scandals), before during and after Thaksin. Their various parties have been in power through most of that time. And have the problems of Isaan people been solved? How much has really changed?

Community activists in Isaan and the north more often than not are threatened (I wonder by who), and sometimes murdered.

Yet we are told the problem is the Bangkok elite.

This is absolutely the problem inside Thailand, years of being herded by the wealthy have stripped any kind of morality or decency that might be left inside a regular Thai. There are no icons... no heroes... no heart. You can be bought for a measly 2000 to be pawned around your own country.

Why can't we see a million Thais on the street demanding equal distribution of wealth, perhaps a stop to corruption and the buying of any position or maybe a police force that actually catches real criminals instead of embezzling from hard working everyday people.

It's rhetorical of course... Because there is no rich pricks telling you to do that, or bribing you to do so. I just see a nation of people who can no longer think or act for themselves and Thais will always be manipulated no matter what colour they wear that day.

"Where have all the heroes gone" ****, there never was any...

[Chatty]

Thailand's society is build on a hierarchy where money rules everything from traffic cops to who gets elected as prime minister.

Ouch!! that hurts.

[Loburt]

Also, there are rich people that come from Isaan, but VERY few. VERY few. Again, you are pointing out a small exception that go against the general/overall situation here.

LG is correct in that the situation is more complex than how you are portraying.

But I'd like to pose another question:

Why do the poor people of Isaan only elect the rich among them to represent them?

How many farmers, NGO leaders, community activists do you see getting elected to parliament from Isaan?

Just about zero.

Who gets elected? Newin Chidchob, Adisorn Piangket, etc. All big businessmen who are worth tens of millions of dollars. These people have been in office for about 20 years now (and involved in numerous corruption scandals), before during and after Thaksin. Their various parties have been in power through most of that time. And have the problems of Isaan people been solved? How much has really changed?

Community activists in Isaan and the north more often than not are threatened (I wonder by who), and sometimes murdered.

Yet we are told the problem is the Bangkok elite.

This is absolutely the problem inside Thailand, years of being herded by the wealthy have stripped any kind of morality or decency that might be left inside a regular Thai. There are no icons... no heroes... no heart. You can be bought for a measly 2000 to be pawned around your own country.

Why can't we see a million Thais on the street demanding equal distribution of wealth, perhaps a stop to corruption and the buying of any position or maybe a police force that actually catches real criminals instead of embezzling from hard working everyday people.

It's rhetorical of course... Because there is no rich pricks telling you to do that, or bribing you to do so. I just see a nation of people who can no longer think or act for themselves and Thais will always be manipulated no matter what colour they wear that day.

"Where have all the heroes gone" f*ck, there never was any...

I can't agree with your last statement at all. There actually are a lot of real heroes here in Thailand.

But at this point, they are not winning, and it's always a long hard battle ...

[zeusbheld]

Obviously, it's important to remember that anyone who realy matters couldn't care less about what anyone here thinks and whatever your brilliant ideas are as to how things ought to be done, you are merely pissing in the wind.

you realize of course that you're just pissing in the wind with that post? no?

self-important ****. you probably sip lattes.

[PiAnt]

Obviously, it's important to remember that anyone who realy matters couldn't care less about what anyone here thinks and whatever your brilliant ideas are as to how things ought to be done, you are merely pissing in the wind.

you realize of course that you're just pissing in the wind with that post? no?

self-important ****. you probably sip lattes.

Pissing in the wind is, as pissing in the wind does.

Then.

(Please! I'm not pretentious enough to know what a latte is.)

[Chatty]

If there is no TS, those people will come to fight for democracy as they claim?

[Loburt]

If there is no TS, those people will come to fight for democracy as they claim?

Well, please remember that before there was TS as PM, the Assembly of the Poor was able to mobilize 30,000 or so poor people from the North and Isaan to come to Bangkok and protest for months at a time.

There is real injustice and real problems out there.

And they are too often dismissed by others.

[zeusbheld]

(Please! I'm not pretentious enough to know what a latte is.)

as i understand it--and at risk of oversimplifying--the difference between a latte and a cappucino is that the milk isn't foamed in a latte... there may be more milk in a latte too.

[Chatty]

If there is no TS, those people will come to fight for democracy as they claim?

Well, please remember that before there was TS as PM, the Assembly of the Poor was able to mobilize 30,000 or so poor people from the North and Isaan to come to Bangkok and protest for months at a time.

There is real injustice and real problems out there.

And they are too often dismissed by others.

Yeah!! that's right, I remember now, I always passed them everyday to school (I was young).

They sat in front of the government house with peaceful protest.

but it wasn't like this na.

[Loburt]

yes, it wasn't like this. but SOME of the issues are the same.

[zeusbheld]

yes, it wasn't like this. but SOME of the issues are the same.

that's the key to TS' popularity isn't it? he's able to exploit genuine social issues to his political advantage.

[Loburt]

that's one of the keys, yes.

[PiAnt]

yes, it wasn't like this. but SOME of the issues are the same.

that's the key to TS' popularity isn't it? he's able to exploit genuine social issues to his political advantage.

He isn't one of those "Liberal Luddites" we've been hearing so much about these days is he?

[Chatty]

yes, it wasn't like this. but SOME of the issues are the same.

that's the key to TS' popularity isn't it? he's able to exploit genuine social issues to his political advantage.

Right now i'm not sure who take advantage from who.TS's war that he will never win, cuz his target is too high. However, it's good for this ppl at least they have beer to drink, not sure they are coming to protest or picnic.

[beej]

yes, it wasn't like this. but SOME of the issues are the same.

that's the key to TS' popularity isn't it? he's able to exploit genuine social issues to his political advantage.

But has the fucker artificially created those social issues to exploit, be it on purpose or accidentally!

Its always a picnic bCool, there is little passion there, more like a jolly day out rather than a bunch of people who REALLY want to over throw a government.

[Chatty]

yes, it wasn't like this. but SOME of the issues are the same.

that's the key to TS' popularity isn't it? he's able to exploit genuine social issues to his political advantage.

But has the f*cker artificially created those social issues to exploit, be it on purpose or accidentally!

Its always a picnic bCool, there is little passion there, more like a jolly day out rather than a bunch of people who REALLY want to over throw a government.

Picnic or not TS has to pay the bill.