Bangkok Mar 12-14

[beej]

Give him 6 months to teach him a lesson :wink:

[pandorea]

BIG BUMP!!!!

[pandorea]

Give him 6 months to teach him a lesson :wink:

ne! Unless they have strong evidence against him.

If Jutuporn was released on bail then Savage, at least, should be unchained.

[LakeGeneve]

Give him 6 months to teach him a lesson :wink:

ne! Unless they have strong evidence against him.

If Jutuporn was released on bail then Savage, at least, should be unchained.

I could be wrong but I understood it was normal practice here for all detainees to be chained when they appear in court to reduce the risk of escape.

Savage and Purcell also both have the added problem that they have committed immigration offences. Both when arrested were unlawfully in the country given that their respective visas had expired. Savage received a 2 yr suspended sentence if I remember correctly. Purcell claiming he had lost his passport had been given an emergency travel document to go home but chose not to use it.

Thus, they cannot be conditionally released on bail, only deported.

[beej]

Give him 6 months to teach him a lesson :wink:

ne! Unless they have strong evidence against him.

If Jutuporn was released on bail then Savage, at least, should be unchained.

I could be wrong but I understood it was normal practice here for all detainees to be chained when they appear in court to reduce the risk of escape.

Savage and Purcell also both have the added problem that they have committed immigration offences. Both when arrested were unlawfully in the country given that their respective visas had expired. Savage received a 2 yr suspended sentence if I remember correctly. Purcell claiming he had lost his passport had been given an emergency travel document to go home but chose not to use it.

Thus, they cannot be conditionally released on bail, only deported.

Didn't Connor also claim he was working?

[LakeGeneve]

Give him 6 months to teach him a lesson :wink:

ne! Unless they have strong evidence against him.

If Jutuporn was released on bail then Savage, at least, should be unchained.

I could be wrong but I understood it was normal practice here for all detainees to be chained when they appear in court to reduce the risk of escape.

Savage and Purcell also both have the added problem that they have committed immigration offences. Both when arrested were unlawfully in the country given that their respective visas had expired. Savage received a 2 yr suspended sentence if I remember correctly. Purcell claiming he had lost his passport had been given an emergency travel document to go home but chose not to use it.

Thus, they cannot be conditionally released on bail, only deported.

Didn't Connor also claim he was working?

Have a vague memory of that but he also claimed ot be in the SAS and a sniper and an international political scientist and probably also claimed to a good lover to a few young red maidens in the crowd!

[PiAnt]

Famous last words...

"I refuse to accept the authority of this firing squad!"

[steevolution]

Once again, apart from some posts by Neung and Kus, an ongoing example of colonial attitudes where the Westerners have decided they know what is best for Thailand...

f*cking pathetic.

And Allseasonsarse; you moan about personal attacks rather than debate then do that exact thing yourself. Crawl back under your right wing rock please...

crawl back under your SLIMY rightwing rock.

[steevolution]

Give him 6 months to teach him a lesson :wink:

ne! Unless they have strong evidence against him.

If Jutuporn was released on bail then Savage, at least, should be unchained.

I could be wrong but I understood it was normal practice here for all detainees to be chained when they appear in court to reduce the risk of escape.

Savage and Purcell also both have the added problem that they have committed immigration offences. Both when arrested were unlawfully in the country given that their respective visas had expired. Savage received a 2 yr suspended sentence if I remember correctly. Purcell claiming he had lost his passport had been given an emergency travel document to go home but chose not to use it.

Thus, they cannot be conditionally released on bail, only deported.

Didn't Connor also claim he was working?

Have a vague memory of that but he also claimed ot be in the SAS and a sniper and an international political scientist and probably also claimed to a good lover to a few young red maidens in the crowd!

check out his squash. the guy has obviously had brain surgery... and needs a second round.

the debilitating tropical heat during his time on the street has furthermore curdled what brains he'd managed to hang onto (also, being Australian he deals with innate crippling cultural and intellectual handicaps which we don't have time or space to explore here).

shed no tears for him. he'll be dancin in those shackles like an organ grinder's monkey (hat in hand, smile on face) in no time.

the other guy, my heart goes out to... fatfaced **** that he is... he's been in service to the queen (of England)... she ain't no human bean! time around Buckinham Palace being ordered to prance dance and spin by the lavender smelling lilacs to be found there would make anybody want to smash and burn. (he did make an arrogant whitey's poor choice of the wrong time and place to act out, and should and will pay for it).

[English_Bob]

Famous last words...

"I refuse to accept the authority of this firing squad!"

I think there's always a last moment of clarity...

Hence

Famous last words...

"I refuse to accept the authority of this firing squad!"

click

"Oh ****... I've been a ****."

[robbie36]

Give him 6 months to teach him a lesson :wink:

ne! Unless they have strong evidence against him.

If Jutuporn was released on bail then Savage, at least, should be unchained.

I could be wrong but I understood it was normal practice here for all detainees to be chained when they appear in court to reduce the risk of escape.

Savage and Purcell also both have the added problem that they have committed immigration offences. Both when arrested were unlawfully in the country given that their respective visas had expired. Savage received a 2 yr suspended sentence if I remember correctly. Purcell claiming he had lost his passport had been given an emergency travel document to go home but chose not to use it.

Thus, they cannot be conditionally released on bail, only deported.

Didn't Connor also claim he was working?

Have a vague memory of that but he also claimed ot be in the SAS and a sniper and an international political scientist and probably also claimed to a good lover to a few young red maidens in the crowd!

check out his squash. the guy has obviously had brain surgery... and needs a second round.

the debilitating tropical heat during his time on the street has furthermore curdled what brains he'd managed to hang onto (also, being Australian he deals with innate crippling cultural and intellectual handicaps which we don't have time or space to explore here).

shed no tears for him. he'll be dancin in those shackles like an organ grinder's monkey (hat in hand, smile on face) in no time.

the other guy, my heart goes out to... fatfaced f*ck that he is... he's been in service to the queen (of England)... she ain't no human bean! time around Buckinham Palace being ordered to prance dance and spin by the lavender smelling lilacs to be found there would make anybody want to smash and burn. (he did make an arrogant whitey's poor choice of the wrong time and place to act out, and should and will pay for it).

To be honest, my heart goes out for both guys.

One was an idiot who now realizes he was an idiot.

The other is too stupid to even realize that. I would simply export on the basis that no foreign country needs to accept people so inherently stupid as him (and perhaps a minor admission that someone so stupid should not be allowed here in the first case - although that would destroy the tourist industry.)

I cant get into 'he deserves to rot in jail' attitude because I do believe stupidity, ignorance and madness, is a handicap rather than a crime.

[robbie36]

I actually believe a lot of good might come out of recent events.

First of all it is almost certainly the first time in many decades whereby civil conflict has been resolved without recourse to a coup. Given a gun to my head and asked between choosing Chalerm or the military to run the Government (I might just say pull the trigger) but I would still take Chalerm.

Secondly, I believe that Thaksin has left an important legacy for Thailand, namely the root to power is by embracing the poor rather than ignoring them. (Yeah, I know you all think it comes down to Bt500 bribes at election time but just look at the NESDB, ADB and World Bank stats - they speak for themselves.)

His strategy was so effective the opposition would not fight an election. Abhisit acted like a spoilt child. Now he, Korn etc have learnt a lot, are copying many of Thaksin's populist ideas and can see that their failure to appeal to the North/NE was simply that. And embracing the entire electorate will eventually get them elected properly.

It will eventually also rid this country of the local mafia chief electoral power crap. One of the things that bugs me most about Thaksin is that his strategy was so good, so well executed, that he could have got rid of the Snoh's, Newin's, Chalerm's and still won the elections when he was in power here. But he was simply too greedy.

Countries run by an 'entrenched elite' inevitably dissolve into conflict. Someone like Abhisit is far too intelligent not to learn from his past mistakes.

[CiaranM]

Countries run by an 'entrenched elite' inevitably dissolve into conflict. Someone like Abhisit is far too intelligent not to learn from his past mistakes.

i think Abhisit has the potential to be a really good leader for Thailand ... but will he get the chance ??? he's got to try and keep so many different ppl/factions happy it could prove difficult (impossible) to maintain a majority.

far too many politicans (the world over not just here) are more concerned about what is good for them rather than what is good for the country !!

it will be interesting to see in the next national elections whether the events of the past few months has reduced, or increasing, support for Abhisit. considering he couldn't trust the police to do the f**king job they r paid for i thought he handled the situation reasonably well !! unfortunately there was considerable loss of life, but if the red shirts had accepted the deal they appeared to accept .... a lot of that could have been avoided !!!

[beej]

...... it could very very easily be back to square one with the election of one of the old guard.

The reset button pressed, it would be like the 3 steps forward never happened. How sad that would be, but how easy it could happen.

[EstellaII]

FS...you guys still keep going on with this forum :roll:

[DJTX]

FS...you guys still keep going on with this forum :roll:

Hey, trying for page 300 :!:

[robbie36]

...... it could very very easily be back to square one with the election of one of the old guard.

The reset button pressed, it would be like the 3 steps forward never happened. How sad that would be, but how easy it could happen.

Well its been a long time since the Democrats actually 'won' an election even with the opposition 'banned'. But I do think they have learnt a lot off Thaksin. The art of winning an election is converting your opponents rather than appealing to your supporters. Real Democratic parties offer something for everyone because the electorate is not so 'self-absorbed' as to only want the best for themselves. Of course they go for that but it is on the basis that they believe 'their' party is acting in everyones best interests. I suggested they should rebrand themselves as 'New Democrats' - not that they will.

By the way a good example of this the Bangkok vote which is shall we say the most independent. I votes for the party they believe is best for the country (with a mild Democrat bias.) But that might be Thaksin or Chamlong.

Ultimately, I think the Democrats did a superb job of handling the whole situation which would have been even better with a truly free press. At the end of the day, an old etonian Oxford graduate couldnt get a majority in the UK, so it is a tough sell. But what they projected, for the most part, was an image of 'trying' to act in 'everyones' best interests. The Democrats will win through that 'aura' that the likes of Chat Thai will move towards them.

What I hate most about the whole Thaksin thing is the assumption of stupidity that is placed on his supporters who are just 'bribed' to vote. His strategy was simply common sense well executed. If he had moral fibre to go with his business acumen and assuming the Democrats didnt fall asleep there could have been a real democracy.

Now Thaksin was hardly a genius but I think he actually showed how fragile patronage politics is rather than he was a result of it. It is great that the Democrat's have at last woken up and got the message. There is still a big opening for a credible opposition which would be to their advantage because this time they would know how to fight back.

The Bt500 vote reflects the quality of the candidates and not the voter.

[zeusbheld]

Give him 6 months to teach him a lesson :wink:

ne! Unless they have strong evidence against him.

If Jutuporn was released on bail then Savage, at least, should be unchained.

I could be wrong but I understood it was normal practice here for all detainees to be chained when they appear in court to reduce the risk of escape.

Savage and Purcell also both have the added problem that they have committed immigration offences. Both when arrested were unlawfully in the country given that their respective visas had expired. Savage received a 2 yr suspended sentence if I remember correctly. Purcell claiming he had lost his passport had been given an emergency travel document to go home but chose not to use it.

Thus, they cannot be conditionally released on bail, only deported.

Didn't Connor also claim he was working?

Have a vague memory of that but he also claimed ot be in the SAS and a sniper and an international political scientist and probably also claimed to a good lover to a few young red maidens in the crowd!

check out his squash. the guy has obviously had brain surgery... and needs a second round.

the debilitating tropical heat during his time on the street has furthermore curdled what brains he'd managed to hang onto (also, being Australian he deals with innate crippling cultural and intellectual handicaps which we don't have time or space to explore here).

shed no tears for him. he'll be dancin in those shackles like an organ grinder's monkey (hat in hand, smile on face) in no time.

the other guy, my heart goes out to... fatfaced f*ck that he is... he's been in service to the queen (of England)... she ain't no human bean! time around Buckinham Palace being ordered to prance dance and spin by the lavender smelling lilacs to be found there would make anybody want to smash and burn. (he did make an arrogant whitey's poor choice of the wrong time and place to act out, and should and will pay for it).

To be honest, my heart goes out for both guys.

One was an idiot who now realizes he was an idiot.

The other is too stupid to even realize that. I would simply export on the basis that no foreign country needs to accept people so inherently stupid as him (and perhaps a minor admission that someone so stupid should not be allowed here in the first case - although that would destroy the tourist industry.)

I cant get into 'he deserves to rot in jail' attitude because I do believe stupidity, ignorance and madness, is a handicap rather than a crime.

i reserve judgment. i don't know these guys nor what makes them act like window-lickers. if their problem is truly a lack of raw wattage of brainpower then my heart goes out to these gumps. if they are not physically incapacitated then hey they placed the bets they have to accept a) how the cards fall and that they suck at cards.

the purcell fella reminds me of a fair number of 'sas' 'cia' and 'navy seals' i've encountered on barstools. they're so incapable of accepting their own insiginificance that they make **** up and start believing it. i don't know whether this is truly madness or just a lifestyle choice but if it gets you dead, you are still dead.

have to admit though i find these guys... interesting. can't get a read on 'em.

[beej]

the purcell fella reminds me of a fair number of 'sas' 'cia' and 'navy seals' i've encountered on barstools.

...... in early Sukhumvit/Pattaya.

[zeusbheld]

(Yeah, I know you all think it comes down to Bt500 bribes at election time but just look at the NESDB, ADB and World Bank stats - they speak for themselves.).

on this little bit of folklore in particular: if Takky was the first--and ONLY--SOB who thought you were important enough to warrant 500 baht, is it really about 500 baht or about having a sliver of a fraction of a smidgen of a seat at the table, however mall that sliver of a fraction of a smidgen of a seat may be?

one thing that has been consistent in reading what is spewed TF is that whitey underestimates the hilbillly types at least as badly if not moreso than the city slicker types.fortunately only whitey is arrogant enough to dismiss it as mere grasping for 500 baht, we may yet avoid a civil war.

[koolbreez]

(Yeah, I know you all think it comes down to Bt500 bribes at election time but just look at the NESDB, ADB and World Bank stats - they speak for themselves.).

on this little bit of folklore in particular: if Takky was the first--and ONLY--SOB who thought you were important enough to warrant 500 baht, is it really about 500 baht or about having a sliver of a fraction of a smidgen of a seat at the table, however mall that sliver of a fraction of a smidgen of a seat may be?

one thing that has been consistent in reading what is spewed TF is that whitey underestimates the hilbillly types at least as badly if not moreso than the city slicker types.fortunately only whitey is arrogant enough to dismiss it as mere grasping for 500 baht, we may yet avoid a civil war.

Nope, it is all about money, and the concequences of not going with the highest bidder. Of the estimated 3000 killed in the drug crackdown in the North, and NorthEast, only about 500 can be attributed to drugs. Even the 9 year old boy that was extra-judiciacily killed was attributed to his involvement with the drug trade, not that his family opposed the government's actions in the region.

It is not a complicated dilema. Killing has always been seen as a necessity in some instances, and there has always been a price to have this done, and its a big convincer. A life in Thailand is expendable if it gets in someone elses way. It used to cost $100US, but now the price has gone up to $1000US, and it's not hard at all to find people willing to work for those wages, no matter what is required of the job, or who you have to kill to be payed.

So many people try to read more into what is going on than what is really going on. there is nothing complicated about it, it is so simple that people can't, or refuse to believe the simplicity of the whole situation. Is it pure coincidence that the demonstrations started the day after the courts took away half of Thaksin's money? I think not, and that is the simplicity of the whole situation going back to 2006. Thaksin wants his money back, and his face back. He will not stop until he either destroys the country, or gets his way (or dies). It is that simple, it always has been, and always will be. To read anything more into it is just wishful thinking, or as one saying goes "you think to much".

[zeusbheld]

(Yeah, I know you all think it comes down to Bt500 bribes at election time but just look at the NESDB, ADB and World Bank stats - they speak for themselves.).

on this little bit of folklore in particular: if Takky was the first--and ONLY--SOB who thought you were important enough to warrant 500 baht, is it really about 500 baht or about having a sliver of a fraction of a smidgen of a seat at the table, however mall that sliver of a fraction of a smidgen of a seat may be?

one thing that has been consistent in reading what is spewed TF is that whitey underestimates the hilbillly types at least as badly if not moreso than the city slicker types.fortunately only whitey is arrogant enough to dismiss it as mere grasping for 500 baht, we may yet avoid a civil war.

Nope, it is all about money, and the concequences of not going with the highest bidder. Of the estimated 3000 killed in the drug crackdown in the North, and NorthEast, only about 500 can be attributed to drugs. Even the 9 year old boy that was extra-judiciacily killed was attributed to his involvement with the drug trade, not that his family opposed the government's actions in the region.

It is not a complicated dilema. Killing has always been seen as a necessity in some instances, and there has always been a price to have this done, and its a big convincer. A life in Thailand is expendable if it gets in someone elses way. It used to cost $100US, but now the price has gone up to $1000US, and it's not hard at all to find people willing to work for those wages, no matter what is required of the job, or who you have to kill to be payed.

So many people try to read more into what is going on than what is really going on. there is nothing complicated about it, it is so simple that people can't, or refuse to believe the simplicity of the whole situation. Is it pure coincidence that the demonstrations started the day after the courts took away half of Thaksin's money? I think not, and that is the simplicity of the whole situation going back to 2006. Thaksin wants his money back, and his face back. He will not stop until he either destroys the country, or gets his way (or dies). It is that simple, it always has been, and always will be. To read anything more into it is just wishful thinking, or as one saying goes "you think to much".

oh dear. i'm glad you're not in charge.

as the saying goes, did you ever get off your ass and actually talk to anyone? i mean more like rank and file red types, the sort you may not find yourself agreeing with, and the sort who aren't eloquent or as likely as Sean to provide absurd, sound-byte quotes. no wait, you've answered that already, no, like most of the press corps that never occurred to you. (but hey don't feel bad the ones that DID have kluged the rank and file reds into some sort of weird populist 1848-meets-1968 romantic populist fever dream.

if you were in charge of making sure the reds lose i guarantee they would win. why? you focus on the 'simplicity of the situation.' you have disappeared deep into the anal cavity of grand unifying theories and can't find your shoes let alone boots on the ground. you would so grotesquely underestimate your opponent that you would find yourself presiding over the next Dien Bien Phu.

i'm not saying you're stupid, not at all... quite the opposite. many very smart people... mcnamara... rumsfeld... have done exactly that. it's easy to focus on 'the big picture' and forget that the 'big picture' involves a lot of little people. and unlike chits in a board game, they actually do act according to their own will and not some cheesy 1800s 'great game' script.

*i* think too much? nah i just know a little bit about that guy who sits next to teh elevator in my building, and what he thinks. you know, the kind of guy who is completely invisible to Whitey (and significant portions of Bangkok).

now i'm sure you're a great Combat Photojournalist but maybe, just maybe you could spend less time pointing your wide angle lens down the barrel of an AK at close range (not saying you personally do this necessarily just that it's a very good bet with photojournalists who actually collect a paycheck) and just a tiny bit more time doing the boring stuff.... like finding out what all those old ladies and motocy guys hanging around Mordor on game day actualy thought about things... or better yet, catch them at home when they're not whipped up into a froth.

you're the poster boy for What Whitey Thinks, aren't you... put whitey in charge and he'd back catholics in vietnam. or convince himself (and yeah i do mean HIMself) that Iraq is a brief liberation away from being a model democracy.

oh wait...

[CiaranM]

you're the poster boy for What Whitey Thinks, aren't you... put whitey in charge and he'd back catholics in vietnam. or convince himself (and yeah i do mean HIMself) that Iraq is a brief liberation away from being a model democracy.

oh wait...

if they hadn't been getting paid how many ppl would have spent 2 months on the bkk streets ??

oh wait .....

that many !!!!

[lizardo]

(Yeah, I know you all think it comes down to Bt500 bribes at election time but just look at the NESDB, ADB and World Bank stats - they speak for themselves.).

on this little bit of folklore in particular: if Takky was the first--and ONLY--SOB who thought you were important enough to warrant 500 baht, is it really about 500 baht or about having a sliver of a fraction of a smidgen of a seat at the table, however mall that sliver of a fraction of a smidgen of a seat may be?

one thing that has been consistent in reading what is spewed TF is that whitey underestimates the hilbillly types at least as badly if not moreso than the city slicker types.fortunately only whitey is arrogant enough to dismiss it as mere grasping for 500 baht, we may yet avoid a civil war.

Nope, it is all about money, and the concequences of not going with the highest bidder. Of the estimated 3000 killed in the drug crackdown in the North, and NorthEast, only about 500 can be attributed to drugs. Even the 9 year old boy that was extra-judiciacily killed was attributed to his involvement with the drug trade, not that his family opposed the government's actions in the region.

It is not a complicated dilema. Killing has always been seen as a necessity in some instances, and there has always been a price to have this done, and its a big convincer. A life in Thailand is expendable if it gets in someone elses way. It used to cost $100US, but now the price has gone up to $1000US, and it's not hard at all to find people willing to work for those wages, no matter what is required of the job, or who you have to kill to be payed.

So many people try to read more into what is going on than what is really going on. there is nothing complicated about it, it is so simple that people can't, or refuse to believe the simplicity of the whole situation. Is it pure coincidence that the demonstrations started the day after the courts took away half of Thaksin's money? I think not, and that is the simplicity of the whole situation going back to 2006. Thaksin wants his money back, and his face back. He will not stop until he either destroys the country, or gets his way (or dies). It is that simple, it always has been, and always will be. To read anything more into it is just wishful thinking, or as one saying goes "you think to much".

oh dear. i'm glad you're not in charge.

as the saying goes, did you ever get off your a*s and actually talk to anyone? i mean more like rank and file red types, the sort you may not find yourself agreeing with, and the sort who aren't eloquent or as likely as Sean to provide absurd, sound-byte quotes. no wait, you've answered that already, no, like most of the press corps that never occurred to you. (but hey don't feel bad the ones that DID have kluged the rank and file reds into some sort of weird populist 1848-meets-1968 romantic populist fever dream.

if you were in charge of making sure the reds lose i guarantee they would win. why? you focus on the 'simplicity of the situation.' you have disappeared deep into the anal cavity of grand unifying theories and can't find your shoes let alone boots on the ground. you would so grotesquely underestimate your opponent that you would find yourself presiding over the next Dien Bien Phu.

i'm not saying you're stupid, not at all... quite the opposite. many very smart people... mcnamara... rumsfeld... have done exactly that. it's easy to focus on 'the big picture' and forget that the 'big picture' involves a lot of little people. and unlike chits in a board game, they actually do act according to their own will and not some cheesy 1800s 'great game' script.

*i* think too much? nah i just know a little bit about that guy who sits next to teh elevator in my building, and what he thinks. you know, the kind of guy who is completely invisible to Whitey (and significant portions of Bangkok).

now i'm sure you're a great Combat Photojournalist but maybe, just maybe you could spend less time pointing your wide angle lens down the barrel of an AK at close range (not saying you personally do this necessarily just that it's a very good bet with photojournalists who actually collect a paycheck) and just a tiny bit more time doing the boring stuff.... like finding out what all those old ladies and motocy guys hanging around Mordor on game day actualy thought about things... or better yet, catch them at home when they're not whipped up into a froth.

you're the poster boy for What Whitey Thinks, aren't you... put whitey in charge and he'd back catholics in vietnam. or convince himself (and yeah i do mean HIMself) that Iraq is a brief liberation away from being a model democracy.

oh wait...

Good Lord...Zeuselution

[koolbreez]

(Yeah, I know you all think it comes down to Bt500 bribes at election time but just look at the NESDB, ADB and World Bank stats - they speak for themselves.).

on this little bit of folklore in particular: if Takky was the first--and ONLY--SOB who thought you were important enough to warrant 500 baht, is it really about 500 baht or about having a sliver of a fraction of a smidgen of a seat at the table, however mall that sliver of a fraction of a smidgen of a seat may be?

one thing that has been consistent in reading what is spewed TF is that whitey underestimates the hilbillly types at least as badly if not moreso than the city slicker types.fortunately only whitey is arrogant enough to dismiss it as mere grasping for 500 baht, we may yet avoid a civil war.

Nope, it is all about money, and the concequences of not going with the highest bidder. Of the estimated 3000 killed in the drug crackdown in the North, and NorthEast, only about 500 can be attributed to drugs. Even the 9 year old boy that was extra-judiciacily killed was attributed to his involvement with the drug trade, not that his family opposed the government's actions in the region.

It is not a complicated dilema. Killing has always been seen as a necessity in some instances, and there has always been a price to have this done, and its a big convincer. A life in Thailand is expendable if it gets in someone elses way. It used to cost $100US, but now the price has gone up to $1000US, and it's not hard at all to find people willing to work for those wages, no matter what is required of the job, or who you have to kill to be payed.

So many people try to read more into what is going on than what is really going on. there is nothing complicated about it, it is so simple that people can't, or refuse to believe the simplicity of the whole situation. Is it pure coincidence that the demonstrations started the day after the courts took away half of Thaksin's money? I think not, and that is the simplicity of the whole situation going back to 2006. Thaksin wants his money back, and his face back. He will not stop until he either destroys the country, or gets his way (or dies). It is that simple, it always has been, and always will be. To read anything more into it is just wishful thinking, or as one saying goes "you think to much".

oh dear. i'm glad you're not in charge.

as the saying goes, did you ever get off your a*s and actually talk to anyone? i mean more like rank and file red types, the sort you may not find yourself agreeing with, and the sort who aren't eloquent or as likely as Sean to provide absurd, sound-byte quotes. no wait, you've answered that already, no, like most of the press corps that never occurred to you. (but hey don't feel bad the ones that DID have kluged the rank and file reds into some sort of weird populist 1848-meets-1968 romantic populist fever dream.

if you were in charge of making sure the reds lose i guarantee they would win. why? you focus on the 'simplicity of the situation.' you have disappeared deep into the anal cavity of grand unifying theories and can't find your shoes let alone boots on the ground. you would so grotesquely underestimate your opponent that you would find yourself presiding over the next Dien Bien Phu.

i'm not saying you're stupid, not at all... quite the opposite. many very smart people... mcnamara... rumsfeld... have done exactly that. it's easy to focus on 'the big picture' and forget that the 'big picture' involves a lot of little people. and unlike chits in a board game, they actually do act according to their own will and not some cheesy 1800s 'great game' script.

*i* think too much? nah i just know a little bit about that guy who sits next to teh elevator in my building, and what he thinks. you know, the kind of guy who is completely invisible to Whitey (and significant portions of Bangkok).

now i'm sure you're a great Combat Photojournalist but maybe, just maybe you could spend less time pointing your wide angle lens down the barrel of an AK at close range (not saying you personally do this necessarily just that it's a very good bet with photojournalists who actually collect a paycheck) and just a tiny bit more time doing the boring stuff.... like finding out what all those old ladies and motocy guys hanging around Mordor on game day actualy thought about things... or better yet, catch them at home when they're not whipped up into a froth.

you're the poster boy for What Whitey Thinks, aren't you... put whitey in charge and he'd back catholics in vietnam. or convince himself (and yeah i do mean HIMself) that Iraq is a brief liberation away from being a model democracy.

oh wait...

Good Lord...Zeuselution

It was interesting that with the number of redshirts I talked to, and shared food with, only one could tell me what Democracy was. The rest had no clue, but their leaders told them that was what they were there for, so they believed them, because they were thier leaders, and the ones that payed them to be their. Again, it was all about money plain, and simple.

The retoric spewed forth by well meaning journalists was just that, retoric that they heard from the stage. This is not a fight about equal rights. Equal rights will never happen in Thailand. The main religion will not allow that to ever happen. So again this is all about money, and one man's loss.

I'm sure you have talked to your poor Thai friends, and they have explained to you in detail what this is all about. But, have you ever asked them how much money they made if they went to the demonstrations? I think not....lolol.