Say You’re In Charge: (Poll)

Abhisit is kicked from all sides. He could have acted faster, other governments would never have waited that long. The other night red paramilitary even attacked the Dusit Thani with an RPG (source: ThaiTV). That’s a serious war weapon. A big hole in one of the upper floors, CNN’s Sara Sidner reported.

Under international law the government is acting not illegally. Remember the Mumbai attacks? The last surviving assassin has just been condemned to death. But let’s say you’re the leader in charge. What would you do? How would you have acted? Oh no please none of the “but they’re peaceful and unarmed!” anymore.

With pressure tactics and a last minute face-saver for the red leadership not all must be lost. If Abhisit and the red leaders to issue a common statement at some point in time it could mark a milestone towards reconciliation. But the task looks like an impossible one after what happened so far. And no, the “fatal” demand by the red leadership that the government has to submit to justice together with the red leaders cannot be listed as an option. No government would ever seriously consider such a condition.

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May 17, 2010 | Filed Under News & Media, Politics, Survey / Poll | 11 Comments 

Red Serendipity (Poll)

Fascinating to see how multiple-sided the current sea of red emotion is. You can read into the movement whatever you want. Even if you’re there yourself, if you’re a fervent red, you’ll be able to find all kinds of justifications covering the whole spectrum from radicals to pro to diehard anti. Just pick your truth.

If you’re surfing through the English-language Thai blogosphere you’re witnessing a real people’s march with cheerful local crowds, a movement with a solid agenda and learn that some missions are accomplished. BangkokPundit has an interesting collection of positives: Red Shirts Losing?

On the other hand, depending on the sources you favor, there were fewer than 5,000 reds the other day. There’s material everywhere dealing with the disarray within the reds, with Thaksin’s questionable past and difficult character, with the futile wait for anything to be achieved, not to mention – to put it mildly – Thai society’s doubts and reservations about today’s reds. So what to believe? Who’s lying less? What’s “true”?

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March 19, 2010 | Filed Under News & Media, Politics, Survey / Poll | 4 Comments 

Dr. Saul: Thailand & The Desire Economy

Dr. Saul Kruggerand, the renowned Ph.D. economist and native of South Africa, whom we last heard from in his article titled Thailand to Tackle World’s Desire Deficit in which he outlined the present economic structure of Thailand’s Desire Sector (DS) along with an insightful and detailed estimate of the Desire Sector’s current contribution to Thailand’s overall GNP. In today’s post Dr. Saul analyzes Thailand’s plan to target and develop Thailand’s Desire Economy Sector in order to re-stimulate & maximize Thailand’s GNP.

“Dr. Saul,” as he is affectionately called by his students, having focused his highly-tuned analytical skills on the present structure and dimensions of the Thailand’s Desire Sector, now follows with a detailed analysis of the radical and heretofore overlooked proposal the Thailand government made at the recent G-20 and Apec meetings to further develop the Desire Sector of the Thai economy in order to help reduce the World’s Desire Deficit (WDD) as well as to make a surprisingly significant contribution to the re-stimulation of overall economic growth in Southeast Asia and the world.

Dr. Saul is himself a Yesbel Laureate with his Ph.D. from the prestigious London School of Economics LSE. Dr. Saul has worked with or along with the World Bank, IMF, Goldman Sachs, the Dubai Sovereign Fund, AIG Hedge Fund Division and George Soros. A generous grant from the Chuwit Foundation in Bangkok where Dr. Saul is the director of research and senior fellow has helped to fund Dr. Saul’s recent studies in this area. And now, without further introduction, here is

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January 26, 2010 | Filed Under Being Farang, Business & Economics, Culture Shock, Nightlife & Entertainment, Survey / Poll, Travel & Tourism | 27 Comments 

Poll: Suvarnabhumi, Round Two

Argh the red devils are back. It’s a cunning game the red shirts are playing these days. They got all the media attention. Without much effort. First they increase the heat on previously untouchable privy councillors. They dare to hold the first rally ever in front of the office of the privy council. Unthinkable not too long ago. The common boundaries have been stretched enough to allow more space to roam.

The red shirts though know, no privy councillor will budge as demanded for the time being. That’s not the aim of their latest tactic anyway. The tactic is more of a “Little strokes fell big oaks.” That’s why they announced an airport protest. A symbolic protest. No road will be blocked, no passenger will be harmed. No law will be broken. Just up the ante. Every media network would be there. Would be because the rally seems to be cancelled.

Elements of the government and industry were panicking, the stock market diving. That’s all the red shirts want. To show the government quite plainly by means of inducing fear on what double standards, lies and flowery phrases its rule is built on. Why would the red shirts have to go for a repeat of the November to December 2008 mayhem. That’d be “national suicide,” as someone said. Nevertheless, why didn’t the government prevent a possible repeat in the first place? (Wanna head straight to the poll? Scroll down.)

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January 20, 2010 | Filed Under Business & Economics, Politics, Society, Survey / Poll | 2 Comments 

Machiavelli Personality Test: Are We A Better Thai Politician?

Boring politics? Boring Thai politics? There is no such thing. Thailand politics by now have become a textbook for modern-day machinations and intrigue. Any dethroned leader anywhere in the world longing for a comeback should just have a look at Thailand. Thaksin’s the past you’d think. Emailed a reader:

“In any other place on earth I would agree 100% … But here is Thailand where all problems are solved with the most amazing, wacky, weaselly and mind-bending compromises. Abhisit will one day be his vice premier, you wait and see! There will be something for Sondhi too.”

Sounds like a soft form of textbook Machiavellianism which denies the relevance of morality in political affairs. Craft and deceit are justified in pursuing and maintaining political power by use of cunning and catty tactics.

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November 11, 2009 | Filed Under Being Farang, Politics, Society, Survey / Poll, The Thai Mind | 4 Comments 

Of Rankings, Mediocrity & Quality Of Life

Well, there’s always an exception that proves the rule. According to a recent poll Bangkok was voted the no. 1 most attractive city in Asia. Thai media hailed the headline. But the poll was conducted in Bangkok, among 500 foreign tourists. As if 500 interviewed tourists in Tokyo would have chosen Bangkok. That’s not what you call “representative.” Still, despite subliminal indoctrination attempts, dwindling freedoms and regressing investments in the kingdom it’s not all that bad.

Take any internationally credible poll or ranking and Thailand features not too shabby. Again, there’s the exception that proves the rule. In the Press Freedom Index 2009 Thailand remains near the post-Thaksin historic low of 135th. In 2002 Thailand ranked 65th. On the other hand, according to the IMD World Competitiveness‘ stress test, Thailand holds the 26th overall rank in 2009.

A rare success that was thoroughly enjoyed by our dear prime minister. But when the same stress test ranks Thailand’s Government Efficiency as 17th, sandwiched between Taiwan and Malaysia and clearly ahead of the U.S. and the U.K., you may wonder what standards apply. And according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2008 the Thai kingdom ranks 80th, after 61st in 2001. But how do you measure one of Thailand’s real strengths? The quality of life?

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November 5, 2009 | Filed Under Business & Economics, History, News & Media, Politics, Society, Survey / Poll | 1 Comment 

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