Santa (Abhisit) Claus : the never ending subsidies and more holidays

Rome had panem et circense (bred and games)…

The Kingdom of Thailand has free water, free electricity and more holidays.

That’s the Wonderland of Abhisit.

Poor Thais to benefit from measures to curb water, power, bus, train, gas fees

The Cabinet yesterday agreed to keep the five cost-of-living mitigation measures going for three more months, as well as giving the green light for recurring borrowing of Bt35 billion for this fiscal year.

The five measures, extended three times already, were set to expire at year-end . (Nation)

And :

Cabinet Tuesday approved one additional holiday for the Songkran holidays and the National Mother’s Day period. As a result, Songkran would be for six days from April 13-18, and Mother’s Day would be for four days from August 12-15. (Nation)

The point is : Samak (PM of Thaksin’s party) did it. It was in july 2008. At that time, people were hammered by high inflation (yes I know it sounds like a century ago). The oil prices crisis.

Then Somchai (brother in law of Thaksin) continued the same policy. And of course, Abhisit jumped into the same wagon ! Happy like the Monty Python Flying Circus having intercourse with Benny Hill.

Eventually, the idea is exactly the same : buy with money( you don’t have) some political and popular support.

So the clowns who were waiting for a “Change” with Abhisit are… well… clowns indeed.

Different side, different people, different color, but the same breed actually : dirty, corrupted, neuronless politicians.

The government is broke ? Mai pen rai, more subsidies. The recession should command more effort, more work ? Mai mi pen ha, more holidays.

Anyway. In january 2009, Abhisit extended this package.

Thaiwonderland : Abhisit extends the “Samak Package”, but changes its name

What will he do in 3 months ?

Good. Now you start to understand (thai) politics.

Why the King is kept in hospital ?

The question might appears as provocative. But let’s review some hypothesis.

First the fact : the King is in hospital since… september 19. Almost 3 months !

Second : at the beginning, the state apparatus spent a lot of energy to try to divert attention, to water down the reality of the King’s ailment. That was achieved through surreal “daily official statements” (read a few of my previous articles here and there).

Third : the King made 3 public appearances… 2 at the hospital. And the last one was for a very brief address, for his birthday last week (read here).

On december 5, as soon as the speech was over, the convoy of official cars (a VW van for the King) went… back to the hospital. Live on TV.

Now,  let’s go deeper.

1-We can assume without any risk that the King of Thailand would be able to get all doctors and equipments money and modern science can buy. When he wants. And where he wants.

2-It would be rational to assume that the King would prefer to be in his palace,  home, while being treated, rather than in a hospital room.

3-And we can assume, due to past events (the attempts to water down the reality of the health situation), that it would be  in the interest of the state apparatus to continue the same policy. AKA : stability. We could even say : it’s in the public interest. For that matter, It would be perfectly logic to try, as far as possible, to shorten and/or to hide the most visible proof of abnormality, AKA the King’s hospitalization.

Normality = King in his palace (even if very hill). Abnormality = King in hospital.

It’s basic common sense.

So let’s recap… 1+2+3 = ?

Why do they keep the King in the hospital ? Why did they show to the world this convoy of official cars… travelling back from the palace directly to the hospital, right after the royal speech ?

Why such an ostentatious hurry ? Live on all thai TV channels ?

Why they didn’t even try to… pretend ?

It doesn’t make any sense.

Until… well… it makes perfectly sense… AKA = this is exactly what they want to show.

Let’s assume that the whole situation is designed.

What would be their motives ? Who would benefit from this operation ?

The answer seems then obvious : while the King is in the hospital, AKA in a position of weakness, the struggle with the opposition can not resume. The thai people is compelled, in a way, to unite behind its monarch.

To summarize : in order to prevent (political) abnormality, a group of people (?) could paradoxically gamble and play on a… a real abnormality.

What do you think ? Far stretched ?

Dong devaluation and Dubai’s debacle : “no worries but… we are going to talk about it”

Korn was the first to show his gun : “no alarm” he said.

The alleged Finance Minister was reacting at the vietnamese currency devaluation and the Dubai’s debacle.

You have to understand that the first duty of any thai official is to come on TV after any kind of intrinsic negative event (terrorist attack, bad news for the economy, Michael Jackson death,  new hair style of a famous singer etc.) to say that this event will have no or minimal impact (on Thailand that is to say).

The Prime Minister had to follow the rule too.

Mr Abhisit said he believed their impacts on the Thai economy would be minimal. (Bangkok Post)

So no worries, however…

The economic ministers will meet on Monday to discuss the debt crisis in Dubai and the devaluation on Vietnam’s dong currency, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said in his weekly broadcast on Sunday.

He said the government will continue monitoring the global economic situation closely, and the Council of Economic Ministers will discuss the details of the Dubai World’s debt and dong’s devaluation on Monday.

… however they are going to talk about it.

A perfect summary of the (reversed) way thai politician’s brain is working :

-first : talking
-second : thinking (or trying to)

The government imposes special Security Law… for 2 weeks

[do you remember april 2009 ?]

It started on november 20.

ISA may be invoked

That’s sweet. “may”, “might”.

Then, we had other details 4 days after:

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with security agencies, Suthep said he will ask the Cabinet to approve the enforcement of the ISA for Dusit district, Rajdamnoen Road and Bang Khun Prom area during the period. (Nation)

Let’s stop here for a moment. What is ISA ? The Internal Security Act. It’s a politically correct and modern version (style Abhisit Change Yes We Can’t) of martial law. Yes ladies and gentlemen : martial law.

The Internal Security Act (ISA) allows troops to impose curfews, operate checkpoints, restrict movements of protesters and act fast if rallies by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) turn violent. (Reuters).

So what would you say about the proposal of Suthep to impose martial law… in some streets of Bangkok, here but not there ?

The word you are looking for is : clown.

Of course.

But let’s continue, with eventually, the real version of this grotesque new thai  drama.

The cabinet on Tuesday morning approved the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) throughout Bangkok from Nov 28 to Dec 14 to cope with the red-shirts’ plan for prolonged anti-government protests.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who is in charge of security affairs, said on Monday that the ISA would be limited to only in Dusit and nearby Sommanas and Bang Khun Phrom sub-districts.

However, the cabinet decided to invoke it across all of Bangkok since the red-shirts had declared they would rally and split into groups that would protest separately at many different locations in the capital next Monday.

“The cabinet made this decision because the protesters may go separately to many different locations. The wider coverage of the law will enable security units to effectively perform their duty throughout Bangkok. (Bangkok Post)

Suthep is a liar and a clown.

A liar because, the decision to use ISA on the whole city of Bangkok , not only parts, was taken long time ago. And a  clown because the propaganda he uses is so cheap…

Now. Other issue : why 15 days ? I mean why not… 360 days ? Yeah. That would be so convenient for all those friends of “democracy” and “rule of law” (you remember the fetish words of our dashing Prime Minister, Abhisit).

No more opposition, no more trouble, welcome Burma, welcome China, welcome North Korea. Yeah that would be so cool, right Mister Abhisit ?

And as usual, they use the monarchy as a grotesque toy, a tool, to justify their own political agenda.

Sure we have the birthday of the King on december the 5th… So what ? Why is it necessary to keep ISA until december 14 ?

But let’s go back to our beloved Abhisit. What does he think ?

The government needs to enforce the Internal Security Act (ISA) across Bangkok between Nov 28 and Dec 15 to deal with the red-shirt protesters if they split up and rally at different locations, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Tuesday. [...]

“There are reports that people, including foreign workers, have been gathered from different regions to join the demonstration,” Mr Abhisit said. (Bangkok Post)

Ouh we are scared… legions of mean foreigners (cambodian perhaps ?) ready to crush Thailand…

You see. Since last december, I tell you that Abhisit is nothing but a vulgar thai politician, hidding inside a smiling puppet.

Abhisit has no shame. No shame to use this dirty trick : the fear of the foreigners…

It’s pathetic. Abhisit is pathetic.

Times On Line gives the finger to the thai government

The “Times Online” has unofficially refused to comply with a request by the Thai government to hand over the controversial taped interview with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to Thailand, which contained parts that are deemed lese majeste, according to the Minister to the PM’s Office Satit Wonghnongtaey. (PRD)

And even deeper into the Rabbit Hole :

The government will not stop requesting the tape of an interview by ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from the Times Online although the latter has unofficially rejected the request, according to Minister to Prime Minister’s Office Satit Wonghnongtoey.

Mr Satit stated that the news agency had already denied Thailand’s request, claiming that it was the right and freedom of the press. However, the government had assigned officials concerned to submit another letter to the Times Online demanding an official statement to clarify the matter, he said.

The minister affirmed that the government would not stop asking for Mr Thaksin’s interview tape since the issue has hurt the feelings of Thai people. He added that if the Times Online was sincere and did not have any deals with the ex-prime minister, the news agency should give cooperation to the Thai government in the investigation process. (PRD)

Paranoid. And hysterical. Totally. Those are the proper words to qualify such behaviour.

To read this famous interview and my comments, click here.

So to summarize : an english media has given the finger to those thai maniacs who think that the world is besieging Thailand, that there is a universal conspiracy to “hurt the feelings of Thai people“, that there is a global threat against “thai national security“, orchestrated by Thaksin and legions of devil foreign journalists who don’t understand Thailand (of course).

Oh dear… we do understand… too well. That’s their problem.

But the worst is : those clowns might indeed believe their own words and fantasies. That’s the scary part.

Because, beyond the obvious political manipulation (they push everything at their hand against Thaksin), there is a nefarious way of thinking gaining some momentum right now in Thailand.

It’s called Thoughtcrime. They arrest a doctor who wrote something on the web about the King’s health. They ask foreign medias to “comply” with their requests… etc. They accuse foreign new editor of lese-majeste. Shall we see a pattern there ?

Something is seriously wrong in Thailand…

And meanwhile, we still wait for some bright comments coming from Abhisit, our young, dashing and Oxford-educated Prime Minister. You know the guy who loves to speak about “democracy” and “rule of law” on CNN (and here)…

What does he think about this stuff ? Afterall, this minister is close to him.

So do we have to conclude that Abhisit agrees ? That Abhisit doesn’t give a shit about the freedom of the press ? That Abhisit has forgotten everything they (allegedly) taught him in Oxford ?

“Rumors mongers” hysteria : a doctor arrested

After 2 brokers, and the owner of  a snooker bar (!), a fourth individual has been arrested in the “rumors mongers and stock market” case about the King’s health.

She’s a doctor in Bangkok, and has no link whatsoever with the others. Talk about a conspiracy.

Police said they have evidence confirming that she had posted the information on a politically-oriented website and caused the plunge of stock market during October 13-15.

She admitted posting the information on the website .

Dr Thassaporn was charged with violating Section 14 of the Computer Offences Act for posting inaccurate information which threatens national security. (TNA)

Sorry to quote myself :

What’s next ? Are they going to arrest a maid, a taxi driver, a farmer, a hooker ? “Rumors mongers” and “national security”… it’s just amazing !

Deep into the Rabbit Hole, we are.

Striking and dark irony of the calendar : the King is in hospital since exactly 2 months (saturday september  19)… And since Loy Kratong, we have no news whatsoever.

So to summarize : you’re a doctor, you might have an opinion, afterall it’s your job, but if it’s related to the King and if you post it on the Web, you become a threat to national security.

This is the Thailand of 2009.

This is Thailand of Abhisit, the dashing “democrat” Prime Minister who could cancel the insane Computer Crime Act (read here) designed by the Junta, by the generals in 2007, after a Coup d’etat.

But no. Not a word. Not a move.

First, not to displease his masters (Abhisit was not elected PM, he was pushed by some puppet masters behind the scene) and second because obviously Abhisit feels at ease with this law (along with the lese-majeste law) : it serves his political interests, it’s a huge leverage against any opponent.

Abhisit did it. What ? The picture with Obama (and the ugly shirt)

Three ! And counting.

The first time, sorry “The First Time”, it was in London at the G20. Last april. Then we had the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh. September.

Abhisit, Prime Minister (unelected but very happy and very self contented) had his picture with Obama (Change Yes We Can’t, trademark) at the APEC summit, this week end.

Oh yeah. And with an ugly shirt asian style. Double yeah. And we shall notice the hand, sorry “The Hand”, on his shoulder… Abhisit probably fainted, overwhelmed by emotions.

Anyway. Why should we mock this man ? One word : schizophrenia.

(And we should say exactly the same about… Barack Obama himself… Afterall, he invented the Yes We Can’t concept… The absolute political schizophrenia it’s… him. Latest example : “We want to cut the US deficit“… when we all know that Obama has exploded the US deficit, and continues to increase it, every day).

Have you followed the Thailand versus Cambodia Drama ? With Abhisit, and the whole thai state apparatus, totally obsessed by every footstep (or air mile) taken by Thaksin ? And the spies ? And the diplomatic fight ? And the TV, the newspapers ? And all this crap ? Amazing.

It’s a telenovelas. An opera bouffe. A comedy. An orgy of ridicule.

Abhisit is ridding the nationalist card, because obviously it’s his last, and meanwhile the man is making empty speeches on the international scene, shaking the hand of Obama. Scene, that’s the proper word.

Left … right … and between those 2 sides, the feeling that there is an amazing emptyness.

To summarize the action of Abhisit (watch out, almost 1 year…) :

-domestic : nothing. Excepted political games, saber rattling and smiles.

-international : speeches with big words (sustainable development, democracy, rule of law, growth etc.) and shaking hands. And smiles.

Anyway. It’s not the first anniversary yet… Let’s wait december. And then we could unleash our critics.

Abhisit… only one more month to Change Yes We Can(‘t).

Hurry up.

Lese-Majeste : here we go again… complaint against Thaksin and a foreign news editor

What is funny is the extreme predictability of the “useful idiots”.

Thaksin has landed in Cambodia. Thaksin has given a bold interview (read here), in which he speaks about the sucession, the monarchy, the crown prince etc..

Just enough to ignite the rocket fuel under the arse of some politicians and generals. 1, 2, 3 Lift off !

The Siam Samakkhi Group on Tuesday filed two complaints alleging lese majeste with Dusit police against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and two other people.

The complaints were lodged on behalf of the group by senators Somchai Sawaengkarn and Warin Thiamjarat, Gen Somchet Boonthanom, former chief of the secretariat of the Council for National Security, and Lt-Gen Nanthadet Meksawat, former deputy chief of the national intelligence coordination centre.

The first complaint was against Thaksin and Richard Lloyd Parry, editor of the Asia edition of The Times, which published the Thaksin interview in which he referred to the monarchy. (Bangkok Post)

Ah ah ah, the editor of the Asia edition of The Times, a british citizen based in Tokyo  ? Why not the Queen of England ? Thailand has not yet reached the bottom of ridicule… We can count on those people to complete the job.

Those people are lunatics, totally delusional.

The worse is : they probably believe -for some of them- they’re righteous.

Thaksin is playing against them… And what they can only do is to charge him with lese-majeste… On both side, the political manipulation is obvious… So by doing so, they’re undermining the monarchy that they pretend to defend.

The thai monarchy is becoming a toy, into the hands of corrupted politicians and people looking for power… It’s a shame.

Thaksin about Crown Prince : “when he becomes the King I’m confident he can be shining “

A bold interview published by Times, with a very bold title (but I think misleading in a way) :

Ousted Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra calls for ‘shining’ new age after King’s death

[...] Tomorrow [tuesday] he is due to arrive in Cambodia on a visit that has caused an intense diplomatic row between the two countries. [...]

Mr Thaksin’s remarks about the Thai monarchy are further evidence that, three years after being forced out as the democratically elected Prime Minister in a military coup, he is still contemplating a political future in Thailand. They also suggest that he is placing his hopes in the man likely to succeed to the country’s throne: the Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.

“He’s not the king yet. He may not be shining [now],” Mr Thaksin told The Times in an interview from Dubai. “But after he becomes the King I’m confident he can be shining . . . it’s not his time yet. But when the time comes I think he will be able to perform.” [...]

“The Crown Prince may not be as popular as His Majesty the King,” Mr Thaksin said. “However, he will have less problem because the palace circle will be smaller . . . He had education abroad and he’s young. I think he understands the modern world.

“When the world is changing every organisation must adapt to the changing environment. When you are born as a baby your heart is very small [but] you cannot keep the baby heart in an adult body . . . Every institution, not just the royal institution, is the same — it must be adapted.”

Poor Abhisit. Nightmares are likely to continue to haunt his nights… !

As for Thaksin, this is really bold material.

Anyway… Let’s wait tuesday. If really Thaksin is about to land in Cambodia… the blow would be enormous for Abhisit… Like a very bad poker player, he bluffed with no cards in his hand… Toying with words (saying that Thailand would ask for Thaksin’s extradition, cutting diplomatics ties etc.)… He is trapped inside the trap he designed himself…

What is he going to do ?

The drama is unfolding.

UPDATE

Well, that was fast. Thaksin has issued a statement to denounce the “complete distorsion” of his interview.

“It (the article) was a complete distortion of my interview.  The falsified article has caused confusion among the readers and the Thai people.  The headline made by Timesonline is not true.  I never said that in the interview,” Thaksin said in the statement.

 

You feel bored ? Politically weak ? You’re a dirty thai politician ? Let’s declare war to Cambodia

The popularity rating of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva tripled after his decisive action of downgrading diplomatic ties with Cambodia, according to an Abac Poll survey released yesterday.
[...]
Factors attributing to the rise in popularity include the sentiment against Cambodia’s attack on the Thai judicial system and concern over the consequences of the Cambodians’ appointment of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an adviser. (Nation)

Mission accomplished ! Dirty Abhisit has won the day. Congratulations to him. I won’t comment more on this inane “let’s cut diplomatic ties with Cambodia” hysteria… It makes me sick.

Just 2 things :

-Abhisit is not ashamed to use a very cheap propaganda trick, in order to deflect attention from real problems and real issues. It’s the eternal “scapegoat” principle, mixed with the good old : “let’s go after foreigners”. Unfortunatly, It works very well.

-I don’t even think they had to manipulate the survey results. Thai people are, on this subject, totally stupid and brainwashed. Like europeans people were stupid and brainwashed in 1914. Those damned french, german who were so happy to go to war against each others, destroying their -common- civilization… Totally consumed by nationalism evil.

Anyway. The bottom line is : you can’t have any more doubt about Abhisit.

He’s just despicable.

Like all his peers (thai and combodian as well).

King’s health : “lung infection… and heart conditions… but no worries”… and new antibiotics

First official reaction from the royal family.

Majesty the King’s health condition is no longer worrying, said his daughter HRH Princess Chulabhorn Walailak

“Now there is nothing to worry about his heart conditions and lung infections,” she told officials at Thai embassy in Germany during her visit there. (Nation)

It’s like an impressionist painting… Little by little, we get more details.

And It’s really surprising that no one seems to notice… the “heart conditions” !

It’s astonishing. 27 official statements were issued since the hospitalization… and they never talked about “heart conditions“.

The King is hospitalized since september 19. One month already.

However, there is a new detail with the 27th statement…

The Committee of Royal Physicians reported that His Majesty the King had a little fever from time to time. (PRD)

UPDATE

28th statement… and the fear is back.

His Majesty the King’s doctors administered a new dosage of antibiotics after his lungs were found still to be inflamed, the Royal Household Bureau said in a statement released last night.

His Majesty’s fever, however, had lessened and he could sleep well and had regained his appetite, the bureau said in its 28th statement since the King was admitted to Siriraj Hospital with a high fever and inflamed lungs on September 19. (Nation)

That’s -at least- the second time that the fever is coming back and therefore the antiobiotics (after being stopped, apparently).