A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand

[Froggy]

Just a cooking video, may bore you.

 

[Froggy]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Th...1&pub_date=20220525190000&seq_num=21&si=44594

Thaksin-linked candidate's electoral victory rocks Thai government
Bangkok voters all but make Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha a lame duck

Supporters of former Prime Minister and fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra gather in the center of Bangkok on May 19 to mark the 12th anniversary of a Red Shirt protest. © Reuters
APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writerMay 24, 2022 20:15 JST

BANGKOK -- By giving a landslide victory to a Thaksin-linked candidate in Bangkok's gubernatorial election on Sunday, the voters of Thailand's largest city sent a clear message to Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's ruling party: They believe the Palang Pracharat Party (PPRP) is in a tailspin and that the opposition Pheu Thai Party is likely to stage a comeback in a general election due next year.

Bangkok's new governor is Chadchart Sittipunt, a former transport minister who has long been associated with the Pheu Thai Party and remains close to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who skipped out of the country in 2008 during a corruption case against him and has been living in self-imposed exile ever since. Thaksin was ousted from power by a military coup in 2006.

In Bangkok's first gubernatorial election in nine years, Chadchart won 1.38 million votes, far outpacing Police Gen. Asawin Kwanmuang, a candidate backed by the ruling PPRP, who attracted 214,805 voters.

"It is a very clear message," Boonyakiat Karavekphan, a political scientist at Bangkok's Ramkamhaeng University, told Nikkei Asia. "The people of Bangkok stated their feelings against the ruling party. If you look into the results of the city council election, it is very obvious that people are bored with the current government and want another choice, the opposite of the ruling [party]."

Members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council, the legislative branch of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, were elected the same day, with the Pheu Thai Party winning 20 of 50 seats. The PPRP secured 2 seats.

"The result has given the PPRP, [led by] Prayuth, a headache" Yuthaporn Issarachai, a political scientist at Sukhothai Thammatirat University, told Nikkei. "It seems like it can no longer promote Prayuth as a key figure to lead the country in the next election as his popularity is falling."

Political critics and analysts say Chadchart's landslide shows that the capital's voters prefer the former transport minister and Thaksin friend to Prayuth's party.

Analysts say Bangkokians have been growing weary of the city's rising costs of living, its worsening pollution, chronic traffic jams and persistent flooding under the management of Asawin, who was the metropolis' appointed governor until March.

"Living in Bangkok is quite stressful already," said Sombat Boonsong, a 56-year-old taxi driver. "I don't want to watch old-fashioned politicians keep playing boring political games just because they want to support someone to remain in power."

Prayuth took power in a 2014 coup, with his junta then ruling until 2019 when a general election was held under a new constitution drafted under the military's direction. The constitution allows the military to handpick the legislature's 250 senators, who then need only pick up 176 votes from the 500-member popularly elected House of Representatives to name the prime minister.

Prayuth, who never commanded the same kind of support that Thaksin initially enjoyed, is even less popular now.

In a survey conducted by Thailand's National Institute of Development Administration during March 10-15, 13.42% of respondents chose Pita Limcharoenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party, to be the prime minister, while 12.67% selected Prayuth. The survey found that 12.53% said Paethongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, should take the position.

The country has had to overcome his government's mishandling of COVID-19, the economy and a social powder keg that erupted in youth-led protests demanding equality and monarchical reforms long before the pandemic.

"Despite the prime minister remaining in power under the support of the coalition parties, his popularity has kept on falling," said Weerasak Krueathep, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University. Weerasak added that Thailand's political pendulum has swung to the other side of the aisle, particularly to where the Pheu Thai Party stands.

Said Ramkamhaeng University's Boonyakiat, "If the PPRP, known as a conservative bloc, wants to win the next election, it'll have to find a new prime ministerial candidate."

 

[Froggy]

Afternoon delight, some champagne for lunch

Restaurant

Salad

Chowder

Pomfret

Cod

Lunch with a view

 

[Froggy]

Fuel prices in Thailand today

 

[Froggy]

For anyone who is interested here is a compilation of monthly expenses one can expect living in Thailand. I did a similar exercise 7 years ago and decided over the past few days updating it with a Singaporean friend living in Pattaya (not working just staying here for years). So this is it our latest compilation hope its helpful:

 

[Rus]

Froggy,
Mai me Soi Cowboy ? Dai laew

 

[Froggy]

HUAT AHHHHHHH!

 

[shittypore]

PAP bestest

 

[Froggy]

People are leaving Thailand

 

[Froggy]

Kuay Jap Yuan - is a popular noodle dish originated from Isaan particularly the province of Udon. Like many dishes found in Udon it has its origin from Vietnam and then adapted into Thai. In Udon you find many Vietnamese immigrants who came during the war years.

This is the shop close to my home

The inside is simple

Menu

Guess I am their first customer today

Kuay Jab Yuan - quite a portion only $2.20

Kuay Jab Yuan - consisting Isaan sausage, minced pork vegetables and supposed to have pork bones too but I don't want.


This is actually my first time eating Kuay Jab Yuan, I think its delicious and also sort of a comfort food for me so I will come again.

 

[Froggy]

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival where Chinese all over the world celebrate this festival by having 粽子. For me living in Thailand I started off the day with a rice dumpling breakfast and jasmine tea

The pork rice dumpling

Jasmine tea

Dragon Boat Festival Breakfast

For more information about the Dragon Boat Festival you can read it from here - https://www.dimsumwarriors.com/dragon-boat-festival-essential/

 

[spotter542]

Sawadee Pii Froggy

 

[Froggy]

Sawadee Pii Froggy

 

[Muthukali]

Hey frog, where to go piak piak now in Thai kok? Any new venue?

 

[spotter542]

Salad

Lunch with a view

Pardon my tikoness, thought Los got law about not wearing undergarments in public ? Anyways nice bola view lah

 

[Froggy]

Hey frog, where to go piak piak now in Thai kok? Any new venue?

Namaste. I’ve became a monk since covid started. The desires of the flesh is in my distant past.

 

[Froggy]

Pardon my tikoness, thought Los got law about not wearing undergarments in public ? Anyways nice bola view lah

I don’t know have such law.

 

[Charlie99]

Namaste. I’ve became a monk since covid started. The desires of the flesh is in my distant past.

But it looks like you have several good looking and shapely female dining companions.
Better than many monks

 

[Muthukali]

Namaste. I’ve became a monk since covid started. The desires of the flesh is in my distant past.

You don't CB. mai ge ge. Change taste bud just say so lah.

 

[Froggy]