Bro froggy
Paiseh, just saw that yr maid is in Thai.... Oh, they are keen to learn driving?
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A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand
- Thread starter Leongsam
- Start date
Paiseh, just saw that yr maid is in Thai.... Oh, they are keen to learn driving?
Think they are keen as its free, I pay, and it become an asset to them
Did you send her to some shooting course so that she knows how to handle a rifle ?
Not this. First maid who worked for me 5 years. Not rifle, a Glock 26.
I think it's because the sex is good. Nothing to do with black magic. Is your friend older than the Thai boy ? Does the Thai boy have a day job ?
It seems that you are paying above market rate & yet your maid is leaving. Seems like no matter how good a boss one is, there will be a turnover.
How about bringing in a maid from places like Indoneisa
Is this a viable option With the language barrier, communicating in Thai is not that as easy as bahasa Melayu.For me don't really need a maid but who really wants to do housework:o
My friend is older, ard 50 and Thai boy 37...no he is not working...and has other women too. This stupid friend still die die wants to support him....so we think he cast spell on her liao.
It seems that you are paying above market rate & yet your maid is leaving. Seems like no matter how good a boss one is, there will be a turnover.
How about bringing in a maid from places like Indoneisa
For me don't really need a maid but who really wants to do housework:o
I wouldn't say first maid after 5 years left, she's simply redeployed to another home, its complicating, still under my payroll. Second maid I was a waitress, I persuaded her to work after a while know she may not be suitable as we suspect her to miss her friends so was a matter of time, fact that she worked 1yr and 3 months was actually pretty surprising. Hope this 3rd one will last. I really need a maid as wife and I travel frequently and need someone to be at home and alsl take care of the dog.
I think Thailand do not grant work permit for foreign domestic helpers. I wouldn't want too due to language problem.
Time to eat at marina bay sands foodcourt
Thai green curry chicken meal with dessert and additional plate of veggies.
$16 for this sucker or 400bht in thai currency not cheap obviously.
Thai green curry chicken meal with dessert and additional plate of veggies.
$16 for this sucker or 400bht in thai currency not cheap obviously.
Last edited:
50-year old woman and 37-year old guy. Isn't that obvious ?
You don't need black magic. It's loneliness and good sex. Period.
My prayers have been answered! Hallelujah! 
The Toyota Fortuner will be arriving in BOTH OZ and NZ by the end of the year!
___________________________________________
Toyota Fortuner coming to Oz
Japanese brand expected to add HiLux-based seven-seat SUV to its range in 2016.
February 13 2015
Toyota Australia is looking to add the next-generation Fortuner to its line-up Photo: Andrew MacleanToyota Australia is set to add another SUV to its burgeoning line-up.
The Japanese car maker is expected to confirm the addition of the next-generation HiLux-based Fortuner seven-seater next year as a direct rival for the likes of the Holden Colorado7 and Isuzu MU-X twins and Ford's upcoming Everest.
The current Fortuner was designed and engineered in Australia and built alongside the HiLux in Thailand – as well as Indonesia, India, Malaysia and South America – as a more affordable alternative to its Prado and Kluger models for emerging markets.
The original car was styled and developed by Toyota Australia's technical arm, Toyota Technical Centre, using the rugged underpinnings of the present HiLux and is powered by either a 3.0-litre turbo diesel, 2.7-litre four cylinder or 4.0-litre V6 with a four-wheel drive transmission.
With the Kluger only available with a thirsty 3.5-litre V6, Toyota Australia is looking at the Fortuner as a more affordable diesel-powered SUV to sit under its popular Prado.
"I think [Fortuner] presents some opportunities as there is a lot of activity happening in that space and it is a core part of our business," Toyota Australia's product planning manager, Stephen Wright, told Drive.
The next Fortuner will be based on the all-new HiLux that was spied recentlyahead of its official reveal later this year and showroom arrival in early 2016.
Beyond the Fortuner – one of 10 all-new or heavily revised models due to arrive in Australia over the next 12 months – Wright hinted that Toyota is evaluating even more opportunities to cash-in on the SUV boom.
"The whole SUV lineup at Toyota is currently under review," he said.
While he wouldn't elaborate on any details, a production version of the C-HR concept shown at last year's Paris motor show is expected to be revealed at this year's Tokyo motor show, giving Toyota a city-sized SUV to slot under the RAV4 as a rival for the likes of the upcoming Mazda CX-3 and Jeep Renegade and recent arrivals such as the Renault Captur, updated Holden Trax, Peugeot 2008 and Ford Ecosport.
Although it might add more SUVs to its range – which currently extends from RAV4, through Kluger, Prado and LandCruiser variants – it is not yet clear whether Toyota will replace its retro-styled FJ Cruiser. Despite being dropped from the US last year, the company has said its short-term future here is guaranteed with Australian models sourced from Japan.
The Toyota Fortuner will be arriving in BOTH OZ and NZ by the end of the year!
___________________________________________
Toyota Fortuner coming to Oz
Japanese brand expected to add HiLux-based seven-seat SUV to its range in 2016.
February 13 2015
Toyota Australia is looking to add the next-generation Fortuner to its line-up Photo: Andrew MacleanToyota Australia is set to add another SUV to its burgeoning line-up.
The Japanese car maker is expected to confirm the addition of the next-generation HiLux-based Fortuner seven-seater next year as a direct rival for the likes of the Holden Colorado7 and Isuzu MU-X twins and Ford's upcoming Everest.
The current Fortuner was designed and engineered in Australia and built alongside the HiLux in Thailand – as well as Indonesia, India, Malaysia and South America – as a more affordable alternative to its Prado and Kluger models for emerging markets.
The original car was styled and developed by Toyota Australia's technical arm, Toyota Technical Centre, using the rugged underpinnings of the present HiLux and is powered by either a 3.0-litre turbo diesel, 2.7-litre four cylinder or 4.0-litre V6 with a four-wheel drive transmission.
With the Kluger only available with a thirsty 3.5-litre V6, Toyota Australia is looking at the Fortuner as a more affordable diesel-powered SUV to sit under its popular Prado.
"I think [Fortuner] presents some opportunities as there is a lot of activity happening in that space and it is a core part of our business," Toyota Australia's product planning manager, Stephen Wright, told Drive.
The next Fortuner will be based on the all-new HiLux that was spied recentlyahead of its official reveal later this year and showroom arrival in early 2016.
Beyond the Fortuner – one of 10 all-new or heavily revised models due to arrive in Australia over the next 12 months – Wright hinted that Toyota is evaluating even more opportunities to cash-in on the SUV boom.
"The whole SUV lineup at Toyota is currently under review," he said.
While he wouldn't elaborate on any details, a production version of the C-HR concept shown at last year's Paris motor show is expected to be revealed at this year's Tokyo motor show, giving Toyota a city-sized SUV to slot under the RAV4 as a rival for the likes of the upcoming Mazda CX-3 and Jeep Renegade and recent arrivals such as the Renault Captur, updated Holden Trax, Peugeot 2008 and Ford Ecosport.
Although it might add more SUVs to its range – which currently extends from RAV4, through Kluger, Prado and LandCruiser variants – it is not yet clear whether Toyota will replace its retro-styled FJ Cruiser. Despite being dropped from the US last year, the company has said its short-term future here is guaranteed with Australian models sourced from Japan.
Hi Froggy:
Is this the new Fortuner that was launched together with the latest Revo because the grille looks very much like the 2011 facelift design.
http://www.toyota.co.th/fortuner/trd.php
Is this the new Fortuner that was launched together with the latest Revo because the grille looks very much like the 2011 facelift design.
http://www.toyota.co.th/fortuner/trd.php
Went to the link saw the Fortuner doesn't look like a new model base on Revo.
When they launch the Revo truck I couldn't now recall they launching the Fortuna at the same time all the huha was on the truck only.
I'm still in Jakarta now I'll be back to Bangkok tomorrow evening will go book the new Revo this weekend and ask about the Fortuna, keep you posted. Heard the bloody Revo has a 2 months waiting time now.
Ex-top cop held over gun in luggage
Former Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Lt-General Camronwit Toopgrajank was apprehended on Sunday at Narita International Airport in Japan for allegedly carrying a firearm and munitions while waiting for a return flight to Thailand.
Despite 12 hours negotiations between Thai Embassy staff and Japanese immigration police, Camronwit has not been allowed to board a flight out of Japan, after missing Flight TG640, which was scheduled to fly at 9.50pm Japan time and scheduled to land in Thailand on Monday at 5pm.
Camronwit reportedly arrived in Japan last Thursday on a personal trip. He reportedly told the Japanese police that he was unaware he had left his handgun and munitions in the carry-on luggage, while producing his police identity card and a document declaring his firearm.
He was quoted in news reports as saying he did not hide the contraband in his carry-on luggage on purpose but simply forgot to declare his possession of a firearm and follow the relevant protocol before boarding the flight.
Speaking over the telephone, he gave a different account, saying he did not know how his long-lost handgun was found in his carry-on luggage. "I admit to my mistake but I did not intend to bring it to Japan or hide it from detection," he said.
----------------------
More, latest on how gun escaped detection at Suva airport
Camronwit's gun found to be unregistered
THE SUNDAY NATION June 28, 2015 1:00 am
JAPANESE forensic authorities have learned that the gun the former Metropolitan Police commissioner Camronwit Toopkrajank had allegedly taken from Thailand was not legally registered, a source said yesterday.
Authorities took the North American Arms .22-calibre gun to determine its power and check if it was legally registered after Camronwit was arrested at Tokyo's Narita International Airport on Monday for carrying a weapon.
A highly placed source in Japan said the gun had only Arabic numbers and English letters crafted by the factory that produced the gun, identifying the country in which the gun was sold. He did not say which country.
The source said if the gun was legally registered and taxes were paid, it should have had Thai numbers and letters on the handle as the North American Arms .22 is a small pistol.
The source said it would depend on the Japanese prosecutors' judgement as to whether Camronwit would face heavier punishment for illegally carrying arms. He said carrying a gun is a serious crime, and whether or not the pistol was legal or not may be irrelevant.
Camronwit remains in police custody in Tokyo, pending prosecution.
National police chief General Somyot Poompanmuang instructed Police Region One commissioner Pol Lt-General Amnuay Nimano to find out how Camronwit was able to depart Thailand with the gun, and Amnuay then instructed Samut Prakan provincial chief Pol Maj-General Thana Chuwong to probe the incident.
Thana reported that Camronwit had arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport with three bags that were checked in, while his two carry-on bags - one on wheels and another with a strap - passed through X-ray without any banned objects being detected. He was flying business class with Thai Airways.
Camronwit's aide had earlier said that the former top cop usually packed his medication in checked-in luggage, but the day he was arrested in Tokyo, his medication bag was in his hand luggage. The pistol was found in his medication bag.
The former police officer left Thailand for Japan on a Thursday by Thai Airways flight TG 640 at 9pm and was arrested while he was about to leave Japan for Thailand on Monday at 5pm.
Former Metropolitan Police Bureau commissioner Lt-General Camronwit Toopgrajank was apprehended on Sunday at Narita International Airport in Japan for allegedly carrying a firearm and munitions while waiting for a return flight to Thailand.
Despite 12 hours negotiations between Thai Embassy staff and Japanese immigration police, Camronwit has not been allowed to board a flight out of Japan, after missing Flight TG640, which was scheduled to fly at 9.50pm Japan time and scheduled to land in Thailand on Monday at 5pm.
Camronwit reportedly arrived in Japan last Thursday on a personal trip. He reportedly told the Japanese police that he was unaware he had left his handgun and munitions in the carry-on luggage, while producing his police identity card and a document declaring his firearm.
He was quoted in news reports as saying he did not hide the contraband in his carry-on luggage on purpose but simply forgot to declare his possession of a firearm and follow the relevant protocol before boarding the flight.
Speaking over the telephone, he gave a different account, saying he did not know how his long-lost handgun was found in his carry-on luggage. "I admit to my mistake but I did not intend to bring it to Japan or hide it from detection," he said.
----------------------
More, latest on how gun escaped detection at Suva airport
Camronwit's gun found to be unregistered
THE SUNDAY NATION June 28, 2015 1:00 am
JAPANESE forensic authorities have learned that the gun the former Metropolitan Police commissioner Camronwit Toopkrajank had allegedly taken from Thailand was not legally registered, a source said yesterday.
Authorities took the North American Arms .22-calibre gun to determine its power and check if it was legally registered after Camronwit was arrested at Tokyo's Narita International Airport on Monday for carrying a weapon.
A highly placed source in Japan said the gun had only Arabic numbers and English letters crafted by the factory that produced the gun, identifying the country in which the gun was sold. He did not say which country.
The source said if the gun was legally registered and taxes were paid, it should have had Thai numbers and letters on the handle as the North American Arms .22 is a small pistol.
The source said it would depend on the Japanese prosecutors' judgement as to whether Camronwit would face heavier punishment for illegally carrying arms. He said carrying a gun is a serious crime, and whether or not the pistol was legal or not may be irrelevant.
Camronwit remains in police custody in Tokyo, pending prosecution.
National police chief General Somyot Poompanmuang instructed Police Region One commissioner Pol Lt-General Amnuay Nimano to find out how Camronwit was able to depart Thailand with the gun, and Amnuay then instructed Samut Prakan provincial chief Pol Maj-General Thana Chuwong to probe the incident.
Thana reported that Camronwit had arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport with three bags that were checked in, while his two carry-on bags - one on wheels and another with a strap - passed through X-ray without any banned objects being detected. He was flying business class with Thai Airways.
Camronwit's aide had earlier said that the former top cop usually packed his medication in checked-in luggage, but the day he was arrested in Tokyo, his medication bag was in his hand luggage. The pistol was found in his medication bag.
The former police officer left Thailand for Japan on a Thursday by Thai Airways flight TG 640 at 9pm and was arrested while he was about to leave Japan for Thailand on Monday at 5pm.
Another disaster devastating the Thailand economy - Drought
[h=1]Drought crisis could knock down growt
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI, ERICH PARPART
THE NATION June 26, 2015 1:00 am [/h]
Sommai says spending power will be hit if govt measures aren't strong enough
IF government measures on tackling the drought are weak, the economy could be dragged down by more than half a percentage point this year owing to dampened spending power, Finance Minister Sommai Phasee warned yesterday.
"If the growth rate forecast is at 3.5 per cent, it could shrink to 3 per cent," he said, adding that if measures were strong enough, the growth rate should not be cut by any more than 0.5 percentage points.
But he said the drought problem should be solved soon, as in-flows into dams tend to rise in the later months of the year. However, to help alleviate the problem immediately, state agencies should come up with measures to help farmers and consumers affected by the dry season, he added.
The minister has instructed the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives to provide a debt moratorium - on both the principal and interest rate - to farmers for about six months.
Commerce Minister General Chatchai Sarikalya said his ministry and the Interior Ministry would send mobile units to 35 affected provinces to sell essential goods at cheaper prices to help people out.
The ministry's Business Development Department plans to encourage local businesses to employ affected farmers, while the ministry also plans to sell packs of rice directly to consumers.
Apart from clearing the government rice stockpile, the ministry also plans to sell 1.33 million tonnes of rotten rice to ethanol-production plants.
Supant Mongkolsuthree, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), said that if the government's measures cannot ease the crisis, there was a chance that domestic consumption would be affected further. Hence, he suggested the government should create farm zones to match water supply and encourage farmers to opt for crops that demand less water.
Meanwhile, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Peetipong Phuengbun na Ayutthaya said some 4 million rai was used for rice farming in the Chao Phraya Basin.
"Of that, some 500,000 rai are being worked on even after rice farmers in the area were told to delay sowing their crop," he said, adding that more than 800,000 rai of paddy fields were at risk of withering given the water shortage.
This year's rainy season has yet to bring a significant amount of rain.
Peetipong said the drought could become a real crisis if adequate rain does not arrive by early August.
"If this happens, there will be an impact on tap water, on driving out seawater and on the agricultural sector," he said.
Somsak Chailert, a farmer from Pathum Thani province, said he sowed rice in his 100-rai farm early last month. "At that time, the government said it was okay to start growing rice," he said. "We were told there would be irrigation for our farmland."
But now, he was really worried his crop would wither due to water shortage. The level of water in a local canal has dropped to just 40 centimetres, which has to be maintained to stop adjacent roads from crumbling. Somsak said he hoped the government would step in to help farmers.
In Lop Buri, another province in the Chao Phraya Basin, the Pasak Jolasid Dam only has 69.84 million cubic metres of water, which accounts for just 7.3 per cent of the dam's capacity.
"Not a single drop of water has come into this dam for more than a week," Attaporn Panyachom, the director of Irrigation Office 10 in Lop Buri, said.
He said the amount of water discharged from the dam would have to be reduced, and warned fish farmers who rely on water from the dam to be ready.
"If possible, please stop farming fish," he said.
In addition to local farmers, more than 150,000 people in Lop Buri's Phattana Nikhom district are getting very worried that their taps may run dry.
[h=1]Drought crisis could knock down growt
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI, ERICH PARPART
THE NATION June 26, 2015 1:00 am [/h]
Sommai says spending power will be hit if govt measures aren't strong enough
IF government measures on tackling the drought are weak, the economy could be dragged down by more than half a percentage point this year owing to dampened spending power, Finance Minister Sommai Phasee warned yesterday.
"If the growth rate forecast is at 3.5 per cent, it could shrink to 3 per cent," he said, adding that if measures were strong enough, the growth rate should not be cut by any more than 0.5 percentage points.
But he said the drought problem should be solved soon, as in-flows into dams tend to rise in the later months of the year. However, to help alleviate the problem immediately, state agencies should come up with measures to help farmers and consumers affected by the dry season, he added.
The minister has instructed the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives to provide a debt moratorium - on both the principal and interest rate - to farmers for about six months.
Commerce Minister General Chatchai Sarikalya said his ministry and the Interior Ministry would send mobile units to 35 affected provinces to sell essential goods at cheaper prices to help people out.
The ministry's Business Development Department plans to encourage local businesses to employ affected farmers, while the ministry also plans to sell packs of rice directly to consumers.
Apart from clearing the government rice stockpile, the ministry also plans to sell 1.33 million tonnes of rotten rice to ethanol-production plants.
Supant Mongkolsuthree, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), said that if the government's measures cannot ease the crisis, there was a chance that domestic consumption would be affected further. Hence, he suggested the government should create farm zones to match water supply and encourage farmers to opt for crops that demand less water.
Meanwhile, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Peetipong Phuengbun na Ayutthaya said some 4 million rai was used for rice farming in the Chao Phraya Basin.
"Of that, some 500,000 rai are being worked on even after rice farmers in the area were told to delay sowing their crop," he said, adding that more than 800,000 rai of paddy fields were at risk of withering given the water shortage.
This year's rainy season has yet to bring a significant amount of rain.
Peetipong said the drought could become a real crisis if adequate rain does not arrive by early August.
"If this happens, there will be an impact on tap water, on driving out seawater and on the agricultural sector," he said.
Somsak Chailert, a farmer from Pathum Thani province, said he sowed rice in his 100-rai farm early last month. "At that time, the government said it was okay to start growing rice," he said. "We were told there would be irrigation for our farmland."
But now, he was really worried his crop would wither due to water shortage. The level of water in a local canal has dropped to just 40 centimetres, which has to be maintained to stop adjacent roads from crumbling. Somsak said he hoped the government would step in to help farmers.
In Lop Buri, another province in the Chao Phraya Basin, the Pasak Jolasid Dam only has 69.84 million cubic metres of water, which accounts for just 7.3 per cent of the dam's capacity.
"Not a single drop of water has come into this dam for more than a week," Attaporn Panyachom, the director of Irrigation Office 10 in Lop Buri, said.
He said the amount of water discharged from the dam would have to be reduced, and warned fish farmers who rely on water from the dam to be ready.
"If possible, please stop farming fish," he said.
In addition to local farmers, more than 150,000 people in Lop Buri's Phattana Nikhom district are getting very worried that their taps may run dry.
Tosta de Jamon Serrano
Espinacas Catalana
Champinones
Almejas Marinera
[URL=http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/froggythailand/media/SBF/35CF3C9D-29BA-4F62-AB6A-4F08A2CEE93E_zpsidzsy2yg.jpg.html]
[/URL]
Carrillera de Cerdo al Vino Tinto - pork cheek, super tender
Estofado de Cordero - lamb
Espinacas Catalana
Champinones
Almejas Marinera
[URL=http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/froggythailand/media/SBF/35CF3C9D-29BA-4F62-AB6A-4F08A2CEE93E_zpsidzsy2yg.jpg.html]
[/URL]Carrillera de Cerdo al Vino Tinto - pork cheek, super tender
Estofado de Cordero - lamb
Better focus on things that really matter, than continue with Taksin's prosecution?
TELL IT AS IT IS
It's time to get past Thaksin and focus on things THAT MATTER
June 18, 2015 7:12 pm http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opi...t-Thaksin-and-focus-on-things-T-30262539.html
For the last decade, Thailand has been a tormented country. That predicament has coincided with the political fate of one man, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. For many diverse and complex reasons and motives, his own problems have been turned into the country's problem.
Enormous damage has been inflicted on the nation, and it's time to say "enough is enough". This obsession has got to go. In life, things only matter if we make them matter.
Whatever name you choose to call it, the fact of the matter is the country is in the economic doldrums, and the majority of Thais are feeling it in the pocket.
It would not be fair to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the current government's economic team. As a country, we do not exist in isolation, and few economic issues are controllable or predictable. We cannot stop the euro from depreciating, thus making our exports more expensive. We cannot stop China from churning out cheaper and in many cases better-quality basic goods for the world market. We cannot make it rain more, to prevent severe drought from withering the livelihoods of our farmers, making them poorer, more hopeless and angrier. We cannot make taxpayers, individual and corporate, want to pay their dues. They have seen their tax money being unscrupulously squandered in public subsidy schemes that failed to help the intended sectors and people. We have no way to recover the stolen goods, or punish all the thieves involved. The latter know well how to cover their trails and buy loyalty.
Economically, it is fair to say that Thailand is collectively in a pessimistic mood. It's only a matter of time before the depressed outlook sets in over every major aspect of national affairs.
The time seems ripe to rip a page from Bill Clinton's presidential campaign strategy and declare, "It's the economy, Stupid." The bottom line for measuring the success or failure of any government comes down to one thing - its effectiveness in improving the livelihoods of its citizens.
It is always the lowest rung of the economic ladder that is hit hardest in difficult times, and financial destitution can lead to political instability. People who have no obvious hope, no discernible exit from hardship, tend to harden and become defiantly ungovernable. If there is no way to offer them immediate relief, they should at least be given hope that something is being done to better their condition, so that they can reap the fruits at a later date.
One root cause of the country's economic woes is the widespread systemic and systematic public corruption. In our open society, it is not possible for the government to impeach everybody involved, and our leadership cannot impose the death penalty against corrupt officials, as do certain other countries. Instead, like the bloodless abolition of slavery by King Rama V, the obliteration of corruption may take an entire generation. But it must start today. A new set of values should be inculcated, that would reject the practice of kickbacks and gradually make corruption unpopular and reprehensible. A day should not pass without citizens being made aware of the hidden impact corruption has on their lives and those of their children. People should learn to associate bribes with condemnation and shame, and to take responsibility for stopping the practice whenever they encounter it.
We cannot regulate morality, but we can invigorate it by education, leadership and setting examples that send a clear and concise message that looting of public money will not be tolerated.
Reform is a big concept, yet the task it involves is even bigger and hugely onerous. This current government, being an SPV - a Special Purpose Vehicle, with a limited shelf life - cannot be expected to launch the reform battle on every front. It must confine its energies to the ones that truly matter. It can lay the foundation for paradigm shifts that will take the country in a new and better direction. Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore and Margaret Thatcher of Britain are two examples of how leadership with vision and strategy can change the course of a country for the better.
Just as it is not fair to blame Thaksin Shinawatra for Thailand's every woe, it is not reasonable to expect the current government to right all the wrongs that have accumulated over time. We should realise there is no such thing as a panacea, and that life is no fairy tale. As for "democracy", those who shallowly equate it with a general election will get their wish very soon. But whether the country then escapes the jaws of the political trap to become a more stable and bona fide democratic nation with a regained sense of purpose and moral compass depends on the foundations being laid down by this government.
But building those foundations is easier said than done. The prime minister's heart and head are in the right place, but the legs and the arms have not been cooperating too well. Vision and strategy are necessary conditions for achieving success, but hardly sufficient for it. Moving the country forward on a firmer footing is a tall order, both for our leadership and for the Thai people. For the country to break out of its vicious cycle of political instability, we have to let go of the ghost of one particular man, in the same vein that post-war Japan let go of the carnage wreaked by nuclear bombs and found a new and prosperous path. The Japanese rolled up their sleeves and got down to the business of rebuilding their nation and shaping their future, and never once looked back.
That's also the way our energy and time can be better spent.
TELL IT AS IT IS
It's time to get past Thaksin and focus on things THAT MATTER
June 18, 2015 7:12 pm http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opi...t-Thaksin-and-focus-on-things-T-30262539.html
For the last decade, Thailand has been a tormented country. That predicament has coincided with the political fate of one man, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. For many diverse and complex reasons and motives, his own problems have been turned into the country's problem.
Enormous damage has been inflicted on the nation, and it's time to say "enough is enough". This obsession has got to go. In life, things only matter if we make them matter.
Whatever name you choose to call it, the fact of the matter is the country is in the economic doldrums, and the majority of Thais are feeling it in the pocket.
It would not be fair to place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the current government's economic team. As a country, we do not exist in isolation, and few economic issues are controllable or predictable. We cannot stop the euro from depreciating, thus making our exports more expensive. We cannot stop China from churning out cheaper and in many cases better-quality basic goods for the world market. We cannot make it rain more, to prevent severe drought from withering the livelihoods of our farmers, making them poorer, more hopeless and angrier. We cannot make taxpayers, individual and corporate, want to pay their dues. They have seen their tax money being unscrupulously squandered in public subsidy schemes that failed to help the intended sectors and people. We have no way to recover the stolen goods, or punish all the thieves involved. The latter know well how to cover their trails and buy loyalty.
Economically, it is fair to say that Thailand is collectively in a pessimistic mood. It's only a matter of time before the depressed outlook sets in over every major aspect of national affairs.
The time seems ripe to rip a page from Bill Clinton's presidential campaign strategy and declare, "It's the economy, Stupid." The bottom line for measuring the success or failure of any government comes down to one thing - its effectiveness in improving the livelihoods of its citizens.
It is always the lowest rung of the economic ladder that is hit hardest in difficult times, and financial destitution can lead to political instability. People who have no obvious hope, no discernible exit from hardship, tend to harden and become defiantly ungovernable. If there is no way to offer them immediate relief, they should at least be given hope that something is being done to better their condition, so that they can reap the fruits at a later date.
One root cause of the country's economic woes is the widespread systemic and systematic public corruption. In our open society, it is not possible for the government to impeach everybody involved, and our leadership cannot impose the death penalty against corrupt officials, as do certain other countries. Instead, like the bloodless abolition of slavery by King Rama V, the obliteration of corruption may take an entire generation. But it must start today. A new set of values should be inculcated, that would reject the practice of kickbacks and gradually make corruption unpopular and reprehensible. A day should not pass without citizens being made aware of the hidden impact corruption has on their lives and those of their children. People should learn to associate bribes with condemnation and shame, and to take responsibility for stopping the practice whenever they encounter it.
We cannot regulate morality, but we can invigorate it by education, leadership and setting examples that send a clear and concise message that looting of public money will not be tolerated.
Reform is a big concept, yet the task it involves is even bigger and hugely onerous. This current government, being an SPV - a Special Purpose Vehicle, with a limited shelf life - cannot be expected to launch the reform battle on every front. It must confine its energies to the ones that truly matter. It can lay the foundation for paradigm shifts that will take the country in a new and better direction. Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore and Margaret Thatcher of Britain are two examples of how leadership with vision and strategy can change the course of a country for the better.
Just as it is not fair to blame Thaksin Shinawatra for Thailand's every woe, it is not reasonable to expect the current government to right all the wrongs that have accumulated over time. We should realise there is no such thing as a panacea, and that life is no fairy tale. As for "democracy", those who shallowly equate it with a general election will get their wish very soon. But whether the country then escapes the jaws of the political trap to become a more stable and bona fide democratic nation with a regained sense of purpose and moral compass depends on the foundations being laid down by this government.
But building those foundations is easier said than done. The prime minister's heart and head are in the right place, but the legs and the arms have not been cooperating too well. Vision and strategy are necessary conditions for achieving success, but hardly sufficient for it. Moving the country forward on a firmer footing is a tall order, both for our leadership and for the Thai people. For the country to break out of its vicious cycle of political instability, we have to let go of the ghost of one particular man, in the same vein that post-war Japan let go of the carnage wreaked by nuclear bombs and found a new and prosperous path. The Japanese rolled up their sleeves and got down to the business of rebuilding their nation and shaping their future, and never once looked back.
That's also the way our energy and time can be better spent.
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