The West might regret forcing Thailand into a corner

If I did not know any better then I might agree with the stance of the EU & USA... However their (the west's) typical myopic view of the world really makes for some strange strategic decisions.. The whole pivot to the east thing announced a couple of years ago to fight China's expansion has so far been more talk than actual action.

If Thailand goes to The BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa there will be others who will follow .

I honestly do believe we have nothing but absolute brain dead children running our state department...along with several other segments of our government; obviously I do not have sight of the "big picture" hung in the West's puzzle palace .

Since martial law has been declared in Thailand the military has moved swiftly against those who were corrupt (no one is to big to jail) They have made several huge bust of some serious drugs (today there was on the news a pickup that had sacks of meth pills all the way to the top of the truck bed)... They have busted up what has been called "the Taxi Mafia" in some of the tourist spots which was sorely needed.

Weapons to include grenades and full auto military weapons are being found at least once a week.

The military seems to have stopped a full blown civil war (totally funded by outside forces that would begin in the north; head quarters appears to have been Khon Kaen) that was in the making if what I have read is true. Surprising in that Khon Kaen is a nice place where I play Golf all the time...

Either way all I have seen from the military so far has been to root out corruption and those who want to cause mayhem. The elections have already been planned and the General of the military who stared the coupe (age 60) is not running even though at this stage IMO he would be a breath of fresh air from some of the politicos most countries end up with..

For us living here other than the occasional check points on some of the major highways (usually inspecting trucks) life has been normal and just another day in paradise.

The blatant interference in our internal affairs by superpowers in the Western world is unacceptable. As a sovereign and independent nation, Thailand has every right to put its house in order in its own way. Public opinion is mostly in favour of the coup, which has effectively restored order and ended the bloodshed. Now, the Thai people are looking forward to a reform process that hopefully will lay the foundation for political, economic and social stability. All now depends on the commitment and the capability of the military regime to guide Thailand through this transition.

It is likely that US and EU relations with Thailand will deteriorate over the next three to six months. This is unfortunate. A slackening of ties would also hurt the overall standing of the Asean, with Thailand being at the core of the regional bloc. Other Asean members have so far stood idle while Thailand is bullied. If the US and EU continue to play hardball politics with Thailand, and Asean proves to be a paper tiger, Thailand might have no choice but to strengthen relations with China or Russia. The BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - are eager to expand their membership and should ready to welcome Thailand into the fold. If Thailand is driven into a corner, it will have no choice but to walk a new path in its international relations.

newsletter.thaivisa.com...

That's a forum. Can you show me links to where the actual Thai Government is saying this?

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

That's a forum. Can you show me links to where the actual Thai Government is saying this?

Not only that...but it is also someones opinion on the situation and not associated in any way with the government of any country.

But this is ATS and everything's a conspiracy here.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
That's a forum. Can you show me links to where the actual Thai Government is saying this?

The current Thai government is the military, they don't have to say much 'actions speak louder than words' for once!

The Thais are sorting out their own mess and the military are doing an excellent and much needed job, with high approval ratings from the people!

Some countries do not need the US brand of 'exported' democracy to progress, they just need to find their own way.

The reason for the USA's reaction to the military coup is because they support the 'Carlyle Group' backed Thaksin Shinawatra and his clan. Thaksin is a convicted felon ex prime minister who ran away into self imposed exile rather than face justice. His lawyer tried to bribe the Thai court's and judges and that is his standard operational procedure, to buy everyone off.

This one man and his cronies has split the Thai people like never before and almost brought the country to a point of civil war, which is why the army stepped in!

Since they took over the country has returned almost to normal, corrupt people are being removed and arrested and safety has returned to the streets.

USA & The EU should mind their own business, they have enough problems of their own!

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

I may not understand your question. Anything the government post is in the Thai language and living in the sticks like I do I do not get the Bangkok Newspaper. The blog referenced (Thaivisa.com News) in your post takes news reports and publishes them in English as a form of online news for the Expats who live in Thailand and international readers... It is one of the biggest if not the biggest blogs in the English language dealing with the country.

altthainews.blogspot.com...

An "urgent return to democratic rule," however is impossible, because there was never any "democratic rule" to begin with. In fact, this was one of the many issues that provoked the military coup in late May 2014 in the first place. The EU's calls for respecting "human rights and freedoms," is also suspiciously hypocritical, as similar calls were absent in the weeks and months leading up to the coup, when the now ousted regime of Thaksin Shinawatra was carrying out a nation-wide terror campaign against his political opponents that left over 20 people dead and hundreds maimed.

In fact, the Royal Thai Army has removed from power one of the worst human rights offenders in Thai history. Thaksin Shinawatra oversaw the deaths of over 3,000 innocent people during his time in power, including under various proxy regimes run by family members including his brother-in-law and his own sister, as well as political allies openly serving as his "nominees." To describe the Shinawatra regime as "democratic" is to sidestep the fact that Thaksin Shinawatra himself had been running the country from exile with those "elected" serving openly as proxies his proxies - an arrangement as illegal as it is undemocratic.

altthainews.blogspot.com...

Most ironic is that the United States is only considering sanctions now after it struggled to support Thaksin Shinwatra's regime while human trafficking was taking place, and now attempts to disrupt and undermine the only force in Thai politics capable and willing to combat human trafficking.
Legislation to combat human trafficking is in fact, already in place. The "Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act B.E 2551 (2008) (.pdf)" was passed into law on January 30, 2008. It was drafted under, and signed by, the military-appointed government of Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont after the first coup aimed at toppling the regime of Thaksin Shinawatra was executed in 2006. However, despite the new legislation, Shinawatra's control over the nation's police prevented any enforcement.

While the Western media, Western politicians, and a myriad of faux-academics and NGOs parroting Western talking points decried the new government's moves, dismantling Shinawatra's support base, including the restructuring of his immensely politicized and corrupt police force, is an essential first step in combating not only human trafficking but a wide variety of corruption, abuses, and ongoing crimes against humanity that had unfolded, unchecked, and in the face of laws that have long gone unenforced under Shinawatra's rule.

As the opening post has said/implied the west is not happy with losing their Lackey and his puppet sister.. So anyway they can demonize whatever is going on in Thailand and use pressure to try and get one of their bought and paid for Cronies back into power I have little doubt they will try. The major difference about Thailand is they have never been colonized by some European power and are fiercely independent.. There are still those few in country who will go it alone before they screw over their people for personal gain...Are they perfect, probably not who is, but, IMO they are head and shoulders above some of the leech governments and societies in other countries in S.E. Asia.

Blogger Jim has nothing to do with foreign policy. I am looking for quotes from the people that do.

Decades ago, Singapore had the same problem. Then the generals stepped in and cleaned up the city nation. And just look at the nation now .. 10% annual growth rate. I think that is what scares the Europe and the USA. If every Asian country got rid of their corruption they would be growing like China and Singapore.

originally posted by: stormcell
Decades ago, Singapore had the same problem. Then the generals stepped in and cleaned up the city nation. And just look at the nation now .. 10% annual growth rate. I think that is what scares the Europe and the USA. If every Asian country got rid of their corruption they would be growing like China and Singapore.

Yup, if the EU, and the West could be "cleaned up", as so many of us in the West are dreaming of, we'd be as productive as we used to be.

Between federal alphabet soup agencies, and what not, we can't produce anything, we can't run a business, etc. We have shot ourselves in the foot, both feet. The corruption is running rampant in the streets and back-room meetings.

I wish more people would sit up and take notice, and then get together, for once, to bring it to an end.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and the Royal Thai Embassy, Moscow push forward closer economic cooperation with Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan New

Mrs. Sansanee Sahussarungsi, Deputy Director - General of the Department of International Economic Affairs led a Thai delegation from the Royal Thai Embassy, Moscow, Office of Commercial Affairs in Moscow and the Halal Science Center Chulalongkorn University to pay a working visit to Kazan, main city of the federal state of the Russian Federation from June 6 - 7, 2014.

www.mfa.go.th...–-S.html

The Deputy Permanent Secretary briefed the South African delegation on the recent political developments in Thailand. He explained the compelling rationale for the takeover of the national administration on 22 May 2014, the necessity to maintain the Martial Law and notable improvements of political atmosphere after 22 May, as peace and order has now been restored. He reiterated Thailand’s firm commitment to returning to a democratic path in accordance with the NCPO’s 3-stage Roadmap, scheduled to be completed within one and a half year from now on. He also informed that the NCPO has received high ratings from opinion polls conducted by well-know independent polls. He also emphasized that Thailand wishes to remain actively engaged with the international community.

The head of the South African Delegation expressed his support and understanding on the recent development in Thailand, which is at a challenging time and expressed his confidence that Thailand would soon return to constitutional democracy. He also reiterated that although South Africa does not agree with an undemocratic change of Government, disengagement is not a way out and that South Africa is pleased to learn that the NCPO has a clear roadmap to return Thailand to a fully-functioning democracy.

Since the military has taken over there have not been mass shooting or people killed due to different political views providing you do not count the religion of peace down south that seems to blow something up every couple of months..However even they have been rather quite since the coupe; hard to transport explosives and weapons when there are check points on the border crossing highways.

All we can do is watch as they settle their own differences in their own way. I just hope they are allowed to do it without outside interference.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04


Blogger Jim has nothing to do with foreign policy. I am looking for quotes from the people that do.

OccamsRazor04 this where you have misunderstood the OP. This is nothing to do with Thailand's Foreign ministry or policy, it is all about Thailand's internal policies and the USA/EU's interference!

Many Thai's who used to be pro US are now very much anti US and telling them publicly on social media to mind their own damn business!

a reply to: Hongkongphooey

Many Thai's who used to be pro US are now very much anti US and telling them publicly on social media to mind their own damn business!

Thank you..

The whole purpose of the op was about Thailand going over to the BRICS if forced to by the political brinksmanship of the west. Democracy western style my butt. If they want to complain about democracy start with Saudi Arabia or half a dozen other Mid East nations and slap some kind of trade restrictions on them; see how that works out.

Thailand does not need crony capitalism and that was exactly what the west had helped install before the coupe.. There is a history as there is in many countries for anyone interested to take a look see.. I would suggest start in central and south America and all the puppets the CIA/USA helped install until their usefulness waned... then they were discarded like an old rag. Saddam in Iraq was once a great bud as long as he was fighting Iranians; he was our kinda guy... The U.S. if they want to go head to head with China in this region will need all the allies they can get.

Thailand has much sway over the neighboring countries and unlike the USA it is not based on bribe money or whatever international assistance the bribe's stated purpose is for. It is based on mutual trade benefits and commerce with it's neighbors.. Cambodia is already leaning more towards China from what I have read.

I realize this is far far away for most westerners and will have very little effect on their day to day lives. That is one of the problems... no one is looking at what their governments are doing or sponsoring unless it is a boots on the ground type operation and even then if it is small enough few will even hear about it.

So IMO if they go to the BRICS who will lose more America or Thailand. If Thailand saddles up with Russia or China who will benefit more Thailand or America.. Many of the airports in this country were built with U.S. tax dollars during the Vietnam war and can accommodate maxed out B-52's or any fighter aircraft that is flying today or is likely to fly in the future.. Who will lose the most ?

The US and EU have the same standard response anytime a military coup removes and elected official from power. It is a part of US law. However, this is not the first time this has happened in Thialand nor in other US allies. So what happens is, you have a public response and a private response. The public one condems it and the private one tells thems to get what they need done quickly while the US drags its feet from doing what its own laws require.

We just saw this with Egypt. The public US policy was, coup of the elected gov is bad, then we saw the Obama try and get around following the law by refusing to call it a coup. That worked for awhile but, the Egyptain military was so slow that US law finally kicked in and cut off militarty funding. The Egyptian military then rounded up anybody related to Muslim Brotherhood held mass trials and executions.jailigs getting rid any opposition. Then had a quick election. And the US response to this? Egypts military funding was quietly retured to it a couples of weeks ago. Clealy showing the US had covertly supported the coup from the start.

This has been and also will be the case with Thailand. This is not the first time we have been down this road.

As for BRICS? So far it has been a total failure. It has not managed to produce a single policy in 5 years. It's summits are just them getting together fighting with each other. I think the problem is BRICS is purely an economic gathering. It does not do foriegn policy or anything else, in fact it tries to ignore that aspect. Why? Because most of the BRIC nations do not get along and follow very different foriegn policies and their economies do to mesh well together. BRICS would like to be like the G-8 (where Russia was also a member until its recent suspention) but, instead it has been nothing but, a total failure and exist much like other failed groups like the Organization of American States, who still hold meetings and never get anything done.

So in the end, an election will be held and the US and Thailand will be best buddies. This is an old dance for to old dance partners.

a reply to: MrSpad

I actually agree with you for the most part. The big fly in the ointment is 'face' in this part of the world. Thailand has a rich history as a warrior Kingdom (again face)... I honestly hope you are correct because for the USA I would hate to see them ruin an already strained relationship.

It really has been a big deal about the West's backing of the disposed governments and the riches they accrued.. The sister in her short time in office is now worth close to 1 Billion Baht (that the county knows of)... and her brother left country with something like 4 billion.. Of course I shouldn't say anything when you look at our congress and senators net worth increase since being in office... go figure huh !

China built a super hi-way just 5 clicks north of the Thai border though Laos and it was fully operational even back in 1976... If I were Thailand I would want to do some serious contemplations on who I hooked my buggy up with in regards to the future of the entire area and their home country in particular..
again thanks for your input.