| Where's Dad? |
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| Written by Our Correspondent | |
| Friday, 05 December 2008 | |
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Standing stiff in full regalia as his cream-colored Cadillac* slowly drove around Royal Plaza in the annual Trooping the Color ceremony on Wednesday, King Bhumibol Adulyadej made his first public appearance since his sister's cremation last month. Without acknowledging the chaotic events in Thailand over the past six months, the world's longest-reigning monarch read a prepared speech to the King's Guard, thanking soldiers for their loyalty. It was supposed to be a prelude for a far more extensive speech the next day, the eve of his 81st birthday, when the nation was expecting some sage advice from the only king most have ever known. It was not to be. During one of Thailand's most turbulent weeks, which saw its airports seized, a second prime minister kicked out by judges in four months, and a light shown on its opaque palace politics, the king was a no-show to his own party. His children took center stage, telling a disappointed audience of royal well-wishers and the country at large that Bhumibol was "slightly ill" and his condition was not serious. Yet his absence unleashed a deafening silence that resounded across the kingdom. Many Thais were gutted, sad, reflective. Just like the elaborate cremation for his sister a month before, they knew it was a sign of things to come. Speculation about why he didn't show up will run rampant. None of it really matters at the end of the day. As with everything related to the royal family, the palace walls are difficult to penetrate. What counts more now is public perception. For the Red Shirts, the movement aligned with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, which was created to foil the yellow-shirted People's Alliance for Democracy, the royal family has become a target of veiled attacks. The proxy war raging ever since Thaksin pointed a finger at the king’s top adviser in the run-up to the 2006 putsch threatens to spill out into the open. The queen's attendance at a funeral last month of a PAD protester helped make things clearer. Bangkok taxi drivers, many of whom come from the rural Northeast that forms Thaksin's base of support, now openly rail against her. The mainstream foreign press has also become bolder, picking up the basic thesis put forward by Paul Handley in his 2006 book "The King Never Smiles," which argues that Bhumibol has consistently pursued political power at the expense of elected governments.
With the monarchy so exposed, the royal establishment may have a harder time putting the lese majeste toothpaste back in the tube. The myths that have surrounded the monarchy for decades have now been thoroughly shattered, thanks in no small part to Sondhi Limthongkul and his roving royalist street gang. Declaring “We will fight for the King” as far back as 2005, Sondhi has put the monarchy up for public discussion under the guise of defending its interests.
If anything his movement has overreached to the extent where opposition to the monarchy is now far greater than it has been in recent memory. Videos posted on websites, including some lurid ones of the heir apparent and his consort, undermine the visions of ethical purity and righteousness pounded home in countless hours of royal propaganda that has been force-fed to Thais for years. Decades of pent-up pressure created by stifling lese majeste laws is finally starting to escape. Comments
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There was a very small village in Issan, which surprised a government social worker, I met. They had generators, which lighted their house, and even had their first village child in university. Their local wats are lighted and education was emphasized. Lesser dropouts and increased awareness with television available too. They had piped water, which help decreased the infant mortality amongst them. Better hygiene and economic productivity followed. They even covered toilets with piped water and cholera outbreaks have stopped.
Votes: +3
The social worker friend was all praise for this village which self helped itself without any support from any government or non government organisation. It was all hard earned by the womenfolk. But at what price? It was the income from generations of the womenfolk who were sex workers. This christian welfare worker then asked the forum for an opinion. To stop these women, as a christian or to encourage them, as a social worker. She said that the light at the end of the tunnel was that with these amenities, and education, bought with blood money. The village. may one day, stop selling their daughters to the flesh trade. Her poignant question to the people present in forum was, "Will they go to hell?" The spiritual adviser, who is today, the bishop of Johor/Melaka said, "If there is a hell, then the government and people in power, who stopped legitimate funds from reaching these people, will be deeper in there. report abuse
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 written by k2h , December 08, 2008
Dad who? I have the one and only dad who has never lied to me, never forces his children to love him. He is not born a genius but very honest and responsible for his duties & family. My mum? Never wears blue diamond in her life, most of all she is very modest, unpretentious as well as simple. Long live Thai democracy!!
Votes: +7
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written by Thai Cat , December 08, 2008
The Royal Family must go. The king is a dribbling idiot now, the Prince is really the Prince of Darkness. The Queen is Lady MacBeth or Bloody Mary Queen of Scots or whatever. The daughters are propaganda officers.
Votes: +13
For Thailand to be a real country, we must get rid of this institution, even if we have to fight for it. Better to die on our feet than die on our knees. Ha! report abuse
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written by chai , December 07, 2008
I was having problem to send the coment with my Nokia E90 this morning. I sincerely apologize to everyone for the sending the same message out 4 times. It was not intended and I am sorry. I will not use my Nokia to send again.
Votes: +0
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written by Kay , December 07, 2008 Check this out....... http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12724800 report abuse
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written by vida , December 07, 2008
It took so long long time Thais learned all things about Daddy as a fairy tales. I think now people just pointed at Mama as who behind the scenes ,but they most won't believe the Daddy do.
Votes: +12
For me, I step out from the Matrix and I can't read news from Thai press . And hope Thai will wake up as soon as possible. report abuse
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It has to be said that many of the correspondents writing about the fabled PAD visionary Sondhi Limthongkul were at times in his employ, on the defunct Manager magazine (print run about 20 copies) and also the very defunct Asia Times Print version, not to mention the glossy Asia Inc. in its infancy. Sondhi always talked large and delivered little, and those who waited for their money at Asia Times (print) towards the end might just have a sharp stick left over to poke the little man with. One remembers the glam compound in Phra Arthit littered with his limos, and the expensive statuary. The man who did the nauseating suck-up interview online in Dubai with Thaksin used to work for said Sondhi. Objectivity died with seven PAD martyrs. Hacks once paid by Sondhi should reflect hard on what they write now.
Votes: +2
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That was a converted Cadillac that HM the King was being ferried around in, not a Roller.
Votes: -1
This simple error is compounded by so much else written by the anonymous correspondent. report abuse
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Double Fantasy: Thaksin the Terrible vs King Jong Ill, Lowly rated comment [Show]
written by Chai , December 07, 2008
Thanks to daddy's birthday I have the chance to spend the last 2 nights in an Isaan village with the simple folks. In fact I'm writing this from the village Wat. I want to share some things these simple folks said after some Chang and Laokao:
Votes: +11
1. The mooney TRT loan to them is a loan and they have to pay back. So this is a loan and not vote buying. This lead to a fact that, 2. for once in their lifetime and never in their forefathers' lifetime they ever experience HOPE. Hope for a better life now and hope for their children's lives. Pasts governments had lied again and again and they felt that daddy could have done something because of his moral authority. 3. 60 years of rule could have improved some form of life here but things are still the same here. Maybe what they showed on tv him helping is "somewhere out there" and they are still waiting hoplessly. 4. The hope they got from TRT had started a fresh courage that they are prepared to do anything to defend it. For once their voices are being heard. For once they know that they can choose not to be subjects. There are more after late in the night but I guess its not nice to say them all. Afterall its daddy's birthday, give him a break, he's been so busy screwing this country. report abuse
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written by Chai , December 07, 2008
Thanks to daddy's birthday I have the chance to spend the last 2 nights in an Isaan village with the simple folks. In fact I'm writing this from the village Wat. I want to share some things these simple folks said after some Chang and Laokao:
Votes: +3
1. The mooney TRT loan to them is a loan and they have to pay back. So this is a loan and not vote buying. This lead to a fact that, 2. for once in their lifetime and never in their forefathers' lifetime they ever experience HOPE. Hope for a better life now and hope for their children's lives. Pasts governments had lied again and again and they felt that daddy could have done something because of his moral authority. 3. 60 years of rule could have improved some form of life here but things are still the same here. Maybe what they showed on tv him helping is "somewhere out there" and they are still waiting hoplessly. 4. The hope they got from TRT had started a fresh courage that they are prepared to do anything to defend it. For once their voices are being heard. For once they know that they can choose not to be subjects. There are more after late in the night but I guess its not nice to say them all. Afterall its daddy's birthday, give him a break, he's been so busy screwing this country. report abuse
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written by Chai , December 07, 2008
Thanks to daddy's birthday I have the chance to spend the last 2 nights in an Isaan village with the simple folks. In fact I'm writing this from the village Wat. I want to share some things these simple folks said after some Chang and Laokao:
Votes: +1
1. The mooney TRT loan to them is a loan and they have to pay back. So this is a loan and not vote buying. This lead to a fact that, 2. for once in their lifetime and never in their forefathers' lifetime they ever experience HOPE. Hope for a better life now and hope for their children's lives. Pasts governments had lied again and again and they felt that daddy could have done something because of his moral authority. 3. 60 years of rule could have improved some form of life here but things are still the same here. Maybe what they showed on tv him helping is "somewhere out there" and they are still waiting hoplessly. 4. The hope they got from TRT had started a fresh courage that they are prepared to do anything to defend it. For once their voices are being heard. For once they know that they can choose not to be subjects. There are more after late in the night but I guess its not nice to say them all. Afterall its daddy's birthday, give him a break, he's been so busy screwing this country. report abuse
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written by Chai , December 07, 2008
Thanks to daddy's birthday I have the chance to spend the last 2 nights in an Isaan village with the simple folks. In fact I'm writing this from the village Wat. I want to share some things these simple folks said after some Chang and Laokao:
Votes: +1
1. The mooney TRT loan to them is a loan and they have to pay back. So this is a loan and not vote buying. This lead to a fact that, 2. for once in their lifetime and never in their forefathers' lifetime they ever experience HOPE. Hope for a better life now and hope for their children's lives. Pasts governments had lied again and again and they felt that daddy could have done something because of his moral authority. 3. 60 years of rule could have improved some form of life here but things are still the same here. Maybe what they showed on tv him helping is "somewhere out there" and they are still waiting hoplessly. 4. The hope they got from TRT had started a fresh courage that they are prepared to do anything to defend it. For once their voices are being heard. For once they know that they can choose not to be subjects. There are more after late in the night but I guess its not nice to say them all. Afterall its daddy's birthday, give him a break, he's been so busy screwing this country. report abuse
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written by late comer , December 07, 2008 Dad's home plotting the next move! report abuse
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written by Kay , December 07, 2008 That's odd! By now there shold be those pro-monarchists blasting at the anti-elites for the above comments. I wonder what's taking them so long this time.  report abuse
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written by homeboy , December 06, 2008
Here is something that I just posted at the Economists. I thought some of you might be interested.
Votes: +15
Here is a study done by Mr. Porphant Ouyyanont from School of Economics - Sukhothai Thammathirat University. Here is what the Crown Property Bureau's worth in 2005. -Siam Cement Group 87.8 billion baht -Siam Commercial bank 23.5 billion baht -Deves Insurance 0.3 billion baht -CPB Equity(99.9% owned by CPB) 24.0 billion baht -Land in Bangkok 98.4 billion baht Total 1123.0 billion baht(or roughly USD$31.5 billion) The above are figures from 2005, so the figures from Forbes magazine is correct at USD $35.0 billion. The palace had total control of CPB since 1948 and all directors were all directly appointed by the king. So here is the fact, the king of Thailand is a multi-billionaire. report abuse
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written by chai , December 06, 2008
Empress Cixi had her An Dehai ; this one has her Prem. The end is near when the country is run by eunuchs. Mark my words the end for this priviledged family is near. A new revolution shall emerge.
Votes: +10
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็้Ha Ha! Here we go again. I love every words of this article and agree with Homeboy, dig deeper. The public has been fooled by propaganda for 60 years. It is time for all the Thais to wake up. It is time for the public to learn the truth, the whole truth story behind all the coup de ta. It is time to tear the mask of the man behind all the chaos. It is time for a real hero of democracy to emerg and time is up for those fake heroes. I cannot wait to see the conclusion.
Votes: +13
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written by homeboy , December 05, 2008
I am just like Todd, was living away most of my adult life. I complained to some friends, whom I went to college with, about the freedom of the press. They told me just to mind my own business, this is not America. Yes, thanks to the Internet!!! Hopefully, someday most Thai will know the whole truth. It was rather interesting, at the king's sister funeral in the rural area. My wife and I went to observe across the river from the site, then we got to talk with a Kumnan of the village which lead to who was behind the mess in Bangkok. You know what he knows exactly who was behind the PAD, so the grass-roots people are aware of the situation and they are not afraid to talk about it among friends (ONLY). Even the polices when we asked about the situation at the airport, they just said that none of the authority would do anything, and they proceeded to point their finger up to the sky. They know, yes, they know!
Votes: +17
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First of all, I am Thai, born and raised. And I was out of the "Matrix" for some years now.
Votes: +15
I wish some Thai presses wrote article like this. It could wake up some retarded around here. Thank God, information these days spread so quick. Otherwise they would have done something "traditional" as they have always been doing for the last couple years. They knew the world is watching them real close... Thanks internet ! Thanks writer ! Please dig deep! report abuse
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written by Trent , December 05, 2008 Guess, it's about time! report abuse
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written by Athita , December 05, 2008
I like the last sentence, Thai people, especially, those elites, should grow up.
Votes: +2
They "pretend" as if they, the elites, love the king more than the rural folks. That's bulls**t (sorry to use this word). They say they love King, but never do anything to make him happy. And to this crisis, it's just like...what to say...the Q respects Prem as her brother. She knows nothing about politics. These elites use her to get to the K. report abuse
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written by storyteller , December 05, 2008
Once upon a time.....................................
Votes: +4
.....................................................................the End. report abuse
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Pity the nation that wears a cloth it does not weave, eats a bread it does not harvest, and drinks a wine that flows not from its own wine-press.
Pity the nation that acclaims the bull as hero, and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful.
Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox, whose philosopher is a juggler, and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.
Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years and whose strong men are yet in the cradle.
Khalil Gibran
The garden of the Prophet (1934)