Admire your biographical focus. There are so many hidden histories out there of ordinary people that slip by and are forgotten. The border town pair of Maesai-Tachileik has also gone through so many transformations in the last decade, driven by policy in remote Bangkok, Yangon, China, US, perhaps, but IMHO you see the effects of large-scale history best at the level of the individual, the way you’re doing it. (like Jonathan Spence’s “Death of Woman Wang” I suppose) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Spence
Try reading this article for reference. The AEC is focusing on the capital gains taxes as Patiwat mentioned. I remember initially there was a lot of controversy on whether the sale was ‘outside’ or made through the SET. Thaksin’s children reported to the SET in some form that the sale was made outside the market (therefore taxable for capital gains?) then later changed the form to something else.
I wonder why at the time, Thaksin did not defend the sale by saying that his children would later pay personal income taxes on the profits. Wasn’t the accusation that the Revenue Department made the ruling on the Ruangkrai case create a precedent to later exempt the Shinawatra children from paying income tax?
This reminds me of when the Spanish government lied to its people and claimed that the ETA, rather than Islamic terrorists, were responsible for the 2004 Madrid train bombings.
The ANFO bombs seem technically similar to the car bomb found outside Thaksin’s house late last year. The investigation into the car bomb was dropped by the junta. Is anybody investigating the ISOC?
I am heading to burma soon and did some googling to find info about basic travel advice as well as sites such as yours detailing the moral dilemma about whether or not I will be benefitting a dictatorial regime.
Ideally, I would not like the regime to be benefitted. However, it is clear that they will benefit, at least economically in the short term, from my visit. I suppose for me it has come down to trying to choose an approach which will, on balance, result in an overall benefit (however miniscule my individual contribution will be) for the ordinary people of Burma.
I hope that, as a photographer who generally focusses on community-based issues, that I will be able to begin a project which highlights both the positive characteristics of the people and their country as well as their plight. I also intend, to the extent that I can reasonably determine their legitimacy, to spend my tourist dollars with non-government businesses which are not benefitting indirectly from any forced relocations of original inhabitants from the region.
But how am I reasonably expected to determine this last point regarding issues of forced relocation? I will do my best to research as much as is reasonably possible.
Overall, there is, for me, a point where i must rely on an inner voice which, based on my knowledge and personal values, tells me my intentions are ‘good’ (the definition of which is going to be different for all individuals).
regards,
charlie, melbourne, australia
ps. i found the exchange between aiontay and tim interesting but was dismayed to find Andrew Walker come in over the top and unilaterally decide to block any further messages from tim without any concrete reasons. Iit is not for you, andrew, to decide what readers’ interpretations of a message may be.
I would add that this statement by Surayuth is pretty weak:
“It is unlikely that it was related to the unrest in the south because the militants are not familiar with the area.”
There is a significant and often even hostile Muslim population in Bangkok and they could have planted any of the bombs in those areas. Indeed, many live on Khlong Saen Saep that puts them right close to the Pratunam -Rajprasong area bombings.
This is in no way to say that Thaksinists did not do it. They may have. But the rush to declare one or another, with not very good evidence made public, should make anyone hesitate to accept any comment, at this point even by Surayuth and Gen. Sonthi.
I think one has to dismiss most of what the Bangkok media says about attributions, especially in the first 48 hours after any incident. Most of them come from unnamed sources and/or people, high and low level, who often speak off the cuff without thinking or caring what they say and how it is understood. And the journalistic “filter” in Bangkok has become worse/more unreliable than ever in the past 20 years.
For that reason I would ignore all these suggestions that it came from Thaksin-ists until there is clear evidencegiven by top officials publicly.
[…] From the New Mandala blog: … I suppose restraint would be too much to expect from the military junta. According to The Nation (thanks Patiwat) members of the Council for National Security are already linking the bombings to Thaksin and using this as a pretext to call for the seizure of his assets: […]
I wonder why such transactions were deemed taxable by the Revenue Department (and also the tax appeal committee), but once Thaksin’s family does a similar deal the Revenue Department decides they are not taxable and takes a most unusual step by issuing a refund.
I understand that people resettled due to dam constructions may have some reluctance to recognize of those power generators.
But South-East Asia and Asia in general are plagued with pollution.
Pollution is a real threat on economies: not only it has detrimental effect on agriculture but people suffer too.
The cost in the long term may be more than huge.
So if some people have to move for the sake of a clean energy generator: I would say ‘mai pen rai’. Here the cost is nothing compared to the benefits.
A meeting between Premier Surayud Chulanont and various security and intelligence agencies on the evening of the 31st failed to identify culprits for the attacks. See here.
The junta’s men are stating otherwise, and are clamoring to have the CNS (not the government) seize Thaksin’s assets. See here.
You’re not demanding that Thaksin pays capital gains taxes, but the AEC is. They have authority on this matter, not you.
I’m not a Thaksin lackey. I’m just a normal Thai who refuses to let the AEC establish a precedent whereby individuals are forced to pay taxes they have no legal obligation to pay.
Patiwat: Fortunately I dont mind banging my head against a brick wall occasionally, so I will try again.
I am not, and never have been, talking about capital gains tax, and it is not mentioned anywhere in the article on the Ruangkrai case.
If, after re-reading my posts #2 & #4 above, you again come back with an irrelevant post about capital gains tax, then I can only conclude that you are a Thaksin lacky who is just posting to muddy the waters in his favour.
Anonymous, the problem is that we don’t have a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch today.
We don’t have a parliament with the authority to question, impeach, or hold a vote of no-confidence against the government. We don’t have a constitutional democracy since the constitution doesn’t guarantee any distinct human rights and elections were cancelled indefinately. And we don’t have a constitutional monarchy because the King has shown that he is above the constitution.
Some say that this situation is better than it was under Thaksin.
As for how the King views the role of dams in development, just take a look at the Bhumibol Dam, the Sirikit Dam, the Vajiralongkorn Dam, the Chulabhorn dam, the Sirindhorn dam, etc.
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Blaming the undercurrents
And the bombing of the mosque in Chiang Mai yesterday that killed someone person
The Golden Boat update 6: mobile lifestyles
Admire your biographical focus. There are so many hidden histories out there of ordinary people that slip by and are forgotten. The border town pair of Maesai-Tachileik has also gone through so many transformations in the last decade, driven by policy in remote Bangkok, Yangon, China, US, perhaps, but IMHO you see the effects of large-scale history best at the level of the individual, the way you’re doing it. (like Jonathan Spence’s “Death of Woman Wang” I suppose)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Spence
Blaming the undercurrents
Glad to see Patiwat mentioned the car bomb outside Thaksin’s house, also, let’s not forget the bomb outside Prem’s house in March 2006 also.
Thaksin, Phone Home
Try reading this article for reference. The AEC is focusing on the capital gains taxes as Patiwat mentioned. I remember initially there was a lot of controversy on whether the sale was ‘outside’ or made through the SET. Thaksin’s children reported to the SET in some form that the sale was made outside the market (therefore taxable for capital gains?) then later changed the form to something else.
I wonder why at the time, Thaksin did not defend the sale by saying that his children would later pay personal income taxes on the profits. Wasn’t the accusation that the Revenue Department made the ruling on the Ruangkrai case create a precedent to later exempt the Shinawatra children from paying income tax?
Blaming the undercurrents
I dont want to add to the speculation, but it is a worry when the police seem to obstruct the forensic investigation:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/02Jan2007_news09.php
Blaming the undercurrents
This reminds me of when the Spanish government lied to its people and claimed that the ETA, rather than Islamic terrorists, were responsible for the 2004 Madrid train bombings.
The Golden Boat update 5: shopkeeping on the borderline
[…] Go to Golden Boat update 1, update 2, update 3, update 4 and update 5. […]
Blaming the undercurrents
The ANFO bombs seem technically similar to the car bomb found outside Thaksin’s house late last year. The investigation into the car bomb was dropped by the junta. Is anybody investigating the ISOC?
Burma boycott – some questions about “avoided tourism”
Hi,
I am heading to burma soon and did some googling to find info about basic travel advice as well as sites such as yours detailing the moral dilemma about whether or not I will be benefitting a dictatorial regime.
Ideally, I would not like the regime to be benefitted. However, it is clear that they will benefit, at least economically in the short term, from my visit. I suppose for me it has come down to trying to choose an approach which will, on balance, result in an overall benefit (however miniscule my individual contribution will be) for the ordinary people of Burma.
I hope that, as a photographer who generally focusses on community-based issues, that I will be able to begin a project which highlights both the positive characteristics of the people and their country as well as their plight. I also intend, to the extent that I can reasonably determine their legitimacy, to spend my tourist dollars with non-government businesses which are not benefitting indirectly from any forced relocations of original inhabitants from the region.
But how am I reasonably expected to determine this last point regarding issues of forced relocation? I will do my best to research as much as is reasonably possible.
Overall, there is, for me, a point where i must rely on an inner voice which, based on my knowledge and personal values, tells me my intentions are ‘good’ (the definition of which is going to be different for all individuals).
regards,
charlie, melbourne, australia
ps. i found the exchange between aiontay and tim interesting but was dismayed to find Andrew Walker come in over the top and unilaterally decide to block any further messages from tim without any concrete reasons. Iit is not for you, andrew, to decide what readers’ interpretations of a message may be.
Bangkok bombings
How does Surayud know that it wasn’t the Southern insurgents?
The Thai Prime Minister explains, “I don’t think they would come here as they could get lost in Bangkok.” See here.
That has to be the most absurd statement EVER.
Bangkok bombings
I would add that this statement by Surayuth is pretty weak:
“It is unlikely that it was related to the unrest in the south because the militants are not familiar with the area.”
There is a significant and often even hostile Muslim population in Bangkok and they could have planted any of the bombs in those areas. Indeed, many live on Khlong Saen Saep that puts them right close to the Pratunam -Rajprasong area bombings.
This is in no way to say that Thaksinists did not do it. They may have. But the rush to declare one or another, with not very good evidence made public, should make anyone hesitate to accept any comment, at this point even by Surayuth and Gen. Sonthi.
Bangkok bombings
I think one has to dismiss most of what the Bangkok media says about attributions, especially in the first 48 hours after any incident. Most of them come from unnamed sources and/or people, high and low level, who often speak off the cuff without thinking or caring what they say and how it is understood. And the journalistic “filter” in Bangkok has become worse/more unreliable than ever in the past 20 years.
For that reason I would ignore all these suggestions that it came from Thaksin-ists until there is clear evidencegiven by top officials publicly.
Bangkok bombings
[…] From the New Mandala blog: … I suppose restraint would be too much to expect from the military junta. According to The Nation (thanks Patiwat) members of the Council for National Security are already linking the bombings to Thaksin and using this as a pretext to call for the seizure of his assets: […]
Thaksin, Phone Home
I wonder why such transactions were deemed taxable by the Revenue Department (and also the tax appeal committee), but once Thaksin’s family does a similar deal the Revenue Department decides they are not taxable and takes a most unusual step by issuing a refund.
Happy New Year!
And thanks to you for the forum for discussion and mouthing off. Happy New Year!
Dams and prosperity in Laos
Back to the dam:
I understand that people resettled due to dam constructions may have some reluctance to recognize of those power generators.
But South-East Asia and Asia in general are plagued with pollution.
Pollution is a real threat on economies: not only it has detrimental effect on agriculture but people suffer too.
The cost in the long term may be more than huge.
So if some people have to move for the sake of a clean energy generator: I would say ‘mai pen rai’. Here the cost is nothing compared to the benefits.
Bangkok bombings
A meeting between Premier Surayud Chulanont and various security and intelligence agencies on the evening of the 31st failed to identify culprits for the attacks. See here.
The junta’s men are stating otherwise, and are clamoring to have the CNS (not the government) seize Thaksin’s assets. See here.
Thaksin, Phone Home
You’re not demanding that Thaksin pays capital gains taxes, but the AEC is. They have authority on this matter, not you.
I’m not a Thaksin lackey. I’m just a normal Thai who refuses to let the AEC establish a precedent whereby individuals are forced to pay taxes they have no legal obligation to pay.
Thaksin, Phone Home
Patiwat: Fortunately I dont mind banging my head against a brick wall occasionally, so I will try again.
I am not, and never have been, talking about capital gains tax, and it is not mentioned anywhere in the article on the Ruangkrai case.
If, after re-reading my posts #2 & #4 above, you again come back with an irrelevant post about capital gains tax, then I can only conclude that you are a Thaksin lacky who is just posting to muddy the waters in his favour.
Dams and prosperity in Laos
Anonymous, the problem is that we don’t have a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch today.
We don’t have a parliament with the authority to question, impeach, or hold a vote of no-confidence against the government. We don’t have a constitutional democracy since the constitution doesn’t guarantee any distinct human rights and elections were cancelled indefinately. And we don’t have a constitutional monarchy because the King has shown that he is above the constitution.
Some say that this situation is better than it was under Thaksin.
As for how the King views the role of dams in development, just take a look at the Bhumibol Dam, the Sirikit Dam, the Vajiralongkorn Dam, the Chulabhorn dam, the Sirindhorn dam, etc.