Thaksin's daughter moves closer to becoming Thailand prime minister.

Mar 22, 2022

G'day all rons, ettes and companions, it used to be the weekend but now it's not!

Alleged 'General' Prayut disagrees.
Fauci hints at retirement:

I can't stay at this job forever.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/fauci-hints-at-retirement-i-cant-stay-at-this-job-forever

Slicker weather
Thailand's weatherman aka the Meteorological Department says a big storm in the Bay of Bengal is going to make things miserable in the Central and Northeast areas of Thailand, definitely including Bangkok (Sunday photo below).
Cyclone Asani is going to pound Myanmar, starting today. It will also stir up islands and waters in the Andaman Sea - including the east coast and tourist spots like Phuket.
It's the worst storm since Cyclone Nardis hit Burma in 2008 and caused worldwide appeals for aid.
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/cyclone-asani-storm-predicted-to-impact-andaman-islands-bangladesh-and-myanmar-1927233-2022-03-20

Feel-good story of the day
The daughter of a poverty-stricken man was set to eat her dream birthday meal alone because her father couldn't afford to pay for them both - until a generous restaurant owner intervened.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2282135/

Paethongtan coy on poll role
Vows to 'lead' Pheu Thai Party to victory
Paetongtarn picked as head of Pheu Thai to emphasise name recognition
... At a Pheu Thai meeting held in Udon Thani on Sunday, Ms Paetongtarn was introduced as the project leader of a drive to attract new members to the main opposition party.
It marked another step forward in her political career, following her position in charge of introducing innovation and bolstering public participation of all age groups in the party founded by her father as Thai Rak Thai.
The Shinawatras have produced two prime ministers in Thaksin and his younger sister Yingluck. Military coups ousted both.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2282139/

Thaksin's daughter moves closer to becoming Pheu Thai PM candidate
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2282139/
[N.B. Pheu Thai ("for Thais" is the third major version of the populist party found last century by Thaksin, and known as Thai Rak Thai ("Thais Love Thais).]
[Successive attacks by the Thai army and elite have forced the name changes, but party policy continues. And its popularity.]
[The first party leader was Thaksin, who won the biggest majority vote in Thailand's political history in 2001. In 2011, his sister Yingluck took the party to another electoral victory, and became prime minister.]

From putsch to politician
Paetongtarn "Ing" Shinawatra, 27, youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin and his ex-wife Khunying Potjaman
She is an active social media poster. Her Instagram, account, where she posts as Ingshin21, Paethongtan has 250,000 followers.
She is known as IngShin21

Her sudden rise in the past five months, along with attacks by the junta, have almost destroyed the country's first Progressive Party, aka Progressive Movement and Future Forward parties. That movement's spectacular leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, is all but buried in Thai politics.

China75.jpg
Has anything changed in China since December of '75?

New Covid cases back below 25,000, deaths at 84
The number of new infections by the Chinese Covid-19 dropped below 25,000 for all of Thailand on Sunday.
It was the first time in three weeks that the infection ratee was below 25,000
The number of deaths from the novel virus hit 84 on Sunday, a sign that the fifth wav of the pandemic was still surging.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2282115/new-covid-cases-back-below-25-000-deaths-at-84

Sunday Coronavirus statistics
Hew infections: 24,996
Deaths: 84 (down from 87 on Saturday)
The fatalities included a one-year-old child and a man who was 98.
Two Myanmar nationals and one Kuwaiti were among those died of the virus on Sunday.

31 of the 24,996 new cases were found in arrivals from other countries.
The remainder were all transmissions inside Thailand.

CORONAVIRUS MASKS
Finally...
JetBlue, American Airlines, and Southwest pilots are suing the CDC over the federal mask mandate, saying it ignores scientific studies showing it is 'ineffective'
The pilots also note that the masks pose a risk to the health of pilots, "imperiling aviation safety."
The pilots have alleged that the federal policy "ignored countless scientific and medical studies and articles showing that face masks are totally ineffective in reducing coronavirus spread but are harmful to human health in at least 68 ways."
https://www.businessinsider.com/jetblue-american-airlines-southwest-pilots-sue-cdc-federal-mask-mandate-2022-3

THAILAND POLITICS CORRUPTION
The public's opinion:
Thai politics is chaotic,
the government is unstable
and politicians of all stripes don't take care of the people they represent.
So says the latest survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, better known as the Suan Dusit Poll.
PHOTO: Prayut Chan-o-cha makes the "I Love You" sign as he leaves the rajpruek Club after an elegant dinner party with coalition parties.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2282119/

The poll showed that a huge majority of respondents - 91.44% - said right now the government should pay most attention to the high prices of goods and fuel. Some 71.81% of those taking part were concerned about the fast-rising inflation and poverty, fearful that workers' incomes are insufficient for daily expenses and debt servicing;
Another 69.94% cited quality; 66.64% the increase in Covid-19 infections; and 55.22% on rising unemployment.

A full 78% of those surveyed said they had little or no confidence in the junta' administration.

All thumbs down to the Thailand regime's fifth attempt to 're-open for tourism'
From the business community all the way down to arriving tourists, there's a single reaction: 'Faster, faster'.
For example
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and Thai Chamber of Commerce have both stated the changes are not enough to encourage wider foreign tourism and travel.
For example, in the media on Monday morning:
While the regime plans to declare Covid-19 endemic on July 1, many in the business sector would like a more rapid rollback.
https://bityl.co/BPAd

All thumbs down to the Thailand regime's fifth attempt to 're-open for tourism'
From the business community all the way down to arriving tourists, there's a single reaction: 'Faster, faster'.
For example
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and Thai Chamber of Commerce have both stated the changes are not enough to encourage wider foreign tourism and travel.
For example, in the media on Monday morning:
While the regime plans to declare Covid-19 endemic on July 1, many in the business sector would like a more rapid rollback.
https://bityl.co/BPAd

If you've got a U.S. visa, we've got the abortion equipment
If you thought "Amazing Thailand" was a weird tourism motto, California's is way weirder.
California is cheaper. And if you're short of cash, California can help you out.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/New-California-bill-would-create-a-fund-to-aid-17010371.php
https://kvia.com/news/texas/ap-texas/2022/03/17/california-lawmakers-vote-to-make-abortions-cheaper-2/

SENDUNGEN AUS DER BILDUNGS APOKALYPSE

Germany bans all criticism of Islam by universities.
Should anyone persist, they will be arrested and jailed.
All discussions of political Islam are banned at all German universities.
https://robertspencer.org/2022/03/germany-critical-research-results-on-islam-banned-and-criminalized-at-universities

"If an anthropologist deals with Islamism, his career is over."

U.S.A. tax dollars at work. Pity the Americans.
Um... yeah, sure.
Eddie Vedder joins forces with NASA for 'Invincible' Artemis music video.
And of course the only media that will even touch this story is the often reliable Space.com.
Actual lyrics
"cleared for liftoff"
"making reverberations"
"There's a theory for everything/Resurrection to the big ol' bang"
So brave.

https://www.space.com/eddie-vedder-nasa-artemis-music-video.html

Speaking of supply-chain problems...
Were you waiting for your new Lamborghini to arrive? Tough luck, pal.
The cargo ship Felicity Ace was carrying your car and 70 other Lambos. Then the fire started and burned out of control and sank the ship. Tough luck.
PHOTO: That smoke there is your pre-paid Lambo. Better luck next time.
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a39462703/lamborghini-restarts-aventador-production/

An eye-catching headline in the international media on Monday ready, "Something Very Suspicious Is Happening With China's Latest COVID Reporting."
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2022/03/20/something-very-suspicious-is-happening-with-chinas-latest-covid-reporting-n1567985

Sometimes once in while occasionally the foreign MSM is dumber than the American kind.
Belarusian rail workers allegedly cut off rail links to Ukraine. (Deutsche Welle / MSN)
Which is an interesting article because it tells you absolutely nothing about what actually happened. There's no rail traffic between Belarus and Ukraine, but that was already true because the Ukrainians aren't idiots and cut the lines on their side of the border.
https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/ukraine-belarusian-rail-workers-reportedly-cut-connections-live-updates/ar-AAVh3Ar

Just drink this, and you'll never rape again
It's still pending but Thailand's regime is pushing had for a law tha it is calling the "Violence-Related Reoffending Prevention Bill".
Short and sweet: chemical castration.
DO THE MATH
Corrections Department records reveal that 1,037 convicted sex offenders went on to reoffend during the first year after their release from jail. About 1,700 reoffended within two years of being released, while 2,111 sexually violated victims within three years.
PHOTO: It's a general belief in Thailand (but never documented) that the country's 'rape culture' begins in the nightly soap operas, where violence against women is common.
https://www.thaipbsworld.com/will-thailands-new-chemical-castration-penalty-stop-sexual-reoffenders/

You could look up this stuff, you know.
I've often heard it said that "All the chips not made in China are made in Taiwan", but how true is that?
TSMC of Taiwan is the world's largest chip manufacturer, but there are major factories operated by various companies in Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the United States.
In fact, China produces 0% of leading-edge chips - their latest production lines are at 14nm where TSMC and Samsung are already at 4nm.

Monday Morning Joke
DUGLY HAD SUFFERED FROM HEADACHES

Dugly had suffered from really bad headaches for the last 20 years. He eventually decides to go and see a Doctor.

The Doctor said, 'Dugly, the good news is I can cure your headaches. The bad news is that it will require castration. You have a very rare condition which causes your testicles to press on your spine and the pressure creates one hell of a headache.

The only way to relieve the pressure is to remove the testicles.'

Dugly was shocked and depressed. He wondered if he had anything to live for.

He had no choice but to go under the knife. The surgery cost him $15,000.

When he left the hospital, he was without a headache for the first time in 20 years, but he felt like he was missing an important part of himself.

As he walked down the street, he realized that he felt like a different person. He could make a new beginning and live a new life.

He saw a Men's clothing store and thought, 'That's what I need… A new suit.'

He entered the shop and told the salesman, 'I'd like a new suit.'

The elderly tailor eyed him briefly and said, 'Let's see… size 44 long.

Dugly laughed, 'That's right, how did you know?'

'Been in the business 60 years!' the tailor said.

Dugly tried on the suit it fitted perfectly.

As Dugly admired himself in the mirror, the salesman asked, 'How about a new shirt?'

Dugly thought for a moment and then said, 'Sure.'

The salesman eyed Dugly and said, 'Let's see, 34 sleeves and 16-1/2 neck.'

Dugly was surprised, 'That's right, how did you know?'

'Been in the business 60 years.'

Dugly tried the shirt and it fitted perfectly.

Dugly walked comfortably around the shop and the salesman asked, 'How about some new underwear?'

Dugly thought for a moment and said, 'Sure.'

The salesman said, 'Let's see… size 36'.

Dugly laughed, 'Ah ha! I got you! I've worn a size 34 since I was 18 years old.'

The salesman shook his head, 'You can't wear a size 34. A size 34 would press your testicles up against the base of your spine and give you one hell of a Headache.'
(h/t Ace of Spades)

To be picayune, that's not actually WHY, but it's a great anecdote/example.
Why America can't build quickly anymore. (Full Stack Economics)
In 2080, the average - the average environmental impact study takes longer to complete than the original 1904 28-stop New York Subway.
https://fullstackeconomics.com/why-america-cant-build-big-things-any-more/

TECHNOLOGY
Dear Wanda
What are your thoughts on the whole search - engine thing?
Do you have a preference? Which one do you use?
I use DuckDuckGo, and it's mostly okay. Learning how to use the custom search extensions helps (enter ! and one or more letters at the end of your search query and it will use a different search index - and there are thousands supported).

The Daily Fishwrap

Discussion about this post