The Bug Cuisine enthusiasts are at it again
Ah, a good Wednesday morning to all, even Russians, you ba$tards (My Stance Is Neutral, OK?)
THAILAND POLITICS
Thaksin delenda est
The rapidly ageing British (and Thai) Democrat Party politician Abhisit Vejjajiva went for the throat of the Pheu Thai Party.
He says Pheu Thai Party wants to win the next parliamentary election in order to support a military coup that would pardon Thaksin Shinawatra and help him to return to Thailand.
Takes one to know one. Abhisit was appointed as prime minister by a military coup.
Ex-Thai army general and supposed BFF (best friend forever) of current Face of the Dictatorship turns the tables.
Prawit Wongsuwon said says out loud that "in case anything happens to Prayut, he's ready to stup and take his place.
Prawit wrote and carried out the plan for the military coup of May, 2014. He arranged for army pall Prayut to be designated as 'prime minster'.
And now, he told assembled reporters on Tuesday, he is ready - "if a new prime minister is needed."
Prawit, who works mostly in the shadows, is neither popular nor well-regarded by the Thai public and voters, mstly because of his known corruption.
PHOTO: Prawit (left) and Prayut, once the best buddies. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2303722/
Prawit, a former commander of the entire Royal Thai Army, is obese and moves with difficulty.
But he also ordered a front-page newspaper story claiming
Prawit has no knowledge of human trafficking
Meaning the murderous campaign headed by an army general, busted in 2015.
Coincidence or plot?
The paper where the story appeared was purchased outright last month by the Communist Party of China. (Which is illegal, unpopular and totally unconstitutional.)
https://www.thaienquirer.com/39756/opinion-believe-prawit-when-he-says-he-has-no-knowledge-of-human-trafficking/
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2303722/
On Thai-language social media, fast-trending rumours claim that members of small parties in parliament that claim to be Prayut loyalists are being offered bribes and promises of future gifts if they vote against Prayut at the next no-confidence debate, probably in August.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2304250/
And then, this Wednesday morning, a lengthy newspaper analysis from out of the blue proclaimed (correctly in my view)
EXPLAINER: Replacing Prayut will be no walk in the park
Picking successor to Prayut not easy given legal hurdles
AND THEN
Prayut called reporters to Government House, and instructed his chief, loyal spokesman to tell them:
Within 18 months, he will restore the Thai tourist industry to fifty per cent of its former glory.
Of course, aka At this point, what else can he say?
PHOTO: Reopening soon, not yet.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/2304254/
NOTE: People may soon be allowed to take off their masks in certain public places while more night entertainment venues will likely be allowed to reopen provided they strictly follow Covid-19 safety measures.
"Might" "Maybe" "Possible"
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2304246/
Today's Two-Part Challenge
Define 'Covid'19 safety measures. Take your time. After that,
Define 'fully vaccinated'
Events are suddenly moving quickly on Thailand's political front.
But no one saw this coming:
J.P. Morgan hangs Thailand out to dry
Analysts at J.P. Morgan downgraded Thailand's equities rating. The Big Bank said pretty frankly that Thailand has uncontrollable inflation and no chance of clawing back a decent tourist industry because Chinese are not coming to visit Thailand.
J.P. Morgan began operations in Thailand in 1964. Last year, it put Thailand on its list of Top Five economies at worst risk.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2303670/
tbh This is developing into a siege on Prayut.
Prayut has led from the rear for the past eight years, which gives him little stick with fellow citizens. Almost every event of the past week made Prayut look worse.
The lightning-rod issue today is the economy.
Late last year, Prayut promised unions he would decree a minimum wage hike to 492 baht.
The business elite have convinced him that he shouldn't do that.
Prayut is caught, and he appears dumbfounded.
On Monday, the entire (influential) Federation of Thai Industries said, "nah Prayut, we can't do 492 baht. No way, Jose."
Today's minimum wage ranges between 313 and 336 baht per day, depending upon location.
PHOTO: In the background, Democracy Monument in Bangkok, where every anti-dictator uprising has begun.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2304322/
This summary wraps up the current state of business-vs. Prayut-vs. workers and unions very neatly
And it's not a simple issue.
Private sector opposes wage hike
Entrepreneurs fear rise in daily wage would deal a blow to businesses
The rising minimum wage is a nail in the coffin for us, especially small hotels
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, former up-and-coming slugger of the Transpo Bears and currently president of the Thai Hotels Association
As always in Thailand, there are prominent voices trying to grab "the middle ground" of compromise.
A minimum wage of 492 baht might be too high. I think 400 baht would be a reasonable rate.
Nattachart Mekmasin, research manager, Trinity Securities
THAILAND SECURITY CORRUPTION
Even the Royal Thai Police are caught up in the political swirl and the battle for the pigging-out trough.
They rented out the entire Impact Muang Thong convention centre, complete with great meals, for a symposium about all that cybercrime that's going on.
Twenty-three (23) RTP units took the days off fighting crime in order to get the air-conditioning and free meals. There were slides and PowerPoint... everything.
The thing of it is: If they don't spend the junta's money now, they may not get another chance.
RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR FALLOUT
Ukraine's ambassador to Thailand urges the junta to show some compassion, and waive the immigration fees for war-stranded Ukrainians
https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2022/04/29/ukrainian-envoy-urges-thai-govt-to-waive-visa-extension-fees-for-stranded-ukrainians/
THAILAND CORONAVIRUS
The tentative statistics for Thailand's fight against Covid-19 are not encouraging.
During the 24 hours of Tuesday, May 3, there were
9,721 new cases of the virus
77 fatalities, aged 19-to-100 and included one German and one Cambodian national
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2304054/
GRAPHICS below show
1) Early statistics for Thailand on Tuesday
2) A summary of the Covid-19 situation in the world, and 50 countries.
Worth noting and remembering:
As of today, in the futile search for 'zero Covid' the president-4-life and his obsequious Chinese Communist Party lackeys have
locked down 340 million people, about a quarter of China
locked down 46 cities and suburbs
kept the 25 million residents of Shanghai in lockdown for five weeks and continuing
refused the discuss the origin of the Covid-19 coronavirus
put the economy and daily life of new colony Hong Kong into recession and depression
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Hong-Kong-economy-shrinks-4-under-anti-virus-17143803.php
Outgoing* Philippines president Rodrigo 'The Punisher' Duterte
promises to shut down the multi-million dollar online cockfighting
♫ ♩ ♪ ... if it's the last thing I ever do.
*Duterte cannot run again after the presidential election next Monday, May 9.
PHOTO 1: The new trend is to televise cockfights via Facebook, with gambling worth millions of dollars.
PHOTO 2: Joel Mingoa, a trainer for 50 years, explains the sport in an interview by Hazel on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=829384400795507
Like Siamese Fighting Fish then?
Related
Police officer raiding illegal cockfight gets killed by rooster
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54715327
GLOBAL WARMING EVs
At least 97% of the world's scientists have suffered shock and awe as temperatures in the newest colony of the Chinese Communist Party dropped to the lowest point in a century.
No fatalities occurred but Hong Kongers shivered and shook and complained in the 16-degree (Celsius) Big Freeze-Out.
https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-experiences-its-coldest-day-in-may-in-almost-a-century-475683
Related
SNOWFALLS ARE NOW A THING OF THE PAST:
Vail Mountain (Colorado) completes longest season on record, and still has snow to spare.
https://www.vaildaily.com/news/vail-mountain-completes-longest-season-on-record-with-snow-to-spare/
THAILAND NEUTRALITY FOREIGN POLICY
Burmese good, Burmese dictators bad
The always interesting and well-informed columnist Kavi Chongkittavorn is dialling it back. Way back.
The pressure is on the media everywhere in Southeast Asia, plus aid to distressed Burmese is a Good Thing.
But what if you're bullied into not mentioning that the Tatmadaw's dictatorship is murderously cruel?
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2303874/
By coincidence, the man in charge of attempts to reconcile ASEAN and Myanmar is reduced to begging the Tatmadaw dictators to please, please, for God's sake PLEASE let some from ASEAN talk to Aung San Suu Kyi.
Has anyone ever seen Hun Sen cry? Or Suu Kyi, come to that?
https://tinyurl.com/27te393p
Kavi's Bangkok Post colleague and columnist Atiya "Ann" Achakulwisut writes that Thailand's junta should attend a class to learn the difference between 'soft power' and a hole in the ground.
'Soft power' goal proves a tough nut to crack
Soft power” has become a buzzword in
Thailand after teen rapper Danupha "Milli" Khanatheerakul's hour-long show at Coachella, with her mango sticky rice stunt grabbing the public's attention.
And sure enough, [alleged] prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made sure he was in on the trend - after previously suing the rapper over her criticism of his administration's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
PHOTO: Millie raps and eats mangoes at the same time at Coachella.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2303858/
GLOBAL WARMING EVs
Well, yeah, it's what they do
Electric Bus in Paris Catches Fire After Battery Explosion.
In the images, you can see a small explosion occur on the roof of the bus, where the batteries are located, followed by huge flames that spread to the entire body, at breakneck speed.
SPECTACULAR VIDEO
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/05/01/electric-bus-catches-fire-after-battery-explosion/
Within hours, RATP grounded all of its 149 Bollore electric buses.
Related note
Among the thousands of "world leaders" who don't have Electric Vehicles (EVs) are Joe Biden, Vlad Putin, Prayut and Kamala Harris.
Oh my, haven't seen this since the South Koreans in the Vietnam war.
HMM: 'F*****g cowards' Russian officer shoots OWN troops as army morale on brink of collapse.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1603837/russia-news-commander-shots-troops-ukraine-war-vladimir-putin
GLOBAL WARMING SCIENCE
The Al Gore Rhythm
97% of scientists believe that the global temperature is up by 0.26 degrees Celsius
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/05/02/uah-global-temperature-update-for-april-2022-0-26-deg-c/
https://www.drroyspencer.com/2022/05/uah-global-temperature-update-for-april-2022-0-26-deg-c/
I regret to inform you the Bug Cuisine enthusiasts are at it again.
But the unfortunate truth is that you should just always base your life on what people of other countries and cultures are doing. It's not cultural misappropriate, it's Saving The Dying Planet.
==
Many countries and cultures have eaten bugs for generations.
If you've been missing out, here are some good reasons to join the bug club
U.S.A. CULTURE
Oh, how dreadful for her. Maybe she can try to gin up a reprise of 'Suits'.
Netflix cancels Meghan Markle's animated series 'Pearl' amid cutbacks: David Furnish was expected to produce the show believed to be about her own childhood.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10772951/Meghan-Markles-animated-Netflix-series-gets-dumped-cutbacks.html
MICHAEL WALSH: At last, a hill to die on.
"So now the mask has dropped and, for the first time, the American people can see the modern Left in all its hateful, unadorned, vituperative, spiteful glory. Case in point: the announcement last week that the Department of Homeland Security—one of the excrescences of the Bush administration, cobbled together in its panic over 9/11—has created the 'Disinformation Governance Board' in order to combat what it has, via its hitherto little-known Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, already dubbed 'mis-, dis-, and mal-information.' Otherwise known as alternative points of view, but shut up, citizen.
https://the-pipeline.org/the-column-at-last-a-hill-to-die-on/
Here's Your Disinformation: Now Psaki Is Claiming That TRUMP Started Biden's Thought Police Board.
If the creepy-sounding (and worse in practice) Disinformation Governance Board is such a good and necessary idea, why is the White House lying about it?
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/robert-spencer/2022/04/30/heres-your-disinformation-now-psaki-is-claiming-that-trump-started-bidens-thought-police-board-n1594156
The brand new U.S. Ministry of Truth claims it has lured 185,000 followers to its brand new Twitter account.
But should we believe them? Or is that Russian-based misinformation?
Just asking for a friend, but what do you think was the worst action by W. Bush?
Founding the Department of Homeland Security? Or
Founding the DHS' airport security incompetent Transportation Security Administration (TSA)?
It's kind of good to see an African man control the white U.S. president, but is it uplifting? And the optics!
True story. Weep for America.
After 'Asian Lives Don't Matter', who's next? And why are Americans not allowed to have a Martin Niemöller?
