Brilliant

[drake]

I believe the general and overall conclusion is sorely being missed throughout most discussion regarding the area.
It's not modern reference, it's an historically ancient one.
This region [and the dispute] has nothing whatsoever to do with modern times....and it's not Thai.
Nothing whatsoever to do with the French, British, Japanese, etc during those interacted times of contemorary Thai history.
The region and structures are/were Khmer - not Tai/Thai/Siamese.

Well, shux.
I was trying to limit my scope to the past 200 ish years and in specific the attitude of the modern Siamese/Thais....

In a nutshell, Khmer Empire grew out of Chenla Kingdom which in turn grew out of the original Funan Kingdom/Empire.
They weren't the original owner of that cliff-side lot they parked that Hindu temple on either.
How did they get it ? Took it from the Funians by force, obviously.
But who's counting ?
Since for 500 or so years the Imperial West had been dividing up the globe and dictates the accepted borderlines based on gun boat treaties I figured they are more relevant than what the OldKhmer did or didn't do back then.
This current dispute is more of who owns the thing rather than who built it.
I mean, nobody is disputing who owns the Khmer temple (and territories around which) at Pimai or Muean Singh is it ?
BUT to really punctuate the thing.
Borders are nothing more than lines in the beach sand during low tide.
At the end, humans will all be dead and it will all belongs to cockroaches before the sun reclaims the earth.
Meanwhile, you can only keep what you can defend.

[Voice]

I don’t think that we can discount the Military that easy. Siam/Thailand has always relied on Military to do the deeds that doesn’t always fit with their description.

[surinfarm]

I don’t think that we can discount the Military that easy. Siam/Thailand has always relied on Military to do the deeds that doesn’t always fit with their description.

It's always easy to describe a military force - brutal force for the state. Nothing more, nothing less.

As this applies to the Thai militarism, which builds a military for domestic purposes exclusively, less for foreign engagements. Historically, the military forces in Thailand serve only one purpose and is designed accordingly.

[Voice]

If only we respects each other duty & don't try to do another people job without their permission I suppose we won't be having these conversations right now. From outsider they would say we need education but from within they thought they know too much already. Deep root culture which still been told today has made many of us Thai forget about moving forward.

[namrepus]

perhaps we should also ask why the khmers haven't also left the area themselves?
Just a thought - just to be fair; don't you think?

[clarkkent]

perhaps we should also ask why the khmers haven't also left the area themselves?
Just a thought - just to be fair; don't you think?

We gripe over the Thai militarism but forego any comment about Kamphuchea's land grab. Why is that. Shame about that I guess its better to play football with them and let them do as they wish and put all the blame on Thailand and her military.

[Eric]

Absara put this quite nicely that the army is there to serve the country. Yet during this flood crisis, there are countless times by the media and general thanking the army for their efforts in the flood. It is as though the army is a private agency or some foreign help that we have to thank them countless time. As an ex-soldier, I find it totally absurd that we keep pandering the army and treat them as some kind of savior for difficult times. It is not a race between the government and the military to see who does the most work and popularity. In fact, the military is a government agency and paid for by the government. In short, the military is just another government agencies. That they are task to do a job during flood and are highly visible due to their task. If not helping the people and defending the country, what else does the army do? All government agencies involved in the flood are worthy of praise. Just because they are not highly visible and their task are multiple, they too deserve as much gratitude as we have for the military.

[clarkkent]

Absara put this quite nicely that the army is there to serve the country. Yet during this flood crisis, there are countless times by the media and general thanking the army for their efforts in the flood. It is as though the army is a private agency or some foreign help that we have to thank them countless time. As an ex-soldier, I find it totally absurd that we keep pandering the army and treat them as some kind of savior for difficult times. It is not a race between the government and the military to see who does the most work and popularity. In fact, the military is a government agency and paid for by the government. In short, the military is just another government agencies. That they are task to do a job during flood and are highly visible due to their task. If not helping the people and defending the country, what else does the army do? All government agencies involved in the flood are worthy of praise. Just because they are not highly visible and their task are multiple, they too deserve as much gratitude as we have for the military.

Actually they, the military, should be thanked for their untiring efforts and hardships, in their continuing relief efforts (independent of this leaderless government). They have their own leadership and integrated inter-service activities in this regard. Not so the barbie government who have shown neither any inkling of leadership nor integration of governmental agencies. So busy in setting up commitees and fact-finding teams, as well as planning "events" for barbie to get photo ops. Oh and making contradictory statements that have become irrelevant. Brilliant!

[flippogirl]

Clarkkent,

If I may ask, where does your hatred and dislike for Ms. Yingluck come from.
I have been a member of the Forum, and a regular commenter on BP articles, and I must say you are one of the most outspoken and most negative about Ms. Yingluck and her government.

The only reason I see for thanking the militairy is for sticking to their duty, and not stepping out of bounds as they did in 2006 and many times before.
As Eric said, the militairy is just another government agency, and should therefore work on behalf and on orders from the government.
If I, at my work, do a good job, I am not expecting a big thank you or a pay raise, it's just my job, same for the militairy.

You call this a leaderless government? What would you have preferred, the Ms. Yingluck would show that she is the clone that she was claimed to be by so many, and act like her brother.
This would result in draconian measures, silencing everybody on the subject, and pressing through her own ideas about how to handle the flood and the aftermath, without listening to other sources.

If it's up to me, I prefer the approach of Ms. Yingluck, knowing she's not an expert, she listens to the advises of different sources, and tries to decide the best approach. Since the current situation is unprecedented, you can hardly call any decision a wrong one, since obviously nobody knows what's going to happen.

If you want to lay fault on the current flooding situation, lay the blame with all governments between 1995 (last major flooding) and now for not taking the measures, and building the infrastructure to prevent all of this (or at least limit the damage)..

[clarkkent]

Brilliant!!

Thailand doesn't have enough hardships from this "natural disaster" and the incompetent management of the situation, combined with the lack of leadership from PM Yingluck - now her government want to amaned the amnesty law to provide thaksin a legal way back. No need for remorse let alone spending time in prison.