The importance of being Abhisit

COMMENTARY

Published: 6 Jan 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Take a second. Think about it. It's a bizarre world we live in. Stand back and look at today from the perspective of 15 years ago.

Abhisit Vejjajiva is being stripped of his military rank and facing criminal charges, deemed evil personified. Meanwhile Chalerm Yubamrung enjoys honours and adulation, rank and prestige. He's the face and voice of the government of the people of Thailand.

The golden boy now gets bullied, scorned and scared. The bully has become the nation's top politician, next to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. If someone had told me 15 years ago that this day would come, I would have said, "Yeah right, and Laos will surpass us in mobile telecommunications technology."

This article is older than 60 days, which we reserve for our premium members only.You can subscribe to our premium member subscription, here.

Forum

Your comments

supermax
Post : 321
Send message

Discussion 19 : 06 Jan 2013 at 08.5819
Post this to my Facebook
As usual, the article of Khun Voranai is written well. But today, sorry I'm confused...
Why to select Chalerm and Abhisit for comparaison. The road of these two men never crossed : so??
Well written article sure, but wasting time article too or a litterature execice perharps !
Like dislike 39 people liked / 65 people disliked this comment
highlander
Post : 137
Send message

Discussion 18 : 06 Jan 2013 at 08.4918
Post this to my Facebook
I think this article is very sad, but true. Bullies use people because they have the money to feed them to follow his orders and this is exactly what has and still is happening today. Shame on the Military and police for allowing riots in Bangkok to take place. Now Mr. Abhisit is being used as the scapegoat.

Mr. Abhisit did extend his hand on many occasions but it was rejected as many times as it was offered. The writer only needs to go back through the BP files to pull out the number of times this hand was offered. Bullies will always be bullies as long as they have the power (money) to prop them up enough to get them what they want.
Like dislike 71 people liked / 43 people disliked this comment
drsmith
Post : 1,575
Send message

Discussion 17 : 06 Jan 2013 at 08.4917
Post this to my Facebook
What Thailand lacks is courage. Politicians bully everyone because people are weak, have no courage and most of all no common sense. How can an entire countries military or police force fear ONE man? Honestly? Thai's want to go to war with Cambodia over a patch of land yet fear 1 man destroying their entire country. How can 55,000,000 Thai's not have the courage to band together and do something about this 1 man? Whenever there is a fight in Thailand it is usually 10 against 1. Why not use the same tactics against politicians? Why do Thai people have so much fear for such a small number of politicians? What good are the Army and Police?
Like dislike 86 people liked / 33 people disliked this comment
spiceman
Post : 3,477
Send message

Discussion 16 : 06 Jan 2013 at 08.3816
Post this to my Facebook
The problem with AV is that he spoke one too many lie, and burned down one too many bridge behind him, especially, the one connecting to PADs! So, now he is left naked on his own to face TS' onslaught. Lessons? Learn to keep your friends, and to keep them between you and your enemy.
Like dislike 48 people liked / 85 people disliked this comment
whatajoke
Post : 1,760
Send message

Discussion 15 : 06 Jan 2013 at 08.1815
Post this to my Facebook
Of all the recent prime ministers of Thailand if you show clips of them being interviewed, locally or internationally, in Thai or English, show them to someone with no previous partisan opinion the results are fairly obvious; one comes across as sincere, softly spoken, articulate, educated, one comes across as shifty, scarcely believable, snivelling, one reads off a cue sheet, one sounds like a songtaew driver and one is so quiet you wonder if he isn't some family puppet. Of course, this being Thailand, the most impressive of the lot is the least popular come election time.
Like dislike 69 people liked / 44 people disliked this comment
bkk-farang
Post : 2,304
Send message

Discussion 14 : 06 Jan 2013 at 08.0514
Post this to my Facebook
Thanks Khun Voranai for this article
Living in Thailand for almost two decades and still trying to understand Thais, I think Abhisit and Chalerm are good examples for very different characters. In my experience many Thai people are proud when they know some influential person. And the term influential person in Thailand has nothing to do with intelligence, wisdom and honesty. No, Thais are proud if they are near to the local mafia boss, the guy who gets things done and gets away with breaking the law constantly.
Law abiding citizens who don’t want to take bribes and who don’t live in a mansion are considered stupid by the masses. TiT
Like dislike 108 people liked / 31 people disliked this comment
sirron
Post : 895
Send message

Discussion 13 : 06 Jan 2013 at 07.5113
Post this to my Facebook
Khun Voranai you ask: "How has it come to this for Abhisit Vejjajiva"? In my humble opinion, the answer is "annica."

One of the main Buddhist principles chanted daily by monks and taught extensively is "annica" (in Pali) or impermanence in the English language.

Annica includes more than just the aging process and encompasses many forms of loss. My favorite from the morning chant is: "Sabbe sankhara annica" - "all conditions are transient" (a more or less correct English translation).
Like dislike 27 people liked / 24 people disliked this comment
siamrat
Post : 2
Send message

Discussion 12 : 06 Jan 2013 at 07.4112
Post this to my Facebook
"he passed [the second greatest test] quite well". How is that? This was a PM who called the army out onto the streets of Bangkok with absolutely no strategy for civilian crowd control but an outdated mindset of suppressing enemy communists. The result was some 90 people being killed, without doubt the great majority directly by the RTA. It is absolutely right that Thais should start bringing their leaders to account for such attrocities.
The comparison here with Chalerm is spurious. There is plenty that he should be called to account for but that that does not change any of the issues surrounding Abhisit.
Like dislike 55 people liked / 74 people disliked this comment
justfacts
Post : 627
Send message

Discussion 11 : 06 Jan 2013 at 07.4111
Post this to my Facebook
Great article as always, however not sure I would agree with Chalerm being "The most important and respected man in town" especially the respected part
Like dislike 79 people liked / 38 people disliked this comment
android
Post : 2,239
Send message

Discussion 10 : 06 Jan 2013 at 07.0310
Post this to my Facebook
If AV had handled the 2010 crackdown in a humane attitude, he might still probably be the golden boy now. Author Voranai and other AV supporters need to understand that majority of the thai people do not accept "murderers".
Like dislike 51 people liked / 124 people disliked this comment