Why Did Thaksin Come To Singapore?
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Malaysia has the better chinese BKT than in silkgapore!!!Originally posted by Short Ninja:Yes,I am afraid so....where got in Malaysia & Indonesia....have you ever heard of halal BKT??
R u a foreigner? dont know BKT in Malaysia??
Actually BKT originated from Malaysia!!!
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Imagine Thai government inviting Chee Soon Juan to meet with our deputy minister in Bangkok (of course, in private). Then next morning, we have him on CNN live from Bangkok. Do you think your majesty Lee will be smiling and do nothing?
Oh, I am a Thai, BTW. -
I dont even know which BKT our friend went to in SIngapore.I want to try next time,where ah??
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Thailand has no interests in bullying a smaller country. As a sovereign nation, the Thai Government did it in response to Mr. Lee's inconsiderate diplomatic protocol.Originally posted by hloc:As always..... bully the ''smaller'' country.
Question is whether any Singaporean dares to criticize Mr. Lee's unrefined approach. Do you?
Despite under a junta government, the Thais remain free to criticize our government harshly for not doing enough.
UK and China have all been able to rein in Thug-Sin's political activities in their territories without formal request from the Thai government at all. Today Japan did respond with friendly gesture. UK, China, Australia, and Japan know what is in their best interests. What did your honourable Mr. Lee do? By telling us that the meeting between SG deputy and Thugsin was a mere private matter, he is obviously indifferent. Any sane person can tell there was more than that. -
Rangoon road, everyone's talking about it, but frankly I haven't been there.Originally posted by Short Ninja:I dont even know which BKT our friend went to in SIngapore.I want to try next time,where ah??
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Chee is an undischarged bankrupt and therefore unable to leave the country for anywhere. But if your government will pay off his debts and let him have a free trip to Bangkok and conduct an interview there, I am sure there will be no objections from Singapore. Chee Soon Juan is a clown who has lost all credibility in Singapore. Having him on CNN will only discredit him further.Originally posted by Sleepless in Bangkok:Imagine Thai government inviting Chee Soon Juan to meet with our deputy minister in Bangkok (of course, in private). Then next morning, we have him on CNN live from Bangkok. Do you think your majesty Lee will be smiling and do nothing?
Oh, I am a Thai, BTW.
On the other hand, Thaksin remains a threat to the current Thai government. He still enjoys popular support in the provinces and after a series of errors by the Bank of Thailand, even the middle classes are wondering if this interim government can do it. Thaksin is a far more serious threat to the Thai government than Chee can ever be to the PAP in Singapore.
I have said it before and I say it again. The Singapore government has made a grave error in this affair. Thaksin has every right to enter Singapore and he has the right to speak to the media (such liberties as I presume Thais enjoy in their own country as well). To prevent Thaksin from speaking to CNN will be to deny him his freedom of expression and legally Singapore was right in allowing him to do so.
However, I take the view that national interests should come before respecting such personal liberties. Singapore should have dumped Thaksin the moment the Thai king supported the coup and we should not have allowed him into the country. Friend or not, he is now a liability to us. Like a tampon, we should be intimate with him when he still serves his purpose as a friendly leader of a neighbouring nation but like a tampon, when his usefulness has clearly ended he should be discarded promptly.
Thaksin obviously wants to garner international support as he is after all, the deposed leader in an undemocratic military coup. Why should Singapore support his efforts to fight back unless he can return to power? I hope none of our leaders are daft enough to think that it is possible.
Thailand is a kingdom. It may be a constitutional monarchy but the king is highly revered and his power is more than nominal. Thaksin's political future does not rely on the military junta or even the people of Thailand. It depends on the Thai king. The moment the king supported the coup leaders, Thaksin is finished and we should have spit him out like a tasteless wad of chewing gum. -
I just have.Originally posted by ChineseThai:Thailand has no interests in bullying a smaller country. As a sovereign nation, the Thai Government did it in response to Mr. Lee's inconsiderate diplomatic protocol.
Question is whether any Singaporean dares to criticize Mr. Lee's unrefined approach. Do you?
I do not think Thailand is trying to bully Singapore and I do not think Singapore wants ties with Thailand to deteriorate. Thailand is a country of great promise and we can ride on Thailand's success. A friendly Thailand is in Singapore's national interest.
Singapore made a mistake in this affair. We have respected Thaksin's rights at the expense of the national interest. I am sure our government realized that the Thai government would rather we ignore Thaksin's civil liberties and muzzle him. But the Singapore government chose to do the morally and legally 'right' thing rather than the politically correct move.
In politics, national interests come first. An individual's rights can and should be sacrificed for the sake of the greater good. Singapore has made a mistake.
The way forward is to mend bridges with the military junta. Both in Thailand and Singapore, there are political opportunists who seek to use this opportunity to widen the rift between our countries for their own personal gain. More than Thaksin, that is the greater risk. -
Thanks, Oxford Mushroom.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:I just have.
I do not think Thailand is trying to bully Singapore and I do not think Singapore wants ties with Thailand to deteriorate. Thailand is a country of great promise and we can ride on Thailand's success. A friendly Thailand is in Singapore's national interest.
Singapore made a mistake in this affair. We have respected Thaksin's rights at the expense of the national interest. I am sure our government realized that the Thai government would rather we ignore Thaksin's civil liberties and muzzle him. But the Singapore government chose to do the morally and legally 'right' thing rather than the politically correct move.
In politics, national interests come first. An individual's rights can and should be sacrificed for the sake of the greater good. Singapore has made a mistake.
The way forward is to mend bridges with the military junta. Both in Thailand and Singapore, there are political opportunists who seek to use this opportunity to widen the rift between our countries for their own personal gain. More than Thaksin, that is the greater risk.
But can you do it more harshly within the Island, free from threat by the government rather than from outside? I would like to tell the whole world that civil liberties and the true spirit of democracy have been restored in Thailand .... ironically through a coup d'etat. I think Singaporeans (in the island) must stand up to the Lee's and have them admit their mistakes of supporting crooked despot like Thug-Sin, which later brought destruction to Thailand and now Singapore.
I am pretty impressed that Mr. Kishore Mahbubani, one of my all-time favourite author, came out to warn Singapore that Thug-Sin is 'unfair' and 'unkind' to Singapore. I would elaborate his warning that Thug-Sin is the clear and present danger. This guy has no sympathy for anyone. If he is greedy enough to exploit from his home country with helping hands from the Lee's, what could guarantee Singapore won't be next in line?
What Mrs's Ho's Temasek and the Lee's should do now to recoup the damage is not to go after Thailand but Thug-Sin. -
Only three year old kids would believe it was private matter.Originally posted by ChineseThai:Thailand has no interests in bullying a smaller country. As a sovereign nation, the Thai Government did it in response to Mr. Lee's inconsiderate diplomatic protocol.
Question is whether any Singaporean dares to criticize Mr. Lee's unrefined approach. Do you?
Despite under a junta government, the Thais remain free to criticize our government harshly for not doing enough.
UK and China have all been able to rein in Thug-Sin's political activities in their territories without formal request from the Thai government at all. Today Japan did respond with friendly gesture. UK, China, Australia, and Japan know what is in their best interests. What did your honourable Mr. Lee do? By telling us that the meeting between SG deputy and Thugsin was a mere private matter, he is obviously indifferent. Any sane person can tell there was more than that.
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You are right! Thailand will not bully a small country!!! In fact, hundreds of years ago, Thailand had been protecting singapura or then called Temasek from being bullied by neighbour country.Originally posted by ChineseThai:Thailand has no interests in bullying a smaller country. As a sovereign nation, the Thai Government did it in response to Mr. Lee's inconsiderate diplomatic protocol.
Question is whether any Singaporean dares to criticize Mr. Lee's unrefined approach. Do you?
Despite under a junta government, the Thais remain free to criticize our government harshly for not doing enough.
UK and China have all been able to rein in Thug-Sin's political activities in their territories without formal request from the Thai government at all. Today Japan did respond with friendly gesture. UK, China, Australia, and Japan know what is in their best interests. What did your honourable Mr. Lee do? By telling us that the meeting between SG deputy and Thugsin was a mere private matter, he is obviously indifferent. Any sane person can tell there was more than that. -
Aiya! so you mean 3 yr old s'pore kids (like LionNoisy) know how to use this forum?Originally posted by Lowclassman:Only three year kids would believe it was private matter. 
3 yr old s'pore kids like LionNoisy is so proud of canning american boy. A small dog near my house barks everytime I pass by, knowing that I will not kick it. It brag about its courage every chance it has. One day, I decided to give it a pat with my foot. Now it's crying out loud that I "bully" it.
S'pore also seem so proud of their transparency in business practice. But when their giant Temasek broke other country's law. They just want to skip it. Tell me it's not true. -
I love Singapore. Land of the 4million smiles!
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Not Singapore's mistake per se though u at least made a good point here, but it's the current governing party who also deny alternative parties' good efforts for fellow Singaporeans in opposition wards.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:... In politics, national interests come first. An individual's rights can and should be sacrificed for the sake of the greater good. Singapore has made a mistake.... -
National interests versus civil liberties...which should take precedence?
It is interesting to note that the leftists in Sgforums who always attack the Singapore government for ignoring civil liberties should be so silent when Singapore is being criticized by me and others for respecting Thaksin's civil liberties.
The right to freedom of speech is not absolute. I am not supporting Thaksin or the Thai military junta in this affair. How the Thais want to run their country is their problem and who they want as their leader is their own decision. I am only interested in Singapore's interests and it is not in our interest to support a loser who is a liability to us.
National interests must supersede an individual's civil liberties and personal friendship should take second place to the wider interests of society. Indeed some might argue that Jayakumar should stand by his friend as friends should. But Jayakumar is also a national leader and his obligations to the nation supersede his personal duties. In the interest of the nation, Jayakumar should dump his friend.
Community before self, nation before family and national interests before personal liberties....how much is a friend's loyalty worth when the nation's welfare is at stake? -
It is not government threats that stop Singaporeans from criticizing the government over this affair.Originally posted by ChineseThai:Thanks, Oxford Mushroom.
But can you do it more harshly within the Island, free from threat by the government rather than from outside? I would like to tell the whole world that civil liberties and the true spirit of democracy have been restored in Thailand .... ironically through a coup d'etat. I think Singaporeans (in the island) must stand up to the Lee's and have them admit their mistakes of supporting crooked despot like Thug-Sin, which later brought destruction to Thailand and now Singapore.
I am pretty impressed that Mr. Kishore Mahbubani, one of my all-time favourite author, came out to warn Singapore that Thug-Sin is 'unfair' and 'unkind' to Singapore. I would elaborate his warning that Thug-Sin is the clear and present danger. This guy has no sympathy for anyone. If he is greedy enough to exploit from his home country with helping hands from the Lee's, what could guarantee Singapore won't be next in line?
What Mrs's Ho's Temasek and the Lee's should do now to recoup the damage is not to go after Thailand but Thug-Sin.
The leftist who support civil liberties have no reason to attack the Singapore government for allowing Thaksin to exercise his right to freedom of speech. Those on the right look at the recent policies by BOT that have resulted in billions being wiped off the value of shares and have little incentive to support the current Thai government, whom they see as anti-business. The punters who visit Bangkok's massage parlours are secretly hoping that the new government will not be as strict as Thaksin was with the go-go bars in Patpong. The academics still view a military coup as an affront to democracy, whatever the motivation.
Ideologues of all forms do not find good reasons to criticize the Singapore government in this particular affair. The only ranting you will hear are from the anti-PAP crowd who are against everything the Singapore government does anyway and has no credibility. I am a pragmatist and I believe it is in our interest to cut our losses and move on. Dump the loser friend and embrace the victorious general. Democracy and freedom of speech aren't what they are made out to be. It is in our interest to support Surayad. -
Yes,I am afraid so....where got in Malaysia & Indonesia....have you ever heard of halal BKT??
are you singaporean? there are a few very good BKT store at Johor bahru which is non halal. meaning only chinese can eat. need all chinese resturant in malaysia and indon not serve pork dishes?
give singapore foreign ministry a break lah. this is not the first time they make a political blunder with regards to how we treat our neighbour. -
I quit Singapore 15 years ago.Thanks for the BKT tip.
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There is just too much both our contries share in common. We face a common threat of terrorism; Singaporeans just love holidaying in Thailand; we face common economic challenges with the rise of China and India. Aren't those reasons sufficient enough to augur us to maintain a strong and lasting friendship of cooperation? Yeah, there might be differences and huge question marks as to the motiffs of certain actions which probably stem from either arrogance or naivity from leaders of either side, which is regrettable.
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2.for some one behave like 3 months old,3 years old is too old!!Originally posted by Sleepless in Bangkok:Aiya! so you mean 3 yr old s'pore kids (like LionNoisy) know how to use this forum?
3 yr old s'pore kids like LionNoisy is so proud of canning american boy.
so call me 1 year old lah.Why u pick on me ,ha?? -
If there are civil liberties and true spirit of democracy in Thailand, then the people of Thailand should be able to oust Thaksin and elect a new government, through a democractic process. But the Thai are divided, many people would still vote for Thaksin....so the minority use the military to take over power, such is not the true spirit of democracy.Originally posted by ChineseThai:Thanks, Oxford Mushroom.
But can you do it more harshly within the Island, free from threat by the government rather than from outside? I would like to tell the whole world that civil liberties and the true spirit of democracy have been restored in Thailand .... ironically through a coup d'etat. I think Singaporeans (in the island) must stand up to the Lee's and have them admit their mistakes of supporting crooked despot like Thug-Sin, which later brought destruction to Thailand and now Singapore.
In Singapore, civil liberties are much reduced because the government has absolute power to implement what they think is right, but their power in parliament is still subject to the election, a democractic process. For once I applaud the singapore government for honoring Thaksin, politically may be incorrect, but it is a clear support for democracy and the democractic process... Myanmar is now run by military juntas, power takeover with guns and tanks, now Thailand is run by military, the Philippines, the Indonesian military are also known to have strong influence in politic....Asean would be back to stone age if most of its countries are run by the military
The Thai must stand up to the King and have him admit his mistakes for supporting the military for taking over power with guns and tanks. -
Thaksin was interviewed on TV last night (Japan).He said he came to do shopping....was shopping for Playstation 3.He said that his money is being frozen and some assetin Thailand and he need to go back,when asked how he pay for his globetrotting he said he use only his credit cards.When asked about the coup,he said that was one thing he never thought could happen (with tears in his eyes).When asked about his political plans.He said he wants to make way for young people....I old man now,too old for politics.must give oyunger people chance.........
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Goes to show, there are people in this forum, when given candy, they will call you papa, they have no principles or moral values, only want candy that's all. Afterall it's the candy that fills his needs, if need to, he will even offer you his posterior.
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He technically has overseas assets. Among the things he did was to ship out suit cases of cash before he left for NY.Originally posted by Short Ninja:Thaksin was interviewed on TV last night (Japan).He said he came to do shopping....was shopping for Playstation 3.He said that his money is being frozen and some assetin Thailand and he need to go back,when asked how he pay for his globetrotting he said he use only his credit cards.When asked about the coup,he said that was one thing he never thought could happen (with tears in his eyes).When asked about his political plans.He said he wants to make way for young people....I old man now,too old for politics.must give oyunger people chance.........
That of course is a source of consternation to the Junta since he has plenty of cash to throw about. -
Funny how some people say 'in singapore national interest comes first...?' would it not then mean that the gahmen and its ministers should put forward the interest of the nation first rather then talk bout pegging their salaries to the private sector, if not it would mean that they would be losing the 'capable' to the private sector? would it not also suggest that the people who jump the boat to the private sector for higher wage gain simply signifies that they are in it more for money rather than the interest of the nation?
is this partriotism? or just plain greed? -
You pay peanuts, you get monkeys. It is in the national interest to attract the brightest and the best for the most responsible jobs. You can pay much less for a PM...I am sure CSJ will take the job for 3k a monthOriginally posted by 4getmenot:Funny how some people say 'in singapore national interest comes first...?' would it not then mean that the gahmen and its ministers should put forward the interest of the nation first rather then talk bout pegging their salaries to the private sector, if not it would mean that they would be losing the 'capable' to the private sector? would it not also suggest that the people who jump the boat to the private sector for higher wage gain simply signifies that they are in it more for money rather than the interest of the nation? is this partriotism? or just plain greed? And I am sure he will drive the nation bankrupt.