It’s not every day that an Asian siren becomes Prime Minister, so I thought I had to mark the election of Yingluck Shinawatra as PM of Thailand with this post. I know we have many readers who live in Thailand (or have been there on holiday), plus many of the models we feature (and the people who bring them to us) are based there. Do you think Yingluck will be able to bring peace and stability to Thailand?
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I don’t know much about world politics, but surely she is one fine MILF!
It’s about time a country world reknowned for their beautiful women finally get a female prime minister.
Hopefully she’ll bring some variety to those usual boring ‘world’s hottest politicians’ list (usually all europeans).
The danger is that she is a shill for her politician brother. Bt she’s a hot momma.
Sadly, Lee – the coverage of this in the US has been virtually non-existant. I hope she does well – that area of the world could use some stability.
Nice for a pm! I’d definitely send her my vote
It’s gotten fairly good coverage in Australia – here’s an interview on Australia’s ABC:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/07/04/3260927.htm
I think pres is right but any elected official has to be better than military rule. Let’s hope a stable and transparent government can be formed and succeed.
She’s very pretty, but no nudity? j/k
Stability wold be great for Thailand.
finally a woman in charge!
Don’t get too excited Sucez, look what happened to Australia!!!
Although I admit I’d be a bit more favourable to our current ranga in power if she looked as good as Ms Yingluck.
very nice 🙂
Quite attractive!
I think she looks prettier in this pic of her:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/07/05/3260944.htm?section=world
And the story is informative too.
How strange that news about Thailand is not reaching the US? (tongue in cheek) 😉
Good luck to her. Although I must confess I know next to nothing about Thai politics. I love Thailand and it’s amazing people.
…not a chance…..she comes from a corrupt family who continue to pull strings in the back ground and having questionable control on a massive amount of the countries prime industries/businesses….same shit different face
tack – I get better news in the US by watching CCTV and I can’t understand a thing they say. Pick a recent topic – Libya, Japanese tsunami, Thailand, stranded polar bear off Greenland – CCTV will have something.
Of course, some of the news coverage will be slightly biased. Friend of mine was watching CNN at his apartment in China & the screen mysteriously went blank during some negative coverage. You probably can’t read this now.
As for Pres. Yingluck – the Sarah Palin of Thailand?
I think she is a man. Have you listen to her/him?
Beauty and intelligence in one package! I hope she is able to succeed in her quests to solve Thailand’s woe’s! Blessings upon her!
StylerEX: Just because she’s Thai doesn’t mean she’s a ladyboy – she seems perfectly feminine to me.
Sadly, I think this will lead to more of the same for Thailand. As badnews said, she comes from a infamously corrupt family, and that is saying a lot when speaking of Thailand. I fear that this new setup will be similar to that of Putin and Medvedev in Russia.
Oftentimes I wonder what will become of Thailand when the king dies. As the worlds longest reigning monarch, time is not on the kings side. I expect to see a major power struggle when that happens that stands the chance of completely destabilizing the country for some time.
She has a lot of Chinese in her ethinicity which explains her fair complexion and more traditional “Asian” look about her.
She’s Toxin’s (Thaksin) younger sister. So politically, this is probably not a good thing for Thailand in a long run. Her brother (ex prime minister) became one of the richest man in the world while using his office to create laws not to pay any taxes for his business gain.
He does have cute daughters though 🙂
Thank you for taking note of Yingluck Shinawatra, Dr. Lee. I’ve been lurking around this site for some time, had registered a while ago, but had not previously felt compelled to contribute. Thailand is of special interest to me (7 trips since 2006) and I do make an effort to follow the political scene (agreed that it is not so easy from the USA, but subscribing to The Economist helps). The rise of Yingluck certainly added spice to the recent campaign as she apparently proved to be an adept campaigner – but also was carefully stage-managed. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens as she gets down to the actual governing of the country – while I’m an optimist by nature, it’s hard to see that the very real divisions in Thai society can be easily bridged, especially by someone from Thaksin’s family. I also agree with the comment above that a major transition is in store once the king passes – he is deeply revered, but the crown prince most certainly is not. Anyway, thanks again for posting about Yingluck, who at the very least makes an attractive and interesting addition to the Asian Sirens lineup 😉
No problem. 🙂
It is quite interesting how revered the king is in Thailand – I must say that he doesn’t appear to deserve it.
I too can attest to the reverence the people of Thailand have for the King, having visited the country several times.
You do have to be careful Dr. Lee what people say about the King online though. A U.S. citizen was recently placed in custody for apparently making unflattering comments about the King online. He didn’t even do it from Thailand but from abroad, yet the minute he stepped foot in Thailand for medical treatment, he was arrested for violating ‘lese majeste’ laws meant to protect the King.
Guys: You want the news from Thailand dail up the Bangkok Post. Managed by Brits, Yanks and Thais, it gives you an idea of what middle class urban Thailand has on its mind. For seedier, seamier stuff, just dail up the city (pattaya, for instance + news) and I’ll bet the Kingdom has 50 online newspapers in English if it has one. You might as well wait for your re-birth as well as wait for news on SE Asia from an American-based news outlet. Big Brother just doesn’t want you thinking SE Asian thoughts; its just plain subversive – even if its “just” Theraveda Buddhism; But I stray from the point.
As for Yingluck: I’ll sit out with the jury for 9 months or so. Her older Brother took his personal momentum just a bit too far, and that’s what pizzed off alot of Thais. 3000+/- extrajudicial killings in the name of “the war on drugs” leaves one with questionable Karma. And Thais know stinky karma when they smell it.
And a word of advice for a public forum: H.H. Bhumibol and his family provide an immesurable service for the Kingdom of Thailand. End of discussion.
Excuse me dipper! A lead-article of this event in the NY TIMES is NOT “NON-EXISTANT” coverage in the U.S.!!!!
Me thinks Dr. Lee should stick to his expertise .. enhanced breasts .. and NOT make culturally insensitive comment about the longest living monarchy who is loved and revered in Thailand.
The current Thai monarchy has reigned over a period of enormous political instability in Thailand, and I don’t think making the observation that this does not suggest the king is beyond reproach is “culturally insensitive”. To say that it is shows how much free speech with regard to the monarchy is suppressed in Thailand, which once again does not suggest he deserves the reverence he appears to get.
@Strout: I guess I’ll just have to avoid going to Thailand. 🙂
I am very happy to live in a country where political freedom of speech is a democratic right, and if that means having to avoid countries where I don’t have this right, then so be it. Given what goes on in places like Thailand, the idea of going there scares me for many different reasons anyway.
I agree with you Dr. Lee.
I wasn’t trying to ‘call’ you out, I was just trying to let you know that other countries may not be tolerant as others.
It’s pretty frightening that what you post online from a country outside can affect you when you go to that country. I think the average person would not have an issue with your opinions, but others tend to be a bit more ‘draconian.’ I just don’t want Asian Sirens getting in trouble, and considering what Hidy posted, I wouldn’t be surprised if some try to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Sorry, Nighthawk, but I seriously doubt that the majority of Americans read the NY times. I am one of those, even though I consider it amongst the better US newspapers. Even so, by July 7 (1 day after your comment), the story had disappeared from the web edition.
I don’t have my head in the sand. I read the major locals & browse a number of web-site news as well as a web subscription to the WSJ.
Your average citizen in Bozeman MT or Jackson MS probably did not see this. Of course, your below average citizen probably couldn’t find Thailand on a globe.
But hey, if I get part of my news from Asian Sirens – is that so bad?
The New York Times is widely regarded as one of the finest newspapers in the world (if not the finest), but sadly it is not representative of the US media in general. You can rely on AS to give you the news that really matters though (i.e. anything related to Asian women). 🙂
The election was covered by the Las Vegas Review Journal, albeit on page 16A (from wire services, or course).
Not planning to go to Thailand anytime soon, so: Down With All Monarchies!!
Thailand is in dire need of reform, but Shinawatra and his puppet (though roughly not half bad looking) sister poisons an entire country. Tragic.
Mr.dipper: Since I have no knowledge of your NATIONALITY/ETHNITICITY or POLITICAL AFFILIATION, accessing your negative comments as to the lack of U.S. media coverage in the matter of Thai elections remains elusive.
At this moment, in the United States, there are A FEW important matters to be considered…in case you hadn’t heard, many, more important to Americans than which way the wind is blowing in the (continuously) unstable countries of Asia and the Middle East.
In this light: I am not compelled to make apologies for our media to provide “film-at-eleven” coverage of your personal political interest(s).
Nighthawk: why do Americans like you feel the need to get so defensive over the tiniest criticism of anything to do with your country? I don’t see any more reason for you to get so worked up over dbldipper’s comments than for Hidy Ho to have gotten so worked up over my comments about the Thai king. I’m sure dbldipper is just as proud an American as you are (if not more so), so lets put an end to this OT silliness.
Wow, Nighthawk. I second Doc Lee & will close my portion of this topic here.
Tip O’Neill, Speaker of the House during the Reagan era, famously used to say – “all politics is local.” I believe the most people, not just Americans, are more interested in what is happening down the street than somewhere 10,000 miles away that will have little impact on their lives. I visited China during the Enron scandal & ran into no one who had a clue about that even though it was above the fold here for weeks.
The media here need no apologies. Like most every other field, they are facing cutbacks and losing the abilty to cover stories. They are doing the best they can given a nation who is getting more of their news from the internet than from a paper. That spectrum, sadly, seems to be dominated by the likes of the wackies (similar to the Fox/MSNBCs of the telly.)
Finally, to satisfy your curiosity, there is an American flag constantly flying in my front yard & I am a solid independent. As fond as I am for Sirens, I save my wrath for politicians.
PS – thanks to you, I have bookmarked the NYTimes both at home and work. It will be one of my staples to read every day.
That’s a good idea dipper. The TIMES is a HOME TAB here. As you know, the TIMES is a moderate to liberal rag. The Op-Eds at the conservative Washington Post and Wall Street Journal will give you “the rest of the story”…if you can stand it (?)
Good Luck and apologies for any committed offenses. (Oh yeah…the S&S are out front at my house also)
I dont know if anyone is still scratching their head over this philosophical quandry this posting opened up; But I thought it incumbent on me explain, to the best of my ability, the inviolability of the Thai Monarchy as it is seen by many Thais. In my opinion.
Pointing out that the Monarchy has “reigned over a period of incredible political instability” is precisely the reason many Thais hold the Monarchy in such esteem: It is as close to constant and permanent as any other symbol, document or social contract in the country of Thailand. Thailand, like all? countries in east Asia, does not have a 200 or 900 year old constitution. Prime Ministers will come and (hopefully) go, will be efficacious or not, but the Chakri Dynasty has been inviolate since 1762?AD. Thailand has been a fairly diverse society for hundreds of years and is also in a pretty tough neighborhood. The maleable glue that is Therevada Buddhism and the Chakri Dynasty have been two building blocks of a relatively unlikely amalgamation of Mons, Khamers, Thais, Mien, Chinese, etc. living together in boggellingly hot tropical river valley for the past few centuries. A footnote to the overall point there is also the longstanding tradition that the King is ultimate arbiter in affairs of prosecution in the country, and may grant a pardon to anyone if petitioned. Not that foreigners should keep his email in their pocket, but this is something that the majoity of Thai may keep in the back of their mind as an unlikely, but optional contingency in the event of unlikely events. You take constancy where you can get it in a world where, as all Buddhists are taught to realize: All Is Impermanence.
And keep the Thai chicks coming. I like them best of all.
She is indeed the Sarah Palin of Thailand. But not because she is attractive. It’s because she is a dolt who knows nothing, but is good at delivering sound bites meant to rile up her uneducated base.
I’ve heard her speak in a short interview and with respect, I disagree with you CD. I certainly wouldn’t classify her as ‘a dolt who knows nothing’.
Indeed. Having watched her in an interview – and particularly considering the fact that English is not her first language – she is clearly far more intelligent than Sarah Palin.
Which is a very low bar, indeed.
I would echo jynnlevel’s comments and add that the country’s ability to successfully resist becoming a European colony in the 19th century (as happened to its neighbors) is something that is widely attributed to the abilities of the monarchs of that time. Granted, the monarchy went through a down period in the 1930s and ’40s, but I’ve noticed that those earlier monarchs are still revered there (their portraits are much in evidence).
And I also consider comparisons of Yingluck to Sarah Palin to be overly harsh. Yes, she was an excellent campaigner who was carefully handled, and her governing skills have yet to be tested, but she certainly seems far better educated and informed than Ms. Palin…and I’ll just leave it at that. 😉
I saw Yingluck on CCTV last night at her…coronation…anointing, whatever it is called…..by the King. Man, was she HOT. There’s nothing like a beautiful woman in a uniform. Freaking amazing.
I hereby nominate Thailand for membership in the G8. I don’t care who we boot out – Hu from China, Putin from Russia – any of those stiffs. Let her strut around the world and put her in the front row during all of those picture sessions and the world will go nuts.