President Nick Pisalyaput - The Rotary Club of Bangkok South

President Nick Pisalyaput
President Elect Michael Schulz
Immediate Past President Mark Butters
Vice President Narain Suradejvibul ● Vice President Krin Charnmaytesakul
Service Projects Jon Plate ● Fund Raising Chip Bowness ● Rotary Foundation Dana Caron
Communications Dean Outerson ● Administration Morgan Perkins
Treasurer Rakesh Sodhia ● Secretary Vince Shueh ● Sergeant-at-Arms Douglas Riach
No 2467
Geoff Carter
Aliens I Have Encountered - The Rendlesham Incident
14 December 2012
I
t is always a pleasure to listen to Khun
Voranai Vanijaka and his insights into
local politics. However, it does make it
a bit difficult some times to know what
should be said in South Wind. Fortunately,
this week as in the past, Khun Voranai’s comments
on Friday have been the core to his
article on Sunday. With this bit of luck on my
side, I have taken the liberty of copying from
his article in the Bangkok Post on Sunday, 9
December 2012 rather than try to summarize
his comments and make mistakes.
Since the Pheu Thai Party's general election
victory on 3 July 2011, one of the group's top
mandates, if not the top mandate, has been to
Voranai Vanijaka
Hot Current Issues around Thailand
amend Section 291 of the constitution to make
way for the establishment of a drafting assembly
to rewrite the 2007 charter.
The obstacles are three-fold: First, tanks in the
streets; second, protesters in the streets; third,
Constitution Court judges on the bench.
Regarding tanks in the streets, the verdict is
very noncommittal; the scenario is always
possible, but unlikely. This is no longer 2006
and if we are to believe news reports, Prime
Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has done a
good job of pacifying the generals. Also, the
dangerous consequences of tanks in the streets
must be seriously considered. But then again,
this is Thailand.
Regarding protesters in the streets, herein lies
the crux. If we take the rally staged last month
by the Pitak Siam group led by General Boonlert
Kaewprasit as a dress rehearsal, then the
government is in a good position. Here we had
the leader of the rally saying he would love to
see a military coup. Then a few days later he
raised a glass of red wine in a toast with the
head of national security, Deputy Prime Minister
Chalerm Yubamrung.
Gen Boonlert also said that if the first rally
didn't attract enough people he would call it
off, but was encouraged when some 20,000
people showed up at the Royal Turf Club on
Oct 28. He then called another rally, with the
condition that he would quit if the number of
protesters didn't reach one million, an impossibility.
Within eight hours on Nov 24, the day
of the rally, he had called it off. The date chosen
is also telling, as it was only 10 days from
His Majesty the King's birthday, when the
rally would have been called off anyway.
That leaves the judges on the bench. Since the
2006 coup, one can easily interpret the meaning
of the two verdicts against the Thaksin
nominee political parties Thai Rak Thai and
the People Power Party. But again, 2012 is not
2006. We shouldn't read much into the court's
dismissal of the charge that Pheu Thai was
attempting to overthrow the monarchy with
the charter amendment proposal. The charge
was too preposterous even to ponder, without
a shred of evidence behind it.
At the same time, one can never underestimate
the power of persuasion. After all, even
2006 coup leader General Sonthi
Boonyaratglin famously jumped political
camps.
The verdict is then that any move against the
proposed amendment or against Pheu Thai
must have valid legal grounds; otherwise the
consequences may be dangerous. But then
again, this is Thailand, where grounds are
often invalid and illegal, but are used regardless.
At the end of the day, it is Pheu Thai and the
UDD that have the votes in the parliament and
the leadership, organization and resolve to
take over the streets. The rally cries of democracy
and justice, regardless of whether they
are truly genuine or just used as political tools,
are enough to put fire in the bellies of the red
shirts.

Flashback...
P Nick’s Very Busy Day
Thanking all our great
Coins on Silom
Sponsors

431st CDWS
On 29 September - on the occasion of a workshop about our successful project "Clean
Drinking Water for Schools" (CDWS) - the District Governor of RID 3360 (Thai North) cut
the ribbon for this, our 431st installed by RCBS in cooperation with a local RC CDWS.
Wolfgang
Minderjahn
Lt Col (ret.)
Chair RCBS
water projects
2000- 2006

Khun Khob’s Club Almanac
No 2467 14 December 2012
Happy Birthdays
Prasob Snongjati (December 15)
Jon Plate (December 16)
Peter Upperton (December 21)
Pichai Kanivichaporn (December 28)
Oldrich Capek (December 29)
PP Wanit Mekdhanasarn (January 3)
Wedding Anniversary Greetings
Rodolfo Vergara (December 17)
Heinz Knoke (December 20)
Thomas Banker (December 21)
Henny Beeber (December 22)
PP John Quarmby (December 28)
Attendance for 7 December 2012: 66%
Present 49, Make-up 2, Absent 26, Exemption 27, Total 104
Visiting on 7 December 2012
From Local Club
RC Bangkapi
PP Direk Hora
PDG Krit Indhewat
Maike Voorhuis
PP Rene Clausen
RC Bangkok
Kamol Asavasattiporn
P Kallaya Leeissarapong
Pierre Edouard Vintrou
PE Santi Chatterjee
PN Suraphon Kittiwet
Vongthip Chumpani
RC Dhonburi
P Phanida Naviroj
DGN Surachat C
PDG Vuttichai Wanglee
RC Pathumwan
Prasitchai Daengprasert
Rawewan Kowsurat
RC Sathorn
P Apinya Luernshavee
PN Oramat Tiempreecha
PP Pida Chalalai
Nattha Pangmanee
RC Silom
Joe Goh
RC Srapathum
CP Suwanna Vongsurakrai
Thani V
RC Yaowaraj
PP Suvimol Sripagattanavong
From Abroad
Akile Ifeanyi
Dan Christensen
John Chirgwin
DG Masahiro Sakurada
PDG Shuichi Kobunai
DGE Masami Yoshimoto
RC Amuwo, Nigeria
RC Nibe, Denmark
RC Martha’s Vineyard
District 2500, Japan
District 2500, Japan
District 2500, Japan
Invited Guests
Athitharn Tudchang
Bibi Gorsler
Chattarin Phongkittikul
David Armstrong
Gay Chaiying
Gopi Nadh
Jan Akeman
John Conrad
Jonathan Schwimmer
Kanya Pisalyaput
Kirk Albraw
Lynette Morris
Mongkol Chorsuwan
Paul Robere
Poter Ahrmid
Prae Piromya
Prasert Thangruthaitham
Prista Ureken
Sairong Suphatrakul
Sukanya Someekrapatid
Sumana Nittayavimol
Surapong Rojcharoenngam
Tanakarn Manikul
Winida Mangkornkarn
Club Calendar
Friday 21 December
Christmas Dinner
Dusit Thani Hotel
Replaces Luncheon
Friday 28 December
No Meeting
Friday 4 January
Club Members
New Year Predictions
For Bangkok South Events
rotarybangkoksouth.org/
calendar-of-events
Recent Make-up
RC Bangkok, 6/12/12: PP Koichiro Ishihira
Introduced by
Stuart Lucani
IPP Mark Butters
Stuart Lucani
Coin Hastings
CP Geoff Carter
Rakesh Sodhia
Stuart Lucani
Stuart Lucani
Nathan Christoff
P Nick Pisalyaput
PP Ole Madsen
Ian Morris
Stuart Lucani
Rakesh Sodhia
Henny Beeber
P Nick Pisalyaput
Stuart Lucani
Prasert Mangkornkarn
Prasert Mangkornkarn
Henny Beeber
Stuart Lucani
Stuart Lucani
Prasert Mangkornkarn
Prasert Mangkornkarn
Make-up Credits
Membership, 4/12/12: PP Andrew , PP Philip Baechtold, PDG
Praphan Hutasingh, Rui Belo, PP Vichai Tantrativud
Welcome dinner for Visiting Rotarians from Japan 6/12/12:
Dean Outerson, Krin Charnmaytesakul, PP Krit
Wongsaengarunsri, Tim Cornwall