bannork

Wissanu, a very important player on the Thai political scene the last twenty years. Extracts from Wikipedia- In 2002 Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra invited Wissanu to become a minister in his cabinet, changing from the civil service to a political career, but also threatened to dismiss him as secretary-general in case of refusal. Wissanu agreed and Thaksin made him deputy prime minister, responsible for legal and parliamentary affairs.[4] After the 19 September 2006 military coup, he helped the military junta (Council for Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy, CDR) draft a post-coup interim constitution, alongside Borwornsak Uwanno. According to political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Borwornsak and Wissanu could "seemingly write constitutions overnight".[7] Wissanu then became a member of the military-appointed National Legislative Assembly. Since 2009 he has been the chairman of the SET-listed property developer Amata Corporation pcl and an independent director since 2007. Moreover, he has held executive positions in the private sector as chairman of BFIT Securities pcl and as its director (since 2008), chairman of Bangkok First Investment & Trust pcl (2008–2014), chairman of Namyong Terminal pcl, chairman of Sikarin pcl (2006–2014) and as its director (since 2006), chairman of RHB OSK Securities (Thailand) pcl (since 2008) and as its director (2008–2011), vice chairman of AEC Securities pcl and as its independent director (since 2013), second vice chairman of Sermsuk pcl (2011–2014) and as its director, as an independent director of The Post Publishing pcl (until 2014), an independent director of Loxley PLC (2008–2014) and as a director at Thai Airways International pcl.[8 Political scientist Eugénie Mérieau cites Wissanu Krea-ngam, along with Meechai Ruchuphan and Borwornsak Uwanno, as leading examples of legal scholars who laid the juridical foundations for authoritarian rule in Thailand, and as exponents of a "legal-military alliance for illiberal constitutionalism." Wissanu, according to Mérieau, is a proponent of theories that legalised coups d'état "by reference to the continuity of the Thai state as embodied by the king".[9

Doesn't Wissanu in the latest update at the top of the page, announce there will be no reductions from the I year sentence?

Years ago Tulsathit used to write insightful articles, but the last few months his column has become vacuous, devoid of any meaningful comment. Why doesn't he go into detail? For example, Thaksin, PT don't need or want the red shirts now. They're an embarrassment to the party that has decided to join the establishment. The red shirts themselves can be divided into two camps. Those that are foremost devoted to Thaksin, they may continue to rally for him to come back as PM, roll out more populist policies, they're indifferent to his betrayal of democracy in Thailand. Yet somehow I think they'll be encouraged to drop the red shirts, a sign if troubled times in the past, now over PT are in government. The second group, political activist leaders such as Jatuporn, Nattawut, Sombat, have already left, alongside with their followers. They could be a big asset to MF which is sometimes accused of being too middle class and urban centric. If Pheu Thai stall on constitutional reform, voluntary conscription, already there are signs they will, then the political red shirts could be a useful addition to the MF arsenal

A third will be knocked off for good behaviour. Been there 10 days already

Lou, Klong Prem is prison for lesser offenders. The killers end up in Bang Kwang in Bangkok and other prisons nationwide. You can't compare life in Klong Prem to other prisons

Oh dear, what are the right wing royalists led by the good doctor from Phitsanulok, going to do now? Didn't they launch a petition, claiming Thaksin committed lese majeste in 2015?

What were you doing in Klong Prem, Lou?

Go ahead Lou, murder a child and see what happens to you in a Thai prison.

I wouldn't say he's accepted. I'd say the establishment is using his desperation to come back to neuter his party and make them toe the conservative line. Any Pheu Thai MPs with an ounce of democracy in their bones can't stay with the present motley crew.. But they probably will till the money runs out

https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/thai/thailand-rights-04232018172728.html

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/brit-convict-recalls-horror-seeing-24330137

Valerie Carter's version of the Neil Young classic.

Sandy's version of the Dylan classic.

From what I've read over the years in newspapers and online. Like many countries, paedophiles and child killers are considered scum by fellow inmates in Thailand with often fatal consequences.

Two types of red shirts imo, though there may be more. 1.: The grassroots who love Thaksin and his populist policies. 'It's the economy, stupid. Oh! and Yingluk's so cute too, yeah, love ' em. Not so keen on Ink though ' 2. The democrat loving red shirts who now must become orange, bright or blood, or some other shade. At a wild guess I would say the ratio of group 1 to 2 is 80% to 20%

When you've been rich beyond belief, had the freedom to fly anywhere in the world anytime you want (bar Covid), buy anything you want, etc, then to wake up in a room and realize you can't just walk out the door might create a kind of pressure on oneself. 'What in God's name have I done?

Jatuporn has done time at least twice. Since his disillusion with Thaksin and Pheu Thai, he's become a popular pundit in Thai media. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatuporn_Prompan

Musing on this. Thaksin is sure he's got a cast iron deal. He wouldn't come back otherwise. In his hand he holds 141 MPs. They've done what they've been told, they've joined the junta backers. So is there any reason the deal could fall through? Well, in the past, high profile prisoners like Kamnan Poh spent his/ their jail term in a very nice private hospital, but it was kept quiet. It wasn't a public issue. Unlike Toni's case where every heartbeat is big news. The point being the double standards on display are obvious to the entire Thai population. Plus you've got those petitioning against double standards and others insisting Thaksin should be prosecuted for less majeste in 2015. Not so good for public unity, or indeed the image of the 'good people' when blatant favouritism is on display. Maybe the elite don't care, but they might, and it would do no harm to keep Toni confined, just to make sure his MPs do what they're told, plus it would satisfy those protesting at double standards.

The man will not survive long in a Thai jail, as it should be.

Nattawut too.

Thaksin said they suffocated because they were weak from fasting at Ramadan