bannork

I think there's a very good chance they will because the two candidates who might contest the leadership election this Sunday both support Pita as PM. Alongkorn is certainly standing and Abhisit might. The possible contender from the south, Decha-It Khaotong, is now mulling the Secretary General post apparently, before bidding for leadership in the future

Some MPs in the junta block may vote for Pita. The Democrats with their new leader on the 9th, for example

Jatuporn confidently predicted that PT's Suchart Tancharern would be elected House Speaker. Wrong. PT don't have to do anything if Pita is not elected by the senators. The coalition sticks together then proposes Settha as PM. If the senators reject even him, then it is screamingly obvious the senators are rejecting the choices of the vast majority of Thai voters. The coalition go into Opposition and let.Bhumjaithai form a minority government which very quickly collapses. Only Anuthin has already said he won't be part of a minority government. A way out for the dinosaurs and PT would be the dissolution of MF, but even then the MPs can join a reserved spare party. PT risk considerable damage if they betray MF and join Bhumjaithai. Better to stick with MF and see the senators blink. After all the senators sole objection to MF is reform of article 112.. PT have no such agenda so senators have no reason to oppose Settha as PM.

True but from June next year, they'll just be ordinary citizens again. All perks and salary gone

His party received 38% of party list votes compared to PT's 28%. A clear indication the public want MF to be the government and Pita, the Prime Minister.

Hang on, MF's stance regarding reforming 112 hasn't changed since first mentioned a year or two ago. So why did these two senators support MF before? A point perhaps worth considering is the Senate may well lack the unity it possessed at the last election. Then they had recently been appointed by Prayuth to shoe him in as PM but this time he's not standing and the senators' tenure expires next June Thus some may think of the future, do they want to go down in history as stubborn dinosaurs, unable to accept democracy in Thailand?

He was just expressing his frustration with the inaction of Prayuth's government regarding the high price of fertilizers against the low selling price of rice

There was no need for him to bring fertilizer to Parliament. There was enough manure being emitted from Prayuth's government to grow several rai of rice in Parliament.

Yes, the volatile senator, Kittisak Rattanawara, has already announced he would vote for a PT candidate if they dropped MF Trouble is in February he said he wouldn't vote for a PT candidate because Thaksin's daughter was immature! It's said some senators are under pressure from their own offspring to follow democratic principles and vote for Pita. A plan to ' force ' PT to dump MF to form a government will cause public outrage and irritrievably damage PT's image as a democracy loving party. Does Thaksin really want to come back amid protests and boos?

The problem with that is it will shatter PT's promise to have nothing to do with Pravit or Prayuth. And whilst the senators may reject Pita on the 112 reform vow, they have no reason to reject Settha MF could stick with PT despite losing the premiership. An extreme measure could see the Constitutional Court dissolving MF, but even then the MPs have 60 days to find a new party, as MF did from FF.

What's the alternative for PT?

But far far less want any other party barring PT

Only a snooze button

True, but the Dems were once very popular in Bangkok too, at least among the middle class . Abhisit was their leader for quite some time and there were rumours he might stand on Sunday

Apparently a southern MP is the favourite to win

The Democrats are electing a new leader on Sunday. They ( 25 votes) might switch to support Pita..

If the senators won't vote for Settha, then PT won't vote for Anuthin as PM or join his government . Thus he would run a minority government doomed to fail. I can't see him doing that. If not Pita, then the senators must choose Settha, unless..... MF is dissolved and all its MPs banned. But then the effluence would surely hit the fan

No, each MP must stand when called and name his choice. I'm not sure about the senators

Not their enemy but not their true friend. PT are quite conservative at heart, no threat to the elite and business monopolies. Only MF reach those parts of the electorate other parties cannot reach ( memories of Heineken beer advert in the 60s/ 70s).

They will quote MF's intention to reform 112. It's inviolable in many of their minds

It's been belting it down in upper Issan lately.

He has been House Speaker before and has a reputation for fairness. Really PT are to blame for the tussle of HS. Both Cholanan, the leader and Phumtam, a senior figure, insisted prior the election that the party with the largest number of seats should have the HS position. But when PT didn't reach that goal, Cholanan changed his mind. Under whose orders?

I'm repeating myself but I'd like the OP to consider: Can you talk to her parents, brothers or sisters about her behaviour?

He announced he would be back this month, on his birthday, July 26 or around there. Jim posted confidently many times that Tony would be a free man in Thailand on that day but Jim's gone quiet lately. That could be because he's away in Paris, cleaning the gravestone of the great man on the anniversary of his death yesterday. How Tony could come home a free man? A pardon from the top perhaps, with an amnesty passed in Parliament by PT, Bhumjaithai, plus some other MPs persuaded with some pieces of silver. The trouble is PT haven't got the coveted House Speaker's post to set Parliamentary business and the watch collector can't seem to stay awake long enough to be PM.

MF's candidate easily won the position of First Deputy Speaker.