Eric Loh

The post coup court did what they did best by arbitrarily seizing $1.4 billion from Thaksin $2.29 billion in assets.

It is sensible for MFP to hear their supporters feedback before making any commitment to support Sretha. I think the party will not issue any party resolution whether to support or not support and allow each MPs to made their own decision.

Yes you are right. Korn quit the party. The party chairman Suwat Liptapalloh was among the small parties leaders when PTP announced their inclusion. Perhaps Korn's departure makes it easier for the coalition pathway,

The statement by Pita after his party stepped out of the coalition does give indication of where MFP’s votes will likely go. “ Forming a new government that ends the military’s grip on politics is more important than becoming Thailand’s next prime minister, Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat”. Also the news about the senators are split rather than totally against voting for Sretha is encouraging.

Expecting few DP MPs to defect to Chart Pattana Kla under Korn. DP with no leader is rudderless.

Appropriate reasoning as to why Interpol refused to act on the request from Thailand for a Red Notice on Thaksin.

Thai Sang Thai with 6 seats will get on board. Sudarat has been with TRT in those early years and also a cabinet minister.

It will better that he was trialed and convicted under an elected government when there is independent of the judiciary.

Also miss the significance of another person back from exile. Subtle messaging that will affect the political landscape and the voting for PM.

PTP will have to run the gauntlet with their unpopular decision in this difficult political situation. It is a 4 years political gamble whether they can bring democratic changes to the people starting with re-writing the charter and solving people's problems. They may go the Dem's way of decline or regain the support of the voters. MFP will likely to go from strength to strength if they are effective as the opposition. A new government has to formed after a extensive delay of more than 2 months. People well being are at stake and the economy can't afford to stall at this precarious moment.

I think the 6 former coalition parties (Thai Sang Thai, Prachachart, Seri Ruam, Pheu Thai Ruam Palang, Fair and Plung Sungkom Mai Party) which has a total of 20 seats will join the coalition. Most of the MPs are ex-TRT and being part of the government is a bigger draw than in the opposition. CTP with 10 seats has already indicated that they will join if invited. Thamanat will engineered some cross overs to PTP. The new coalition should be able to exceed the majority 250 threshold.

Much ado about nothing more than a personal invitation for a birthday celebration between long time friends. No political statements were made for the duration of the celebration. If Prayut was invited, it will be a political statement.

Government and ministers are royally endorsed. No one would dare to cross that LM line.

These 2 military dinosaurs should learn Thailand history of military parties since 1955. All military-backed parties were short-lived, most of them lasting less than 3 years and they ceased to exist after the military leaders or associates lost their power. Keep them away from the next government and we can see PPRP and UTN disintegrate with MPs moving to other parties.

Chiang Mai has gone orange. Last election, FFP only had 1 seat out of the 10. Now they have 7 and PTP lost most their incumbent seats. Only manage to win 2 seats this election.

That will probably the barest of the bare minimum to have some semblance of feeble steps towards democracy. Ostracize the military parties and have only political parties in the coalition. Will placate some anger from supporters. Pheu Thai Party will probably grow in size with defections from PPRP. MFP need to consider their role in the voting process as they too want to keep the military parties out of the next government and even if they not in the new coalition. Revision of the constitution must be the focus with 1997 people constitution as the blueprint.

Kind of strange when Prayut commented that Village Fund have improved. He didn’t discontinue the program even as you said diverting to the Red Shirts. Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha commented this weekend that village and urban community funds have improved the livelihoods of Thai people in all corners of the country. Perhaps you should refer to journalistic report rather than hearsay. Loei farmer Prayuth Hipkaew. The retired teacher, a resident of Phu Kradung district, recalled that he used to grow only rice on his five-rai plot, but would earn nothing in the off-season. So he studied the Thai Chamber of Commerce’s “One Rai, One Hundred Thousand Baht to Financial Freedom” project and borrowed Bt30,000 from the village fund. He divided his land into five parts allocated to rice and other wet-field crops; fish and frog raising; an area with a residence and bio-substance manufacturing facility; chicken and duck raising; and a herbal plant and vegetable patch. Nowadays he and his wife earn over Bt100,000 per rai.

Nonsense. The NPL for the thousands of village fund programs was only 4%. You are grasping at straw & really know nothing about the success of the village fund.

You rather have the thousand of Thais borrow from loan sharks?

Yellow shirts are Thaksin haters. If they are royalist, Bangkokians will vote PPTP or UTN. Coalition parties still up in the air. So much twists and turns. A new government is badly needed in this time of economic woes.

On the other side of the scale, generals and their allies are politically motivated never to receive any corruption charges. Convenient or political expediency?

Agree with you that rewriting the constitution is an uphill task, not simply and time consuming. What the people and political parties want are fair electoral rule, an impartial and reliable judiciary, watchdogs agencies to be re-appointed, elected senators and it can be done (not easy too) with amendments rather than re-writing the whole constitution. It is also the interest of PT if they form the government to amend these undemocratic constitution sections. Will help placate the MFP supporters.

He did apologies for the massacre at Tak Bai but stop short of accepting responsibility, saying the operation was under then army chief Gen Prawit. It's confirmed that he is not coming back on August 10 when the anger and rage are on PTP. His home coming is ill timed for now. Many yellow shirts are MFP supporters and will invite unnecessary diversion.

Rayong is Dem Party stronghold held be long serving DP incumbents.

I think it’s clear that the government is powerless to grant that change.