Eric Loh

"As for the external factor, he pointed out at the widespread opposition to the draft which, he said, would lead to more conflict if the draft is allowed to go through."

Sounds almost democratic, what's wrong with him. Doesn't he know the NRC has been declared a mouthpiece for a fascist junta, and a few more lovely, endearing terms.

It's a government under military rule; democray doesn't exist. I would expect the NRC to exercise some discretion in making an important decision because of the composition of its members. With 77 from each provinces and 173 from 11 professional fields, they have less direct control by the military. Contrast with the NLA which is a mouthpiece as more than half are from the military.

It appears that the Democratic Party might be splintering between Suthep and Abhisit. Suthep has clearly aligned his political future with the military political agenda.

If Suthep goes "independent" with his own PDRC-style party in the next election, the PTP or its successor will either sweep the election or at worse have a coalition government. Democrats will become a marginalized party and the military will go into political overdrive.

Agreed but then again Suthep is a political chameleon and you can never trust him to stick to one ideology or group. Similarly the Dem Party will sell their principle to gain political advantage. They did welcome Suthep back in their fold and made him the party deputy president even after causing the collapse of the Chuan's government. The party also did sell their principle to the army just to form the government. Moreover Suthep is a major party financer and use that to muscle in demands from the party. Come election, I expect Suthep and the Dem Party will find an excuse to be back together.

Leader of the royalist multi-Coloured shirts, active supporter of the PAD and PDRC; what would you expect him to said but join in unison with Suthep. Anyway, road map for election is in 2017and that's 2 years if he knows how to count.

Borwornsak explained the term by saying, "transitional democracy is aimed at patching up differences, promoting reconciliation and navigating the country towards 'reform'."

Seen any patching up, reconciliation and meaningful reforms lately?? Borwornsak sure know how to speak with fork tongue.

He warned that if the red-shirt co-leader did not stop his activities deemed an incitement of public opposition to the draft charter, he would ask the court to revoke the latter’s bail which would mean he would have to go back to jail.

Regarding Mr Suthep Thuagsuban, chairman of the Mass People for National Reform Foundation, who publicly voiced his support for the draft charter, Mr Seera said he would like to thank for Mr Suthep for his political standpoint.

Sums up the situation quite simply. Speak for the Constipation, receive free air-time and platitudes. Speak against, get threatened with jail.

Ignore Seera. He just a NRC member and has no power to demand. Deputy PM Wissanu has given permission for all sides to hold conferences and aired their views on the draft charter. Amen.

Does he mean corrupt people like those who use weapons to grant themselves power over other humans?

No he doesn,t, Mathias ! If these what you call corrupted people had NOT stepped in and taken over, there would have surely been civil war and unimagineable numbers of deaths, all because of the greed of the people that you consider democratic and uncorrupt !

if I recalled, those who use weapons caused an unimaginable number of deaths in more than once in Thailand history.

Let's start with the worse kind of corruption - power and dominance.

Funny how this writer misses out the Democratic Party ALSO comes out against the Charter? now why's that? a piece of biased nonsense again from the amarts newspaper that does not even mention their own Party are against it!

Nice to see PTP and the Dems at last stand up for the democratic principal as one

Suthep supports it so that's a pretty good reason to reject it anyway lol

It will be passed as the people do not want to be ruled by the Army Junta and they will think 'half a loaf is better than none'

You got to add ex PDRC and PAD co-leader Thavorn Senniam to the funny list of those who are against the draft constitution and conveniently left out. That will make die-hard right wingers likeTulsathit and Suthep much a shrinking minority in their support of the junta. Prayuth seem to be listening more and I think some controversial elements in the charter will be dropped.

So the Dem Party is imploding and like the illegal land deals in '95 which caused Chuan to dissolve parliment; Suthep did it again. He now ignoring Ahbisit and even his PDRC co-leader Thavom who spoke against the draft. He was even quoted to say that half the PDRC is not with the Dem Party. This bloke is trouble and time for the Dem to disassociate with him for their own good. Then again his south influence and financial support may be too large to be ignored. Any which way, Dem Party is toast in next election.

A page out of Thaksinomics. So he finally realized that populist policy is really not a bad word. The 5th task works better with an elected government.

Still puzzling why the suspect hand around after the bomb and why he rent an apartment with lots of prying eyes and nosy neighbors rather than a house in a less populated area. The RTP stated that the bomb was TNT. I am sure that you can find evidence of TNT by simple sensitive detection.It is as simple as using a test strip to find evidence in the rooms. Still I hope they nail the perpetrators.

Appointments via nepotism and cronyism are corruption. Someone was convicted for the same action.

"the government would spend every single baht of the budget in accordance with the wishes of the NLA"

TRANSLATION:

"in accordance with the wishes of the NCPO."

Three readings in four hours passed unanimously by a NCPO appointed legislative body including 52%+ active and retired military, including General Preecha.

Wishes of the Thai people are irrelevant.

"3 readings in 4 hours" Putting this into perspective in elected government like the previous whereby 3 days were allocated for budget debate, 13 hours were allocated for opposition to air their views, 80 PT MPs spoke and 40 Dem MPs spoke against; this is just a rubber stamp NLA that disregards people concerns.

Absolutely.

BTW

23rd of May, 2015

"The national budget for the 2016 fiscal year has been set at 2.720 trillion baht, representing an increase of 145 billion baht, or 5.6 percent, over that of 2015.

In his statement on the 2016 national budget at the first reading by the National Legislative Assembly on 21 May 2015, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha explained that out of the national budget, more than 2.706 trillion baht would be set aside for the regular expenditures of various government agencies and state enterprises, while 13.5 billion baht would be allocated as payments for the national reserves."

http://thailand.prd.go.th/1700/ewt/thailand/ewt_news.php?nid=1766

PS while searching I found this link to a PDF on the 2014/2015 National Budget. It's called

"THAILANDS BUDGET IN BRIEF FISCAL YEAR 2015

BUREAU OF THE BUDGET"

http://www.bb.go.th/budget_book/e-Book2558/PDF/Budget-in-Brief-2015.pdf

and has 'only' 132 pages. Just the easy reading for posters here

PPS also previous years available, but only in Thai it would seem. The directory "e-Book2559/" already prepared it would seem, but still empty.

Rubi, thanks for the links. Useful. Now that budget for 2016 is allocated and rubber stamped, will the infrastructure projects go off budget loans? Besides private investments, it looks like it will be funded by off budget. You found anything on that?

The only country of significant that is showing signs of economic recovery is USA. Unfortunately the junta and USA do not see eye to eye and trade suffers. Perhaps the Somkid's civilian team will be more palatable to promote more trade with USA. TPP now seem an important part of the economic recovery. Prayuth may have overplayed the China relation card and with their economic in distress, we suffer the consequences.

The external factors we can't control but we can do better with our domestic economy with fiscal policies. Farmers form 70% of the work force and play a significant role in domestic consumption. I think Somkid is on the right track albeit few quarters to see results.

"the government would spend every single baht of the budget in accordance with the wishes of the NLA"

TRANSLATION:

"in accordance with the wishes of the NCPO."

Three readings in four hours passed unanimously by a NCPO appointed legislative body including 52%+ active and retired military, including General Preecha.

Wishes of the Thai people are irrelevant.

"3 readings in 4 hours" Putting this into perspective in elected government like the previous whereby 3 days were allocated for budget debate, 13 hours were allocated for opposition to air their views, 80 PT MPs spoke and 40 Dem MPs spoke against; this is just a rubber stamp NLA that disregards people concerns.

So they're replacing Thaksin policies with....Thaksin policies. The longer the junta stays in power the more similar to the Great Bogeyman it becomes.

I will give Prayuth some credit for eating lots of humble pies. He did criticized and spoke bad about Village Fund and OTOP. The thing about him which do not make a good leader is that he is impulsive and easily gets irate and said the wrong things most of the time.

This mantra following every coups in Thailand chanting the same thing of ridding corrupt and inefficient leaders. Took them 18 coups and numerous constitutions followed by each coups to arrive that Thailand is not ready. The sad fact is this establishment with its handy man military are still living in the past ousting the unfavored thinking they have the socio-economic upperhand. Fast forward, the millions who traditionally deferred to the establishment are shifting their political devotions to themselves. Deference can no longer be relied upon as the majority continue to thumbs up for the anti-establishment at the ballot box. Another coup is just round the corner.

A high-ranking military officer and his wife recently moved in next door to our house. He has a "service soldier" who lives at his house permanently and does the laundry and general house cleaning. My wife asked him how he felt about it and he told her it was miles better than being in the barracks and he had no problems with doing it.

That's the reality that I've personally experienced.

First hand reality without hyperbole.

How refreshing.

Refreshing but still doesn't made this right. Every conscript will try to find ways to escape barrack and soldier life. It is tough, no doubt about that but so wrong for the army to allow them soft option to be a servant when the resource can be harnessed to be a soldier serving the country. Problem is that this servant soldiers have been institutionalized over the years and become a regular selection in Thailand. Time to change this practice. They can serve in the army offices in regular time but not in the residence of senior officers. That's what I experience in my army life.

Keep your word, he demanded. That makes me puke. No coup and not interested to be the PM comes to mind.

What do you expect from this untouchable institution. Conscription by pure definition is an enlistment of Soldiers not domestic helpers. This institution can bend the rules and wallow in corruption with immunity.

So true when at current times, you are warned to shut up and cease probing when you expose military corruption.

The facts just don't support your poor excuse for slow investigation. 2 days to alert Interpol, 3 days to investigate the taxis involved and 5 days later to include checking the guest houses in the investigation. Give you credit for quick clean up of the incident place and all other evidence. Maybe you not totally to be blamed as there are just too many generals making their own assumptions and adding to the confusion.

The recent bombings happened during this military government and it is in that circumstances that I believed the perpetrators found reasons and motivation. When the junta pass the government to an elected government, these reasons and motivation will ceased.

The junta has left it much too late to change the cabinet. The confidence factor has plummet too much for any V shape recovery. Investors just hate uncertainty and the tone and language by the junta and their supporters for longer stay has not deteriorate investor sentiments. The only way out is for the junta to quickly announce a election date and have it gazetted. Agree with a short term stimulus package or commonly known as populist policy is much needed plus fiscal policies aimed at reducing taxes to resuscitate the domestic economy and help SMEs. Still the junta should have change the cabinet early when the economic data start showing sign of deterioration.

PM is satisfy with fight against corruption as long as you don't bring the fight to the military or the police. Both these organizations have a pact not to intrude in each other corruption.