Eric Loh

Does it really matter when powerful people can influence the court interpretation of any laws. Even the former Constitutional Court President admitted to political influences. And the infamous court ruling that the PDRC Bangkok shutdown was legal. Judiciary got a lot to proof that they are objective, independent, fair and impartial.

political influence by Taksin was a common occurrence. That was what the Judge was referring to..

You don't read much, don't you. He was refering to Samak judiciary coup and thereafter.

Do you disagree that Thaksin, his siblings and cronies have tried to influence the courts whilst in power then?

Yes I disagree on the basis that there were no charges that linked Thaksin influencing the courts. Your post counts for nothing. Whereas it was an open admission by ex Constitution Court President that there was political influence on the Samak cooking case.

Does it really matter when powerful people can influence the court interpretation of any laws. Even the former Constitutional Court President admitted to political influences. And the infamous court ruling that the PDRC Bangkok shutdown was legal. Judiciary got a lot to proof that they are objective, independent, fair and impartial.

political influence by Taksin was a common occurrence. That was what the Judge was referring to..

You don't read much, don't you. He was refering to Samak judiciary coup and thereafter.

Does it really matter when powerful people can influence the court interpretation of any laws. Even the former Constitutional Court President admitted to political influences. And the infamous court ruling that the PDRC Bangkok shutdown was legal. Judiciary got a lot to proof that they are objective, independent, fair and impartial.

The writer of the OP made "illegal contributions of more than $690,000 to Democrats in return for access to former President Clinton and other officials."

To have that kind of money to commit her own crime with, she is part of the elite. There is a battle for power between the elite and the common people. The Junta represents the elite.

I'm not a YS supporter, but no one has told me what crime she committed. I have been told she was negligent.

Did people steal money and rice from the rice scheme? If so was it YS? If things were stolen as in corruption, who stole them?

It isn't a crime to be stupid or lazy and if it was a crime to produce subsidies for farmers that cost the government money, every government in the world would be in jail.

I want to see if they tell us what YS is charged with, because at the very least this is a cleansing of the Shins. When they try YS I want to see if she's charged with being stupid and lazy, or if they have the goods on her for corruption or another crime.

This is a battle between two elites

It's a battle between the old elites and the new elites.

Article 291 of the constitution clearly permits the Parliment to amend the charter and that include the composition of the senates as long as it don't touch on the 2 prohibited changes which are the constitutional monarchy and form of government. Here again, the court is making their own idioscrantic interpretation of the law. Happen too many times.

He was equally upbeat and confident when he was charged criminally for the same case and the criminal court reciprocated by dropping the case. Why shouldn't he be confident this time. Anyway, both should be charged for criminal conduct and not for alleged mishandling which the NACC said will be decided later. Doubt that.

Who anyone take co-ed author especially Pornpimol serious when she can categorically wrote that the PDRC was an unarmed group and her obnoxious cowardly attack on LM victim Aum Neko. Here is someone who repeatedly attack and questioning previous election. Article on the Political Prisoner in Thailand spoke of her as a co-ed writer not to be taken seriously and hired simple for her capacity for sensation and drivel. I totally agree.

"top executives like Prayuth and Panadda Diskul, Minister of the Prime Minister's Office, will not be investigated because they merely "approved" the purchases, Vicha said. "

Now, someone remind me why Yingluck was recently indicted for negligence over alleged corruption in the rice subsidy scheme...

Thaksin got 2 years for signing as spouse while approvals of a dirty contract get away with nothing. Different time different stroke.

Why need such draconian laws when you have majority support?

Even the junta is afraid of prosecuting the Singha heir.

More like beholdened that they appoint her as spokesperson.

On the first day of Chinese New Year, heartless.

Without martial law, chaos will beback quickly in Bangkok streets.....

Without martial law, red mobs will beback to burn city......

Chaos was choreographed with martial law.

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We keep avoiding the big elephant in the room when we talk about political reform. It's simply not sufficient for the existing political enemies to leave the scene to get out of this vicious cycle. The military is also part of the problem and need a paradigm change to their behavior in this modern times. The establishment handy men in the courts and agencies would also need to be depart voluntarily so there will be no more suspicion or sceptism from all sides. If you want everyone to understand democracy, leave democracy alone without truncation from coups and the people will grow to trust the system and confident that they have the penultimate decision and mandate on who choosing the best leaders. Look around in our closest neighbors like Indonesia and Phillipines on how their democracy have been strengthened without repeated coups. Add Singapore and Malaysia that never had any coups and how far they have progressed economically and democratically.

Many folks would strongly challenge your claims that both Malaysia and Singapore have made big advances in the building of democracy and for different reasons.

Look what just happened in Malaysia to Anwar. Now that's a real case of political interference with the justice systems.

In Singapore there is effectively a one party state under the Peoples Action Party (PAP) and has been since 1959.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Singapore

quote Wiki "Foreign political analysts and several opposition parties including the Workers' Party of Singapore and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) have argued that Singapore is a de facto one-party state. The Economist Intelligence Unit classifies Singapore as a "hybrid" country, with authoritarian and democratic elements. Freedom House does not consider Singapore an "electoral democracy" and ranks the country as "partly free". Reporters Without Borders ranked Singapore 140th out of 167 countries in its 2005 Press Freedom Index

Lee Kuan Yew became the First Minister (aka PM) and his son Lee Hsien Loong is now First minister.

Hey Eric do you still think that Singapore is such a democratic country?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Kuan_Yew

quote Wiki "

As the co-founder and first Secretary-General of the People's Action Party (PAP), he led the party to eight victories from 1959 to 1990, and oversaw the separation of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965 and its subsequent transformation from a relatively underdeveloped colonial outpost with no natural resources into a "First World" Asian Tiger. He is one of the most influential political figures in Asia.^[7]

Singapore's second prime minister, Goh Chok Tong, appointed him Senior Minister in 1990. He held the advisory post of Minister Mentor, created by his son Lee Hsien Loong, when the latter became the nation's third prime minister in August 2004.^[8][9] With his successive ministerial positions spanning over 50 years, Lee is also one of history's longest-serving ministers. On 14 May 2011, Lee and Goh announced their retirement from the cabinet after the 2011 general election.^[10]

Singapore has yet to achieved a level of successful democracy like Taiwan or South Korea. There are still elements of undemocratic practices like blocking civil societies and public from speaking out and also banning public protests plus using courts to silence political opponents. But it has provided its citizens with democratic safeguards like easy assess to education, housing, healthcare, safety and security. Will that be enough for the large middle class who has raised their voices louder each year for better participation in running the city state and not dominated by policies of strong men. That has been manifested in recent election results and the ruling PAP has woken up to this challenge. Anyway,isn't it refreshing to know that the citizens voices can be heard and change a government without the use of guns.

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We keep avoiding the big elephant in the room when we talk about political reform. It's simply not sufficient for the existing political enemies to leave the scene to get out of this vicious cycle. The military is also part of the problem and need a paradigm change to their behavior in this modern times. The establishment handy men in the courts and agencies would also need to be depart voluntarily so there will be no more suspicion or sceptism from all sides. If you want everyone to understand democracy, leave democracy alone without truncation from coups and the people will grow to trust the system and confident that they have the penultimate decision and mandate on who choosing the best leaders. Look around in our closest neighbors like Indonesia and Phillipines on how their democracy have been strengthened without repeated coups. Add Singapore and Malaysia that never had any coups and how far they have progressed economically and democratically.

Many folks would strongly challenge your claims that both Malaysia and Singapore have made big advances in the building of democracy and for different reasons.

Look what just happened in Malaysia to Anwar. Now that's a real case of political interference with the justice systems.

I am aware of the reasons and frankly as a citizen, I am not impressed with the PAP use of the courts to silence oppositions. Same can be said of Malaysia. There are discontent and growing in these two countries and have seen in recent election results of huge migration of voters against the incumbents. That's the type of democracy maturity I am refering to. Power in the hands of voters; not in hands of guns.

Got to add this too if some here talk about democracy and corruption in the same breathe. Some even claim that good democracy means less corruption. Well, Singapore good example of bad democracy and less corruption.

We keep avoiding the big elephant in the room when we talk about political reform. It's simply not sufficient for the existing political enemies to leave the scene to get out of this vicious cycle. The military is also part of the problem and need a paradigm change to their behavior in this modern times. The establishment handy men in the courts and agencies would also need to be depart voluntarily so there will be no more suspicion or sceptism from all sides. If you want everyone to understand democracy, leave democracy alone without truncation from coups and the people will grow to trust the system and confident that they have the penultimate decision and mandate on who choosing the best leaders. Look around in our closest neighbors like Indonesia and Phillipines on how their democracy have been strengthened without repeated coups. Add Singapore and Malaysia that never had any coups and how far they have progressed economically and democratically.

Just to throw in a few names to establish some perspective here: Chalerm, Plodsaprop, Snoh, hands up who wants that shower back. Forget Barbie, she's an airhead nobody, but a rather effective New Face of Taksinism.

Not sure what you want to say but putting into perspective all those you mentioned are legitimate elected MPs. Now to put that into current perspective, none in the government are elected. Now that is a face of militarism.

What I want to spell out is that that this is the caliber of 'elected' cabinet members Thailand would be stuck with in perpetuity if PTP had been allowed on it's untrammeled way.

I don't believe for one moment all the hysteria about the junta or their alleged appointees being able to turn Thailand into N.Korea II. The World has moved on. Citizens are able to access social media and the fact that protests are reduced to a few students eating sandwiches shows the overwhelming majority understand Taksin and his megalomaniac money grubbing ways had to be stopped.

However I also believe he should have been left to implode, as he surely would have done back in 2006 when his popularity was at an all time low. An opportunity lost. Thailand is balancing itself out. Hard lessons hopefully learned.

You are entitle to your Hyde Park corner but if you wish to be taken seriously, you need to check your facts. Snob was not a cabinet minister.

So much scums being uncovered under the military rule. But I hope these people get real punishment instead of getting slapped and some how forgotten or lost in the judicial system.

It's their job and responsibilties as they are now the government. Nothing unusual.

Got to disagree with Khun Pornkwan when he said that normalcy has not returned due to martial law. Not just this martial law but Thailand democracy has never returned to normal with repeated coups. It seem more like Thailand has been governed more by the military than civilian. We just have glimpse of democracy peeping out of the iron curtain periodically.

haha so funny no one really believes this 700 billion figure right? it's all about ............... (censored) wake up some gullible TVF posters. This was planned for years and NOTHING to do with rice, corruption or high speed trains to pattaya

Not only this was planned for years but repeated 13 times over in the short history of Thailand democracy; not counting the 8 unsuccessful coups. It's so obvious but yet there will always be the gullibles. The establishment and the right wingers will always triumph with brute and democracy will be trampled. They will only allow a short window of democracy to fool the world and clamp it down when threatened.

January is a normal high consuming month in every year and every country due to bonuses. Really desperate to claim credit just about anything.

Probably his biggest achievement after 9 long months. He will be remembered for this.