hammered

Thailand has a history of the involvement of third forces in protest times. It is also interesting to read what Sondhi was saying just before he got a bullet in the head.

Suthep has the support of the South oitside of the deep south, central Bangkok, a few provinces south of BKK and the majority of the elite. He is reviled in most Bangkok suburbs and anywhere north, north east or east of Bangkok excluding possibly Rayong and Mae Hong Song and a couple of other town centers.

A censure motion in parliament is the correct way to address differences in a parliamentary democracy, and if successful can both lead to an election and change of government. In this case even if it were to lead to an election (not very likely) is very unlikely that it would lead to a change of government.

Interesting considering that the people behind this poll have been on the stage at Democracy Monument and their polls are pretty much now viewed as little better than push polls for Suthep by most Thai people. It is looking like starting a bunch of shelling with Cambodia is off limits.

What I would like to do is know how Suthep proposes on achieving his end. Does he intend to kill the millions who adore Thaksin or purely remove their votes. Does he think the Democrat party can actually win an election or does he plan to do away with elections?

Doesn't he realise that he and Abhisit are despised by more people than Thaksin? Admittedly a lot of them are the farmers and urban workers that he and his party serially ridicule, but they are also the voters he will need to vote Dem if they are to achieve a majority. What are the Democrat plans to achieve this end or have they thrown in their lot with the fascists who want to abolish one person one vote?

The democrats have screwed up a political opportunity. If hey had accepted the demise of the amnesty bill and called heir dogs off, the PT would have been left floundering with a broken alliance with the red shirts. However, by going on and hoping to overthrow a democratically elected government they have screwed up and allowed the reds and PT to find common ground again. And together they represent the silent majority. They could now call an election and win easily

Not the old good people and bad people nonsense that cannot handle a real world where all are various shades of grey. All politicians are evil is usually code for "I support coups that will install what I see as good men" (they are always men) meaning they will put some authoritarian and probably useless clique into power who will support the worldview and business interests of the person saying or writing he opinion. Personally whatever the faults of elected politicians I would prefer them to unelected and therefore unaccountable people. That though is just about do you support democracy or not, and do you believe all of the people of a coutnry should have a say in it or just some.

Simply put who desperately wants stability? Who desperately wants chaos?

They have a problem. There are just not very many of them. Bangkokians remember the large yellow shirt demos of before and these are pathetically small compared to some of those. And that is without even talking about some of the very big Red demos. This mob just send the message that they have no support. It doesn't help that the various yellow side groups are now openly feuding as well. Throw in all the drivers sick of them...

I am not sure the 2 injured guards and the damaged cab owner would agtee with the "only bully" deduction by the renowned RTP department spokesman.

It is a yellow shirt thing, sitting on a road blackmailing the government. There are many places they could protest without blocking traffic. Why not occupying the same spot as the red short protestors before, or camping out at Sanam Luang? It looks like the two hands full of remaining yellowshirts always want to make the life miserable of anyone depending on roads.

They have upset a lot of people who used to have sympathy with them. Since Sondhi withdrew or was shot to pieces, fell out with the army, the shadowy elite and Democrats and forced to withdraw from leading anti-Thaksin demos, that side have struggled for any inventive or creative leadership. A bunch of old retired generals, bureaucrats or elitist neo-fascists have nothing on Sondhi who was actually very efficient at keeping demos going and was someone who knew how to talk to the people. They must be regretting upsetting him so badly before when they rather erroneously thought they had won the political struggle.

I think you will find that most people are utterly sick of the attempts at prolonging political strife and would love to see some arcane deal where it all went away. Oddly enough I have been surprised at the negative comments of many of my yellowish Thai Facebook friends to that small anti-Thaksin demo. I guess that is why it is small.

Banharn though has no chance here and nor would any other person. The elite, and these are people who do not join parties in a democracy too, do not join in committees with those they consider lower than themselves and negotiate. They tell their lowers what to do and expect it done. They do not join political parties that face election either. Too much chance of utter face loss at the hands of the plebeians in an election. They tell the political party hierarchy what to do and expect it done. No discussion. In Thailand democracy and all its trappings starts below a certain strata of society and extends down.

Chula in stating the obvious shocker

The realpolitik of the situation is hat other governments know he is a power in Thailand and have seen how parties backed by him win elections. As such they will steer clear of snubbing him now and use his occasional and usually low key presence (especially in all the western powers e has visited in recent years) for negotiations on various deals which can then be followed up by the Thai government. Even if there were another coup it is highly unlikely that any country would do something against or to upset Thaksin as his political clout in Thailand has been seen, and while Thailand is no major economic player it is part of the globalised capitalist community. That oddly enough brings us to another reason why he various shades of yellow after a coup governments are not taken seriously by foreign powers. They want links to those who are the future and are part of the world game.

I doesnt really mater whether people like Thaksin and his proteges or not, that is reality.

I smell another coup already

Mmmm. Who apart from some extreme authoritarians with virtually no support wants to see a coup? It could be an abject disaster. The last one has now been written off as a failure. I doubt any general would fancy leading another one

The blue diamond?

The red shirts aint got that.

Pridiyathorn is spot on with this assessment. However, do not expect the Bank of Thailand to sepnd any money on developing the country. That is not their goal. They are holding a level of reserves far higher than is needed. But hey politics gets in here too.

The CEO of Amata promised they would construct a flood wall back in 2011.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Amata-woos-firms-with-floodwall-promise-30168364.html

Since that date Amata Nakorn has continued to expand eastwards into an area with a history of flooding.

Here is my overlay of Amata Nakorn over the historical flood map at http://flood.gistda.or.th/.

Exactly. The country's largest industrial estate is still virtually fully operational but the expansion areas are at risk. Oddly enough in 2011 Amata Nakhorn escaped flooding and has reaped rewards from that into these lower lying areas. That the floods this time are based more on heavy rain compared to dams overfilling in 2011 also makes a difference in where is affected.

So is their any evidence of him stealing diamonds or not? Let's stop playing BS games and just see if there is or isn't.

Anyone who believes in democracy will support this. It is a good test of those who do and do not. Whatever your poltical differences, a coup is never the answer among democratically aligned political parties. Period. It is also another chance for the Democrats to actually make good on a hideous error they made before. Interesting.

There are many reasons that people may not want to stick by evidence that was produced during a time when a dubiously installed government was being kept in place by the army and the only policy was discredit those demonstrating against them unsuccessful as that policy was. At that time undercover agents said...

It seems anyway that there is in fact no real evidence and hence the case has collapsed. I wonder if the dude can sue for all the time he was kept locked up for no reason.

Sad story

I think you will find it is more about sending out messages. With the constitutional ammendment in the court amid claims of breach of separation of power breach (good article in Asian Correspondent via Siam Voices about that today) the PTP seem to be making it clear that they are not going down without a fight when challenged by any rump demo or the bureaucracy. Remember too this all comes amid reports of a deal between the old elite and the Thaksin side but obviously they are wary of each other and no side wants to show any weakness. And also in any deal their will be those who have been sacrificed and they will feel piqued and want to stymie it. Nobody is going to appear weak in the macho world of Thai politics

Good news