herfiehandbag

As far as this regime is concerned, public opinion is of little account. They basically ignore it, unless or until it becomes disruptive, in which case they suppress it ruthlessly, something we know does not the Watchman. As for other parties, nothing changes really. If an election is scheduled expect the usual array of court cases, party bannings and charges against political opponents.

Whatever you do, don't squeeze!

There are lots around, but as soon as they demonstrate any level of popular support they are driven off. The overarching problem is that the "checks and balances" which are supposed to ensure a free election have been highjacked by those who wish to keep power. Look at the last election. There were two parties which had significant support, and would have likely produced a coalition government; to replace the incumbent one. One was banned just before the election, effectively disenfranchising a very large number of voters (6 million or so?) and the other was decapitated and hamstrung by various spurious legal proceedings immediately after the election.

Being allowed a free vote, where the result stands regardless of those "in influence", and the various agencies which they control would be a start.

It is quite possible, in fact normal for constitutional monarchies to be democratic, unless you regard UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Spain and Japan as not being democracies. A democracy is a country which elects it's government on a regular basis, and has some form of representative parliament. A constitutional monarchy has a hereditary head of state who does not play a political role.

If he is replaced by another from the same stable then no, nothing much will change. Major changes could happen, once it is realised just how ramshackle those stables are. Several of the fundamentals are no longer that relevant to a younger more informed and educated (self educated) population.

Beep,beep,beep!

Oh dear, I wonder if all those "well connected people" who bought land in the expectation of various road, rail and canal projects will have their little investments confiscated. There was lots of it (buying land) going on around here when the railway to Chiang Rai and Chiang Khong got into the planning stage...

Don't forget the Edinburgh Festival, along with several others of it's ilk, is all about being seen and heard by the "right sort" of people. "Never, in the field of human comedy, have so few been lectured by so many in black roll neck sweaters..."

Ah yes, but such enthusiasm for upholding and forcing moral standards on others funnily enough hides some dirty little secrets!

It has been going on for several months now - and the tight uniforms have just realised it's significance - and have reacted in the only way they know , bossy lectures and meaningless threats. Toot toot toot!

Personally I came to Thailand through a deep desire to be lectured by a small group of excessively puritanical senior members of the medical profession.