Zolt

The last batch of news has been confusing to say the least.

- PDRC is hosting a forum on saturday, which military top brass may attend.

- Yingluck is hosting a forum on saturday, which she will not actually attend.

- And now military is hosting a forum too.

Seems like everyone has gone forum-happy!

Something is going on, and I think we'll find out very soon.

There is no way he would keep pushing like this, unless he knows he has a chance.

There is no way the police wouldn't arrest him, unless they know that he has serious backing.

Fog of war: He acts crazy, so the Shins think "He must have support from the generals to act like this, let's not touch him!", and the show goes on. The generals think "The Shins are acting meek, they must be in a difficult position, let's wait and see which way the wind is blowing before I choose sides".

Everyone involved is a lot more stupid than you give them credit for.

There will be no coup.

Suthep will not be PM.

We agree on the this. Forget the rest. Abhisit and others have been physically attacked when going to the RS provinces trying to do what you suggest.

Their own fault for consistently pissing on these people from a great height. Makes it that much harder when they try to win votes in that area.

Tssk, tssk. Not helping.

Less deriding, more behaving like adults, pretty please?

"They accused the police inside Government House of using slingshots against protesters."

Reaaaaaally? They are riot police with their full gear on hand and they would choose to use.. slingshots? Very credible.

Congrats to the police forces for keeping their cool (so far), when facing morons who want to spray shit on them.

the police know what its like to be shit on now...not nice is it plod....zolt are you there to disprove the slingshot accusation i think not dont you...

Nope I'm sitting here comfortably sipping my tea, secure in the knowledge that burden of proof is on the accuser. Considering the number of people with cameras around the protest area it shouldn't even be that difficult. Show me one picture of a cop with a slingshot at the site, and I will bow gracefully and admit my mistake.

What jumps up in my mind is why did she wait over two years to come to a sensible decision like that?

Does she realize that national reform means drooping all attempts of the Government to white wash one man.

She didn't wait. PT has proposed a multiparty forum over the charter reform bill, when it was still being drafter. The democrats refused to join it.

Certainly in the worlds eyes they have are dragging down Thailand and boasting international respect for the caretaker PM. Probably the PTP will get re-elected with at least 60% majority next time. Keep it up elites, Kh ( don't call be stupid ) Suthep and the others, you are working so well for the PTP.

That's one of the fundamental truths about democracy that the democrats have always failed to realize. An inept politician in power is his own worst enemy. Give him enough time and rope and he will never fail to hang himself, and the PTP has no shortage of inepts (and neither do the other parties). Then you can reap the reward at the ballot box next election.

But no, they just can't wait until the next election, even though the amnesty bill and charter reform bill have been torpedoed by the courts, they just have to keep up their antics and steal the spotlight, so the whole world can see them hanging themselves.

You are just lowering yourselves to the level of the red shirts.

Both groups are already at the same level.

The unrest in Thailand will not end until both sides realize this.

I haven't ever heard of anyone else doing real jail time for slander in a developed country.

In Thailand too politicians slander each other all the time too, but apparently the libel laws only start to grow some teeth when the victim is a powerful judge.

I know i'm going to get it in the back here, but i really can't see what she did wrong. The ammount of rubbish she had to pick up as well as ppl that change there mind in a millisecond, please tell me who could do a better job?? Lets see,,,,,Oh yes same time next year then

The amnesty bill was wrong. The off budget 2.2 trillion baht infrastructure bill was wrong. The 350 billion baht flood projects bill was wrong. The Skype calls from her brother were wrong. Not spending any time in parliament was wrong. Crying when giving a speech, and then giving a smirk afterwards was wrong.

I'm sure some other posters could find some more things that she did wrong.

Sent from my phone ...

Actually... while the amnesty bill was doubtless a bad step, this country really does need serious infrastructure projects, and flood prevention projects. She should have made those the main focus instead of amnesty and charter reform.

Awwww he's begging now! The poor darling!

For those outside Bangkok, today's banner headline in the Bangkok Post reads:,MILITARY REFUSES TO MEET SUTHEP.

They really do that? Have different headlines inside and outside Bangkok? That's just...

"Suthep Thaugsuban has said that the meeting tomorrow would be significant and could mean a turn of the countrys democracy rule."

"... could mean a turn of the countrys democracy rule."

What on earth is that supposed to mean?

The end of the country's democracy rule. One man one vote was a stupid idea to begin with.

Khun Anan should be the Neutral PM.

Or Khun Prem or Khun Surayud.

It's deja vu all over again. How old is Prem now, 93?

Taking a very cynical view, this would be a good election to lose. Very tough choices for the winner

Sadly this his not how any Thai politician thinks. "Winner takes all" is their only motto.

The NACC will reach the decision they have been told to reach, on the days they are told to reach it. They are players in the game, not independent arbiters of justice

Told by whom? That is the question.

About Article 7: "This is an extraordinary step, an unprecedented interpretation of charter provisions"

Not unprecedented at all. Anti-Thaksin protesters in 2006 also demanded an appointed PM under article 7. And it was denied by HM the King, saying that was undemocratic and a wrong interpretation of the charter. Suthep is treading on dangerous ground here.The truth of the matter is, Suthep is just trying to replay the 2006 cycle of events as faithfully as he can until the army gets the hint.

Of course PT should probably give out a strong message that they are committed to bilateral reform after the elections, and give assurances that they will not push for amnesty again. This won't quiet Suthep but it should send some of his supporters home, and more importantly calm down the generals who are getting fidgety.

Is he permitted to make financial obligations to the country?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

As caretaker government, he can't spend emergency budget or make deals that will be binding for the next government. If more money does come in from the rice scheme, he can however spend it to repay existing financial obligations..

Democrats are really stupid to continue the protests in these circumstances. They are being handed out their best shot at winning elections since 1992, for free, and it looks like they're not even going to take it.

Remember, an inept politician is his own worst enemy, give him enough time and rope to hang himself and he certainly will.

I find it hard to believe to accuse politicians of proposing an amendment to the constitution as unconstitutional and possibly criminal. This is their job. Regardless of the fact that the change in the Senate would make all senators required to be elected, rather than appointed (who thinks this is a bad thing?), you can't condemn a proposal for change. Just simply vote it down by the majority. The Constitutional Court's authority is to determine if the laws are not constitutional, not to review passed constitutional amendments.

Yeah that is pretty <deleted> up. From what I understand, the main sticking point is the fact that they failed to follow proper voting procedures: Some MPs used other's ID card to vote for them. The atmosphere was very relax as they knew they had a huge majority.

Now that the bill would be invalidated for that I can understand, but that ALL mps should be punished for a relatively minor slip of a few would be incredible. But this is thailand and it has happened before.

Since the house has been dissolved, the point is largely moot unless they decide to also ban these MPs for 5 years BUT it might invalidate the position of the caretaker government and create a political vacuum, and therefore an article 7 situation. Article 7 basically stating that if some circumstance should come to pass where no other constitution article applies, HM the King may appoint a caretaker PM. That article was kept unchanged from the 1997 constitution, and HM explicitly refused to do that in 2006, saying it was undemocratic. Why Suthep thinks he will change his mind this time around is beyond me.

Whee!

Previously they were not due to give a verdict before several months. The fact that they have chosen to rush the verdict is a potent indicator of things to come, and the rest of the article makes it even more obvious which side the NACC is on. The repeat of 2008 is coming.

With 95% accuracy I can predict:

- 312 MPS lose their seat on December 13, making the House essentially empty except for Chuwit

- A wise and benevolent caretaker government is appointed ostensibly under Article 7 (But actually by the military).

- 2014 elections are delayed until 2016 for various bullshit reasons

- More Red shirts get killed, nobody cares.

- Everyone lives happily ever after, free from the evils of Thaksinism, corruption, and democracy.

I think you left out the bit where the country erupts in a civil war, possibly around Songkran.

Well, implicitly that was the bit were red shirts get killed, because the army protects all Thais, but some Thais more than others. I was hoping to get a reaction out of that, but what I got from other board members was mostly gleeful enthusiasm.

I'm not sure I want to live on this planet any more.

- 2014 elections are not delayed and the democrats win without a majority and form a coalition

Well, there's a slim but non zero chance of that. PT is in hot water with its core electorate because of the rice pledging scheme failing to pay. The democrats haven't had better odds than that for over a decade. Unfortunately they are showing no signs of reaching out to voters outside their core base, and instead might even boycott the elections as in 2006. Pig-headed fools on both sides really.

They're opening the Visa offices on Monday like they know this will end by that time. Looks like 312 lawmakers get banned from politics for 5 years on the 13th!

Nope you're reading too much in that. If PT MPs get banned again on Friday, it's very doubtful we will have a functioning government by Monday, and a spokesperson for the current government would not be planning for that scenario anyway.

Reopening of immigration office is simply a return to normal, since the protesters have vacated Chaengwattana area (for now).