rubl

No real surprise in the poll results. Even in 'outstanding' democracies in Europe an 'hour with the PM' would be in the bottom-10 of programs watched. What chance does the PM have against those lovable soaps here?

One interesting item in the poll "Asked to rate the credibility of government information, 84.2 per cent said it was moderately-to-very credible ...".

You really do need to start studying the background of the army in Thai politics.To attempt to equate one rogue general with the whole apparatus of the Thai army involved with repression over many years is just laughable.

You mean it's not the generals at all, it's just the Thai Army apparatus? It would be the same without any generals?

BREAKINGNEWS

Thaksin to campaign for Pheu Thai: Somchai

Former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Tuesday revealed that his brother-in-law Thaksin Shinawatra would assist in the campaigning for Pheu Thai Party to form the next government.

"Thaksin will help to the fullest extent of his ability to enable Pheu Thai to form a single-party government," he said.

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Sometimes I wonder about the need to discuss democracy. No need, k. Thaksin has spoken. single-party government it should be, need to be, will be. We known what's good for you, go back sleep now

Absurd? It's widely suspected, but some analysts like Thitinan Pongsudhirak, take it as fact:

While these machinations are par for the course for Thailand’s topsy-turvy democracy, they point to a deeper structural schism. Thailand’s six-decade-old incumbent regime, which relies on symbiosis between the monarchy and the military, is unable to tolerate elections that empower the rural masses unwittingly awakened by Thaksin’s premiership.

These masses, along with the urban poor, make up the bulk of the red shirts. They demand a voice in politics, a stake in the country’s grossly unequal economy, and the chance for upward mobility that they saw in Thaksin and his populist programs. They know that elected politicians are prone to graft, but now refuse blatant disenfranchisement and the formation of governments like Abhisit’s, which was brokered in an army barracks.

http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/pongsudhirak4/English

Just a previous one from the same professor (2010-05-20):

"Thailand's only hope lies in political compromise

The redshirts need to disassociate from Thaksin and form ties with government, who must work with moderate leaders

...

Thailand's ultimate reconciliation centres on the redshirts beyond Thaksin, under a different leadership, and the pro-Abhisit establishment's willingness to accept the reds' grievances and work to alleviate them with revised rules"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/20/thailand-thaksin-redshirts-abhisit

and then when the amart dont like them we will have another coup and put the democrats back in power! To have democracy you need to have freedom of speech and an army that does not interfere in politics, sorry third world Thailand you are centuries away from ever being able to call yourself a democracy while the minority rich in Bangkok rule and control the masses.

The only way to get freedom of speech is to get rid of LM laws, but both sides are quite prepared to use the laws for their own political purposes.

One of Abhisits favourite weapons but I accept used by all sides for their own perverted purposes....

The defamation law seems at least if not more destructive. Even k. Thaksin wins some of them while we have the current government

All I can say is, Yea, Right! Ain't it amazing how statistics and reporting can be juggled with a dash of smoke & mirrors to make things look so rosy (or bleak). An election must be coming up.

Nah, nothing to do with upcoming elections. Just a bi-yearly event as far as I remember. Like those TAT statistics on tourists. Same significance as well

A very interesting Radiation dose Chart to put things in perspective:

http://xkcd.com/radiation/

Without further details I can only assume with less tourists in Bangkok we also have less crimes like 'dropped cigarette but' and the like

Pheu Thai Urged to Stop Aggressing PM

The deputy premier remarked he welcomed any new political party to run in the upcoming election as its contest will offer more alternatives for voters.

and then when the amart dont like them we will have another coup and put the democrats back in power! To have democracy you need to have freedom of speech and an army that does not interfere in politics, sorry third world Thailand you are centuries away from ever being able to call yourself a democracy while the minority rich in Bangkok rule and control the masses.

Following the last coup (remember September 2006?) and new general elections December 2007 we had two governments lead by the late k. Samak and then k. Somchai. Both governments mostly remembered for only being busy finding legal or illegal ways to get k. Thaksin back and him his money.

It seems unlikely we'll have another coup, unless after the coming elections PTP/UDD would by accident win the right to form a new government and continue any move to get k. Thaksin back rather than come with ideas and policies to move the country forward. IMHO, just like your piece

In the past, major parties like the Democrat and Pheu Thai could garner only 15-16 per cent of votes cast, so there was plenty of room for other parties to influence the balloting, Matubhum Party leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin said.

Yet another politician who can't count beyond his ten fingers ?

It must be the communist faction of the red shirt movement.

It is likely more a fashion statement than an ideological one

Let's hope none in the red-shirt movement reads wikipedia:

"In the Middle Ages, ships in combat flew a long red streamer, called the Baucans, to signify a fight to the death."

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

Censure debate influenced majority of voters, poll finds

More than one in two people said last week's censure debate would impact on how they cast their votes in the elections - and that political animosity would persist regardless of the censure, the Suan Dusit Poll said in a survey released yesterday.

In most countries such a censure debate tends to confirm people in their existing opinion. In that sense they are 'influenced' and it 'impacts how they cast a vote'.

What the poll doesn't say is if people have 'changed' their opinion or if they will now vote differently.

Ergo ... does this poll tell us anything useful

I don't see a problem with busing in protesters, as long as they are not being paid to get on the buses.

If every bus could have been 40 odd cars / pickups I rather have the buses I must admit

police arrested four people for allegedly planning to pelt Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva with rotten eggs

allegedly planning??????

They were either planning or not planning.

But I guess its better to get hit with an egg than an m16 bullet like abhsit allowed/ordered last year

Allegedly as in charged, actually planning or not as in (to be) judged.

It's indeed better to get hit by an egg than a bullet. I would almost say it's even better to get hit by an egg than a grenade even if it comes from a red-shirt supporter

Bangkok to be transformed into a cultural attraction

Vote k. Purachai for Bangkok governor

Was there a red shirt protest yesterday? Did anyone turn up?

I remember having seen some newsflashes mentioning 300 policemen and a few thousand protesters moving from Ratchaprasong to Democracy Monument. Probably around 2-3PM yesterday. After that nothing, nothing at all.

Must have been such a success that the government blocked the news

To remind some people what it should be about in general terms with indications how it varies in a few countries. Thailand not mentioned. Just for the fun of it I include a link to a list of PM's defeated in a no-confidence vote:

"A motion of non-confidence (alternatively vote of non-confidence, censure motion, no-confidence motion, or confidence motion) is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or weakening a government, or, rarely by an erstwhile supporter who has lost confidence in the government. The motion is passed or rejected by means of a new parliamentary vote (a vote of non-confidence)."

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

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

From your reply to my OP, it would seem that you've never bothered to go to Youtube, watch the news on television, or read the papers, as everything I stated in my OP was covered in one or more of those outlets.

Just had a quick look starting with youtube user 'uddtoday', then searched a bit on yellow shirts and found literally hundreds of clips. No way am I going to look at all of them, neither will I follow a suggestion for a specific clip with either red/UDD or PAD behaviour. Too many clips seem to lack a description of when and where and who and what. Let me watch some cartoons again, a much better idea for a cool Saturday evening

Talking about PAD as a pre-cursor to the actions by the Red shirts is just silly.

I'm not sure "pre-cursor" is the right word.However it's not silly at all to see PAD as being the first grouping to openly defy the elected government, seizing and occupying public property and defying the law openly and brazenly.To that extent it blazed the trail which others followed.

This needs some study "PAD as being the first grouping to openly defy the elected government". We're talking about 2007 - 2008 I assume? Even then I don't think they were the first, depending on how far back you allow me to wander off.

The rest is a bit of propaganda and only here to emphasize 'blazed the trail' whereas the 'seizing, occupying, defying law' part can refer to various groups now and in the past.

Incidentally, an ABAC poll released today of who people would like to see as PM, if not Abhisit:

Purachai: 41.2% (for) 58.8% (against)

Khunying Sudarat 38.4%

Chuan Leekpai 38.4%

Korn Chatikavanij 35.2%

Mingkwan Sangsuwan 34.7%

Somkid Jatusripitak 32.7%

And not forgetting:

Newin 20.8% (for) 79.2% (against)

Suthep 15.1 84.9

The respondents were asked for their opinions regarding an appropriate contender to compete with incumbent Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The poll is now a separate topic here

They should've accepted immediately for the simple reason that having elections a few months earlier isn't worth anyone dying for.

That said, they didn't actually reject the offer, did they? They made three counter-demands, as Abhisit didn't trust them to go home even if he accepted their demands (this is my assumption) he decided to call off the negotiations altogether. Reds didn't trust him, as noted, and that's why what happened happened.

Hindsight, hindsight. What if we were clairvoyant ?

From 2010-05-04 Election offer in Thailand may end Red Shirt deadlock

"Dr Weng said that he would trust Mr Abhisit to call the election as promised, and he was not concerned about either the forthcoming budget round or the planned reshuffle in the senior ranks of the military due before November. “That’s not my concern,” he said. “My concern is that we should have a collective resolution to this political crisis.”

Another UDD protest leader, Karkaew Pikulthong, said that he thought the November date too distant. “My point of view is that I’m not happy with this offer — it’s too long,” he said. “The Red Shirts’ feelings, since the deaths on April 10, they are still very angry with Mr Abhisit. They are ready to sacrifice themselves. They just want to win.”"

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article7115198.ece

(edit: by the 18th of May things looked a wee bit different of course, with even k. Nattawut saying 'if we allow things to go on like this, we don't know how many more lives will be lost')

...

"I have a [red-shirt] gathering tomorrow

Ah yes, mustn't forget it's time again for the Weekly Red Shirt Rally in Bangkok tomorrow.

Another "unprecedented" one, perhaps?

Maybe, the 'gathering' starts 12:00 if I remember correctly. That's AFTER the 09:30 vote in Parliament tomorrow morning. Probably all happy faces during the gathering. Democracy will have been seen to work

He reminds to much of Fox News Glen Beck. Though many Thai find Jatuporn to be quite Entertaining and said they find him to be a rambling idiot.

Funny you'd say that.

From the current main page of www.borowitzreport.com

"Afraid to Watch the News, Millions Turn to Fox

Channel Offers Welcome Break from Reality, Psychologists Say"

Incidentally, an ABAC poll released today of who people would like to see as PM, if not Abhisit:

Purachai: 41.2% (for) 58.8% (against)

Khunying Sudarat 38.4%

Chuan Leekpai 38.4%

Korn Chatikavanij 35.2%

Mingkwan Sangsuwan 34.7%

Somkid Jatusripitak 32.7%

And not forgetting:

Newin 20.8% (for) 79.2% (against)

Suthep 15.1 84.9

Haven't seen the poll newsflash yet, but

"k. Purachai is known as "Mr. Clean". When Thaksin set up Purachai as Secretary General of the Thai Rak Thai party, hopes were high that maybe Thaksin's pledges of being "righteous" and anti-corruption might result in some good progress."

and

"However, a lot of frictions developed between Purachai and Thaksin's cronies, as regards corruption. Purachai was realistic in some ways, understanding the political realities, but he drew the lines much clearer than Thaksin did, and maintained a hard line. For the first couple of years, Purachai was also the voice Thaksin needed to hear, and kept Thaksin from straying too far with his power. Thaksin and Purachai remained on good terms for quite some time, but eventually Purachai was massively outgunned and marginalized.

Purachai drew heavy criticism from the male sex tourist and expat community for his curtailing of nightlife closing hours and entertainment zoning, though in contrast this was extremely popular with the Thai population who felt that Thailand's vice was getting way out of control. This was the so-called "social order" campaign.

Purachai eventually resigned from politics in 2005, but he had already been marginalized into oblivion long before that. (He was also a leading candidate to become the next Prime Minister, according to some opinion polls with Thai people, beating out even the leader of the opposition Democrat Party, but Prime Ministers are voted in by Parliament, not the general public.)"

http://www.thailandguru.com/thaksin-shinawatra-military-coup.html

...

Jatuporn denied the accusation, saying that although he and Khattiya differed over some matters, he would never resort to violence, as he would never even kill a "cat, chicken or fish".

Jatuporn then accused Suthep of being a "blatant liar", something Suthep also accused Jatuporn of being, and a "serial killer", adding that one day Suthep and Abhisit would be tried for ordering the killing of 91 people.

"I have a [red-shirt] gathering tomorrow, and if people believe Suthep they will not show up. If they believe Suthep, they will vote for Suthep and the Democrat Party," he said.

In a related development, the Pheu Thai Party has resorted to using Twitter to disseminate a number of video clips forbidden from being presented to the House's censure debate. They can be seen at www.ptp.or.th and www.twitter.com/pheuthaiparty.

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