OPINION

Can we dream of Thailand 4.0 if politics is stuck in 0.4?

By Sutthichai Yoon 
The Nation

 

We are back in the same old vicious circle once again. Many of the questions making headlines these days are little different from those that were being asked decades ago. The gist doesn’t change, only the players are different:

1. When is the next election?

 

2. Will it actually take place? 

 

3. If there is an election, what will the rules be? Will they favour the powers-that-be? 

 

4. Will the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) set up a political party? Or will a “nominee party” be set up in its stead?

 

5. Will Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha follow his road map? If so, will he try to rewrite it to suit his own agenda?

 

6. Does PM Prayut plan to remain prime minister after the election, if and when it is held? If so, how does he plan to go about retaining his power and influence?

 

You could add many more questions to the list – and most people would consider the act of gossiping about possible answers the ultimate political activity for the country. 

 

Observers have stirred a degree of excitement by pointing out that the prime minister did not rule out the possibility of a military-backed party, when he remarked on Tuesday that this wasn’t the time to discuss the issue since there was still another year to go before any decision had to be made.

 

In fact, just the day before, Deputy PM and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan had created quite a sensation by declaring: “If it is necessary, the NCPO may have to form a political party.”

 

That declaration more or less confirmed the worst fears of politicians – that the military, despite earlier pledges to return to the barracks when its “political mission” was completed, was in fact planning to extend its stay in politics for an indefinite period.

 

Then came a report that Maj-General Songklod Tipparat, a former member of an NCPO national reform committee, was setting up the Palang Chartthai (Power of the Thai Nation) Party that could help the military brass prolong their hold on power. The PM was quick to dissociate himself from the move.

 

“I don’t even know this person. And I don’t need anyone to help me to make that kind of move,” he told reporters. He then promised to order an investigation into the story. Don’t be surprised if nothing comes of that “probe”. 

 

And when the PM posed the interesting question of what the media and society had against military officers holding Cabinet portfolios, several commentators were quick to point out that things weren’t going to change in any dramatic way in the political merry-go-round in Thailand.

 

In fact, ahead of the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle there is little sign that efficiency and merit will be major criteria in selecting candidates to replace ministers who have not met performance standards.

 

Very few observers believe that Prime Minister Prayut will embark on a major revamp of the Cabinet line-up. Critics say he still retains his “elder brothers, young brothers, comrades-in-arms and friends” who have stayed loyal to him all along. And in military tradition, loyalty is usually reciprocated, despite Prayut’s public insistence that, “I know how to separate personal relations from professional judgement.” 

 

But even if we have answers to all the above questions, the prospect of Thailand’s political future remains bleak and minus much hope.

 

Efforts to implement reform and reconciliation – the two pillars of rationale coup-makers gave for the 2014 putsch that installed the current government – have produced disappointing results so far. None of the reform proposals promises to pull the country out of the vicious circle of election-coup-election. 

 

The government has been ramping up efforts to propel Thailand into the 4.0 era of digital modernisation. But it won’t get anywhere near achieving this highly ambitious goal if the quality of politics remains stuck in the 0.4 mode. 

 

Without genuine political reform – that must encompass the political as well as military establishment – the “best and brightest” among Thais will remain wary of politics as their cynicism about “Thai-style democracy” only grows. 

 

The same players will re-emerge once the song-and-dance of election campaigning strikes up. The military will somehow find a way to justify its continued hold on power, directly or otherwise. The business community will, in the name of stability and continuity, continue to play its dual game of survival: Support those in power, for as long as our interests aren’t affected.

 

In the language of digital start-ups, if Thai politics can’t locate the real “pain points” in the current social landscape, any attempt at launching genuine innovation will inevitably fail, and fail miserably.

 

We have just completed a “lost decade” in Thai politics. But if things remain as they are now, we are entering a decade of abysmal failures.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30331170

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-09

24 minutes ago, webfact said:

We have just completed a “lost decade” in Thai politics. But if things remain as they are now, we are entering a decade of abysmal failures.

 

I disagree with the author's assessment that it has been a 'lost decade', despite all the troubles that have occurred.

 

Thailand has seen several elections where the choice of the people has formed a government, and that is no small thing in the development of a country. Many will argue that the government(s) formed were crap (I'll ignore that point for now), but it is important not to lose sight of the fact that it occurred. When was the government of China democratically elected? 

 

I take further heart from the fact that even the military Junta currently in power is trying to figure out a way that they can get a democratic 'mandate' of some sort; governing without one is seen as not viable in the longer term. That is a good thing.

 

Hopefully Thailand will continue down the road where a government needs consent of the people, and a truly democratic, representational government will emerge. Or, at least for now, there isn't too much backsliding in reaching that goal.

 

Trying to be optimistic...

 

Quote

I take further heart from the fact that even the military Junta currently in power is trying to figure out a way that they can get a democratic 'mandate' of some sort; governing without one is seen as not viable in the longer term. That is a good thing.

And when that comes by cheating, stacking the deck, reducing the popular mandates results, etc etc etc.. 

 

Thats still a good thing ?? 

 

Fake democracy isnt a mandate.. Its just a lie to retain power against the genuine will of the population. 

l repeat what was said many months ago in the Nikkei Business Review. Prayuth was told by a number of Thai business leaders that 4.0 was unobtainable unless the education system is reformed. Too few technically able students are being produced. Thailand has more than enough lawyers and accountants.

Edited November 9, 20178 yr by tso310
spelling

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Can we dream of Thailand 4.0 if politics is stuck in 0.4?

 You mean 0.0000 

Went to immigration recently to do my marriage extension. Reminded my missus that we need some proper photos of us in the kitchen and living room, etc. Reminded her that we need to develop them and then glue them to some A4 paper. Then told my missus she needs to do a hand-drawn map of our home. Can't print out on Google maps. 

 

Every year my missus reminds me of how stupid and old-fashoned this all is. How the government always bang on about 'Thailand 4.0'. Luckily she told me she'd be asking the IO officer how all of this related to '4.0'. I told my missus to keep quiet and just smile when there. 

 

fortunately, the IO officer didn't ask us why we don't have kids 'yet'. That riles my missus up. But my missus did ask her her yearly "why does he need to show funds to support me? I have my own home, job and money" question. IO Officer just ignored the question.

 

Thailand 4.0? If immigration is any kind of benchmark then Thailand is way behind. 

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Without genuine political reform – that must encompass the political as well as military establishment

And I would add "... and full contribution by the polity within a democratic framework of open and free dialog."

The junta keeps saying it listens to the polity and politicians, but then proceeds on its own agenda. Prayut has literally told politicians to shut up. While advocating reconciliation and reform, the junta has made a mockery of its own efforts such as using the 2017 Constitution to guarantee preservation of its 20-year reform plan against any adjustment by subsequent governments. Prayut has only brought more divisiveness to the nation but still sees himself as the "White Knight."

 

Indeed the military establishment must be reformed. But who has the power to force that action? Because Prayut has already declared that no reform of the military is required.

1 hour ago, LivinLOS said:

And when that comes by cheating, stacking the deck, reducing the popular mandates results, etc etc etc.. 

 

Thats still a good thing ?? 

 

Fake democracy isnt a mandate.. Its just a lie to retain power against the genuine will of the population. 

You make a good point.

 

If the Junta is able to retain power through "cheating, stacking the deck, reducing the popular mandates results, etc etc etc., then I hope that the Thai people will protest strongly and deny them their objective. And when I say the Thai people, I mean ALL of them, not just the 'Reds'.

 

If the Thai people allow the Junta to retain power through "fake democracy", then the blame for it will be on the Thai people themselves. No one else. They will suffer the consequences of their actions, or more accurately, the consequences of their inaction. 

 

My post, if you read it again, was expressing the wish that that does NOT happen. 

 

The "0.4-modus" counts...not only in politics but in so many things, starting with education, a mess at all levels.