Election could be delayed to 2019

[midas]

1 hour ago, MaddDog said:

AND in 2019 it will be postponed to 2020

................ and eventually it will become Groundhog Day

[simoh1490]

2 hours ago, natway09 said:

Not so sure that Thailand is grown up enough to handle a democratic government, 

nor an elected party that will not feed at the trough,,,,,, its just the way it is here

Exactly.

[USPatriot]

Last article was 2018 next article 2020

[srchino]

Does anyone here know what date the current junta first proclaimed a democratic election would take place? How far delayed is it at this point?

[chama]

9 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

The Junta has, and will continue to have , all the "legitimacy" it requires.

 

The acquiescence that you seem to find so confusing can be explained by the fact that the political parties, along with everyone else in the country, are looking straight down the barrel of its legitimacy:

 

 

Do you seriously think that they are concerned about a "mandate" from the "people", or anyone else?

 

Do you really not get it?

 

 

 

Hope the Thai society has as good an understanding of what is unfolding as those posting here. And this is likely not to be the last delay. 

[cookieqw]

9 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Funny, I would ask the same question of you... Do you not get it?

 

If they do not need a mandate from the people, why have they promised an election? Why did they go through the farce of a referendum? Why not just say "we are in charge. Period!"

 

Because they cannot.

 

Thais have demonstrated several times in recent years that they are willing to come out on the streets if pushed too far. True, with enough force they could be pushed back, but at what cost? Thailand is dependent on trade and tourism; if they push too far, the economy tanks.

 

Even if the above doesn't happen, the Junta needs economic progress to stay in power (you can do your own research as to what happens to non--democratic governments in low/no economic growth scenarios). If the economy isn't doing well, pressure builds and builds and builds and eventually it bursts; can I suggest you look into the reasons behind the 'Arab Spring'?

 

If the Junta thought that it didn't need elections, it wouldn't have them. What it is doing now is trying to create a situation where it can 'win' an election and have it validated. If it was not necessary, why do it?

 

It is true that you can govern a place for a while using oppression, but there are limits. And, the Junta is bumping up against those limits...

 

Have they ever come out against the military 

[cookieqw]

8 hours ago, Thunder26 said:

I don't really care about elections, but it really gets me when they keep telling lies. It would be better if the Army was honest and said that there wouldn't be any elections until further notice :)

Yes , I’m a farang so this really is not my business but honesty is a very strong ally. WATCH this space 

[Thian]

Fine with me, BKK is much safer since the army is in control.

[Eric Loh]

16 minutes ago, Thian said:

Fine with me, BKK is much safer since the army is in control.

Always safer when you get 7 years jail for posing with a red bowl or 10-15 years for clicking “like” on Facebook or charged for a history lesson. Then there are the extra-judiciary attitude adjustments and the snatching of people off the streets. Watch out for junta surrogates trying to harm peaceful protestors. Yes much safer with intense intimidation and abuse of the law. 

[bannork]

39 minutes ago, cookieqw said:

Have they ever come out against the military 

Do you know nothing about 1973 and 1992?

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, srchino said:

Does anyone here know what date the current junta first proclaimed a democratic election would take place? How far delayed is it at this point?

During his visit to Japan in February 2015, General Prayut said: "We plan to hold elections in Thailand at the end of this year or early next." http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-09/thailand-government-flips-on-donald-trump-election-statement/9032042

[greenchair]

12 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

The Junta has, and will continue to have , all the "legitimacy" it requires.

 

The acquiescence that you seem to find so confusing can be explained by the fact that the political parties, along with everyone else in the country, are looking straight down the barrel of its legitimacy:

 

 

Do you seriously think that they are concerned about a "mandate" from the "people", or anyone else?

 

Do you really not get it?

 

 

 

I have asked this question everytime I hear a democratic raving on. 

When are you going to get it? 

Do you really not get it? ?

[Denim]

2 hours ago, Thian said:

Fine with me, BKK is much safer since the army is in control.

 

Thank heavens for that . The Thai people will give a huge sigh of relief that your expat wonderland life is no longer being inconvenienced.

 

I guess this was what the coup was really all about. Making the lives of tourists and expats much happier.

Ensuring that they can go about their business without uppity locals spoiling their day.

[Denim]

20 minutes ago, greenchair said:

I have asked this question everytime I hear a democratic raving on. 

When are you going to get it? 

Do you really not get it? ?

 

The poor Democrats have long laboured under the delusional fantacy that they were the brains and the military were the brawn.

 

The coin has just dropped that the brawn has no need or respect of the Democrats as it is obvious their brains are not worth a hill of beans.

[Thian]

5 minutes ago, Denim said:

I guess this was what the coup was really all about. Making the lives of tourists and expats much happier.

 

Yup, plus that of the millions of Thai in BKK...we don't need lowclass protestors blocking roads and making fires, glad the army protects us from that.

 

They better stay outside BKK and protest there instead of working....so we can do our jobs here in BKK.

[billd766]

7 hours ago, William C F Pierce said:

Many of us writing in this column said it would be postponed again. Is there any real hope for the return of real  democracy in Thailand. Probably not.

 

 

There has never been a real democracy in Thailand since 1932 despite civilian and military governments.

 

Elections yes, votes yes, but they are only the first steps to a real democracy.

 

I have been here on and off since 1993 and NO government has been democratic yet or even attempted towards a real democracy.

[Denim]

2 minutes ago, Thian said:

Yup, plus that of the millions of Thai in BKK...we don't need lowclass protestors blocking roads and making fires, glad the army protects us from that.

 

They better stay outside BKK and protest there instead of working....so we can do our jobs here in BKK.

 

Just remind me......Who staged the shutdown Bangkok protests and who started it all by a few years earlier by seizing government house and the airport ?

 

But I see your point. The yellowshirts were paid protesters so  they were just doing their jobs as you mentioned.

[Thian]

11 minutes ago, Denim said:

 

Just remind me......Who staged the shutdown Bangkok protests and who started it all by a few years earlier by seizing government house and the airport ?

 

But I see your point. The yellowshirts were paid protesters so  they were just doing their jobs as you mentioned.

The yellows got the bill last week for blocking the airport, that's justice...but at least they didn't block roads for weeks, bring bombs and guns and put a mall on fire.

 

The army does a good job, hope they stay some more years....

[isaanbanhou]

1 minute ago, Thian said:

The yellows got the bill last week for blocking the airport, that's justice...but at least they didn't block roads for weeks, bring bombs and guns and put a mall on fire.

 

The army does a good job, hope they stay some more years....

Sad to wish on other's what they wouldn t accept for themselves.

 

I strongly suspect that your home country is a democracy.

[Denim]

16 minutes ago, Thian said:

The yellows got the bill last week for blocking the airport, that's justice...but at least they didn't block roads for weeks, bring bombs and guns and put a mall on fire.

 

The army does a good job, hope they stay some more years....

 

With respect , during the Bangkok shutdown the PDRC closed down some streets for months. The streets running from the Democracy monument were blocked with overturned cars and seized mini buses.

Same on Chaeng Wattana. Pra Isaras bully boys shot several people including an army colonel    ( faux pas ) not to mention the popcorn shooter.

You have to understand that all these latest protests have been started by the army and their political poodles to justify seizing power. Even Suthep owned up to this.

 

So the army can hardly claim credit for restoring order when they organised the disorder in the first place. Well documented facts repeated in all the newspapers.

 

However. On one thing we can agree. If the two factions want to protest it would be a lot better for the apolitical majority if they took it outside....way outside the city, so that ordinary people can go to work. 

But if they did that ....Who would give a toss what they said or got up to. They would , after a week or two , be faced with a lot of weary indifference.

 

So, they both go out and disrupt things as much as possible to get attention for their cause.

 

But make no mistake. The yellows started it by trying to bring down the elected government and the reds countered by trying to prevent this.

 

 

[Chris Lawrence]

20 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He warned the powers that be that such an action could have consequence. In the past, the Pheu Thai Party tried to amend the Constitution and it led to a political crisis, he said.

The Junta did.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/thailands-ruling-generals-running-out-of-time/ar-AAuSEPI?ocid=spartanntp

 

Overseas press are reporting on the 'Good Ole Boys'. See above.

[dinsdale]

SE Asia is being groomed by China. It's in their interest to have a dictator in Cambodia (Hun Sen), military junta (Thailand), complete lunatic (Philippines), pseudo democracy/government (Myanmar) in power. 

The military are running a big chunk of this part of the world. No good can come from this.

Signed

Despair

 

[MaxLee]

On 1/20/2018 at 6:14 AM, rooster59 said:

Election could be delayed to 2019

Election will never ever dever happen 

[dunroaming]

Pathetic and so predictable.