Future Forward to contest all 350 constituencies at election: Thanathorn

[snoop1130]

Future Forward to contest all 350 constituencies at election: Thanathorn

By Kas Chanwanpen 
The Nation

 

Thanathorn during the official launch of his Future Forward party.

 

Political novice Thanathorn Juangroonruangkit has proclaimed that his young-blood party, Future Forward, will field candidates in all 350 constituencies across the country at the general election, being ready to fully penetrate Thai politics.

 

Described by some observers as being full of hipsters, and mostly young urban people, Future Forward has been slapped down in some quarters as not being able to connect to the mass grass-roots voters outside Bangkok and the main provincial towns. 

 

But the political-enthusiast billionaire insisted he had 10 months before the election, and was taking it seriously as no current players could represent his interest in politics.

 

Thanathorn made the remarks on Monday in an interview on Facebook Live with alternative online news outlet The Standard, five days after the party had made its official launch, which rocked the media and the country’s ‘old’ politics.

 

He expressed his aspiration not to be part of a ruling coalition, but to form a single-party government. 

 

However, if that ambition was unrealised, he said he would join a coalition under one condition: that the partner party must sign a memorandum of understanding with Future Forward accepting certain terms and conditions.

 

The Future Forward leader said the party would then be ready to walk out if the partner in the coalition broke the contract.

 

He would be ready to be the opposition party, too, he said, adding that he understood very well that it would take time to make the changes he wanted to see.

 

Thanathorn, for the first time, also officially refuted a lese-majeste allegation against him.

 

It had started with the so-called “lese-majeste chart” presented by then-government officials during the political demonstration in 2010, he said. 

 

Thanathorn’s name was on the chart and a reputation of his being critical of the monarchy had persisted ever since, he explained.

 

However, the problematic chart has since been proved untrue, he stressed, and the government official who had publicised it at the time had already revealed that it was a made-up story.

 

The chart had also suggested he had a connection with former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Thanathorn’s uncle, Suriya.

 

Thanathorn has been viewed as “the next Thaksin” too, given his background and political ambition. However, the billionaire businessman refuted the comment, pointing out that his business and Thaksin’s were different.

 

“I met my uncle once a year at the annual family gathering and we only asked each other about our well-being,” he said during the interview. 

 

“And as for Thaksin, I met him the last time more than 10 years ago when he visited my ailing father. We haven’t been in contact since,” he added.

 

Thanathorn admitted that he had invested Bt200,000 with a friend to launch the highly controversial publishing house Same Sky Books, which is often alleged to have printed books critical of the monarchy.

 

However, the investment was made out of his earnest intention to make possible a social-science journal, he insisted.

 

“And there’s nothing illegal about the publishing house. It is still operational until today,” he said. “If it was lese majeste, it would have been closed down.”

 

The Future Forward leader also disclosed some ideas about his party’s policies.

 

Firstly, the party would overturn all concession deals, liberate the trades and lift the restrictions that hindered businesses today, he said.

 

Then, it would restructure the country by decentralising it. 

 

And lastly, it would give opportunity to new-generation people and encourage them to be creative, including in the area of the gaming industry in which many young people are interested, he told The Standard.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30341348

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-3-20

[cornishcarlos]

Not sure what they will bring to the table but I'm sure they are giving the established elite sleepless nights, so for that, I salute you :)

[coulson]

This guy has spunk, could put the 4.0 into Thailand, while Prayut would have everyone wearing costumes!

[scorecard]

 

All well and good, the thing I'm waiting for is his policies on: police, education and law/judicial reform.

 

 

[bannork]

4 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

All well and good, the thing I'm waiting for is his policies on: police, education and law/judicial reform.

 

 

Reform the lot undoubtedly, but how to do it when faced with vested interests that resist? Therein lies the rub.

[Eric Loh]

I wouldn’t have quess that they can field and contest all 350 seats. Amazes me that they have 350 ready candidates and the financial muscle to pull this off. Thanathorn continue to surprise me with his gutsy and daring plan and his direct confrontational statements against the establishment and the military. If he win just 10-15% of total seats, he will play a major role in forming the next government and possibly derail the chance of the upper house selection of unelected Prayut premiership. There is still hope of we seeing the last of Prayut. 

[scorecard]

1 minute ago, bannork said:

Reform the lot undoubtedly, but how to do it when faced with vested interests that resist? Therein lies the rub.

 

Agreed, not just reform, it's whether the reformer can sideline the opponents, who are after all very powerful and ruthless.

 

Quite a task, but if this new guy knows his stuff he will be well realizing that if he gets 'stepped on' by the powerful he's lost 90% of any credibility.

 

I hope he fights, keeps on track, and has plans and implements them to keep a position which makes the powerful irrelevant. 

 

  

 

 

[scorecard]

3 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

I wouldn’t have quess that they can field and contest all 350 seats. Amazes me that they have 350 ready candidates and the financial muscle to pull this off. Thanathorn continue to surprise me with his gutsy and daring plan and his direct confrontational statements against the establishment and the military. If he win just 10-15% of total seats, he will play a major role in forming the next government and possibly derail the chance of the upper house selection of unelected Prayut premiership. There is still hope of we seeing the last of Prayut. 

 

What do you mean by 'financial muscle'?

 

 

[Eric Loh]

14 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

What do you mean by 'financial muscle'?

 

 

Cost for each single seat candidates and campaigning. Do the math for 350 constituencies. Seem he has thought this over and found the financing to made this bold announcement. 

[bannork]

2 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Cost for each single seat candidates and campaigning. Do the math for 350 constituencies. Seem he has thought this over and found the financing to made this bold announcement. 

I think he wants the authorities and the public to consider him a force to be reckoned with so in the event the former try to ban him on a technicality he can simply change the name and continue as PheuaThai, formerly Palang Prachachon, formerly Thai Rak Thai  have done 3 times now.

[Cadbury]

41 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

All well and good, the thing I'm waiting for is his policies on: police, education and law/judicial reform.

 

 

Reasonable questions given there is presently a useless education system, a corrupt judicial system and a dilatory and worthless police system.

Any policy would be better than this military government which has a "talk a lot, do nothing and dress up in stupid costumes policy".

[scorecard]

19 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Cost for each single seat candidates and campaigning. Do the math for 350 constituencies. Seem he has thought this over and found the financing to made this bold announcement. 

 

OK, but el you didn't mention any monthly salary, is your memory slipping? 

[Eric Loh]

11 minutes ago, scorecard said:

 

OK, but el you didn't mention any monthly salary, is your memory slipping? 

Have you read the Organic Act on Political Party especially on Expenditure of Political Party. Doubt you have read and one particular like minded poster who keep harping on this subject. Ignorance is not bliss.     

[scorecard]

56 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Have you read the Organic Act on Political Party especially on Expenditure of Political Party. Doubt you have read and one particular like minded poster who keep harping on this subject. Ignorance is not bliss.     

 

True, and I am well aware.

 

But do you really think a previous party will not find a way around the new laws and regulations. 

 

Or put it another way, will the 'previous party' be able to find 350 seat warmers  / yes men who don't get a bonus?

 

'Keep harping'. Your the all time champion of harping.  

 

 

Edited March 20, 2018 by scorecard

[JOC]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

He expressed his aspiration not to be part of a ruling coalition, but to form a single-party government. 

 

However, if that ambition was unrealised, he said he would join a coalition under one condition: that the partner party must sign a memorandum of understanding with Future Forward accepting certain terms and conditions.

 

The Future Forward leader said the party would then be ready to walk out if the partner in the coalition broke the contract.

The naivety of this young man, who no doubt have lived a very protected life, is almost touching......

Since political activity is prohibited, how can he be allowed to address media on a daily basis?

If Future Forward has a good election, they might get 1 or 2 seats....

 

 

 

 

[baboon]

3 hours ago, JOC said:

The naivety of this young man, who no doubt have lived a very protected life, is almost touching......

Since political activity is prohibited, how can he be allowed to address media on a daily basis?

If Future Forward has a good election, they might get 1 or 2 seats....

 

 

 

 

Fine. Let them stand against the (now disallowed) communist party, the Democrats, the Thaksin party, the baboon red arse party and whoever else. Just get the military out of it and back to the barracks.

If the generals think politics is for them, they should resign, campaign under their own merit and accept the result if the electorate do not want them.

[bannork]

2 hours ago, JOC said:

The naivety of this young man, who no doubt have lived a very protected life, is almost touching......

Since political activity is prohibited, how can he be allowed to address media on a daily basis?

If Future Forward has a good election, they might get 1 or 2 seats....

 

 

 

 

He seems to be addressing the media and public daily via Facebook live.

[stephen tracy]

20 hours ago, JOC said:

The naivety of this young man, who no doubt have lived a very protected life, is almost touching......

Since political activity is prohibited, how can he be allowed to address media on a daily basis?

If Future Forward has a good election, they might get 1 or 2 seats....

 

 

 

 

I think he can address the media but just can't go into detail about his party's policies until Prayuth gives the green light, if he ever does. It will be interesting to see how far these guys get. I'll say one thing for him, at least he's using his own money to finance things, unlike Prayuth who's looting the public coffers to buy votes under the pretext of helping the poor.

[scorecard]

31 minutes ago, stephen tracy said:

I think he can address the media but just can't go into detail about his party's policies until Prayuth gives the green light, if he ever does. It will be interesting to see how far these guys get. I'll say one thing for him, at least he's using his own money to finance things, unlike Prayuth who's looting the public coffers to buy votes under the pretext of helping the poor.

 

I wonder if there is another scenario; maybe the NCPO have been 'patiently' waiting / hoping for a new party / parties, looking very different, to stand up and be noticed and register.

 

Let's be honest if only the same old parties register then there is basically no progress.

 

Further, even if/when new and different parties do register the powers that be need to show some balance and keep saying, until the magic date, that parties cannot yet discuss, talk, hold seminare and rallies, etc. 

 

Just a thought.

 

 

[kannot]

Why not make your campaign motto "abolish les majeste" and also install juries in  the courts along with removal of the ridiculous  defamation CRAP.

[baboon]

25 minutes ago, kannot said:

Why not make your campaign motto "abolish les majeste" and also install juries in  the courts along with removal of the ridiculous  defamation CRAP.

Because lawns are a real bugger to put right once tanks have rolled over them?

[cookieqw]

i fear the only hope for thailand is the young people, so good luck to this guy

[kannot]

2 hours ago, baboon said:

Because lawns are a real bugger to put right once tanks have rolled over them?

At least the submarine wont do any damage!

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, cookieqw said:

i fear the only hope for thailand is the young people, so good luck to this guy

 

Agree, unfortunately IMHO the old parties are full of:

 

Either, dinosaurs who still live in last century and have little to zero awareness of the world today, and don't want to know about the world today;

 

or, what I call professional low life thieves who get into government with just purpose, where's the trough?

 

And some are both...

 

Edited March 21, 2018 by scorecard