Military pledges firm backing for PM Prayut

[Eligius]

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

Military don't vote but the people does and the people had enough of the 4+ years of police state, bad economy and blatant corruption, nepotism and cronyism. They just holding their frustrations and will display their discontentment at the ballot box. I believe that those parties that are associated with the military will be disseminated at the polls like in all previous elections.

 

Let Prayut live in his own bubble fantasy surrounded by sycophants who are out of touch with the grass roots and massaging him with information that he like. He is so out of touch with the reality on the grounds. He made the biggest mistake of prolonging his stay and delaying the election. This anger even his supporters and galvanize his opponents. This will be his undoing. 

 

 

 

 

 

   

I really, really, really, REALLY hope you are right, Eric!

[Scott]

A post containing a reference to the Monarchy has been removed along with a reply.  

 

[Eric Loh]

1 minute ago, Eligius said:

I really, really, really, REALLY hope you are right, Eric!

I had a dream.....

[GarryP]

Supposedly, once there  is an election and the Junta no longer in power, people and the press will be free to say what they think about the new government, their policies and the people in power.  However, if Prayuth returns as Prime Minister, I cannot believe that he will sit quietly while people speak out and complain about his dipshitness. He does not know how to take criticism. Like a spoilt child, he will demand that something is done to shut them up. I honestly cannot see much change happening in regard to freedom of speech. The courts are going to be inundated with defamation and computer crime cases. 

 

The worst possible thing to happen to this country is a return of Prayuth. I, for one, will not vote for him or any party that supports his return. 

 

  

[Samui Bodoh]

48 minutes ago, baboon said:

This is exactly what Eligius and myself have been saying. The politicians either need to kick up an unholy racket now and refuse to participate any further in this farce or it is Thankyou and Goodnight to any form of representative democracy. 

I know you are more of an optimist than we are, but surely even you can hear the fat lady limbering up and clearing her throat...

I hear you and Eligius clearly, and while I will go so far as to agree with a few preliminary stretches, I simply disagree that it is throat-clearing time. Were I to agree, it would mean (to me at least) that I didn't see any way out except some kind of 'take to the street' solution with all that entails; I just don't think we are there yet, and I also think it is up to the Thai people to determine if/when that is needed as they are a better judge of it than I.

 

Do the parties need to speak up soon? Yup. Do they need to speak today? Nope.

 

I would guess that what we are seeing is a military psy-ops operation trying to establish a set of facts on the ground that don't actually exist. And, I don't believe that they exist. Knowing what we know about the elections held this century, do you believe that there is majority support for a military party/parties? I do not.

 

The Thais need to sort this out their way; we can bang our heads and shout blue murder, but it doesn't matter one whit. And yes, I think if they leave it too late they will lose before it begins, but I don't think we are there yet.

 

As maddening as it is, this is an issue for Thais; let them deal with it.

 

All we get to do is shout from the bleachers.

 

Cheers

 

PS Do you think the Thais don't understand what is happening? They know...

 

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by Samui Bodoh
Lack of coffee

[boomerangutang]

They have no choice, if they want to keep their jobs and salaries.

 

nearly 4 yrs ago, Prayut changed out of his military clothes - into biz clothes, but everyone knows he's top brass, and must be heeded.

[boomerangutang]

he who controls the most guns and firepower......... calls the shots.

[boomerangutang]

5 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

As maddening as it is, this is an issue for Thais; let them deal with it.

It affects farang also, though maybe not quite as much.

 

With a military junta, here are some of the things that happen:

>>>  more regulations

>>>  more restrictions

>>>  less tourists

>>>  less easy for property owners to rent or sell

>>>  more restrictive Imm policies

[Samui Bodoh]

18 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

It affects farang also, though maybe not quite as much.

 

With a military junta, here are some of the things that happen:

>>>  more regulations

>>>  more restrictions

>>>  less tourists

>>>  less easy for property owners to rent or sell

>>>  more restrictive Imm policies

Respectfully (and I do seriously mean 'respectfully'), when you become an expat in a country that does not encourage foreigners to become citizens, you have to put up with a certain amount of crap.

 

Deal with it.

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by Samui Bodoh

[Eric Loh]

I see this coming election as a watershed election for many reasons. Obviously the big picture is that this election is all about the elites/military versus the people. When the people comes out to vote, they will show whether they still revere the new order that Prayut is probably the proxy. If the turnout is massive and the people win, it signal a paradigm change and more changes may follow.   

[Eligius]

1 minute ago, boomerangutang said:

It affects farang also, though maybe not quite as much.

 

With a military junta, here are some of the things that happen:

>>>  more regulations

>>>  more restrictions

>>>  less tourists

>>>  less easy for property owners to rent or sell

>>>  more restrictive Imm policies

You are so right, Boomerangutang. I know for a fact that Western university lecturers here who used to teach their English literature students Orwell's great work, Nineteen Eighty-Four, are no longer welcome to do so. That is just one example - from the sphere of education - where the authoritarian numbskulls who run this country now are influencing the life and professional activities of Western persons in Thailand (not to mention the Thais, of course).

[Samui Bodoh]

2 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

I see this coming election as a watershed election for many reasons. Obviously the big picture is that this election is all about the elites/military versus the people. When the people comes out to vote, they will show whether they still revere the new order that Prayut is probably the proxy. If the turnout is massive and the people win, it signal a paradigm change and more changes may follow.   

To those who do not believe, look at the last Burmese election.

 

The people are smarter than you think...

 

[nong38]

Well I never!!!

[TKDfella]

12 minutes ago, Eligius said:

Brilliant post, Samui Bodoh. Yes, it really is well past the eleventh hour now and is abundantly clear that the Thais are NOT going to be given any fair, free or meaningful election whatsoever. The whole thing is a stitch-up from start to finish., with the military pledged (effectively) to an endless coup against genuine democracy.

So: there needs to be a MASS public OUTCRY and UPROAR about what is happening in this country.

 

The silence, however -  is deafening ...

 

 

And I have been saying a while...it won't happen...mass demonstrations etc. that is. The government have the guns and...civil war. I don't think so.Why? here's an example; one family I know have four sons, two in the military and two in college...won't go into long detail...but the son's in military said they would follow orders no matter what. It made me wonder just how many families here are in a similar situation. And those in college may have to do a 1 or 2 year after college, so I've been told by the father. The PM has tasted power and wants to keep it and unless there is an opposition just as strong as the military backing then it might stay that way. Philosophically, most of us know that freedom is something like a 'relative illusion' (big brother, new laws for terrorism etc) in any country and while Thais are retain what they have at present (socially speaking) they believe they are still free.

[GarryP]

9 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Respectfully, when you become an expat in a country that does not encourage foreigners to become citizens, you have to put up with a certain amount of crap.

 

Deal with it.

 

It does not discourage it either. It is just not something they advertise. But plenty of us have gone through the process. 

[baboon]

3 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

I see this coming election as a watershed election for many reasons. Obviously the big picture is that this election is all about the elites/military versus the people. When the people comes out to vote, they will show whether they still revere the new order that Prayut is probably the proxy. If the turnout is massive and the people win, it signal a paradigm change and more changes may follow.   

Great post. However I fear that if the people do win, the changes that follow are more likely to be the junta in all perpetuity rather than a national shedding of skin and a reinvigorated moving forward - Myanmar at best.

Mind you, I hope for the day you and Samui Bodoh are on here telling me how wrong I got it... 

[Eligius]

1 minute ago, baboon said:

Great post. However I fear that if the people do win, the changes that follow are more likely to be the junta in all perpetuity rather than a national shedding of skin and a reinvigorated moving forward - Myanmar at best.

Mind you, I hope for the day you and Samui Bodoh are on here telling me how wrong I got it... 

Agree with you on this, Baboon. I very much hope that Eric Loh and Samui Bodoh are proven to be right and people like us are shown to be too pessimistic - but I simply cannot see Prayut and his controlling gang handing over REAL power to the Thai people, after these autocrats have wallowed in that power and become totally addicted to it for the past four years.

 

But again - I very much hope that Eric and Samui Bodoh prove to be accurate prophets (I remain extremely doubtful, however ...!).

[InMyShadow]

5 hours ago, z42 said:

Unsurprising but nauseating all the same. It is just sad to see a man with all the smarts of a donkey blatantly stealing a country, and only a small handful of people doing anything about it.

 

Thailand's political leaders for decades have been absurdly bad, but this guy who is stupid as mud isn't even facing any resistance. 

 

Thailand is in the gutter for sure right now. Hope is pretty much lost

Nonsense. You don't rise through the ranks to  General and then insert yourself into the position of Prime minister (by what ever means) by being stupid.

Stupid is working for peanuts as an English teacher. Stupid is retiring on a teeny weeny pension and posting from a bar stool. Stupid is marrying a bar girl..I could go on and on...

 

"isn't even facing any resistance."

 

Its been 4 or 5 years. No tanks , no armed soldiers , no violence. So whats stopping the Thais?  NOTHING! Prayut has done more than the last 5 pms combined and Thais are NOT stupid. They like what they see and absolutely guaranteed 1000% he will be voted in as PM

So there will be a mass exudes of expats via suvarnabumi when that happens ...not ! lol

Edited April 27, 2018 by InMyShadow

[nong38]

There was a time before the current people were running the place when the military were described as green on the outside but red on the inside, if that continues to be the case I wonder how far up the ladder it goes?

I also wonder if the people defeat the General at the polls what would happen next. it could happen very easily, the future looks a bit murky to me and in our home countries the thought of the military taking over the country just would not happen what does that say about this country? Where does it stand in the great scheme of things, its the sort of thing that happens in third world places where there is no justice and law. Do the powers that be realize how the rest of the world sees the or do they just not care?

I feel very sorry for the ordinary Thai. if they elect a crap government to run the place that's their choice, they can change it in 4 years or they can make the same mistake its up to them, eventually they will get the government they deserve or is that the position we have now?

[yellowboat]

52 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Military don't vote but the people does and the people had enough of the 4+ years of police state, bad economy and blatant corruption, nepotism and cronyism. They just holding their frustrations and will display their discontentment at the ballot box. I believe that those parties that are associated with the military will be disseminated at the polls like in all previous elections.

 

Let Prayut live in his own bubble fantasy surrounded by sycophants who are out of touch with the grass roots and massaging him with information that he like. He is so out of touch with the reality on the grounds. He made the biggest mistake of prolonging his stay and delaying the election. This anger even his supporters and galvanize his opponents. This will be his undoing. 

We can only hope you are right.   Many Thais just say: "what can I do?".  Many of my yellow friends were very unhappy about the watches and the Italian Thai CEO punishment, which makes them regret the coup.   Will the people actually do anything ?  One wonders. 

[Eligius]

13 minutes ago, InMyShadow said:

Nonsense. You don't rise through the ranks to  General and then insert yourself into the position of Prime minister (by what ever means) by being stupid.

Stupid is working for peanuts as an English teacher. Stupid is retiring on a teeny weeny pension and posting from a bar stool. Stupid is marrying a bar girl..I could go on and on...

Being thoroughly immoral, unethical and a tyrant in no way equate to being intelligent or clever. If you have no conscience and are a sociopath - you can rise high in the ranks - WITHOUT brains!

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by Eligius

[Creasy]

Is there a photo where this guy doesn't look smug ?

[Eric Loh]

1 hour ago, yellowboat said:

We can only hope you are right.   Many Thais just say: "what can I do?".  Many of my yellow friends were very unhappy about the watches and the Italian Thai CEO punishment, which makes them regret the coup.   Will the people actually do anything ?  One wonders. 

We can only look at history for clues. Thailand had a long history of military's flirtation with politics. There are parties that are set up with close ties with the military and there are those who pledge allegiance to the military. Happy to say none ever last long and all vanished with winds of political changes. After all, generals are also greedy and corrupted citizens and we have seen many generals change ships to be relevant to current political status. 

 

Sonti's  Matuphum Party lost badly in the elections. Dem Party was punished in the 2010 election and so was BJT who lost most seats outside Buriram. 

 

The Thai electorates are smarter than we think and now there are better informed. They will punished the junta at the ballot box. 

[Eric Loh]

The military can't win at the ballot box which is why they have to stage 13 coups. 

[Eligius]

27 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

We can only look at history for clues. Thailand had a long history of military's flirtation with politics. There are parties that are set up with close ties with the military and there are those who pledge allegiance to the military. Happy to say none ever last long and all vanished with winds of political changes. After all, generals are also greedy and corrupted citizens and we have seen many generals change ships to be relevant to current political status. 

 

Sonti's  Matuphum Party lost badly in the elections. Dem Party was punished in the 2010 election and so was BJT who lost most seats outside Buriram. 

 

The Thai electorates are smarter than we think and now there are better informed. They will punished the junta at the ballot box. 

You make some great points, Eric. I totally agree with you that the Thais will in large number (the majority - easily) vote against the junta and its affiliates in any 'election'. I also agree with you that the Thais are much better informed about politics these days (thanks largely - I hate to admit it! - to social media). 

 

For me, the big question is: if the Thais send a clear 'NO' vote to Prayut (and I am sure they will), how will he and his gang react? Will they graciously accept defeat? I would bet thousands of baht that they would not. Would they try to find some 'Constitutional' dodge to prove that the election result was illegitimate and 'unsound'? That seems likely to me.

 

Or would Prayut and his gang simply lie about the results of the 'election'? His track record as a compulsive and consistent liar makes that very likely. He could say (and who will dare check - all the institutions are in his power and pocket) that the junta and its affiliates just about garnered enough votes to form a government. Remember the 'Constitution' referendum? The junta tell us that 63% of Thais voted in favour of that democracy-smashing document. But no journalist, no investigative reporter, no political scientist, no outside and independent agency was ever allowed to check the claim (and of course, being Thai, no one even dared to ask). It could be all B.S. (and probably was).

 

So: I 100% agree with you that the Thais will give the junta a trouncing in any reasonably free election (as if that will ever happen!)  - but will Prayut and his power-addicts hold up their hands and graciously accept defeat?

 

I very much doubt it!

 

It still seems to me, very regrettably, that there is ultimately only one way that this gang of autocrats can be expelled from power - and it won't be through peaceful elections (which the power-holders will not honour if the result goes against them).

 

As always, I sincerely hope I am wrong - and that the more optimistic members of Thaivisa, such as yourself and Samui, will be proven to be right!

 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by Eligius

[Jonmarleesco]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Supreme Commander Thanchaiyan Srisuwan ... said to support the government was the military’s central role.

I suppose it would be ... where the government has arisen from the military. Otherwise... 

[Eric Loh]

52 minutes ago, Eligius said:

For me, the big question is: if the Thais send a clear 'NO' vote to Prayut (and I am sure they will), how will he and his gang react? Will they graciously accept defeat? I would bet thousands of baht that they would not. Would they try to find some 'Constitutional' dodge to prove that the election result was illegitimate and 'unsound'? That seems likely to me.

Eligious, that’s why in my post I said 13 coups. Prayut staged the 12th successful coups. This institution will never accept being push aside from the treasure cove. They will even fight among themselves for the best part of the meat as history witnessed in the 60s to 80s. They are bad scums and I hope that politicians like Wattana and Thanathorn get enough support if they in power to put those thieves in their rightful places behind bars. 

[Eligius]

6 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Eligious, that’s why in my post I said 13 coups. Prayut staged the 12th successful coups. This institution will never accept being push aside from the treasure cove. They will even fight among themselves for the best part of the meat as history witnessed in the 60s to 80s. They are bad scums and I hope that politicians like Wattana and Thanathorn get enough support if they in power to put those thieves in their rightful places behind bars. 

Love your post, Eric. Fully agree with you. These high-treasonous criminals should live out the rest of their lives in a tiny and dark prison cell.

 

Wouldn't it be fantastic if someone honest, democratic and decent (seemingly so, anyway) like Thanathorn could lead Thailand into a new and brighter future?

 

But I am dreaming again ...!

 

Edited April 27, 2018 by Eligius

[baboon]

1 hour ago, InMyShadow said:

Oh dear a tyrant? really? Hitler was a tyrant. Mussolini was a tyrant .Your a bit of a drama queen

The army is the only thing stopping Thailand descending in a long and bloody civil war. not unethical or immoral in my book

 

When he is elected as PM (of course TV bar stool analysts will scream election fraud) he has the full backing of the army..good stuff

 

Face it guys he is already legitimized by the west as the PM and Thais are not crying.  In fact the only crying going on is by the same  expats on these threads half who are not even in Thailand

 

"Oh dear a tyrant? really?" Yes, really. 

 

"The army is the only thing stopping Thailand descending in a long and bloody civil war. not unethical or immoral in my book". Debunked flapdoodle.

 

"When he is elected as PM (of course TV bar stool analysts will scream election fraud)" The election is a fraud now before voting even takes place.

 

"Face it guys he is already legitimized by the west" Not by me and many, many others he isn't. 

[sjaak327]

Interesting, are they moving the goalposts ? I thought the 250 senators only get to vote AFTER the house fails to elect a PM.

 

Even with the convoluted new vote counting rules and assuming PT gets a similar amount of votes as in 2011, they would have about 248 MP's they would only need 3 more.

 

The upcoming elections are nothing more than a smoke screen. A fully appointed senate and the 20 year roadmap ensures this.