7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Deputy police chief General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said yesterday the demonstration taking place inside a university, a private estate, would not violate the political assembly law.

 

What a back track.  The junta is showing signs of weakness.  Thought national grand high council of orderliness, and beffoonery sheer boredom  or something or another was independent and they were set a date.

This is his way of saying "not yet"

So he is planning some people for unrest

4 minutes ago, natway09 said:

This is his way of saying "not yet"

So he is planning some people for unrest

Yes (to the above). Prayut can and will use absolutely ANY excuse to delay the bogus election. It's far easier for him to carry on being an unchallengable, unaccountable (word we cannot mention) rather than having to do a little work and stitch up a whole election  -  so Prayut will welcome any and all eventualities as reasons (pretend reasons, of course) for staying on openly as a (word we cannot mention)!

 

Edited May 5, 20188 yr by Eligius

2 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

http://www.eastbysoutheast.com/the-best-of-thailands-pm-prayuth-chan-ocha-a-true-april-fool/

 

The press treat him as a fool. 

To be fair, they are only following his demand that media report the truth. 

" “Tell them there must be peace in society if they want an election,” Prayut said. “Whether the election will happen or not isn’t up to me. It’s up to them. And I have already said it will happen in 2019. Stop this already. I’m so tired.”

 

Well, if you're tired now, why would you even think about continuing  into the future? Step down, relax, take the weight of your feet, give the job to someone else and get a bridge team going with General Prem and his mates.

 

Edited May 5, 20188 yr by newatthis
spelling

9 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Prayut warns

I say it's not a warning but a threat

He's worried about a few hundred people? Good job there isn't another country knocking on Thailand's door...he'd be on the plane out.

11 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

He's worried about a few hundred people? Good job there isn't another country knocking on Thailand's door...he'd be on the plane out.

Yes (to the above): they are cowards, these junta thugs, all of them. It's so easy to lay down the law and ride on your high horse when you yourself and your mates are judge, jury and executioner. That is the situation in which Prawit and Prayut find themselves.

 

And why?

 

Because the Thais (who number nearly 70 million) have essentially ALLOWED this all to happen.

6 hours ago, pieeyed said:

Time for the self appointed military government to let the people vote for the government they really want.

...........let the people vote for the government they really want.

 

Thaksin wins....AGAIN!!!!!!

Nobody cares if your tired or not. If you're not up to the job, then bugger off and call an immediate election.

 

Tired my left foot.

11 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

so Feb next year is False News

Who said dat ? Can't have it Feb.its Valentine's Day.march it's st Patrick's day,April song kram,may it's too hot,June he's on holiday and so on and on we go.cant really think of a dictator that retires.they all seem to get too cozy in the hot seat.

Sounds like a spoiled brat saying "Listen,If you don't want to play by my (new made up) rules then I will take the (only) succor ball and go home.

7 hours ago, SABloke said:

And I love this photo caption from the Bangkok Post: 

 

At the recent Australia-Asean summit in Sydney in March, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha showed off two rings and a watch, but had no significant contribution to the meeting. 
 

Even the local press doesn't pretend to like him anymore. 

It was a great photo. It showed just how completely out of his depth he is in the international arena. He looked scared and lonely and wishing his two right-hand men, good 'ole Dumbo and his pet frog, were there to hold his hand. He didn't even have a banana peel within arms reach. Sad, sad little man. A far cry from the smug, arrogant, thuggish buffoon that basks in his own perceived glory before the local media in Thailand. 

1 hour ago, KiwiKiwi said:

Nobody cares if your tired or not. If you're not up to the job, then bugger off and call an immediate election.

 

Tired my left foot.

The main reason for this very long military take over is so that they can change enough of the "so called) constitution so as to never have a elected PM to have such a strangle hold over the country that they almost become a permanent dictator. Do not forget this country has been for over 80 years controlled by the military and will continue to be for a long time in the future.

32 minutes ago, AsiaHand said:

to never have a elected PM to have such a strangle hold over the country that they almost become a permanent dictator. Do not forget this country has been for over 80 years controlled by the military and will continue to be for a long time in the future.

It is the junta which is crushing the country in a real 'stranglehold' - not elected parties or prime ministers. As much as some people hate them, Thaksin and Yingluck were NEVER dictators, as they both submitted themselves to national elections, which international observers generally said were relatively free and fair (relatively - unlike the absolute UN-fairness of a military autocracy). If enough Thais hated Yingluck and Thaksin when they were the prime ministers, the Thais could vote them out of office. You cannot do that with a dictatorship. You cannot do that with a military junta.

 

You are of course right, AsiaHand, that the military are one of the great forces in Thailand who pull the levers of power - and (as you say), sadly, will in all likelihood continue to do so, unless the Thais finally realise that THEY own the sovereignty of this nation and speak out and say: 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'!

 

Edited May 5, 20188 yr by Eligius

13 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Prayut warns activists that protests will only delay poll

While the anti junta protests take place he will probably be in a studio to record his rendition of "Oh Happy Day".

Thailand is run on deceit lies and corruption. Even Cuba was not as bad as Thailand. 

Meanwhile at the rally this evening “The demonstrators later released "Yutnocchio" balloons to make a point. Images of the prime minister with a long Pinocchio nose have become a main symbol of their campaign”.

How very appropriate. Well done. 

47 minutes ago, AsiaHand said:

The main reason for this very long military take over is so that they can change enough of the "so called) constitution so as to never have a elected PM to have such a strangle hold over the country that they almost become a permanent dictator. Do not forget this country has been for over 80 years controlled by the military and will continue to be for a long time in the future.

 

I'm not sure on reading this, whether or not it is an apology for the military coup-makers. If so then I think it's a very naive view. This country has not been controlled by the military except as a proxy. The military aren't that smart, and can't even be relied upon to defend Thailand against a marauding band of Laotian farmers, hence the humiliating defeat at their hands in the 1970's..

 

The wealthy and entitled were behind this last coup as they have been behind all the previous coups, and when Prem finally shuffles off this mortal coil, I suspect the era will have ended - we are unlikely to see his kind again and I think Thailand should be most grateful for that.

No one believes the Junta will allow elections to happen. While they have their noses in the trough they are not about to give it up. The problem is that the Thai people will rise up and the only way the Junta knows how to handle it is with guns.

6 minutes ago, tigermoth said:

No one believes the Junta will allow elections to happen. While they have their noses in the trough they are not about to give it up. The problem is that the Thai people will rise up and the only way the Junta knows how to handle it is with guns.

I understand what you are saying, Tigermoth - but in a way, I would say that the problem is the opposite: that the Thais do NOT rise up! They just keep on taking it all - all the oppression, all the insults to the intelligence, all the lies about 'elections', all the nonsense about 'Thai-niyom', etc., etc. 

 

If the mass of the Thai people DID rise up and rebel, there might be a real chance for change and progress - at last!

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

Meanwhile at the rally this evening “The demonstrators later released "Yutnocchio" balloons to make a point. Images of the prime minister with a long Pinocchio nose have become a main symbol of their campaign”.

How very appropriate. Well done. 

They did? Stand by for violation of airspace charges, then...

I predict a small car bomb explosion in Bangkok.  Middle of the night, no witnesses.  Nobody hurt or injured.  But enough to reset the security meter back to Red Alert.

 

 

2 hours ago, AsiaHand said:

The main reason for this very long military take over is so that they can change enough of the "so called) constitution so as to never have a elected PM to have such a strangle hold over the country that they almost become a permanent dictator. Do not forget this country has been for over 80 years controlled by the military and will continue to be for a long time in the future.

"The main reason..."

There's another part of the constitution that was conveniently changed (wouldn't have been possible without a coup). Can't say more and remain legal, but let's just say it involves part of that which the leprechaun seeks at the end of the rainbow. 

 

"...controlled by the military..."

Pretty much a euphemism...fun fact: the Supreme Commander is not in fact the highest position in the armed forces 

Oh dear an ant is crossing an 8 lane road, sorry the election must be delayed until this ant is seen off.

Sorry we cant hold elections when ants are on the road,

Please understand it is for the safety and well being of all thai people..

 

aka any excuse will do..

2020 and that is only a maybe!

3 minutes ago, kaorop said:

Oh dear an ant is crossing an 8 lane road, sorry the election must be delayed until this ant is seen off.

Sorry we cant hold elections when ants are on the road,

Please understand it is for the safety and well being of all thai people..

 

aka any excuse will do..

Yes, Kaorop, the junta are as intelligence-insulting as you suggest. 

 

Literally ANY excuse will be used by the junta to delay the 'election' - for example:

 

there is not yet complete peace and harmony in the land;

people will be 'confused' if they are allowed to talk about an election and politics;

terrorists are threatening Thailand - now is not the time for an election;

a cache of weapons has been found - national security prevents any election for the time being;

a certain person has passed away, so elections would be inappropriate for at least 6 months;

people up and down Thailand have told Prayut repeatedly (he says) that they are happy with him, want him to stay on, and don't need an election ...

 and on and on the excuses will go. They are legion.

 

I just hope that EVENTUALLY the Thais will have had enough of it all and will re-discover  their long-suppressed dignity and rights again. But that means - to FIGHT for them!

You can still have an election with people in the streets.  USA pulled it off somehow AND with the Ruskies meddling on Facebook.

 

The take away from that, which probably keeps Prayuth up at night is, despite all the careful preparations, the wrong party might still get elected.

2 hours ago, Eligius said:

Yes, Kaorop, the junta are as intelligence-insulting as you suggest. 

 

Literally ANY excuse will be used by the junta to delay the 'election' - for example:

 

there is not yet complete peace and harmony in the land;

people will be 'confused' if they are allowed to talk about an election and politics;

terrorists are threatening Thailand - now is not the time for an election;

a cache of weapons has been found - national security prevents any election for the time being;

a certain person has passed away, so elections would be inappropriate for at least 6 months;

people up and down Thailand have told Prayut repeatedly (he says) that they are happy with him, want him to stay on, and don't need an election ...

 and on and on the excuses will go. They are legion.

 

I just hope that EVENTUALLY the Thais will have had enough of it all and will re-discover  their long-suppressed dignity and rights again. But that means - to FIGHT for them!

the Queen is elderly and unwell

good wishes to Thailand from Germany may not suffice too long

Prem is very very old and the new figures in the army may not all believe the same things as were OK in the past.

Also very old is the main man of Thailand's biggest company - how will things fall into place when he reaches his rewards in heaven?

these are all important factors that fossilize Thailand at the moment but will end, I hope.

TV today showed a lot of content about protests I thought would not have been allowed. Salutes to the brave.

Another bunch of idiots marching with no support from the 60 million

Every time they fail they are forcing democracy 2 steps back.

Prayut must be grinning ear to ear