Thailand’s Deputy Agriculture Minister Thammanat leaves his ministerial position, debate over if he resigned or was fired

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I wonder if this will open the door for Thaksin, now that the fixer has jumped ship?

Thaksin is history, he'll never come back let alone run for the top job.

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, internationalism said:

he was conspiring together with prawit.

their plot was discovered and swiftly torpedoed with 5mln bananas at the office of the very PM, as alleged by an opposition MP and yet to be investigated by the house speaker.

It least 10 MP's, that includes some 5 from the future forward, turned cobras (bite back at their parties)

Back-room shenanigans, the power rift has started.

[spidermike007]

Though the reasons for his dismissal are warped and twisted, it is always a good thing when a convicted heroin dealer is removed as a cabinet appointee. Can't say it was done out of a sense of morality or ethics, which is absent from this entire group, but at least it was done. 

 

Thailand will now be 1% less of a laughing stock of the planet. 

[newnative]

Good.

[tandor]

..dismissed or dishonorably discharged...or court marshalled...i wonder which is the correct term.

[champers]

He was Prawit's man; I think Prayut barely tolerated him but deferred to Prawit out of their long-term journey as generals and then politicians.

Prayut is obviously enboldened after seeing off both the no-confidence vote and the Thammanat plot.

The biggest clue that a split and a plot were in the offing is the fact that neither Prawit and Thammanat were subjected to no-confidence votes. Last time, in February, both were included and Thammanat got the least number of votes.

He is now outside the tent, pi55ing in, as opposed to being inside and in plain view. (John Major analogy).

Incidentally, I don't think he was actually in the cabinet (a mere captain, not a general, don't you know)  but had clear aspirations for a place at that highest table. His power was in the party apparatchik.

[tandor]

9 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Back-room shenanigans, the power rift has started.

...and Anutin is sitting quietly twiddling his whatsaname.

[zzaa09]

52 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Yep, the strings are cut and now he has the freedom to pursue his next move, interesting times.

As we speak, he's organizing a faux separatist Isaan sovereign movement with Khun Thanathorn as to throw everyone off...

[MrJ2U]

Watching a convicted heroine dealer climb through the ranks of government really turned people off.

 

How does that happen?

 

Obviously theres something not right with the people in charge.  

 

 

[mikebell]

How will he make ends meet without a regular wage coming in every month?  What possible career is left open to him?

[BananaGuy]

1 hour ago, Aussieroaming said:

He must have a case of the Long Bay Blues at the moment.

Believe it was actually Parklea followed by immediate deportation but whatever, Australia says ‘Hi pal good to see you rehabilitated and heading back to your home village to help others’

[Andycoops]

He should never have had the job in the government in the first place as a convicted drugs felon.

[Tonypandy]

This guy must have done somthing really bad to get the sack, if you look at how other ministers have totally messed up with Covid and still there. 

[Will B Good]

1 minute ago, Tonypandy said:

This guy must have done somthing really bad to get the sack, if you look at how other ministers have totally messed up with Covid and still there. 

Attempting a coup on the leader of the original coup! 

 

Big mistake if you don't come out on top.

[elgenon]

What happened? Was he truthful in his reports? Look out health minister. 

[Maejo Man]

2 hours ago, Mausgras said:

Thai minister jailed in Sydney for heroin importation finally ousted (smh.com.au)

 

Well worth a read. Just shows what a "class" act he was.

[Eric Loh]

I think his political future will fade as no big parties will take him in. Past fixers like Sonti, Newin and Sutherp felled to the wayside and became forgotten men. Fixers are only relevent when they have powerful men supporting him. Thammanat has none and soon Prawit will cut him off. Karma is a bitch. He fully deserved his misfortune. A bad man bite the dust. 

[Will B Good]

2 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

I think his political future will fade as no big parties will take him in. Past fixers like Sonti, Newin and Sutherp felled to the wayside and became forgotten men. Fixers are only relevent when they have powerful men supporting him. Thammanat has none and soon Prawit will cut him off. Karma is a bitch. He fully deserved his misfortune. A bad man bite the dust. 

What happened to Chalerm? 

[harada]

56 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Watching a convicted heroine dealer climb through the ranks of government really turned people off.

 

How does that happen?

 

Obviously theres something not right with the people in charge.  

 

 

It may have something to do with WHO he was smuggling the heroin for. 

[Will B Good]

1 hour ago, MrJ2U said:

Watching a convicted heroine dealer climb through the ranks of government really turned people off.

 

How does that happen?

 

Obviously theres something not right with the people in charge.  

 

 

Similar sentiments watching a third rate newspaper columnist and feckless, serial liar head up the 5th/6th largest economy in the world

[johnarth]

could become a top pastry cook

[sambum]

Wot? Sacked? No inactive posts available?

[sambum]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

How will he make ends meet without a regular wage coming in every month?  What possible career is left open to him?

Maybe "he go to de land down under" and resume his "business interests" there? 

[4MyEgo]

Someone said that they had just found out that he had changed his name to cover his past record, i.e. of being convicted and jailed in Australia on heroin charges ????

 

Australian drug conviction[edit]

Manat Bophlom, now known as Thamanat Prompow, was convicted of conspiring to import heroin to Australia. The ruling was handed down on 31 March 1994 when he was sentenced to six years imprisonment. Manat served four years, then was deported upon his release.^[19] BBC Thai reporters traveled to Downing Court in Sydney to view court records. Forbidden to make photocopies, they translated a relevant court document into Thai as proof of the conviction that Thamanat continues to deny.^[20][21] Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon asked the Thai people to leave the past in the past, saying the case has already been cleared up and that it was a matter concerning one person that has nothing to do with the nation.^[22][23] Thamanat claims he will sue the Sydney Morning Herald for defamation,^[24] although he declines to respond to their reporting.^[25]

[Mr Meeseeks]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Thaksin is history, he'll never come back let alone run for the top job.

Not personally, but his acolytes in the Pheu Thai Party are still very active and Thammanat is the main government fixer, who was keeping this coalition in line. 

 

Thammanat of course used to be Pheu Thai himself, until he jumped ship, and went to the same Police school as Thaksin.

 

Then there was this from back in June, shortly before all the commotion about Thammanat becoming PM started: https://thainewsroom.com/2021/06/30/thaksin-to-thammanat-dont-spend-money-on-elections/

 

I'm sure its nothing though. ????

[joecoolfrog]

And so it starts.....

[kcpattaya]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Controversial

That is a compliment...

[Misterwhisper]

Don't fret, Thammanat. You can always pick up your erstwhile vocation again -- which potentially also might be much more lucrative than being a politician. 

[robblok]

14 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I wonder if this will open the door for Thaksin, now that the fixer has jumped ship?

There are rumors he would go to the PTP but that would only show how evil and dirty Thai politics is. I mean the PTP attacked him full out on his drug past and then take him in. That would totally show the dark side and failings of Thai politics.

[Will B Good]

14 hours ago, DaveE13 said:

Oh well back to smuggling

Thought he was a baker?