Senator warns that Paetongtarn Shinawatra or Ung Ing, Thaksin’s daughter, is wrong for the job

[webfact]

Paetongtarn Shinawatra (centre) emerged in last Sunday’s Nida Poll as the runaway public favourite for the role of Prime Minister with 25.68% support leaving the incumbent, General Prayut Chan ocha (left), in third place with only 11.68%, a sharp drop in three months. Newly elected Bangkok Governor and former Minister of Transport in the 2011 government, headed by Ms Paetongtarn’s aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, Chadchart Sittipunt (right), was listed as 6th choice with 4.2%. In recent days, Senator Wanchai Sornsiri, a conservative lawmaker appointed by the former junta, has warned that the selection of Ms Paetongtarn for the role would be the wrong one suggesting that the 35-year-old daughter of Ex-Premier Thaksin Shinawatra needed more time to mature and handle responsibilities before taking on the top job.

 

by Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor

 

Political instability in Thailand, cited by Fitch, the US ratings agency which retained Thailand’s BBB+ status last week, as one of the country’s greatest weaknesses and an impediment to its economic prospects, has not gone away. With the opposition parties surging in the polls and the likelihood of them attaining power growing, its spectre again looms large.

 

A senior Thai senator has warned that Ung Ing or Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, should not be the next Prime Minister even if the Pheu Thai Party wins the next General Election. Senator Wanchai Sornsiri who has been outspoken on Facebook about current political developments, warned of the danger of Ms Shinawatra’s ambitions ending in the same fashion as her predecessors.

 

It comes after a Nida Poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) this month showed that the Pheu Thai Party, the Move Forward Party and the Thai Sang Thai Party of Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan commanded 57.2% support while Ms Shinawatra led the race as the first choice for Prime Minister with 25.28% beating the current Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha into third place on 11.68%, a precipitous drop in three months.

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2022/06/28/senator-warns-about-thaksin-daughter-paetongtarn-shinawatra-as-pm/

 

-- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2022-06-29

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Easiest way to own or rent a car in Thailand - click here to find out more!

[heiri007]

Of course he does object.

 

Interesting times ahead. Puea Thai victory is a given.

[ThailandRyan]

A paid for dog of the General who himself was installed as a Senator and not elected speaks out....time the curs leave the government to the regular people.

[robblok]

Depends if she is working for the people then there would be no problem. If she like her other family tries to get Thaksin home then it could lead to trouble. So it all depends do they want to work for the people (and take their corruption cut like the current MOB) or go after a Thaksin pardon again. (not beneficial to the people will lead to problems)

 

Will have to wait and see for that one.

[OneMoreFarang]

3 minutes ago, robblok said:

Depends if she is working for the people then there would be no problem. If she like her other family tries to get Thaksin home then it could lead to trouble. So it all depends do they want to work for the people (and take their corruption cut like the current MOB) or go after a Thaksin pardon again. (not beneficial to the people will lead to problems)

 

Will have to wait and see for that one.

I fully agree

 

A long time ago Yingluck said that she is not interested in politics. And then her big brother convinced her to run for PM - with no relevant experience.

She was elected and she got her chance. She could have worked for the people.

But then she showed that her main interest was to whitewash her brother.

The rest is history.

 

If another Shinawatra will be elected we can be pretty sure history will repeat itself.

Maybe she should think about what a wonderful comfortable super rich life she could have ...

 

[mikebell]

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

beating the current Prime Minister Prayut Chan ocha into third place on 11.68%,

A donkey would have achieved the same result.

[robblok]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I fully agree

 

A long time ago Yingluck said that she is not interested in politics. And then her big brother convinced her to run for PM - with no relevant experience.

She was elected and she got her chance. She could have worked for the people.

But then she showed that her main interest was to whitewash her brother.

The rest is history.

 

If another Shinawatra will be elected we can be pretty sure history will repeat itself.

Maybe she should think about what a wonderful comfortable super rich life she could have ...

 

The relevant experience part is a joke as there was a drug dealer in the current MOB. I mean its not as if experience means anything in Thailand both sides mess with it. So i don't see the experience thing as a problem. Just look at Prayut with his military style of doing stuff. Not exactly a shining example either. Competency wise i think both sides are equally weak. In Thai politics it never is about experience / competency but about contacts and power.

 

I don't mind the  PTP, cant be that worse as the current MOB, just don't want to see problems again. These can be easily avoided by not bringing Thaksin back. But it seems that was their main goal in the past and willing to ruin their chances at a peaceful government.  I just hope they don't make the same mistake again. If they don't wonderful. 

 

Corruption wise i think both are equally corrupt. 

[nikmar]

I wonder when Suthep will start bleating about bringing the people out on the streets again to "obliterate Thaksinocracy" again.

[ThailandRyan]

2 minutes ago, nikmar said:

I wonder when Suthep will start bleating about bringing the people out on the streets again to "obliterate Thaksinocracy" again.

Right after he meets with Prayut and gets approval so that his goons will be the only ones allowed.  He will then go and become a monk again to atone for his self made millions and sins....

[Thailand]

Hardly relevant the military etc will still be in power in one form or another for some time to come.

[phetphet]

You would think that they would learn their lesson and put forward someone other than a Thaksin for the job. It's like a red rag to a bull.

 

Why she would want to apply for a job that has exiled both her father and aunt? Her father is a billionaire, so she can't want for money...or maybe she does. Or, as I suspect, the puppet master is pulling the strings

 

But I agree that 35 is far too young to run the country. What other work has she done? What  qualifications does she have?

 

There may be troubles ahead.

[OneMoreFarang]

37 minutes ago, robblok said:

The relevant experience part is a joke as there was a drug dealer in the current MOB. I mean its not as if experience means anything in Thailand both sides mess with it. So i don't see the experience thing as a problem. Just look at Prayut with his military style of doing stuff. Not exactly a shining example either. Competency wise i think both sides are equally weak. In Thai politics it never is about experience / competency but about contacts and power.

 

I don't mind the  PTP, cant be that worse as the current MOB, just don't want to see problems again. These can be easily avoided by not bringing Thaksin back. But it seems that was their main goal in the past and willing to ruin their chances at a peaceful government.  I just hope they don't make the same mistake again. If they don't wonderful. 

 

Corruption wise i think both are equally corrupt. 

Somehow I still have hope that one day Thais will vote for smart and not so corrupt people like Abhisit.

Please don't laugh, it must be one of those little boy "the world will get better" syndromes.

[bobbin]

To be honest, my feelings regarding the current military government have taken a 180 degree turn..

 

They are now my heroes.

 

Starting from when the then-Justice Minister declared the Drug War lost and over, the initiative to legalize medical cannabis and culminating in the recent legalization of Cannabis.

 

This is a bold and long overdue action and hopefully will encourage other countries in the region to follow suit..

 

A civilian government would have been unlikely to have delivered this policy in any reasonable time-frame given the horse-trading  necessary..

 

So Ms. Shinawatra and her clan had best get onboard, and how likely is that, with Papa's recent outburst comparing cannabis to opium and heroin?

[Thaiwrath]

19 minutes ago, phetphet said:

 

 

But I agree that 35 is far too young to run the country. What other work has she done? What  qualifications does she have?

 

There may be troubles ahead.

Probably a lot more than the clown that has been at the helm for the last 8 years !

[overherebc]

22 minutes ago, phetphet said:

You would think that they would learn their lesson and put forward someone other than a Thaksin for the job. It's like a red rag to a bull.

 

Why she would want to apply for a job that has exiled both her father and aunt? Her father is a billionaire, so she can't want for money...or maybe she does. Or, as I suspect, the puppet master is pulling the strings

 

But I agree that 35 is far too young to run the country. What other work has she done? What  qualifications does she have?

 

There may be troubles ahead.

But while there's moonlight

and music and love and romance

let's face the music and dance.

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Senator Wanchai Sornsiri, a conservative lawmaker appointed by the former junta

Pot. Kettle. Black.

[lujanit]

1 hour ago, mikebell said:

A donkey would have achieved the same result.

If a donkey had been a choice in the poll Cha-Cha would have been a distant fourth.

[Denim]

1 hour ago, phetphet said:

What other work has she done?

She has served the people in a previous important position.

 

Working in McDonalds,

 

 

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/31/content_319484.htm

 

Which compared to Prayuth and all the other goons makes her over qualified if anything.

[huangnon]

1 hour ago, bobbin said:

To be honest, my feelings regarding the current military government have taken a 180 degree turn..

 

They are now my heroes.

 

Starting from when the then-Justice Minister declared the Drug War lost and over, the initiative to legalize medical cannabis and culminating in the recent legalization of Cannabis.

 

This is a bold and long overdue action and hopefully will encourage other countries in the region to follow suit..

 

A civilian government would have been unlikely to have delivered this policy in any reasonable time-frame given the horse-trading  necessary..

 

So Ms. Shinawatra and her clan had best get onboard, and how likely is that, with Papa's recent outburst comparing cannabis to opium and heroin?

Hey! Look over there!

The cannabis legalization is just a sideshow distraction from a desperately unpopular government that stole people's democracy and livelihoods at the point of a gun.

[edwinchester]

2 hours ago, mikebell said:

A donkey would have achieved the same result.

Stand by for a defamation suit from Eeyore.

[seajae]

this is the problem in Thailand, they refuse to see the corruption because many want in on it, money rules and they dont care about the state of the country, lack of a decent education means they are not capable of realistic thinking/rational thought. Instead of voting for someone that will actually try to make the country better they vote for corrupt families that are only there to benefit themselves, we will not see Thailand begin to improve until such time as there is a decent education system so that the people are capable of independant thinking. Currently the parties are only interested in getting their snouts in the trough, I doubt another shin will be any different as the party members are known for their corrupt ways in the past, instead of just using the shin name for another puppet leader the country needs a pm that will stand up for the people and not the corrupt parties

[Eric Loh]

A poll on leading choice for Prime Minister may be flattering but doubt she is interested in that role for now. His dad said that just couple months ago that he doesn't envision his daughter even contesting the poll. Thaksin see her in a learning curve and view the importance of her role in uniting the party ready for the election and a more youthful party image. In Thaksin own words Ï am not dreaming too far yet. I just want her to help with the academic work and bring people together to brainstorm ideas". Personally, I do agree that she need few more years in a political position to garner experience and relationship with the powers and people. But she definitely has all the attributes to be a future candidate for prime minister.  

[bobbin]

16 minutes ago, huangnon said:

Hey! Look over there!

The cannabis legalization is just a sideshow distraction from a desperately unpopular government that stole people's democracy and livelihoods at the point of a gun.

Oh no! I feel so deceived..

[robblok]

2 hours ago, bobbin said:

To be honest, my feelings regarding the current military government have taken a 180 degree turn..

 

They are now my heroes.

 

Starting from when the then-Justice Minister declared the Drug War lost and over, the initiative to legalize medical cannabis and culminating in the recent legalization of Cannabis.

 

This is a bold and long overdue action and hopefully will encourage other countries in the region to follow suit..

 

A civilian government would have been unlikely to have delivered this policy in any reasonable time-frame given the horse-trading  necessary..

 

So Ms. Shinawatra and her clan had best get onboard, and how likely is that, with Papa's recent outburst comparing cannabis to opium and heroin?

Your right the only thing they did well was legalize cannabis. Thaksin is a dangerous idiot comparing cannabis to opium. Dont forget he was the one that allowed the killing of drug users to happen. So im not sure what we can expect from the Pheu Thai on that front. 

 

They probably want to criminalize it again as it was something that made the other side popular. Also the major of BKK was an idiot reporting an overdose on canabis and then after the guys body was examined there was no THC in his blood and he had an heart condition. So not sure about that part.

[Misterwhisper]

This is like freakin' deja-vu.

 

In my opinion, it's rather clear why PTP fields an unexperienced "girly" like Paetongtarn. who at 35 years old cannot possibly have attained the political acumen to head a government and whose knowledge of economics is limited to spending her family's wealth.

 

With her meddling in politics she is simply following daddy's orders -- just like her aunt before her, who Thaksin had no scruples throwing under the bus as long as he could use her as a pawn to push his own agenda. Paetongtarn is going to be just the same puppet that Yingluck was, and whose strings Thaksin will pull as he sees fit.

 

Wanna bet that one of the first things on her to-do list will be to bring daddy back home?

 

I am not siding with that junta-instated senator. But he DOES have a point nevertheless.

 

Then again, Thai politics has NEVER been about political competence and fielding the right people. Instead it's ALWAYS been who is going to get their turn at the feeding trough next.

 

Thaksin has been getting increasingly hungry since 2014. He needs and wants political relevance again; whether by proxy or directly doesn't matter to him. And that is the only reason why PTP is now pushing Paetongtarn as PM candidate. She knows it, PTP knows it, and every casual observer of Thai politics knows it too.

[spidermike007]

Though Thaksin was beloved by millions, and did a far better job than Prayuth could ever dream of doing, it seems that the family is fairly toxic at this point. Time for some new blood. Some smart, creative, youthful leadership. 

 

And the thought of Cha Cha having 11% support is laughable. Made up fiction. More like 3%. Having said that, it is nice to see even the faulty polls dropping. He, Anutin, Prawit, and that entire den of fools, are a boil on the face of the nation.

[Phoenix Rising]

4 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I fully agree

 

A long time ago Yingluck said that she is not interested in politics. And then her big brother convinced her to run for PM - with no relevant experience.

She was elected and she got her chance. She could have worked for the people.

But then she showed that her main interest was to whitewash her brother.

The rest is history.

 

If another Shinawatra will be elected we can be pretty sure history will repeat itself.

Maybe she should think about what a wonderful comfortable super rich life she could have ...

 

Maybe we should think about Thais electing whoever they want without interference from the old elite. How about that?

But I guess it's too much to ask for. When their place at the trough is threatened they will again instigate a coup and Thailand will be back to square one.

The funny thing is that they're cheered on by a few foreigners who actually believe the utter tripe about them wanting to improve and reform Thailand.

[JCauto]

5 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

A paid for dog of the General who himself was installed as a Senator and not elected speaks out....time the curs leave the government to the regular people.

His Master's Voice:

[JCauto]

1 hour ago, Misterwhisper said:

This is like freakin' deja-vu.

 

In my opinion, it's rather clear why PTP fields an unexperienced "girly" like Paetongtarn. who at 35 years old cannot possibly have attained the political acumen to head a government and whose knowledge of economics is limited to spending her family's wealth....

 

Then again, Thai politics has NEVER been about political competence and fielding the right people. Instead it's ALWAYS been who is going to get their turn at the feeding trough next.

Okay...so first of all, PTP hasn't fielded this woman as their leader, this is the response of people to a NIDA Poll. You know, as in "I, Prayuth, NEED A Poll that shows I am a popular Prime Minister..." That he finished 3rd in a NEED A Poll is about as big a condemnation as you're likely to observe in this land when it comes to powerful people who gained it via having guns.

 

Second of all, while your last sentence is true, why should it be accepted as being so? When it appears that there may actually be an independent candidate or party, he's sure to be quickly moved to the side (do you recall Thanathorn?). And don't think this is just the Military who were on board with that; the Democrats and Peua Thai would similarly be pleased to see him shuffled off to the sidelines. That's what they REALLY don't want! But second-worst is Thaksin, who for all of his bluster, lack of respect for institutions and corruption did something nobody else had previously done - pointed the government firehose of funds towards the North and Northeast and decentralized power to them. That's something they'll never forgive, and why he's still Public Enemy Number One. Once the people realized that this was possible, the genie was out of the bottle. Now they'll put him or his relatives or sock puppets back whenever they're allowed to do so. 

The biggest disappointment for me remains the pathetic attitudes of the Bangkokians and other Thai who know better but won't vote against their own interests because they're essentially beneficiaries of the corruption and, at the end of the day, aren't willing to suffer even minor inconvenience to get real change. Oh, and the even-more-pathetic foreign cheerleaders (Steven100, care to offer another full-throated defense of the powers-that-be?).

[JCauto]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Though Thaksin was beloved by millions, and did a far better job than Prayuth could ever dream of doing, it seems that the family is fairly toxic at this point. Time for some new blood. Some smart, creative, youthful leadership. 

Oh, you mean the Future Forward Party? Gee, what happened with those guys?