BANGKOK (NNT) - Following the Constitutional Court’s decision to suspend Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha from his duties as prime minister, the government has dismissed rumors of a possible cabinet reshuffle or dissolution of the House of Representatives.

 

Deputy Government Spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana stated in an interview on Saturday (27 Aug) that Gen Prayut still has other responsibilities within the government and that his suspension as prime minister is only in effect until the court issues a ruling on his tenure.

 

As required by the 2020 State Affairs Administration Act, Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon has assumed the role of acting prime minister.

 

Tipanan also confirmed that all government projects, including Thailand’s preparations for the upcoming APEC summit in November, will continue as planned.

 

The Constitutional Court last week suspended Gen Prayut from his position as prime minister pending its decision on his term limit. The suspension order followed the court’s unanimous decision to accept a petition from the opposition requesting a ruling on Gen Prayut’s eight-year tenure. The petition, signed by 171 opposition lawmakers, was submitted on Monday (22 Aug).

 

Deputy Prime Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Sunday (28 Aug) that coalition parties remain united and will continue to work with the ruling Palang Pracharath Party until the court rules on the matter.

 

Full Story: https://thainews.prd.go.th/en/news/detail/TCATG220829132000167

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-08-27

 

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There all hoodlums.  

As a suspended PM now acting as the defense minister he is creating a very poor optic, and as such he is tainting anything this cabinet does.  Therefore the cabinet should be disolved....

13 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

As a suspended PM now acting as the defense minister he is creating a very poor optic, and as such he is tainting anything this cabinet does.  Therefore the cabinet should be disolved....

Have to ask yourself....how long can they keep up this charade until it burst by the will of the people. 

A mass rebellion at hand.

Have to ask yourself....how long can they keep up this charade until it burst by the will of the people. 

A mass rebellion at hand.

 

I think the Thai populous is far to aperthetic for this to ever happen unfortunately for them. 

I can remember a certain current defense minister who 8 years ago denied that he was planning a military coup.

 

Do I believe anything the current government says?

 

Not a chance.

14 minutes ago, billd766 said:

I can remember a certain current defense minister who 8 years ago denied that he was planning a military coup.

 

Do I believe anything the current government says?

 

Not a chance.

Some wiser circles are expecting just this - and it'll be passed off as a good coup in one twisted form or another.

Historically, it's what they do and all they know. 

 Nothing will happen until after this meeting in November. Far too much face to be lost.

 

Unfortunately Prayut will not be in the limelight, although as defence minister he might be able to slip in unnoticed as right marker for the guard of honour!

Yingluck was also defense minister from 2013 till 2014.

 

When they removed her from the prime minister post, she also wasn't allowed to continue as defense minister

20 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Some wiser circles are expecting just this - and it'll be passed off as a good coup in one twisted form or another.

Historically, it's what they do and all they know. 

I think the "good coup" narrative is a busted flush. It has been so internationally for some time, but I think it will be so internally.

 

The biggest change for several generations is that the Thais, particularly but not only the younger generation, can now get their news and views from  alternative sources, which cannot be controlled by those in power. Thaksin/Tony Woodhouse clubroom chat for example - which is aimed at and reaches older people.

 

Ironically, Prayut's mind numbingly tedious monologues every Friday on all channels ( remember them?) probably accelerated that change!

 

Lots of things have and are changing, the dinosaurs are not able to keep up.

Edited August 29, 20223 yr by herfiehandbag

4 minutes ago, peterfranks said:

Yingluck was also defense minister from 2013 till 2014.

 

When they removed her from the prime minister post, she also wasn't allowed to continue as defense minister

Double standard for Prayut and Co....

22 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Double standard for Prayut and Co....

Code for: alright for us but not for them. 

4 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Code for: alright for us but not for them. 

Waiting to see if another filing is made in regards to his not actually conforming to the suspension....his need to be at the APEC Reception is of tantamount importance to him it seems.

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Some wiser circles are expecting just this - and it'll be passed off as a good coup in one twisted form or another.

Historically, it's what they do and all they know. 

History is what they used to do, but as another poster wrote, younger Thais get their news from other sources nowadays.

 

Also the ultra royalists are a different age group and they are slowly dying off as are the dinosaurs.

 

I can't put my hand on my heart and say that this was the last military coup but IF there is another and it turns bloody and violent it will not be so easy to hide as before.

 

From what I have seen of the younger generation (my son is 18) they are going to the temples less and less and their traditional respect for their government and the one who cannot be named is much less also. At least out here in rural Thailand it is.

That Prayut was the country's leader for full 8 years is clear to almost every normal Thai. If the CC decides otherwise, I believe there will be protests that can quickly become large. The last major survey with over 300,000 respondents showed that over 93% want, that Prayut disappear from the PM office now.

 

36 minutes ago, billd766 said:

From what I have seen of the younger generation (my son is 18) they are going to the temples less and less and their traditional respect for their government and the one who cannot be named is much less also. At least out here in rural Thailand it is.

Young and middle-aged urban bangkokite professionals are not ambivalent about all that either. Especially after a few beers, one hears all sorts of unflattering comments. It is increasingly clear that a broad wind of change is blowing, which is exactly what the powers -that-be are so afraid of.

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Deputy Government Spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana stated in an interview on Saturday (27 Aug) that Gen Prayut still has other responsibilities within the government and that his suspension as prime minister is only in effect until the court issues a ruling on his tenure.

When one hopes it's made permanent.

17 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Have to ask yourself....how long can they keep up this charade until it burst by the will of the people. 

A mass rebellion at hand.

Thais are too lethargic.

13 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Thais are too lethargic.

And averse to being butchered like animals on the street by those who are supposedly there to protect them.

4 minutes ago, baboon said:

And averse to being butchered like animals on the street by those who are supposedly there to protect them.

If every Thai who is disappointed with Prayut and really wanted him out, got off their backside and marched to Bangkok this government would be out.

The government can handle a few hundred young protesters but couldn't manage thousands/millions.

 

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

If every Thai who is disappointed with Prayut and really wanted him out, got off their backside and marched to Bangkok this government would be out.

The government can handle a few hundred young protesters but couldn't manage thousands/millions.

 

I couldn't agree more, but how to actually organise that? Plus the death toll could be horrifying if the military are prepared to kill as many people as it takes to stay in power. And remember the 'safety valve' is no longer there.

15 hours ago, peterfranks said:

Yingluck was also defense minister from 2013 till 2014.

 

When they removed her from the prime minister post, she also wasn't allowed to continue as defense minister

Mind you, I don't think the military ( coincidentally the Army was headed by a chap called Prayut) ever took the slightest notice of her...

45 minutes ago, baboon said:

I couldn't agree more, but how to actually organise that? Plus the death toll could be horrifying if the military are prepared to kill as many people as it takes to stay in power. And remember the 'safety valve' is no longer there.

If this regime started to slaughter innocent protesters on the street, it would be broadcast globally.

That would destroy this governments credibility.

The reason they are still in power is because of the lethargy of the people.

And how  to do it, you ask?

Social media...

Organise a day and the whole nation descends on Bangkok.

Or if that's too risky there is another option that they can't do anything about.

Organise a sit-in/down.

Every day the whole nation stops working for a period of time.

Every establishment, company, business, factory.

How long do you think the oh-so important foreign companies like the auto industry would put up with that.

Prawit & Co would be powerless to do anything.

 

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

If every Thai who is disappointed with Prayut and really wanted him out, got off their backside and marched to Bangkok this government would be out.

The government can handle a few hundred young protesters but couldn't manage thousands/millions.

 

 

53 minutes ago, baboon said:

I couldn't agree more, but how to actually organise that? Plus the death toll could be horrifying if the military are prepared to kill as many people as it takes to stay in power. And remember the 'safety valve' is no longer there.

You are both right.

 

Personally, if it came to a fight, I don't think the greater part of the army would be up for it. Most are barely trained, their kit is at best obsolete, and much is unserviceable, and they have insufficient transport to really deploy.

 

The "praetorian guard units", who have the newer kit and are in and around Bangkok maybe could make a mess, maybe the government could control central Bangkok, but elsewhere no.

 

But there would be a big death toll.

1 minute ago, herfiehandbag said:

 

You are both right.

 

Personally, if it came to a fight, I don't think the greater part of the army would be up for it. Most are barely trained, their kit is at best obsolete, and much is unserviceable, and they have insufficient transport to really deploy.

 

The "praetorian guard units", who have the newer kit and are in and around Bangkok maybe could make a mess, maybe the government could control central Bangkok, but elsewhere no.

 

But there would be a big death toll.

And least not forget many of the army conscripts are from poor families so I would anticipate that their loyalties would mean their support of the masses.