Thaksin back in Thailand on May 16th - calls for a landslide election victory to get country out of a "black hole"

[Eric Loh]

2 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Thaksin took it to a whole new level.  You should look it up.  Especially the "rice pledge scheme".  It's like something from a Hollywood movie.

 

In most places, people would remember what Thaksin did in the past and would never vote for him again.  In Thailand they simply think "he gave me money, I like him".

 

People are free to vote for him, of course, it's just funny when someone says something about democracy, human rights, or law and order when discussing a Thaksin proxy being elected.

Really not funny when you understand what is the meaning of democracy. 

[OneMoreFarang]

What can we expect from a Thai political party with a young and inexperienced PM candidate? And that party is clearly controlled by a criminal from outside of Thailand.

It's amazing that so many people think that will have a happy ending.

Thaksin wants revenge. Will that unite Thailand? NO! It will divide Thailand even more.

I hope he dies in the desert. The sooner the better. 

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, zzaa09 said:

Poor old Thakky.

Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't.

 

????

Nah. IMO he's just damned.

 

I hope they have reserved a spot in one of those multi prisoner cells for him.

[connda]

Translated:
"If I can get 'my people' into office then I can come back to Thailand as they will strike down the criminal indictments."

[racket]

I would be cautions, the guy is most likely welcomed back because he certainly made concessions with the thai elite. This country is ran by a conglomerate of families, and in the end the ordinary Thai citizen will remain the biggest loser. 

 

On top of that, he must have made concessions with the west to make sure business deals are set in place if he decides to make a comeback and run for political office. 

 

Thailand is not better off going from a corrupt leader to another, they really need somebody new and young from the middle class and understands what needs to be done to fix this country moving forward. What this means for foreigners living in Thailand also remains a big question, because as I remember, foreigners weren't treated well during his reign.

 

The police force was so damn corrupt when Thaksin was in power, and that's something I give credit to Prayut for dealing with it (somewhat), but not to the extent that it has been effective for all these years he's been in power.

 

Too early to celebrate IMO, but again, the ordinary thai is the loser either way.

[vandeventer]

Maybe he could stop the burning off, as no one else can?

[n00dle]

I don't believe it for a second.

[proton]

2 hours ago, keith101 said:

He is pushing for his party to win so he and his daughter can get pardons and can return home and take power again .

why not as he and his sister were both illegally ousted from power. Not sure black hole is still in use there days.

[BangkokReady]

32 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Really not funny when you understand what is the meaning of democracy. 

Is it something like this:

 

Quote

 

Democracy

 

noun

 

When a wealthy and corrupt business man from a rich and well connected family buys his way into power and then uses the country as his personal business, silencing critics and rewarding cronies, changing laws as he sees fit to allow maximum corruption, while using industrial vote-buying funded by illegal and economically disastrous speculation schemes to maintain power.

 

[Thailand]

Don't see any way that the military will not still be in power in one way or another after the elections.

[Phoenix Rising]

43 minutes ago, racket said:

The police force was so damn corrupt when Thaksin was in power, and that's something I give credit to Prayut for dealing with it (somewhat), but not to the extent that it has been effective for all these years he's been in power.

You give credit to Prayut for what?????

[Phoenix Rising]

44 minutes ago, racket said:

I would be cautions, the guy is most likely welcomed back because he certainly made concessions with the thai elite.

 

Exactly. If Thaksin returns it's because deals have been made, deals that have been sanctioned by invisible hands and no amount of squealing from the rabid anti-thaksinistas will change that.

[skippybangkok]

Next round of yellow and red shirts.

 

[Mr Meeseeks]

2 hours ago, jvs said:

If he does come back,i do not believe he will come back unless his party(family) wins the election.

Then he can be pardoned by his own daughter?

It could get really messy but we will see i guess.

 

If coup makers can award themselves an amnesty against prosecution and threaten to send anyone to jail that disagrees with them, why should the opposition not think a Thaksin pardon may be possible?

 

Each side appears to make it up as they go along. 

 

This is either going to be a landslide victory for Pheu Thai and the cycle of coups continues, or they fiddle the election results in favour of the current incumbents and people go out on the streets in protest.

 

Either way there is going to be no end to the instability that started in 2005 after Thaksin stopped them all being given billions for free from KTB. 

[PeachCH]

Great news! I like Thaksin. Was working for several years in one of his companies. People liked him. 

Don't think that he will return to politics, but has to bee seen

[sandrew33]

2 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

I love the way many people who claim to be the good guys, and claim to support the moral and good choice of candidate, also gently threaten those who support the "bad guys" or question/doubt the "good guys" with consequences once the "good guys" win.

 

If your team or your candidate is planning any kind of revenge or punishment for anyone who supported the opposing team, you are not the good guys.

Which basically rules out everyone of significance in Thai politics. 

 

Ideally there would be a reckoning for all who have committed major constitutional breaches but one would settle for a peace treaty where all elections in the future are decided by a fair vote under a more reasonable constitution. 
 

How that is achieved is anyone’s guess. 

[sandrew33]

56 minutes ago, racket said:

I would be cautions, the guy is most likely welcomed back because he certainly made concessions with the thai elite. This country is ran by a conglomerate of families, and in the end the ordinary Thai citizen will remain the biggest loser. 

 

On top of that, he must have made concessions with the west to make sure business deals are set in place if he decides to make a comeback and run for political office. 

 

Thailand is not better off going from a corrupt leader to another, they really need somebody new and young from the middle class and understands what needs to be done to fix this country moving forward. What this means for foreigners living in Thailand also remains a big question, because as I remember, foreigners weren't treated well during his reign.

 

The police force was so damn corrupt when Thaksin was in power, and that's something I give credit to Prayut for dealing with it (somewhat), but not to the extent that it has been effective for all these years he's been in power.

 

Too early to celebrate IMO, but again, the ordinary thai is the loser either way.

Thaksin isn’t the future but some sort of reconciliation with the establishment is likely necessary for the country to end these insane political cycles. 

 

If him returning is a part of that then so be it. He’s no greater risk to the future of the country than leaving things as they are now and have been since 2014. 
 

 

 

 

[bannork]

The drugs war did result in some innocent casualties and for thos guilty there was no due process of law. In my local town, a pickup pulled up, no licence plates, 4 men in plain clothes got out, want into the video shop and shot the owner dead. Back into the pick-up in seconds and off they went.

Thaksin's obsession with marketing meant local officials were given targets to reach, allegedly in two categories: to be arrested and to be executed.

How did the authorities get the names of suspects? 

Some districts had boxes where members of the public could drop names in anonymously. Have a business rival? Put his name down.

Thaksin didn't like Westerners, remember the names of his parties, 'Thais Love Thais', ' For Thais'. He told the UN they were not his father regarding human right. For foreign retirees, he increased the minimum sum required in the bank from 200,000 baht to 800,000 baht 

His puritanical Interior Minister sent his children to study in New Zealand but allegedly refused to approve any Western applications for citizenship during his tenure.

 

; 

 

[kingstonkid]

I am waiting now to see who is going to argue that PT should be banned as a party and removed because a convicted criminal is electioneering for them.

 

Thaksin saying this is just a way for him to gin up support from those that remember the good old days

The problem that they are going to face, though is the threat or promise of his return is going to give some of the other parties the necessary fuel to add to their fire.  Remember he was ousted by protest and a coup.  

 

There are still a lot of people that think he was/is guilty and do not remember the Thaksin days as the good ole days.

 

[Eric Loh]

35 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

Is it something like this:

 

Just say you don’t know will do. A sneak peep to help you. Democracy is a system of elected government. Rest you can figure it out. 

[LatPhrao]

Just to think that I might be around long enough to see this egregious wrong righted and Thaksin and Yingluck back in Thailand, blessings upon them and the Thai nation.  Pray that it goes well and goes Thaksin's  way.   It has been a very long wait. 

[Phoenix Rising]

1 minute ago, kingstonkid said:

I am waiting now to see who is going to argue that PT should be banned as a party and removed because a convicted criminal is electioneering for them.

 

Thaksin saying this is just a way for him to gin up support from those that remember the good old days

The problem that they are going to face, though is the threat or promise of his return is going to give some of the other parties the necessary fuel to add to their fire.  Remember he was ousted by protest and a coup.  

 

There are still a lot of people that think he was/is guilty and do not remember the Thaksin days as the good ole days.

 

Well, we shall see if that's correct unless the old elite succeed in squeezing Paetongtarn out first. No doubt they will try their very best.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/thai-election-be-close-race-between-parties-surveys-show-2023-03-27/

 

"Pheu Thai in its previous incarnations has won every election since 2001, but its governments have been unseated through judicial rulings or military coups."

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Thaksin - a fugitive from Thai justice but a former leader who hopes his party can sweep to power and inspire his triumphant return to Thailand - said that his country was in a "black hole of misery".

The latter part is true, but I'm not sure he's the answer.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, Phoenix Rising said:

1. The Reds is not my team and Thaksin is not my candidate. I just happen to think that whoever gets legally and democratically elected should be allowed to serve their terms and not be subjected to coups.

2. I thought everyone got the joke but apparently not. Do you really think Thaksin cares about or has time for some squealing hysterical expat in Bangkok??

3. Do you really think anybody will issue an order that he can come back without going to jail from the airport etc?

 

All this is really thaksin vote buying 2023. 

 

[Phoenix Rising]

1 minute ago, scorecard said:

3. Do you really think anybody will issue an order that he can come back without going to jail from the airport etc?

 

All this is really thaksin vote buying 2023. 

 

I don't know what orders have been given. All I know is that Thaksin will not return unless some sort of deal has been made.

[Kaopad999]

Welcome back Khun Thaksin. you've been truly missed by the majority Thailand .  Let's hope that you'll eventually be PM again ???? 

[Kaopad999]

3 hours ago, keith101 said:

He is pushing for his party to win so he and his daughter can get pardons and can return home and take power again .

Fingers crossed. 

[BangkokReady]

11 minutes ago, bannork said:

Thaksin didn't like Westerners, remember the names of his parties, 'Thais Love Thais', ' For Thais'. He told the UN they were not his father regarding human right. For foreign retirees, he increased the minimum sum required in the bank from 200,000 baht to 800,000 baht 

His puritanical Interior Minister sent his children to study in New Zealand but allegedly refused to approve any Western applications for citizenship during his tenure.

Many foreigners, while criticising the current government and singing the praises of Thaksin, will talk about corruption, democracy, law and order, and human rights, all progressive liberal values. But when it comes to the treatment of foreigners, suddenly liberal and progressive ideas (particularly human rights) go out the window, and nationalism and racism is just fine. 

[Kaopad999]

2 hours ago, Phoenix Rising said:

Welcome back Thaksin, rightful PM of Thailand. The old elite have grown fat at the trough and a stirring of the pot is needed.

Hopefully, this time you'll be in power long enough so that another repeat of the endless coup cycles  will no longer be possible.

Hopefully you will reverse the old dinos' shameful disqualification of people like Tanathorn so that one day maybe, just maybe....... 

I really hope that will be the case. 

[SOTIRIOS]

Clearly: ......Never.......Stopped.......Interfering......