1 hour ago, phetphet said:

Maybe, but the fly in the soup will be what she does to try and bring her father back without him facing judicial process or doing prison time.

That alone might trigger another coup. Don't forget the outcry when auntie tried the same thing.

There is nothing the junta can do to stop Thaksin’s return. After 9 years of unelected rule, the military are so hated they are powerless. Soldiers in the streets will be met with bricks not flowers. There’ll be no more successful coups in Thailand, the generational balance has been tipped, the old ways are now just words on pages in history books.

8 minutes ago, MrMojoRisin said:

There is nothing the junta can do to stop Thaksin’s return. After 9 years of unelected rule, the military are so hated they are powerless. Soldiers in the streets will be met with bricks not flowers. There’ll be no more successful coups in Thailand, the generational balance has been tipped, the old ways are now just words on pages in history books.

Perhaps.

We'll wait and see.

 

 

Rest assured that the ruling elite ain't gonna roll over and play dead. 

20 hours ago, Regyai said:

As were we all!

Certainly falangs tenure wasn't mired then in the endemic bureaucratic BS of today 

Thaksin was no fan of Farangs.

A few weeks ago I was having breakfast with some family, educated and wealthy ones, they asked me the question who I think will win the election, I was just taking a guess and said Paetongtarn, to be honest I'm not really that interested, they all said no, 

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Perhaps.

We'll wait and see.

 

 

Rest assured that the ruling elite ain't gonna roll over and play dead. 

Some fool (Apirat) will try his luck and get his ass handed to him. It almost needs to play out this way… the final exclamation point on a struggle that began in 1932.

1 hour ago, ChipButty said:

A few weeks ago I was having breakfast with some family, educated and wealthy ones, they asked me the question who I think will win the election, I was just taking a guess and said Paetongtarn, to be honest I'm not really that interested, they all said no, 

Well then, no need for an election then, a handful of educated and wealthy Thais have spoken.
 

Out of curiosity, is it possible to be wealthy and uneducated or is it just the peasants and unwashed masses who are uneducated?

21 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

The famers who killed themselves as they didn't get paid for their rice might disagree.

What farmers are you referring too?

 

I believe anyone that didn't get  payed were screwed by the other govt officials managing the rice scheme for their own profit, not the PM, if memory serves me correctly

2 hours ago, ChipButty said:

A few weeks ago I was having breakfast with some family, educated and wealthy ones, they asked me the question who I think will win the election, I was just taking a guess and said Paetongtarn, to be honest I'm not really that interested, they all said no, 

Well, it will be interesting to see it play out. Let's hope it doesn't end up in farce or worse, violence.

 

The opposition parties will need to get a very clear majority and mandate to give themselves a strong bargaining position in forming a government and selecting a PM.

 

From a practical perspective the current incumbents are not going to lie down quietly, whatever the result, and if they lose, will no doubt be taking a very active role in the formation of the new government via democratic and "other" means.

 

For obvious reasons, I could imagine that Paetongtarn would not be a popular choice in the smoky back rooms where such things are decided, so someone more palatable from the opposition side to the behind-the-scenes dealmakers might come to the fore...

On 4/25/2023 at 11:14 AM, webfact said:

Thaksin, a populist politician and a business tycoon, was ousted in a coup in 2006 before he fled the country. Several years later, his sister succeeded him as prime minister and then suffered the same fate.

They are both convicted criminals. Is that not important enough to mention it?

They could list all their crimes and convictions. Then even the people who say this was politically motivated will have problems explaining why their crimes are somehow not crimes.

 

Thaksin's daughter obviously does what he wants. PT is his party and they do what the fugitive want. They party, with the influence of that criminal, should have been banned since a long time.

 

Thaksin wants revenge. How can that be good for Thailand?

But all this is not mentioned. Sad. 

22 hours ago, bignok said:

36yo. Better than a 76yo. Get some youth in there.

How about experience and competence? 

18 minutes ago, realfunster said:

Well, it will be interesting to see it play out. Let's hope it doesn't end up in farce or worse, violence.

 

The opposition parties will need to get a very clear majority and mandate to give themselves a strong bargaining position in forming a government and selecting a PM.

 

From a practical perspective the current incumbents are not going to lie down quietly, whatever the result, and if they lose, will no doubt be taking a very active role in the formation of the new government via democratic and "other" means.

 

For obvious reasons, I could imagine that Paetongtarn would not be a popular choice in the smoky back rooms where such things are decided, so someone more palatable from the opposition side to the behind-the-scenes dealmakers might come to the fore...

I read that Settha joined PT on condition he got the top job. It makes sense. Use Paethongthang as a Thaksin brand to win the grassroots support and then let Settha as a successful businessman, run the show 

36 minutes ago, Dan O said:

What farmers are you referring too?

 

I believe anyone that didn't get  payed were screwed by the other govt officials managing the rice scheme for their own profit, not the PM, if memory serves me correctly

The rice scheme was a planned rice scam. That should be obvious to everybody who paid attention. 

5 hours ago, phetphet said:

Maybe, but the fly in the soup will be what she does to try and bring her father back without him facing judicial process or doing prison time.

That alone might trigger another coup. Don't forget the outcry when auntie tried the same thing.

And was there an outcry when Prayuth and his cronies granted themselves an an amnesty for ALL past, present and future crimes?

 

IMHO there will probably not be another coup this time. Prayuth's lot are out of favour and will most probably be unable to muster enough officers and troops.

 

The biggest problem is what will the King's Guard do?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_Guard_(Thailand)

 

King's Guard units
The Royal Guards are today composed of 87 formations (formerly 94 battalions or equivalents), mostly found in the Royal Thai Army.

Royal Security Command
The Royal Security Command is in charge of two Infantry regiments.

 

There are an awful lot of them.

 

More information is in the link.

For people who don't remember or were not here at that time.

When Yingluck was elected all was quiet. People accepted her as new PM. And they gave her a chance.

People watched if Yingluck would work for Thailand and all Thais, or if she would listen to her criminal brother and try to whitewash him.

The end of Yingluck started when they voted to whitewash her brother in the middle of the night. At that time her intentions were crystal clear.

Let's watch Thaksin's daughter. It there any doubt about her priorities? I don't think so. 

3 hours ago, ChipButty said:

A few weeks ago I was having breakfast with some family, educated and wealthy ones, they asked me the question who I think will win the election, I was just taking a guess and said Paetongtarn, to be honest I'm not really that interested, they all said no, 

Who did they think would win?

8 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

For people who don't remember or were not here at that time.

When Yingluck was elected all was quiet. People accepted her as new PM. And they gave her a chance.

People watched if Yingluck would work for Thailand and all Thais, or if she would listen to her criminal brother and try to whitewash him.

The end of Yingluck started when they voted to whitewash her brother in the middle of the night. At that time her intentions were crystal clear.

Let's watch Thaksin's daughter. It there any doubt about her priorities? I don't think so. 

Don't agree with you often, but that was definitely the last straw.  Despite having some good policies, I will never vote for PT as long as the Shinawatras are involved. 

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

Don't agree with you often, but that was definitely the last straw.  Despite having some good policies, I will never vote for PT as long as the Shinawatras are involved. 

Do you even have a vote in Thailand?

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

How about experience and competence? 

Compared to what?

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

They are both convicted criminals. Is that not important enough to mention it?

They could list all their crimes and convictions. Then even the people who say this was politically motivated will have problems explaining why their crimes are somehow not crimes.

 

Thaksin's daughter obviously does what he wants. PT is his party and they do what the fugitive want. They party, with the influence of that criminal, should have been banned since a long time.

 

Thaksin wants revenge. How can that be good for Thailand?

But all this is not mentioned. Sad. 

Being convicted does not mean you are guilty in Thailand, where many of the guilty are never prosecuted, coup plotters and leaders for instance guilty of treason.

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

The rice scheme was a planned rice scam. That should be obvious to everybody who paid attention. 

I was referring to the comment about farmers that were said to have killed themselves because they weren't paid. I am well aware of the rice scheme and who was behind it and who benefited from it 

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

Don't agree with you often, but that was definitely the last straw.  Despite having some good policies, I will never vote for PT as long as the Shinawatras are involved. 

 

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

For people who don't remember or were not here at that time.

When Yingluck was elected all was quiet. People accepted her as new PM. And they gave her a chance.

People watched if Yingluck would work for Thailand and all Thais, or if she would listen to her criminal brother and try to whitewash him.

The end of Yingluck started when they voted to whitewash her brother in the middle of the night. At that time her intentions were crystal clear.

Let's watch Thaksin's daughter. It there any doubt about her priorities? I don't think so. 

There was a bit more to the end of her time and it was from higher up than the military

35 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Do you even have a vote in Thailand?

Yes. I voted in the Bangkok gubernatorial election, but this will be my first general election.

3 hours ago, MrMojoRisin said:

Some fool (Apirat) will try his luck and get his ass handed to him. It almost needs to play out this way… the final exclamation point on a struggle that began in 1932.

What struggle might've that been? 

You might be reminded that the 1932 coup was an elitist and suppressive [civilian/military] variety to seize control - nothing to do with a popular rebellion and the fallacy of promoting a direction of a free and democratic state. Just the opposite manifested thereafter. 

Prayut seems to be totally relaxed, if i had to guess election win is already decided but should it somehow not go his way, i am sure there is a backup plan to seize the power once again

22 hours ago, KannikaP said:

But is a PM with a newborn baby a good idea?

Look at the ex PM of NZ and the dreadful mess she made in her time . .... set NZ back a decade or more 

4 hours ago, MrMojoRisin said:

Well then, no need for an election then, a handful of educated and wealthy Thais have spoken.
 

Out of curiosity, is it possible to be wealthy and uneducated or is it just the peasants and unwashed masses who are uneducated?

Not allowed in Thailand

1 hour ago, GarryP said:

Yes. I voted in the Bangkok gubernatorial election, but this will be my first general election.

Good for you.

 

Being a farang, I cannot vote in Thailand and having been out of the UK over 15 years I cannot vote there either. There was a rumour last year that the vote would be restored, but it hasn't happened yet.

37 minutes ago, billd766 said:

Good for you.

 

Being a farang, I cannot vote in Thailand and having been out of the UK over 15 years I cannot vote there either. There was a rumour last year that the vote would be restored, but it hasn't happened yet.

I'm still a farang in the eyes of most people here. Just happened to gain citizenship in early 2016. I don't recall ever voting in the UK, but then I left when I was 19. 

1 hour ago, BestB said:

Prayut seems to be totally relaxed, if i had to guess election win is already decided but should it somehow not go his way, i am sure there is a backup plan to seize the power once again

Back up plans usually involve 'persuading' opposition MPs to switch sides.

Such folk are known as cobras, and the carrot and stick approach may be used. The carrot is obviously financial inducements or offers of lucrative government positions, the stick is threats of harrassment/ possible prosecution for skeletons in the closet.

On 4/25/2023 at 2:45 PM, 2fishin2 said:

Pure BS just propaganda and lies spread spread by opposite party.  Funny how farang continue to believe and spread them also.  Weak minded people are in every society 

And others take advantage of the weak minded/naive folks.