The share saga that threatens to end Thai hopes for a liberal prime minister

[daejung]

Even if this rule shouldn't apply for a media that has no longer any activity, I think Pita is stupid not to have got rid of these shares before the election. He knew it was a risk.

 

The army will keep the power against the will of the people, against democracy.????

[Screaming]

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Any senator who votes against Pita, and defies the will of the people, at this point in time, is taking an enormous risk. He is risking his own well being, and that of his family. His kids could end up getting ridiculed endlessly at school, his wife could face alot of harrassment, and I am not sure he would be safe. Everything has changed, the army is despised like never before, all respect for them is gone and everyone knows it is a sham and a scam.

 

Defy the public will at your own risk, you scandalous scoundrels.

And you are taking a risk by posting this as you are inciting.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Denim said:

Wishful thinking. These elite do not mix much with the hoi pollie.  They all go to the same schools and are members of the same clubs etc.  More likely is that if any senators break rank and give Pita the thumbs up they will be ostracized by their peers and ' cancelled ' to use the voguish term.

A while back I was at the main Amphur office at Chiang Mai muang.

 

Attendant comes in, talks over the top of the locals at the reception desk, insists that a room be prepared for his female hi-so boss, with food and special coffee. He gets ignored so he then speaks, same message in English. Young Govt tells the attendant in Thai and in English that they don't provide that type of service and the lady will have to come to the desk.

 

I sat down with my Thai DIL (she had to get something corrected on her ID card).

 

Thirty minutes later attendant and driver hold the office doors open and in walks the hi-so lady nad sit down.

 

Young gov't man tells the attendant his boss will have to come to the desk to get service. Also tells the attendant "You can't move the furniture around to make an isolated area for your boss. All customers to this office are treated equally and in accordance to the published process.

 

Hi-so woman yells and demands the gov't officer come to her. She gets ignored.

 

Ten minutes later nothing has happened, hi-so lady and enterage sneak out. 

[scorecard]

12 minutes ago, Screaming said:

So true, this guy has a degree from Harvard, he should know better.

Read the full details.

[PremiumLane]

23 minutes ago, daejung said:

Even if this rule shouldn't apply for a media that has no longer any activity, I think Pita is stupid not to have got rid of these shares before the election. He knew it was a risk.

 

The army will keep the power against the will of the people, against democracy.????

Pretty sure he did get rid of them

[Red Forever]

6 hours ago, sirineou said:

Thank you for that,correction, but excuse my ignorance in the terminology,  I am American and we have a different much supperior governing system 

But as appreciate the correction is , it does not answer my question 

"Supperior" governing system eh?

[Phil1964]

7 hours ago, bogs smith said:

civil war 2024. watch this space....

Can't it be late July to mid August 2023, then my Mrs and her daughter could be:

1) Stuck in Thailand when they go to visit.

2) Could sign up and join in, then they could fight to their hearts content in their own country, instead of here with me stuck in the middle constantly playing mediator / bouncer / referee!

 

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[ukrules]

7 hours ago, Thailand said:

After what happened to Thanathorn he was still dumb enough to have media shares worthless or otherwise he does not deserve the pm position. 

I read that the company is no longer listed on the stock exchange, so does he really control shares?

 

[SpaceKadet]

7 hours ago, sirineou said:

Thank you for that,correction, but excuse my ignorance in the terminology,  I am American and we have a different much supperior governing system 

But as appreciate the correction is , it does not answer my question 

You just made me puke all over the floor....

[jesimps]

8 hours ago, bignok said:

Why didnt he sell the shares before the election?

That's what I keep asking myself. He and his party should've known that the EC would lock on to this, especially after the cookery programme PM guy and Thanathorn both got done on a similar thing. Why oh why did he not get shut? He would've been bombproof.

I'd love to see him in power just to have a democratically elected civilian in charge again, but I can't see it happening. 

[connda]

7 hours ago, Thailand said:

After what happened to Thanathorn he was still dumb enough to have media shares worthless or otherwise he does not deserve the pm position. 

I find it difficult to believe that Pita didn't understand the consequences of holding those ITV media shares.  Now we hear about the possibility of a another (color) revolution, which begs the question, was that in fact the point of challenging the EC and the laws regarding holding shares of media corporations in defiance of existing laws?
If so, the next question to ask is 'cui bono,' who benefits.
I came to Thailand in 2007 and saw 7 years of street protests and civil unrest.  Then the coup happen and the civil unrest ended (or was driven underground or driven to Abu Dhabi).  My wife actually applauded the new 'peace.'  Now the specter of civil unrest is threatening to rear it's head again?
Let me prophesize (actually not really - its just understanding history and watching it 'rhyme': The EC takes this to the constitutional courts and Pita and his party are disbanded; the various colored-shirts take to the streets again backed by various non-governmental organizations, domestic and otherwise, in the name of 'democracy'; eventually the Army takes back the streets; wash, rinse, repeat.  What's another coup in a history of coups?

As a farang living here long term?  Best to be an interested observer and a complete non-participant.  I don't back any side as I have no dog in this fight.  This is just another 'game of thrones' or power politics.  There are no 'good guys', there are only people with their own interests who seek to sway the 'little people' to their side as revolutions and rebellions, as well as their suppression, require cannon fodder on all sides of the conflicts to support the interests of the stakeholders involved in directing the frays.

Crack a brew, fire up some popcorn, kick back, and watch from a distance.  It's Thai Lakhon in real-time! 

[billd766]

1 hour ago, daejung said:

Even if this rule shouldn't apply for a media that has no longer any activity, I think Pita is stupid not to have got rid of these shares before the election. He knew it was a risk.

 

The army will keep the power against the will of the people, against democracy.????

They may try, or even want to try but succeeding is another matter.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

A while back I was at the main Amphur office at Chiang Mai muang.

 

Attendant comes in, talks over the top of the locals at the reception desk, insists that a room be prepared for his female hi-so boss, with food and special coffee. He gets ignored so he then speaks, same message in English. Young Govt tells the attendant in Thai and in English that they don't provide that type of service and the lady will have to come to the desk.

 

I sat down with my Thai DIL (she had to get something corrected on her ID card).

 

Thirty minutes later attendant and driver hold the office doors open and in walks the hi-so lady nad sit down.

 

Young gov't man tells the attendant his boss will have to come to the desk to get service. Also tells the attendant "You can't move the furniture around to make an isolated area for your boss. All customers to this office are treated equally and in accordance to the published process.

 

Hi-so woman yells and demands the gov't officer come to her. She gets ignored.

 

Ten minutes later nothing has happened, hi-so lady and enterage sneak out. 

Bob Dylan

 

The times they are a changing.

[bignok]

2 minutes ago, connda said:

find it difficult to believe that Pita didn't understand the consequences of holding those ITV

Stop trading 16 years ago. Therefore not relevant. Be a very strange court to find anything wrong. If I owned a dog named Jesus that doesn't make me the son of god.

[connda]

9 minutes ago, bignok said:

Stop trading 16 years ago. Therefore not relevant. Be a very strange court to find anything wrong. If I owned a dog named Jesus that doesn't make me the son of god.

It doesn't mean diddly to me personally.  These all are just people attempting to coalesce power.  I'm not a fan of power freaks and billionaires. 

The courts will settle the issue of the share holdings and their significance.  Regardless of how the courts rule, some people will be happy, some people will not be happy, and others of us will crack another brew, change the popcorn for peanuts and watch the show.  If it gets boring (it will) I'll change the channel.  .  "Hey-sus!  Bring me the paper and other beer like a good dog."

[Eric Loh]

4 minutes ago, bignok said:

Stop trading 16 years ago. Therefore not relevant. Be a very strange court to find anything wrong. If I owned a dog named Jesus that doesn't make me the son of god.

The shares case is very weak and the Constitution Court may not even accept the case. As it stand at this moment, the EC has yet to accept the iTV case against Pita. At worst the EC can disqualify Pita and he can still be eligible for PM. Thanathorn' s case over the nedia shares case found him guilty as outlined by Section 82 of the Constitution and suspended him as MP. However his guilty verdict as regards to his loan to FFP got him banned for 10 years and party dissolution. Pita shares case is unlikely to get him banned like Thanathorn. Disqualification for Pita is not the end of his hope to become the Prime Minister. 

[Jack Hammer]

8 hours ago, sirineou said:

Thank you for that,correction, but excuse my ignorance in the terminology,  I am American and we have a different much supperior governing system 

But as appreciate the correction is , it does not answer my question 

Is superior spelt supperior in America?   Thin skin 

[sirineou]

6 minutes ago, Jack Hammer said:

Is superior spelt supperior in America?   Thin skin 

You missed the tongue in cheek emoji,

As to the double P . not my fault if you guys can afford only one P

[sirineou]

1 hour ago, SpaceKadet said:

You just made me puke all over the floor....

can't hold your drink? You cant blame that on me buddy !

[zzaa09]

9 hours ago, bogs smith said:

civil war 2024. watch this space....

It just might come to that.......but involving a smallish select rebellion. 

The broader population are to indifferent [and couldn't be bothered] to bring on such nonsense for themselves. 

[zzaa09]

Btw.....what type of character and politics does Pita attain to refer to him as liberal? 

What is Liberal?

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, Red Forever said:

"Supperior" governing system eh?

Does 'superior' mean 'players', e.g. trump, MJT, lauren boebert, gaetz and many more...?

[scorecard]

19 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Btw.....what type of character and politics does Pita attain to refer to him as liberal? 

What is Liberal?

Guess this was posted by a USA person where the term 'liberal' is used to refer to left leaning.

 

They use 'socialist/socialism' as a replacement word for communism which is prety much history. 

Edited June 8, 2023 by scorecard

[zzaa09]

13 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Guess this was posted by a USA person where the term 'liberal' is used to refer to left leaning.

 

They use 'socialist/socialism' as a replacement word for communism which is prety much history. 

Don't see the usefulness or logic of attaching highly invented and fabricated political identities and false labels to anything. The manner in which we've been so conditioned to see everything. 

 

Imagine if we just see the individual as they are without the silly, not very constructive, and made up political identities/philosophies. 

 

The crux that brings too many down.

[khaowong1]

11 hours ago, bignok said:

Why didnt he sell the shares before the election?

Damn good question... Surely he knew it was coming... 

[zzaa09]

10 minutes ago, khaowong1 said:

Damn good question... Surely he knew it was coming... 

Who's Shirley?

[Purdey]

Doubtful PT wants the election scrapped as MF will gain even more votes.

A revolution will be bad in the sense that there will be massacres of civilians. 

Students up against tanks and machine guns? Really? 

Best defence, quietly negotiate. I am sure the EC realize they are out of a job if they pursue the iTV case. 

[neeray]

11 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

Are these shares traded? Can he actually sell them?

 

From the linked article...

 

The PM’s Secretariat Office had terminated iTV’s concession contract on May 7, 2007 and its frequency was taken over by the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) in 2008.

 

After iTV’s frequency was blocked, its share value dropped to practically zero.

 

 

The intent of the law(s) mentioned is to insure that a candidate does not use their influence with a media outlet to enhance their election chances. Given that iTV is defunct this would seem to be a non-issue, but it is Thailand so...

 

I'm shocked that the EC has "accepted" a complaint. And I'll be shocked if it is referred to the Constitutional Court, and I'll be shocked if the Constitutional Court accepts the case.

 

Surely the Powers that Be can find some reasonable charges against Pita?

 

 

 

 

 

Your rationale is spot on. A reading of the linked article would be of great value to any person commenting on this topic. ITV is NOT a media company. It's frequency has been cancelled.

[it is what it is]

 

WSC was correct when he said; democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried, and the electoral system in my country is far from perfect, but having said that it's a lot better than this ongoing farce

[kickstart]

12 hours ago, bignok said:

Why didnt he sell the shares before the election?

A good question, but as the OP said the TV company's shares where about worthless after the iTV frequency was blocked, so could he have sold some just about worthless shares.