iTV: Born of Bloody May, trouble under Thaksin, and now Pita’s nemesis?

[webfact]

 

Though it went off air 15 years ago, Thailand’s first independent broadcaster iTV is back in the spotlight with a central role in the saga that could decide whether or not Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat becomes the next prime minister.

 

In 2008, Pita inherited 42,000 shares in iTV Plc following his father’s death in 2006. Earlier this month, Pita disclosed that he had recently allocated the iTV shares to other heirs of the estate.

 

His accuser, Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, said records show that the embattled PM candidate transferred all his iTV shares to his younger brother on May 25.

 

Pita’s iTV shareholding has become a major obstacle in his path to the premiership despite his party’s stunning victory in the May 14 general election. Move Forward won 151 of the 500 MP seats up for grabs, beating pre-election favorite Pheu Thai into second place with 141.

 

However, the Election Commission (EC) is now investigating whether Pita contested the poll despite knowing he was not qualified to do so because of his stake in iTV. The agency rejected three petitions filed by Ruangkrai, who asked it to investigate if Pita’s shareholding violated the Constitution’s rule that bars anyone from contesting for an MP seat if they are “the owner of or shareholder in any newspaper or mass media business”.

 

Born out of Bloody May

 

The idea of setting up an independent TV station in Thailand was born after the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in May 1992, which became known as “Bloody May”. Over 50 people were killed and about 700 injured, according to official records, after security forces opened fire on demonstrators protesting the government of General Suchinda Kraprayoon, who resigned in disgrace shortly afterwards.

 

By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/itv-born-of-bloody-may-trouble-under-thaksin-and-now-pitas-nemesis/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-06-16

 

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[nobodysfriend]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in May 1992, which became known as “Bloody May”. Over 50 people were killed and about 700 injured, according to official records, after security forces opened fire on demonstrators protesting the government

Just wait what will happen if they force the dissolution of MFP because of some inactive media shares ...

[ikke1959]

The Ec and the ols school is playing with fire and they don't understand there could be an inferno.... but that is why they are the old school.. They think that things never change

[Pouatchee]

21 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Just wait what will happen if they force the dissolution of MFP because of some inactive media shares ...

nothing 

[MikeandDow]

The process is clear as day.

"Concerns" will be raised. Bull<deleted> rules and regulations will be cited. "Doubts" will be cast. "Questions" will be asked.

In August , approximately four months after the election, when the momentum from the election has worn off and the leading candidate or candidates from the opposition side have been tarnished in the name of "making sure everything is correct", then they will decide if they want the tarnished candidate or they decide that "more investigations" are needed to "ensure fairness" and muddy it up further.

This is all by design and was planned a few years ago.

Power in Thailand isn't given, it is taken. If Pita and the Pro-Democracy side want to govern, they need to start fighting back, and quickly. Leaks about the EC members and their pre-election overseas trips and perks, point out the ridiculousness of involving the Senate, discreetly organize street demos, start making public statements about how stupid the process is, etc.

Political power is an ephemeral thing as it is rarely measured, The vast majority of time, political power exists simply because people think you have it. Conversely, if people don't think you have it, you don't have it.

If Pita wants to be PM, he needs to fight like hell now while he has the afterglow of a Democratic election. If he sits back and allows himself to be belittled, judged and insulted by his foes, his power will evaporate before he even uses it. Politics 101 is define your opponent before he can define himself.

This was always going to occur; that was decided when the Junta wrote the current constitution. 

The question is simple; is the Pro-Democracy side going to fight?

I dont think anything will happen, it will drag on and on , excuse after excuse, the caretaker govement will do anything to stay in power, Thai's need to rise up no need for violence, general strike, show the caretaker goverment they cannot do anything with out the people.

Edited June 16, 2023 by MikeandDow

[h90]

39 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Just wait what will happen if they force the dissolution of MFP because of some inactive media shares ...

What will happen....it is not 1992 anymore. People will post something very mean on Facebook and the military will answer very mean on Twitter....

[nobodysfriend]

5 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

The question is simple; is the Pro-Democracy side going to fight?

Fight against whom ?

The government that controls the army ?

The king and his influence ?

That would mean civil war in Thailand ... and another coup .

Better not .

It looks like they will be taught a lesson about who  has the last word in politics here ...

That is ok , but why waste time with elections   ...

The rest of the world will just see what happens , without interfering .

[nobodysfriend]

2 minutes ago, h90 said:

What will happen....it is not 1992 anymore. People will post something very mean on Facebook and the military will answer very mean on Twitter....

Not 1992 anymore , right .

A lot of thai people voted or change and won ... I that is denied to them , it won;t go down easy .

[h90]

12 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

The process is clear as day.

"Concerns" will be raised. Bull<deleted> rules and regulations will be cited. "Doubts" will be cast. "Questions" will be asked.

In August , approximately four months after the election, when the momentum from the election has worn off and the leading candidate or candidates from the opposition side have been tarnished in the name of "making sure everything is correct", then they will decide if they want the tarnished candidate or they decide that "more investigations" are needed to "ensure fairness" and muddy it up further.

This is all by design and was planned a few years ago.

Power in Thailand isn't given, it is taken. If Pita and the Pro-Democracy side want to govern, they need to start fighting back, and quickly. Leaks about the EC members and their pre-election overseas trips and perks, point out the ridiculousness of involving the Senate, discreetly organize street demos, start making public statements about how stupid the process is, etc.

Political power is an ephemeral thing as it is rarely measured, The vast majority of time, political power exists simply because people think you have it. Conversely, if people don't think you have it, you don't have it.

If Pita wants to be PM, he needs to fight like hell now while he has the afterglow of a Democratic election. If he sits back and allows himself to be belittled, judged and insulted by his foes, his power will evaporate before he even uses it. Politics 101 is define your opponent before he can define himself.

This was always going to occur; that was decided when the Junta wrote the current constitution. 

The question is simple; is the Pro-Democracy side going to fight?

I dont think anything will happen, it will drag on and on , excuse after excuse, the caretaker govement will do anything to stay in power, Thai's need to rise up no need for violence, general strike, show the caretaker goverment they cannot do anything with out the people.

First of all MF was voted by 38%, 62% have voted something different.....Why didn't the follow the rules like the other did?

So reasonable concerns will be raised and parts of the 62% other pro democracy parties will form a government. PTP, BJ, Democrats+many of the small one will have a majority as well. Thaksin will come home and will run a Thaksin populism handing out money himself and everyone will forget the other oligarch....
That is the playbook PTP will like.....The usual infight between elites....Two oligarchs fight for power and both don't want the military.

[h90]

1 minute ago, nobodysfriend said:

Not 1992 anymore , right .

A lot of thai people voted or change and won ... I that is denied to them , it won;t go down easy .

38% of the people voted MF 62% voted for other parties....A lot people voted for PTP. If deduct the people didn't vote at all it was just 28% MF
And PTP is playing the populism game as well as MF. They can form a government easily. Why should the play the 2nd behind MF if they can arrange to be the number one.

They are for sure more dangerous for the MF than the military which is old and tired....

[MikeandDow]

4 minutes ago, h90 said:

38% of the people voted MF 62% voted for other parties....A lot people voted for PTP. If deduct the people didn't vote at all it was just 28% MF
And PTP is playing the populism game as well as MF. They can form a government easily. Why should the play the 2nd behind MF if they can arrange to be the number one.

They are for sure more dangerous for the MF than the military which is old and tired....

And who won the Election

[h90]

47 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

And who won the Election

no one won a majority....Everyone needs coalitions.
MF got the most votes but you need >50% in both houses. MF doesn't has it alone in either house. For the majority in parliament are several different coalitions possible with and without MF. Equal democratic.

[MikeandDow]

did not ask who won a majority, who won the election.

[h90]

5 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

did not ask who won a majority, who won the election.

That is an irrelevant question...if there are 100 parties and one won 2% while the others just 0.9% and therefore more as the others it still won the election.
It is not important. The only important thing is getting a majority in parliament. That can be with the strongest or without the strongest party. Prime Minister also doesn't need to come from the strongest party.

MF won the election but that is irrelevant.

[Purdey]

Surprised no one thinks owning the media while standing for election is dangerous. I know Pita had just 42,000 shares, but what if someone standing for election owned a media company? What sort of propaganda would people be receiving?

 

Laws are for everyone. If any military types in government was caught owning media shares everyone would be baying for blood.

 

It may be a moot point now, but I can imagine the hoohah if Thaksin was standing for parliament while owning iTV. 

[MikeandDow]

 

4 minutes ago, h90 said:

That is an irrelevant question...if there are 100 parties and one won 2% while the others just 0.9% and therefore more as the others it still won the election.
It is not important. The only important thing is getting a majority in parliament. That can be with the strongest or without the strongest party. Prime Minister also doesn't need to come from the strongest party.

MF won the election but that is irrelevant.

MF Won the Election,Now they have the right to form a Goverment any which way they can, I think you will find in Democracy the winner of an election forms a goverment, but here that is not the case one man can stop the formation of an elected goverment, this is NOT democracy, unfortunately Thailand will never have a democracy it will allway be run by the elite/military.

Also find it strange that you think the winning Party of an election irrelevant strange !!!!!

 

[h90]

18 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

 

MF Won the Election,Now they have the right to form a Goverment any which way they can, I think you will find in Democracy the winner of an election forms a goverment, but here that is not the case one man can stop the formation of an elected goverment, this is NOT democracy, unfortunately Thailand will never have a democracy it will allway be run by the elite/military.

Also find it strange that you think the winning Party of an election irrelevant strange !!!!!

 

Where do you have that nonsense from? All over Europe thru history you find again and again government from the second and third strongest party. In Israel you can see it again and again how the strongest party get the mandate to form a government. After they fail the second gets the mandate than the third (if big enough).

The strongest forms the government in countries where there are 2-3 parties only. But as more parties they are and as more far the strongest is away from 50% as more complicate is it.
The government is that coalition that gets the majority in parliament (and in Thailand this abnormal Senate....I agree if you criticize the senate, that is constitutional nonsense)

[billd766]

50 minutes ago, h90 said:

That is an irrelevant question...if there are 100 parties and one won 2% while the others just 0.9% and therefore more as the others it still won the election.
It is not important. The only important thing is getting a majority in parliament. That can be with the strongest or without the strongest party. Prime Minister also doesn't need to come from the strongest party.

MF won the election but that is irrelevant.

It might be irrelevant to to you, but you don't have a vote or a voice in the Thai election.

 

The Thai people have both a voice and a vote and they have used both to state what they want, and NOT what you want.

 

6 minutes ago, h90 said:

Where do you have that nonsense from? All over Europe thru history you find again and again government from the second and third strongest party. In Israel you can see it again and again how the strongest party get the mandate to form a government. After they fail the second gets the mandate than the third (if big enough).

The strongest forms the government in countries where there are 2-3 parties only. But as more parties they are and as more far the strongest is away from 50% as more complicate is it.
The government is that coalition that gets the majority in parliament (and in Thailand this abnormal Senate....I agree if you criticize the senate, that is constitutional nonsense)

You may not have noticed but Europe is NOT Thailand and there are different rules in different countries.

 

In Thailand, Thai rules apply and NOT European rules. In the USA, the USA  rules apply and NOT European rules. In Singapore the Singapore rules apply and NOT European rules. It is the same in most of the world.

[malibukid]

45 minutes ago, MikeandDow said:

p

MF Won the Election,Now they have the right to form a Goverment any which way they can, I think you will find in Democracy the winner of an election forms a goverment, but here that is not the case one man can stop the formation of an elected goverment, this is NOT democracy, unfortunately Thailand will never have a democracy it will allway be run by the elite/military.

Also find it strange that you think the winning Party of an election irrelevant strange !!!!!

 

the general population will just play dead as usual.  nothing will change.   no stomach for protest.

[h90]

18 minutes ago, billd766 said:

It might be irrelevant to to you, but you don't have a vote or a voice in the Thai election.

 

The Thai people have both a voice and a vote and they have used both to state what they want, and NOT what you want.

 

You may not have noticed but Europe is NOT Thailand and there are different rules in different countries.

 

In Thailand, Thai rules apply and NOT European rules. In the USA, the USA  rules apply and NOT European rules. In Singapore the Singapore rules apply and NOT European rules. It is the same in most of the world.

In Thailand there is no rule that the strongest party must be in power...And such a rule would be very undemocratic and nonsense because you could not rule against the parliament. And these basic rules are in most countries identical.

[MikeandDow]

10 minutes ago, malibukid said:

the general population will just play dead as usual.  nothing will change.   no stomach for protest.

correct no guts no glory

[MikeandDow]

4 minutes ago, h90 said:

In Thailand there is no rule that the strongest party must be in power...And such a rule would be very undemocratic and nonsense because you could not rule against the parliament. And these basic rules are in most countries identical.

utter rubish

[billd766]

36 minutes ago, h90 said:

In Thailand there is no rule that the strongest party must be in power...And such a rule would be very undemocratic and nonsense because you could not rule against the parliament. And these basic rules are in most countries identical.

Is it a rule or a law?

 

Can you quote it or post a link to it?

 

As I keep reminding you, Thailand is Thailand and NOT any other country.

 

What you conveniently omit every time, is that the military through their coups ignore that and do as THEY wish, which is what this illegal coup government did in 2014 and at the 2019 election simply had their proxy EC and CC dissolve the FFP and ban its leader from politics.

 

Thus they ensured that they were the government. THAT is what they are attempting to do this time as well.

 

What may work in the fantasy world of your mind, is NOT the same as the real world that Thailand HAS to live in.

[RandolphGB]

The rules are very simple - anyone who owns shares in a media company cannot run to be an MP.

 

Pita and his party knew the rules as Thanathorn was also caught out by this rule four years ago. Yet Pita and his party still ignored them again this time. Why? It's a simple rule and very easy to offload shares. There's just no way he would not have known he owned them and that it was also a media company (iTV)

 

The guy's either a clown who has let down millions of people.  Something is very fishy on his part.

 

I might even go so far as suggest, he's just an establishment plant put there to absorb votes and give people false hope without ever having the intention to govern. 

 

Perhaps the army and Pita knew he would be eventually skewered by this 'rule', and that was part of the plan.

 

 

Edited June 16, 2023 by RandolphGB

[MikeandDow]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

Is it a rule or a law?

 

Can you quote it or post a link to it?

 

As I keep reminding you, Thailand is Thailand and NOT any other country.

 

What you conveniently omit every time, is that the military through their coups ignore that and do as THEY wish, which is what this illegal coup government did in 2014 and at the 2019 election simply had their proxy EC and CC dissolve the FFP and ban its leader from politics.

 

Thus they ensured that they were the government. THAT is what they are attempting to do this time as well.

 

What may work in the fantasy world of your mind, is NOT the same as the real world that Thailand HAS to live in.

Correct

[billd766]

3 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

The rules are very simple - anyone who owns shares in a media company cannot run to be an MP.

 

Pita and his party knew the rules as Thanathorn was also caught out by this rule four years ago. Yet Pita and his party still ignored them again this time. Why? It's a simple rule and very easy to offload shares. There's just no way he would not have known he owned them and that it was also a media company (iTV)

 

The guy's either a clown who has let down millions of people.  Something is very fishy on his part.

 

I might even go so far as suggest, he's just an establishment plant put there to absorb votes and give people false hope without ever having the intention to govern. 

 

Perhaps the army and Pita knew he would be eventually skewered by this 'rule', and that was part of the plan.

 

 

But he does not and did not OWN the shares. He was/is simply the executor of them.

 

It is the same as when people die in many cases their executor takes control of the bank accounts, house, land etc.

 

It does not mean that they own it, as they are merely holding it whilst waiting for a decision from a court to release it to the rightful owners.

[soalbundy]

18 hours ago, MikeandDow said:

The process is clear as day.

"Concerns" will be raised. Bull<deleted> rules and regulations will be cited. "Doubts" will be cast. "Questions" will be asked.

In August , approximately four months after the election, when the momentum from the election has worn off and the leading candidate or candidates from the opposition side have been tarnished in the name of "making sure everything is correct", then they will decide if they want the tarnished candidate or they decide that "more investigations" are needed to "ensure fairness" and muddy it up further.

This is all by design and was planned a few years ago.

Power in Thailand isn't given, it is taken. If Pita and the Pro-Democracy side want to govern, they need to start fighting back, and quickly. Leaks about the EC members and their pre-election overseas trips and perks, point out the ridiculousness of involving the Senate, discreetly organize street demos, start making public statements about how stupid the process is, etc.

Political power is an ephemeral thing as it is rarely measured, The vast majority of time, political power exists simply because people think you have it. Conversely, if people don't think you have it, you don't have it.

If Pita wants to be PM, he needs to fight like hell now while he has the afterglow of a Democratic election. If he sits back and allows himself to be belittled, judged and insulted by his foes, his power will evaporate before he even uses it. Politics 101 is define your opponent before he can define himself.

This was always going to occur; that was decided when the Junta wrote the current constitution. 

The question is simple; is the Pro-Democracy side going to fight?

I dont think anything will happen, it will drag on and on , excuse after excuse, the caretaker govement will do anything to stay in power, Thai's need to rise up no need for violence, general strike, show the caretaker goverment they cannot do anything with out the people.

Bureaucracy beats the street anytime, it wears you down by using a language only the civil service understands, by having a department responsible instead of a person, by being able to fall back on paragraph 210 subsection C revised 1953 excluding subsection D subordinate subsections 208 and 209 which requires an act of parliament to change. The Roman state invented bureaucracy to dehumanize its civil service, an unwieldy instrument making change in its vast empire almost impossible. Its invention was so brilliant and works so well that it is self perpetuating and is alive and well today, crushing logic, innovation and grass roots democracy, all forms of government, even communism, carry it as a heavy, tiresome burden preventing meaningful change. 

[bannork]

15 hours ago, RandolphGB said:

The rules are very simple - anyone who owns shares in a media company cannot run to be an MP.

 

Pita and his party knew the rules as Thanathorn was also caught out by this rule four years ago. Yet Pita and his party still ignored them again this time. Why? It's a simple rule and very easy to offload shares. There's just no way he would not have known he owned them and that it was also a media company (iTV)

 

The guy's either a clown who has let down millions of people.  Something is very fishy on his part.

 

I might even go so far as suggest, he's just an establishment plant put there to absorb votes and give people false hope without ever having the intention to govern. 

 

Perhaps the army and Pita knew he would be eventually skewered by this 'rule', and that was part of the plan.

 

 

Oh dear, a conspiracy theorist.

ITV have long ceased to be a .media company.

Pita and MF have spent the last few days going down a storm in the country from the south to the north, meeting business and community leaders, and holding rallies in local stadiums. 

Large, enthusiastic crowds greet MF, if Pita is a plant, he's out of control!

 

 

[zzaa09]

Why do I smell Shinawatra all over this Pita-iTV issue and controversy?

 

Remember who controlled, if not owned, the nearly failing media conglomerate in the early 2000s after the CPB bailed. 

The eventual bust revealed numerous and hidden beneficial holdings and profits......to this day.

[RandolphGB]

6 hours ago, bannork said:

Oh dear, a conspiracy theorist.

ITV have long ceased to be a .media company.

Pita and MF have spent the last few days going down a storm in the country from the south to the north, meeting business and community leaders, and holding rallies in local stadiums. 

Large, enthusiastic crowds greet MF, if Pita is a plant, he's out of control!

 

 

iTV is a media company but it stopped broadcasting. It's still a registered media company though. 

 

The idea that he is a plant is more credible than the idea a Harvard University graduate and former director of a NYSE listed company was unaware of being a shareholder in iTV and unaware of the Thai election laws.

 

He knew all along - he's either incompetent or in on it.