23 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

But were they fighting for democracy or just for Thaksin?

They felt rightly that their government elected democratically, had been illegitimately usurped by Abhisit and Newin. Not illegal but illegitimate.. 

So they were fighting for the restoration of their government which offered benefits to the working man. 

Imo, they were fighting for democracy in the sense that they wanted their democratically elected govern ment back.

But if you ask them about the exclusion of the party with the most votes, MF, from governance, then democracy may take a back seat in their thinking, as all that counts is the return of their hero and the expectation of more populist policies to benefit them.

Thaksin corrupt? Never mind we benefit too.

Thaksin joins hands with junta parties, coups that destroyed PT governments and its previous parties, is this okay?!

Never mind, just give us some money 

The attitude of some PT supporters, not sure how much 

 

 

35 minutes ago, SoilSpoil said:

They protested to get elections? The top red shirt leaders refused Abhisits election promise and  roadmap during a live tv broadcast after receiving text messages from their boss.  The red shirts were used by the Shinawatra dynasty to get the confiscated Temasak money back. Stick to the facts please.

They wanted elections before the nomination of the army chief, not after. History has shown it was a legitimate concern.

 

"But both sides want to be in control when a key reshuffle of top military posts occurs in September."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2010/5/6/thai-pm-sets-poll-timeframe

 

Abhisit was a puppet at that time and was doing what he was being told to do.

2 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Sort of. MFP had to form a coalition to gain power. They did this. In any other 'democratic' counrty this would be accepted and the coalition would form a government. Thailand, however, it depends on 250 unelected senators put in place by a military junta to decide if they like you or not.

Yes, I mentioned the senators and what I think of their power.

red shirts showing their ugly heads again, have to wonder if they will start killing, bombing and setting fires once again to please their master, they will just push the army to maintain their  current status if they do

2 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

Look on WiKi/Google or ask any Thai older than 40!

You are being either obtuse or just argumentative!

so you can't list it

5 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

so you can't list it

Since you have now proven yourself to be a fully fledged  Troll who is incapable of using the WWW I will give you the idiots guide to the basis of your obtuse and argumentized posts; Thaksin Shinawatra - Wikipedia

 

10 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe he can explain his unusual wealth when he returns

He was a very rich man before going into politics !

12 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

My prediction is that he will either spend only a short time in jail, or, possibly, none at all. 

He likely had some arrangement in place before he made his plans

Before Aircraft lands, he will use a parachute like john doe to evite the arrest????

Thaksin doesn't represent democracy, he was an autocratic dictator not a Prime Minister.

The welcome committee will just stir up the same old trouble and likely lead to another delay in real democracy being done by excluding the appointed senate members from the election of the next PM.

The only reception Thaksin deserves is a paddy wagon and armed escort to the monkey house.

 

 

I’ll take Thaskin any day over what we have had for the past ten years. He was great for the foreigners. 

20 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Back to the early 2000s. Sometimes Thailand feels like a movie trilogy...

Same old merry go round. Corrupt Shinawatra mafia family and incompetent Army. Round and round they go.  

20 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

'Democracy', and amassing more wealth for their leader, his family and cronies, to the detriment of everyone else...

I think this is the settlement of a family feud, one that will calm the people, by returning Thaksin, it's all organised, he will get a pardon,, who will be PM,? Anutin?? I think whoever it is, it's already been decided, move forward will fall back to opposition, Pheu Thai will have a say in whatever government is formed, keeping Thaksins supporters happy for a while, but how long will this last is anyone's guess 

BREAKING: Former massage parlour tycoon turned whistle blower Chuwit Kamolvisit claims on his latest FB post that #Thaksin Shinwatra has cancelled his planner return to #Thailand because "the situation has changed".

 

https://twitter.com/PravitR/status/1684950970986569729

 

9 minutes ago, anchadian said:

BREAKING: Former massage parlour tycoon turned whistle blower Chuwit Kamolvisit claims on his latest FB post that #Thaksin Shinwatra has cancelled his planner return to #Thailand because "the situation has changed".

 

https://twitter.com/PravitR/status/1684950970986569729

 

I hope it's true as it will leave egg on the face of his silly daughter and in fact the whole PT party who are beholden to the man

If true, and it's a big if, what a shambles!

Jatuporn was explaining yesterday that gaining a pardon for Thaksin's crimes wasn't as easy as has been suggested.

Perhaps Thaksin feared the key being turned in his cell and then thrown away. 

He created many enemies whilst in Thailand.

 

Still astounded that we're caught up in this fabricated red-shirt/yellow shirt nonsense. 

What they do well is continue to keep us divided. 

9 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Penis

Looking in the mirror are you?

20 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Maybe he can explain his unusual wealth when he returns

What I would really want to see in the near future is the present unelected caretaker PM not explaining his wealth since he stole the country, he would just lie, but to have his wealth checked in some way.

19 hours ago, billd766 said:

Not forgetting that they are filling their own pockets as well.

Would that not describe both Thailand and UK governments? I  cannot mention any other countries as these are the only countries I have lived in.

17 hours ago, hotchilli said:

I was speaking to a Thai friend yesterday, he's happy as hell at Thaksin returning.

He said when Thaksin was PM money was all around, people were happy and the country was in a much better state than it is now.

Yes he was a rogue but one that shared the wealth around.

He's not alone in his thinking... 

I'm  just an expat sitting on the fence listening to all sides.

Yes. all sides except anything to do with the military.

3 hours ago, anchadian said:

BREAKING: Former massage parlour tycoon turned whistle blower Chuwit Kamolvisit claims on his latest FB post that #Thaksin Shinwatra has cancelled his planner return to #Thailand because "the situation has changed".

 

https://twitter.com/PravitR/status/1684950970986569729

 

Highly placed sources close to self exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra say that the plans by Thaksin to return on August 10 remains intact.

 

“This is BS, all he (Chuvit) does is manipulate and spread rumors,” the source said.

 

This comes just hours after whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit late last night posted on his social media that plans of Thaksin’s return to #Thailand were abruptly changed due to change in ‘circumstances’.

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1685100908320063489

 

3 minutes ago, anchadian said:

Highly placed sources close to self exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra say that the plans by Thaksin to return on August 10 remains intact.

 

“This is BS, all he (Chuvit) does is manipulate and spread rumors,”

 

the source said. This comes just hours after whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit late last night posted on his social media that plans of Thaksin’s return to #Thailand were abruptly changed due to change in ‘circumstances’.

 

https://twitter.com/ThaiEnquirer/status/1685100908320063489

 

Talking of BS and fake news being spread around, Thanathorn has been challenged over reports he flew to Hong Kong to meet Tony. Several senior MFP MPs have demanded to know the details, if they exist. I wrote to a couple of editors asking where they got their information from, but got no replies. I remain sceptical of all media reports on all election issues. Who knows who's writing the copy, feeding the material?

On 7/28/2023 at 7:25 AM, paddypower said:

one half of the population against the other

More like 10% against 90%.

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Still astounded that we're caught up in this fabricated red-shirt/yellow shirt nonsense. 

What they do well is continue to keep us divided. 

It reflects a real division of interests so it's is not nonsense or fabricated.Yes, unity should be the aim but that will involve painful compromises - a massive reduction of inequality on one side and the rejection of unfeasible populist policies on the other. If we want things to stay the same, things will have to change.

15 hours ago, bannork said:

They felt rightly that their government elected democratically, had been illegitimately usurped by Abhisit and Newin. Not illegal but illegitimate.. 

So they were fighting for the restoration of their government which offered benefits to the working man. 

Imo, they were fighting for democracy in the sense that they wanted their democratically elected govern ment back.

But if you ask them about the exclusion of the party with the most votes, MF, from governance, then democracy may take a back seat in their thinking, as all that counts is the return of their hero and the expectation of more populist policies to benefit them.

Thaksin corrupt? Never mind we benefit too.

Thaksin joins hands with junta parties, coups that destroyed PT governments and its previous parties, is this okay?!

Never mind, just give us some money 

The attitude of some PT supporters, not sure how much 

 

 

.......and they all lived happily ever after - just like in real life.

20 hours ago, dinsdale said:

He's coming back. A deal has been done. MFP are gone. PTP now sleeps with the enemy. The military retain control. A coup without a coup. They (the military) win again even though they lost. The people of Thailand have been bertayed. 

That seems to have been the deal all along. PT (Prior to Election) were quoting a "landslide", and then MFP came along and Pi**ed on their Chips! 

Now they want them out at all costs. The people have been betrayed AND stabbed in the back.

 

 

7 hours ago, George FmplesdaCosteedback said:

Thaksin doesn't represent democracy, he was an autocratic dictator not a Prime Minister.

The welcome committee will just stir up the same old trouble and likely lead to another delay in real democracy being done by excluding the appointed senate members from the election of the next PM.

The only reception Thaksin deserves is a paddy wagon and armed escort to the monkey house.

 

 

How strange that you say that.

 

He won his first election in a free vote by all Thai voters, served as PM for 4 years, the first civilian PM to do so. He stood for election a second time and his party won an overall majority and the ONLY way he was removed was by yet another military coup.

 

In all the military coups since 1932, not even 1 general has received as much as a slap on the wrist.

 

Yet he won 2 successive free elections, yet not 1 general has ever stood in an election. They prefer to steal the entire country at the point of a gun and with tanks backing them up.

 

The generals first act is to tear up the constitution and write a new one in their favour, and their second act is to give themselves an amnesty for all past, present and future acts.

 

Something That Thaksin and the few civilian governments NEVER did.

1 hour ago, jayboy said:

It reflects a real division of interests so it's is not nonsense or fabricated.Yes, unity should be the aim but that will involve painful compromises - a massive reduction of inequality on one side and the rejection of unfeasible populist policies on the other. If we want things to stay the same, things will have to change.

I assume you meant to write ''  . If we DON'T want things to stay the same, things will have to change''   ????

 

2 hours ago, jayboy said:

More like 10% against 90%.

I disagree.

Assuming that PT is giving the shaft to MFP,  I refer to the results of the election, at wilki, which translate into a country, roughly split down the middle. 

%'s of those casting votes (Ignoring the really small parties' %'s )

PT:   28.86

UTN 12.55

BT     3.00

        44.41

MFP 38.01

 

as far as the number of MP's elected, I don't quite understand how the ''List MP's '' system works. It sure screws up the results, when comparing the %'s of votes a party receives, v.v. the number of MP's elected. For example - BT got 3% of the votes and 14% of the 500 MP's elected.  who cares, I guess - most political systems stink 

1 hour ago, paddypower said:

I assume you meant to write ''  . If we DON'T want things to stay the same, things will have to change''   ????

 

No, I meant what I wrote.It was an allusion to famous quotation from a young aristocrat in Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's great novel , The Leopard.In other words, putting it into a local context, the unelected elites {no need to spell out the details) who control Thailand will have to accept there are major changes ahead which will diminish their wealth, influence and power.If they wish to retain a significant portion of their current favourable position, they will have to negotiate and compromise.It is called enlightened self interest, admittedly not a commodity in great supply in Thailand.