Thaksin and digital wallet can converge to form political tsunami

[snoop1130]

 

If Pheu Thai needs one good reason why it should back down from its flagship electoral promise, the party does not have to look beyond the 14th floor of the Police Hospital.

 

The pending “digital wallet” scheme and the controversial post-exile treatment of Thaksin Shinawatra are becoming a potentially-disastrous mixture that the ruling party will find to be too much to handle.

 

The countdown is beginning for Thaksin to be qualified for an absolute amnesty, a combustible issue on its own, while the ball has been definitely back in Pheu Thai’s court regarding a plan to borrow Bt500 billion to fund digital wallet.

 

During the newly-ended budget debate, the opposition Move Forward Party gave a hint about how easy the two problems can merge. There is a lot of state money being wasted, the party said, and one great example is how much the “privileges” being given to Thaksin are costing Thai taxpayers.

 

A previously-unthinkable scenario of “yellow” and “orange” protesters taking to the streets for the same causes is being increasingly talked about. Everyone knows the yellows don’t like Thaksin and any “populist” programme associated with him.

The oranges, meanwhile, liked Thaksin when he suited them but that is no longer the case, and with Move Forward in the opposition they can never support digital wallet.

 

Granted, Move Forward can come across as a hypocrite. (The party did not oppose digital wallet during the election campaign, while Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit had admitted to meeting Thaksin after the May election and tearfully bemoaned the missed opportunity of Move Forward and Pheu Thai to work together.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-01-19

 

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[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

There is a lot of state money being wasted, the party said, and one great example is how much the “privileges” being given to Thaksin are costing Thai taxpayers.

Anyone who thinks this has cost the taxpayer money money is crazy....

He has not been in hospital all this time, he's been holed up at home for sure.

[daveAustin]

Could do with another tsunami to ‘converge’ over this dirty lot. 

[OneMoreFarang]

31 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Anyone who thinks this has cost the taxpayer money money is crazy....

He has not been in hospital all this time, he's been holed up at home for sure.

I think it's always amazing how some people in Thailand think they know what is happening for sure.

And obviously they have no evidence at all. But they spoke with Noi who spoke with Nit who knows someone .... 

 

Even if the criminal is not in that place, it still cost the taxpayers a lot of money to pay for this show. 

[OneMoreFarang]

The big question is how many voters will remember all this until the next election.

And how many will think it is more important than whatever new promise or cash the parties offer at that time.

TiT

[herfiehandbag]

The Digital Wallet scheme may cause waves, although the public may view it as having been blocked by others than Pheu Thai. It is after all a very large amount of money, such government largesse is surely for the "good people".

 

Thaksin's release? Well, it is being authorised from very high up indeed, which makes it unwise to mount too concerted a campaign to block it, and the bulk of the population either rather agree with it or don't care.

 

RIpples rather than Tsunami perhaps?

[kingstonkid]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

The big question is how many voters will remember all this until the next election.

And how many will think it is more important than whatever new promise or cash the parties offer at that time.

TiT

Remembering will be easy other parties will remind them.  They will also remind people about how many PTP promises have been made and either broken or turned out corrupt.

[stoner]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

it still cost the taxpayers a lot of money to pay for this show. 

 

maybe he is holed up in a submarine in the gulf of thailand ?

[it is what it is]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

The big question is how many voters will remember all this until the next election.

And how many will think it is more important than whatever new promise or cash the parties offer at that time.

TiT

 

the big question is will they be able to squeeze this policy through the legal system, is it really a national disaster?

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, stoner said:

 

maybe he is holed up in a submarine in the gulf of thailand ?

That would be fine.

Call it Nautilus and nobody ever saw it again. Win/win. 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, it is what it is said:

the big question is will they be able to squeeze this policy through the legal system, is it really a national disaster?

Do they really want that?

Or do they want to be able to tell their voters: We wanted to give you all that money, but the others prevented us from doing this. It's their fault. 

[John Drake]

I know what happens with a tsunami. The people drown and die.

[retarius]

9 hours ago, it is what it is said:

 

the big question is will they be able to squeeze this policy through the legal system, is it really a national disaster?

I don't know about it being a national disaster. The US gives plenty of money away to its citizens to stimulate the economy and massage the numbers....they call it helicopter money. But Thailand was always be a much lower debt nation and that gives a sense of security that high debt just doesn't. Prayut's profligacy has severely damaged the economic security of the nation, and we need a time to pause and get the economy back on track now that the junta idiots are out of the way. Borrowing 500 billion baht to spend on stupid scheme that will not do anything for the economy is stupid...far worse stupidity than targeted interventions or infrastructure projects. And why make it so expensive using a high tech solution where one is not needed, and why exclude millions of rural poor who live more than 4kms away from shops???? Poor people spend money and so to include them is a better way to stimulate the economy.