In what has become one of Thailand’s most-scrutinised photos of late, ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra sat near a pool apparently reminiscing about something. How he was dressed, how soft medical aids were applied and how “healthy” or how “sick” he looked have been widely studied.

 

What is left to discuss? It’s the fact that the water in the pool had no ripples. Don’t underestimate it, because if there are no big protests in the next few days and if the social media’s attention turns to something else, the political metaphor generated by that fact can be hugely significant.

 

Yingluck Shinawatra is counting on the absence of a genuine uproar. There have been expected sarcasm and heated debates in some corners following the release of the Ban Chan Song La photo, but what has followed Thaksin’s resumption of life as a virtually-free man is nowhere near volcanic.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-02-23

 

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Please come home soon Yingluck, Thailand needs you to sort out the mess here.

She looks too good to claim "being very sick" is she returns.

1 minute ago, kidneyw said:

She looks too good to claim "being very sick" is she returns.

Looks pretty fit to me, better than her Dad  brother, sorry.

I would...

9 minutes ago, Martin71 said:

I would...

Form a queue!!!

Her returning might not be so easy , 

 

regards worgeordie

She should come back, and then she should obviously go to prison.

And then let's see if she is the next most sick criminal in Thailand.

The problem is obviously that she is too young to be freed because she is old and sick. So what next?

She didn't mean it?

She just followed orders?

She is a Shinawatra?

Or what will be the reason to free her as well?

3 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

Her returning might not be so easy , 

 

regards worgeordie

Returning is easy, there are lots of flights available. 😉 

This has all curiously evolved over the last couple of years....the seemingly regrouping of the Shinawatra circle. 

If not Thaksin and Yingluck themselves, who will more than likely act as influential figureheads, but more to pointing and promoting Thakky's offspring as future leaders in one capacity or another. Expecting a new political party to be formed and brandishing something along those lines....disassociating with the relations of the old Shinawatra-centric political attachments. The odd irony being of the almost witch hunt atmosphere and forced disbanding, over the years, of the Future Forward and now the Move Forward folks [and all associations] and the reprieve/rise of the once shamed Shinawatras - as the ever patient military sides wait in the shadows. 

 

Such speculative theories and scenarios could easily be debated and call out, but wouldn't surprise some if their associated rise from the ashes has great impact on future Thai political discourse. 

 

Just an observation.

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

How he was dressed, how soft medical aids were applied and how “healthy” or how “sick” he looked have been widely studied.

The only thing sick is the whole charade.

12 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

what will be the reason to free her

because she's innocent 🙏

Seems easy to me if she is a clone of the latest Prime Minister.

The people might be pissed off, but the army will let her return scot free. It was likely part of the deal with PT, when they surrendered all ethics and let that toxic organization back in. Ten lousy years of horrible leadership. It continues unabated, and the economy continues to flounder. 

 

Only 20 million people in the streets might stop them. And that is not going to happen. 

12 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

She should come back, and then she should obviously go to prison.

And then let's see if she is the next most sick criminal in Thailand.

The problem is obviously that she is too young to be freed because she is old and sick. So what next?

She didn't mean it?

She just followed orders?

She is a Shinawatra?

Or what will be the reason to free her as well?

Always fascinating to read the comments of the haters, unable to understand basic Western judicial concepts like 'Innocent until proven guilty' or to differentiate criminal behaviour from political missteps. (Yawn)

12 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

This has all curiously evolved over the last couple of years....the seemingly regrouping of the Shinawatra circle. 

 

They've been recruited to fight the progress that MFP has emboldened.

 

Quid Pro Quo.

 

Allowed to return to Thailand but PTP must help take out MFP, and its successor, support regression back to pre-1932 levels, and help manage the next succession.

 

 

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

The people might be pissed off, but the army will let her return scot free. It was likely part of the deal with PT, when they surrendered all ethics and let that toxic organization back in. Ten lousy years of horrible leadership. It continues unabated, and the economy continues to flounder. 

 

Only 20 million people in the streets might stop them. And that is not going to happen. 

Do you think the present PM is doing a good job? Some actions seem to be right moving Thailand much faster into the future than ever before. What do you think?

At last an OP speaking common sense.

The AN hate mob have wished for 6 months that violent protest against the 2 democratically elected P.M.s would erupt. This has manifestly failed to occur. The OP said that what little protest there has been has hardly been volcanic.

Come back soon Yingluk.

54 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Some actions seem to be right moving Thailand much faster into the future than ever before.

 

Examples?

 

 

59 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Do you think the present PM is doing a good job? Some actions seem to be right moving Thailand much faster into the future than ever before. What do you think?

 

I think the gangsters are still in control at the trough. 

15 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

She should come back, and then she should obviously go to prison.

And then let's see if she is the next most sick criminal in Thailand.

The problem is obviously that she is too young to be freed because she is old and sick. So what next?

She didn't mean it?

She just followed orders?

She is a Shinawatra?

Or what will be the reason to free her as well?

Absolutely she should come back, then whilst on bail awaiting acquittal on appeal she could be required to live in the same condo building as @OneMoreFarang.

 

When they meet in the lift she could give him that smouldering smile which was so devastating on President Obama!

 

Should keep him frothing at the mouth for weeks!

Edited February 24, 20242 yr by herfiehandbag

1 hour ago, newbee2022 said:

Do you think the present PM is doing a good job? Some actions seem to be right moving Thailand much faster into the future than ever before. What do you think?

He seems well-intentioned & has certainly set a range of long-overdue items in some kind of motion ... Whether they come to fruition depends on a whole lot of 'things' (eg corruption & power deals) that are largely outside of his control (or just about anyone's).

 

In any case there's not much point in people dismissing each new Tryer who comes along as if they are all just criminals. That's both childish & self-defeating. The attitudes of many people on AN - even Usofans! - are astonishingly arrogant and naive. As though their own countries were paragons of virtue.

16 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Her returning might not be so easy , 

More brown envelopes makes most things easy here!

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The people might be pissed off, but the army will let her return scot free. It was likely part of the deal with PT, when they surrendered all ethics and let that toxic organization back in. Ten lousy years of horrible leadership. It continues unabated, and the economy continues to flounder. 

 

Only 20 million people in the streets might stop them. And that is not going to happen. 

The challenge, though, is that she is the ONLY chess piece that the military/elite have.

 

With everything that they said and did about the Shin dynasty, it will be very hard to convince a large part of their backers and voters that they are the tough pro monarchy for elite government.

 

It also takes away their last bit of control over the PTP.  Once YL is back and the charges against Thaksin are resolved, there is little to stop the Shin's from starting up again with everything that either was wrong or perceived wrong by the military elite.  

 

It is hard to say that they are a menace to the country after you have pardoned the family.

 

Also, it becomes harder to try the people that have spoken out as they now have precedence, if not in court, at least in the media, as to why people should not be jailed for being against the military.

2 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

 

Examples?

 

 

Yes

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

The people might be pissed off

I think a very LARGE proportion of The People might be delighted to see her return, and not in manacles, even if they think she wasn't a great PM.

 

(But of course I was forgetting: Isaan people don't count.)

Her neck has been measured for a suitable neck brace, the police hospital suite is empty, and has been fitted with a dressing table for her feminine needs.

She got luck in her name. Let's welcome back the only and most successful ,female PM the land of the free has ever had.

Edited February 24, 20242 yr by thecyclist
Error

The person truly in charge is still in charge.

I am not surprised at all, only surprised by how long it took for the media to start covering it, Thaksin and her return were agreed while negotiating the "choice" of the new PM..., Shreta fitted the perfect candidate profile for that to happen (their return) then he was placed, (not elected) as PM

4 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Do you think the present PM is doing a good job? Some actions seem to be right moving Thailand much faster into the future than ever before. What do you think?

NO. Not at all. He yaks, yaks, and yaks. He puts on a good show, but please show me some evidence his yakking is resulting in anything that benefits the people, or the economy he is supposedly directing, in his twin job as finance minister. I have not seen any progress at all. On any level.

 

Granted, he is less embarrassing than Prayuth. But that little guy was pathetic leader on every level imaginable.

Edited February 24, 20242 yr by spidermike007