Leader of People's Party, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut leaves after a press conference as they announced the formation of the new political party in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, two days after Thailand’s Move Forward party was dissolved by legal order. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

 

In a stunning development, a recent Thailand poll indicates that 84% of those surveyed would cast their vote for the newly formed People’s Party if an election were held tomorrow. This landslide support follows the dissolution of the reformist Move Forward Party by the Constitutional Court.

 

The poll, which garnered responses from around 51,000 individuals via Matichon’s YouTube channel, illustrates a significant shift in public opinion towards the People’s Party. Move Forward, now resurrected as the People’s Party, faced court-ordered dissolution due to charges related to their controversial campaign promise to amend the lese majeste law.

 

In comparison, only 9% of respondents indicated support for the Pheu Thai Party, led by Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader. Pheu Thai currently heads the coalition government with Bhumjaithai, the second-largest coalition partner, receiving just 2% of the hypothetical vote.

 

The dissolution of Move Forward has not dampened public enthusiasm for their mission. Within nine hours yesterday, over 10 million baht was donated to the People’s Party, meeting their fundraising target. Additionally, more than 19,000 people registered as party members in a single day, pushing towards a goal of 100,000 members within a month, reported Thai Newsroom.

 

Chulalongkorn University political scientist Puangthong Pawakapan has criticised the Constitutional Court for what she describes as a double standard. She argues that past military coups, such as those in 2006 and 2014 led by army chiefs Sonthi Boonyaratkalin and Prayut Chan-o-cha respectively, were clear acts of undermining the constitution but went unpunished. In contrast, Move Forward was dissolved for campaign issues.

 

The Constitutional Court ruling not only dissolved the Move Forward Party but also banned its leaders, including Pita Limjaroenrat and Chaithawat Tulathon, from political office for ten years. This decision has stirred significant debate and discontent among the public, indicating potential unrest and a shift in future electoral dynamics.

 

-- 2024-08-13

 

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3 hours ago, webfact said:

In a stunning development, a recent Thailand poll indicates that 84% of those surveyed would cast their vote for the newly formed People’s Party if an election were held tomorrow. This landslide support follows the dissolution of the reformist Move Forward Party by the Constitutional Court.

I wonder how the elite would counter this if it came to an election.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

In comparison, only 9% of respondents indicated support for the Pheu Thai Party, led by Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader. Pheu Thai currently heads the coalition government with Bhumjaithai, the second-largest coalition partner, receiving just 2% of the hypothetical vote.

Maybe the tide i turning, Thais are getting sick and tired of these parties and people and want real changes.

Let us hope that they will soon replace the dinasours that are preventing Thailand from joining the 21st Century 

13 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Maybe the tide i turning, Thais are getting sick and tired of these parties and people and want real changes.

No maybe about it. The tide has well and truly turned. The establishment is and has been for a long time under threat of losing it's privilege. The EC, CC and even the military will not be able to stop this move to reform. 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

In a stunning development, a recent Thailand poll indicates that 84% of those surveyed would cast their vote for the newly formed People’s Party if an election were held tomorrow

Probably equal to the same numbers of UK Labour voting pensioners that have just had their winter heating allowance stolen in Labour voting scam.

 

 

Vote? What is this vote thing? I seem to recall a recent vote where the winner got a 10 year ban from politics, now that's not a very fair prize, is it???

Just the other day we saw the courts ban 10 people from politics for 10 years.....these people will be next! Thaksin et al, will rid any opposing parties very quickly.

52 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

I wonder how the elite would counter this if it came to an election.

 

Tanks usually

I tend not to take much notice of polls so far away from the election, but this is astounding. I hope the EC and CC take note of these results. When they ban parties they might not get the result they are hoping for.

it good to read that Thai people are being sick already with the superrich, elite and army based Government and they need changes.... But it will be difficult as the power they have they will never give up and always will find ways to dissolve and ban the new parties/MPs 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

84% of those surveyed would cast their vote for the newly formed People’s Party if an election were held tomorrow.

 

That is what you can call a " landslide " win .

Another 3 years to wait for ...

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

only 9% of respondents indicated support for the Pheu Thai Party, led by Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader.

 

Som nam nah , the great manipulator turned into a disaster for his own party .

He better should have stayed in Dubai .

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Chulalongkorn University political scientist Puangthong Pawakapan has criticised the Constitutional Court for what she describes as a double standard.

 

The CC consists of royalists who just execute orders .

 

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

I wonder how the elite would counter this if it came to an election.

 

Coup .

44 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

the military will not be able to stop this move to reform. 

 

The thai military did stop people's movements before already .

They will get orders to kill demonstrators if there is no other way .

The only other possibility is a revolt within the army itself to get rid of their corrupt commanders .

I do not want Thailand to follow Burma's footsteps ... but eventually it will risk a civil war if the outcome of the next elections is so hypocritically suppressed as it was this time ...

 

18 minutes ago, retarius said:

I tend not to take much notice of polls so far away from the election, but this is astounding. I hope the EC and CC take note of these results. When they ban parties they might not get the result they are hoping for.

EC and CC don't have the mental capacity to think tat far ahead

20 minutes ago, proton said:

 

Tanks usually

I wonder how that will go down with the tourists.. this government has to tread carefully.

17 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

it good to read that Thai people are being sick already with the superrich, elite and army based Government and they need changes.... But it will be difficult as the power they have they will never give up and always will find ways to dissolve and ban the new parties/MPs 

Control of the trough is all that matters!

6 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

The thai military did stop people's movements before already .

They will get orders to kill demonstrators if there is no other way

Tourism is the only thing keeping Thailand and many thousands of workers going.

They could not risk another episode like that again.

Someone's dreaming up a 100,000 baht Digital Waterfall.

 

 

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Chulalongkorn University political scientist Puangthong Pawakapan has criticised the Constitutional Court for what she describes as a double standard.

 

Tell me again who appoints every Judge?

 

I think we can safely call it a "Single Standard".

 

 

The only way things will change here is if the Thai people show the army they are very serious, and will not tolerate being manipulated and shoved around. The people are going to have to make some major sacrifices. But, it will happen. It is just a matter of time. The Jurassic era is drawing to a close. 

 

There will never be another military coup here. Think about it. The moral authority that backed the coups in the past, is long gone. And the army does not have the guts to wage war against their people, Burmese style. 

 

It won't happen. The families of the soldiers would never tolerate their sons murdering innocent Thais. The moms would say "you murder one Thai, and you are never welcome back into our family home again. Listen to me. Do not do this". And you would have massive army defections. Who will fight at that point? Not the cowardly generals? They would flee into exile with their billions, and the army might collapse, or give up, at that point.

 

 

5 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Tourism is the only thing keeping Thailand and many thousands of workers going.

They could not risk another episode like that again.

 

Yes . But it is not about Thailand's economy this time .

It is about how the ruling elite secures it's place .

They are all rich enough already , they do not need income from tourism any more ...

It is the old : me first , me me me ... the rest of thailands population can go to hell , as long as they can stay in power ... not a socialist country here ...

84%? Good grief, we'll have to abolish them tomorrow!

 

And The People too!

    Stunning number.  Thais may not be rioting in the streets over the horrible MFP decision but they are letting it be known exactly what they think of the decision and will get their revenge at the next election.

Unless the people are ready to take what is theirs by force, they are just blowing smoke, look to your Northwest neighbors to see how that is done. First, gather some courage and grow a spine.

One thing is very clear now - the Bangkok conservative power ruling elite need to change their thinking and actions fairly quickly, before blood is flowing in the streets.  I do not expect many the rank and file soldiers to be standing with the generals at this time, they will be standing with the people.

For those saying another "coup" will come, I think should read about Bangladesh's PM's experiences in the past week.

 

The army refused to fire on civilians, even though ordered to do so by their commander in chief.  The police refused too, because they saw their wives and children in the rioting mobs.

 

She left with only the clothes she wore, an hour before she was crucified by the PEOPLE.

 

Don't underestimate people's power, nor the People's Party.

2 hours ago, dinsdale said:

No maybe about it. The tide has well and truly turned. The establishment is and has been for a long time under threat of losing it's privilege. The EC, CC and even the military will not be able to stop this move to reform. 

Would you like to bet on that?  It doesn't matter how many parties are formed or rise from the ashes of Future Forward or Move Forward, they will not be allowed to take up and meaningful positions, should they win any future elections.  The establishment will take comfort in the fact that Move Forward were not allowed to put forward a Prime Minister without reaction from the people and then the party was 'disolved' - again without any protests.  Do you seriously think they will not do exactly the same again?

 

Change and reform in Thailand may well be long overdue but unless the people rise up and rise up seriously, nothing's going to change.  Such a rising would involve considerable bloodshed and the evidence so far points to them not having the stomach for that.

 

Part of the problem as I see it is that apart from not having the stomach for serious protest, the public themselves are complicit in what I believe is the country's biggest problem - corruption.  Corruption appears to take place at all levels of society - as I've been discovering recently whilst trying to help a Thai friend find a job in local government.  It seems that its not how well qualified you may be to do a particular job, its how much you are prepared to pay for it. That's one aspect, another is cow-towing complicity such as paying 'fines' for made up traffic offences. Unless the public are prepared stop being complicit in such matters, they can hardly baulk at the dinosaurs that are their masters.  Those dinosaurs have the power and resources to quell any serious unrest - as they showed not too long ago with the Red Shirts.

 

At the 'Establishment' level, reform is what is required - reform of the sort that Move Forward proposed. However, the people themselves need to reform - stop paying for jobs and stop paying 'fines' for made up traffic offences - and I'm picking on just two aspects there.  The more I look into it, the more I discover that the entire system in Thailand is rotten.  There is also the issue of eating s h i t that Thai's put up with when dealing with officialdom.  

 

What happened after the last election and the lack of reaction to the dissolution of Move Forward seems to indicate that whilst the people want reform they neither have the stomach for any meaningful protest nor are they prepared to reform themselves.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

40 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

84%? Good grief, we'll have to abolish them tomorrow!

 

And The People too!

i bet they are already looking for ways to stop them. Let's hope PP can avoid giving them any reasons before the next election.

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

I wonder how the elite would counter this if it came to an election.

They rely on the remaining 16% and will count the votes untill they'll see 100%. And they will start the tank's engines....just in case.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

The only way things will change here is if the Thai people show the army they are very serious, and will not tolerate being manipulated and shoved around. The people are going to have to make some major sacrifices. But, it will happen. It is just a matter of time. The Jurassic era is drawing to a close. 

 

There will never be another military coup here. Think about it. The moral authority that backed the coups in the past, is long gone. And the army does not have the guts to wage war against their people, Burmese style. 

 

It won't happen. The families of the soldiers would never tolerate their sons murdering innocent Thais. The moms would say "you murder one Thai, and you are never welcome back into our family home again. Listen to me. Do not do this". And you would have massive army defections. Who will fight at that point? Not the cowardly generals? They would flee into exile with their billions, and the army might collapse, or give up, at that point.

 

 

That sounds very optimistic....but there always one above all laws and rules and his will must be done