Paetongtarn Shinawatra Faces Political Crisis Over New Legal Challenges

[webfact]

 

Paetongtarn Shinawatra could lose her position as Prime Minister and leader of the Pheu Thai party following new lawsuits linked to the impeachment of her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, last month.

 

Paetongtarn, daughter of Pheu Thai’s de facto leader Thaksin Shinawatra, is under intense scrutiny. Fresh lawsuits have been filed with the Constitutional Court via the Election Commission, seeking her removal from office.

 

The lawsuits claim that Thaksin orchestrated her appointment and that she did not adhere to constitutional and political party laws. These legal actions also call for the dissolution of the Pheu Thai party, the main faction in the current coalition government.

 

This turmoil is rooted in the impeachment of former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who was ousted by a narrow 5:4 decision in the Constitutional Court.

 

Srettha’s downfall was triggered by his appointment of Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer and convict, as a minister without formal endorsement from the Pheu Thai executive board. This controversial decision, allegedly influenced by Thaksin, led to Srettha’s removal from office.

Paetongtarn and the Pheu Thai party are accused of being under Thaksin’s undue influence. Thaksin, who cannot legally participate in the party, is suspected of manipulating key decisions, including the problematic appointment of Pichit.

 

If found guilty of violating political ethics, Paetongtarn and the entire Pheu Thai executive board, along with all current cabinet members, could be banned from holding political office for several years.

 

The legal precedent set by Srettha’s impeachment serves as a basis for the new lawsuits, which could dramatically alter the Thai political landscape.

 

Despite these challenges, Paetongtarn and her newly formed cabinet are scheduled to participate in official ceremonies with King Maha Vajiralongkorn. This includes an audience, formal appointment, and an oath-taking ceremony, set to occur in the middle of this month, before they commence their governance duties.

 

However, with the imminent court decisions, the future of Paetongtarn’s leadership and the stability of the Pheu Thai party hang in the balance.

 

Picture courtesy: Thai Rath

 

-- 2024-09-03

 

 

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[bannork]

It's impossible to believe any appeals by serial legal troublemakers will affect the Pheu Thai government.

Surely the whole point of allowing Toni back was to enable Pheu Thai to team up with the establishment in opposition to Move Forward?

The last thing the elite wants is Pheu Thai changing sides and siding with what is now the People's Party.

No doubt many of  Toni's opponents over the last twenty years, the generals, senators, etc are grinding their teeth at seeing the deeply flawed puppet master gleefully pulling the strings once again.

Could they really dare to upset the master plan?

 

[ikke1959]

get rid of all  the non army based parties... the junta must be the only ones in power...

[OneMoreFarang]

Guilty as charged. Do it! 

[OneMoreFarang]

48 minutes ago, bannork said:

It's impossible to believe any appeals by serial legal troublemakers will affect the Pheu Thai government.

Surely the whole point of allowing Toni back was to enable Pheu Thai to team up with the establishment in opposition to Move Forward?

The last thing the elite wants is Pheu Thai changing sides and siding with what is now the People's Party.

No doubt many of  Toni's opponents over the last twenty years, the generals, senators, etc are grinding their teeth at seeing the deeply flawed puppet master gleefully pulling the strings once again.

Could they really dare to upset the master plan?

 

Personally, I guess the deal was more like: Thaksin can come back and play with his grandchildren. He should not openly meddle in politics. Live and let live and all that.

But Thaksin, not surprisingly, wants it all. And there are just too many people who don't want that.

 

IMHO he has two choices.

Behave and go away from politics - at least in public.

Or he will be removed by the courts, election commissions, whatever. He has enough enemies, and I can't imagine that he will get away with what he does now for a long time.

Let's see.

 

 

[watchcat]

3 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

He should not openly meddle in politics. Live and let live and all that.

But Thaksin, not surprisingly, wants it all. And there are just too many people who don't want that.

 

He just can't handle that,

 

[bannork]

12 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

Personally, I guess the deal was more like: Thaksin can come back and play with his grandchildren. He should not openly meddle in politics. Live and let live and all that.

But Thaksin, not surprisingly, wants it all. And there are just too many people who don't want that.

 

IMHO he has two choices.

Behave and go away from politics - at least in public.

Or he will be removed by the courts, election commissions, whatever. He has enough enemies, and I can't imagine that he will get away with what he does now for a long time.

Let's see.

 

 

Imo they wouldn't have let him come back unless he could be useful to them, ie oppose Move Forward.

Otherwise why let him back?

 

[Hunz Kittisak]

2 hours ago, bannork said:

It's impossible to believe any appeals by serial legal troublemakers will affect the Pheu Thai government.

Surely the whole point of allowing Toni back was to enable Pheu Thai to team up with the establishment in opposition to Move Forward?

The last thing the elite wants is Pheu Thai changing sides and siding with what is now the People's Party.

No doubt many of  Toni's opponents over the last twenty years, the generals, senators, etc are grinding their teeth at seeing the deeply flawed puppet master gleefully pulling the strings once again.

Could they really dare to upset the master plan?

 

Of course no one dares to upset the master plan. Coz it was planned by The Master. 
Very well executed too might I add, HE is proving to be even more savvy than his old man. 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, bannork said:

Imo they wouldn't have let him come back unless he could be useful to them, ie oppose Move Forward.

Otherwise why let him back?

 

I am pretty sure Thaksin wanted to be back in Thailand, home.

I guess is that some people thought something like this: If we don't let Thaksin back then he will continue to make problems from outside of Thailand. We don't want that. Maybe we can make a deal with him like: We let you come back and live as a free man. And for that in return you are quiet and live the rest of your life in peace at home.

Maybe there was also part like: If you come back and are not quiet, then we will fight you again.

 

The problem with Thaksin and people like him is that he just can't get enough. He could live in peace in luxury at home. But he wants more. Sad. 

[lordgrinz]

At this rate, Thailand can pretty much say goodbye to foreign investment, nobody is going to invest in such an unstable political environment. Mass Exodus of capital to more stable countries is bound to accelerate with this never-ending battle between the Elites.

[paddypower]

42 minutes ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

Of course no one dares to upset the master plan. Coz it was planned by The Master. 
Very well executed too might I add, HE is proving to be even more savvy than his old man. 

despite looting everything, gone soon and then a whole different ball game, because of the unbelievable wealth involved ( for clarity,  i'm referring to a private citizen)

Edited September 3 by paddypower
spell

[paddypower]

51 minutes ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

Of course no one dares to upset the master plan. Coz it was planned by The Master. 
Very well executed too might I add, HE is proving to be even more savvy than his old man. 

the 'old man' took in stray dogs and said 112 was evil. he was an ok guy in my book, compared to the substitute

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

Of course no one dares to upset the master plan. Coz it was planned by The Master. 
Very well executed too might I add, HE is proving to be even more savvy than his old man. 

Not more savvy, more decisive I would say. 

[Kerryd]

Keep in mind who controls the money.
Thaksin is still a (billionaire ?) even if a large hunk of his money wasn't earned "legally". (i.e. the profits he made when he divvied up his shares of his telecom and distributed them to his family, maid and chauffeur to sell to an "offshore" company in defiance of the law stating he wasn't allowed to sell his company to a "foreign entity" for national security reasons. (As in, he handed over the satellites that carried the military's communications to a foreign power.) By divvying his shares and having his family/staff sell them, he avoided billions in taxes.

That was literally why he ran for office in the first place ! He was told he wasn't allowed to sell ShinCorp to a (Singapore-based company I think it was) for National Security reasons.

So he ran in (bought) the next election so he could become PM and change the rules, as well as doing a few other shady things.

And then he had to flee the country when his attempt to bribe a judge - using his lawyer at the time, Pichit Chuenban (same guy that Srettha tried to appoint to Cabinet as a reward) - failed and Thaksin faced a prison sentence.

Chuenban was disbarred and sent to prison for trying to bribe a judge with 2 million baht inside a school lunch box.

While Thailand froze Thaksin's assets - inside Thailand - they couldn't freeze the billions he had outside the country. You don't buy and sell things like Manchester City football clubs on credit after all.

Or spend  years living a life of luxury in Dubai while jetting around the world secure in the knowledge no one will even try to arrest you.

And you can bet one of the main reasons he's back and his daughter is now PM (without being elected) is to get back all that money in the accounts that were frozen.

Just a coincidence that Thaksin returns to Thailand, gets the super VIP treatment after being on run for 8 years, gets released from the probation terms he never followed and then his former lawyer suddenly gets appointed to a high level Cabinet position (also without being elected).

I'm guessing the latest Shinawatra PM won't last as long as the previous 2. 

The politics here are literally designed to be abused from top to bottom. Unelected people getting PM and Cabinet Level positions. Courts that can, seemingly on a whim, disqualify actual elected PMs and disband entire political parties for dubious reasons.

[MikeandDow]

while i agree with best part of your post it should be pointed out      Thaskin committed Treason,  and i must point out  His Daughter WAS elected PM      PM is NOT Elected by the People  but by the MPs  but apart from theses minor errors good post

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

 

I am pretty sure Thaksin wanted to be back in Thailand, home.

I guess is that some people thought something like this: If we don't let Thaksin back then he will continue to make problems from outside of Thailand. We don't want that. Maybe we can make a deal with him like: We let you come back and live as a free man. And for that in return you are quiet and live the rest of your life in peace at home.

Maybe there was also part like: If you come back and are not quiet, then we will fight you again.

 

The problem with Thaksin and people like him is that he just can't get enough. He could live in peace in luxury at home. But he wants more. Sad. 

 

It was a case of better the devil you know.

 

Doing a deal with Thaksin was infinitely preferable than having Move Forward in power.

 

Move Forward would have begun to dismantle the patronage network. Just look at the cabinet MPs for this new Paetongtarn government, it is the same old cronies, same old names and faces. Even the Dems have joined up with their lifelong enemies.

 

They are running scared.

[paddypower]

14 minutes ago, Kerryd said:

Keep in mind who controls the money.
Thaksin is still a (billionaire ?) even if a large hunk of his money wasn't earned "legally". (i.e. the profits he made when he divvied up his shares of his telecom and distributed them to his family, maid and chauffeur to sell to an "offshore" company in defiance of the law stating he wasn't allowed to sell his company to a "foreign entity" for national security reasons. (As in, he handed over the satellites that carried the military's communications to a foreign power.) By divvying his shares and having his family/staff sell them, he avoided billions in taxes.

That was literally why he ran for office in the first place ! He was told he wasn't allowed to sell ShinCorp to a (Singapore-based company I think it was) for National Security reasons.

So he ran in (bought) the next election so he could become PM and change the rules, as well as doing a few other shady things.

And then he had to flee the country when his attempt to bribe a judge - using his lawyer at the time, Pichit Chuenban (same guy that Srettha tried to appoint to Cabinet as a reward) - failed and Thaksin faced a prison sentence.

Chuenban was disbarred and sent to prison for trying to bribe a judge with 2 million baht inside a school lunch box.

While Thailand froze Thaksin's assets - inside Thailand - they couldn't freeze the billions he had outside the country. You don't buy and sell things like Manchester City football clubs on credit after all.

Or spend  years living a life of luxury in Dubai while jetting around the world secure in the knowledge no one will even try to arrest you.

And you can bet one of the main reasons he's back and his daughter is now PM (without being elected) is to get back all that money in the accounts that were frozen.

Just a coincidence that Thaksin returns to Thailand, gets the super VIP treatment after being on run for 8 years, gets released from the probation terms he never followed and then his former lawyer suddenly gets appointed to a high level Cabinet position (also without being elected).

I'm guessing the latest Shinawatra PM won't last as long as the previous 2. 

The politics here are literally designed to be abused from top to bottom. Unelected people getting PM and Cabinet Level positions. Courts that can, seemingly on a whim, disqualify actual elected PMs and disband entire political parties for dubious reasons.

excellent summary of the disease affecting Thailand. if Pita (MFP), is disbarred from politics - he and his fellow disbarred party executives , together with his predecessor (FFP)  should take their case to the World Court of Human Rights, it probably has zero chance. but at least it would rattle a few cages.

[retarius]

In the running for the looniest banana republic on the planet/.

[n00dle]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Paetongtarn, daughter of Pheu Thai’s de facto leader Thaksin Shinawatra

 

well, the shift is complete. No longer "former PM" he is now "de facto leader."

 

congratulations on the promotion, Tony 

[jippytum]

No  member of the Thaksin family have ever completed a full term in office. 

if Thaksin continues to demonstrate his massive ego on a daily basis hls daughter will fail also. 

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The lawsuits claim that Thaksin orchestrated her appointment and that she did not adhere to constitutional and political party laws. These legal actions also call for the dissolution of the Pheu Thai party, the main faction in the current coalition government.

What a mess....

[hotchilli]

7 hours ago, bannork said:

Imo they wouldn't have let him come back unless he could be useful to them, ie oppose Move Forward.

Otherwise why let him back?

 

To be useful... not the master of all.

Has Thaksin over-stepped the mark?

[newbee2022]

11 hours ago, bannork said:

It's impossible to believe any appeals by serial legal troublemakers will affect the Pheu Thai government.

Surely the whole point of allowing Toni back was to enable Pheu Thai to team up with the establishment in opposition to Move Forward?

The last thing the elite wants is Pheu Thai changing sides and siding with what is now the People's Party.

No doubt many of  Toni's opponents over the last twenty years, the generals, senators, etc are grinding their teeth at seeing the deeply flawed puppet master gleefully pulling the strings once again.

Could they really dare to upset the master plan?

 

Who the hell is Toni ????

[bannork]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

To be useful... not the master of all.

Has Thaksin over-stepped the mark?

But Thais have known Thaksin's character  for decades: his arrogance, hubris and need for acclaim. Above all, the need to dominate. 

Nobody expected him to come home and play with Lego with his grandchildren.

 

[TheAppletons]

13 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

Who the hell is Toni ????

 

  A derogatory reference to Thaksin Shinawatra who, while in exile in Dubai, assumed the social media nom de guerre of "Tony Woodsome".  

 

  "Thaksin regularly took to the Clubhouse social media platform under the moniker “Tony Woodsome” to address supporters in Thailand while he was in exile."

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/22/profile-billionaire-and-former-thai-pm-thaksin-shinawatra

[newbee2022]

32 minutes ago, TheAppletons said:

 

  A derogatory reference to Thaksin Shinawatra who, while in exile in Dubai, assumed the social media nom de guerre of "Tony Woodsome".  

 

  "Thaksin regularly took to the Clubhouse social media platform under the moniker “Tony Woodsome” to address supporters in Thailand while he was in exile."

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/22/profile-billionaire-and-former-thai-pm-thaksin-shinawatra

Oh, I see. And you changed the name then from Thaksin to Tony to Toni. Wonderful 🤗. Thanks.

[Luuk Chaai]

forget about the fact that she already looks like she kissed the A train ....

[Mr Meeseeks]

On 9/3/2024 at 12:45 PM, jippytum said:

No  member of the Thaksin family have ever completed a full term in office. 

if Thaksin continues to demonstrate his massive ego on a daily basis hls daughter will fail also. 

 

You could add that no member of the Thaksin family have ever completed a full term in jail as well. 😆