Samak Will Announce Resignation Thursday Morning?

[Tony Clifton]

1- Why would he announce his resignation on radio only?

2- Is he going abroad?

3- Address the nation at 7: 30 am?

4- Tej resigns in a hurry.

Something definitely going on.

Are they planning on removing the PAD tonight and arresting all 9 leaders?

"PM Samak Sundaravej is scheduled to give an interview on FM 92.5 on the current political crisis tomorrow at 7.30 a.m. "

maybe he thinks, if he resigns at 7.30, just on FM 92.5 PAD is going home, but the rest of Thailand is still sleeping or not hearing radio, so they don't notice it and he can remain as premier??

What a pair of wally's.

The PM gives a radio address because the average honest, hard working Thai is NOT still in bed and does NOT have a television. They have been up since 6 am or earlier and are either at work already or on their way.

Then of course there are the elites in Bangkok... watching cartoons and making their frothy coffee... now THEY may miss something. Come to think of it, they miss the plot completely.

Who's the wally when he could have simply said I won't resign on tv yesterday but they come up with a mystery radio show where he once again looked like he's totally out of controlling the situation? His FM resigned, think he's made progress since then? CAn you also explain if he 's under control why the crowd swells and thins out every day at the PAD rally? How come the speakers and artists walk in and out as they please? Wow, such a grip on that area.

Samak 's nomination as PM was a national farce then and is a shameful national farce still today.

Edited September 4, 2008 by Tony Clifton

[LuckyFive8888]

PAD=MOB

It's really interesting how any organization that really pushes for non democratic ideals insists on putting the word DEMOCRACY in their name. Sondhi is the worst. He pretends to be for the people where in reality he is a robber baron that wants to take away their voting rights. What a miserable excuse for a human being.

fully agree. but if there's no Sondhi or PAD what would be the situation now? thaksin will still be PM and maybe not only shincorp, and man city would have been sold but also thailand. and maybe the worst part, the monarchy may have been undermined.

Yes. I remember it well. Only bad things happened when Thaksin was P.M. Thankfully he is gone because it has been all sunshine and roses since he was ousted.

there's a reason why we are all here in the forum. do you think thaksin was the victim here? come'on dude!

[Tony Clifton]

The Thai telecomunications unions have stated that they may cut off international communications in sympathy with the current protests.

If that happens the internet functions may well go down in Thailand.

It is also a possibility that communications with banks outside thailand may be affected.

If that happens, ATM use and the use of plastic to pay at the till point may be disrupted for Ex-pats and visitors.

As a precautionary measure, I will be drawing the maximum cash I can from an ATM this morning.

Other people who depend on their home bank accounts may consider doing likewise.

This may not happen... but it is a remote possibility.

It wont happen, its just another *Rumour* Same as the unions would switch off all the power and water to the city in sympathy of the protesters.

For the 774th time. He wasn't 'democratically elected'. He didn't get nearly enough votes and had to form a coalition with the other ones who were not 'democratically elected'.

So a Coalition government isnt legal in your mind, if thats the case then a few countries have/had illegal governments in the past...

The coalition parties had 5 conditions they said they would respect upon joining the PPP.

Once they joined, all 5 conditions vanished in a flash.

[NanLaew]

Is anybody else getting bored of this "Democratically elected government" crap that some posters are saying?

Is it possible for a mod to make a sticky thread of all of the proven/pending cases against the government. Along with the FACT that Samak/PPP DID NOT win the majority vote.

I am all for opposing opinions but when people type without having a clue it gets rather tiresome.

They didn't win? Or are you going to get on your proportional representation soap box again?

I wholeheartedly agree with your comment on wasted bandwidth so what do you plan to do about it?

[wensiensheng]

"You have hit the nail square on the head.

A very big percentage of village people have never gotten much further than the next couple of villages. They know zip about democracy or how a democracy works.

While they continue to sell their votes nothing is gonna change any time soon. Not in my life time (nor my children's either)"

I live in a small village near Udon. You would be amazed how many people have worked not only in Bangkok, but also abroad in HK, S Korea, Taiwan etc. And by the way, you may be more surprised to know everybody has TV and watches the news ( the Bush - Gore election taught the world a lot about it) and Western made films. They know what democracy is.

Don't be a bigoted Axxhole.

[yumidesign]

Samak may or may not resign...

...nearly same me:

I bet 1 coffee that he will resign on Thursday before 6am.......

Gerd

And where do we ger our free coffee?

[yumidesign]

Is anybody else getting bored of this "Democratically elected government" crap that some posters are saying?

Is it possible for a mod to make a sticky thread of all of the proven/pending cases against the government. Along with the FACT that Samak/PPP DID NOT win the majority vote.

I am all for opposing opinions but when people type without having a clue it gets rather tiresome.

They didn't win? Or are you going to get on your proportional representation soap box again?

I wholeheartedly agree with your comment on wasted bandwidth so what do you plan to do about it?

Finally some sense to this debate

[foolforlove]

free coffee? ok...but theres someone going to run naked through the PAD demonstration, or so they promised....

[Old Man River]

Samak's resignation. Much ado about nothing. Time to get a new thread.

[Wolfie]

free coffee? ok...but theres someone going to run naked through the PAD demonstration, or so they promised....

Isnt the Naked Running guy the waiter who will deliver the free coffee?

[JoeInSurin]

free coffee? ok...but theres someone going to run naked through the PAD demonstration, or so they promised....

I hope the guy running through the PAD demonstration naked isn't doing it with his free hot coffee from the other guy in hand. That could be dangerous. Ouch!!

[Wolfie]

The coalition parties had 5 conditions they said they would respect upon joining the PPP.

Once they joined, all 5 conditions vanished in a flash.

That doesn't make the coalition government illegal, just makes them two faced politicians (much like the rest of the world )

[hammered]

Cant say I expected Samak to resign after all he is still in denial about 1976 so dont expect him to ever see he has done anything wrong. Remember he is old and comes from a big name family and is PM so we must respect him.

Interesting take by him on how if he resigns it is a blow to democracy. Thailand is a constituency based parliamentary system where people vote for a local representative and a party. The PM is not directly elected. PMs as in many parliamentary system countries can be and are changed as part of the democratic system. Changing PM now in Thailand would just be part of the democratic system.

[joncl]

My source confirms that Samak will announce his resignation in the morning.

If he doesn't, I will run naked through the PAD crowd.

Get your gear off!! He's now been talking for over half an hour interrupted only by a short break for the National Anthem and has reiterated several time "I will NOT resign"!!

Photographic evidence posted in this thread please to prove you are a man of your word

[clausewitz]

PAD=MOB

It's really interesting how any organization that really pushes for non democratic ideals insists on putting the word DEMOCRACY in their name. Sondhi is the worst. He pretends to be for the people where in reality he is a robber baron that wants to take away their voting rights. What a miserable excuse for a human being.

fully agree. but if there's no Sondhi or PAD what would be the situation now? thaksin will still be PM and maybe not only shincorp, and man city would have been sold but also thailand. and maybe the worst part, the monarchy may have been undermined.

Yes. I remember it well. Only bad things happened when Thaksin was P.M. Thankfully he is gone because it has been all sunshine and roses since he was ousted.

Hmm, not how I remember it. Thailand was looking like becoming a new Asian Tiger, satellites up in the air, the standard of living rising rapidly...

[Tony Clifton]

Cant say I expected Samak to resign after all he is still in denial about 1976 so dont expect him to ever see he has done anything wrong. Remember he is old and comes from a big name family and is PM so we must respect him.

Interesting take by him on how if he resigns it is a blow to democracy. Thailand is a constituency based parliamentary system where people vote for a local representative and a party. The PM is not directly elected. PMs as in many parliamentary system countries can be and are changed as part of the democratic system. Changing PM now in Thailand would just be part of the democratic system.

Big name family that has been disowned by the way, not many are aware of this. He is still in denial over this.

[NanLaew]

Thanks for the link.

This worries me, is there any justifiable reason for the DAAD to go to the Dem's HQ, asides from wanting to cause trouble?

Maybe to jerk the fence-sitting Dems off their <deleted>? For a party that you claim won the last election, they have been bereft of any policy, guidance, statement or leadership. Can you quote anything meaningful they have publicly stated with regard to the current situation? Yesterday, they mumbled something about the early Tuesday morning DAAD hit on PAD as being set up by PPP with the specific intention of getting the Emergency Decree invoked. I reckon we worked that one out by ourselves.

Through the Dems lack of basic communication with the people, Sonthi and PAD is now their mouthpiece which they will probably live to regret. Unless of course they are just hoping for business as usual and to assume leadership through another pathetic coalition rather than win the hearts and minds of the people.

[Moonrakers]

This is beginning to bug me so much that i am starting to bite.

1) Samak WAS NOT elected, he was appointed by his party.

2) The PPP DID NOT get the majority vote (37% I believe), 37% IS NOT a majority.

3) The Dems as an individual party got the most votes, but not by a large enough margin to take government.

4) The PPP took government only by way of forming a coallition with other parties, meaning that they had the majority of seats in the house. But still, they DID NOT have the majorty vote from the electorate.

I would recommend/like that some people pay due and proper attention as to what has been happening before posting their opinions.

I am wasting my time with this post aren't I?

No, you are not - I didn't actually know that. I guess I just didn't pay too much attention to the whole "which thugs are in charge" game. However, it's good to know the PPP had fewer votes than the Dems. So - thanks!

Party Constituency Proportional TOTAL Votes % Seats Votes % Seats People's Power Party 26,293,456 36.63 199 14,071,799 39.60 34 233 Democrat Party 21,745,696 30.30 132 14,084,265 39.63 33 165 Thai Nation Party 6,363,475 8.87 33 1,545,282 4.35 4 37 For the Motherland 6,599,422 9.19 17 1,981,021 5.57 7 24 Thais United National Development Party 3,395,197 4.73 8 948,544 2.67 1 9 Neutral Democratic Party 3,844,673 5.36 7 528,464 1.49 0 7 Royalist People's Party 1,632,795 2.27 4 750,158 2.11 1 5 Others 1,897,953 2.64 — 1,626,234 4.58 — 0 Valid votes 71,772,667* 100 400 35,535,767 100 80 480 No Votes 906,216 2.32

Invalid Votes 2,539,429 6.51 Total Turnout 38,981,412 85.38 Source: The Nation

* As constituencies elect between one and three MPs, some people have two or three votes.

<a href="http://" target="_blank"></a>

The result from the 2007 election

That does not look like the Democrates had more votes.

I did not say the the Dem's had more votes than the PPP. I said that the dem's had more vote than any other individual party, before the coalition PPP government was even formed.

[RadioCityMike]

Cant say I expected Samak to resign after all he is still in denial about 1976 so dont expect him to ever see he has done anything wrong. Remember he is old and comes from a big name family and is PM so we must respect him.

Interesting take by him on how if he resigns it is a blow to democracy. Thailand is a constituency based parliamentary system where people vote for a local representative and a party. The PM is not directly elected. PMs as in many parliamentary system countries can be and are changed as part of the democratic system. Changing PM now in Thailand would just be part of the democratic system.

I have to agree with you there. I thought it would be a good idea for him to have offered the PAD that he would leave if they did. I am sure PAD would not be happy with his replacement, but at least it would have brought some temporary stability. If PAD did not take him up on his offer, it might have cost PAD a little support.

[RadioCityMike]

PAD=MOB

It's really interesting how any organization that really pushes for non democratic ideals insists on putting the word DEMOCRACY in their name. Sondhi is the worst. He pretends to be for the people where in reality he is a robber baron that wants to take away their voting rights. What a miserable excuse for a human being.

fully agree. but if there's no Sondhi or PAD what would be the situation now? thaksin will still be PM and maybe not only shincorp, and man city would have been sold but also thailand. and maybe the worst part, the monarchy may have been undermined.

Yes. I remember it well. Only bad things happened when Thaksin was P.M. Thankfully he is gone because it has been all sunshine and roses since he was ousted.

Hmm, not how I remember it. Thailand was looking like becoming a new Asian Tiger, satellites up in the air, the standard of living rising rapidly...

I guess I will be more careful with sarcasm in the future. Sorry.

[rayw]

For the 774th time. He wasn't 'democratically elected'. He didn't get nearly enough votes and had to form a coalition with the other ones who were not 'democratically elected'.

Who gave you the authority to define "democratically elected" as "greater than 50%"? I think most people would define the term "the largest percentage" of votes. The only time you should have to get greater than 50% to win is if there are only 2 choices. If there are 3 choices you could (and SHOULD) be the democratically elected winner if you win 33.5% of the vote vs. 33.3% and 33.2%. If there are 4 choices you should be able to win with 25.15% vs. 24.95%, 24.95%, 24.95%.

Sorry but that is crap and what is so wrong with some western democracies like the UK and USA.

Here is a clear example of why it is totally undemocratic. Example you have three political parties standing in a country for election. Two of them are socialist based and one conservative based, the voters are split with 60% socialists and 40% conservatives. So the voting gives say 35% to one socialist based party, 25% to the second socialist based party and 40% to the Conservatives and gives them a clear majority in the new government. SO you see using the first past the post system is totally wrong as 60% said no to right wing politics yet the right wingers have a clear government mandate, so you really think that is democracy ?? I don't and nothing anyone has said has aver made me think differently.

The above example is very typical in my home country, the UK, where Thatcher and Blair both had landslide majority Governments with similar figures to my example with no legal opportunity for the other two parties to even consider forming a coalition Government as the leading first past the post party had completely unfairly and wrongly ended up with well over 50% of the seats in parliament from just 40% of the votes. Also the third placed party with 25% of the votes ends up with about 10% of the Government seats and that is a criminal rape of democracy IMHO. How can any true and honest supporter of democracy support an archaic and non-representative first past the post system when there are more than two alternative political parties and desirably so ?? If no clear majority then two parties work towards a mutually acceptable coalition which will be representative, nothing wrong withthat either of course, coalitions just like single party Governments can be good or bad, but history generally shows them to be better Governments in most cases.

All elected single party Governments to be fully and rightfully accepted and recognised by its people really MUST gain more than 50% of the votes for true democracy to prevail, no question, no alternative, no argument !!

Edited September 4, 2008 by rayw

[NanLaew]

What I am saying is

there already is a Stasi like control of information to the poor up north / east,

There is? How so? Are you former East German? Do you live up here or down south?

[hammered]

Cant say I expected Samak to resign after all he is still in denial about 1976 so dont expect him to ever see he has done anything wrong. Remember he is old and comes from a big name family and is PM so we must respect him.

Interesting take by him on how if he resigns it is a blow to democracy. Thailand is a constituency based parliamentary system where people vote for a local representative and a party. The PM is not directly elected. PMs as in many parliamentary system countries can be and are changed as part of the democratic system. Changing PM now in Thailand would just be part of the democratic system.

Big name family that has been disowned by the way, not many are aware of this. He is still in denial over this.

I didnt know that. It would be an interesting story to hear. One of many usually negative ones surrounding this man's career.

[samuibeachcomber]

My source confirms that Samak will announce his resignation in the morning.

If he doesn't, I will run naked through the PAD crowd.

in that case i am sure he will resign!

[ratcatcher]

Who's the wally when he could have simply said I won't resign on tv yesterday but they come up with a mystery radio show where he once again looked like he's totally out of controlling the situation? His FM resigned, think he's made progress since then? CAn you also explain if he 's under control why the crowd swells and thins out every day at the PAD rally? How come the speakers and artists walk in and out as they please? Wow, such a grip on that area.

Samak 's nomination as PM was a national farce then and is a shameful national farce still today.

Samak thinks he's in control. As Mr.Clifton points out, people are coming and going freely from the Government House siege area, so it's not as if they are surrounded.

They have their own guards of some sort checking people entering but his assertion that "Soldiers will soon clear protesters from Government House" is just more hot air. If it was that easy it would have been done by now.

PAD will leave when they are ready and that is when they have achieved their goal. Anything else is just speculation.

There's too much "face" at stake here. Sondhi vs Samak.

[Thai at Heart]

For the 774th time. He wasn't 'democratically elected'. He didn't get nearly enough votes and had to form a coalition with the other ones who were not 'democratically elected'.

Who gave you the authority to define "democratically elected" as "greater than 50%"? I think most people would define the term "the largest percentage" of votes. The only time you should have to get greater than 50% to win is if there are only 2 choices. If there are 3 choices you could (and SHOULD) be the democratically elected winner if you win 33.5% of the vote vs. 33.3% and 33.2%. If there are 4 choices you should be able to win with 25.15% vs. 24.95%, 24.95%, 24.95%.

Sorry but that is crap and what is so wrong with some western democracies like the UK and USA.

Here is a clear example of why it is totally undemocratic. Example you have three political parties standing in a country for election. Two of them are socialist based and one conservative based, the voters are split with 60% socialists and 40% conservatives. So the voting gives say 35% to one socialist based party, 25% to the second socialist based party and 40% to the Conservatives and gives them a clear majority in the new government. SO you see using the first past the post system is totally wrong as 60% said no to right wing politics yet the right wingers have a clear government mandate, so you really think that is democracy ?? I don't and nothing anyone has said has aver made me think differently.

The above example is very typical in my home country, the UK, where Thatcher and Blair both had landslide majority Governments with similar figures to my example with no legal opportunity for the other two parties to even consider forming a coalition Government as the leading first past the post party had completely unfairly and wrongly ended up with well over 50% of the seats in parliament from just 40% of the votes. Also the third placed party with 25% of the votes ends up with about 10% of the Government seats and that is a criminal rape of democracy IMHO. How can any true and honest supporter of democracy support an archaic and non-representative first past the post system when there are more than two alternative political parties and desirably so ?? All elected single party Governments to be fully and rightfully accepted and recognised by its people really MUST gain more than 50% of the votes for true democracy to prevail, no question, no alternative, no argument !! If no clear majority then two parties work towards a mutually acceptable coalition which will be representative, nothing wrong withthat either of course, coalitions just like single party Governments can be good or bad, but history generally shows them to be better Governments in most cases.

Be that as it may, let's not forget that the so called intelligencia of the country got together and line by line wrote the current constitution. They put in a largely appointed upper house, and limited the term of the PM, (the best alteration of all). These are the very people that the PAD is touting as being the majority of a future government. First past the post it is, until someone decides to rewrite it again.

I don't deny that both systems have their merits, but debating the rights and wrongs because one party got a coalition together, and the other didn't doesn't change the mess the country is in right now.

Now if the PAD would stand up for proportional representation I would be more than happy. But maybe the people in the crowd aren't smart enough to understand it either, or maybe they just don't believe in elections.

[Loaded]

Samak just needs to ride out this storm. He's not going to resign for any reason. PAD will start to leave the govenment house compound soon as they have lives with responsibilities. As the crowd becomes smaller, the police will just walk in and move the few remaining ones out. The leaders of the PAD will be arrested except Chamlong. His arrest will have a serious consequence as there will be sympathy for him from many important army leaders and could be dangerous for Samak. The rest are plebs. Sondhi has to be destroyed by Samak now.

Edited September 4, 2008 by Loaded

[younghusband]

Cant say I expected Samak to resign after all he is still in denial about 1976 so dont expect him to ever see he has done anything wrong. Remember he is old and comes from a big name family and is PM so we must respect him.

Interesting take by him on how if he resigns it is a blow to democracy. Thailand is a constituency based parliamentary system where people vote for a local representative and a party. The PM is not directly elected. PMs as in many parliamentary system countries can be and are changed as part of the democratic system. Changing PM now in Thailand would just be part of the democratic system.

Big name family that has been disowned by the way, not many are aware of this. He is still in denial over this.

I didnt know that. It would be an interesting story to hear. One of many usually negative ones surrounding this man's career.

It's completely untrue.Furthermore I guarantee that this poster will not be able to provide any credible evidence.As an aside look at his appalling recent posts on the violence in the streets to determine his intellect and character.

On a more serious topic you make a good point about parties changing PM in midstream.After all UK's New Labour may well take this course.If or (given the very clear signals from the Premocracy) more likely when Samak goes. as Plus has already commented, perhaps the PPP should carry on with a new leader in accordance with its mandate.In practice there will have to be some give and take with the PAD agenda.In today's Bangkok Post interview Sondhi accepts Abhisit would be a much preferred option but that the Dems would have to accept PAD's demands.Very tricky situation for the sophisticated end of the elite who would be aware Abhisit would have a huge international credibility (He's committed to liberal democratic values).Better perhaps to have a hobbled PPP PM like Surapong who can be easily leant upon.

[KireB]

PAD=MOB

It's really interesting how any organization that really pushes for non democratic ideals insists on putting the word DEMOCRACY in their name. Sondhi is the worst. He pretends to be for the people where in reality he is a robber baron that wants to take away their voting rights. What a miserable excuse for a human being.

fully agree. but if there's no Sondhi or PAD what would be the situation now? thaksin will still be PM and maybe not only shincorp, and man city would have been sold but also thailand. and maybe the worst part, the monarchy may have been undermined.

Yes. I remember it well. Only bad things happened when Thaksin was P.M. Thankfully he is gone because it has been all sunshine and roses since he was ousted.

Hmm, not how I remember it. Thailand was looking like becoming a new Asian Tiger, satellites up in the air, the standard of living rising rapidly...

And debts growing, especially among the grassroots!

[tomo22]

I just told the wife about this "news", and she asks why it is not being reported on TV? Then I log on to here and see it is merely a rumor. Passing on rumors this way is not very helpful, in my estimation, anyone can dream up stuff like that. Let's see what happens tomorrow, huh?

samak the bungling fool dreamed up a rumor that he was going to get arrested at the airport once. it never happened of course.

but that was newsworthy enough for the newspapers at least.

its truly amazing people actually votes for this moron. and will probably continute to vote for whoever the next puppet is

People who vote for the likes of Samak and Thaksin are the uneducated masses and as long as Thailand does nothing to improve the educational system in this country (standards and access to a full 12 years of school), nothing will change. The elite like to keep the upcountry folks dumb to keep them down, but what the elite get in return is the likes of Samak and Thaksin running the country.

You have hit the nail square on the head.

A very big percentage of village people have never gotten much further than the next couple of villages. They know zip about democracy or how a democracy works.

While they continue to sell their votes nothing is gonna change any time soon. Not in my life time (nor my children's either)

I am having to restrain myself from using several 4 letter words in this reply.

.

I am so tired of people that call the rural people uneducated, dumb and etc.

In reality it makes a lot of you appear uneducated.

And now I read the following statement.

"A very big percentage of village people have never gotten much further than the next couple of villages."

I am sure that there are many on this forum that has never been to or much less live in a small village.

How long has the rural areas been sending its children to work in Bangkok and to other parts of the country to work. Many are now middle aged along with others that have returned.

They do know about democracy and through their experience away from the village have realized how unequal thins are here. They have seen areas that have good roads, irrigation systems, water systems that work, telephones, better health care, better schools and much more.

That is why they are voting for a party that has made efforts to end the inequality.

In jest I have told my wife that we don't have good roads here because a lot of people in Bangkok think we still ride Buffalos so we don't even need roads. But at times I really do think it's true.

Yes I live in a small village some of the time the rest of the time in a very small Town and agree with most of your sentiments.

The only problem being that when the go to work in Bangkok they are Discriminated against and generally only get the lesser jobs.

When they come back to their villages it is normally during a holiday period.

From my personal experience they do not get engaged in political talk. They are back in the Village to Party and have a good time.

Yes education is going forward at a slow pace. My personal village has built their own roads from money they received from the government.

But I also know other villages nearby where the money seems to Disappear.

Since marrying my wife 7 years and coming to live here for 3 years now. I have hopefully made a positive impact on the Local community.

I think you are like me. Love Isan People and want to help them.