Samak Bows Out

[h90]

Mr. No Thought it is... even without the announced vote...

PPP affirm to name Somchai Wongsawat as their selection for PM

Deputy Leader of the People Power Party Police Lieutenant General Kan Thienkaew affirmed that the PPP meeting today would not vote on a selection for the Prime Minister post as the party has already agreed that current Interim PM Somchai Wongsawat will be their pick.

The Party has already deemed Somchai as the most suitable candidate for the position as he is accepted by many groups and has not met with any opposition from demonstrators. *good one*

The Deputy PPP Leader also commented that MPs showing support for Somchai are making a decision for their future as if the PPP is dissolved their support for Somchai will be their only unifying factor.

Police Lt. General Kan said MPs supporting Somchai will be able to reassemble by joining the Pua Thai party in the event the PPP is disbanded.

- ThaiNews / 2008-09-15

vote for what....transfer the money and everything is OK.

I in my company also don't make elections....I appoint my staff to what I think is right and so does the owner of PPP

[h90]

Do you seriously think that people come to support PAD because they want to help Sondhi with his old debt problems?

Do you think they've all been brainwashed and hypnotised?

It's nice to have a charismatic leader like Sondhi, but if it wasn't for him, there would be someone else - PAD is a social phenomenon, and channel for people to vent their frustration and anger at the current state of politics.

Totally agree that it is a channel to vent anger at politics.

What some also miss in trying to analyse it as a Sonthi versus Thaksin is that Thaksin is seen as a threat to someone far more powerful than Sonthi.

Different people have different motivations as to why they support PAD or government or why they stay quiet and play behinf the scenes but looking at ther motivation of one person does nothing to identify what is really going on.

I'm sure that many of those who were members of the pre war German Nazi party had different motives (see Ian Kershaw's monumental work for those interested) but it was frankly rather foolish of them to underestimate the agenda of Hitler and his clique.Wake up.

and you think PAD is simillar to the NSDAP??

Adolf Limthongkul?

Sondhi Hitler???

:D

No I'm not saying that.I'm saying that in any political movemrnt it is folly to overlook the motivation of the leadership.Actually the PAD leadership has been very clear about what it wants, notwithstanding the attempts of some of its acolytes to distance themselves through the "just a discussion document approach."

Actually personally I'm not that concerned as once the PAD movement has served its attack dog purpose it will be promptly euthanised.

you love that NAZI things......

Served who??

Conspiracy????

Against corruption and vote buying???

[ratcatcher]

Well, he's not your average "Somchai", but he is after all Thaksin's brother -in-law by virtue of being married to The Whopper.

We only have to wait to see how much he does in the next while to facilitate the return of "The Man", that is if PPP survives and morphs into

Poor Thai.

[sriracha john]

Thai ruling party picks Thaksin brother-in-law for PM

BANGKOK (Reuters / 2008.09.15) - Thailand's ruling People Power Party (PPP) nominated Somchai Wongsawat for Prime Minister, to replace Samak Sundaravej who was removed by the courts last week, a Party spokesman said on Monday.

Somchai, a brother-in-law of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a 2006 coup, has been acting Prime Minister since Samak's departure. Parliament will vote for the new prime minister on Wednesday.

[sriracha john]

Thaksin relative wins ruling party backing for PM

BANGKOK, Thailand (Associated Press / 40 minutes ago) — Thailand's ruling party has endorsed the brother-in-law of deposed leader Thaksin Shinawatra as its nominee to become the next Prime Minister.

The spokesman for the People's Power Party, Kuthep Saikrajang, says the Party picked acting Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat on Monday ahead of a parliamentary vote scheduled for Wednesday.

Somchai was a Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister in the Cabinet of Samak Sundaravej, who was forced to resign last week for violating a conflict-of-interest law.

He is also married to Thaksin's sister, a political liability in the eyes of anti-government protesters who accuse Thaksin and Samak of corruption.

Anti-government protesters say they will not accept any candidates allied to Thaksin or Samak.

[Jai Dee]

Democrat Chief Advisor says new PM must be able to resolve problems caused by last govt.

Chief Advisor of the Democrat party Chuan Leekpai says the new prime minister must be a person who can resolve problems caused by the last administration.

Mr Chuan declines to answer who is the most suitable person to lead the new administration among three prime minister candidates of the People Power party, including Dr Surapong Suebwonglee, Somchai Wongsawat, and Sompong Amornwiwat. The Democrat chief advisor says it is necessary for the new administration to effectively deal with problems occurring during the PPP-led government and the Democrat is ready to inspect the new government.

Mr Chuan also says he has discussed the idea of National Government with Democrat Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and agreed that it is necessary to clearly set up a timeframe and missions of the particular government. However, he says a formation of National Government is difficult to take place as each political party wants to be in power.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 September 2008

[sriracha john]

the absurdities already begin...

According to People Power Party (PPP) spokesman Kuthep, caretaker Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat is ready to become the next premier and work for the good of the country.

He said the People Power MPs will give equal respect to Somchai as its party leader and disqualified premier Samak Sundaravej.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=130676

[h90]

i would like to marry the cute daughter of Thaksin!

This would qualify me to almost every good paid job in Thailand, maybe I can get Premier?

Actually I am not Thai, but who cares...change the constitution.....

[sriracha john]

i would like to marry the cute daughter of Thaksin!

This would qualify me to almost every good paid job in Thailand, maybe I can get Premier?

Actually I am not Thai, but who cares...change the constitution.....

What's the sin sod for a Billionairess???

Edited September 15, 2008 by sriracha john

[Jai Dee]

PPP agree to nominate Somchai as prime minister

People Power Party agreed on Monday to nominate Somchai Wongsawat, brother-in-law of ousted Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister.

PPP spokesman Kudep Saikrajang quoted Somchai as telling the PPP executives that he is ready to be prime minister and solve the country's problems.

The decision at the meeting of PPP executive board on Monday morning.

After two-hour meeting, Kudep said the board will inform the PPP general meeting at about 2pm.

However it seemed that some factions in the party did not agree with the decision.

Songsak Thongsri, an MP, a member of so-called Friends of Newin faction, said that he could not accept the decision because some executive members have no chance to debate whether Somchai is the best candidate.

The Parliamnet is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to choose the new prime minister, replacing Samak Sundaravej whom the Constitution Court disqualified for violating the charter.

Source: The Nation - 15 September 2008

[sriracha john]

He said the People Power MPs will give equal respect to Somchai as its party leader and disqualified premier Samak Sundaravej.

However it seemed that some factions in the party did not agree with the decision.

Songsak Thongsri, an MP, a member of so-called Friends of Newin faction, said that he could not accept the decision because some executive members have no chance to debate whether Somchai is the best candidate.

good to see they are living up to their announcements...

I'm guessing Somchai was hoping for a little bit MORE respect from the PPP that abandoned Samak, but oh well....

[Jai Dee]

PAD says no for Somchai Wongsawud

People's Alliances for Democracy (PAD) affirms that they will not accept Mr. Somchai Wongsawud as the 26th Prime Minister of Thailand. Also they will followed specialists' advice not forming a new political party.

The anti-government group also rejected the idea of forming a national government, as accepted by other political parties.

The PAD thus maintained its stance, saying it will carry on demonstrating at Government House

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 September 2008

[Jai Dee]

PAD: Somchai more than Thaksin's "nominee"

The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) insisted it will not accept caretaker prime minister Somchai Wongsawat as the new premier, reasoning that he is even more than the nominee of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Mr Somchai is Pol Lt Col Thaksin’s younger of brother-in-law.

More from the Bangkok Post here.

[Jai Dee]

FACTBOX - Somchai Wongsawat

Following are five facts about Thailand's new Prime Minister-in-waiting, Somchai Wongsawat:

- Somchai, 61, is best known as the brother-in-law of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a coup two years ago. Somchai's wife, Yaowapa Wongsawasdi, was an influential MP in her older brother's Thai Rak Thai party before it was disbanded after the putsch.

- A law graduate and appeals court judge, most of his top government experience was as Permanent Secretary of the Justice Ministry from 1999 to 2006 and then briefly in the same position at the Labour Ministry.

He served as Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in the cabinet of Samak Sundaravej, who was sacked last week by the Constitutional Court.

- His relationship with Thaksin has led to frequent cries of nepotism, especially when several justice ministers with whom he clashed lost their jobs.

He countered such accusations by noting his Justice Ministry appointment came two years before Thaksin came to power.

- As well as his senior positions within the bureaucracy, he also sat on the board of several state-owned firms, including Airports of Thailand, national petroleum company PTT and Krung Thai Bank.

- Bespectacled and softly-spoken, Somchai has seldom had to endure the glare of the television cameras and appeared nervous and unsure of himself as he chaired a People Power Party (PPP) news conference last week.

Source: Reuters - 15 September 2008

[Jai Dee]

PAD deny urgings to form own political party

Leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy Major General Chamlong Srimuang (จำลอง ศรีเมือง) and Somsak Kosaisuk (สมศักดิ์ โกศัยสุข) affirmed in a press conference that they support the concept of a new breed of government that has a more diversified array of professionals operating in it. They stated that having members of the government come from a variety of sectors would help ensure that the administration will not be dominated by career politicians.

The two also assured their stance against People Power Party candidate for Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawas, citing his relation to the Shinawatra family.

The PAD leaders continued to state that they have not considered academic urgings for them to form their own party and entering into the world of politics. They stated that the PAD views having a political party as seeking benefits.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 September 2008

[cmsally]

Stereotypes

[animatic]

I somehow think it is a big mistake by PPP not to wholeheartedly support Samak, by not doing that they give some legitimacy to the demands from the totally insane PAD crowd, but this is Thailand, after the cooking farce I did expect some of the coalition partners would use this opportunity to pressurise PPP and negotiate for stronger positions in return for continued support of the PPP, this is politics and, it is at best a very dirty game anywhere, but also within the ranks of PPP the ugly head of the most primitive opportunism popped out, never mind that it is going to hurt Thailand.

Now they assist the PAD in strengthening their resolve because this will be perceived as a small victory by the hooligans, this means they will continue but with ever more impossible demands and Thailand will face instability for much longer because of this massive tactical mistake by some of the PPP MPs, the positions they might gain because of their short-sighted actions might turn out to be much more precarious than they have calculated on and it is for sure not in Thailand's best interest as a whole.

Most, it seems here on TV, of the strong dislike of Samak comes from he's previous history, but to be fair he never had a chance to show what he could have done, the turmoil started almost instantly after his nomination to PM, the government thus never have had a chance to get on with governing, furthermore the Government have not had the time to really do anything , no Governments in the world can in 7 month create changes that really show massive impact on the economy or a country's future development, so much more because this Government was tied hand and feet by rules and restrictions imposed by the former military dictators and the constant threat of a new takeover by the Generals if they did not like what they saw, The Samak Government first had to free themselves from these ropes and constant looming threat's. And this exactly is what the PAD leadership would not allow, they want every future Government to carry on under this control umbrella that the PAD by instigating the last coup had achieved for their secret powerful backers.

It is indeed sad times for the Thai people.

I think you've still got time to edit this if you get in quick. You surely can't be serious about that, can you?

We are bleedin' lucky Samak never got to do all he was trying to do.

He was held in check from day one and darn good that he was.

Hand in the cookie jar as it already was.

If he had been left to his own devices a vengeful Thaksin would

have come back and made a hash of the whole shooting match.

Edited September 15, 2008 by animatic

[Plus]

Oh, so that Kwanchai who was offering to pay 10,000 baht for a head of a killed PAD leader is actually a nice fella fighting for his freedom?

And yes, they are very intellegent people, employed by the mafia types to "free" themselves from that same mafia shackles.

That Nick is just a bleeding idiot with a purpose.

[pete_r]

Stereotypes

Good link, thanks.

[animatic]

i would like to marry the cute daughter of Thaksin!

This would qualify me to almost every good paid job in Thailand, maybe I can get Premier?

Actually I am not Thai, but who cares...change the constitution.....

What's the sin sod for a Billionairess???

Yikes, she's cute enough now,

but you can she's already starting to look like mommy.

I can't imagine marrying a driven creature like her mom

for ANY amount of money or power.

Acorn : tree

[pete_r]

Oh, so that Kwanchai who was offering to pay 10,000 baht for a head of a killed PAD leader is actually a nice fella fighting for his freedom?

That's a symptom of the rift in Thai society today, and the PAD's so-called "new politics" ideas (70/30 and so on) are only increasing that rift. Any proposal how to reverse course?

[pete_r]

That Nick is just a bleeding idiot with a purpose.

Idiot? He comes across as rather moderate and articulate.

[h90]

i would like to marry the cute daughter of Thaksin!

This would qualify me to almost every good paid job in Thailand, maybe I can get Premier?

Actually I am not Thai, but who cares...change the constitution.....

What's the sin sod for a Billionairess???

Yikes, she's cute enough now,

but you can she's already starting to look like mommy.

I can't imagine marrying a driven creature like her mom

for ANY amount of money or power.

Acorn : tree

for that money x00000000000000000.... Bahts you can close one or two eyes....

[Plus]

That Nick is just a bleeding idiot with a purpose.

Idiot? He comes across as rather moderate and articulate.

He would have came out of Hitler's bunker thinking he just met human rights champion.

In this case he tries to find a "human touch" in one of the worst episodes of senseless violence Thailand has seen in decades - the Udon Thani lynch mob. Check the Isan forum here - locals were truly appaled at what had happened there, only Nick thinks of them as some sort of heroes.

Nick also conveniently sidesteps midnight attack on PAD's smaller camp led by the same MPs, which ended up with a death of one of the attackers. That was an act of absolute insanity, not a fight for freedom, as Nick wants to see it.

How to heal this rift? Well, how about stopping government role in whipping up this hysteria, from Thaksin down to Samak. Kwanchai was a government employee, a local radio host, and the mobs are always led by government MPs.

[hammered]

Well Somchai it is and the PAD wont accept him. Nothing unexpected there. It is all coming into the open more now. All we need now is the entrance of bureaucracy's players.

[sriracha john]

Oh, so that Kwanchai who was offering to pay 10,000 baht for a head of a killed PAD leader is actually a nice fella fighting for his freedom?

And yes, they are very intellegent people, employed by the mafia types to "free" themselves from that same mafia shackles.

That Nick is just a bleeding idiot with a purpose.

Explains why he's not a journalist with Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, DPA, etc.

[sriracha john]

Thaksin ally nominated as Thai PM

Thailand's governing People's Power Party has named Somchai Wongsawat as its candidate for Prime Minister to succeed Samak Sundaravej.

Somchai Wongsawat has been acting Prime Minister since Samak's dismissal by the courts last week. Somchai is a brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted as prime minister in an army coup in 2006.

Samak's own links to Thaksin were highlighted by demonstrators who have mounted weeks of paralysing protests. So the selection of Somchai - who is married to Thaksin's favourite sister - is unlikely to placate them, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok.

His appointment as Prime Minister will have to be approved by parliament later this week.

It became clear on Friday that Samak would be unable to muster the support - from either his own Party, or the other parties in the ruling coalition - to launch a fresh bid for the Prime Minister's position.

Over the weekend executives from the PPP have been bargaining hard to ensure they have enough support from the Party's coalition partners and its own MPs behind a single candidate for Prime Minister.

They now believe they have that support for Somchai, a softly spoken former judge, our correspondent reports. But one of the main charges levelled at Samak by protesters was that he was acting as a proxy for Thaksin, who is accused of abusing his power during his five years in office and of being hostile to the monarchy - both of which he has always denied.

Thaksin is believed to have lobbied strongly for the Party to select Somchai.

- BBC / 2008.09.15

Edited September 15, 2008 by sriracha john

[Jai Dee]

Stocks of Wongsawat family's firms jump

Wyncoast Industrial Park Plc and MLink Asia Corp Plc stocks, politically connected to Somchai Wongsawat, the acting prime minister, jumped significantly on speculation that he would become Thailand's next prime minister.

MLink stock prices jumped 21.48 per cent at the end of the first trading session to close at Bt1.64, while Wyncoast stock rose dramatically by around 40 per cent to Bt0.99.

The two stocks enjoy strong price surge although the general sentiment of the stock market is depressed by the financial sector turmoil in the US surrounding the collapse of Lehman Brothers.

Wongsawat family has earlier sold out Wyncoast stocks but many still believed the stock is related to the family. The family still has majority stake in MLink.

People Power Party agreed on Monday to nominate Somchai, brotherinlaw of ousted Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister and husband of Yaowapha Wongsawat.

Meanwhile despite lifting of the emergency decree, otherThai stocks fell significantly during the morning trading session as global stock markets lose amid news that Lehman Brothers Holdings has filed for bankruptcy.

Thai SET Composite index fell 1.22 per cent to 646.35 as of 12.19 pm, while Thai baht surged over the emergency decree lift.

The fourthlargest US investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc said today it would file for bankruptcy after Barclays Plc and Bank of America Corp abandoned talks to buy the crippled firm and the US government said it won't bail out the investment bank.

The US Treasury and the Federal Reserve have struggled for three days to prevent the investment bank from failing before markets open on Monday.

The Thai baht rose from its lowest level in more than a year by 0.3 per cent to Bt34.55 a dollar as of 1 am after the government yesterday lifted an emergency decree in Bangkok before this week's vote to choose a new prime minister.

Source: The Nation - 15 September 2008

[Jai Dee]

Chart Thai approves of Mr Somchai as PM candidate

Deputy Leader of the Chart Thai party, Kanchana Silpa-archa (กัญจนา ศิลปอาชา), says the party has no problem over the People Power party’s nomination of a prime minister candidate, adding that the candidate can be anyone but former premier Samak Sundaravej.

Ms Kanchana says the Chart Thai party approves of Somchai Wongsawat as a PM candidate as he is suitable for the ongoing situation. She says the country now needs a person like Mr Somchai who can compromise and reconciliate with all sides.

The deputy leader also calls on the society to disregard the fact that Mr Somchai is a brother-in-law of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra and says Mr Somchai has experiences and capabilities suitable for the post.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 September 2008

[hammered]

Chart Thai approves of Mr Somchai as PM candidate

Deputy Leader of the Chart Thai party, Kanchana Silpa-archa (กัญจนา ศิลปอาชา), says the party has no problem over the People Power party’s nomination of a prime minister candidate, adding that the candidate can be anyone but former premier Samak Sundaravej.

Ms Kanchana says the Chart Thai party approves of Somchai Wongsawat as a PM candidate as he is suitable for the ongoing situation. She says the country now needs a person like Mr Somchai who can compromise and reconciliate with all sides.

The deputy leader also calls on the society to disregard the fact that Mr Somchai is a brother-in-law of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra and says Mr Somchai has experiences and capabilities suitable for the post.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 15 September 2008

Whether you love or loathe Thaksin one thing is for sure absolutely nobody is going to realistically overlook his relationship to Thaksin. They'll either see it as a very good or very bad thing. Kanchana is strating to sound a little bizarre these days.