Abhisit Appoints Pratheep As Acting Police Chief

[george]

PM appoints Pratheep as acting police chief

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has signed an order to appoint Pol Gen Pratheep Tanprasert, an inspector-general, as the acting national police chief.

The Nation has seen the appointment order.

Pratheep was a candidate the prime minister tried to push for the Police Board to approve as the new police chief.

-- The Nation 2009-09-29

[hammered]

Playing hard ball. Be interesting to see reactions.

[webfact]

Abhisit gave a clear signal who is in charge of the police...

The PM of Thailand

Edited September 29, 2009 by webfact

[jasreeve17]

This PM appears to be getting the hang of things...

If he survives a couple more months without the boys in green kicking him out, he may start to do some good... I still doubt it, but I hope so. The last week has been his strongest as PM in my opinion (though it's nigh on impossible to have 'real' visibility).

I still have a problem with the way he empowers / finances the army so highly, but he clearly feels that's his only chance of hanging on in there.

[Publicus]

Could it be that Abhisit not only has begun to name names but that he's begun to take some names too? If so, I'd like to see the next logical step that follows taking names...

[slimdog]

Playing hard ball. Be interesting to see reactions.

Remember that Abhisit only had until tomorrow afternoon to make an appointment.

Appointing an acting Police chief is given to the Prime Minister only when there is a current Police chief, otherwise regulations dictate that the senior officer is automatically made the acting Police chief until the position is formally filled by the Police board.

So more an action to prevent Priewpan Damapong from automatically assuming the position, than anything else.

[hammered]

We can fairly assume that nobody in the current dispute wanted a relative of Thaksin to get the position.

It is by the way an action that gets the PM his choice and not someone else's as well as avoiding a Shin clan dude. The reshuffle is about a lot more than the police chief and sorting that will take some time. In the meantime the PM has his man in.

[Thailand]

"-acting national police chief."

Time will tell.

[Yoshitaka]

Since when is being a relative of Thaksin a social crime?

[Chunkton]

Since when is being a relative of Thaksin a social crime?

Well it is here with our expert panel of political commentators. On the bright side comment here actually makes The Nation seem coherent, well researched and unbiased.

Always thought Abbhisit wants to a degree to do the right thing, how far can he stray from his sponsors self interest though? Recent military budgets suggests he has learned from Taksins fate to not deny them. Will be interesting to watch.

[ratcatcher]

Since when is being a relative of Thaksin a social crime?

Perhaps it should say social stigma?

[Jingthing]

Since when is being a relative of Thaksin a social crime?

It is not a social crime but it is nothing to be proud of. I can actually speak from experience here. I have a relative who was a politician who turned out to be convicted of criminal corruption. The relatives continued to love the man, but we were no longer proud to be his relative. Get the concept?

[TAWP]

Since when is being a relative of Thaksin a social crime?

It isn't. I am just happy when being a relative isn't a merit and automatic grounds of promotion anymore.

[Jingthing]

Since when is being a relative of Thaksin a social crime?

It isn't. I am just happy when being a relative isn't a merit and automatic grounds of promotion anymore.

Agreed. Nepotism and corruption go hand in hand. Again, I speak from personal experience, wink wink nod nod.

Edited September 29, 2009 by Jingthing

[givenall]

Since when is being a relative of Thaksin a social crime?

Since Thaksin uses anyone he can to get what he wants without any shame

[animatic]

It is potentially a crime when the extended family is

at, in some cases violent, odds with the government,

and family members are advocating coups....

As happened only 2 weeks ago.

Letting PD run the PD would have been BLINDINGLY STUPID.

Edited September 29, 2009 by animatic

[Jingthing]

Abhisit does indeed appear to be more comfortable in the job lately. Thailand could (and has) do much worse.

[Publicus]

Yes Abhisit was well aware of the time frame and consequences at the core of this action. He wisely waited until his return from a successful, perhaps triumphant visit to the US to address the UN General Assembly then circulate among the G-20 in Pittsburgh while racking up a photo op with Pres Obama that was splashed throughout all media in Thailand.

Abhisit made the appointment propituously and intelligently, ie, with a hand considerably stronger upon his return to Thailand than he'd had before leaving LOS for the global summits. Making the appointment on the eve of the bewitching hour also left the opposition and other obstructionists little if any time to organize a reaction, much less an effective one. The rapidly fading Thaksin Organized Crime Family probably had been thinking they'd left the whimp hamstrung.

To the contrary however, Team Abhisit which had been failing to break up opposition passes for most of the past year and which had flubbed in a couple of own goals, apparently has begun to regroup and to play an organized game with a particularly improved offense. The principle that the best defense is a good offense has been a venerable winner.

[jayboy]

Abhisit gave a clear signal who is in charge of the police...

The PM of Thailand

Chaiyo chaiyo

Now that's clear, perhaps he might consider sending a signal confirming that army generals are also subject to civilian direction like any normal civilised country (or even uncivilised ones like China and Russia).Oh no I forgot he can't do that because he's in their pocket.

I think Abhisit should now turn his attention to military funding priorities such as that third cavalry division for the North East.It will only cost a few billion baht and it's important to show those warlike Laos across the border we can kick ass.(Yes I know they kicked ours last time round but best not speak about that.) Even if the great military campaign against the mighty Lao military machine is postponed, there is of course the side benefit of intimidating the local Thai population which - how to put it - is not exactly Abhisit's natural constituency.

[jayboy]

Yes Abhisit was well aware of the time frame and consequences at the core of this action. He wisely waited until his return from a successful, perhaps triumphant visit to the US to address the UN General Assembly then circulate among the G-20 in Pittsburgh while racking up a photo op with Pres Obama that was splashed throughout all media in Thailand.

Look I rather like Abhisit too despite the little tease in my last post.But seriously do you really think his visit to the US was "triumphant".Some of the puppy love in this forum over Fatty Abhisit (gosh how he's filled out) is more than a little absurd.I'm not one to mock a chaste man crush but really......

[Publicus]

Yes Abhisit was well aware of the time frame and consequences at the core of this action. He wisely waited until his return from a successful, perhaps triumphant visit to the US to address the UN General Assembly then circulate among the G-20 in Pittsburgh while racking up a photo op with Pres Obama that was splashed throughout all media in Thailand.

Look I rather like Abhisit too despite the little tease in my last post.But seriously do you really think his visit to the US was "triumphant".Some of the puppy love in this forum over Fatty Abhisit (gosh how he's filled out) is more than a little absurd.I'm not one to mock a chaste man crush but really......

I rather like posts that are eye-catching.

However, the statement was qualified rather than one of irrational exhuberance: "a successful, perhaps triumphant visit."

Then you caught my eye and made me blush with the "puppy love" insight.

Maybe "Fatty Abhisit" ate too much American junk food over there--BTW, no fats thank you!

"chaste man crush" is a swirl topping to envy.

The purple prose award is in the post.

[sunsamourai]

Yes Abhisit was well aware of the time frame and consequences at the core of this action. He wisely waited until his return from a successful, perhaps triumphant visit to the US to address the UN General Assembly then circulate among the G-20 in Pittsburgh while racking up a photo op with Pres Obama that was splashed throughout all media in Thailand.

Look I rather like Abhisit too despite the little tease in my last post.But seriously do you really think his visit to the US was "triumphant".Some of the puppy love in this forum over Fatty Abhisit (gosh how he's filled out) is more than a little absurd.I'm not one to mock a chaste man crush but really......

I rather like posts that are eye-catching.

However, the statement was qualified rather than one of irrational exhuberance: "a successful, perhaps triumphant visit."

Then you caught my eye and made me blush with the "puppy love" insight.

Maybe "Fatty Abhisit" ate too much American junk food over there--BTW, no fats thank you!

"chaste man crush" is a swirl topping to envy.

The purple prose award is in the post.

Definetely !

[Plus]

army generals are also subject to civilian direction like any normal civilised country (or even uncivilised ones like China and Russia).Oh no I forgot he can't do that because he's in their pocket.

Is he in Anupong's pocket, following Anupong's orders?

In this police chief saga?

[hammered]

Now that's clear, perhaps he might consider sending a signal confirming that army generals are also subject to civilian direction like any normal civilised country (or even uncivilised ones like China and Russia).Oh no I forgot he can't do that because he's in their pocket.

Abhisit is not exactly in the boys in green team. They and him have different agendas. They remain in an uneasy alliance right now and things are delicate, but there are a lot of government polticians more suitable to the military. However right now unless they want a coup they need the Democrat party to bulk out the majority in parliament and unless they can convince the democrat party to ditch Abhisit then Abhisit has some leverage to do a few things differently. Real politik. Unless of course the military fancy either a coup or another Thaksin proxy government and considering the delicate nature of other things right now that is unlikely for the moment. However, a history of coups in Thailand often find they happened when the military werent happy about something like loss of dosh or the army chief felt threatened. The government seem to be trying to cover their flank on that one.

A lot of the analysis of the powe rof BJT and Abhisit being weak now comes from those who supported Abhisit and wanted him to be different. The reality is he works within the confines of agreements with only the limited ability to differ as mentioned above. He wont satisfy those who wanted him to be different. He wont satisfy the opposition. He wont satisfy red or yellow. In the end he will probably just run out of poltical capital but he has shown he can survive and play the game, which may just give him an opening for the future but that will also depend on how things outside his control play out.

[animatic]

I think the military fancies 3 corners fighting each other and not making much headway,

so less risk of any one getting so much power it can screw the pooch again like Thaksin did.

Red<>Yellow<>Blue all scuffling against each other,

and the Thai people just waiting for crumbs to make their life better.

The PTP is hardly effective, and so Newin's bunch is the logical foil for the Dems.

I am sure factions of the army fear Abhisit getting to much good done,

and the power that could give him when it comes time to

deal with those army factions in a firmer way.

Edited September 30, 2009 by animatic

[Publicus]

Yes Abhisit was well aware of the time frame and consequences at the core of this action. He wisely waited until his return from a successful, perhaps triumphant visit to the US to address the UN General Assembly then circulate among the G-20 in Pittsburgh while racking up a photo op with Pres Obama that was splashed throughout all media in Thailand.

Look I rather like Abhisit too despite the little tease in my last post.But seriously do you really think his visit to the US was "triumphant".Some of the puppy love in this forum over Fatty Abhisit (gosh how he's filled out) is more than a little absurd.I'm not one to mock a chaste man crush but really......

I rather like posts that are eye-catching.

However, the statement was qualified rather than one of irrational exhuberance: "a successful, perhaps triumphant visit."

Then you caught my eye and made me blush with the "puppy love" insight.

Maybe "Fatty Abhisit" ate too much American junk food over there--BTW, no fats thank you!

"chaste man crush" is a swirl topping to envy.

The purple prose award is in the post.

Definetely !

[Publicus]

army generals are also subject to civilian direction like any normal civilised country (or even uncivilised ones like China and Russia).Oh no I forgot he can't do that because he's in their pocket.

Is he in Anupong's pocket, following Anupong's orders?

In this police chief saga?

Yeh, so is there any blood at all between Pratheep and the army to include certain people such as Prem, and how about all the slimebags in brown (reddish brown) Pratheep has to direct? Does anyone have any line on the new acting chief? Does Pratheep have a rep or is he a blank screen?