PM Abhisit Announces Next Election Will Be Held On Nov 14

[Humungus]

This is a win for the PM, it makes him look like has taken decisive action to end the protests. The reds will still hang on for a few more days as their leaders try to avoid taking responsibility for kidnapping, murder, and terrorism that has occurred under their direction. The reds will not be able to live up to the conditions of the roadmap and the PM can delay the election at a later time. Red TV can not be considered a constructive tool, and will return to its normal broadcasts as soon as possible. It is unlikely that the reds can allow a fair election to take place and they will cast doubt on the validity of the next election.

[rucker4012]

This sounds very nice and like a possible breaktrough ... Reds would be crazy to refuse after the bad days they had. However, with terrorists charges threatening and no mention of amnesty in his 5 point program, they might ask to have amnesty added as a number 6 prior to give in.

Yes I think this is a main point. Amnesty! Most of them out on bail already. Difficult question, but i think they must face justice, because many of their crimes is to serious.

Amnesty only insures in the future that roguish behavior will be tolerated without penalty. Rule of law will NEVER be followed.

[whybother]

Really?

Maybe sometime he make an effort to forget what he said, even though the RED reminds him every single day, even during the live telecast debate.

Can you please tell me what he said? Sorry, I don't understand much Thai.

[jdinasia]

Who in thier right mind would hire a former thai politician and even more so a corrupt yellow shirt. I wouldn't let the man handle my childs pocket money. Mybe he should go back home to England

Why do red shirt supporters have to label anyone that is not red as a yellow?

That would mean that 80% of Thais are yellow.

Actually that would make over 90% probably .....

moetownblues is suggesting now that a Thai leave Thailand? Why? because Moetownblues doesn't like him?

[clinique]

anybody realise hte missing point here ??????? this is to cover the period for the Military reshuffle in October, that is what this whole delay is about. so who says the elite (military) dont run thiscountry,, bah,,,,

[chantorn]

Really?

Maybe sometime he make an effort to forget what he said, even though the RED reminds him every single day, even during the live telecast debate.

Can you please tell me what he said? Sorry, I don't understand much Thai.

You should get a Thai girlfriend or Thai wife. :D

[chantorn]

anybody realise hte missing point here ??????? this is to cover the period for the Military reshuffle in October, that is what this whole delay is about. so who says the elite (military) dont run thiscountry,, bah,,,,

Oops, why didn't I think of that before?

Time to SMS the RED-shirt about this.

[timekeeper]

In January 2009, CNN investigations revealed that up to 1,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar had been captured by the Thai Navy, beaten, then towed out to sea without engines or navigational aids and with little food and water. Abhisit's initial response was to claim that the media reports were "exaggerated" and that the refugees would "sail on boats without engines or sink their ships so that authorities help them to get onshore." Army Commander Anupong Paojinda denied the reports of abuse.

Abhisit enacted measures that required approximately 1.5 million migrants to register with the government under a new time-consuming system that involves verifying the " migrants " identities with their home governments, or be " arrested " and " deported " ( deported see above ).

What's the count again?

Humans are all of flesh and blood but 2500 THAIS trump a thousand refugees anytime. I know it sounds cold but turning away FOREIGN refugees is no where close to the murder of 2500 citizens.

And so what if the migrant population has to register? If they're not verified, they're deported. So what? You make it sound like every illegal immigrant that's deported is towed out to sea. Riiiight.

the Rohingya policy was ordered by Thaksin many years before

when Abhisist heard about it, it was stopped immediately by his direct orders

the migrant register was partly an attempt to weed out criminals in Thailand from over the borders

its a system of checks and balances thats carried out in many western countries too

is that so bad?

[timekeeper]

Thaksin is getting democratic:

Former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra Hires International Law Firm Amsterdam & Peroff

LONDON, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Amsterdam & Peroff announce that they have been appointed counsel to the former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra, to assist in the current contentious struggle for the restoration of democracy and rule of law in the Southeast Asian nation.

"We are pleased to be retained by Prime Minister Shinawatra to work on this urgent matter, and we acknowledge the challenging complexity and sensitivity of the political crisis unraveling Thai society," said Robert Amsterdam, founding partner of Amsterdam & Peroff. "It is our intention to explore every legal avenue to assist this pro-democracy movement, and urge the international community not to tolerate the government's violent crackdown on peaceful protestors."

Thaksin, who served as Thailand's Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006 before being unlawfully forced from office by a military coup, has been living in self-exile for the past two years despite repeated victories in democratic elections. Protestors affiliated with the National United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD, or "Red Shirts"), suffered 27 casualties in violent confrontations with police and military in the month of April.

Amsterdam & Peroff, founded in 1980 by partners Robert Amsterdam and Dean Peroff, is an international law firm specializing in complex multi-jurisdictional litigation, commercial arbitration, and political advocacy in challenging emerging markets. The firm maintains offices in London, Washington, DC and Toronto. More information is available at www.amsterdamandperoff.com and www.robertamsterdam.com.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fo...f-92662189.html

man, i am pleased they are not my lawyers, they could not even issue an accurate press statement!

that said as they are working for Thaksin there will be a lot of ''inaccuracies'' they will have to deal with

[moetownblues]

Sounds like the reds and the people have finally won. Well done.

On what part of Logic do you base this conclusion

The social elite yellow shirts have finally bowed to the down trodden reds (the working class who keep the yellows in the lifestyle they cherish) They will have an election but the only problem is the yellows will saturate it in corruption an ensure that it is not fair and just. When the yellows demonstrate they target farangs (remember the airport) When the reds demonstrate they keep it in house.

Hmmm International Hotels

Khao San Rd

Banking District

(using bombs and snipers --- terrorism as the PM and others have said --- )

Targetting tourism

Targetting the skytrain

-----

All affect tourism. If you want to call this bowing down to the terrorists then so be it ... but Abhisit still gets all his goals accomplished. He sets the budget, he sets the military reshuffle (names th new head of the military), he sets the stage for a new constitution that EVERYONE and not just a misguided minority has input into.)

That is rubbish the only people that will have input will be the rich social elite yellow shirts. The government could not careless about the rank and file thais. Thier objective is to keep the poor, poor and uneducated because they are a threat to the yellow shirts way of life. You will not see a yellow shirt working 15 hours a day in the rice fields they sit in cafe's and reap the spoils that the reds work hard to give them.

[retarius]

Good news, if it is as it seems and there are not some hidden demands...I do hate it when politicians say things like an election "can happen on Nov 14th if the 5 points of the roadmap are met" ...it just sounds weasly....

Anyway, good move Abhisit...surprisingly good move...

Now, c'mon you Reds, let's see what you can do to bring this thing to a close.....

[moetownblues]

Who in thier right mind would hire a former thai politician and even more so a corrupt yellow shirt. I wouldn't let the man handle my childs pocket money. Mybe he should go back home to England

Why do red shirt supporters have to label anyone that is not red as a yellow?

That would mean that 80% of Thais are yellow.

Actually that would make over 90% probably .....

moetownblues is suggesting now that a Thai leave Thailand? Why? because Moetownblues doesn't like him?

wasn't he born raised and educated in England? He holds English citizenship. Maybe I don't like him he seems very sly and out to feather his own nest at the expense of the thai people. Every thai I have spoken with say he is corrupt and evil. It appears that only farangs support him but what has he done or doing for you. Farangs in his eyes are just the same as the working class thais.

[eggomaniac]

not really...because as other posters have written, it moves the election date past the reshuffling of the military hierarchy, allowing Anupong's successor to come in, and it ensures that Thaksin's chance for regaining power becomes more limited, even should the Reds win the election...Abhisit may not last, but he also ensures that the Reds are left without their figurehead.

So really, what that means is that if Thaksin's party wins, the army will stage another coup and prevent them from taking office. What's the purpose of an election then? That's no Democracy, that's Dictatorship, I'm sorry.

What IF Thaksin's men get promoted? remember where you heard it first!

[jcbangkok]

Really?

Maybe sometime he make an effort to forget what he said, even though the RED reminds him every single day, even during the live telecast debate.

Can you please tell me what he said? Sorry, I don't understand much Thai.

You should get a Thai girlfriend or Thai wife. :D

Would you translate it correctly for a farang BF or just tell him the parts you think he should know?

[whybother]

wasn't he born raised and educated in England? He holds English citizenship. Maybe I don't like him he seems very sly and out to feather his own nest at the expense of the thai people. Every thai I have spoken with say he is corrupt and evil. It appears that only farangs support him but what has he done or doing for you. Farangs in his eyes are just the same as the working class thais.

Maybe you should talk to more than one Thai.

Maybe you should also ask WHY they think he is evil and corrupt. Get some evidence of his evilness and corruption.

Then come and let us know about it.

[kratiam]

wasn't he born raised and educated in England? He holds English citizenship. Maybe I don't like him he seems very sly and out to feather his own nest at the expense of the thai people. Every thai I have spoken with say he is corrupt and evil. It appears that only farangs support him but what has he done or doing for you. Farangs in his eyes are just the same as the working class thais.

Maybe you should talk to more than one Thai.

Maybe you should also ask WHY they think he is evil and corrupt. Get some evidence of his evilness and corruption.

Then come and let us know about it.

Well said, Whybother...I endorse your remarks.

[moetownblues]

not really...because as other posters have written, it moves the election date past the reshuffling of the military hierarchy, allowing Anupong's successor to come in, and it ensures that Thaksin's chance for regaining power becomes more limited, even should the Reds win the election...Abhisit may not last, but he also ensures that the Reds are left without their figurehead.

So really, what that means is that if Thaksin's party wins, the army will stage another coup and prevent them from taking office. What's the purpose of an election then? That's no Democracy, that's Dictatorship, I'm sorry.

What IF Thaksin's men get promoted? remember where you heard it first!

That won't happen the purpose of the reshuffle is to stack the military with yellow shirts to walk over the reds and thus preventing an election loss.

[senti]

What you're trying to do is turn a victory for the reds into a victory for the yellow 'no mandate' government - good try - but it doesn't stand up to scutiny.

I think this has been explained 100 times already, but let's try again.

If he doesn't have support to form and lead a government, a no-confidence vote is an easy thing to do.

And he's gone.

But it didn't happen.

Would you like to know more?

[sid1967]

a little more than 3 months, as proposed by the protesters

Or a little closer to 9 months as proposed by Abhisit earlier. Looks like a 1/2 way point.

so they can elect the police and army generals they want before they lose the election....thats not gonna work

[midas]

wasn't he born raised and educated in England? He holds English citizenship. Maybe I don't like him he seems very sly and out to feather his own nest at the expense of the thai people. Every thai I have spoken with say he is corrupt and evil. It appears that only farangs support him but what has he done or doing for you. Farangs in his eyes are just the same as the working class thais.

Maybe you should talk to more than one Thai.

Maybe you should also ask WHY they think he is evil and corrupt. Get some evidence of his evilness and corruption.

Then come and let us know about it.

I have spoken to many Thais around the Sisaket and Khon Kaen areas and i havent met one that trusts him

or likes him.

As for his " IF's " you could drive a bus through them

[eggomaniac]

the elections are obviously a necessary, but i would suppose insufficient step, for thailand to get this revolt off its back. surely new elections should help to heal the sense of injury felt by the reds due to the coup.

but there is an underlying problem, and it isnt economic, its ethnic. the real problem is that the issan people are sick of being treated as second class citizens by the rest of the thais. and the other simmering problem is that the muslims are sick of being treated as third class citizens.

somehow this nation has to come to terms with the fact that it has multiple different ethnic identities and the minorities are mad as hel_l and feel disenfranchised. if it doesnt, this place could, one day--i think not that soon, but one day--end up like the former yugoslavia. tak bai remains a horrifying symbol of what might happen if the Thais dont learn to respect their diversity.

and farangs as ha [5th] class

[kissdani]

Hats off to Abisit. This forum is full of self professed experts who can tell exactly what is wrong with almost any topic, person and Abisit as well. I do not recall Abisit advocating that he is infallible. What I do see is that he has done a great job as seeking a political solution against a Para-military action that used innocent peasents as pawns. He has kept a cool head, and he has never given up hope for a peaceful settlement and continues to seek a solution and justice that is good for all Thais, (even if it means his loss of the next election). The man shows vision and foresight and a glimmer of hope for the Thai people. I have seen very little sincere concern for the people from any other politician in Thailand in the last 15 years of self-serving PMs. Sure critics can find fault with Abisit, but he is the best PM by far. He has tabled a proposal that allows the Red's to save face. Yes there are "IFs" and conditions attached to the proposal, as there should be. If the Reds do not play nice, then the deal is off. It looks to me that Abisit is a great leader and the best hope for a nation seeking to mature it's democratic model. Who cares if he is yellow, green or red, a puppet or a visionary... he is what Thailand need most at this time, a catalyst to a new level of maturity for Thailand. I hope that the Thai people see this and support him in future elections. I hope the Red activist seize the chance to promote their cause in the next elections. I pray that the Thai people see their way to a more stable, and humane society reaching a harmony that is right for the people, their values and morals, and to live in happiness and mutual respect.

I'd take my hat off to Abhisit any day ...as soon as he explains on national television as to why he took a 259 million Baht illegal donation during the last election, and approved it as the chairman of the Democrats. Sure, you can try and smear the opposition party as corrupt, but at least you've got to acknowledge you're just as corrupt. Hands caught in the cookie jar

you are grasping at the very few straws left on the table

dissolution will never happen by this route

its a trumped up charge, passed over quickly by the EC commission under death threat by Arisaman and his rent a mob.

when its investigated it will be seen to have been passed upstairs under duress and to be an eroneous charge manufactured by Phua Thai to muddy the waters of the Democrats

it will be seen for what it is and officially dropped when the Red head haze has died down

Korn and Abhissit are both financial wizards, Korn is the 2010 Asian banker of the year

do you really think they couldn't have laundered this in a way so that it would not be discovered by the ex rice pickers/bean counters at the EC?

please grow up........

Don't have silly hopes. The evidence is clear. 2 cases, in one the EC voted 4:1 and in the other 5:0.

It is a save bet to say that the democrats will be dissolved and Abhisit banned from politics.

Korn will go afterwards to New Politics Party and not join the new 'ex-democrats' party.

[BexleyBoy]

Amnesty will be an issue here - apart from that, I would like to hear the objections to this suggestion. It sounds better than any other alternatives we have right now.

Amnesty for Abhisit? By the time the next election comes, his party will likely be dissolved and Abhisit banned from politics for 5 years.

There sure are some real idiots on this Forum......!! Dont have to look to hard...

[whybother]

What IF Thaksin's men get promoted? remember where you heard it first!

That won't happen the purpose of the reshuffle is to stack the military with yellow shirts to walk over the reds and thus preventing an election loss.

If the reds were able to control the reshuffle, we would have true democracy.

You will be able to say what ever you want. As long as it is in support of the reds.

You will be able to campaign for whoever you want, where ever you want. As long as you are campaigning for the reds.

TRUE RED DEMOCRACY.

[whybother]

wasn't he born raised and educated in England? He holds English citizenship. Maybe I don't like him he seems very sly and out to feather his own nest at the expense of the thai people. Every thai I have spoken with say he is corrupt and evil. It appears that only farangs support him but what has he done or doing for you. Farangs in his eyes are just the same as the working class thais.

Maybe you should talk to more than one Thai.

Maybe you should also ask WHY they think he is evil and corrupt. Get some evidence of his evilness and corruption.

Then come and let us know about it.

I have spoken to many Thais around the Sisaket and Khon Kaen areas and i havent met one that trusts him

or likes him.

As for his " IF's " you could drive a bus through them

But do they KNOW WHY they don't like him? Or they just don't like him because that's what they have been trained to do?

[Jerrytheyoung]

Just a politician gesticulation....

Abhisit... the carots

Suthep....the stick

The whole set destroys the credibility of a will for real discussion. Suthep should be put on "mute".

Waiting the answer, because IMHO, Red Shirts have not yet used all their panoply. It is the end of Act 1. Now starting ACT II scene 1....

Edited May 4, 2010 by Jerrytheyoung

[jcbangkok]

Abhisit has really shown himself to be a stand up guy who has done a lot for Thailand and the poor in the short time since being elected PM. He has done this while having to deal with former Thaksin supporters who have constantly tried to derail any positive growth in Thailand. But he has prevailed and not only has the economy got back on track, he has not taken away any of the policies Thaksin put in place for the poor but in fact has added more real ones and bettered some of Thaksin's failed ones. He has also taken this country in the right direction despite many in the army and police being Thaksin supporters.

Abhisit is incredibly well educated both in Thai ways as well as internationally. He also comes from a very well off family and has little motivation to be corrupt. His words and actions seem to go hand in hand to the best of his ability and there is no reason to believe he cannot be trusted beyond his being a politician. He even was against the coup that ousted the corrupt Thaksin as he knew this was not the democratic way.

Abhisit has shown a true love of Thailand, its people as well as the monarchy.

He asked everyone to be patient and he has now finally delivered a plan as promised to end the current lawless red mob seizure of BKK and hostage taking of Thailand. Clearly the patience has allowed the red mob to be marginalized while giving them enough rope to hang themselves. His road map is not about giving the reds what they want (pretty much the same offer he gave at the start of this) but instead is about getting Thailand back on track and moving in a truly modern democratic way.

If the red leaders don't accept this offer, there numbers in the red mob will be very very small leaving only the hardcore people bent on hurting Thailand at any cost to bring back Thaksin. He has said all along he didn't want to break up the lawless mob until he could do it without harming a great number of civilians in the crowd.

The red mob has no move left but either resorting to an all out terrorist campaign or turn themselves in and/or go home. The red leaders goal of having the authorities move in and face the mob who would react violently is now not an option. Sure they can still do this but they are not going to gain any of the sympathy they want from it and it certainly will not make the PM or gov't look evil. In fact, the gov't would benefit now if they can use force to remove the last remnants and most hardcore of the reds from their illegal seizure of an area in BKK.

The reds had a chance to walk away with credibility and as winner when the PM agreed to sit down with them and the PM's first offer in the negotiation was pretty much what he is offering now. The red mob loses either way now and their only hope it to agree to go home and step up rhetoric of how they won and pretend their movement wasn't incredibly harmful to Thailand and their own movement.

[timekeeper]

Hats off to Abisit. This forum is full of self professed experts who can tell exactly what is wrong with almost any topic, person and Abisit as well. I do not recall Abisit advocating that he is infallible. What I do see is that he has done a great job as seeking a political solution against a Para-military action that used innocent peasents as pawns. He has kept a cool head, and he has never given up hope for a peaceful settlement and continues to seek a solution and justice that is good for all Thais, (even if it means his loss of the next election). The man shows vision and foresight and a glimmer of hope for the Thai people. I have seen very little sincere concern for the people from any other politician in Thailand in the last 15 years of self-serving PMs. Sure critics can find fault with Abisit, but he is the best PM by far. He has tabled a proposal that allows the Red's to save face. Yes there are "IFs" and conditions attached to the proposal, as there should be. If the Reds do not play nice, then the deal is off. It looks to me that Abisit is a great leader and the best hope for a nation seeking to mature it's democratic model. Who cares if he is yellow, green or red, a puppet or a visionary... he is what Thailand need most at this time, a catalyst to a new level of maturity for Thailand. I hope that the Thai people see this and support him in future elections. I hope the Red activist seize the chance to promote their cause in the next elections. I pray that the Thai people see their way to a more stable, and humane society reaching a harmony that is right for the people, their values and morals, and to live in happiness and mutual respect.

I'd take my hat off to Abhisit any day ...as soon as he explains on national television as to why he took a 259 million Baht illegal donation during the last election, and approved it as the chairman of the Democrats. Sure, you can try and smear the opposition party as corrupt, but at least you've got to acknowledge you're just as corrupt. Hands caught in the cookie jar

you are grasping at the very few straws left on the table

dissolution will never happen by this route

its a trumped up charge, passed over quickly by the EC commission under death threat by Arisaman and his rent a mob.

when its investigated it will be seen to have been passed upstairs under duress and to be an eroneous charge manufactured by Phua Thai to muddy the waters of the Democrats

it will be seen for what it is and officially dropped when the Red head haze has died down

Korn and Abhissit are both financial wizards, Korn is the 2010 Asian banker of the year

do you really think they couldn't have laundered this in a way so that it would not be discovered by the ex rice pickers/bean counters at the EC?

please grow up........

Don't have silly hopes. The evidence is clear. 2 cases, in one the EC voted 4:1 and in the other 5:0.

It is a save bet to say that the democrats will be dissolved and Abhisit banned from politics.

Korn will go afterwards to New Politics Party and not join the new 'ex-democrats' party.

the verdicts were miraculously delivered one month early and only five days after Arisaman threatened the EC commissioners lives in the lobby of the EC commission building

you really think that's not going to be a consideration when considering the reliability of the EC commission's verdict?

and if you meant a SAFE bet rather than 'save bet', i will take that bet against you

can't be for money as gambling is outlawed here

lets say for dinner at a restaurant up to 1000baht value

i will call you to collect on that bet when Abhisit and the Dems wins the next election

[midas]

But do they KNOW WHY they don't like him? Or they just don't like him because that's what they have been trained to do?

news for you !

There are some people even in Isaan that can think for themselves - Amazing Thailand

[moetownblues]

Amnesty will be an issue here - apart from that, I would like to hear the objections to this suggestion. It sounds better than any other alternatives we have right now.

Amnesty for Abhisit? By the time the next election comes, his party will likely be dissolved and Abhisit banned from politics for 5 years.

There sure are some real idiots on this Forum......!! Dont have to look to hard...

So what you are saying is that if someone has a different point of view to yourself then they are an idiot?