Pheu Thai Confident But Won't Reveal PM Hopeful

[webfact]

Pheu Thai confident but won't reveal PM hopeful

By The Nation

The opposition Pheu Thai Party yesterday said it expected to win as many as 22 House seats in Bangkok, out of the 33 seats to be up for grabs during the upcoming general elections.

Pheu Thai's non-MP leader Yongyuth Wichaidit made the prediction during yesterday's function organised by the party at Lumpini Park to introduce its election candidates and policy platforms for the capital.

"The party's survey found that in Bangkok we will win at least 22 House seats. The poll result is very encouraging for the party to continue with our fight," he said.

Yongyuth also told reporters he was confident of his party's victory over the ruling Democrat Party in the Bangkok election - although it is considered the Democrats' stronghold and though the Democrats have an advantage as the governing party.

Pheu Thai still held back from disclosing its prime-ministerial candidate at yesterday's function. Although he is the party leader, Yongyuth is unlikely to be the party's PM candidate or even to contest the election.

He said the party had decided about its prime-ministerial candidate but would disclose the name only when "the time is right". Despite a lack of a clear PM candidate, Pheu Thai's popularity has been on a constant increase, with politicians from other parties joining but no incumbent Pheu Thai MPs having defected so far, he added.

A leading prime-ministerial possibility for Pheu Thai, Yingluck Shinawatra, failed to show up at yesterday's function although she was expected to take part, according to the original schedule. Yingluck, a senior executive of the Shinawatra family's businesses, is younger sister of ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is described as Pheu Thai's de facto leader.

Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, a former deputy leader of Thaksin's disbanded Thai Rak Thai party, was another key Pheu Thai figure who failed to show up.

Pheu Thai deputy spokesman Jirayu Huangsap, who is to contest Bangkok's Klong Samwa constituency, said at yesterday's function that the party promised to extend the city's electric-train route to cover a distance of 400 kilometres, with the flat-rate fee of only Bt20 per passenger. He also said Bangkok residents would have free access to wireless Internet throughout the city if they voted for Pheu Thai.

MP Anudit Nakornthap, a Pheu Thai candidate for the Sai Mai constituency, said that if elected, the party would build embankments around Bangkok to prevent severe flooding in the capital.

MP Vicharn Meenchainand, as head of Pheu Thai's election campaigning team in Bangkok, said the party would push for more power decentralisation in the city administration by making it necessary for chiefs of all 50 districts in Bangkok to face election.

-- The Nation 2011-05-05

[webfact]

related topic

Thaksin campaigns for Pheu Thai Party

Follow this link:

[asiawatcher]

You have to give it to these guys - they just keep up the flow of garbage and so much so they all believe themselves. Fiction turns to fact over retelling... same as history books - were never written by the vanquished!

[geriatrickid]

You have to give it to these guys - they just keep up the flow of garbage and so much so they all believe themselves. Fiction turns to fact over retelling... same as history books - were never written by the vanquished!

Well they have you thinking and talking about them don't they?

Free publicity. Free advertising every time the party gets mentioned.

[scorecard]

You have to give it to these guys - they just keep up the flow of garbage and so much so they all believe themselves. Fiction turns to fact over retelling... same as history books - were never written by the vanquished!

Well they have you thinking and talking about them don't they?

Free publicity. Free advertising every time the party gets mentioned.

You may call it free advertising.

Some would describe it as just more examples of how unfocused and incapable they are.

[Robby nz]

I see they think they will win the majority of the seats in BKK.

They must think they really impressed the people of the city with thier riots, grenades and killings.

I see on another thread that Thaksin says he will build a flood wall around BKK, perhaps he will use tyres and bamboo sticks he has an experienced group on call who could do that.

[asiawatcher]

Great - and the master criminal of them all is going to pull the puppet strings from exile. Yep - they have my vote

[maewrocks]

TV is so anti-PT that I just had to sign up & lend my support to the anti-military party. I am astounded that there are so many out of touch foreigners on here that just don't realise that the Dems are the party of the army not the party of the people.

Dunno if this graph will come out, but here's the link anyway http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=wb-wdi&met=ms_mil_xpnd_gd_zs&idim=country:THA&dl=en&hl=en&q=thai+military+spending

Military expenditure as percentage of GDP

Data source: World Bank, World Development Indicators - Last updated Apr 27, 2011

[rubl]

TV is so anti-PT that I just had to sign up & lend my support to the anti-military party. I am astounded that there are so many out of touch foreigners on here that just don't realise that the Dems are the party of the army not the party of the people.

a few links removed

All is relative. Just look at this recent info

"World Wide Military Expenditures - 2011"

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/spending.htm

[Crushdepth]

Haven't we revealed Thaksin's sister as PM candidate *twice* already?

[maewrocks]

TV is so anti-PT that I just had to sign up & lend my support to the anti-military party. I am astounded that there are so many out of touch foreigners on here that just don't realise that the Dems are the party of the army not the party of the people.

a few links removed

All is relative. Just look at this recent info

"World Wide Military Expenditures - 2011"

http://www.globalsec...ld/spending.htm

I am not comparing the spending to other countries. I am showing the trends pre and post 2006.

[rubl]

TV is so anti-PT that I just had to sign up & lend my support to the anti-military party. I am astounded that there are so many out of touch foreigners on here that just don't realise that the Dems are the party of the army not the party of the people.

a few links removed

All is relative. Just look at this recent info

"World Wide Military Expenditures - 2011"

http://www.globalsec...ld/spending.htm

I am not comparing the spending to other countries. I am showing the trends pre and post 2006.

Yes, yes, absolutely. Ignore any possible reason for this increase, apart from 'it's this government's payback to their backers'. Ignore global, regional trends, ignore similar figures for Thailand's friend Cambodia.

Do something about it

[maewrocks]

TV is so anti-PT that I just had to sign up & lend my support to the anti-military party. I am astounded that there are so many out of touch foreigners on here that just don't realise that the Dems are the party of the army not the party of the people.

a few links removed

All is relative. Just look at this recent info

"World Wide Military Expenditures - 2011"

http://www.globalsec...ld/spending.htm

I am not comparing the spending to other countries. I am showing the trends pre and post 2006.

Yes, yes, absolutely. Ignore any possible reason for this increase, apart from 'it's this government's payback to their backers'. Ignore global, regional trends, ignore similar figures for Thailand's friend Cambodia.

Do something about it

An admission of support. Enough said. Sad though.......are you a republican?

[whybother]

TV is so anti-PT that I just had to sign up & lend my support to the anti-military party. I am astounded that there are so many out of touch foreigners on here that just don't realise that the Dems are the party of the army not the party of the people.

a few links removed

All is relative. Just look at this recent info

"World Wide Military Expenditures - 2011"

http://www.globalsec...ld/spending.htm

I am not comparing the spending to other countries. I am showing the trends pre and post 2006.

Yes. What you're showing is that Thaksin reduced military spending to well below the regional average and after Thaksin was ousted, the military spending has increased to about the regional average.

Interestingly, while the PPP was in power, military spending increased from 1.3% to 1.5%. It seems there was more than one "party of the army".

[hyperdimension]

the Dems are the party of the army not the party of the people.

If Thaksin returns then he would want the army to be loyal only to him. The army may become Thaksin's own personal army, over which he would have complete control, if he successfully puts his own people in the right positions and throws enough money around (either his own or tax payers'). Do you think Thaksin would then increase or decrease the military budget?

Do you want to see the army fully in the hands of a megalomaniac? Imagine if the army had nuclear weapons. I wouldn't be surprised if Thaksin increases the military budget to acquire some.

Edited May 5, 2011 by hyperdimension

[DP25]

Defense is about 8% of the budget ($5.5 out of $70 billion), it's not excessive by any standard and far less than most countries, especially in this neighborhood. In the US it's over 20%.

The entire budget has been increasing due to the strength of the economy.

Edited May 5, 2011 by DP25

[phiphidon]

Defense is about 8% of the budget ($5.5 out of $70 billion), it's not excessive by any standard and far less than most countries, especially in this neighborhood. In the US it's over 20%.

The entire budget has been increasing due to the strength of the economy.

Are you saying that if the economy grows that the government is duty bound to spend more on the military budget?

[Buchholz]

TV is so anti-PT that I just had to sign up & lend my support to the anti-military party. I am astounded that there are so many out of touch foreigners on here that just don't realise that the Dems are the party of the army not the party of the people.

a few links removed

All is relative. Just look at this recent info

"World Wide Military Expenditures - 2011"

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/spending.htm

Thanks for the link that actually works.

Don't see any huge or dramatic jumps for Thailand when compared to earlier figures below, going from 1.5% to 1.8% GDP for this year.

It's still spending below the ASEAN average of 1.9%.

On the global stage going from # 89 on the list to # 85 is not huge or dramatic, either.

ASEAN countries military expenditure as a percent of GDP

?.? (unreported) Myanmar

4.1 Singapore

3.9 Brunei

2.4 Vietnam

2.0 Malaysia

1.5 Thailand

1.1 Cambodia

1.0 Indonesia

0.8 Philippines

0.4 Laos

ASEAN average (not counting unreported Myanmar) = 1.9

On a world scale of military expenditure as a percent of GDP, Thailand ranks # 89.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Buchholz

[Buchholz]

ASEAN countries military expenditure as a percent of GDP

?.? (unreported) Myanmar

4.1 Singapore

3.9 Brunei

2.4 Vietnam

2.0 Malaysia

1.5 Thailand

1.1 Cambodia

1.0 Indonesia

0.8 Philippines

0.4 Laos

ASEAN average (not counting unreported Myanmar) = 1.9

On a world scale of military expenditure as a percent of GDP, Thailand ranks # 89.

Actually when putting in the updated figures for 2011, Thailand has dropped several places in comparison to their neighbors and is now even further below the average expenditures than they were before:

2011 ASEAN countries military expenditure as a percent of GDP

4.9 Singapore

4.5 Brunei

3.0 Cambodia

3.0 Indonesia

2.5 Vietnam

2.1 Burma

2.0 Malaysia

1.8 Thailand

0.9 Philippines

0.5 Laos

ASEAN average = 2.5

On a world scale of military expenditure as a percent of GDP, Thailand ranks # 85.