Outgoing Thai PM Abhisit Resigns As Party Leader

[sirchai]

Great, now with the Reds back in power the Yellows will have to protest again or lose face. Now those people know how to protest. They're the educated ones, remember? They do things like shut down an international airport putting an immediate choke chain on international travel while the lower class, simple minded, farming Reds are torching buildings. How much more can Thai tourism take? Please let it end.

Your username is correct.........................:jap:

[PeteM3]

Outgoing Thai PM resigns as party leader

BANGKOK, July 4, 2011 (AFP) - Outgoing Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva resigned as leader of his party on Monday after heavily losing an election to the opposition allied to fugitive former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

"As the Democrat Party leader during the election, we won fewer seats than in the previous election, so I think as a good leader I should take responsibility by resigning," he told a press conference in Bangkok.

"The Democrat Party will hold a general meeting within 90 days to elect a new leader," he added.

The Democrats won just 159 seats out of 500, against the opposition Puea Thai's 265 seats, the Election Commission said.

The results pave the way for Thaksin's sister Yingluck Shinawatra to become the first Thai female premier.

Abhisit, who took office in a 2008 parliamentary vote after a court threw out the previous administration, conceded late Sunday, saying: "The outcome is clear -- Puea Thai has won the election and the Democrats are defeated."

His party, with traditional support in Bangkok and the south, has not won a general election in nearly two decades.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-07-04

[Insight]

I also think that Yingluck/Thaksin should take a page from the Obama book (just one, mind you), and appoint AV as Foreign Ambassador, as Obama did with Clinton. Much better qualified than some of the ones of the past. He might have a problem when it comes to Cambodia, but I think he would be very acceptable to the rest of the world in that position.

Even if there are those in PT dignified enough to make such an offer (which I highly doubt there are), it's unlikely the brainwashed red shirts would accept it, or Abhisit would even accept working with them IMO.

[PeteM3]

We need to remember that most Thais will vote for whoever pays them the most to vote.

[atyclb]

IMO apiset was a pawn. Personally I believe he is a quite decent person and knows logic and reason. I think he is relieved to say goodbye to all the BS.

[cardholder]

Good riddance, and don't let the door slap you on the a_ss on the way out

Slightly predictable, and unintelligent, addition to the discussion.

[anon467367354]

I give Abhisit credit for letting the people decide which way they wanted to go, and furthermore stepping down so gracefully. He said what he was going to do and kept his word. A man of his word is quite rare in these parts. Samak the cooking show guy spoke English quite well, he just lied through his teeth when he did.

He should have stepped down last year, nothing graceful about people dying.

And I'm sure their is nothing wrong with giving in to terrorism. They came, they were paid to come, they came with posters of Abhisit with a bullet hole in his head, they threatened to burn down every important building off the face of Thailand including where the king was living then, and you think after weeks of police pushing,not firing, having negotiations, and violence, someone wasn't going to get hurt? Abhisit didn't kill anyone, the person that paid for these poor folks to come to Bangkok and do such a stupid thing, like cause a riot, suckered people into risking their lives for what they don't even know. Nice comment you got there real smart!

[cardholder]

I don't see what the debate is about. Abhisit was brilliant to the international press and in that sense a great ambassador for Thailand. BUT the majority of the Thai people have spoken and there is to be a new government. However they perform and however they are seen on the world stage, it is the Thai people who need to approve and be satisfied. In most political situations where voting is concerned you tend to get what you deserve.

100% correct.

The voice of Thailand has spoken - and spoken clearly.

Not the result I may have personally wanted but it has to be good for Thailand that there has been such a clear winner.

[DumFarang]

All the good honest people in Thailand get rejected. its just the dumb way it has always been.

It's indeed very sad for this country that the older brother will be back soon to give 46 billion baht back to Thais.......:jap:

Yeah right!

[swerver]

All the good honest people in Thailand get rejected. its just the dumb way it has always been.

"Honesty and integrity have no sexappeal"

Pushing Against the Outer Limits

Thailand July 3, 2011 election charade is a reminder of the US election charade of a power crazed American family, the Kennedys.

When JFK was campaigning his wife Jackie came up with the brilliant idea of having her younger sister Lee who was married to Polish ex-Prince Radziwell living with British political exile status in England come over to the US to campaign for JFK among the Polish speaking/ancestor people living in the US. And so they did. But when the British Government found out what they were up to they were immediately and in no uncertain terms informed to return back to England or loose their British political exile status and become persona non grata in Britain. Being people of reasonable mind they immediately returned to England. Of course only the in-and-out of the US by the Radziwells had its effect among the Polish speaking/ancestor people in the US and their voting for JFK in addition to the catholic vote for JFK putting him and Jackie in the Whitehouse.

Fast forward.

Thaksin also lived in England with British political exile status. After being warned on the QT by the British Government one-or-two times not to meddle in Thailand’s political environment which warning(s), being Thaksin, he threw to the wind. Nobody tells Thaksin anything, Thaksin does as he wants like he has done all his life. The Brits knowing Thaksin from the days of Thailand PM knew his irrational attitude and behavior, didn’t bother as they did in the Radziwell case, and immediately withdrew Thaksin’s British political exile status, and at the same time told him to divest himself from all the holdings in Manchester United Football club because it was not good for young British sports enthusiast to see a fugitive from Justice being the owner of a British sporting establishment. And so his fugitive Vagabond existence began from one country to the next with different nationality passports and avoiding the ones who like Britain had the decency not to allow his Bombardier Jet landing rights, let alone for Thaksin to remain in their country.

Thaksin being Thaksin first tried to con his older sister in being his clone, but she indicated she has no stomach for Thai politics, thanks, but no thanks. Having been able all her forty odd years to manipulate his much younger sister he shoved her in to being his clone. Thai media being what it is immediately jumped on the bandwagon of her photogenic posture and all the associated rubbish of the JFK campaign days and the women of Thailand became ecstatic and did fall for it, the same as the women did in the US with JFK. And in the case of Thaksin not only Thai women did fall for it, Thailand being the sex capital of the world, also Thai men dribbled in their jocks over her, resulting in lots of these people to talk democrat and vote fascist.

Well, people around the world knows were JFK landed up, and closer to Thailand more recent, were Benazir Bhutto - another power crazed family - landed up. There are more like them back in history, no need to dredge up the klongs any more than necessary because Thailand has arrived at: The Beginning of the End or The End of the Beginning, in LOS it is always difficult to tell which. LOL with all the Credit Cards PTP which really should be named TRT-3 is going to hand out to farmers, taxi drivers and all the others hanging around with their hands out and the PTP government picking up the tab. Like the farang in the village by Korat said, “My Thai wife receive 300-Baht to vote for PTP and so did each one of her 7-family members, including everyone else in the village”. Thais don’t have to feel like the Lone Ranger because politics/voting worldwide has become nothing but a capitalist game the capitalists play with the simple minded in their country.

[elcent]

The way I see it ---

It was clear that Abhisit was doomed from the very beginning. I mentioned somewhere years ago that he will get burned. - Exactly that happened. I think he's quite happy to resign to get his live back and there will be a chance in four or five years again. He has abilities, but they were unfolded in the wrong time, under wrong circumstances.

I really wish and hope that all people here in Thailand will scrutinze any and all activities of their elected servants. Many unfavorable condittions are lurking. One of that is indoctrinated globalism instead of natural developing globalisation. This will be the most interesting thing to follow.

Good luck to Yingluck and lets hope that she will listen to the right advisers.

[Deeral]

Good luck to Abhisit.

He was never PM material - he tried so many times and it took the Army to slot him in place.

I don't think he was a "bad" man - I think he had some integrity....but sadly he had neither the vision, leadership or following to do what needed to be done.

like so many in the Democrat Alliance and the Army he seemed to think that his background, breeding or position in society gave him the right to rule.

well now he knows - you need an electorate to vote for you to be PM and the Thai people have spoken.

PS - it may turn out that the rank and file of the electorate have been misled by the Pheu Thai party - that only time will tell, but Abhisit did nothing to put forward an alternative to those people - seemingly hoping that his "hi-so" powe-base was enough to keep him in power. Next time maybe they will come up with a man with a plan?

[techboy]

If nothing else, he looked and sounded good when interviewed by international press. That chap with his own cooking show couldn't even grunt in English

What country do you think this is?Just to inform you, this country is called Thailand .Its National language is Thai. That means there is no demand that to hold political office in this country or any other country where English is not the national language ,, you must be fluent in English.

I don't see what the debate is about. Abhisit was brilliant to the international press and in that sense a great ambassador for Thailand. BUT the majority of the Thai people have spoken and there is to be a new government. However they perform and however they are seen on the world stage, it is the Thai people who need to approve and be satisfied. In most political situations where voting is concerned you tend to get what you deserve.

"In most political situations where voting is concerned you tend to get what you deserve." Absurd. Perhaps you should consider that what the people deserve is frequently not even presented as a choice in political situations. In any case your statement is derived from a cliché. Some people seem to believe that if they pop one that they have made an indisputable point. I have rarely found people who use cliché-ish speech to have any true insight into what they are addressing.

[RedNIvar]

I think Abhisit and Suthep will be brought up on charges for the 91 deaths last year. Amnesty to clean the slate of all politicians will not happen until the Dem government and/or Military be brought up on charges. Easier sell that way, not to many objections. So I think the further Abhisit stays away from the helm of the Dem leadership the better. IMHO.

[mitrapaap]

If nothing else, he looked and sounded good when interviewed by international press. That chap with his own cooking show couldn't even grunt in English

What country do you think this is?Just to inform you, this country is called Thailand .Its National language is Thai. That means there is no demand that to hold political office in this country or any other country where English is not the national language ,, you must be fluent in English.

It is a standard requirement in many jobs of considerably lower profile.

[PingManDan]

The way I see it ---

It was clear that Abhisit was doomed from the very beginning. I mentioned somewhere years ago that he will get burned. - Exactly that happened. I think he's quite happy to resign to get his live back and there will be a chance in four or five years again. He has abilities, but they were unfolded in the wrong time, under wrong circumstances.

I really wish and hope that all people here in Thailand will scrutinze any and all activities of their elected servants. Many unfavorable condittions are lurking. One of that is indoctrinated globalism instead of natural developing globalisation. This will be the most interesting thing to follow.

Good luck to Yingluck and lets hope that she will listen to the right advisers.

Yes

[PingManDan]

Good riddance, and don't let the door slap you on the a_ss on the way out

Well, wait. You suppose there's anyone there who's better?

Can you just see one of the corrupt dinosaurs taking the lead? Abhisit is an angel compared to most of them.

They have been voted out of office, at least Thailand has a chance now, to have change. I can name one who should go and hide somewhere, maybe in a hong nam Suthep !!

[whybother]

Good luck to Abhisit.

He was never PM material - he tried so many times and it took the Army to slot him in place.

I don't think he was a "bad" man - I think he had some integrity....but sadly he had neither the vision, leadership or following to do what needed to be done.

like so many in the Democrat Alliance and the Army he seemed to think that his background, breeding or position in society gave him the right to rule.

well now he knows - you need an electorate to vote for you to be PM and the Thai people have spoken.

PS - it may turn out that the rank and file of the electorate have been misled by the Pheu Thai party - that only time will tell, but Abhisit did nothing to put forward an alternative to those people - seemingly hoping that his "hi-so" powe-base was enough to keep him in power. Next time maybe they will come up with a man with a plan?

I thought he only tried once (well, twice including this election).

[Phatcharanan]

I think Abhisit and Suthep will be brought up on charges for the 91 deaths last year.

It's not going to happen.

Edited July 4, 2011 by Phatcharanan

[LevelHead]

Good riddance sums it up.

Cockroaches keeping popping up and will forever be a pest but from time to time but a good blast of democracy and elections can put them down, until invisible hands put them back into the kitchen again.

It will be great to see Suvarnubhumi airport become better now that the rumoured BJT control of it will soon be shattered. Perhaps we might get better duty free prices and more choice of products with the Democrats/BJT gone.

Certainly the rampant corruption of the past couple of years should now get reduced.

[PingManDan]

The right thing to do. If renominated, he should make it clear he wont accept. The country needs an opposition as well as a government and Abhisit is a divisive character who will distract from the job an opposition has to do.

It is a good early test of whether the democrats can start to move forward. The old way will be to renominate and reelect and stay still. The modern way will be to thank him, accept he has gone and chose a new leader to rebuild the party

Frankly I think it stinks to high heaven that the guy is considered "divisive" considering the lengths taken to avoid bloodshed (city under siege for two months - where else in the world would that be allowed to happen!?!?). He is nothing more than the victim of an extremely well funded hate campaign, and as much as I can sympathise with any decision to stay out of politics for the rest of his life, the decision will send a clear message to anybody who attempts to oppose Thaksin's political machine in the future.

Sad days.

Maybe true but you cant have a n opposition that has everything it raises ignored by millions who just see him that way. Reality. Modern politics is as much about PR, marketing and sounditing and meme creation as it is about anything related to "substance", maybe more so.

"Modern Politics" Than i like saying military intelligence. I have lived in many places in the world and this ain't modern.

Yes he is just a puppet for a more menacing group, the whole Military of Thailand, and Suthep and his merry bunch of crooks pulled his strings till they broke. Thailand now has to eliminate all the c_rap that has grown before and after the coup, get back on their feet with the right direction from a person who was wrongly accused and banned from Thailand, I think we all know who that is.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE :jap: not a dictatorship

[whybother]

Good riddance sums it up.

Cockroaches keeping popping up and will forever be a pest but from time to time but a good blast of democracy and elections can put them down, until invisible hands put them back into the kitchen again.

It will be great to see Suvarnubhumi airport become better now that the rumoured BJT control of it will soon be shattered. Perhaps we might get better duty free prices and more choice of products with the Democrats/BJT gone.

Certainly the rampant corruption of the past couple of years should now get reduced.

Funny that you mention "Suvarnabhumi" and "corruption" in the same sentence, and then talk about corruption now getting reduced, given the amount of corruption that happened there under Thaksin's watch.

[OzMick]

If nothing else, he looked and sounded good when interviewed by international press. That chap with his own cooking show couldn't even grunt in English

What country do you think this is?Just to inform you, this country is called Thailand .Its National language is Thai. That means there is no demand that to hold political office in this country or any other country where English is not the national language ,, you must be fluent in English.

Leading a country does mean dealing on the international stage. Nobody is denying the fact that this is Thailand and who gives a fat rats clack about other countries but it is a job that requires some language skills. Abhisit certainly has them as does Mr Texas T, who must be packing up all his suitcases of cash to come back and distribute it to the masses.

"But it is a job that requires some language skills" Hahaha, You really think the PM in your home country speaks more than one language fluent , please don't think English is awesome....

Australia's last PM was fluent in Mandarin Chinese. It is a sign of intelligence and education, and was quite well received by all asian nations.

[hammered]

Suthep wont accept nominations for sec-gen of dems either. It is clearing the deck and allowing the chance for the party to act as a proper opposition without the constant 91 deaths stuff being thrown at leaders. It will also be very interesting to see whether the dems can actually make the leap and move forward or will revert to the ties to a couple of regions big middle sized party

[OZEMADE]

He knew the writing was on the wall long before the elections. thats why he said, "if my party dosen't do well, I will step down as the leader of the Democratic Party" Of course he lost and had to stand down.

[KevinB]

Pretty speaker especially in English - and I liked him because I don't speak enough Thai. But I'm not Thai - I'm a guest in this lovely country and the PEOPLE have spoken. So I must support an earlier member - Good Riddance.

If, like someone argued above - he was a real statesman and an honourable man - he should have called an election earlier and the Reds could have won it - (like they have done now) Instead of being stubbon and intrangient - which in the end resulted bloodshed and extra judical killings which have made this great country look like a banana republic. Without that we would already be well on the way to full reconcilliation and development. The troubles could have been avoided - people were angry because their vote for the Government of their choice was subverted - by court rulings (banning a guy who appered on a cooking program - really) and allies crossing the floor to join a group of people who occupied an International airport and got away scot free. I can tell you that little incident moved more airlines to hubs in Malayasia and Singapore than the occupation of a down town junction.

So bye bye Abhesit - I don't think there are going to be too many folk crying about your departure - remember you only really deserve what you WIN not what you grab or steal.

Just thought about that last comment - There are some folk crying for you but unfortunately they all seem to be expats on a very right wing site - who don't count politically because they don't have a vote - they like me should just be glad to be living here and be prepared to accept that the majority of the electorate have spoken and that they are sensible and reasonable citizens - and that they voted Red because they want someone they appreciate to come home.

[Deeral]

I think it is a case of "hard cheese" with the people who think this is a "step back" - if it is it is back to a time when the country had the nearest thing to a democratic constitution.

I think that this actually indicates that the people of Thailand are not interested in the "old school' elite running the country for them, they want to run the country themselves.

[Deeral]

He knew the writing was on the wall long before the elections. thats why he said, "if my party dosen't do well, I will step down as the leader of the Democratic Party" Of course he lost and had to stand down.

Wow! You've really looked into this deep?

Edited July 4, 2011 by Deeral

[OZEMADE]

He knew the writing was on the wall long before the elections. thats why he said, "if my party dosen't do well, I will step down as the leader of the Democratic Party" Of course he lost and had to stand down.

Wow! You've really looked into this deep?

Dont have to look deep, just make it short and to the point, stop the drivle. Some will see it.Obviously a lot missed the TOPIC.

Edited July 4, 2011 by OZEMADE

[OzMick]

He knew the writing was on the wall long before the elections. thats why he said, "if my party dosen't do well, I will step down as the leader of the Democratic Party" Of course he lost and had to stand down.

Wow! You've really looked into this deep?

Obviously from the shallow end of the Australian gene pool.