Is Yaowapa Move Heralding Big Changes Ahead?: Thai Editorial

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EDITORIAL
Is Yaowapa move heralding big changes ahead?
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Speculation is rife about the political intentions of Thaksin Shinawatra's other sister, including whether she will take over the premiership

Questions have been asked and analyses written about why Yaowapa Wongsawat is coming out into the open politically. The issue is fascinating because there is little the sister of Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra can't do politically as a non-MP. Why does someone who has kept herself behind the scenes for so long have to abruptly enter politics? Why now?

The plot of "All Thaksin's Women" is thickening. First we have his ex-wife, Pojaman na Pombejra, who never talks to the media but who we all know has wielded considerable power in politics. Exactly why she divorced Thaksin remains a mystery, although many people believe it had to do with political or business - not marital - reasons.

Then we have the youngest Shinawatra sister, Yingluck, who was almost a faceless figure four years ago but was thrust into the national and international spotlight in 2011. She doesn't possess Pojaman's enigmatic outlook, but Yingluck's naivety became a political goldmine for the Pheu Thai Party, which reaped gains from her being a "breath of fresh air".

It's understandable why Pojaman had to play "backyard manager" when Thaksin was in power. Yingluck, as we know, was not interested in politics in the first place. Yaowapa is different. She's always there, wielding clout without having to hold any key political position or be a star on the House floor. Yaowapa's role has been largely outside the confines of the parliamentary compound. She was arguably the most active Shinawatra figure at the turbulent rallying grounds of the red shirts in 2010.

Legal bans forced many politicians to play the game from behind the scenes. Yaowapa's connections to Thaksin and his party meant she was among those slapped with a five-year ban. With that ban coming to an end, she is reportedly poised to seek a parliamentary seat in a Chiang Mai by-election. Speculation has already intensified over whether the real idea is to put Yaowapa in a position far higher than that of an ordinary MP.

That speculation is fair. Yaowapa is is too powerful for her to settle for being a supervisor of northern MPs or a political decoy to draw fire away from Yingluck. After all, who else has been so closely related to three prime ministers? Thaksin is her brother. Yingluck is her sister. Somchai Wongsawat is her husband. To assume that Yaowapa, as an MP, would help keep other Pheu Thai MPs in line ignores the fact that she's perfectly capable of doing so from the shadows. To say that, as an MP, she can more effectively get Yingluck out of tight political spots is an equally weak assumption. As far as helping Yingluck goes, what could MP Yaowapa do that non-MP Yaowapa can't?

MP Yaowapa could be stand-in prime minister. It remains to be seen, though, whether the real objective is to help Yingluck or the brother in Dubai. If this is all about Yingluck, maybe Pheu Thai is taking her legal problems - related to her role in its Bangkok gubernatorial campaign - very seriously. Under the unpredictable circumstances of Thai politics, her bold assistance to Pheu Thai gubernatorial candidate Pongsapat Pongcharoen might become a banana skin.

Yingluck's Bt30-million loan to her husband's company before she became premier is also threatening to become a political time bomb. Discrepancies in her assets report and the company's statement can be considered a minor detail, or they can be taken to portray the loan as some kind of a scheme. Again, Thai politics has been unpredictable and inconsistent where similar issues are concerned. The late Sanan Kachornprasart was banned from politics and the late Samak Sundaravej was removed from the premiership over issues that were arguably more minor.

If Yaowapa stepping into the spotlight has to do with Thaksin, she might be viewed as an accelerator of controversial schemes like charter overhaul and political amnesty. While Yingluck's non-confrontational style has been her greatest asset, it doesn't help where issues that require aggressive pushing and shoving are concerned. If Yaowapa is meant to be a substitute for Yingluck, it means either the prime minister is suffering from burnout beyond public view, or Pheu Thai - Thaksin to be exact - is worried she may end up like Sanan or Samak. Whatever the real motive behind Yaowapa's planned political entry, big changes seem to be on the horizon.


-- The Nation 2013-03-26

[Bellweather]

If she takes over will she stay in the country more as Yingluck is on the road more than a rock band ?

[bigbamboo]

As with everything to do with this PT government we shall all just have to wait with baited breath and see what the BB in Dubai decides.

Exciting, isn't it?

[Ricardo]

Perhaps Yingluck might become FM, and continue doing that job as now, with all the travelling & representing Thailand to foreign countries, it does seem to suit her abilities better ?

[473geo]

Perhaps Yingluck might become FM, and continue doing that job as now, with all the travelling & representing Thailand to foreign countries, it does seem to suit her abilities better ?

Certainly a good option,, PTP appear to be getting smarter in predicting the desparate moves of the unseated Democrats....also the possibilty of Yaowapa as PM may not be an appintment the democrats would appreciate

[ZhouZhou]

the author usually writes scripts for Thai soaps.

[chainarong]

Be Careful of the Yowie.

[whybother]

If Yaowapa was in Yingluck's position at the last election, I doubt PTP would have got the result that they did.

[Mampara]

Or it may just be a lot of "hot air" talking about hot air, did you know that about 350 MPs produce more than 10kW of heat just through "prolonged speaking? given the lively nature of these debates, does the hot air exhaled by by MPs constitute a significant heat source? in my opinion I have determined that more than 2.5kW of power was contained just as heat in the air of their breath - providing they were all speaking continuously. a further 7.8kW could be gained from the "Latent heat" in the water vapour of Mps' breath - heat that is extracted as the water condenses again into liquid. In conclusion. I have determined that perhaps if the MPs wanted a cooler working environment they should consider stopping producing "hot air" and say something more refreshing.

[Ricardo]

Now if only that hot air could be harnessed, to produce electricity, there'd never be any risk of a power-cut !

[ballpoint]

"Is Yaowapa move heralding big changes ahead?"

Pun intended?

[Halion]

This country needs to grow some brains and balls and get rid of this parasitic Shinwatra clan before it is too late. They are cheating lying manipulators who serve only their own ego and interest. My opinion is PM Yingluk is dead in the water for a myriad of justifiable reasons and Mr T is trying to run damage control and keep it in the family as his influence, although still considerable, is steadly slipping. I for one hope he falls of the cliff. When he first came to power my wife asked me what I though and I told her then that Thaksin would be good for Thaksin , but not for Thailand ...Nothing has changed.

[Siripon]

Perhaps Yingluck might become FM, and continue doing that job as now, with all the travelling & representing Thailand to foreign countries, it does seem to suit her abilities better ?

Certainly a good option,, PTP appear to be getting smarter in predicting the desparate moves of the unseated Democrats....also the possibilty of Yaowapa as PM may not be an appintment the democrats would appreciate

A good joke, Yingluck as FM. She doesn't even know her own country, she called Had Yai a province and declared Singburi was next to the sea. Going abroad she said Sydney was a country!

[ZhouZhou]

Siripon, on 26 Mar 2013 - 07:46, said:

A good joke, Yingluck as FM. She doesn't even know her own country, she called Had Yai a province and declared Singburi was next to the sea. Going abroad she said Sydney was a country!

Sidney isn't a county?

[dickyknee]

Siripon, on 26 Mar 2013 - 07:46, said:

A good joke, Yingluck as FM. She doesn't even know her own country, she called Had Yai a province and declared Singburi was next to the sea. Going abroad she said Sydney was a country!Sidney isn't a county?

where is Sidney? Sydney is not even the capital city of a country.

[waza]

Siripon, on 26 Mar 2013 - 07:46, said:

A good joke, Yingluck as FM. She doesn't even know her own country, she called Had Yai a province and declared Singburi was next to the sea. Going abroad she said Sydney was a country!

Sidney isn't a county?

OMB, like Thaksin some of his supporters lack the ability to think laterally, some may say this move is a very cunning plan, I say its a act of desperation.

Some would have you believe that Thaksin is the messiah I say he just a very naughty boy.

My dads number 1 too, ZZ is this you?

[rubl]

As some have it that obviously our PM doesn't need to be in parliament, but it's more important to promote Thailand abroad, the same would be valid if we were to have PM Yaowapa I would assume. Now that would certainly lead to weighty subject meetings and a wide-lens camera for the photo-op :-)

[ZhouZhou]

Siripon, on 26 Mar 2013 - 07:46, said:

A good joke, Yingluck as FM. She doesn't even know her own country, she called Had Yai a province and declared Singburi was next to the sea. Going abroad she said Sydney was a country!Sidney isn't a county?

where is Sidney? Sydney is not even the capital city of a country.

Sidney is a county seat.

[BlackJack]

IF BB put on some make up and a dress maybe he could pass himself off as sister

[seajae]

Siripon, on 26 Mar 2013 - 07:46, said:

A good joke, Yingluck as FM. She doesn't even know her own country, she called Had Yai a province and declared Singburi was next to the sea. Going abroad she said Sydney was a country!Sidney isn't a county?

where is Sidney? Sydney is not even the capital city of a country.

Sidney is a county seat.

[ratcatcher]

Siripon, on 26 Mar 2013 - 07:46, said:

A good joke, Yingluck as FM. She doesn't even know her own country, she called Had Yai a province and declared Singburi was next to the sea. Going abroad she said Sydney was a country!Sidney isn't a county?

where is Sidney? Sydney is not even the capital city of a country.

Sidney is a county seat.

ZZ, not to be too pedantic, but you seem determined,

SIDNEY with an I is a town in British Columbia near the provincial capital of Victoria, Vancouver Island..

SYDNEY with a Y is a city, the state capital of New South Wales.

[waza]

Siripon, on 26 Mar 2013 - 07:46, said:

A good joke, Yingluck as FM. She doesn't even know her own country, she called Had Yai a province and declared Singburi was next to the sea. Going abroad she said Sydney was a country!Sidney isn't a county?

where is Sidney? Sydney is not even the capital city of a country.

Sidney is a county seat.

ZZ, not to be too pedantic, but you seem determined,

SIDNEY with an I is a town in British Columbia near the provincial capital of Victoria, Vancouver Island..

SYDNEY with a Y is a city, the state capital of New South Wales.

and Zhou Zhou was born developmentally disabled on an April Fool's Day to a cellist family.

[ZhouZhou]

Siripon, on 26 Mar 2013 - 07:46, said:

A good joke, Yingluck as FM. She doesn't even know her own country, she called Had Yai a province and declared Singburi was next to the sea. Going abroad she said Sydney was a country!Sidney isn't a county?

where is Sidney? Sydney is not even the capital city of a country.

Sidney is a county seat.

ZZ, not to be too pedantic, but you seem determined,

SIDNEY with an I is a town in British Columbia near the provincial capital of Victoria, Vancouver Island..

SYDNEY with a Y is a city, the state capital of New South Wales.

I mean a county city in the USA. not far from where Yingluck went to university. guess that why she mixed that up.

its a popular spot for asian exchange students, taking there pictures of themselves in front of the city sign.

look even the Prezel of the US don't get his geography right as so many other politicians.

[hellodolly]

where is Sidney? Sydney is not even the capital city of a country.

Sidney is a county seat.

ZZ, not to be too pedantic, but you seem determined,

SIDNEY with an I is a town in British Columbia near the provincial capital of Victoria, Vancouver Island..

SYDNEY with a Y is a city, the state capital of New South Wales.

I mean a county city in the USA. not far from where Yingluck went to university. guess that why she mixed that up.

its a popular spot for asian exchange students, taking there pictures of themselves in front of the city sign.

look even the Prezel of the US don't get his geography right as so many other politicians.

Every day the Democrats thank God/Buddha/Allah that you are a red shirt and not a Democrat.

Keep up the good work but try to think a little more and you will be able to replace Jatuporn.