Bhum Jai Thai ready to follow Thaksin's orders again

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BURNING ISSUE
Bhum Jai Thai ready to follow Thaksin's orders again
Hataikarn Treesuwan
The Nation


Anutin

BANGKOK: -- The Bhum Jai Thai Party, which helped Abhisit Vejjajiva become prime minister a few years ago, says it is now more than ready to follow orders from the ruling Pheu Thai Party's de facto leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

But it is uncertain whether BJT will be dissolved in the near future for contravening Election Commission regulations.

However, BJT leader Anutin Charnvirakul said Pheu Thai now had enough MPs, so it did not need 34 more from his party.

Anutin, a "buddy" of BJT de facto leader Newin Chidchob, joined the political reform forum initiated by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra late last month.

In December 2008, MPs who were part of the "Friends of Newin" group were accused by their colleagues in the People Power Party of betraying former prime minister Thaksin - after swapping sides and voting for Democrat Party leader Abhisit to replace then-prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, who lost his seat after the Constitutional Court dissolved his party.

In the 2011 general election, Newin's party only one 34 seats in the House, far fewer than its target of 70, and became an opposition party.

Today, while the Democrat Party is going strongly against the government, Anutin announced that his party was ready to support the government of Yingluck, who is Thaksin's younger sister.

"We have always been friends of Thaksin, although we are in different parties," Anutin said.

The BJT leader said he joined the reform forum as a Thai who wants to see Thailand out of its crisis. It did not make sense that he should not join the forum because his party is in the opposition.

In response to suspicion that he seems to be siding with the government, Anutin said: "In fact, BJT sides with Thailand. We don't take sides."

He said his ultimate goal of reforming the country was for all parties to move forward equally. No one should have too much power. There should be no double standards and the rule of law should be restored.

"Where can we stand in the Pheu Thai Party? BJT has 34 MPs - seven from the Matchima faction [led by Somsak Thepsuthin], and 27 are 'Friends of Newin'. If we want to return, we will have to wait in a long line," he said.

Anutin was asked how he saw the future if his four-year-old party is dissolved. "I don't think of it. For us, it happened twice. If it occurs again, what we will do is be reborn," he said, suggesting they would just form a new political party.

Asked whether he would be reborn with an old father, Thaksin, Anutin said: "We are orphaned. We are children abandoned by our parents. We live by ourselves and never make a burden on parents.

"We have never thought of hurting [our] parents. We are grateful children," he said with a smile.

Anutin said that four years after breaking ties with Thaksin, Friends of Newin MPs still called the ex-PM "boss" at party meetings.

"I don't know how Thaksin thinks about us now. But he always is our boss. If he asks me and Newin to do something, we would [do it]," he said.

His important mission as BJT leader is to clear the stigma of being Thaksin's betrayers. He said this label would change with time.

"If they don't need us, they may call us betrayers. But when they need us some day, they will agree that turning enemies to friends is the ultimate political strategy," he said.


-- The Nation 2013-09-10

[Ricardo]

Top Thai political-principle ... Follow the Fugitive Money !

[bigbamboo]

Give them their due. At least they are making no bones about who is really running the country.

[CelticBhoy]

"I don't know how Thaksin thinks about us now. But he always is our boss. If he asks me and Newin to do something, we would [do it]," he said.

His kids must be real proud of him. Grovelling git.

[LuckyLew]

Follow who pays the most?

[NongKhaiKid]

Give them their due. At least they are making no bones about who is really running the country.

Exactly but it's out of step with what YL has supposedly said in a speech in Switzerland about democracy and how non-democratic principles must be resisted. She also spoke of democracy being the correct use of power, defending minorities and other issues that she doesn't practice.

It's also reported she said she is constantly defending democracy ! What a crock, her brother is running the country and she lauds democratic ways, I will be kind and say once again she probably had no idea what she was saying.

[waza]

Halftime, change sides

[chainarong]

Two things come to mind, politicians have no scruples and what go's around comes around, one would hope that the Democrats firmly reject any overtures in the future from this back stabbing lot of misfits , PTP are welcome to this kind of loyalty, as they promote this kind of behaviour as normal, talking orders from a criminal , makes sense I guess to some sections of Thai society, but then, as we know , they have no scruples either.

[Nickymaster]

Thai politics is really sick. Chronically sick I am afraid.

Poor Thailand. Or....

[arthurboy]

Looks like the trough has just been enlarged to accommodate more snouts.

[Zolt]

Honestly I doubt Thaksin needs them for anything. They lost most of their MP seats and all of their political relevance in the last elections. You'd think they'd have learned the lessons of what switching sides does to one's vote base. Apparently not.

[geriatrickid]

"I don't know how Thaksin thinks about us now. But he always is our boss. If he asks me and Newin to do something, we would [do it]," he said.

His kids must be real proud of him. Grovelling git.

This usually happens when unprincipled people sense a defeat is on the horizon.

If I was Thaksin, I'd show no mercy. These people cannot be trusted.

I'd expect that Abhisit wouldn't lose any sleep over the party's demise either.

[bigbamboo]

"I don't know how Thaksin thinks about us now. But he always is our boss. If he asks me and Newin to do something, we would [do it]," he said.

His kids must be real proud of him. Grovelling git.

This usually happens when unprincipled people sense a defeat is on the horizon.

If I was Thaksin, I'd show no mercy. These people cannot be trusted.

I'd expect that Abhisit wouldn't lose any sleep over the party's demise either.

And now it's even being dragged out of Yingluck's most ardent supporters on TV that Thaksin is the nation's real PM after all.

Shame on you!

[Misterwhisper]

It's always interesting to see these politicians (a.k.a. irresponsible crooks) come out in frequent intervals to stress how they will follow Thaksin's orders and lick his boots, basically admitting that it is he who's running the show.

And then juxtapose that with Yingluck's equally frequent - and very desperate - assertions that she is the prime minister and that she alone is in control.

Pathetic, isn't it?

[mikemac]

And now it's even being dragged out of Yingluck's most ardent supporters on TV that Thaksin is the nation's real PM after all.

Shame on you!

Touche !

[mrtoad]

How democratic

[Baerboxer]

I guess these people think like many others that Thaksin will be back shortly and so better try and get back in with him.

Real nice genuine politicians.

[Valentine]

It is utterly disgraceful how politicians behave as they do not even pretend to have some sort of ideology & only go after the money but the general populace do not seem to care less which is why it thrives. The list of amazing excuses for switching over must be huge.

[klauskunkel]

Party Mission Statement:

1) We will change allegiance according to opportunity, like regular people change their underwear, even several times a day.

2) We are without political principles, therefore we will adopt the principles of our political ally du jour, until such time as statement 1) is in effect.

3) We have no moral, ethical or philosophical standards, only pragmatical.

4) Our overall mission is to serve ourselves, and to this end we will employ all statements 1) - 3).

Disclaimer: If any public benefit, or bonus to Thailand, has occurred due to adherence to our Mission Statement we emphasize strongly that this was entirely coincidental and not done on purpose, or planned.

[chuang]

Thai politics is really sick. Chronically sick I am afraid.

Poor Thailand. Or....

Politics is always dirty...not only Thai,,,,

[boomerangutang]

No mention, no thought about doing some good things for the Thai people. Just pure posturing and maneuvering, to suck up to where the easiest money is. Just as telling as anything else, Thai politicians don't even know they're perceived as groveling scum. They're so used to doing biz as usual, that they wouldn't even comprehend what decency is, even if you explained it to them using flash cards and diagrams.

"Woman I know, she worships solid gold, she got a lien on my body, a mortgage on my soul"

from 'Drop Down Mama' by Sleepy John Estes

replace 'woman and she' for 'politicians' and 'they' ....and you get an idea how you're getting screwed.

Halftime, change sides

At least at halftime (in sports), respective team members stay allied to their side.

I thought Newin was a has-been. Wishful thinking, on my part. I might hire him for Bt.300/day to sweep out my mule's stable, but I don't know what else he'd be good at.

[wolf5370]

""I don't know how Thaksin thinks about us now. But he always is our boss. If he asks me and Newin to do something, we would [do it]," he said."

for this alone his party should be disbanded (or at least they should publically denounce him and his statement and dismiss him - he is categorically position the BJT as a wing of PTP and not a political party in its own right - not to mention that by stating Thaksin has always been the boss, even during the time he was banned from politics (5 years), he is flouting the fact that his party was abetting an illegal act (by having a banned political leader as their political boss). Of course he left himself enough wiggle room, but why would anyone bother voting for this joker (they may just as well vote PTP - that is what he inferred).

[ggold]

Please let us have some space by the trough, we want our share.

[Thait Spot]

"I don't know how Thaksin thinks about us now. But he always is our boss. If he asks me and Newin to do something, we would [do it]," he said.

His kids must be real proud of him. Grovelling git.

This usually happens when unprincipled people sense a defeat is on the horizon.

If I was Thaksin, I'd show no mercy. These people cannot be trusted.

I'd expect that Abhisit wouldn't lose any sleep over the party's demise either.

Cut the BS - you'll be sending them roses when they're back on your side.

[Pimay1]

No mention, no thought about doing some good things for the Thai people. Just pure posturing and maneuvering, to suck up to where the easiest money is. Just as telling as anything else, Thai politicians don't even know they're perceived as groveling scum. They're so used to doing biz as usual, that they wouldn't even comprehend what decency is, even if you explained it to them using flash cards and diagrams.

"Woman I know, she worships solid gold, she got a lien on my body, a mortgage on my soul"

from 'Drop Down Mama' by Sleepy John Estes

replace 'woman and she' for 'politicians' and 'they' ....and you get an idea how you're getting screwed.

Halftime, change sides

At least at halftime (in sports), respective team members stay allied to their side.

I thought Newin was a has-been. Wishful thinking, on my part. I might hire him for Bt.300/day to sweep out my mule's stable, but I don't know what else he'd be good at.

Rubber tree sapling scam?

[Thait Spot]

Politicians for sale

Have trough - will travel

[tonneke breda]

Isn't it time that the new generation Thais stand up and form a renewed political system and parties who for the first time try to get the country out of the slob??

[Nickymaster]

Isn't it time that the new generation Thais stand up and form a renewed political system and parties who for the first time try to get the country out of the slob??

You mean the new generation that supports corruption as long as they can share too. Just kidding but I have little hope. It sounds boring but money rules in Thailand.

[Jay Sata]

It certainly does and 100 to 200 baht is the going rate for a vote in elections.

My mother in law often promises to vote for all the candidates to increase her take.

[Ricardo]

All this shows is that the BJT are little-different from the other minor parties, who were happily in the previous Democrat-led coalition-government, and are now in the PTP-led one.

Thaksin was equally-happy, to have the 'Friends of Newin' as a faction of his own conglomerate-party, at TRT.

Then again, and amazingly to a farang like myself, that does seem to be how things are run here.