Thailand’s Democrat Party Is Hilariously Misnamed
Don't believe Yellow Shirt talk of a "people's revolution" — what's being demanded is nothing short of a putsch
By Charlie Campbell
TIME

BANGKOK: -- Thailand’s color-coded political strife has once again flared up. Yellow Shirt supporters of the Democrat Party have seized control of government ministries and departments in the Thai capital and occupied at least 19 provincial offices, demanding that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra — backed by rival Red Shirts — step down.

To the Yellow Shirts, the 46-year-old Yingluck is merely a stooge for her brother, exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a divisive figure ousted in a military coup in 2006 and sentenced in absentia to two years’ imprisonment for corruption.

The current wave of Yellow Shirt action stems from opposition to a now stalled amnesty bill that would have allowed Thaksin to return home, and an attempt by Yingluck to consolidate power by altering the composition of the Senate. On Tuesday, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban, a former Democrat Party Deputy Prime Minister, repeated his call for a “people’s revolution” to replace the elected Yingluck administration with a nonelected royalist council. Attempting to downplay personal ambitions, Suthep declared “before the sanctity of Buddhism that I, Suthep Thaugsuban, will not be Prime Minister in the future.” A warrant has since been issued for his arrest for unlawfully entering government buildings.

Full story: http://world.time.com/2013/11/28/thailands-democrat-party-is-hilariously-misnamed/

-- TIME 2013-11-29

The current wave of Yellow Shirt action

Isn't the yellow shirts.

What a grossly simplified and factually incorrect from the start article this is.

Are TIME now employing writers from The Nation?

Idiot doesn't even have his facts rights. Majority of the protestors aren't aligned with the yellow shirts. Gotta love these idiot liberal western journalists who know nothing about the country but who give their opinions anyway. Millions voted for the Dems. And yet he makes sweeping statements about all of them. One sided and biased moron.

" hordes of Thaksin loyalists are rallying inside Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium, festooned with crimson bunting and images of their hero."

Since when is a couple of hundred blue rinses and slack-jaws considered a horde? Great work from big boss's paid shills, this smacks of Bob Amsterdam and Sam Moon's totally warped perspective.

Gotta love these idiot liberal western journalists who know nothing about the country but who give their opinions anyway

Agreed. The writer also is unaware that the Thai form of democratic government recognizes the political value of street protests. That's why the Thai constitution protects the right of people to assemble and march peacefully with little restriction.

This guy writing for TIME magazine is a political stooge.he has close connections with red shirts and often in Thailand,Imagine what quality joUrnalism TIME once espoused.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Charlie bit my finger!

Sorry couldn't resist..

Guess things look like that through rouge coloured glasses... Especially when you're based in HK reporting on Thai politics... Wonder if he's an avid Skype user as well?

He simplifies and his facts are approximate indeed, on the bottom line he is right though.

They protested against the amnesty bill, fair enough, that's democracy and it was successful, taking the opportunity to continue the protests and paralyze the administration to force the eviction of an elected government, not democratic at all.

Does this guy know where or what Thailand is ????

What yellow shirts?

Even if he does not know , and just watching tv, has he not noticed no one is wearing yellow ?

Who is Charlie Campbell, the current expert on all things Thai?

The current wave of Yellow Shirt action

Isn't the yellow shirts.

What a grossly simplified and factually incorrect from the start article this is.

Are TIME now employing writers from The Nation?

Indeed: Should headline with "Time's reporter Charlie Campbell hilariously misinformed". He can redeem himself in my eyes if he writes an equally short-sighted article tomorrow "Thailand's United Front for Diemocracy Against Dictatorship is hilariously misnamed"

The man is a douche

Of course the article's spot on and many more should follow.

Today we have this public spat between Suthep and Korn with Suthep making veiled threats against Korn and when meanwhile abhisit talks about joining the street protests.

Chances of the democrats winning a democratic election slipping away ever further and a new leader may be emerging for them.

"Jobsworth at TIME magazine hilariously misnamed as a journalist"

Plenty of pro/con comments at the bottom of the actual article. He does note that there are plenty of reasons to hate Thaksin, and notes that in April/May 2010 the red shirts themselves were doing mass protests to remove the "democratically" elected government of the day.

When is a fugitive on the run from the law, living in extreme wealth, an exile. Putsch is another name for coup, the coup was in 2010, when the red shirts used violence, to bring the government to it knees.The Army was called out because the police had gone from Brown to tomatoes. According to Police Captain Chalerm, the Black shirts were police and were the ones that assassinated Army General Sa Dang.

Plenty of pro/con comments at the bottom of the actual article. He does note that there are plenty of reasons to hate Thaksin, and notes that in April/May 2010 the red shirts themselves were doing mass protests to remove the "democratically" elected government of the day.

I thought the article had some valid points. The protesters are not "officially" PAD or yellow shirts, but they sure have a similar agenda.

I agreed with his assessment that Suthep has overplayed his hand. And now Suthep has stated that the Air Force is plotting to kill him. Seriously?

Absurd claims made to garner attention, just like the reds did 3 years ago.

Furthermore, he's got Cinderella on the ropes, she offers to negotiate and he refuses. Sound familiar?

Btw, People's Government? <deleted> is that?

Idiot doesn't even have his facts rights. Majority of the protestors aren't aligned with the yellow shirts. Gotta love these idiot liberal western journalists who know nothing about the country but who give their opinions anyway. Millions voted for the Dems. And yet he makes sweeping statements about all of them. One sided and biased moron.

Another know-nothing foreign reporter, much along the lines of NN.

From the talks I've had with various people on both sides of this, the color aspect doesn't apply any longer, it's more about "principles". Not entirely of course, but far more so than ever before.

What a complete and utter turnip.

He must have gained his knowledge from someone's pet dog!!!

Even a 10 minute trawl through Google would have harvested more than this

Idiot doesn't even have his facts rights. Majority of the protestors aren't aligned with the yellow shirts. Gotta love these idiot liberal western journalists who know nothing about the country but who give their opinions anyway. Millions voted for the Dems. And yet he makes sweeping statements about all of them. One sided and biased moron.

it isn't unheard of bought news articles...

Of course the article's spot on and many more should follow.

Today we have this public spat between Suthep and Korn with Suthep making veiled threats against Korn and when meanwhile abhisit talks about joining the street protests.

Chances of the democrats winning a democratic election slipping away ever further and a new leader may be emerging for them.

Should follow what exactly? Writing more one sided articles?

Veiled threats? What were those exactly? That 'thep doesn't need Korn nor care for his opinion? A veiled threat indeed!

Take a look at Asoke at the moment or from pictures earlier in the day, Messr's Abhisit and Korn are / were both out there.

But this is not about the chess pieces, this is about an article written by a journalist for a "respected" magazine that weighs their argument heavily on the side of the Shinawatra led government...

Throwing in a few bylines outlining the similarities between 2010 and now, does not a balanced article make...

Cambells... I wonder, people eat this...

Bangkok bourgeoisie, described as timid, selfish, uncultured, consumerist and without any decent vision of the future of the country by Cornell University Professor Benedict Anderson.

Uneducate people indeed.

See them down paragon everyday.

As a former employee of TIME, I am deeply embarrassed by the caliber of journalism that is in evidence here.

In the better days of this publication, unsubstantiated assertions like "Thaksin’s own populist policies helped bring millions of rural poor out of poverty", would never have survived the fact checking stage in TIME's editorial process. After weeks of following the current wave of anti-government protests, I am finally enlightened by Mr. Campbell that the yellow shirts have been resurrected and that they are, according only to him, synonymous with the democrat party. What a pile of journalistic schlock!

Thaksin’s own populist policies helped bring millions of rural poor out of poverty.

I'd like to know where the evidence is for this bold statement.

Comparing how things were when Thaksin first took power, and how things are now, with regards poverty, i would say that if anything, people are, generally poorer, thanks to the rocketing inflation.

Are you quoting from Benedict Anderson, Professor Emeritus of International Studies, Government & Asian Studies at Cornell University latest book "The Fate of Rural Hell: Asceticism and Desire in Buddhist Thailand (2012)" ?

BTW I'm interested in how you manage to conclude on 'bourgeoisie' and 'uneducated' by just seeing people ? Or is it a matter of mutual recognision while shopping at Paragorn?

Bangkok bourgeoisie, described as timid, selfish, uncultured, consumerist and without any decent vision of the future of the country by Cornell University Professor Benedict Anderson.
Uneducate people indeed.
See them down paragon everyday.

Are you quoting from Benedict Anderson, Professor Emeritus of International Studies, Government & Asian Studies at Cornell University latest book "The Fate of Rural Hell: Asceticism and Desire in Buddhist Thailand (2012)" ?

BTW I'm interested in how you manage to conclude on 'bourgeoisie' and 'uneducated' by just seeing people ? Or is it a matter of mutual recognision while shopping at Paragorn?

Bangkok bourgeoisie, described as timid, selfish, uncultured, consumerist and without any decent vision of the future of the country by Cornell University Professor Benedict Anderson.

Uneducate people indeed.

See them down paragon everyday.

Well the quote is from the article at the top.

"Uneducate" was one of the yellow slogans in the past.

Can't any of these people get some ferang to check their slogans on tee shirts banners etc?

There are some really badly written ones out there now.

Are you quoting from Benedict Anderson, Professor Emeritus of International Studies, Government & Asian Studies at Cornell University latest book "The Fate of Rural Hell: Asceticism and Desire in Buddhist Thailand (2012)" ?

BTW I'm interested in how you manage to conclude on 'bourgeoisie' and 'uneducated' by just seeing people ? Or is it a matter of mutual recognision while shopping at Paragorn?

Bangkok bourgeoisie, described as timid, selfish, uncultured, consumerist and without any decent vision of the future of the country by Cornell University Professor Benedict Anderson.

Uneducate people indeed.

See them down paragon everyday.

Well the quote is from the article at the top.

"Uneducate" was one of the yellow slogans in the past.

Can't any of these people get some ferang to check their slogans on tee shirts banners etc?

There are some really badly written ones out there now.

Yiiiipieeh...I know how to use Google- translate! I am the educated elite.....

OMG, another self proclaimed political expert who things that it's all about yellow vs Red. Or at least he want's people to believe that. Shut up or keep up dude.

spot on article as no 'democratic' party would support usurping an elected government

It's just not hilarious though