Good for her. I may well be wrong but I would like to think support for her in the country at large has increased following the fiascos of the last few weeks.

You're quite right in saying that...

PTP wins because of demographics controlling the largest regional block. Vote buying exists on both sides but it did not swing the election. It is just an excuse to demean a whole cross section of voters and that is why they cannot get their votes... their not that stupid to know what is being said about them.

Perhaps foreign envoys will even be asked to monitor the new elections...

Smart move by her brother,

It seems whatever she does or says, people say it's her brother.....

Can someone show me the proof?

Yingluck may not be the smartest cookie, but I suspect that many ThaiVisa posters who keep posting their pathetic 'big brother speaks', 'brother acts' comments etc, are conjuring up claims out of thin air.

Whatever ... the Democrats will lose the next election anyway, as usual

Simon

Sigh..........New elections are held, Thaksin clone number 4 wins due to vote buying, and the whole vicious cycle starts

all over again. If Yingluck is offering to step down, I am sure that Thaksin has decided he can win the next election.

Otherwise he would not have instructed Yingluck to do this move. Thailand is not ready for democracy, so am

not really sure what the alternatives are.

If they win it'll have as much to do with vote buying as it usually does. Which is to say, very little. Couple of good articles debunking the vote buying myth around recently. You might want to check out the one by Pasuk and Baker in the BKK Post. One of the main reasons for doubting vote buying has much of an effect is that the majority of seats are won by very wide margins, whereas vote buying would only really have an effect in very close fought constituencies of which there are few.

See this for link and for another link to another post by Bangkok Pundit on the issue: http://asiancorrespondent.com/116883/baker-and-pasuk-false-bote-buying-claims-are-made-to-undermine-electoral-democracy/

The Democrats are unelectable in the North and North-east, so won't be very keen.

PTP wins because of demographics controlling the largest regional block. Vote buying exists on both sides but it did not swing the election. It is just an excuse to demean a whole cross section of voters and that is why they cannot get their votes... their not that stupid to know what is being said about them.

Average IQ in Isan is 87. And yes there is massive vote buying that goes on. Just ask your Thai girlfriend about what happens

during elections back in her village.

Too bad Suthep can't handle power any better than Dr. Thaksin

Dissolution and new elections is all that Suthep should expect.

I hope he doesn't 'blow it' and continue his demand for an unconstitutional council.

Even a new Thaksin government won't be bold enough to propose a new Thaksin amnesty.

Smart move by her brother,

It seems whatever she does or says, people say it's her brother.....

Can someone show me the proof?

Yingluck may not be the smartest cookie, but I suspect that many ThaiVisa posters who keep posting their pathetic 'big brother speaks', 'brother acts' comments etc, are conjuring up claims out of thin air.

Whatever ... the Democrats will lose the next election anyway, as usual

Simon

Lot's of evidence out there....

Thaksins own words, people going to see Thaksin overseas ahead of cabinet re-shuffles but really - the above says it all.

"Thanksin thinks, Peua Thai does"

Fairly clear, no?

The Democrats are unelectable in the North and North-east, so won't be very keen.

A but hard to get elected in areas where you get hounded & chased out of town by red shirts while trying to campaign.

PTP wins because of demographics controlling the largest regional block. Vote buying exists on both sides but it did not swing the election. It is just an excuse to demean a whole cross section of voters and that is why they cannot get their votes... their not that stupid to know what is being said about them.

Average IQ in Isan is 87. And yes there is massive vote buying that goes on. Just ask your Thai girlfriend about what happens

during elections back in her village.

Well you know me so well. I have NO thai girlfriend right now. But this is exactly the type of demeaning attitude that prevents the Democrats from EVER getting a foothold up there.... why would people vote for those that look down on them. Talkabout low IQ!

Also, personally I hate ALL politicians generally speaking -- sort of equivalent to those tea party people in the US. Very Libertarian wing of the conservative movement.

Smart move by her brother,

It seems whatever she does or says, people say it's her brother.....

Can someone show me the proof?

Yingluck may not be the smartest cookie, but I suspect that many ThaiVisa posters who keep posting their pathetic 'big brother speaks', 'brother acts' comments etc, are conjuring up claims out of thin air.

Whatever ... the Democrats will lose the next election anyway, as usual

Simon

Does " Thaksin thinks, Phuea Thai acts" ring any bells for you ??

Yay! Exactly what Suthep said he did not want

Did you expect that she would do it to please Suthep? "Please don't throw me in that briar patch!"

The problem is no matter what decisions are made to day or in the future the one overriding factor is Thaksin wants to come home. Even if a " For the people by the people " government is formed by whoever who amazingly actually manage to start to pull Thailand out of the mire he's not just going to sit back and say " Well Dubai isn't so bad. My maid makes an excellent krapow gai and I've got a full cable TV package. I'll sit out my dotage with the camels"

How can he ever come back now? Under what circumstances? He's not going to come back to serve a prison sentence ( and his supporters wouldn't allow that to happen anyhow given the fact that he's been seen to have been stitched up). He's not going to come back as a free man with his crimes absolved as there are plenty of folks in Thailand ( judging by the venom on social media against him) who wouldn't accept that even if it were for the "good" of the country.

I really don't know. I can't foresee any outcome that's good and means the start of a peaceful future for Thailand.

And it's not just Thaksin. Once the air has cleared it'll be back to the old patronage, jobs for the boys and what's in it for me political game. I can't see any Thai politicians having any sort of epiphany and putting their country first any time soon.

The Democrats are unelectable in the North and North-east, so won't be very keen.

ofcourse their unelectable the mp for ubon is a democrat....1 of the 9 dems that resigned the other month and 1 other up here to you know ubon near phuket...

Smart move by her brother,

It seems whatever she does or says, people say it's her brother.....

Can someone show me the proof?

Yingluck may not be the smartest cookie, but I suspect that many ThaiVisa posters who keep posting their pathetic 'big brother speaks', 'brother acts' comments etc, are conjuring up claims out of thin air.

Whatever ... the Democrats will lose the next election anyway, as usual

Simon

555. Come on! You can't really believe for one second, that Thaksin has no say on things? You really believe that? Even the other Red Shirt supporters aren't that blind to that.

What proof do you want? He chose his sister, he basically admitted it in an Interview with New York times or something, the Skype calls, the vote buying!

You're not exactly going to get video evidence from a PTP MP that either has family or financial connections with him to grass him up and give us the evidence are you?

Smart move by her brother,

It seems whatever she does or says, people say it's her brother.....

Can someone show me the proof?

Yingluck may not be the smartest cookie, but I suspect that many ThaiVisa posters who keep posting their pathetic 'big brother speaks', 'brother acts' comments etc, are conjuring up claims out of thin air.

Whatever ... the Democrats will lose the next election anyway, as usual

Simon

555. Come on! You can't really believe for one second, that Thaksin has no say on things? You really believe that? Even the other Red Shirt supporters aren't that blind to that.

What proof do you want? He chose his sister, he basically admitted it in an Interview with New York times or something, the Skype calls, the vote buying!

You're not exactly going to get video evidence from a PTP MP that either has family or financial connections with him to grass him up and give us the evidence are you?

I say we all get together and file a petition with the NSA in America. They seem to have tapped the phone records of world leaders, so they would surely have a recording of Yingluck discussing with Thaksin about what to do next....

Yay! Exactly what Suthep said he did not want

Did you expect that she would do it to please Suthep? "Please don't throw me in that briar patch!"

Well maybe if he were more of a man

Now Yingluck did the things that almost everyone on Thaivisa and most of protesters needed: dissolve House and call for new elections.

Let's see buffoons making new jokes now... Waiting for Suthep's rant.

At least we got rid of this government, but now there's no other democratic solution than go to new election.

Protesters should cheer, celebrate then go home.

What does this mean?

End of protests?

Means she will buy the election to be PM again and everything starts again in 6 month or so

PTP wins because of demographics controlling the largest regional block. Vote buying exists on both sides but it did not swing the election. It is just an excuse to demean a whole cross section of voters and that is why they cannot get their votes... their not that stupid to know what is being said about them.

Average IQ in Isan is 87. And yes there is massive vote buying that goes on. Just ask your Thai girlfriend about what happens

during elections back in her village.

Well you know me so well. I have NO thai girlfriend right now. But this is exactly the type of demeaning attitude that prevents the Democrats from EVER getting a foothold up there.... why would people vote for those that look down on them. Talkabout low IQ!

Also, personally I hate ALL politicians generally speaking -- sort of equivalent to those tea party people in the US. Very Libertarian wing of the conservative movement.

You only had to speak to Red Shirts who came here in 2010 who were telling anyone who would listen to them, that they had been paid, they weren't exactly hiding it, you only had to see that video doing the rounds on Facebook with Red Shirts collecting their cash handouts for a recent red gathering in BKK. Sure, vote buying goes on in both sides, but not on the scale as the red side.

You do have one good point though, I can understand them feeling the middle class look down on them and hence the resentment. But it doesn't help their cause voting in a Government that seems more interested in one person than 60+ million others.

Ok this is democracy in motion which cannot be denied, and the right thing to do.

Now will the opposition let the people of Thailand vote and accept the will of the (umpires) ( the people) and let the government run for the full term???

somehow I think not!!!

But if the Dems what to keep any kind of credibility then they need to accept the election result and the elite few need to accept it as well instead of this rubbish of protest when they loose yet again...

I agree with EmptySet re vote buying if, as most posters on TVF suggest, you mean handing a bit of cash to the electorate 1 by 1.

However, the local political machines do fairly well control local politics in a manner that very much is vote buying. They get paid to deliver votes and made promises of local improvements based upon the party making the promises winning the district. They have a great deal of power locally and do use it. The village chief gets handed a wad of cash, and told you will get a new water tower, or your roads will be repaved etc if you deliver your people. Note that the contracts for the improvements go to the political allies of the government in most cases.

This makes it almost impossible for foreign observers to see the irregularities. They would 1) Have to be reported locally and 2) have someone with the political will to follow up on the reports 3) have penalties in place that actually discourage this.

What is amazing is that some people still get red carded for handing out cash.

It doesn´t help.
It must be prevented in the future that a country can be completely plundered again and again by a few unethical people just because they are currently in power.
First they must reform there system.
Otherwise, the theater will start again from the beginning.
Just read from Surin:

If majority control of Parliament is considered a licence to do anything or a lucrative "concession", elections will not be fought for the people's wellbeing but more and more for vested interests. And when vested interests overtake the people's wellbeing in politics, corruption will prevail.

and

Surin's second point is that the country's bureaucracy needs a major revamp as well. The seemingly idealistic idea of giving elected politicians absolute control of bureaucratic transfers, appointments and promotions has bred nepotism, which leads to inefficiency.

Hopefully they all find and get together a good solution.

Well, by already saying it will go on even with the election Suthep has backed the Democrats into a corner -- which means I cannot see them not boycotting the election. If Suthep thought his plan was so good he would "compromise" and put it to a referendum as part of this election cycle..... but I doubt he would do that.

The Democrats are unelectable in the North and North-east, so won't be very keen.

A but hard to get elected in areas where you get hounded & chased out of town by red shirts while trying to campaign.

There are occasions when this happens. However, one of my near neighbours in a not-so-poor Isaan village is a well-heeled Democrat local politician. He built a high wall, but generally seems to go unmolested. From what I've seen in the past, his hirelings will be doing the rounds dishing out the dosh with the best of them, But the locals are not keen; they are tired of the 'we elect, Bangkok rejects' cycle and there is genuine anger from some.

Sigh..........New elections are held, Thaksin clone number 4 wins due to vote buying, and the whole vicious cycle starts

all over again. If Yingluck is offering to step down, I am sure that Thaksin has decided he can win the next election.

Otherwise he would not have instructed Yingluck to do this move. Thailand is not ready for democracy, so am

not really sure what the alternatives are.

If they win it'll have as much to do with vote buying as it usually does. Which is to say, very little. Couple of good articles debunking the vote buying myth around recently. You might want to check out the one by Pasuk and Baker in the BKK Post. One of the main reasons for doubting vote buying has much of an effect is that the majority of seats are won by very wide margins, whereas vote buying would only really have an effect in very close fought constituencies of which there are few.

See this for link and for another link to another post by Bangkok Pundit on the issue: http://asiancorrespondent.com/116883/baker-and-pasuk-false-bote-buying-claims-are-made-to-undermine-electoral-democracy/

That is probably the most naive post I have seen on this thread.

The locals up here are already thinking about what to spend their 200 Baht on.

Smart move by her brother,

Wipe the slate clean, get re-elected, start a fresh agenda

It won't be an easy election for them... they will have to explain too many things they've done.

It won't be an easy election for the Democrats if they persist with these tactics. Thais - it used to be said, and it's still true to an extent I reckon - are instinctively conservative and are quick to turn against political protesters, even if they're in the right. That's how the Democrats actually won the 1992 election, by NOT being part of the protests. Chuan said that he stood for democracy, but not chaos and that he believed in the parliamentary system. Chamlong lost out because he was perceived to be one of those who created a chaotic situation, despite the fact that his actions were thought to be heroic by many.

Good history lesson, but I wouldn't say that this protest has been particularly chaotic except for R.U. incidents which is something that I hope isn't swept under the rug. The Democratic candidates only have to explain or justify the protests in Bangkok, whereas the PTP candidates have the burden of explaining all their policies for the whole of Thailand.

Killing 2 birds with one stone,all the money losing scams they have

perpetrated ,she will be able to walk away from,leaving one hell of

a mess, and she can blame it on the last Government !,and lives

to rule another day and will carry on with the same stupid policies

that have nearly brought Thailand to its knees.

I believe she wanted this all along,it is the only way to get out of

the rice scheme err, Scam,there will be no way of knowing how

much money has been wasted,who really benefited,

regards Worgeordie

oh well... was hoping she would be strong but Dems will take a HUGE hit and be seen as "opportunists" and will lose AGAIN as they supported the attempted coup

What does this mean?

End of protests?

Means she will buy the election to be PM again and everything starts again in 6 month or so

Yingluck is damaged goods, and I think will be thrown under the bus due to the rice scam. That will help clean

up PTP from the billions of baht that was stolen.

Then PTP will run She Who Must Be Obeyed in the next " election".....

When will Thailand be free from Thaksin clones? What is the life expectancy of Thaksin going forward? He must be in

his mid sixties, am guessing life expectancy for a Thai ( oops I meant Chinese) male must be the mid seventies ?