Thai government fears coup plan in the works

[JRSoul]

No, the amnesty proposal was widely discussed BEFORE the last election( and with many of the 'key players' since). Looking at it from this chaos, amnesty ( for all) looks pretty good to me.

Are you aware that one of the charges against Thaksin is that he ordered loan approval of a billion baht to a company shortly before it failed, and much of that passed through his son's bank account? Do you believe that charge shouldn't be answered?

[Mrgk]

The more Peua Thai bleat about a possible coup the more guilty they appear. A coup would play into their hands.

Indeed, most governments yearn to be overthrown by a combination of their enemies and the military. Awesome stuff, especially if you are shot in the process.

[Theoutsider]

The circle never ends. They need to ban elections this time if they are to get what they want.

[binjalin]

Wasn't that the plan from the very beginning, should be no surprise to anyone.

The highest powers will get their way- again!

only if 'the people' let them... which I suppose they will

the amart are very smart and cunning - i mean getting students to protest AGAINST democracy - now that IS an achievement that any old elite would be proud of!

Who needs a dictatorship when you have red democracy? Do you think the students are so dumb they can't see the fat leech bloating itself on the country's lifeblood?

yes

[ramrod711]

Sunisa Letphakkawat, a spokeswoman for the government, has raised suspicions about a “secret” plan by anti-government leaders to organise a small violent attack on protesters during the shutdown, which would set a coup in motion.

Fortunately for us, kuhn Sunisa was able to ferret out this important story just in time. In the event of an attack we may have believed that it was black shirts or red shirts, or just plain hooligans attacking the protesters. But, now we know the rest of the story, they are going to attack them selves, what a nefarious plot.

[Showbags]

On childrens day...a cunning plan...disguise the tanks as kids toys.....the submarines are already well hidden..

[winstonc]

More stuff and nonsense from the government who are terrified that if they cannot get elected they will be exposed for what they are.

Surely if they are not re elected they will, in your words and not my belief, "have been exposed for what they are", and, if they were afraid that was the case they wouldn't have dissolved parliament and put themselves up for re-election or not, would they?

You ought to turn your attention to those who have abandoned the democratic election process by either boycotting or obstructing (or both) said election.

Logic not your strongest attribute?

the same as unbiased opinion isnt yours...

[MunterHunter]

Bring on the Coup already!!

Get these criminals out of office, lifetime ban on any politicians guilty of any crime (both sides) regardless of its severity, minimum 10 years imprisonment for corruption at any level. Bang up Thaksin in the deepest, darkest hole and leave him there to rot with the rats. Cancel/Delay the huge country/government loan and throw out the rice-pledging scheme (replace it with farming subsudaries if necessary)

That should give the country a better start for future endevours!

[SamMunich]

The government is trying to play the military card, but the military doesn't want to join the game.

Sure, the generals could run the old coup procedures, but why should they? The only outcome - for which the Shin-clan might hope - is that the upcountry red-shirts are massing up and messing the country up. With just military force you can't run a country these days. Has been proven in the Arab Spring and other instances. Vietnam comes to mind, too.

A coup would be a major victory for the "poor, military-oppressed government" in the eyes of foreign observers, so the sympathy would swing to the masters-of-corruption as the poor guys in this game. At the same the red-shirts would organize a guerilla warfare upcountry, depriving the military and the cities of food, as a simple example. Taksin would come back through the back door, either via Cambodia or another way, only to lead "the people" agains the evil military top brass. And some part of the military would propably defect.

So there is nothing to gain from a full scale coup...

Sam

[Spalpeen]

.

I bring you peace, democracy and ....errr.....and end to corruption, yeah! Perhaps those posters who want all corrupt politicians jailed can explain why they wouldn't be sharing their cells with corrupt generals.

[billd766]

More stuff and nonsense from the government who are terrified that if they cannot get elected they will be exposed for what they are.

Surely if they are not re elected they will, in your words and not my belief, "have been exposed for what they are", and, if they were afraid that was the case they wouldn't have dissolved parliament and put themselves up for re-election or not, would they?

You ought to turn your attention to those who have abandoned the democratic election process by either boycotting or obstructing (or both) said election.

Logic not your strongest attribute?

the same as unbiased opinion isnt yours...

I try to ignore him but like the one annoying fly in my house he keeps coming back in the most unexpected places. Using the ignore button doesn't work that well as he pops up in other posts as well.

[khunsiam]

The government is trying to play the military card, but the military doesn't want to join the game.

Sure, the generals could run the old coup procedures, but why should they? The only outcome - for which the Shin-clan might hope - is that the upcountry red-shirts are massing up and messing the country up. With just military force you can't run a country these days. Has been proven in the Arab Spring and other instances. Vietnam comes to mind, too.

A coup would be a major victory for the "poor, military-oppressed government" in the eyes of foreign observers, so the sympathy would swing to the masters-of-corruption as the poor guys in this game. At the same the red-shirts would organize a guerilla warfare upcountry, depriving the military and the cities of food, as a simple example. Taksin would come back through the back door, either via Cambodia or another way, only to lead "the people" agains the evil military top brass. And some part of the military would propably defect.

So there is nothing to gain from a full scale coup...

Sam

Ploink.

[craigt3365]

Wow Now there is democracy for you. If the minority can't win an election then stage a coup and take control against the majority.

Here's one reason they want reforms before the election:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/694809-appeals-court-clears-general-thammarak-of-election-fraud/

Not saying the reform process will work, but corruption is too common now.

[Smokemachine]

Even if there was a coup, do you think they would let Suthep control the government. No way. The military will do the same thing. Set up a government make a new constitution, have elections the Reds win again and fight to change the constitution. Same same but different.

If thing is predicted as your saying. YL government will have no worries at all. Why are they still caring whether there is a coup or not.

Maybe the military is also in the 'free corruption' mode and go for a real reform after a intended coup.

Will it still benefit ptp?

But again, i know you will laugh at my comment.

Army going for a REAL REFORM??

WHat a joke... they need to reform themselves first.

But sometimes i wonder there is always a first time for everything...

Again, i know the reds are laughing me again. NAIVE......

Edited January 7, 2014 by Smokemachine

[Somtamnication]

They cannot fix it. They cannot negotiate. NO ONE wants to negotiate. The coup is a done deal. It will happen.

[Rob8891]

Even if there was a coup, do you think they would let Suthep control the government. No way. The military will do the same thing. Set up a government make a new constitution, have elections the Reds win again and fight to change the constitution. Same same but different.

If thing is predicted as your saying. YL government will have no worries at all. Why are they still caring whether there is a coup or not.

Aye, but if it closes a few of their greedy loopholes, it can only be a step forward. Reform does not automatically mean Dems are in. Reform hopefully means a reduction in corruption.

[Bernard Flint]

Wow Now there is democracy for you. If the minority can't win an election then stage a coup and take control against the majority.

Sir

May i say how correct you are.No party is innocent and to say one is worse than the other is so so silly.The vote chooses who is democraticaly elected,so why do non thais get involved with silly comments and straNge posts. If the people want another party they will vote for them.

[Bernard Flint]

Even if there was a coup, do you think they would let Suthep control the government. No way. The military will do the same thing. Set up a government make a new constitution, have elections the Reds win again and fight to change the constitution. Same same but different.

If thing is predicted as your saying. YL government will have no worries at all. Why are they still caring whether there is a coup or not.

Aye, but if it closes a few of their greedy loopholes, it can only be a step forward. Reform does not automatically mean Dems are in. Reform hopefully means a reduction in corruption.

How wrong u are,the country is run by corrupt people and to suggest Suthep is ok,quite frankly is madness

[icare999]

The sad thing is, this country is all but ungovernable. Issan and the north won't accept a democrat lead government. The rest won't accept a government with links to the Shinawatras, especially Thaksin.

correct so obviously answer is to get rid of Taksin then let reds and those find a better leader who cares for Thailand and its people and not just about how much they can get both in money but also in power

[icare999]

If the government is too weak and ineffectual to deal with the protestors then for sure a coup is the only way to fix that problem. Pro-Shinawatras can blame Suthep all they want but it was Poo's useless and corrupt government that allowed the situation to become so bad in the first place.

Now they can't disperse the crowds because the Shinawatra police are just as useless as their masters and they refuse to resign because they want to cling onto power. The army won't help them either. Right now, the only way this problem is going to be solved is with a coup with a military junta in charge for a couple of years while they try to force the Dems and the PTP to work together without Shinwatra interference.

So this is what happens to people's political views when they live in Thailand for too long.....first time I have ever actually witnessed someone in support of a military junta.

plenty supported in 2006 when Taksin again tried to take complete control and plenty will support it now including me if its only way to rid Thailand of a one man megalomaniac would be dictator

[kimamey]

Wow Now there is democracy for you. If the minority can't win an election then stage a coup and take control against the majority.

I think you're a little confused. If the minority you're talking about are the Dems, they don't stage coups they do elections. Well normally they do. The army stage coups and don't stand in elections.

I hope that helps.

On a more serious note I'm not so sure that a coup would help the Dems in the long run. Abhisit spoke out against the last one I believe. If there was a coup would it necessarily mean the Dems getting back in power. Since those staging the coup would be the army you have to look at what advantage or disadvantage comes to them with either side in charge.

At the moment Abhisit and Suthep have, with the help of the DSI been charged with murder. All the evidence so far suggests that it was soldiers disobeying orders that were the cause so it's the army who should be investigated. From that point of view the PTP look a good bet. If the Dems were back in power what would they do? Leave things as they are with Abhisit and Suthep standing trial. It seems highly unlikely that in a fair hearing they would be convicted which would be fine for them but put the focus on the army again. They could just restart the investigation which given the evidence would still focus on the army. None of these scenarios look like something the army would jump at. I suppose the Dems could just do what the PTP have done and ignore the apparent guilt of the army and use murder charges against Thaksin for supporting the red shirts. Shouldn't be too difficult as Tarit said the DSI had good evidence of that. Well until his employer changed of course.

I would hope the Dems wouldn't stoop to that but who knows. A lot depends who's in charge at the time. If it were Suthep I fear for the worst.

The Dems were given power before and discovered it was a poisoned chalice. It might be in their interests if the PTP are in power again to give time to see the consequences of their policies. They've already tried to cut the price given for rice once but had to do a u turn so they clearly think it's too high. Of course the problem for the Dems is that whatever the PTP do some would rather vote for them than the Dems. If at the end of this the Dems find themselves back in power they need to hit the ground running. Providing policies for all Thailand not just a few. It will be difficult as they will have to explain why the rice scheme can't carry on but they can't just stop it as it will hit the farmers.

If they just look after their supporters as the PTP have then they will deserve everything they get.

[fab4]

More stuff and nonsense from the government who are terrified that if they cannot get elected they will be exposed for what they are.

Surely if they are not re elected they will, in your words and not my belief, "have been exposed for what they are", and, if they were afraid that was the case they wouldn't have dissolved parliament and put themselves up for re-election or not, would they?

You ought to turn your attention to those who have abandoned the democratic election process by either boycotting or obstructing (or both) said election.

Logic not your strongest attribute?

the same as unbiased opinion isnt yours...

In case you missed it I already declared my belief was different from his, no mention of bias. I was pointing out his lack of coherent logic, not his bias.

[kimamey]

All the posters from western democracies when they get to Thailand chuck it out the window in support of coups, forgetting about their own roots. They are the worst kind of hypocrits!

ALL the posters from western democracies? That's a bold statement. Or more accurately a stupid one.

[Thailand]

The main problem for Suthep and the UNDems appears to be the Shinawatra clan?

Solution- the Shinawatras change their surname to Thaugsuban then it's all in the family - job done!

[kimamey]

Wow Now there is democracy for you. If the minority can't win an election then stage a coup and take control against the majority.

Sir

May i say how correct you are.No party is innocent and to say one is worse than the other is so so silly.The vote chooses who is democraticaly elected,so why do non thais get involved with silly comments and straNge posts. If the people want another party they will vote for them.

I don't think you've been paying attention.

There are a lot of extreme views being thrown around and many of them but not all are coming fro Suthep which is why he should stick to rallying protesters and let someone else do the thinking.

The original spark behind the protests was Thaksin's amnesty and for many that's still the case plus the corruption from whatever side. I don't know what proportion of the protesters support Suthep's ideas completely but it probably isn't the majority. In the same way as many people voted for Thaksin's party even though they didn't like him. They just didn't want the Dems.

The thing is Thaksin seems to be controlling much of what the government does but he wasn't elected which is why there is a need for reform first. Has anyone suggested a complete end to elections? Not as far as I know.

You might notice that it's not non Thais who are protesting in general.

Edited January 7, 2014 by kimamey

[Thailand]

The main problem for Suthep and the UNDems appears to be the Shinawatra clan?

Solution- the Shinawatras change their surname to Thaugsuban then it's all in the family - job done!

Probably been mentioned already (Put it down to my aged incompetence, or is that incontinence if it has?) but there are many references to the "Red thugs" - would Suthep's whatever squads be the "Suthep Thaugs"?

[huanga]

Two siblings are fighting and no one is giving an inch. The parents gave them enough time to work out the problem by themselves but to no avail. It's then the time for the parents to step in and put the foot down. Does this guarantee the siblings will not fight again ever? Or is this just a temporary relief before the animosity flares up again? I think no one knows, not even the parents. The only thing that the parents can do in this case is to teach the kids how to love and treasure each other, for life is short so they should both try to make it sweet and not bitter.

Education is the key to end this mess but it will not be an instant cure! A lot of drama is still ahead....

[DonThaiToMe]

Funny how the PDRC, who sees themselves as ultra-royalists, goes against the decree by the king that elections are to be held on February 2:nd.

Defamation if there ever was?

It is not that the king decided that an election would be the best thing.

Yingluck decided on it, and he signed it as the constitution demands from him. So claiming that he issued a decree for elections is wrong.

My deepest apologies. Clearly my sentence should have read: Funny how the PDRC, who sees themselves as ultra-royalists, goes against the decree signed by the king that elections are to be held on February 2:nd.

Which still makes the PDRC ignoring the will of the king. Wouldn´t you say?

Or can you cherrypick the decrees signed by him that you will follow, or if it doesn´t suite you, ignore?

Please indulge me.

Edited January 7, 2014 by DonThaiToMe

[Ricardo]

The OP doesn't appear to understand that PM-Yingluck is now only caretaker-PM, until the February-2nd election, and that all Thai caretaker-governments are unelected .

A Coup? Now where on earth did they get that idea?

My guess is that Jatupon is the source, he's forecast a coup so many times, that eventually even he must get it right !

Thailand tried Military coups many times. The last one ended up with a Constitution which did never came out of the draft stage. Why you think that a coup would be better than before. It will end of that the military ruling will serve more interest of the present opposition. But it will not solve the problem which is there the split of the Thai society. As long as the Democrats are not addressing the problems of the "rural" people in their program the will leave this field to people like Thaksin. Even eliminating the Shin clan from ruling will not solve the problem as somebody else will come. Thailand has to understand that also the people in the North are Thai people with their right for education healthcare etc. Even the famous rice price scandal is nothing which is unknown to other countries is called subsidizing very common in the European Union.
The present government is not worse than the previous ones. The problem is more that the opposition does not accept their role as opposition. Each working democracy has a working opposition which monitors the performance of the government. If every time an opposition is not happy with the performance of the government is asking for a military coup than only Generals would rule the world.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

"a Constitution which did never came out of the draft stage"

IIRC there was a national-referendum, far-and-away the best validation for constitutional-changes IMO, and it was approved, prior to the december-2007 elections ?

[Spalpeen]

2006, 2010, 2014........Most countries have an election every four years, here the goons with guns have gotten it into their head that they should have a coup every four years. Mark your calendar now for 2018.

Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome. Given that 18 coups in 80 years have not ended corruption, maybe it's time to try the alternative.....Not Having A Coup. As long as losers like Suthep and Abhisit think they can run crying to the military they will never get off their a**ses and try their hands at winning elections the democratic way. Take the coup option away....permanently.....and watch real democracy take hold.