Suthep declares end of Bangkok Shutdown

[HaleySabai]

Suthep said on Thursday he was ready to meet Yingluck for one-to-one talks but only if the discussions are broadcast live on national television.

...what should be broadcasted is Suthep's "suicide".....he did vow to go "until death" ..... LOSER!

[fab4]

SICHONSTEVE, on 02 Mar 2014 - 10:20, said:

DirtFarmer, on 02 Mar 2014 - 10:02, said:

Awful lot of he said she said going on all over Bangkok now......and again we won't really know what it all means quite yet but this quote from the other media source..BP.. following headline

Protests enter a new phase...

... [suthep]However, he repeated that the move to end the "Bangkok Shutdown" and close the rally stages did not amount to a concession or surrender by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

That view was echoed by Election Commission member Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, who is trying to broker peace talks between the government and the PDRC. Mr Somchai warned the government against taking the PDRC's move to dismantle the stages it set up at key intersections six weeks ago as a sign that it is weakening.

Wonder where he stands/ or voted for.... in all of this...... hmmm... ..anyway more of a middle of the road position than the recent reporting

Might add.. when I read the various other reporting agencies outside Thailand now... the reports seem alot more neutral..and hopeful VietNam Breaking News seems to be a decent source of more neutral reporting in the region... Doesn't have all the fluff and drama generated by every emission of gas as here but... refreshing to see how others are viewing this...

I just hope that we will again soon see new elections and give the power back to the people through a clean electoralprocess.. and disempower this EC...let them get back to their day jobs...they are way to easily swayed...or...

Agree, new, CLEAN elections after the reforms are in place - this will be the only way that the elections will be CLEAN!!!!

So, I take it that you support the PDRC's actions then and accept that Suthep's mission will have been a total success.

Ah, the never ending myth that when any political party associated with Thaksin wins an election, that election is not CLEAN - that they won by some nefarious method. Maybe worth reading this article dating back to December last year

Quote

Thus it’s elections that the opposition really fear, and that was evident today. On the streets Mr Suthep’s supporters, well aware of the electoral history and arithmetic, certainly weren’t celebrating Ms Yingluck’s decision to “let the people” decide what the government should be. For they know exactly what the people will decide—very likely more of the same.

Mr Suthep’s motley crew of acolytes and cheerleaders try to argue that somehow all of Mr Thaksin’s victories (in the various party guises) have been “bought” and that voters have been “bribed” by the promise of lavish public spending, to help poor rice farmers for instance. But there is almost no evidence that any of these elections were systematically bought or rigged in anyway. Indeed, the last election, certainly, was very well conducted by comparison with other recent elections in the South-East Asian region. Indeed, when pressed, one of Mr Suthep’s main advisers admitted to me that despite all the alleged vote-buying (which he produced no evidence for) the result was still “legitimate”. And the incontinent public spending programmes? In the West that’s called Keynesian economics.

Given all this, it is more than likely that the protesters will carry on with pressing Mr Suthep’s idea of setting up what he calls a “people’s council”, to supersede the government. They have asked for profound changes in the electoral system now to ensure “clean” elections, and that could give them an excuse not to participate in the election of February 2nd. But as with much else in Mr Suthep’s programme, how he might clean up the electoral system remains a mystery.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2013/12/thailand-s-protests

[DirtFarmer]

Awful lot of he said she said going on all over Bangkok now......and again we won't really know what it all means quite yet but this quote from the other media source..BP.. following headline

Protests enter a new phase...

... [suthep]However, he repeated that the move to end the "Bangkok Shutdown" and close the rally stages did not amount to a concession or surrender by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

That view was echoed by Election Commission member Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, who is trying to broker peace talks between the government and the PDRC. Mr Somchai warned the government against taking the PDRC's move to dismantle the stages it set up at key intersections six weeks ago as a sign that it is weakening.

Wonder where he stands/ or voted for.... in all of this...... hmmm... ..anyway more of a middle of the road position than the recent reporting

Might add.. when I read the various other reporting agencies outside Thailand now... the reports seem alot more neutral..and hopeful VietNam Breaking News seems to be a decent source of more neutral reporting in the region... Doesn't have all the fluff and drama generated by every emission of gas as here but... refreshing to see how others are viewing this...

I just hope that we will again soon see new elections and give the power back to the people through a clean electoralprocess.. and disempower this EC...let them get back to their day jobs...they are way to easily swayed...or...

Agree, new, CLEAN elections after the reforms are in place - this will be the only way that the elections will be CLEAN!!!!

So, I take it that you support the PDRC's actions then and accept that Suthep's mission will have been a total success.

Absolutely not... do not believe for one minute that reform was on the agenda... from day one... if you seriously think the puppet masters on any side pink green yellow blue red are going to give up their MO you are sorely mistaken... I believe Suthep has done more harm than good.. I believe he has abrogated a frail Democratic institution and continued their move of making this a less Democratic place than before... they have made incremental steps in that direction prior to this mess and will play a long term endgame... a slow erosion process but do NOT believe in Suthep ...not for a New York Minute..nor do I think that the majority of Thais will either... there is a whole other side to this we cannot discuss here but the next few years will tell that tale... and if you think reform is what is needed it will have to start at home with children and a long look in the mirror... He isn't gonna give up his corruption nor are any of the biggies either... it's what got them there... much Like other great money changers in other parts of the world... it is a much bigger picture than what is daily fodder in Bangkok media .. not stating anything new here... it is known by many...but bears repeating... bigger players...bigger stakes... not a color thing... that is on the pawn level..and I might add he has set a dangerous precedent.. by modeling for whomever is next... that insurrection works and personal attacks work...et, al.. Lots wrong on both sides here... all sides really but what I think isn't anything but my opinion cheers!

Edited March 2, 2014 by DirtFarmer

[ManofReason]

Suthep's mission will only have been a total success when he and his trouser heaps of Wonga. Again.

You know that is not true.

He wants to improve politics in Thailand and will step down once he has achieved his purpose and gained meaningful and much needed reforms to the electoral voting system that is so drastically flawed (as these devastatingly damaging populist policies confirm)!!!

Why did he not improve politics in Thailand when he was Deputy Prime Minister? Too busy giving away public lands to his rich buddies I would imagine.

The only electoral reforms he wants are ones the produce results that enable the minority to rule over the majority.

As for the policies of this government... populism is defined as a political doctrine in which one sides with "the people" against "the elite". Hardly a crime.

[Publicus]

Suthep's mission will only have been a total success when he and his trouser heaps of Wonga. Again.

You know that is not true.

He wants to improve politics in Thailand and will step down once he has achieved his purpose and gained meaningful and much needed reforms to the electoral voting system that is so drastically flawed (as these devastatingly damaging populist policies confirm)!!!

Suthep and his feudal backers have suffered a devastating setback from which it will be exceedingly difficult to recover.

Their goal was to have routed the government Ukraine style, forcing the government to collapse and the leader YS to flee the country but this did not happen. A major reason YS and the government continue in office is that the critical mass of the population needed to shut down Bangkok and to justify overrunning the government never materialized, leaving Suthep only and always with his hard core paid gangsters - even southern Thais went home bored and disaffected.

It did become understandably difficult for the government to meet in Bangkok but the government remains intact and the new voting scheduled for today is underway, minus Suthep's fascist thugs who in the prior polling had been deployed to forcefully prevent voting. Today thus marks yet another failure of Suthep and his feudal backers.

Suthep and his backers had set out to force such a state of chaos that the army would have been compelled to interpose itself in a coup d'etat but that too failed to materialize. Suthep and his oligarch autocrat backers misread and misjudged the newly tenuous standing of the army among the mass of the Thai people who wanted no more of any military mutiny against the government or against the Thai people.

The ammart's proposed "People's Council" is a bust. The actual and real Thai people reject further efforts by the feudal lords to steal the vote away from them in favor of an appointed still anonymous council of autocrats chosen only by oligarchs and elitists to write a new constitution that prevents majority (coalition) government based on 1 person, 1 vote.

The insurrection aspect of the effort to dislodge the elected government is effectively ended, as is its sinister campaign to impose on the Thai people an appointed feudal council which would have replaced any or all representative elected governments predicated on 1 person, 1 vote. The government is not yet free and clear of the reactionary schemes of the elites, but the oligarchs and autocrats have suffered their most severe and profound setback since 1932.

Now comes the fight to neutralize or nullify the elitist purposes and intents of the coup written 2007 constitution and the biased and autocratic institutions of government it established or reconstructed.

Edited March 2, 2014 by Publicus

[cheeryble]

I find it interesting that farang support on this forum seems to be about 50/50 for each side.

Perhaps just as well.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

Edited March 2, 2014 by cheeryble

[Runamile]

@ cheeryble. count me out on that one! Thailand is a Kleptocracy, with no party or group worthy of support, if you regard putting the country first, as against narrow sectional interest, as the cornerstone of democracy. If, of course, you are likely to gain from their thievery, you may well support them, meaning whichever group or party is the best thief for you and yours. Of course, the point about Thailand is that my mentioning "sectional interest" was being overly polite, overly Western. We are often, perhaps mainly, talking something way, way beyond the Western "pork barrel", in fact, out and out corruption, theft, often for clear and immediate personal financial gain.

If I were Thai, I'd probably do the cowardly thing, that doesn't do much to help the future of democracy, called abstaining, not using my vote. It's, though, also happening widely in the West, where, in many countries, people don't feel that there's a political party that they can, in conscience, vote for. Grim.

Edited March 2, 2014 by Runamile

[SICHONSTEVE]

SICHONSTEVE, on 02 Mar 2014 - 10:20, said:

DirtFarmer, on 02 Mar 2014 - 10:02, said:

Awful lot of he said she said going on all over Bangkok now......and again we won't really know what it all means quite yet but this quote from the other media source..BP.. following headline

Protests enter a new phase...

... [suthep]However, he repeated that the move to end the "Bangkok Shutdown" and close the rally stages did not amount to a concession or surrender by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

That view was echoed by Election Commission member Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, who is trying to broker peace talks between the government and the PDRC. Mr Somchai warned the government against taking the PDRC's move to dismantle the stages it set up at key intersections six weeks ago as a sign that it is weakening.

Wonder where he stands/ or voted for.... in all of this...... hmmm... ..anyway more of a middle of the road position than the recent reporting

Might add.. when I read the various other reporting agencies outside Thailand now... the reports seem alot more neutral..and hopeful VietNam Breaking News seems to be a decent source of more neutral reporting in the region... Doesn't have all the fluff and drama generated by every emission of gas as here but... refreshing to see how others are viewing this...

I just hope that we will again soon see new elections and give the power back to the people through a clean electoralprocess.. and disempower this EC...let them get back to their day jobs...they are way to easily swayed...or...

Agree, new, CLEAN elections after the reforms are in place - this will be the only way that the elections will be CLEAN!!!!

So, I take it that you support the PDRC's actions then and accept that Suthep's mission will have been a total success.

Ah, the never ending myth that when any political party associated with Thaksin wins an election, that election is not CLEAN - that they won by some nefarious method. Maybe worth reading this article dating back to December last year

Quote

Thus it’s elections that the opposition really fear, and that was evident today. On the streets Mr Suthep’s supporters, well aware of the electoral history and arithmetic, certainly weren’t celebrating Ms Yingluck’s decision to “let the people” decide what the government should be. For they know exactly what the people will decide—very likely more of the same.

Mr Suthep’s motley crew of acolytes and cheerleaders try to argue that somehow all of Mr Thaksin’s victories (in the various party guises) have been “bought” and that voters have been “bribed” by the promise of lavish public spending, to help poor rice farmers for instance. But there is almost no evidence that any of these elections were systematically bought or rigged in anyway. Indeed, the last election, certainly, was very well conducted by comparison with other recent elections in the South-East Asian region. Indeed, when pressed, one of Mr Suthep’s main advisers admitted to me that despite all the alleged vote-buying (which he produced no evidence for) the result was still “legitimate”. And the incontinent public spending programmes? In the West that’s called Keynesian economics.

Given all this, it is more than likely that the protesters will carry on with pressing Mr Suthep’s idea of setting up what he calls a “people’s council”, to supersede the government. They have asked for profound changes in the electoral system now to ensure “clean” elections, and that could give them an excuse not to participate in the election of February 2nd. But as with much else in Mr Suthep’s programme, how he might clean up the electoral system remains a mystery.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2013/12/thailand-s-protests

I note that the author of this piece is taking a very factual and neutral stance in his research with his "Mr Suthep's Motley crew of acolytes and cheerleaders" introduction. When I see something like that it goes straight in the bin, as far as I'm concerned this is written by a red and is biased to discredit the dem's!!

I disagree with this 'winning through vote buying theory' as I think that is a red herring nowadays. They keep on winning these elections because of their populist policies going down well with the Northern regions of Thailand.

Isn't it ironic that the same ploy they have used to garner votes is going to be their undoing (the glorious rice scam). Still, if they don't get caught, some politicians and Thaksin's family members and associates are going to be happy with life with all that stolen money to play with!! Not so the rice farmers who have been exploited by Thaksin though, as theirs will be more of a case of trying to survive the next few years with little or no money to buy food!!

[Blackmirage2013]

Yingluck is finished.....

She will be found guilty and thrown out of office for her lack of oversight in the rice pledging scheme.

Suthep would not give up so easily.

The army knows this, Suthep knows this and everyone with a brain knows this.

Good bye, YING!!!

[Blackmirage2013]

Suthep's mission will only have been a total success when he and his trouser heaps of Wonga. Again.

You know that is not true.

He wants to improve politics in Thailand and will step down once he has achieved his purpose and gained meaningful and much needed reforms to the electoral voting system that is so drastically flawed (as these devastatingly damaging populist policies confirm)!!!

Why did he not improve politics in Thailand when he was Deputy Prime Minister? Too busy giving away public lands to his rich buddies I would imagine.

The only electoral reforms he wants are ones the produce results that enable the minority to rule over the majority.

As for the policies of this government... populism is defined as a political doctrine in which one sides with "the people" against "the elite". Hardly a crime.

The only way for Thais to get rich in Thailand is either work for a multinational or be corrupt!!!

[Blackmirage2013]

Awful lot of he said she said going on all over Bangkok now......and again we won't really know what it all means quite yet but this quote from the other media source..BP.. following headline

Protests enter a new phase...

... [suthep]However, he repeated that the move to end the "Bangkok Shutdown" and close the rally stages did not amount to a concession or surrender by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

That view was echoed by Election Commission member Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, who is trying to broker peace talks between the government and the PDRC. Mr Somchai warned the government against taking the PDRC's move to dismantle the stages it set up at key intersections six weeks ago as a sign that it is weakening.

Wonder where he stands/ or voted for.... in all of this...... hmmm... ..anyway more of a middle of the road position than the recent reporting

Might add.. when I read the various other reporting agencies outside Thailand now... the reports seem alot more neutral..and hopeful VietNam Breaking News seems to be a decent source of more neutral reporting in the region... Doesn't have all the fluff and drama generated by every emission of gas as here but... refreshing to see how others are viewing this...

I just hope that we will again soon see new elections and give the power back to the people through a clean electoralprocess.. and disempower this EC...let them get back to their day jobs...they are way to easily swayed...or...

Agree, new, CLEAN elections after the reforms are in place - this will be the only way that the elections will be CLEAN!!!!

So, I take it that you support the PDRC's actions then and accept that Suthep's mission will have been a total success.

Absolutely not... do not believe for one minute that reform was on the agenda... from day one... if you seriously think the puppet masters on any side pink green yellow blue red are going to give up their MO you are sorely mistaken... I believe Suthep has done more harm than good.. I believe he has abrogated a frail Democratic institution and continued their move of making this a less Democratic place than before... they have made incremental steps in that direction prior to this mess and will play a long term endgame... a slow erosion process but do NOT believe in Suthep ...not for a New York Minute..nor do I think that the majority of Thais will either... there is a whole other side to this we cannot discuss here but the next few years will tell that tale... and if you think reform is what is needed it will have to start at home with children and a long look in the mirror... He isn't gonna give up his corruption nor are any of the biggies either... it's what got them there... much Like other great money changers in other parts of the world... it is a much bigger picture than what is daily fodder in Bangkok media .. not stating anything new here... it is known by many...but bears repeating... bigger players...bigger stakes... not a color thing... that is on the pawn level..and I might add he has set a dangerous precedent.. by modeling for whomever is next... that insurrection works and personal attacks work...et, al.. Lots wrong on both sides here... all sides really but what I think isn't anything but my opinion cheers!

And so????? What is your point?

[Blackmirage2013]

Bangkok shutdown an utter failure

Of course it is!!!

That is why the government is functioning properly with growth up, tourism thriving, everybody better off and all driving around in shiny new cars. Suthep didn't make a dent in the government - he only had about a 100 ineffective protesters at any time!! This fascist dictator thought he could make problems for the government, but me and you know otherwise!!!

Yingluck will rule Thailand for the rest of her life..

By the way, are you a farmer by any chance - I know you are really because your avatar gives it away!!!!.

No, I am not a farmer what made you come to that conclusion?

Your avatar!!!

Hmmmm... why are all the advertisements here for dating sites to meet Thai women and insurance for expats? It's like a forum for men from the UK and Europe whose main interest in Thailand is getting laid and not getting STD!!!! lols

[Runamile]

@Blackmirage2013 1. I thought Thais weren't focused on riches in this life, but building karma for the next! 2. Of course, if you're going to follow through on the Thai women ads, you're going to need to follow through on the insurance ads too! I've seen visas and divorces, too. Excellent, fully-packaged service. Only thing missing seems to be that you can't do instalment pre-pay, like funeral plans.

Edited March 2, 2014 by Runamile

[Mackie]

Hmmmm... why are all the advertisements here for dating sites to meet Thai women and insurance for expats? It's like a forum for men from the UK and Europe whose main interest in Thailand is getting laid and not getting STD!!!! lols

You should ask red shirt supporters on this forum. Some of them blindly support this caretaker government only because of Yingluck's looks. Many of them actually posted their wet dreams on this forum dreaming of....

[Dogmatix]

Bye bye PDRC and walking streets. Welcome back traffic and unbelievable pollution.

[DirtFarmer]

Awful lot of he said she said going on all over Bangkok now......and again we won't really know what it all means quite yet but this quote from the other media source..BP.. following headline

Protests enter a new phase...

... [suthep]However, he repeated that the move to end the "Bangkok Shutdown" and close the rally stages did not amount to a concession or surrender by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).

That view was echoed by Election Commission member Somchai Srisuthiyakorn, who is trying to broker peace talks between the government and the PDRC. Mr Somchai warned the government against taking the PDRC's move to dismantle the stages it set up at key intersections six weeks ago as a sign that it is weakening.

Wonder where he stands/ or voted for.... in all of this...... hmmm... ..anyway more of a middle of the road position than the recent reporting

Might add.. when I read the various other reporting agencies outside Thailand now... the reports seem alot more neutral..and hopeful VietNam Breaking News seems to be a decent source of more neutral reporting in the region... Doesn't have all the fluff and drama generated by every emission of gas as here but... refreshing to see how others are viewing this...

I just hope that we will again soon see new elections and give the power back to the people through a clean electoralprocess.. and disempower this EC...let them get back to their day jobs...they are way to easily swayed...or...

Agree, new, CLEAN elections after the reforms are in place - this will be the only way that the elections will be CLEAN!!!!

So, I take it that you support the PDRC's actions then and accept that Suthep's mission will have been a total success.

Absolutely not... do not believe for one minute that reform was on the agenda... from day one... if you seriously think the puppet masters on any side pink green yellow blue red are going to give up their MO you are sorely mistaken... I believe Suthep has done more harm than good.. I believe he has abrogated a frail Democratic institution and continued their move of making this a less Democratic place than before... they have made incremental steps in that direction prior to this mess and will play a long term endgame... a slow erosion process but do NOT believe in Suthep ...not for a New York Minute..nor do I think that the majority of Thais will either... there is a whole other side to this we cannot discuss here but the next few years will tell that tale... and if you think reform is what is needed it will have to start at home with children and a long look in the mirror... He isn't gonna give up his corruption nor are any of the biggies either... it's what got them there... much Like other great money changers in other parts of the world... it is a much bigger picture than what is daily fodder in Bangkok media .. not stating anything new here... it is known by many...but bears repeating... bigger players...bigger stakes... not a color thing... that is on the pawn level..and I might add he has set a dangerous precedent.. by modeling for whomever is next... that insurrection works and personal attacks work...et, al.. Lots wrong on both sides here... all sides really but what I think isn't anything but my opinion cheers!

And so????? What is your point?

was responding to Steve's query his presumption that I in any way support Suthep... can you read...?

[Chicog]

Hmmmm... why are all the advertisements here for dating sites to meet Thai women and insurance for expats? It's like a forum for men from the UK and Europe whose main interest in Thailand is getting laid and not getting STD!!!! lols

You should ask red shirt supporters on this forum. Some of them blindly support this caretaker government only because of Yingluck's looks. Many of them actually posted their wet dreams on this forum dreaming of....

That's pleasant for her, her partner and their young son.

[Fat Haggis]

Yingluck is finished.....

She will be found guilty and thrown out of office for her lack of oversight in the rice pledging scheme.

Suthep would not give up so easily.

The army knows this, Suthep knows this and everyone with a brain knows this.

Good bye, YING!!!

She may well be, but the PTP are far from finished, and unless you can turn a minority into a majority, then they'll retain power, Yingluck is expendable in the grand old scheme of things, Thaksin will just throw his weight behind someone else.

She won't be thrown out of her office, as she doesn't really have an office after the 3rd of March, the attempt to oust her and make her step down with these protests failed, she remained in place, probably much to the surprise of many, especially Suthep.

Sutheps supports within the anti corruption protests starting dropping considerably, and the numbers attending have been fabricated at best since day one, there might have been 6 Million people on the streets, but they were not in Bangkok blowing whistles!!

The violence against the protestors increased despite the deaths, and 24 in 4 months is a tragedy,but on the grand scheme of things, it's nothing, Theres 10 times that dying in Syria protesting against a Regime there.. I've stated all along, IF the red shirts wanted to, they could easily have trebled, or quadrupled the deaths..

What has been exposed, but isn't much of a shocker is that the Police are inept, and stood back and did nothing, the Army stepped in but I have not seen a single finger pointed at the failing of the Army for not protecting the protestors, despite them having been placed to do so? It was always the Police who were blamed, could it be that Suthep was unable to be critical of them, due to the fact they're infact aligning themselves to him?

It also exposed that the Royal Thai Navy SEAL's have been caught on numerous occasions also siding with the PDRC movement, again, these Generals and Admirals are looking ahead, and waiting to see which what the coin will land after it's been tossed to see who gets the spoils, through the eyes of this outsider and non partisan Farang, that's looked like they backed Suthep, time will tell if they made the right choice.

The elections that everyobody thought would never happed did, despite the attempts by the PDRC to silence the rest of the country, to an extent he succeeded, by blockading a fundamental right of the people that he needs to persuade to switch their allegiance, we all knew the elections would be voided,once it was announced they'd go ahead as planned.

Suthep and co need the majority of the Thai people to make the changes he wants, that is going to be a lot harder to do, and again, having the military on his side, and staging a coup, or a judical one is perhaps the only way in which the PTP will be removed from office, but the work to change the Majority still needs to be done, and ousting the PTP through a coup, will in my opinion make more violence an inevitability.I hope I'm wrong.

Yes, there needs to be reforms, but the majority of the Thais not involved in this shutdown are the ones who needs to be convinced, and given past demographics, that's not going to be easy? The troubles might not be over, they actually might only be beggining !!

Yingluck might well be finished, she's probably quite happy too that she doesn't have to put up with much more shyt and be manipulated from afar, and she will fade away quietly and keep on shopping!!

Thailand needs a strong leader to pull it back up, and out of the hole it dug itself into, and he/she has a plate bigger than a warehouse full of rotten stored rice to get through!!

[charmonman]

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Very very well played. Suthep is simply brilliant .

1. Yingluck is charged and most certainly will be guilty
2. The idiot red shirts are blocking EC so no chance of new elections in time
3. The idiot red shirts want to defy courts, army will act on its own
4. All agency fed up with shins
5. Shins lost billions from stock losses.

Now Suthep only needs to wait for a month or so and shins are out

"idiot red shirts" this, "idiots red shirts" that, "Shins", "Shins". If anybody needs an illustration why Dems have little legitimate chance of outright winning an election for a couple more generations poster whoisyourdaddy is it.

First of all, whoisyourdaddy is not an official Democrat spokeperson as far as I know, nor am I, so if you want to criticize them, stick to what they say, not what random posters on TV say.

Second, when the Democrats do point out the misdeeds of the PTP/Red Shirts/Shinawatras, they are simply doing their job as members of the political opposition. What would YOU have them do? Just agree with everything the government does? Do you understand how a parliamentary democracy is supposed to function?

The Democrats have lost every election for 24 years straight now. The only time they got the PM position was when the military did a coup and installed them. After the next election was held, they were gone again.

They're clearly doing something wrong and it's not Puea Thai's fault.

They couldn't win an election long before Thaksin even became a politician.

A Democrat speaking on Thai TV a few weeks ago said that he was not sure that the Democrats could win the next elections even if Puea Thai did not even participate. That says a lot.

They have a lot of work to do if they ever want to get democratically elected and the way they're doing it right now, by trying to overthrow a democratically elected government, it will not get them anywhere. If anything, they lost supporters and it will take them years to recover from this disaster.

Just to set the record straight with some actual facts ...

In the last 24 years the Democrats won two elections. They won in November of 1992 and won the popular vote in 1996 (NAP won two more seats with a lower popular vote). Since the advent of Thaksin, the TRT and its successors, there have been only two parties that have won large portions of the vote in more than a single region, the Democrats and the TRT/PPP/PTP because the latter absorbed all the other major parties.

In 2007 the Democrats were slightly behind the PPP in the popular vote. The PPP had to form a government in a coalition with all the other smaller parties because they did not win an absolute majority of the seats. When this coalition fell apart, the Democrats were able to put together another coalition with these smaller parties and was therefore able to form a constitutionally legal government with Abhisit as PM. Abhisit was not installed by the military after a coup. In fact, the first elected government after the coup was formed by the PPP with Samak Sundaravej, a supporter of previous military coups, as PM.

[Donnie Brasco]

Recent media *frottage* has seen the warmth and charisma of that winning smile supplanted by the rictus-like grimace of a TV newsreader forced into an on-camera wait-out of technical failure before a fade-to-break.

The Chinese will scoop up the rice at cut-rate, following the BIS adjustment of lending ratios, the banks will do a nail-out deal with the gubbmint, the farmers will get hosed with a take-it-or-leave-it settlement and an inevitable currency devaluation will trickle onto the hoi poloi.

TV-ers who recoil in horror at this rice thingie fiasco might consider bail-out fiestas in their OWN countries before pewping on Thailand's parliamentary situation.

Man, our hosts are lucky there ain't no proven oal reserves here.

"Sometimes, 'fuggedabowdit' just means fuggedabowdit."

Edited March 3, 2014 by Donnie Brasco

[ikke]

good riddence. i guess the number of protesters are down to... 5 ?

hahahahahaha, your getting the pcad protesters mixed up with the reds in front of the nacc but I am sure there arent quite that many reds there though

The hahaha answer of a man on the losers side......

[larsjohnsson]

A month ago Suthep told us when speaking: We will not leave Bangkok and all the blocked intersections until Yingluck have stepped down. 5555 Suthep couldn't deliver and lost

Sent from my GT-I9152 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited March 3, 2014 by larsjohnsson