the problem with Thailand is that there is bad on both sides. The shins want to do the same thing with their side as this lot do, neither is right and the people suffer for it. What Thailand needs is something incorporating both sides so that everyone gets something. The elite should not have sway over the country and neither should the poor/farmers, it needs to be down the middle so that everyone is treated equally. Lets be honest, the shins/ptp/reds are only there to line their pockets and do whatever they think will keep getting them elected/stay in power, the elite simply try to set things up to suit them. Until the betterment of all the thai people becomes the first concern things will not change, corruption is simply to big a part of thai life as pointed out in the survey they did last year so everyone just tries to get more for themselves.

Thailand needs laws that apply equally to all members of society, being rich/having the right family name should not be an advantage and neither should being poor/more populous give you greater voting power. Way past time these people were simply honest and told it like it was without all the bullsh*t but I doubt that will ever happen, they are too concerned with whats in it for them

djjamie and costas will love it

all decent, honest and freedom loving peoples will hate it

But of course it will be in accordance with the often quoted but never defined "principles of democracy"!

Me Hi-So, why i have to be elected by the people Lo-So....... TIT

Off course they will get this swiftly approved before anybody react

Charter drafters seeking to make loopholes for the elite?

Wow. I never saw that coming....

"I'll tip my hat to the new constitution

Take a bow for the new revolution

Smile and grin at the change all around

Pick up my guitar and play

Just like yesterday

Then I'll get on my knees and pray

We don't get fooled again"

"Meet the new boss

Same as the old boss"

Who wrote that?

Yes.

No, not Yes because...I've seen all good people wrote this...

Obviously they are stacking the deck to ensure they keep power. Will the Thai people accept it ?

the thai people have 3 actions they can take, #1 have a beer #2 eat some food # 3 roll over & sleep thru it. ....:-)

No no no there's a #4

Remember Prayut recently 'granted' a forum where people can go and complain about (everything???) that threatens democracy here ?

Not surprising.....indeed the only surprise is that the rag of a newspaper, The Nation, printed it....they don't do truth.

"I'll tip my hat to the new constitution

Take a bow for the new revolution

Smile and grin at the change all around

Pick up my guitar and play

Just like yesterday

Then I'll get on my knees and pray

We don't get fooled again"

"Meet the new boss

Same as the old boss"

Who wrote that?

Yes.

I wonder if some people are actually as ignorant as they appear, or just want to whinge in usual Pheu-Thai supporter style.

First : Stop blaming anyone but yourselves for the coup. There would not have been one if Pheu-Thai (ie Thaksin) had not resorted very quickly to terrorism and murder to try and scare protestors away. An act which pretty much confirms what happened in 2010 (if any of you care to think about it).

Second: I've always said Prayuth will fail because of the rest of the snakes in government. This aticle is how they will do it. Pheu-Thai changed laws to allow corruption to steal from the taxpayer, now this lot will try to change them to keep power. The only out of this spiral is a third political party which supports real democracy. Unfortunately Thailand seems incapable of producing such a leader - and you people seem to prefer corruption anyway.

I wonder if some people are actually as ignorant as they appear, or just want to whinge in usual Pheu-Thai supporter style.

First : Stop blaming anyone but yourselves for the coup. There would not have been one if Pheu-Thai (ie Thaksin) had not resorted very quickly to terrorism and murder to try and scare protestors away. An act which pretty much confirms what happened in 2010 (if any of you care to think about it).

Second: I've always said Prayuth will fail because of the rest of the snakes in government. This aticle is how they will do it. Pheu-Thai changed laws to allow corruption to steal from the taxpayer, now this lot will try to change them to keep power. The only out of this spiral is a third political party which supports real democracy. Unfortunately Thailand seems incapable of producing such a leader - and you people seem to prefer corruption anyway.

first, stop blaming anyone but the military for the coup.

have you never heard of "taking responsibility for your own actions"?

this article is a rather clear and concise summary of how the 2007 constitution was manipulated to give the elite levers to pull, how those levers were pulled, and how that was not sufficient to meet the demands of the elite and now, finally, how the new constitution is being re-written to provide more levers of power to the elite.

waiting for the final version of the turd to pop out.

"I'll tip my hat to the new constitution

Take a bow for the new revolution

Smile and grin at the change all around

Pick up my guitar and play

Just like yesterday

Then I'll get on my knees and pray

We don't get fooled again"

"Meet the new boss

Same as the old boss"

Who wrote that?

Yes.

No, not Yes, Who.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Long on verbiage and claims, very short on facts.

Let's just take one claim, that electing the head of the Supreme Court is more democratic. Where is this done? In the US where judges are elected in some states the result has always been rich man's justice, judges tending to side with those who provide electoral support/donations.

The claim that a fully elected Senate is more democratic is also far from cut and dried proven. There are countries with appointed senators which certainly don't lack in the measure of democracy. Others with elected senators, like the USA and Australia, have highly unequal representation in their elected senates.

"Others with elected senators, like the USA ... have highly unequal representation in their elected senates."

Under the USA Constitution each state gets two Senators. Fifty states means 100 senators. That seems highly equal to me.

Under the same Constitution, each state gets a number of House congressmen based on the population of the state. That also seems highly unequal but fair.

What?!

You mean to say the coup, and what has followed since, wasn`t a some noble fight against corruption for the betterment of the Thai people and is instead a power grab by the elite?

Well bugger me with a pitch fork, who`d have thought?

On a more serious note it`s great to see the Nation writing this stuff, a total U-turn to what they were spewing out this time 12 months ago.

The penny has dropped that although the previous lot were awful the current situation is infinetley worse. Quite why they couldn`t have predicted what was likely to happen when Suthep was walking the streets is beyond me.

I think quite a few Thais of a yellow persuasion are finally working out the current government doesn`t give a toss about them and, as usual, it`s that 0.1% that own half the wealth of the country that are the winners here.

Even posters like Seajae above (who simply couldn`t comprehend what was going on before ) seem to understand now

Supalak nailed it!

Maybe there's some hope for this nation. It just needs twenty million more of the same perspective who are willing to do more than think and write.

"Charter drafters seeking to create loopholes for the elite"

Today's least surprising headline.

Today's bravest one!!

Tomorrow the journalist will be whisked away to the barracks, charged with LM and sentenced behind closed doors to 5 years!!

Freedom of speech is way too dangerous for the feudal masters and their mighty sponsors.....

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Long on verbiage and claims, very short on facts.

Let's just take one claim, that electing the head of the Supreme Court is more democratic. Where is this done? In the US where judges are elected in some states the result has always been rich man's justice, judges tending to side with those who provide electoral support/donations.

The claim that a fully elected Senate is more democratic is also far from cut and dried proven. There are countries with appointed senators which certainly don't lack in the measure of democracy. Others with elected senators, like the USA and Australia, have highly unequal representation in their elected senates.

"Others with elected senators, like the USA ... have highly unequal representation in their elected senates."

Under the USA Constitution each state gets two Senators. Fifty states means 100 senators. That seems highly equal to me.

Under the same Constitution, each state gets a number of House congressmen based on the population of the state. That also seems highly unequal but fair.

Halloween's statement : The claim that a fully elected Senate is more democratic is also far from cut and dried proven.

is utter nonsense. I'm tempted to just call a spade a spade - alright, ... it's utter BS.

Such a comparison of an elected Senate as in the USA and an appointed Senate in a future Thailand with the intent to say that an elected Senate in Thailand may not be more democratic than an appointed is laughable ... just laughable.

It's extremely cut and dried...

I would like to create a loophole for the elite of Thailand, it will be a hole filled up with manure.

"I'll tip my hat to the new constitution

Take a bow for the new revolution

Smile and grin at the change all around

Pick up my guitar and play

Just like yesterday

Then I'll get on my knees and pray

We don't get fooled again"

"Meet the new boss

Same as the old boss"

Who wrote that?

Yes.

No, not Yes, Who.

Who's on first.

On a more serious note it`s great to see the Nation writing this stuff, a total U-turn to what they were spewing out this time 12 months ago.

The penny has dropped that although the previous lot were awful the current situation is infinetley worse. Quite why they couldn`t have predicted what was likely to happen when Suthep was walking the streets is beyond me.

I think quite a few Thais of a yellow persuasion are finally working out the current government doesn`t give a toss about them and, as usual, it`s that 0.1% that own half the wealth of the country that are the winners here.

Even posters like Seajae above (who simply couldn`t comprehend what was going on before ) seem to understand now

Just wondering out loud...that perhaps The Nation is awkwardly changing its stance so as to stop the hostile takeover of the NMG...change from a format that worked for years (although, a rather laughable one) to a tougher format that may see a temporary decline in NMG's desirability as a takeover target.

I dunno...?

Leung, environmentalists are a small minority? Give stuff away? Wow! I had no idea anyone could be so ignorant. The only giving away is the billions wasted in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pocketed by the shoe-in firms sent by Republicans to rebuild.

"I'll tip my hat to the new constitution

Take a bow for the new revolution

Smile and grin at the change all around

Pick up my guitar and play

Just like yesterday

Then I'll get on my knees and pray

We don't get fooled again"

"Meet the new boss

Same as the old boss"

Who wrote that?

The Who https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYMD_W_r3Fg

Obviously they are stacking the deck to ensure they keep power. Will the Thai people accept it ?

the thai people have 3 actions they can take, #1 have a beer #2 eat some food # 3 roll over & sleep thru it. ....:-)

No no no there's a #4

Remember Prayut recently 'granted' a forum where people can go and complain about (everything???) that threatens democracy here ?

Oh you mean this recycle bin # 4

Why have elections? Why even bother with a constitution?

Oh well, it's lucky the majority of thais support the military taking over the country isn't it/