THAI TALK
Who is trying to rock the Old Man's boat?
Suthichai Yoon
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- When Deputy Premier Wissanu Krea-ngam speaks, hardcore political observers listen with special interest, hoping to glean inside information and interpretation from what is hidden between the lines.

At times, his statements are deliberate thinly-veiled warnings. At other times, he simply floats trial balloons to sound out public sentiment. The trick is never to let slip a real secret. That's why it's never clear whether the deputy premier is expressing his own private opinion or is in fact acting as a sounding board for Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha.

His most famous statement so far is probably: "When you board the Old Man's boat, you have to let the Old Man decide where to go." He has never said who that Old Man is. But for veteran political analysts, there is no need to debate the real identity of the boatman.

That's why, when he opined last week that it would be unrealistic to expect the much-heralded reform process to be completed within such a short period of time, he more or less kicked off a new round of speculation.

Was the man so close to the establishment suggesting that the life of the National Reform Council (NRC) might have to be extended to ensure that the task is "completed".

Having thrown out the fishing line, the deputy premier was quick to reel it in. No, no, he wasn't offering any indication of an extension of the current term of the powers-that-be. He was thinking aloud about the possibility of setting up a "mechanism" that could carry out the task of ensuring the continuity of the reform agenda after the National Peace and Order Council (NPOC) passes on the baton to the new government produced by election.

If Wissanu was vague about an idea he had thrown out in public, it was probably deliberate. But then he could claim that he was simply stating the obvious. It's difficult to imagine how the mammoth task of reform, covering everything from fighting corruption to education and social revival, can be wrapped up within one year. But then, that's exactly what the NCPO's road map promised the public and the world soon after the coup was staged on May 22, last year.

If that's a big question mark, the deputy PM raised another possible tricky scenario. Once the Constitution is promulgated, he said, politics would heat up "because some people may want to test its effectiveness". In other words, a number of clauses in the new charter will prompt questions from some people, who will mount challenges that could raise the temperature of politics in the country.

Wissanu didn't say whether or not that scenario worries the powers-that-be. But it's clear that he was suggesting that some people will try to rock the boat once the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), NPCO and NRC teeter towards the end of their promised terms.

Challenges to certain controversial provisions in the new charter wouldn't be an earthshaking eventuality, of course. In fact, disagreements over details of the clauses among the members of the drafting committee are only to be expected. Once the draft is submitted to the NRC, more debate will ensue. And even after it is promulgated - if it reaches that point within the current timeline - further arguments over the pros and cons of the proposed changes would still be part of the game in a democratic system.

That obviously can't be seen as an attempt to "rock the boat", as might be indicated by the deputy premier's latest public utterances. But you can't be surprised if political observers take that message as a warning sign.

If you are on the boat, you'd better let the Old Man row it the way he wants. And the currents in the "five streams" incorporated in the road map should flow naturally, without making dangerously strong waves.

What if some passengers decide to rock the boat?

Well, you would have to pull Deputy Premier Wissanu aside to ask him for clarification. If you are lucky, he will give you another riddle as an answer. If not, he will simply give you a knowing smile.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Who-is-trying-to-rock-the-Old-Mans-boat-30252386.html


-- The Nation 2015-01-22

No one is rocking the Old Man's boat, he's doing quite a good job of that himself.

The time line for all their planning on these reforms should read three years , that's if you wish to get this right and do it properly ,what will happen is the same as Thaksin shoddy attempt at reforms that lead to total constitution diarrhea and as far as the old mans boat, that's got a few barnacles on the bottom since its launching and leaks in several places . .

Oh the mystery, innuendo, and signings that these Thais can dream up. Coded statements, signals, and gestures. The mystery unfolds, only a Thai understands this Thai code.

Wissanu is a such a wily old fox, can he not give us an initial like is the norm....

No one is rocking the Old Man's boat, he's doing quite a good job of that himself.

Thaksin is not that old, or is he?

Let me explain a few things about the game of baseball

Reminds me of the old story "Who is on first" "Whats on second" "Where is third"

I think Sutthichai is being too generous in his assessment and suggestion of a wily old fox (the inscrutable Chinese thing). What I see and hear is echoes of desperation from people whose ship has run into fog and their depth sounder is on the blink. They really don't have as firm a grip on things as they think, and are somewhat confused about which direction to take. Reform was always going to be messy, but it's not helped by muddying the waters with exteaneous and distracting issues like censorship.

Edit: correcting spelling

That's the beauty of it! The more it will be contested, the later the election. It's a win-lose situation.

There's a difference between boarding a boat as a passenger and being press-ganged.

There wasn't a choice to board the boat, the public were rail roaded on there with no say in the matter.

There's a difference between boarding a boat as a passenger and being press-ganged.

Being press-ganged is considered be ok by some - provided the remunerations are forthcoming and depending on who the press-ganger is, this is borne out by the many useless politicians we have witnessed only the past few years.

If me boat's a rockin', don't come a knockin'...

"That's why it's never clear whether the deputy premier is expressing his own private opinion or is in fact acting as a sounding board for Premier Prayut Chan-o-cha."... I'm thinking the sounding board thing....