Thai junta chief threatens to hold onto power
AFP

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's junta chief warned detractors Wednesday that he would hold onto power indefinitely if they continued to oppose his plans for the kingdom in a heated press briefing ahead of an overseas trip.

Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who was appointed as prime minister a few months after seizing power in a coup last May, appeared irritated when he met reporters shortly before flying to Brunei, frequently raising his voice and shaking his head.

"If the situation remains like this I can tell you that I will hold on to power for a long time," he said after denouncing those who criticise the country's lack of democratic progress.

"Why is there all this fuss about elections?" he also asked. "(If there's no election) will anyone die?"

The former army chief imposed martial law two days before the military takeover that followed the ousting of Yingluck Shinawatra's democratically elected government after months of often violent street protests.

He has vowed to return power to an elected civilian government but only once reforms to tackle corruption and curb the power of political parties are codified in a new constitution.

Rights groups say basic freedoms have fallen off a cliff since the military took over with political gatherings banned, the press muzzled and tough lese majeste legislation increasingly used to stifle political opposition.

Prayut, a blunt-speaking career army man, has little time for such criticisms.

While he often jokes with his press pack he also gets irritated when reporters push him for answers during daily briefings.

"I want to tell all of you that I am not discouraged but I am getting more angry. I am a fighter. So don't say anything to discourage me," he said during Wednesday's press meeting.

Earlier this month the Thai Journalists Association criticised Prayut for saying he wanted to punch a reporter "in the face" when he was pressed on his government's results.

In December he was also filmed throwing a banana skin at a camera man, though that incident caused more merriment than concern.

His off the cuff remarks often spark a mixture of surprise and derision.

This week he was lampooned online -- and even in some sections of the mainstream media -- for insisting Thailand under martial law was still a "99.99 percent" democracy.

In October he also apologised after suggesting pretty tourists in bikinis could be more vulnerable to attack following the murder of a young British couple on a resort island -- a remark that caused international anger.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-03-25

I told you Prime Minister..........Think before you open your mouth........think and don't let anger overcome you.

You are not an Army man any more, you are the Prime Minister of Thailand.

If you could do that sometimes.......you would have been the best.

Edited March 25, 201511 yr by Costas2008

I love this guy, always seems to lighten up my day with his comments.

Who ever doubted this? He's already had a handcrafted 'throne' made for him, details of which were printed in pamphlet form and handed out to his perceived future little brownshirts on children's day

Edited March 25, 201511 yr by jpeg

is it me or is he starting to sound a little drunk on the power?

Ahhh...he has started learning from Lee Kuan Yew...

Between being loved and being feared, I have always believed Machiavelli was right. If nobody is afraid of me, Im meaningless.

You take a poll of any people. What is it they want? The right to write an editorial as you like? They want homes, medicine, jobs, schools.

Edited March 25, 201511 yr by trogers

This is called: digging his own grave.

He could stay a couple of decades but NOT with these kind of stances which will annoy any averagely smart person.

"I will hold on to power for a long time" & "(If there's no election) will anyone die?"

Not to worry - in an interview tomorrow, the PM will explain that he was only joking (again), whilst playfully throwing a durian skin at a Bruneian reporter.

The suggestion of holding onto power for a long time is about the only accurate thing he's said recently.

This is becoming even more of a frightening ' shift to risk ' situation with someone in total control becoming even more threatening and irrational and there is no one and nothing to hold him back unless another coup is staged.

i doubt he listens to any of his cronies and appointed colleagues and which is them is brave enough to dare venture a counter opinion, far less outright opposition to any of his ideas ?

i doubt he will ever consider he's going too far and reel himself in as it doesn't seem his style.

Things to get worse before they get better.

Wake up people, I have said this time and time again , that he will stay in power

for a few more years until the big event occurs. Then all the power positions can

be properly allocated. For sure there will not be a Thaksin proxy deciding who gets

what power.Each time he talks about elections coming soon I burst out laughing .

My uncle taught me something 40 years ago. He said if you want to give a person

bad news , do it in small stages so they can assimilate it. If you give bad news

all in one big shot, people react emotionally , and you cannot be sure what they

will do. Prayut is doing this EXACTLY.....

And the surprise here is….?

Military Coup anyone.......

Not a wise thing to say when you are off for meeting with Ban Ki Moon in the near future

As much as I am not a fan , I don't think that comment should be taken seriously

Edited March 25, 201511 yr by ExPratt

I told you Prime Minister..........Think before you open your mouth........think and don't let anger overcome you.

You are not an Army man any more, you are the Prime Minister of Thailand.

If you could do that sometimes.......you would have been the best.

Must be a sad day for you Costas, as cracks are starting to appear in the facade.

If anyone wants to know what is going to happen next here , read Animal Farm by

George Orwell. I feel a bit sad myself, as he seemed to start off so well, but at

this point the wheels have really come off the bus, and true colors are starting

to show.

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I told you Prime Minister..........Think before you open your mouth........think and don't let anger overcome you.

You are not an Army man any more, you are the Prime Minister of Thailand.

If you could do that sometimes.......you would have been the best.

Thats a shame Costas mate , If it wasn't for that last line I would have awarded you one my likes

I love this guy, always seems to lighten up my day with his comments.

.

Who? Prayut or Costas2007?

I'm sure the fans of "the good general" will arrive soon and explain that this is better than Thaksin.

I'can wait to see him in front of the international media in NY at the UN when they ask questions and push his buttons. Lol.

Not a wise thing to say when you are off for meeting with Ban Ki Moon in the near future

As much as I am not a fan , I don't think that comment should be taken seriously

i think the country deserves more than a leader with a hair trigger temper and no control over his mouth. Iif he bothers to explain anything the ' only joking ' routine has worn thin.

How long before he screws up on the international stage and really embarrasses the country ?

Of curse it can be censored for domestic consumption but is likely to play big in the international media and will filter through.

This is called: digging his own grave.

He could stay a couple of decades but NOT with these kind of stances which will annoy any averagely smart person.

Guess there's not gonna be that many here then that will get annoyed ...

No surprises there

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

I told you Prime Minister..........Think before you open your mouth........think and don't let anger overcome you.

You are not an Army man any more, you are the Prime Minister of Thailand.

If you could do that sometimes.......you would have been the best.

Thats a shame Costas mate , If it wasn't for that last line I would have awarded you one my likes

Methinks Costas is beginning to get the picture?

I'm sure the fans of "the good general" will arrive soon and explain that this is better than Thaksin.

My dog could do a better job than Thaksin, and without raping and pillaging the entire country and its people.

I would have agreed (at one point) that Thaksin was a good PM "if" I didn't already know how little he cares for the people, how much he's cost the country and how much money he stole before, during and still now.

Naysayers what say you now? The guy is nutso.

I love this guy, always seems to lighten up my day with his comments.

.

Who? Prayut or Costas2007?

Both of them, the General because he is a comedian who has no idea what he is doing, and Costas for his troll like qualities..

I've never seen a pram full of toys in Thailand, with a little baby throwing them out. I have now!

When he made one of his first speeches shortly after the coup, I was watching from my fitness center and reading the scrolling English translation.

It was a cross between Obama speaking globalist trash and quotes from the novels Animal Farm and 1984. I am dead serious.

Thailand's junta chief warned detractors Wednesday that he would hold onto power indefinitely if they continued to oppose his plans for the kingdom

does everyone see the circular nature of this comment?

Hey at least costas has had the stones to comment, cool.

but there are a few very conspicuous regular posters that are yet again missing in action when it's impossible to spin and completely irretrievable.

Come out come out wherever you are,,,,

Hey at least costas has had the stones to comment, cool.

but there are a few very conspicuous regular posters that are yet again missing in action when it's impossible to spin and completely irretrievable.

Come out come out wherever you are,,,,

They won't get past the credit line - the article is from that biased, red shirt rag, the AFP

Damn the French!

Edited March 25, 201511 yr by tbthailand