Thread: Thai elections 2011-Thai PM sets stage for tough election

Originally Posted by Mid

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Two Chiang Rai villages under investigation for vote boycott

weird

not really, maybe they didn't get paid what they wanted from PT, so instead of bothering voting for them, they didn't show

again proving that without vote buying, the mass in the north wouldn't be so "engaged"

Originally Posted by Butterfly

maybe

Originally Posted by Butterfly

proving

The Butterfly "thought" process in a nutshell.

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Originally Posted by Butterfly

maybe

Originally Posted by Butterfly

proving

The Butterfly "thought" process in a nutshell.

still beat your "thought" process of lashing out at everyone who proved you wrong

Originally Posted by Thai-ASEAN news network

Prompong said the Pheu Thai-led government will annonce its policies by September 10, while awaiting royal endorsement for the new Cabinet line-up and swear-in ceremony.

That swearing-in ceremony will be a frosty affair.

^ I wouldn't guarantee we'll get there... From what I hear, the army/bluebloods are most unhappy...

Originally Posted by Calgary

Wonder how much Queen Lizzie had to do with that

I note several Posts above making less-than-complimentary comments on the English Ambassador.

Obviously from English ex-pats. Not being one of those, I have no opinion on the English Ambassador - don't even know who it was/is.

But one point I wanted to emphasize, is that in the Red Shirt Democracy Movement, pro-Thaksin elements are fixated on cross-border lingkages (sp?) between ................, and that this connection severed Thaksin Visa/passport interaction with England.

Queen Lizzie is held in about as much esteem as Hillary due to her embracing of Kasit

Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer

More reason to think there may be US maritime bases planned for Thailand.

Thailand has played host to several foreign airbases, but it is a pretty pointless place for a foreign naval presence really, especially in the shallow gulf. Why do you think the brit's nabbed Singapore with such alacrity?
I'm sure the Gulf is well protected now Thailand is getting absurdly overpriced, diesel electric, vintage submarines.

Originally Posted by sabang

Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer

More reason to think there may be US maritime bases planned for Thailand.

Thailand has played host to several foreign airbases, but it is a pretty pointless place for a foreign naval presence really, especially in the shallow gulf. Why do you think the brit's nabbed Singapore with such alacrity?
I'm sure the Gulf is well protected now Thailand is getting absurdly overpriced, diesel electric, vintage submarines.

The last I heard is that the subs never got approved.

Has it ever occurred to anyone that it is possible the Exit Interviews in BKK on election day may have been correct, and that it was the vote count that went awry?

Perhaps another case of the 'vote counters' deciding the election instead of the 'voters'

Instead of the organizations who conducted the exit interviews apologising all-over-the-place, should hold firm about the efficacy of their work.

Just a thought about electoral corruption HQ ---- Bangkok.

Originally Posted by Calgary

Originally Posted by Calgary

Wonder how much Queen Lizzie had to do with that

I note several Posts above making less-than-complimentary comments on the English Ambassador.

Obviously from English ex-pats. Not being one of those, I have no opinion on the English Ambassador - don't even know who it was/is.

But one point I wanted to emphasize, is that in the Red Shirt Democracy Movement, pro-Thaksin elements are fixated on cross-border lingkages (sp?) between ................, and that this connection severed Thaksin Visa/passport interaction with England.

Queen Lizzie is held in about as much esteem as Hillary due to her embracing of Kasit

Exceptional amount of garbage in one post, could be a TD record...

^You guys have an ambassador?

Originally Posted by Calgary

Has it ever occurred to anyone that it is possible the Exit Interviews in BKK on election day may have been correct, and that it was the vote count that went awry?

My first thought too. Howerver the UDD watchdogs were there and they did accept the vote count. So I believe we should also. Maybe you could trick them in one or two constituencies but I doubt everywhere in Bangkok without alarm bells ringing.

Chamlong seeks to nullify Sunday's vote

Chamlong seeks to nullify Sunday's vote

Published on July 8, 2011

People's Alliance for Democracy leader Chamlong Srimuang on Friday petitioned for the Constitution Court to intervene and nullify the Sunday's vote.

Chamlong lodged his petition via the Office of Ombudsman, citing the Election Commission's confusing rules as ground to cancel the balloting outcome.

Along with some two million voters, he and his wife showed up at their designated polling station in Bangkok but were denied a chance to cast vote.

The Nation

Another cooking show and swallowing defeat | Political Prisoners in Thailand

July 8, 2011 · 5:54 pm

Another cooking show and swallowing defeat

PPT has been somewhat amazed at the way the mainstream media has been “handling” their election loss last week. The papers are full of sour grape stories.

Illustrative of the lengths the losers will go is The Nation’s “story” reporting on a complaint lodged that Yingluck Shinawatra engaged in vote-buying in Korat by stirring a few noodles for the cameras. This is indicative of the kinds of media attack, couched as stories from “sources,” all unnamed, that amount to unsubstantiated nonsense.

Then there’s the stories that claim that the Puea Thai Party didn’t win the election, but the Democrat Party lost it because… you choose: they were inept at developing a campaign, Abhisit wrote his own speeches, they had no PR strategy, they waited too long before calling an election, etc. It just goes on and on, and never mentions the fact that the electorate spoke with a resounding rejection of the Democrat Party and a stunning acceptance of Puea Thai’s platform.

The Bangkok Post has a classic example, by Anchalee Kongrut, said to be a feature writer at the newspaper. She asks, as so many others have: “Why did the Democrat Party suffer such a crushing defeat in the general election? Was it a backlash against the military for the 2006 coup? Or were rural voters in the North and Northeast waging a class war on the bourgeoisie, a group that has long supported the Democrats? Or could it simply be that this 65-year-old political party is completely inept at PR and marketing strategy?”

None of those it seems and nor could it have been that the Democrat Party was the core of a regime that killed people, locked them up, played monarchism, censored and repressed. Nope, for Anchalee, it is “a testament to how successfully Thailand’s half-baked democracy has been married to advertising techniques.”

Note that Thailand’s democracy, following a Puea Thai victory, is “half-baked.” And it seems that all that was needed to thrash the incumbent government was branding and communication/marketing. Of course, the very deep and intelligent loser for the premiership doesn’t read marketing books, but Yingluck does. So that must be an advantage over the hapless Mark.

The damned party of the peasants – to be fair, those are PPT’s words – used a U.S.-like campaign team. Mark scribbled his own notes while the scheming Puea Thai “assigned people the specific responsibility of handling a public-relations campaign for Yingluck Shinawatra and writing speeches for her to deliver.” Why, even the Bangkok Post “revealed” that Yingluck’s “PR team choreographed … every move and posture; advising her when she should turn left or right to face the cameras, when she should swivel, or raise her index finger to make that signature No.1 gesture or flash that winning smile of hers.” Goodness, she even “came across as accessible, pleasant and likeable.”

Now how unfair is it! Fancy that nasty Puea Thai being professional about a campaign. Why didn’t the Democrat Party campaign in a professional manner? Too high-minded and intellectual? Too elitist even? PPT thinks that the defeated Democrat Party just thought they could stroll back to government. After all, they had killed people, locked them up, played monarchism, censored and repressed. And with the military and big Sino-Thai business on-side, it should have been a cakewalk.

Poor Anchalee is forced to reveal something: “I have to admit, though, that it was fun to watch Yingluck’s campaign.” Poor Mark just looked uncomfortable doing everyday things. He “came across as the epitome of an elite caste.” Abhisit, it seems, just didn’t understand that you have to give the masses dross and dough. He is said to have been “drawing up policies – not for what the people wanted, but for what he believed they deserved.” Too high-minded, but a good lad.

Of course, behind all of this professionalism and political-business acumen is the Svengali-like Thaksin Shinawatra who has “mesmerised by his … perennial appeal to the proverbial man on the street.” He’s got everyone under his trance and voters as consumers are “too tired to look for the remote to switch channels.”

The thing is, they did “switch channels.” They threw out the Democrat Party and now look forward to something different. They didn’t do that in a trance but as a deliberate and thoughtful attention to the events since 2006. They hope for a better Thailand. They rejected the military and the coup – recall they talked of pressing the reset button on Thai democracy – they didn’t like and took the country backwards in fast rewind.

Giving the electorate some credit just seems too difficult. It’s just impossible to see how “we” – those born to rule and who know best – could have been defeated by the decision of the dark, hot and sweaty masses.
It can’t be admitted that the Democrat Party is a failed and essentially unelectable party, beaten this time by a party running its third-string candidates.

Bangkok Post : Friendship which goes skin deep

ABOUTPolitics

Friendship which goes skin deep

Powerful friends desert the Bhumjaithai Party after its poor election showing - 'Cosmic powers' summoned as Government House re-landscaped for incoming government - Plodprasop's likely return to Environment Ministry heralds colourful changes at the top

• Published: 9/07/2011 at 12:00 AM
• Newspaper section: News

Businessmen are distancing themselves from politicians with waning parliamentary fortunes, and preparing to welcome the next government which will replace them.


Vichai: We didn’t talk about work

The Bhumjaithai Party, a once powerful coalition ally in the Abhisit Vejjajiva government, is being shown the door as the Pheu Thai Party takes over Government House following a landslide win in the general election.

At the height of its glory, Bhumjaithai's's wish was the command of many businessmen as the party was in charge of allocating lucrative infrastructure projects, the more notable of which were connected to Suvarnabhumi airport.

Bhumjaithai oversees the Transport Ministry which, in turn, supervises the management of major international airports around the country.

As the party is left reeling from a crushing defeat in the polls, its bout of ill-fortune has only just begun.

The party has had to endure the embarrassing loss of two seats in Buri Ram, its main stomping ground.

Bhumjaithai's poor showing in the election has baffled many pundits who are trying to figure out what the party did wrong when it controlled the Interior Ministry, considered the country's biggest administration powerhouse.

The second whammy is speculation that the party might be investigated for alleged electoral malpractice in last Sunday's vote. Bhumjaithai could be on the way to being disbanded if the charges are substantiated.

It was also reported that one of the chief factions in the party has contemplated switching sides to join the Pheu Thai-led coalition.

However, this report has not yet been confirmed.

The party is learning the hard way that crisis is proof of a true friendship.

Some politicians are closely acquainted with financiers and dominant business players who help them with financial security while in power.

The favour may be reciprocated in the form of the allocation of state concessions.

Some prominent businessmen, however, are not comfortable with the notion that they have associated themselves with politicians. Vichai Raksriaksorn, head of the King Power Group, has said it is unfair to assume he has close political links with Newin Chidchob, the de facto leader of Bhumjaithai.

Mr Vichai said he makes a living from his business and is not reliant on political parties, and that he has kept himself clear from political affairs.

He claimed he was often implicated as a crony of previous governments, an allegation he insisted was unfounded.

When the Council for National Security toppled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006, the coup engineers listed him as a sympathiser of the administration and his duty-free business concession came under scrutiny.

Outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva also regards him as an opponent.

Mr Vichai conceded, however, that he and Mr Newin are close friends.

Mr Newin sought his advice on how to run the Buriram FC football team owned by the Chidchob family.

Mr Vichai is chairman of Leicester City, which plays in England's second-flight Football League Championship.


Abhisit: Ill-winds of change

Plant reshuffle the talk of the garden

With the changing of the guard at Government House, a few changes to the landscape are also in order.

As the Abhisit Vejjajiva-led cabinet is vacating its offices, preparations are under way to welcome new ministers representing the coalition government led by the Pheu Thai Party.

Some changes to Government House have been introduced from the inside out. The gardens and lawn have been re-landscaped for each new government, and the changes were carefully designed and executed to heighten the ''cosmic'' power of the occupants.

Shrubs and trees were moved around, although often the purpose was not to beautify the gardens but to shore up the fortunes of the government in crisis or reinforce the star of the prime minister.

A Government House source said many eyes were fixed on the latest shuffling of potted plants near the grounds of the main Thai Khu Fah building.

Six croton plants that were lined up on the front lawn of the Thai Khu Fah building have been removed.

The plants had been brought in to keep outgoing Prime Minister Abhisit ''safe'' during the political unrest over the past two years.

Their presence is believed to ward off ill winds from blowing into the corridors of power and it had been hoped they would secure Mr Abhisit's hold on the premiership.

The source said that before the Sunday election, when opinion polls forecast a decisive defeat for the ruling Democrat Party, Government House staff were ordered to place four jackfruits, one in each of the cardinal directions, outside the Thai Khu Fah building.

In the Thai language, jackfruit, or kanoon, is deemed to have a propitious ring and meaning to it. Noon means to prop up, support, cushion or to keep something afloat.

Government House was also the site of the protracted rally by the yellow shirt People's Alliance for Democracy. The protesters occupied the compound for 193 days and declared it off-limits to the cabinet members of the Somchai Wongsawat administration. Mr Somchai never set foot in Government House because of the PAD's occupation and effectively ran the country without a permanent office.

The PAD protest saw the complex dotted with supporters' tents.

The atmosphere on the roads adjacent to Government House resembled that of a temple fair where food stalls and gift shops owned by yellow shirt patrons were doing brisk business.


Plodprasop: Thinking of home

Mr Night Safari shakes up the zoo

Speculation is rife that Pheu Thai Party deputy leader Plodprasop Suraswadi will be named the new natural resources and environment minister.

It won't be too difficult for Mr Plodprasop to fit into the role, if and when he lands the top political seat in the ministry where his civil service career began.

A strong signal of his return to his ''old home'' came when his close aide asked reporters covering the ministry beat what facilities they wanted to see improved.

A source said the question was to help smooth the way for Mr Plodprasop's entry to the ministerial post.

His possible appointment as environment minister will no doubt jolt the ministry as a major reshuffle of officials, including some department chiefs, may be on the cards.

On Thursday, the chiefs of the Department of Royal Forest, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources joined a recent high-level Asean forestry official meeting in Chiang Mai.

Some ministry insiders believe the chiefs are among those with a 50:50 chance of being transferred to an inactive post.

According to the source, Suwit Rattanamanee, chief of the Department of Royal Forest, could lose his seat to Cholatid Suraswadi, who is Mr Plodprasop's nephew.

Mr Cholatid once confided in his close aide that he has been waiting for the deputy post at the department for many years.

He felt now was the right time for him to move up, said the source.

Also on the brink of transfer is Sunan Arunnopparat, boss of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation which controls most of the budget allocated to the ministry.

The source reckoned someone close to Mr Plodprasop would definitely take to the top post.

However, for Kasemsun Chinnavaso, chief of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the prospect of a transfer may be too distressing. If he is shifted, he might return to his old job as secretary-general of the Office of Natural Resources and Environment Policy and Planning (Onep).

The current chief of Onep, Nisakorn Kositratana, is due to retire in October.

Although many top officials face uncertain futures, Supat Wangwongwatana is expected to stay put as Department of Pollution Control chief.

His strong academic background and keen knowledge of pollution issues have enabled him to sidestep reshuffles in many past governments.

Mr Plodprasop's appointment could boost the career opportunities for red shirt-leaning officials placed in inactive posts for many years.

One of them is Damrong Pidech, former chief of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, who is now a frontrunner for the ministry's permanent secretary post now held by Chote Trachu.

Mr Plodprasop's rise to the minister's post will not be smooth sailing. He does not see eye to eye with the non-governmental advocates who decried his support of the establishment of the Chiang Mai Night Safari and its special menu made from exotic animals. He was embroiled in the scandal over the shipping of more than 100 tigers from a private zoo in Thailand to a zoo in China allegedly in violation of the wildlife protection law.

Now, joining in the global concern over climate change, Mr Plodprasop has proposed the idea of building large flood walls to secure Bangkok and nearby cities from major floods, as well as creating a man-made island to prevent coastal erosion in the Gulf of Thailand.

Some observers said if Mr Plodprasop is made environment minister, he will be one of the most colourful characters in the cabinet as he is known for his feisty responses to questions.

Good one, SD. ^^

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Bhumjaithai's poor showing in the election has baffled many pundits who are trying to figure out what the party did wrong when it controlled the Interior Ministry,

Asinine, even by Bangkok standards.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

Another cooking show and swallowing defeat | Political Prisoners in Thailand

July 8, 2011 · 5:54 pm

Another cooking show and swallowing defeat

PPT has been somewhat amazed at the way the mainstream media has been “handling” their election loss last week. The papers are full of sour grape stories.

If you haven't read this excellent article yet - you should.

Originally Posted by StrontiumDog

The second whammy is speculation that the party might be investigated for alleged electoral malpractice in last Sunday's vote. Bhumjaithai could be on the way to being disbanded if the charges are substantiated.

They'll only get banned if PT get banned too. Otherwise it'll strengthen PT, and the army/bluebloods won't be having any of that... So, if B do get banned some time soon, the writing is on the wall, imho...

Pass notes No 3,003: Yingluck Shinawatra | World news | The Guardian

Pass notes No 3,003: Yingluck Shinawatra

Thailand's first female prime minister looks like an easy-to-forget ex-Apprentice contestant


Yingluck Shinawatra. Don't say: You're fired.' Photograph: KeystoneUSA-Zuma/Rex

Age: 44.

Appearance: attractive but ultimately unmemorable ex-Apprentice contestant.

You're right. I don't remember her at all. What was her thing? She was managing director of her own communications business.

They all say that. What's she done lately? She has just been elected Thailand's first female prime minister.

Not bad. They usually end up on Channel 5. She's not actually off the Apprentice. She's the head of the Puea Thai party, which won a huge majority in recent elections.

Can you give me a precis of her political career to date? I pretty much already have. She entered politics only six weeks ago.

What are her qualifications for office? She's the sister of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

I see how it works. I very much doubt that. Thaksin, though ousted in a military coup in 2006, is still very popular in Thailand.

So why didn't he just run himself? Because he's living in self-imposed exile in Dubai, having been convicted in absentia of abuses of power in 2008.

I've never been interested in Thai politics, yet the man's name is strangely familiar to me. Am I smarter than I think I am? You probably know him better as the owner – albeit briefly – of Manchester City. He bought the club in 2007 and sold it in 2008, for a reported £200m.

How does the sister manage to distance herself from her controversial brother? She doesn't. The Puea Thai party, set up by Thaksin, campaigned with the slogan "Thaksin thinks – Puea Thai does".

I'm confused. Are the Shinawatras the good guys or the bad guys? Hard to say. Thaksin is popular with the poor rural majority, who believe he acted in their interests, but his government was dogged by accusations of corruption, nepotism and human rights violations. For the time being, the opposition and the army are minded to accept the election result.

Do say: "The people of Thailand have spoken, and they have overwhelmingly chosen an exiled billionaire's sister."

Don't say: "You're fired."

Originally Posted by DroversDog

The last I heard is that the subs never got approved.

The 30 year old ones were disapproved. It's now new one/s from Korea.