Thai politics

[Snick]

As some of you may know, politics in Thailand is in chaos right now. With a growing opposition trying to force out the Prime Minister.

Below is an article from the New York Times, but I'm starting off with the closing paragraph.

'Perhaps the most succinct declaration came from a group of prostitutes at the rally. They put up a sign that said, "We sell our bodies, we don't sell our country."'
-- Well Said !

I have a few LB friends who were in the protest march last week.

[Snick]

Thai Leader Ponders Leaving Post Awhile

By SETH MYDANS

BANGKOK, March 15 €” Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand said Wednesday that he might step aside temporarily in the face of huge continuing protests, but he kept open the option of getting tough instead by declaring a state of emergency.

A sense of crisis intensified in Thailand as thousands of people conducted a round-the-clock demonstration and demands multiplied for the prime minister to resign.

The confrontation echoed popular uprisings in the Philippines, Ukraine, Georgia and other nations where elected leaders have been driven from office by what Mr. Thaksin, like other besieged officials, called "mob rule."

As was the case in some of those uprisings, the Thai demonstration, which at its peak attracted a crowd estimated at 100,000, was festive, with pop music, skits, speeches, ice cream, roasted peanuts and periodic chants of "Get out!"

"It's a good proposal," Mr. Thaksin said when a reporter asked about suggestions by business leaders and academics that he take a break from his position as prime minister.

But he added: "This does not mean that I would bow to mob rule. I have to take some time to consider and decide what to do, because I have a duty to complete my mission."

Adding to the mixed signals, Mr. Thaksin on Tuesday promoted to first deputy prime minister Gen. Chidchai Wannasathit, a former classmate who is in charge of security affairs in the cabinet and is justice minister.

Analysts said this could be read either as preparation for Mr. Thaksin to step aside and leave the government in the hands of a trusted subordinate, or as preparation for a crackdown on demonstrators.

The prime minister is a billionaire telecommunications tycoon, and opposition members said General Chidchai could also protect Mr. Thaksin's assets from being seized if he left office.

On Tuesday, Mr. Thaksin said he reserved the option of declaring a state of emergency if the protests turned violent. "Of course, we are ready," he said.

After his promotion, General Chidchai said that at the moment, a state of emergency "would be superfluous." He also dismissed the notion that Mr. Thaksin might step aside and leave him in charge.

On Feb. 24, in an attempt to undercut his challengers, Mr. Thaksin dissolved Parliament and set an election for April 2, three years early and slightly more than a year after winning re-election in a landslide. But the three main opposition parties blunted this move, announcing a boycott of the vote, and the election now seems more likely to bring new disarray than to resolve the standoff.

The situation was further complicated by an announcement on Wednesday by the Election Commission that it had disqualified more than a third of the candidates in the April vote, raising the possibility that it would be impossible to seat a new Parliament.

Mr. Thaksin's electoral base is among the rural poor who make up a majority of the population and whose views clash with those of the mostly urban demonstrators in the capital. The prime minister spent the day among the poor in Buriram Province in northeastern Thailand, where he rode an elephant in what was seen as a gesture of good luck. A cabinet minister denied that Mr. Thaksin had traveled there to be blessed by a Cambodian witch doctor.

But the tide continued to turn against Mr. Thaksin €” much as it has in other popular uprisings €” with groups and public figures speaking out in opposition.

These included a confederation of 40 labor unions; and teachers, employees of the national airline, Thai Airways, university lecturers, and influential former student political advocates and the spokesman for Thailand's national police, Gen. Archirawit Suphanaphesat, who said he had sent the prime minister a personal letter urging him to step aside.

Nittaya Wirapong, 45, a teacher who stayed through the night at the rally, said on Wednesday, "I will fight, fight, fight until Thaksin resigns because I worry about the future of our country."

Adding to the bad news for the prime minister, on Wednesday, a court acquitted a journalist, Supinya Klangnarong, who was sued in connection with defamation in 2003 after suggesting that Mr. Thaksin's businesses had benefited from government policies while he was in office.

The prime minister's moves against the news media were among the grievances that have accumulated against him, which focus primarily on corruption and cronyism. The last straw for his opponents came in late January when his family sold the telecommunications conglomerate he built, the Shin Corporation, which earned his family $1.9 billion and avoided a huge bill in Thai taxes. Mr. Thaksin said that he had nothing to do with the sale and that his children had conducted it.

"Thaksin is cheating our country!" Heng Saesue, 45, a painter, declared Wednesday at the protest. "We will stay until Thaksin steps down."

Perhaps the most succinct declaration came from a group of prostitutes at the rally. They put up a sign that said, "We sell our bodies, we don't sell our country."

[PigDogg]

Hey Snick, I guess you hang with the ladyboy intelligentsia. One Issan ladyboy friend of mine thinks highly of the 30 baht medical scheme. Her family was given 100 baht each to vote against the TRT candiate. They took the baht and voted for the TRT dude anyway.

[Snick]

They were all college educated LB--not bar girls.

Only 100 Baht !!!, I heard TRT Pays 200 Baht and free booze.

[Guest]

Off topic- but I just wanted to say, Snick- great avatar!

[Snick]

Thanks , I went thru 3 edits - but I think this one is a keeper.

[stogie bear]

They say there's gonna be an election. I wouldn't bet on it!

Thaksin can say what he wants but he ain't standing down. I'll wager my rent on it!

[Snick]

No election (maybe), the election board announced that its pointless since they can't fill all 400 directly elected seats (some districts have no one running)

The other 100 seats come from party lists, TRT would get them all, except they only have 99 people on their list since one resigned to become a Monk

In short, if there was an election its guarenteed there would be empty seats and a goventment could not be formed.

[BAM]

On Feb. 24, in an attempt to undercut his challengers, Mr. Thaksin dissolved Parliament....

Just to think all this shit started to happen when I was in Town! I can't go anywhere whithout causing chaos

[Mai-Kee]

They say there's gonna be an election. I wouldn't bet on it!

Thaksin can say what he wants but he ain't standing down. I'll wager my rent on it!

Pretty sure as well. Toxin will never step down, no way!
I mentioned it before and actually it's hard for me to say that, because in m.h.o. this guy did a lot of damage to this country - not only pissing me off with those fucking closing hours, ennoying raids and the useless PR show called "war against drugs"!
Considering the super sensitive political situation we have now all over the globe and especially in countries with muslim movements like in the South of LOS, it'd be the safer way if he cheats his people for another 4 years, than having the insecurity of a suspended government for a few months.

MK

[PigDogg]

not only pissing me off with those fucking closing hours, ennoying raids and the useless PR show called "war against drugs"!

I'm for the TRF party...Thais Rove Farangs. And I'm not talking about Karl!

[BAM]

Anyone in North America that wants to get great live coverage of the protests and other political shit going on right now live out of Thailand then check out this satellite feed....

Satellite Intelsat Americas 5 at 97.0°W
Downlink Ku band 12152MHz
SR 20,000
Vpid 32
Apid 33

One guy was holding up a banner that read

"Thaksin get out FUCK OFF!"

I'm really worried things are going to eventually turn violent. Some of the people there seem very worked up and ready at a moments notice to vent their anger€¦ at someone or something.

[PigDogg]

What he say?

[PigDogg]

"Thaksin get out FUCK OFF!"

In English, interesting

[Skinhound]

I've been monitoring the baht/usd exchange rate while this has been going on and have been very surprised to see it remain the same - roughly 39 to the usd.

i'm hoping for the baht to decline as im planning to buy real estate in thailand this year. anyone got an (educated) opinion on the future of the baht given all this turmoil?