Recent Developments

[tamada]

Thaksin gets a Royal Pardon.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... nds-sunday

And the PM gets new powers to nip military coup makers and erstwhile insurrectionists in the bud.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/po ... p-plotters

Are we living in interesting times or what?

The FES at CCW will have lots to talk about next Friday.

Or, maybe not.

[Whistler]

Everything is going on in private talks with HiSo. None of us know the bigger picture. Clearly, Thaksin is a puppet master.

I do not believe for one second the army is going to relinquish control.

Baffled and await the next move, K1ng to R8, Knight to B3, fork on K1ng. 3 potential check mates with all the pawns looking on.

[tamada]

With all these Royal pardons being dished out, for me, it revives those "Republic of Thailand" rumours from way back when Thaksin was enjoying his party's second free and fair election success. You know, the one where someone is called Prime Minister while the higher office is that of the President.

[tamada]

Oh dear...

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/po ... ve-forward

[tamada]

Well, isn't this a surprise, eh?

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/po ... dia-report

[rickfarang]

We might finally see changes that are for the better and will resist being rolled back. One can hope, at least.

[tamada]

If the EC removes Pheu Thai's legitimacy, as they have previously done to BOTH of Thaksin's political vehicles, what "changes for the better" can we realistically expect?

[rickfarang]

Good question .

[Laan Yaa Mo]

One wonders if General Prawit wields any influence with the election commission. After all, he must be upset that his party was excluded from the new cabinet, and his boy 'Big Joke' was not selected as police chief. Or has his power to doom politicians he deems undesirable waned? Can he no longer get the Senate to act as he wishes?

[tamada]

One wonders if General Prawit wields any influence with the election commission. After all, he must be upset that his party was excluded from the new cabinet, and his boy 'Big Joke' was not selected as police chief. Or has his power to doom politicians he deems undesirable waned? Can he no longer get the Senate to act as he wishes?

Hard to tell from the local media if he's either down and out or, more dangerously, just treading water while he tries to get his own fractious party back onboard as a coalition partner.

He has been complicit with previous EC and CC rulings that have eviscerated parties and crushed opponents. However, despite his current no-show in the House which violates attendance rules and drawing calls for an "ethics probe" (you have to laugh, don't you?) from a fellow party member, he appears to remain as obdurate and immovable as ever.

He even slaps people in public but it all appears to go away eventually.