Prime Minister Prayut warns troublemakers (feelphoto / Shutterstock.com)
The results of the elections on March 24 keep people busy. Prime Minister Prayut said yesterday that troublemakers spreading fake news about the election on social media are undermining religion and the monarchy. He warned Thai not to take everything they read for truth.
Tensions in the country have increased in recent days. According to a number of political parties and demonstrators, the Electoral Council (deliberately) made serious mistakes when counting the votes and calculating the seats. Political opponents want to take the case to court.
Prayut wants justice to take its course but says special orders to calm things down remain an option.
In response to the growing criticism of the Electoral Council, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit says that the council has done a good job and there is no need to doubt the outcome.
Deputy Chief Commissioner Srivara says that the police remains on alert because demonstrations are being held. Yesterday there were numerous requests for gatherings in Bangkok and beyond.
In Lat Phrao (Bangkok), a car belonging to a demonstrator against the Electoral Council was set on fire yesterday.
Source: Bangkok Post
A number of charges have been brought against the new progressive party Future Forward, the latest of which says the party is undermining the monarchy.
And the army commander Apirat also made himself heard. He warned that foreign-educated academics want to overthrow the monarchy and could spark civil war.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1655304/army-chief-maintain-constitutional-monarchy
Very good that the army protects the beautiful, ancient and unique Thai culture!
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
My Thai colleagues who have obtained a BBA and/or an MBA and/or PhD abroad are all good, monarchy-loving citizens and with some you can get into quite a fight if you say even one good word about the 'reds' or the 'novices'…….
Prayut's advice not to take everything one reads for granted is of course GREAT advice. And in order to distinguish between 'real and fake', Thais need to be taught more critical awareness; do not blindly obey.
Ordinary Thais have plenty of critical awareness, Chris. That criticism has been suppressed and made punishable, by who else, Chris? Someone whose name starts with a P. In a personal conversation I hear a lot of criticism, just like in the schoolyard but not in the classroom. The Kingdom of Fear. And who demands blind obedience? The teachers, the leaders, the army, the monks and the unnameable.
And what you say in your first response is that the fake news comes more from above, right?
The leaders warn precisely because they see how much criticism there is. The leaders in Thailand do not tolerate criticism. And before you say it, Thaksin did not tolerate criticism either.
It's all about how you bring it, of course. It is not a criminal offense at all to make students critical. What am I saying? In every course at the university you MUST because it is in the objectives about moral and integrity. I do that but many other Thai colleagues don't. Actually they, and not I, are in violation because it has to be !!
Well critical. Again, it's about how you bring it. The direct way is not very popular in Thailand, at any level and in any organization. I call that a piece of culture (values and norms) but you will undoubtedly find that nonsense. It immediately becomes demonstrating and fighting, but people have never heard of civil disobedience here. It's about time.
Oh well, who cares about the National Collective for Propaganda & Oppression.
555555 I had to think for a moment… the NCPO. the National Council for Peace and Order. Orwellian.
More people than you think.
But Tino anyway, Future Forward is secretly a republican party, friends with Thaksin and therefore a danger to the country... Now listen to the generals. Prayut and Apirat are such good people who never wanted all this but everything for the national interest, at least they are ready to die. Tribute to the junta and the military. The troublemakers with their criticism, their chatter about abuses, fraud, bungling, democracy, transparency really need to be called to order by the army. That's the Thai way of doing things. Respect that!! Three yard h0era! whoa whoa whoa!
(Need I mention that this is sarcasm?)
I was a member of the left-wing student movement in the 70s and learned there that you get really upset if you just say something and don't come up with facts. That is why at the time we wrote black books about abuses (some 200-250 pages, about Indonesia, about the 1000 guilder tuition fee, about student participation at faculty and university level, about teledection) that we offered to the government or other authorities. We were heard, invited for a meeting in The Hague and involved in making compromises: the 1000 guilder tuition fee was dropped, the WUB was introduced.
Now a page with 500 words has already become too much. So you only read slogans and yes, then you are mercilessly punished by authorities (in my time the PvdA ruled) and portrayed as rioters and communists.
Do these political tensions now have repercussions on the currency?
Why ? Thailand is still a much more stable country than, say, Europe. The economy is really booming here and it won't be stopped by some grumbling.
By the way, if the tensions become too much, Prayut will intervene quickly and everything will remain as it was. Thailand is a country where social tranquility is a must and the political situation will remain stable. It is all this that lures investors here and makes them flee from Europe.
You can expect a further increase in the value of the Baht.
Not again, Fred? 555 The Thai economy is doing reasonably well, with 3% growth slightly better than the Netherlands (2% growth). That was slightly higher, so there is a declining growth to be seen in Thailand. So there are concerns about that. The unrest surrounding politics is also making the business community nervous. So in terms of economy, the lights in Thailand are certainly not all bright green. No expectations that travel to the sky, no 'grow like cabbage'. What does that mean for the baht?? Whoever knows that is a rich man.
Social peace in Thailand is currently still an illusion, enforced with the barrel of a gun, but we clearly see that the people are stirring again. Without the junta dictatorship rules such as article 44, gathering and demonstration bans, etc. that the Prayut could use, he cannot do much either. Or they can stage a (self-)coup and again declare and enforce the strict prohibitions by seeking out, arresting and intimidating people who beep too loudly. But that doesn't work in the long run either. Once the people are fed up.
Resources and more:
- https://www.thailandblog.nl/achtergrond/de-gevolgen-van-brexit-voor-thailand/#comment-548943
- https://www.thailandblog.nl/nieuws-uit-thailand/thailand-verkiezingen-2019-prayut-keert-waarschijnlijk-terug-al-premier/#comment-549274
Before dear Fred starts talking about figures and the economy, he should first delve into the facts about these figures. With or without P. at the head, the economy has been running on a modest scale for 20 years. And compare the figures with other countries in the dsn region, Thailand is roughly half of those other countries.
I don't think so. The country must be very unstable for this to happen.
For some correct information, here possible scenarios how yellow, red and black cards can still influence the result (distribution of seats):
“ECT penalties and how it could affect the election results”
https://prachatai.com/english/node/8006
And if you prefer to laugh, here's a funny guide for dictators on how to hold a 'democratic' election:
“How to have an election and avoid having democracy”
https://prachatai.com/english/node/8004