Wednesday, October 10, 2018: The noose seems to be tightening around Thaksin Shinawatra’s neck, with his son, Panthongtae, being indicted in connection with the Krungthai Bank scandal. The development is politically significant because it can either galvanise the father ahead of the crucial Thai election or soften the political belligerence of his de facto party, Pheu Thai. Read a detailed analysis and background of the case here: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/panthongtae-shinawatra-bigger-political-pawn-nowadays/
Tuesday, October 9, 2018,: It was a day of verbal wars. Suthep Thaugsuban, who led massive street protests against the Yingluck government and is a key member of the Action Coalition of Thailand Party, warned that any attempt to “tear up” Thailand’s new Constitution would be tantamount to an “unacceptable insult” on nearly 17 million voters who took part in a referendum a couple of years ago. Thaksin Shinawatra’s son, Panthongtae, who is facing money laundering charges related to the Krungthai Bank scandal, took another social media swipe at his accusers, accusing them of conspiring against his family.
Meanwhile, Sondhi Limthongkul’s son, Jittanart, slammed red-shirted leaders for “distorting” his father’s political stand. The young Limthongkul denied that his father was leaning toward “the other side” following an imprisonment sentence. “Please leave him alone,” Jittanart said of his father, a former Thaksin cheerleader who spectacularly turned against the Shinawatra patriarch in mid 2000s. “Things have been hard enough for them.”
News coming out of the red shirted camp had it that Sondhi agreed with its idea to “dissolve all political colours.” That could be arguably interpreted as Sondhi was switching back to Thaksin.
Jittanart said red-shirted leader Jatuporn Prompan had talks with Sondhi while in jail. “He did all the talking while my father only listened. The red-shirted leaders must stop using my father’s name,” Jittanart said.
Monday, October 8, 2018: Was it a good-natured welcoming roar or were Buriram people booing Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan? He thought it was the former but anti-military critics insisted the loud noises were an unmistakable sign of political resentment. The significance of it is that the incident took place right in the middle of the den of former kingmaker Newin Chidchob, believed to be the de facto leader of the Bhum Jai Thai Party.
“If they do hate me, the noises would have come with missiles,” Prawit said. “Of course, they were welcoming me.”
The social media was not on his side, though. “The people might not know they were allowed to throw missiles at him,” one person tweeted. “He stayed put after the wristwatch scandal,” another noted, adding “this is just boos.”
Prawit, it has to be said, is not very popular. His refusal to resign from the Prayut Cabinet following disclosure that he had not declared extremely-expensive wristwatches in his possession. He claimed he borrowed the accessories but few people believed that.
