December 25, 2024: It remains to be seen which key promise Thaksin Shinawatra made in Chiang Mai will come true: There will be no House dissolution or the dreaded “call centre” racketeers will face an unprecedented crackdown next year.
The man is on a roll, picking up where he left off at the previous Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation rally. The newest promises were the latest in a series of vows he has made in absolute disregard for possible legal or constitutional consequences.
“Don’t worry about House dissolution,” he told rally goers. “Tongues and teeth accidentally meet all the time. So, in spite of that, this government will complete its term. With a government this stable, why should we dissolve Parliament? As for people still thinking we would, let them continue to bark.”
(Tongues and teeth is a Thai saying meaning people close to each other clash from time to time. The Bhumjaithai Party, however, might be thinking of another saying: Smack the head and then pat the back.)
On “Call Centres” scammers, Thaksin said he was coming for them.
“I’m telling Myanmar and Cambodia to do something about it or, with due respect, we will. With their permission, I will send our men (over the borders) to take care of the problem,” he said.
(That was among rapid-fire promises that also include a no-nonsense anti-drug campaign like before he was ousted in a coup, debt relief, putting “underground businesses” on the ground because they generated massive incomes, cheap housing and widespread installation of smart toilets that help people wipe their butts.)
Are you not entertained?
December 24, 2024: So much for “I only want to go home to babysit my grandkids”.
Thaksin Shinawatra has never been expected to stay out of politics after his return from Dubai, but even those not trusting his promise made during the last days of his political exile did not think he would be this out of control.
The following is a compilation of his fiery (some may say funny) remarks made during a Provincial Administrative Organisation election rally in Chiang Mai this week:
“I have a Bt700 monthly salary but my daughter is the prime minister whose salary (everything included) is more than a hundred thousand baht. It’s her who liang (take care of) me.” (This is in response to the “Ratthabarn Por Liang” nickname that Government House reporters gave the Paetongtarn administration the other day.)
“Voters in Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani went all out for us, so Chiang Mai can’t be upstaged. All I need is 600,000 votes.” (He could argue that this is not him taking care of her, and that he is just supporting her party.)
“You elect politicians to have them serve you, not to hear them boast. I’m asking for your votes in person, not in letters like I used to do.” (Look who’s talking about bragging.)
“I will come here (to Chiang Mai) regularly from now on. I will return you the panda. Now the panda home is being built. Thanks to China softening its conditions, Chiang Mai will have panda(s) soon.” (This comes right after the “boasting” bit.)
“On December 26, I’m meeting a (Malaysian leader) friend who appointed me as an Asean adviser so we can discuss strategies that will benefit Thailand. … I’m here so don’t worry. I won’t let AI cause you any problem. Don’t panic about losing jobs. Thais will get better and smarter and will be trained to control AI.” (This follows the panda disclosure and, of course, the “boasting” remark.)
“Please rest assured. Now that I have come home, I will not stay idle. I want to help you my brothers and sisters. We are rich but villagers are still poor, and that is why I decided to enter politics decades ago. That motivation has never changed. Use me a lot. Elect many of my people, so they can work for you.” (If you still doubt it after the Anwar Ibrahim reference, this is where “I only want to go home to raise my grandchildren” officially goes out the window.)
“Some people thanked me when I gave them money. When I stopped doing that, they bit me. They wanted me to pay for every meal. This annoys me no end.” (There are quite a few usual suspects and many people must be scrutinizing these lines at this moment.)
“From now on I will hit back at whoever hits me. I won’t keep them to be my fathers. This is a joke, by the way, so reporters shall not take it too seriously.” (This is apparently said in the context of Chiang Mai politics, but some mainstream media outlets have taken it seriously and the remark will unavoidably be linked to national affairs.)
Hand that rocks the cradle
December 23, 2024: Every yearend Government House reporters give the government a teasing nickname, every single one of which is profound and hilarious. This year’s is up there among the best of them.
“Porliang” as a noun means stepfather, or adoptive father, or an influential man responsible for the well-being of many lives, mostly in northern rural neighbourhoods. “Liang” as a verb means to raise or to take care of. “Porliang” is always used as a noun, though. In other words, you rarely split “Por” and “Liang”.
“Ratthabarn (government) Por Liang” is this year’s nickname for the Paetongtarn administration, and all things considered Por is a noun and Liang is a verb. The reporters split the words of a widely-known noun to come up with a brilliant mockery.
As for Paetongtarn, the reporters call her “Paetongpoey”. “Poey” means note. The nickname takes into account how much she is perceived to have to rely on notes on major administrative functions.
Up close and personal
December 22, 2024: What looks like a farewell report/article on Joe Biden from The New York Times is sad, but it also raises a few major questions.
And when what is largely perceived to be a left-leaning media outlet addresses his frailty, age and questionable ability to serve at the world’s highest office, we stop to listen.
It’s not anti-Biden media or keyboard warriors that said he’s looking slower and older now. The observation has come from a national newspaper that has endorsed just a dozen Republican presidential candidates throughout the American history compared with 32 Democrats and has endorsed the Democratic Party in every election since 1960.
One of the most damning parts of the said article, published a few days ago, has to do with the feelings of the outgoing president’s own fans as well as neutral observers who were all but stunned by how he currently looked and acted.
“After speaking for seven minutes on a day of draining humidity, a blue shirt hanging loosely over his frame, he turned to slowly shuffle away down a dirt path as several people in the audience not used to seeing him up close said they held their breath, worried that he would trip,” The New York Time wrote.
What was witnessed took place after Donald Trump’s election victory and Biden’s aides said his gait was no more unsteady than usual, a claim that in fact made a lot of people wonder why this “common” appearance did not worry the White House officials like it worried ordinary onlookers.
Other parts of the article also dwelled on his old age. “This is the twilight of Mr. Biden’s presidency, the final days of the final chapter of an epic half-century political journey that has had more than its share of twists and turns. Time is catching up with him,” it said.
“He looks a little older and a little slower with each passing day. Aides say he remains plenty sharp in the Situation Room, calling world leaders to broker a cease-fire in Lebanon or deal with the chaos of Syria’s rebellion. But it is hard to imagine that he seriously thought he could do the world’s most stressful job for another four years.”
How Biden acted in the Situation Room is crucial, even more so at a time when the world is facing the biggest risks since the World War II. The White House cannot afford to say he looks anything but the commander in chief.
While the article talked about sharpness in the Situation Room, it did mention what allies noticed about changes in presidential schedules and how he talked.
Biden “maintained a light schedule at times and sometimes mumbled, making him hard to understand,” it said. His recent trip to the African country Angola reportedly raised concern, according to The New York Times.
“During an arrival ceremony on his trip to Angola, on the day after a long, tiring transoceanic flight that would have taxed any octogenarian, President João Lourenço suddenly clutched Mr. Biden’s arm to help guide him up a step," the Times reported.
“When Mr. Biden visited the National Museum of Slavery that afternoon, he did not actually enter the main building to view the exhibitions; instead, artifacts were brought outside to show him, which two people familiar with the planning attributed to fear that the steep stairs would be too much of a challenge," it continued. Officially, the White House denied that the stairs were a concern and said he was not brought inside for scheduling and logistical reasons.
The article answers some questions and raises new ones. Is the alarming decline swift as The New York Times suggested or has it been there for quite some time? And if it was the latter, why didn’t the US administration say anything about it? A harsher question would be: If it was the latter, who ran America in his “absence”?
The most cynical assumption would be that the American and world public are now being prepped for what might otherwise shock them.
Why Tangmo case should be reopened
December 21, 2024: The biggest reason why the case of “drowned” actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong should be reinvestigated sounds paradoxical.
The police “settlement” of the case damaged the reputation of the force. Reopening the case can damage the force’s reputation even more. But then again, the only way to salvage what is left of the reputation of the force is revive the case and clear all the doubts.
Lingering questions are too numerous and several are solidly scientific. The police claim they are “conspiracy-theory questions” asked by people not involved in investigation, but the very fact that the police do not address the “conspiracy questions” in a scientific manner is exactly what causes the suspicion to continue.
For example, why were bottommost riverbed materials in the lungs in large amounts? What are the opinions of forensic and autopsy experts on that? When do drowned persons normally die _ after hitting river floor or before that, in which case those materials cannot have been breathed in?
Then there are issues of unclear explanation regarding the leg wound, of nobody seeing her falling into the water despite the facts that the boat was small and the group was compact enough to notice any ill incident happening to anyone of them. There was also a large period when phone cameras simultaneously did not take the photo of a woman who normally loved being in any picture.
“Strange” behaviours of her companions after the “accident” can be dismissed as “different people deal with shocks differently”, but when put together with other questions, they increased wild speculation and deserved to be a focus of serious investigation.
Why were potentially-important accounts, witnesses or opinions kept away from police investigative conclusions? Why did her mother once suspect murder rather than a simple speedboat accident?
All these contributed to why the police conclusion of the “accident” have a lot of doubters, whose community will certainly grow because the media group that is bringing down lawyer Sittra Biabangkerd in an effective and swift manner is now officially leading the “conspiracy theorists”.
The Manger Group is sticking its neck out. But a bigger neck is on the chopping block and it belongs to the police. The force can play the “conspiracy card” again, but the gamble now is bigger than ever before.
Poll names Paetongtarn "Politician of the Year", but ...
December 20, 2024: What should worry Thailand’s “Politician of the Year” is how close the multi-horse race is.
North Bangkok Poll of the North Bangkok University has surveyed 1,500 Thais and found that 15.4% of them like Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. For a prime minister to be top of a popularity poll is no surprise, but what is surprising is the relatively-low percentage of those backing her and how close she is to the chasing pack.
Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai is the first runner-up with 7.8%. People’s Party leader Nutthaphong Ruengpanyawut, who should be more worried than anybody else in the poll, is 5%, bettered even by party colleagues Sirikanya Tansakun (7.3%), Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn (6.1%) and Rangsiman Rome (5.3%).
Nutthaphong is also lower than United Thai Nation leader Pirapan Salirathavibhaga (5.5%) and close to Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul (4.1%). He comes ahead of Sudarat Keyuraphan (3.7%), though.
Small signs of big problems
December 19, 2024: The seemingly “smooth” House of Representatives agreement on the proposed “one-tier” referendum to sound out the Thai public on charter amendment is in fact an unmistakable hint of major troubles to come.
Don’t let the overwhelming number of the winning side fool you. It’s a calm sea with dark clouds gathering on the horizons. To be exact, it’s not “seemingly smooth”, but it’s “deceptively smooth.”
The Bhumjaithai Party voted against the one-tier referendum method to kick start possible charter amendment. Dozens of government MPs chose to stay away from the assembly hall. And this development only has to do with the “process”, not the “substance”. The whole thing followed what Thaksin Shinawatra said controversially about certain coalition partners as well.
The debate on the pros and cons of “simple majority” (one tier) and “double majority” (two-tier) can take forever. What can be swift is consequences of the disagreement which appears to be prevalent in the House of Representatives and is absolutely obvious when the Senate is taken into account.
Bhumjaithai is backed by the Senate, whose support for the two-tier system had been confirmed just before the House of Representatives vote.
Everything will come into play for referendum and charter amendment, namely clashing ideologies, reluctant alliance between Pheu Thai and conservatives, and the frenemy relationship between Pheu Thai and the People’s Party.
What Constitutional Court thinks about "they 14th floor"
December 18, 2024: Supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra must be feeling encouraged by the Constitutional Court’s ruling on whether Thaksin Shinawatra had faked his illness and whether those accused of giving him special privileges on his return from exile should be punished for sedition.
According to the Constitutional Court, more evidence is needed if the top apparatus of the Justice Ministry is to be punished for helping put Thaksin on the 14th floor of the Police Hospital under a pretext of health concern. To read between the lines, the judges did not say the alleged crime was all right, but they said they wanted to see clearer evidence.
Simply put, stronger evidence could have made the case end differently.
What can really lift Thaksin’s backers is the judges’ ruling that the alleged crime is “far from” being equivalent to an act of using rights or liberty to try to destroy Thailand’s constitutional monarchy system. In other words, even if the accused were found guilty of faking illness and giving a prisoner undeserved privileges, the charge did not constitute an attempt to end Thailand’s political system.
Thaksin’s Hua Hin “threat” may prove disastrous
December 17, 2024: There are only two types of politicians _ the boring extroverts and the extroverts who live dangerously thanks to their uncontrolled words.
Thaksin Shinawatra is in the latter category. And he’s endangering not just himself but also the Pheu Thai Party and his daughter/prime minister. What he said days ago in Hua Hin will be considered by the Election Commission which is investigating charges that Pheu Thai might have been under the influence of someone who is not supposed to influence it.
EC Chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong said his agency had narrowed down over 100 party-dissolution complaints to around 4-8 cases, and that the EC would consider all potentially-related evidence including the much-publicised speech made by Thaksin at the recent Hua Hin party seminar.
It was a highly-controversial speech in which he slammed Cabinet members absent from a crucial meeting. His strong words were considered by many as a “threat” to the absentees or even their parties, upping the political temperature significantly.
The speech was initially thought of as primarily a political problem. But judging from Ittiporn’s hints, it could give Pheu Thai a big legal headache.
“Our inquirers responsible for fact-gathering will have to look at everything that could be related to specific complaints, and then express their opinions,” Ittiporn said. It sounded like a routine, textbook statement, but he was responding to a question if what Thaksin said in Hua Hin would be checked by the EC.
Who is the de facto leader of Pheu Thai is never a secret. The difference between now and a few years ago, however, is that Pheu Thai was virtually in limbo during Prayut Chan-o-cha’s reign and Thaksin was overseas, so it didn’t matter much whether the party was “influenced” by him or not.
Most awkward political dinner ever, maybe
December 16, 2924: Reporters are concentrating on the very person who almost definitely will not join the People’s Party’s dinner this Wednesday, Palang Pracharath leader Prawit Wongsuwan.
Palang Pracharath has said he certainly would not join the dinner but the party would send a representative. That’s understandable. He would feel very uncomfortable, and the host would be equally so. But whoever the representative is, he or she should stack up the smartphone with great content, as the person would surely need it.
The dinner was apparently called and planned both out of courtesy and necessity. Natthaphong Ruangpanyawut, the new leader of the “Orange” political camp, needed to officially meet the opposition peers and there are things to work and discuss together, like the no-confidence offensive and charter amendment.
But even opposition friends will find the People’s Party’s plans to be very extreme. Palang Pracharath will be uneasy just listening to them. And what side the Thai Sang Thai is on may be a subject of awkwardness at the dinner as well, amid all the contradictions in public statements from party leader Sudarat Keyuraphan and some leading voices of her camp.
The name of the appointment venue is profound. The restaurant’s name is “Irk-ka-rerk” (Rough translation is celebratory tumult). If the guests are awkward and silent, it will be an irony. But if they behave that way, the media will be very noisy about it.
Is "race card" more or less important in US politics?
December 15, 2024: One of the biggest puzzles coming out of Donald Trump’s stunning election victory has to do with racism.
And along with that, the legacy of one of the most popular modern-day American presidents is under serious threat. Barrack Obama is facing scrutiny and criticism like never before, especially after telling black men to vote for Kamala Harris in a highly-controversial way.
Trump’s win is making both ordinary people and politicians alike wonder whether the race card is becoming more or less relevant in the country. Is the outcome a “white supremacy and male chauvinism” message or is it voters saying we are sick of Democrats telling us who to vote or not vote for based on skin colours and gender?
Video clips featuring Obama telling black men they should not vote for someone who “has a history of denigrating you” flooded YouTube and, judging from comments, his “lecture” backfired badly. And one thing has led to another. His wealth is being scrutinised. His alleged role in why Joe Biden had to pull out of the presidential race is being scrutinised.
Damaging gossips are being revisited. Critics claim the days of playing an alleged “puppet master” is over. The Democrats are reportedly asking themselves if he should remain their influential poster boy.
He and his wife Michelle are even accused by many of being one of the main reasons why Harris was defeated, because they preached racism so much that it alienated black males and prompted them to lean towards Trump in a great and unprecedented number, tilting the vote in the winner’s favour very significantly.
When the Trump victory became clear, pro-Harris media bemoaned racism and misogyny. This must have struck a chord with a lot of Americans. But, at the same time, the pro-Trump camp has insisted that the results were a strong proof that playing the race card no longer worked, and that Harris lost because of what she did and had not done, not because she is a woman.
In other words, one side is saying white male supremacy is still very much there and is possibly getting stronger than ever (in which case racism remains a big, political card), but the other side is saying political competition should base on true capabilities, not racial sympathy (in which case racism is an outdated political tool).
Obama, in his first post-election speech just a few days ago, triggered another big controversy. Amid a myriad of questionable points like the Republicans being responsible for a “doom loop” of justice weaponisation, divisive politics and governmental gridlock, he claimed the November election, to many, “proves democracy is far down on people’s priority list”.
Is Thai political equilibrium losing balance?
December 14, 2024: Is what Thaksin Shinawatra said in Hua Hin this weekend a tipping point? It’s extremely provocative and making the already-uncertain political future of his daughter Paetongtarn even more precarious.
The Thai parliamentary politics exists on a very fragile equilibrium, with the Red forming a reluctant and begrudged alliance with the Yellow conservatives. If the latter were doubters, what Thaksin did in Hua Hin was loading them with a lot more doubts.
The conservatives can’t like it. The Orange must have quietly been pleased. The Pheu Thai Party including the prime minister must be exclaiming “What?!?”
And this is coming at a time of growing conservative restlessness over the Kut island affair as well. (Last week, Thaksin was challenging anyone who think MoU44 is a bad idea to a face-to-face debate. At Hua Hin, he sounded even more belligerent, saying that only “buffalos” would befriend someone and accuse the new friend of trying to give that piece of land to the Cambodians.)
Thaksin is not Pheu Thai’s lightning rod, mind you. The lightning rod is supposed to keep the building safe. He is an expanding hole in the Pheu Thai ship. In the whole government ship to be exact.
Love-hate triangle
December 13, 2024: Joe Biden, struggling with a teleprompter, has slammed Donald Trump’s planned tax barriers, but the outgoing US president seemed to have forgotten to tell his wife, Jill, not to create pro-Trump news by looking at Time’s latest Person of the Year that curious way.
Photos and videos of Jill Biden and Trump at the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in France a few days ago have gone viral. “You should find a person who looks at you like Jill looks at Trump” is a popular caption.
The new line of Trump fragrances also trolled Jill Biden in a cute way in its promotion. The advert for the “Fight, Fight, Fight” line says something like “For just $199 you will get a whiff of victory and charm and strength, something even your enemy can’t resist.”
You can’t totally blame Trump and his businesses. Jill Biden has sparked all kinds of speculation. She wore a red dress on the US election day. She ignored the woman who replaced her husband as the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate. And at a recent White House event, she talked curiously about “Joy”, a Harris campaign buzzword.
Speaking at a conference on advancing women’s health research just a few days ago, she said the attendees must take note of the White House décor and “feel, I don’t know, a little, a sense of joy. Because I think we all need like this, you know, we all need to feel joy now.”
Polite yet acknowledging laughter greeted that, and she promptly said: “You are all reading into that.”
Joe, meanwhile, is doing what he has to do, albeit in an awkward manner which has become part of his character somewhat. World media were not sure which one to highlight _ his criticism of Trump’s planned tax hikes for foreign commodities entering the United States as well as an anti-China extreme trade policy, or problems in front of Biden when the teleprompter short-circuited.
Biden with a teleprompter is already worrisome these days. Without one he can make everyone hold his or her breath entirely.
Biden scraped through, but he was visibly having a tough time. “One of the things that’s going on here — they just turned off my … I lost electricity here, anyway,” Biden said just 10 minutes into his speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. He was talking about his government’s economy records and criticising Trump’s policy.
He said the planned tax hikes would be a big mistake and can cause a disaster, and that American businesses would suffer more. Also, he said he wished Trump would throw away Project 2025, a pro-Republican economic, political and social suggestive blueprint considered by some to be too extreme.
The criticism came days after Biden welcomed Trump to the White House during which the two, joined by Jill, acted like long-lost buddies.
So much for “Trump is modern-day Hitler”. Watching American politics nowadays is like watching wrestling. You know that nothing is real, and that they treat anyone who watches like a 10-year-old kid, but you enjoy watching it anyway.
Prachin Buri shooting underscores violence in rural politics
December 12, 2024: Nothing screams real-life “terror” louder than fatal gunshots inside the biggest house in the neighbourhood and the time it takes to find the killer(s).
The lethal shooting inside the Wilawan house in Prachin Buri bears all the characteristics of the violence of rural politics: It stinks to high heaven and yet, from the look of it, investigation will likely drag on for a ridiculously long time; the slain is someone who could not have easily been gotten to by standard enemies; and apart from local political conflicts being mentioned as a potential cause, national politics will play a role.
Last but not least, corruption rumours are swirling. They are a subplot at the moment but they might be upgraded into the main plot. The “Bt20 million” in an intriguing audio clip featuring what sounded like the dead man’s voice shortly before he was killed will be thoroughly investigated by reporters.
It’s hard to tell if national politics needs the help of violence-prone rural politics or it is vice versa. Or if both have to rely on each other at the expense of much-needed transparency and honesty every civil society requires.
It is still unclear how many people are suspects and how many will be witnesses. This is an initial report of a simple case that, Thais will be told, is complicated.
The Kamnan Nok scandal remains unsolved and now this.
Did Piyabutr forget something?
December 11, 2024: One “pro-democracy” man has proposed the most coup-inviting charter amendment Thailand has ever seen.
Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, a Progressive Movement senior member, suggested on his Facebook that a future Thai charter should include clauses that will punish leaders of the 2014 coup, prohibit military and justice officials from getting involved in or making rulings in favour of future coups; allow for retroactive penalising of coup leaders; make coup a crime without statute of limitations; give the political side strong or full power in military appointments, provide the prime minister with exclusive power to declare martial law; and strengthen Thailand’s international justice commitment hence allowing bigger says for world judges.
They all sound good, but if these clauses were embedded in the new Constitution, the military would tear it apart on Day One and introduce an interim charter that nullifies it, giving birth to a new generation of Piyabutr who may propose more or less the same thing and the loop will go on.
Piyabutr asked “Are you brave enough to do it?” at the end of each proposed measure. Actually, what he proposes does not have anything to do with bravery. “Realistic” sounds a more appropriate word.
How about no corruption? Safe, good for the country, and needing only a strong political will because all measures are in fact practical and easier to write down. As importantly, a corruption-free political environment will significantly dilute a coup pretext.
Less about politicians and more about ordinary people, please
December 10, 2924: Thailand has changed its charter numerous times, and every time it had to do with what politicians wanted, which they said was what the people on the street wanted.
Truth is that the political side got it all wrong. The ordinary people didn’t care about what the politicians said they wanted. The people wanted food on the table. They wanted a country free of crimes. They wanted affordable taxes so they could spend without heavy feelings, expand businesses without too-much worrying and have enough left for saving in the process.
They wanted the narcotic drugs to go away. They wanted extremely-good and extremely-cheap education for their children. They wanted a healthcare system that guaranteed that their life savings will not be wiped away if a bad disease struck. They wanted solid bridges and public structures that did not collapse every three months. They wanted a justice system which could send rich criminals or suspects to prison or trial at the same speed as the poor ones, and which prescribed and executed punishment equally and fairly no matter who the convicts were.
They wanted to pay minimum Wi-Fi fees. They wanted cheapest power for their homes and their cars. They wanted politicians to tell business owners that the people “own” natural resources, too, so the rip-off of frequency- or gas-related commodities or services were unconstitutional.
They wanted clean, reliable, cheap and efficient mass transport. They wanted good traffic. They wanted banks, the police and internet service providers to really work against “call centre” scammers. They wanted quick and effective relief action when disasters like heavy flooding hit.
They did not want legalization of gambling to be a political debate that could drag on forever. They just wanted everyone in charge to do his or her best to ensure that the best rules against abuse or corruption were enforced sufficiently if gambling was to be legal. The same went for cannabis and abortion.
They wanted the government to “serve” in the most original and genuine sense of the word. They did not want to receive “services” they deserved while feeling like they were begging desperately for help every time. They wanted the bribe culture to end.
The ordinary people were not interested in how electoral zones were carved, how many ballots they had to mark, or what kind of power the Senate had as long as the above-mentioned wishes were fulfilled. They did not want the Constitution to exist just for those who fought in politics to find loopholes so they could eradicate enemies. They wanted a Constitution espousing real values, which concern nothing but ways to improve their daily lives.
To mark the Thai Constitution Day, If the charter is to be changed again, the highest law of the land must ensure that all politicians and all ministries give Thais what they really want. And the rest, as they say, will take care of itself.
US post-election Round One goes to ...
December 9, 2024: Coming on the heels of Kamala Harris’ “Our fight is not over yet” post-defeat comment, Donald Trump’s “I will treat you every bit as good as I treat my supporters” post-victory message to her supporters gave him the Round One in the still-volatile aftermath of the presidential race.
But make no mistake, losers sounding bitter and winners sounding patronizing is not uncommon, especially in politics. Yet comparisons are being drawn, and they are mostly in the president-elect’s favour at the moment.
US President Joe Biden’s controversial “garbage” remark is coming into play in online showdowns as well after Trump has told NBC that he would try to bring unity back, and that only success in combatting crimes, improving the economy and restoring the US global standing can enable him to achieve that.
Online comments _ apparently from his supporters mostly _ are along the lines of “That’s my president right there”. Harris’ emotional clip posted days after the presidential election focused entirely on her supporters who she said must not let anyone their power away. Hers is considered defiant but his is perceived as reconciliatory.
"I’m going to treat you every bit as well as I have treated the greatest MAGA supporters," Trump said when asked what was the first thing he wanted to tell the people who didn't vote for him. Trump was joining NBC News' Kristen Welker on Sunday for his first major interview since winning the presidential election.
"These people are so dedicated to making America great again, it’s very simple. And I’m going to treat them just the same as I treat MAGA. We’ll treat everybody good. We want success for our country, we want safety for our country," the president-elect added.
“I want to treat everybody the same. I want to treat them well. … But we have to get the criminals of our country. We have to bring down crime. People have to be able to walk across the street and buy a loaf of bread without being shot. And that’s going to happen. But what I say to them (Harris’ supporters) is I love you, and we are going to all work together. And we are going to bring it together. And do you know what’s going to bring it together? Success.”
He also told Welker, an “insufferable” interviewer if you are a rightist and “fearless” questioner if you are a leftist, that his inaugural address would focus on a message of unity.
Trump’s critics, of course, are saying that he would have said it differently had he lost. They may be right, considering what happened on January 6, 2021. It could have been a role reversal after last month’s election between the two had the results gone the other way. But if you can only judge what is in front of you, Round One post-election has gone to him.
Mocking "the southerner's wife"
December 8, 2024: Never underestimate the power of political mockery. If applied properly, it can be deadly, a lot more effective than straightforward criticism.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has attracted both playful and serious contempt in no small measure. She is Thailand’s post-election Kamala Harris. She is threatening to overtake her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra in term of regular mockery, because a major difference is that Paetongtarn is facing it left and right, literally and ideologically.
We don’t see left-leaning newscasters/commentators speaking highly of right-wing opinion leaders that often, but when it comes to Paetongtarn, even Seri Wongmontha’s “Teasers can get tired, too” comment has spearheaded the former's criticism of the prime minister.
That she is Thaksin Shinawatra’s daughter subjected her to a serious scrutiny, but that subject can get into a boring loop easily. Mocking how she adjusted her hair in public, how she confounded foreign dignitaries or interviewers, or how she cited her love life when talking about a national affair, meanwhile, can have a fountain of content materials.
Political mockeries precede several high-profile downfalls. This fact can’t be truer in the era of social media where contemptuous content, smart or else, can go viral effortlessly, stay forever and remain within just one click away on the internet.
So, Paetongtarn is facing two big battlefronts. On one side looms the likes of the usual-suspect “serial petitioners”, the National Anti-Corruption Commission and the Constitutional Court. Coming at her on the other side are memes and not-so-serious YouTube clips.
And all the while we are seeing a glimmer of one more jaw-dropping political trend. Yellow and Orange critics are joining hands to mock her. The development is taking place in a very shy and limited manner, but, remember, this is Thailand, where shy can become outrageous in an instant.
VAT hike would make govt crumble like house of cards
December 7, 2024: Stay calm. While Thailand is no stranger to political ironies, a VAT increase and “digital wallet” going hand in hand would be too much for anyone to handle.
In other words, there is no way the VAT will go up. If the Paetongtarn administration does not want to become a sandcastle before an incoming sea storm, that is.
She has insisted the VAT would never be raised, but Thais don't need such a guarantee. A lot of people have demonised the "digital wallet", but its outstanding merit is that it helps make sure the current VAT rate will remain.
A major reason for low VAT rates is they will stimulate economic growth. They help increase consumption, encourage spending, promote job creation and hence boost the economy. For example, low VAT rates on construction services can tempt people to renovate or improve their homes, a boon to economy in the construction sector.
In addition, affordable VAT very significantly helps small businesses or starters.
In short, all _ big, small businesses and consumers _ will benefit. And so will governments especially ones claiming that fixing the economy and helping the poor or the vulnerable are their agendas.
There is only one reason they increase the VAT: the government is broke.
And the Paetongtarn government cannot be perceived to be desperate for money.
Let's hear from third US presidential runner Jill Stein
December 6, 2024: One highly-significant voice was drowned out amid the Trump-Harris tumult over the past few months.
Green Party’s Jill Stein received more than 780,000 votes in the November American presidential election, some 26,000 more votes than Robert Kennedy (independent). It was less than one per cent of the turnout and a lot of ordinary people did not hear her name on the mainstream media on the election day.
She got this to say on the US foreign policy, in an interview marking the continued fight of the “truth movement” for reinvestigation of the 2001 9/11 incident:
“To me, this (seeking the whole truth about 9/11) is about the mystery of US foreign policy and all the intrigue that surrounds it. (Also) the story is not simple. The story is not over. The story is just full of deception. The general public are told to believe that we are a force for good, that we are an exemplary model of democracy and all that, and yet the truth is we have committed regime-change operations some 70-80 times since the World War II and we have sent our troops into other countries 250 times according to congressional research service just in like the last 30 years.
“… Our foreign policy is not to be taken at face value by any means. I’m running for president. If I were president, on Day One we would begin congressional hearings on basically US foreign policy (and all the forces) that determine our foreign policy.”
Trump won't do it. Harris would not.
Watch Facebook
December 5, 2024: Everyone knows about Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Now, imagine Mark Zuckerberg becomes their full-blown ally, out of business necessity or not.
Developments are suggesting a potential thawing of Trump-Zuckerberg previously-hostile relationship. The Meta CEO has sent out all sorts of signals suggesting he wants to actively help shape the technology policy in the incoming Trump administration. He has met Trump recently at Mar-a-Largo. His company even admitted it might have gone too far against harmless content in the past, indirectly referring to harsh action against the president-elect.
To a lot of people, the biggest telltale sign of Zuckerberg’s U-turn was when he described Trump's response to an assassination attempt as "badass”.
“Seeing Donald Trump get up after getting shot in the face and pump his fist in the air with the American flag is one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life,” he said in July.
The US Democrats who used to see Facebook’s severe measures against Trump as a great political safeguard must be watching the current development nervously. The conventional media are a powerful political tool, but they can pale beside the social media.
Trump can’t have both X and Facebook, can he?
When "treason" is exploited in democracy
December 4, 2024: South Korea’s president has virtually accused the main opposition party of treason, and vice versa. Outgoing US President Joe Biden has virtually accused president-elect Donald Trump of treason, and vice versa. The list of examples goes on and on.
“Treason” and “Democracy” should have existed in parallel universes. They have no business being together. Yet truth is that they co-exist perfectly in this world. Either you are democratic or authoritarian, “treason” always comes in handy, being an effective weapon to strike down a political enemy.
It’s puzzling and ironic. South Korea’s president Yoon Suk Yeol linked the opposition party to North Korea, meaning it’s a threat to his country’s democracy which he apparently tried to defend. Biden also linked Trump to Russia and accused the latter of doing several bad things against democracy. Therefore, Trump was a threat to democracy which Biden tried to defend.
Now, the very South Korean opposition party accused by the country’s president of treason is accusing him of the same crime, and seeking impeachment in the process. As for Trump, it has never been a secret what he thinks. The incoming world leader has always charged that Biden and Co are in fact an anti-democratic force in disguise who have been hiding behind democracy. It’s treason hands down, Trump said.
Who are right and who are wrong? Only one thing is clear: When “treason” is activated in a democracy, the latter can be badly tainted, if not destroyed completely.
South Korea is considered a model student when democracy is concerned. America (whose president pardoned his son just days ago) preaches democracy. Imagine what are going on in countries with smaller profiles.
Paetongtarn's "maturity" under spotlight
December 3, 2024: It’s one thing for ordinary citizens to jump into social media and pick a fight with critics, but it’s another for a prime minister to do so.
It’s controversial when a prime minister needs to consult a computer tablet for a piece of information or national stance that he or she should know by heart, but it’s way a lot more controversial if that device is used to monitor or respond to criticism.
It’s not what Paetongtarn Shinawatra says. It’s how she says it.
And how often she is saying it.
A public figure faces criticism all the time, and some of it could be wrong. But in an era where a million critics have a million tools to do their work at the same time, a leader has to let it go, otherwise there will be no time left for public service.
Flooding in the deep South is threatening to turn whispered criticism linked to Paetongtarn’s age and political maturity into big rumbles, with big-name commentators focusing on not only her involvement in state affairs, but also the glaring publicity of her family affairs (which she shows, rather proudly) as well as how she deals with criticism.
The “Action speaks louder than words” advice can’t be any more useful in this new age when leadership is concerned.
The “Wow. Thailand has such a young leader” foreign exclamation cuts both ways. It’s a compliment as long the performance is good. When the performance is bad, it’s the opposite of admiration.
Biden pardoning his son never big surprise
December 2, 2024: Don’t let anyone say otherwise. US President Joe Biden did what he had been expected to do.
The presidential pardon of Hunter Biden, his convicted son, has come despite repeated White House claims that the outgoing American leader would never do it, but who were they kidding?
History shows the president would have been too good to be true if he had not taken the action. According to CNN, this is just the latest instance of an outgoing president using the pardon power to help a family member. Shortly before they both left office, Bill Clinton pardoned his brother and Donald Trump pardoned the father of his son-in-law, the network pointed out.
With Trump being poised to retake the White House increasing the Democrats’ fears of “revenge”, and Hunter Biden facing sentencing after being found guilty of lying in his gun application form, it had better be safe than sorry.
Prison time had always been a very long shot because Hunter Biden was a first-time offender, but it was a fascinating case anyway. He’s the president’s son and Trump often cried foul over the White House’s “weaponisation of justice”, so whatever happens to Hunter Biden speaks volumes of the directions of the related political course.
Meanwhile, the chaos continues over celebrities and US politics with big star George Clooney reportedly resenting an alleged Barack Obama attempt to cut him loose.
A western news host claims Clooney is reportedly “furious” Obama, one of the most influential Democrats, used him to force President Biden out of the US election race but every key Democrat politician is staying away from the humiliating defeat of the replacement candidate, Kamala Harris, leaving the actor to be the fall guy.
“Clooney’s newspaper article, calling for Biden to stand aside for Kamala Harris, was widely credited for changing the course of the election,” the man told Australia’s Sky News. “Clooney is now complaining that Obama who sort of manipulated him into doing the dirty work on his behalf has left him to take most of the blame for (Harris’) election loss.”
The Clooney controversy aside, the apparently-excessive use of celebrities to influence public opinion in Harris’ favour is mind-boggling, simply because the so-called “celebrity overload” tactic was employed by a political side that seems to cherish equality and real power of the real people.
People’s Party in flood showdown with PM
December 1, 2024: Both the biggest opposition party and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra have their good points when it comes to the flood crisis in the deep South.
Action speaks louder than words, and the prime minister’s use of the biological origin of her husband to dismiss criticism that she does not care about flood-hit southerners is ridiculous, the People’s Party said.
The party’s deputy spokesperson, Pukkamon Nunarnan, said in a Facebook post that when it comes to fellow citizens, a leader’s love and care are felt through how he or she responds to their crises. The flood calamity, Pukkamon said, should have been dealt with through emergency action directed closely by the prime minister.
“We haven’t seen the setting up of a national-level crisis management coordination centre supervised by the prime minister, despite the severity and expanding scale of the problem,” she said.
“It’s a systematic and efficient relief effort that is a proof of love and care, not the saying that I’m married to a southerner. Every Thai knows how lovely the prime minister’s family is, but that fact should be kept at home because it’s not what Thais want to see.”
Pukkamon was making a great point, but so was Paetongtarn when responding to criticism about her presence or lack thereof when suffering southerners are concerned. In countering criticism, the prime minister did highlight the fact that her husband is a southerner, but she also said she did not pay an immediate visit to the crisis region because she did not want to disrupt urgent relief works of the authorities who must focus totally on helping the people.
“Whenever or wherever I go, officials working in the region will more or less have to get involved in receptions,” Paetongtarn said. “That’s why I have had to wait and see when is the best time to visit.”
Politicians going to disaster-hit areas causes the exact problem that Paetongtarn was talking about. Parts of the relief apparatus needs to be spared for receptions, some of them and accompanying distractions always going overboard resulting in substantial disruptions of emergency work.
Some will argue that moderate or low-key visits help boost morale, showing sufferers that they are not fighting alone. Also, a leader can always give instructions regarding receptions. This does not mean, though, that such instructions will always be obeyed, knowing the Thai bureaucracy.
Criticism against Paetongtarn somehow brought back her father’s controversial statement, made when he was prime minister some two decades ago, that people supporting his party would always be on his mind while he prioritised matters. The South had never been his party’s stronghold.
Meanwhile, a TV news coverage of the flood crisis quoted a villager as saying that people losing their furniture, cars or other belongings should get cash relief in the same quick and generous manner as how “digital money” is being distributed.
Daily updates of local and international events by Tulsathit Taptim
