Thailand Politics

The Battle for Democracy in Thailand – Will the Junta Stay or Go?

BANGKOK – Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha’s ambition to stay on in power has given rise to a unique scenario marked by a distinct ideological divide Experts believe Prayut can be defeated in the election but consensus will be needed to end a culture of coups

Will the Junta stay or go? This question seems to be uppermost in voters’ minds, pushing to the rear bread-and-butter issues popular in previous election campaigns like price guarantees for agricultural products, free schooling, healthcare etc.

In less than two weeks, Thailand will be voting for the first time since Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha and the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) seized power in 2014, in an election many see as an ideological battle between the democratic and authoritarian camps.

Hence, as politicians campaign for votes, make speeches and participate in debates, their stance on the junta has become important. The two camps began taking shape after the 2006 coup, but this phenomenon was not seen in the post-coup election in 2007. So, why now?

The power of democracy is the answer, political scientist Suraphot Thaweesak said. Though the red-shirt movement was huge 12 years ago, he explained its pro-democracy position was nothing like it is today.

“Most of the time, they were called ‘champions of [former PM Thaksin] Shinawatra’s interests’ – wanting an election as a means to support Thaksin. Nothing about them was seen as contributing to democracy,” he said. “Also, the Shinawatra camp was cautious when it came to democracy. They didn’t want to take risks, so they made compromises with the right wing.”

However, through political turbulence and debates, the pro-democracy camp has grown and developed, he explained. The pro-democracy camp, which had been tied to the Shinawatra bloc, appears to have found its independence, he said.

In this election though, the war between the liberals and conservatives has been accentuated, mainly thanks to the emergence of Future Forward Party (FWP), he said.

“I give FWP credit for giving momentum and emphasising the ideology of democracy beyond just paying it lip service,” he said. “This has given birth to a so-called pro-democracy bloc, which has given rise to a battle between democracy and authoritarianism.”

As for the Thaksin-linked Pheu Thai Party, Suraphot said he has also seen a change in them that backs his idea of this ballot being a battle between the two ideologies. He said that after all these years, Pheu Thai has finally realised that it cannot make compromises with the right wing, and hence has decided to focus more on its beliefs and economic policies.

Apart from the deep-rooted conflicts plaguing the Kingdom for over a decade, other political observers are seeing other angles that make this election unique.

Pro-democracy activist Nuttaa Mahuttana’s said the NCPO regime and its political ambitions make this election very different.

“Previous coup-makers did not show any signs of wanting to cling to power, unlike this junta,” the activist said. “This time, the pro-junta Phalang Pracharat Party – which shares the same name as the government’s cash-handout program – is so obviously working for the junta. In fact, it was founded by the junta’s Cabinet members.”

Nuttaa said she believes the party’s every move is planned for General Prayut Chan-o-cha to retake power. For instance, she said, the party has headhunted an unprecedented number of former MPs.

“And now Prayut is their PM candidate,” she said. “It will become even easier for him to take over thanks to the 250 senators he has appointed. So, this plan to have Prayut stay on has given rise to this ideological battle.”

The battle can also be blamed on the NCPO’s legacy, such as the 2017 Constitution and its 20-year national strategy, Nuttaa added.

These strategies will dictate the direction of the country for the next two decades, yet there has been very little public participation in their creation.

“So, this election is significant. If Prayut does return, he will have all this apparatus,” the activist said, implying the junta chief may be unstoppable if he does win the election. “It is important that we support the pro-democracy camp, so that after the election all these NCPO-created strategies can be removed.”

FWP deputy leader Chamnan Chanruang, however, believes politicians are still focusing on bread and butter issues.

In fact, he said, the anti-junta sentiment largely stemmed from the NCPO’s poor performance. So, when people vote against Prayut, it will only show that they want the military to be out of politics and want professional politicians to do the job and put money in their pockets, he said.

But where will this battle take the country? All three observers responded differently.

Chamnan believes the junta will be easily defeated, as it will not win any support from the House of Representatives.

“Prayut will never survive the censure motions,” he said. “The 250 senators won’t be able to carry him, and he will just have to give in when the sentiment against him is strong enough.”

However, he admitted this triumph will not necessarily guarantee an end to coups. The only way coups can be stopped is if there is a common consensus, he added.

The two other observers, however, see only a dim hope for democracy.

Nuttaa said that with the dissolution of the Thai Raksa Chart Party, the anti-junta bloc has only a slim chance of winning.

Similarly, Suphot said new regulations have put the pro-democracy camps at a disadvantage, but maybe defeat is a necessary process for the development of democracy.

“Each time they are defeated, injustice is exposed,” Suphot said. “In the process, the conservative camp is destroying its credibility and legitimacy. So, though it will be a long, tough fight, it will have to continue until democracy triumphs or until the elite yield to liberal democracy.”

By Kas Chanwanpen
The Nation

Thailand Politics

Thai Prime Minister’s Popularity Declines as Move Forward Party dominates

(CTN News) – Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin continues to make local and international visits to try to solve problems and promote Thailand, but he has failed to impress most voters, according to a Nida poll. The poll also revealed the declining popularity of Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the rise of the Move Forward Party.

According to a poll released on Sunday, only 12.85% of people supported the prime minister, down from 17.75% in the previous survey. The daughter of convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin, currently on parole, saw her popularity drop from 6% to 4.85%.

The National Institute of Development Administration conducts a quarterly survey of the public’s preferred political leaders. The last survey was released at the end of March.

According to the survey, supporters of the prime minister described Mr Srettha as a resolute decision-maker determined to address their problems. Ms Paetongtarn was complimented for her vision, leadership, knowledge, and grasp of the country’s difficulties.

This weekend, the prime minister will be in the northeast region listening to citizens’ concerns. The journey occurred only a few days after he had visited northern provinces earlier in the week.

Despite criticism, he has reduced his abroad trips, citing the need to showcase Thailand to investors and traders.

Pita Limjaroenrat, the chief advisor of the Move Forward Party, remained the top candidate for prime minister with 45.50% of the vote, up slightly from 42.75% in the previous quarter’s poll.

Pirapan Salirathavibhaga was the huge winner. The leader of the United Thai National Party saw his popularity nearly quadruple from 3.55% to 6.85%.

The sampled voters stated they appreciated Mr Pita’s political beliefs and thought he had broad knowledge. They praised Mr Pirapan’s credibility, claiming he was clean and honest.

Two other probable prime minister candidates were Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Thai Sang Thai Party and Anutin Chanvirakul, leader of Bhumjaithai. However, they were less popular than others.

About 20% of voters still did not believe any candidate was qualified to lead the country, which is the same percentage as in the last survey.

Move Forward Party was the most popular party with 49.20%, up slightly from three months ago, while Pheu Thai fell around five percentage points to 16.85% from 22.10%.

The poll, issued on Sunday, surveyed 2,000 ineligible voters between June 14 and June 18.

Thailand Politics

Move Forward Party MP Jirat Thongsuwan Appeals Suspended Jail Sentence for Defamation

(CTN News) – Jirat Thongsuwan, a Move Forward Party MP, says he would appeal his one-year suspended jail sentence for defaming a former senior defense ministry official concerning the state’s procurement of bogus bomb detectors.

The Criminal Court also fined Mr Jirat 100,000 baht for falsely accusing ACM Tharet Punsri, a former Air Force chief-of-staff who later became the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, of being the chairman and shareholder of a company that supplied the military with the infamous GT200 bomb detectors.

The Chachoengsao MP claimed a July 20, 2022, no-confidence vote against cabinet ministers in Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government. ACM Tharet was not a cabinet member.

Jirat Thongsuwan also identified ACM Tharet as a key figure in the 2006 coup headed by then-army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, which overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra.

ACM Tharet told the court that Jirat Thongsuwan’s charges were false and harmed his reputation. He denied involvement with the bomb detection company and said he was not the company’s senior chairman or shareholder.

In addition to the suspended jail term and fine, the court ordered Jirat Thongsuwan to pay $ 500,000 baht in damages to ACM Tharet and publish an apology in three newspapers for five days.

Jirat Thongsuwan later announced on his X account that he had challenged the verdict with the hashtag “An injustice is infuriating”.

The MP has also been accused of dodging required military conscription. He admitted to the accusation on May 8.

A British business promoted the GT200 as a “remote substance detector” and sold it in several countries. Between 2004 and 2009, fourteen Thai government organizations, most of which were military, were projected to spend 1.4 billion baht on the units.

Concerns about the GT200 and related gadgets arose after the National Science and Technology Development Agency discovered they lacked electronic components.

The devices were later revealed to be “divining rods”.

Thailand Politics

Thaksin Shinawatra Files 100 Million Baht Defamation Lawsuit Against Warong Dechgitvigrom

(CTN News) – Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister, has launched a defamation action against Warong Dechgitvigrom, the head of the Thai Pakdee Party, accusing him of paying a bribe to be released on bail in a lese majeste case.

Thaksin’s attorney, Winyat Chartmontree, filed a lawsuit against Warong, seeking 100 million baht in damages.

Warong, a long-time Thaksin Shinawatra critic, gave a public statement and posted on social media, saying that 2 billion baht was paid to judicial officials in exchange for release on bail in the lese majeste case.

Thaksin Shinawatra Granted Release on 500,000 Baht Bond

Thaksin was granted release on a 500,000 baht bond last week and told not to leave the country without court authorization after pleading innocent to charges of defaming King Rama IX in a 2015 interview with South Korean media.

Winyat stated that, while Warong did not identify Thaksin Shinawatra by name in his speech or post, he did include a hashtag with Thaksin’s name as well as the date Thaksin must appear in court, allowing readers to connect Thaksin to the allegations.

Winyat further stated that he was investigating the fact that Warong mentioned the specific aircraft and automobiles utilized by Thaksin Shinawatra to violate the Personal Data Protection Act.

“I have requested Mr Warong to provide proof as to where he received the data. “If it turns out that it came from state officials, there will be legal consequences,” he warned.

The Criminal Court has scheduled the case’s preliminary hearing for September 30.