An ominous intervention by Thai army supremo General Prayuth:
การแก้ปัญหาชาติบ้านเมืองด้วยการออกมาเลือกตั้งเป็นสิ่งสำคัญ และต้องเลือกคนดีเข้ามา สุดท้ายขอให้ประชาชนทุกหมู่เหล่าช่วยไปเลือกตั้งทราบว่า มียอดผู้มีสิทธิ์ ๓๐ – ๔๐ ล้านออกมาเลือกตั้งให้เกิดการเปลี่ยนแปลง หากท่านปล่อยให้การเลือกตั้งเป็นเหมือนเดิมๆ เราก็ได้อะไรแบบเดิมๆตลอด อยากฝากให้ทุกตนเลือกตั้งใช้สติมีเหตุผล รู้จักคิดว่า ทำอย่างไรบ้านเมือง สถาบันจึงจะปลอดภัย ทำอย่างไรคนดีจึงจะได้มาบริหารชาติบ้านเมือง ประชาชนอย่าให้คนเขาดูถูกว่า ท่านชักจูงง่าย โดยไม่ได้ดูว่า คนนั้นดีหรือไม่ มีคุณธรรมหรือไม่ เขาทำผิดกฎหมายหรือไม่ ตนบอกว่า กริยาที่นักการเมืองบางท่านใช้ไม่เหมาะสม แล้วจะเลือกเขาเข้าไปทำไม เลือกคนที่ดี คนที่สุภาพ ตั้งใจทำงานเพื่อชาติบ้านเมืองเข้าไปทำงานแล้วกัน
To solve the nation’s problem through election is very important and (you) must elect good people. Lastly, (I would like to) let every group of people who will go vote know that around 30-40 million eligible voters should vote for change. If you let the election be the same as before, we will get the same old things forever. I would like to remind voters to use consciousness, reason, knowhow to think what to do so that our nation and the institution are safe; and (to know) how to get good people to manage our country. People, you should not let others look down on you that you are easily roped in without carefully thinking if those people are good or not, (if they are) ethical or not, (or if they) have violated the law or not. I have said that some politicians act inappropriately, then, why do you still want to vote for them? (You should) vote for good and polite ones who intend to work for the nation to work for you.
Dear General,
I am trying very hard to do what you advocate and vote for change. No more voting for old parties like Democrat Party, the oldest of them all, and clearly not the change you are asking for.
My next task over the next three weeks will be to work out exactly what change I want, and then cast my vote for the good of my beloved country.
Should I vote for the newest political party on the market – that’s certainly new and a change from the old parties. But yeah yeah, the politicians are mostly still the old dogs…
What about the first politician to ever confess to corruption? I mean, it’d be so so cool to have an ‘honest’ corrupt politician, finally. I can’t wait to learn more about corruption when it becomes transparent. I mean, aren’t you curious how money changes hand and how they changes hand out of official accounts?
Perhaps the first female Thai prime minister ever? And what a move forward that would be for Thailand – imagine: Yingluck broke the glass ceiling where Hilary failed!My – what an achievement, what a change! For once, we are actually better than the US! Ooh, I’m so so excited.
Or perhaps I should vote for number 5 to grant his request to be the opposition. Everyone wants to be government. What a refreshing change it would be to vote for one who wants to be opposition? After all, there are really no perfect candidate out there to vote for.
I agree with you that some politicians acted inappropriately – such as the one hiding in the military bunker when it was his ethically his duty and responsibility, as conferred by the position he held at that time, to deal with the issues presented by the protesters. My goodness, not only did he neglect his job description, he showed how cowardly he is went he turn tail and ran even before Rome started burning! Even Nero played the fiddle till Rome went down. You’re absolutely right! I shudder to think of the consequences of entrusting the lives of 60 mil people to such a – sissy.
And you’re right General – I will not let anyone look down on me. I will think through ALL my choices carefully – not one will succeed in roping me in, I swear. I shall make a decision that will be good for the country.
Please respect my choice after I’ve cast my vote.
Yours sincerely,
a normal Thai Citizen and a Bangkok voter.
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60 
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Let me rewrite my last line:
I shall make a decision that will be good for the Thai people, my countrymen.
(As we know who said, the country does not belong to two [or one] man. … Thailand belongs to the Thai people, period]
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35 
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Doctor, heal thyself!
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4 
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Not so much a loose cannon as a loose dinosaur.
This guy s a problem and I suspect the first priority of an incoming PT government is to neutralise him. Not sure how, but I suspect that if the expected PT landslide happens then the retrospective law protecting the coup-makers will be revoked and all might face charges of treason.
It’s difficult to see what other options might exist, somehow Thailand has to create a massive disincentive for future army commanders to launch coups-d’etat, whether originating from the palace or not.
I suspect a denouement to this almost uniquely Thai problem is not far off now, If I were Thaksin I think I know what I would be doing.
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13 
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One only has to look at Thai history to see the real role the Thai military have played in the development of democracy in the kingdom. They have colluded and protected not only present and past corrupted politicians but also the elite who for decades have used the ‘ Thai patronage system’ to safeguard their clique like behavior and control over not only the economy but also Thai society as a whole. It has always been about ‘enrichment’ with the patronage system allowing them to work with impunity.
How can a country promote democratic principles when at its social core it is far from democratic. For decades the country has been ruled autocratically with a small percentage of the population manipulating policy behind the scenes. Thousands of Thais have died for their democartic right to have a voice and actually be free from these illegitimate masters. Thai children are brainwashed by authoritarian teachers who teach them to blindly follow, never question and bow to those with money, power and influence.
So the general wants the people to vote for ethical and moral leaders while at the same time still adhering to the revered and corrupted ‘patronage system’ that allows those with influence, power, money and course the connections to rule with impunity.
As long as the ‘patronage system’ thrives in Thailand there will be no true democracy as the system is the antithesis of all things democratic. High ranking Thai generals and policemen know this only too well so when they come out and preach honesty and ethics they are being open hypocritical as they themselves are a major part of an archaic system that has allowed not only the elite to enrich themselves at the expense of the masses but they themselves.
Real change starts at the top and if one really looks at Thai history the Thai military have always been somewhere at the top of Thailand’s corrupted tree. This is where the reform needs to start so who is willing to open the Pandora’s box and tell the people the real truth behind Thailand’s inability to offer democracy to the people.
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26 
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Prayuth has brought out into public display his attitude on the choice that the Thai people will make
it is timely and good news for Thailand that undecided voters will now see the attitude of Prayuth, representing his side of the military and many of the elite, and indeed will decide they will not vote for the incumbent bad people
I see Prayuth as representing the military and elites in disarray and likely to implode into a squabbling minority in a new Thailand
perhaps Peu Thai will only need to nudge in a few right places before the old guard crumble and are replaced by people that recognise the inevitability of existing in a democratic society
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22 
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I like this, the more he speak the better in my opinion. Unfortunately he didn’t speak right out not to vote for PT that would be so funny.
Anyway, I want to ask the general, what sort of “change” do you really want? since we’ve made a considerable change afte 1997 but you lot has changed it back to the same old way anyway. So, really, do you want us to “change” general?
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24 
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It is deplorable the way the general talked down to the people and seemed to forget it’s the Thai populace who pay for his and all the military personnel’s salaries. The general appears to have a misconception about a democratic society.
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18 
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Does he mean vote out the Democrats?
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6 
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Where’s the threat? In today’s news both PTP and the Democrats have publicly said they thought the General’s remarks were politically neutral.
But anything for a headline eh?
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2 
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Simon, 11
It was only neutral in the sense that yellow and red were both targeted. No question though that a threat was made.
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3 
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Right man, right job, just fifty years too late. Let’s hope Prime Minister Yinglak promotes him to supreme commander and brings in a REAL professional soldier.
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4 
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Not sure I agree with the appropriateness of Prayuth using the two Army owned TV’s to broadcast his opinions on the election, but I do fail to see any threat in what he said.
Putting that aside (for those that actually can), it worth noting what I consider the key message he was trying to convey.
People, you should not let others look down on you that you are easily roped in without carefully thinking if those people are good or not, (if they are) ethical or not, (or if they) have violated the law or not. I have said that some politicians act inappropriately, then, why do you still want to vote for them? (You should) vote for good and polite ones who intend to work for the nation to work for you.
If you look at this from Prayuth’s perspective, keeping in mind he considers his number one mission is protecting the monarchy, you can easily see what he implying. PTP has chosen to put several UDD leaders very high up on the party list. These are people that have made some very controversial speeches. One that springs to mind is one made during later stages of the rallies last year which included what could be taken as a direct threat against Siriraj Hospital.
For Prayuth, putting this person and the other UDD leaders high enough on the party list to ensure their election to Parliament is not acceptable and there is no doubt in my mind he was trying to remind everyone who some of the people PTP are running in this election.
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1 
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Simon @11:
The Bangkok Post removed all reader comments from its online article about Prayuth’s ‘speech’ and disabled further commenting. Many of the comments had been critical of the general.
Today’s Bangkok Post article about ISOC stepping up media pressure also has comments disabled.
Maybe this gives you an idea why PT and the Dems both declined to criticize Prayuth?
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22 
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The general said he just expressed his personal views as a citizen.
In a soldier’s uniform?
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13 
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c11
To paraphrase the immortal Mandy Rice-Davies: “Well, they would, wouldn’t they?”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandy_Rice-Davies
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3 
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In addition to Saksith’s piece linked at c9, there is also Bangkok Pundit’s longer piece (with much more of the actual words and about the circumstances of Prayuth’s [cough] “interview” at http://asiancorrespondent.com/57493/thai-army-chief-vote-for-good-people-some-media-are-divisive/
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2 
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Suthep’s response was pre-scripted. Yingluck’s response was brilliant. She’s really a perfect leader for PT; having cured them of one of their worst qualities, over-reaction and pettiness. They’ve come a long way since Samak.
BKK Lawyer @15:
Good catch. I noticed yesterday about 20 comments on the ISOC story, all anti-ISOC. Now they’re gone. The BKK Post are cowards.
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10 
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Meanwhile, Pravit in the Nation has written the boldest editorial I’ve ever seen in Thai print media, basically naming the monarchy as the “invisible hand” and condemning it. There’s hope yet.
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11 
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I posted a link to the nation piece on the Wikileaks thread.
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0 
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More “threats” ? From Bangkok Post today
Isoc to step up media pressure
Crackdown launched against biased channels
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/election/242440/isoc-to-step-up-media-pressure
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1 
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Would seem the army is also now worried about a PT win. From memory since they got rid of Taksin their budget has quadrupled meaning of course plenty of gravy to go around.
Taksin at his peak did try to restructure the military, events since would suggest he failed, so not sure how PT would be able to do more. The military are the enforcers of the elite/patronage system of course, and will be determined to maintain the current statas quo.
As I see it the general has outlined publicly what the military do and do not want, warning against unsuitable people not loyal to the institution, suspect they will use this later as part of their coup justification.
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Video of the referenced comments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1HRBpqNZzo
(See 5:20 onwards)
Note: the summary given at manager.co.th is not a direct quote, and the editing leaves something to be desired. This has no doubt complicated the Thai->English translation.
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0 
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The dear General left no cliche unturned in his sappy defense of the Thai elite. This is like watching the Czar and the Russian aristocracy collapse in real time! A corrupt, morally bankrupt, delusional and incredibly stupid leadership in its pathetic and last (I hope) feeble attempts to cling to power and turn back the clock. Dear General..it is you who should be watching out. I spent the last winter with my Thai friends and relatives in Isaan. They are pissed off. They not only know that the Lords of Bangkok have been ripping them off for years, they know how much right down to the last baht. They are not in the mood to be ‘polite’. If you are lucky you may be able to get a job as a waiter in some fancy French restaurant like many of the Russian grandees did after their monarchy tanked. They looked good in a uniform and so do you. Unfortunately that appears to be your only saleable talent.
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23 
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#25-
“If you are lucky you may be able to get a job as a waiter in some fancy French restaurant like many of the Russian grandees did after their monarchy tanked. “
Working in a fancy French restaurant is certainly better the fate of Kulaks, the modern day Thai equivalents of your friends and relatives in Isaan.
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3 
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What’s more likely, Thaksin returning and reforming the military, or Thaksin returning because he makes a secret deal with the military (“I won’t touch appointments or succession, you don’t mess with the Constitution/Parliament”)?
My heart yearns for the former, but observations and history suggest the latter. It’s more democratic than the alternative, but hardly democracy.
Reform, if it comes, will probably go in this order: 1) electoral mandate 2) constitutional correction 3) monarchy demotion 4) educational improvement 5) business transparency 6) military dis-empowerment 7) cultural shift from corruption to accountability.
1-4 might happen in our lifetime.
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5 
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WLH
Your talking about a ‘cultural revolution’ that somehow may take a few lifetimes.
The vast majority of Thais are so brainwashed and conditioned into not seeing the backwardness and corrupt nature of their government, security forces, and business elites that what use is it having outsiders commenting on what goes on in the Land of the Free.
As a famous Thai deputy once said “I don’t respect FARANGS”. This attitude spells it out quite clearly as its only the money and technology these sorts of Thai are after from westerners, everything else in their eyes is substandard as its not Thai.
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10 
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Or Thaksin returns to Thailand and is assassinated in the same way that Seh Daeng was assassinated, in broad daylight, in front of the world’s media, with a single sniper shot to the head. From the past few years, I think we’ve all learned that the people presently in control of Thailand will stop at nothing to retain their power and access to the money flow.
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14 
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How can the army pursue people for committing lese majeste when the monarchy has no majeste to lese?
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2 
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John c29:
Thai friend returned from holiday to France. She said she hated it and loves Thailand. Why? “So much problems because everything must be according to law”.
No kidding.
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7 
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Gen Prayuth seems to mean well. He should go one step further to help the Democrats set up a government in one of the miltary barracks.
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