Thailand’s Historical Week!

(Looking rather chuffed with themselves. Democrat party leader Mr Abhisit and former PM, Mr Chuan)

I never have been one for any political renditions, but since no-one has been bothered to post here for the past few days – I just had to think of something to rant about.

Last Wednesday, the nation were glued to their TV sets to witness for themselves a couple of historical decisions involving the Thai Rak Thai and the Democrat Party vs The Court. Well, glued anyway for the first 10 minutes, before the judge turned around and said something like “Please be patient, this could take a few hours”. And a few hours it did, ten to be fair – long enough in fact, that half the pro-Thaksin supporters supposedly bent on creating havoc if it were decided to dissolve the TRT – had simply fallen asleep out of sheer boredom.

Looking at the live pictures too coming in of the other half of the Thai Rak Thai supporters who were bustled in by the bus load from Nakhorn Nowhere, it was quite obvious that they were more interested in getting lotsa free food and plenty of whiskey than hearing any court decision. As for them, by the time the verdict against Thaksin’s TRT was read out nearing on midnight, they were too pished to even realize.

The finest performances on the day just had to have been those by the judges. After the first hour, I was thoroughly impressed by the way the first judge had completely rambled on absolutely non-stop without even taking a sip of water. Amazed I was, only to witness the next guys on the platform following in his foot-steps and doing exactly the same thing. And how about the defendants? I couldn’t quite believe how they just managed to sit there, again without even a glass of water(for some mysterious reason) and manage to look completely engrossed throughout the hearing.

After the first decision to find the Democrats not guilty (after 4 and a half hours), it took the character of one Thai Rak Thai Party official to cheer things up when he said something like “It has all been very boring for us, I wish they could have speeded things up”

(At least they were always worthy of reading and writing about. Above pic of Mr Thaksin and some TRT buddies breaking the law last year not wearing motorbike helmets)

Perhaps you were imagining to yourself that the historical decision to dissolve the once ruling Thai Rak Thai Party would be ‘talk of town’. Urgh..not exactly, where I am here in Suphanburi province it looks like most folk don’t give a darned, as usual they have been more interested gossiping about the government lottery and the price of Jatukham amulets. After staying in all day, much of it waiting for the results of the court decisions, I thought it politically correct to go out with a couple of friends and enjoy a bit of Karaoke and a drink. The place we went to was packed out with folk who looked like they didn’t give a toss about any so-called ‘historical decisions’ and it was me after a couple of phone calls, who was left to inform some of the attendees the final results.

Within just a few hours of the verdict to dissolve the TRT and ban a hundred or so of its big boys from politics for five years, it was heard that they were planning on re-naming the party and starting afresh. Possible new names included the ‘Thai Rak Thai Group’ ‘New Thai Rak Thai’ and ‘Thai Rak Thai Think Again’. Personally though, I think the new party needs to put a bit of flavour into their name ‘Thai Love Thai’ sounds a bit patriotic, so how about (to gain more popularity abroad) ‘Thai Loves Thai and Whitey People’ or ‘True Thais Love All’ (Thai Rak Khrai Jing Jing Party).

Let’s hope anyway, that the TRT make a come back in some shape or form (which they quite obviously will). If not, the country will be in for a truly not exciting election year. Come December, the time to pick our wits and vote for a new government and leader, we may only have the choice between the Democrats and the Chart Thai parties. Wow, what a stupendous selection! Can only imagine all the grassroots people queuing up hours before the election booths open; eager to pop their vote in the ballot box.

I have to admit I am a little sad to see the supposed end to the once great Thai Rak Thai Party and their beloved leader Mr Thaksin. Unlike these days, it was always exciting to pick up the newspapers – lotsa fun stories about TRT and Thaksin’s latest cock-a-doodle-doo activities. He was such a character Mr Thaksin, always worthy of writing about. He shall be missed.