Unfortunately that’s not what the PAD believes in. Its “new politics” proposal is a strong piece of evidence showing their lack of trust in the people as well as their negative views on elections. They want the country run by the elites, those from high above with privileged status. They brand those who don’t agree with them (including those who support neither Thaksin or the PAD) “unpatriotic” and immoral, much like how the U.S. said to the world “you either join us or you side with the terrorists.” And their relentless nationalist rhetoric simply has no place in the 21st century. The PAD just needs to drop “democracy” from its name if it wants to restore at least a tiny bit of its credibility.

PAD = elitist, ultra-nationalist, reactionary, undemocratic, backward

First we need to understand some things about Thailand. When this country first overthrew the Monarchy in 1932 the King at the time (Rama 7) was already considering a move towards a democracy but was concerned that the rural poor were not sufficiently educated to make informed decisions and that accordingly their votes could easily be manipulated by the wealthy elite (at that stage he was concerned mainly about the Bangkok Chinese merchant community).

As I see it, not much has changed. TRT/PPP won government based on the votes of the poorly educated (in terms of political reality) rural majority in the North swayed by massive spending popularist policies and rampant vote buying. I don’t think that this qualifies as a “fair” election that should have settled the matter.

Also, you fail to deal with the claims of corruption on an enormous scale by his government.

I don’t believe for one moment that change is being asked for by a “raging mob,” but rather the educated Bangkok middle class who can see behind the smoke screen and want to see a true democratic government that is constituted by and for the people.