The Thai Dilemma: Caught Between Extremes

Homeless. That’s a word that could describe the feeling of many in current Thai politics. Made homeless. Maybe you had respect for the Democrats. Maybe Mr. Square Face was your benefactor. It’s easy to feel let down by both, whatever your political leaning.

In a place of political extremes, there’s no middle course left in Thai politics. Today it is even no longer unthinkable that Chalerm Yoobamrung, a staunch ally of the deposed demagogue Thaksin Shinawatra, may become prime minister. Just imagine.

It may not look like, but dark clouds are forming against the Democrats, and Chalerm, proud father of questionable sons, has become the new opposition’s face. With the opposition’s bill to grant amnesty to banned politicians and the leadership of the PAD Chalerm tries to kill many birds with a single stone.

Even though the bill is mainly considered a whitewash for Thaksin, the opposition has effectively tied the hands of the ruling Democrats. Coalition partners of the Bhumjaithai and Chart Thai Pattana parties like the amnesty. The Democrats and their allies oppose it.

Even the bill is dead for now, it will haunt the Democrats and come back.

Thaksin’s allies have successfully driven a first wedge between the Democrats and their coalition partners who will be demanding even bigger favors in exchange for not leaving the coalition. That’s a game plan the Democrats must have been aware of when they accepted the call to take power.

Still, they show first signs of panic while the PAD start mobilizing their supporters again. “No invasion of the North,” begged the Bangkok Post in an editorial. PAD founder Sondhi Limthongkul wants to lead his yellow shirts into the northern strongholds of the Thaksin-allies.

Sondhi recently told a cheering crowd in Udon Thani “that, come May, he would lead them to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces. There, he said, they would find brainwashed citizens; he and the PAD must disabuse them of their wrong-headed support for futitive” Thaksin.

Strong words by a man even more demagogic than Thaksin. Sondhi promised to “invade” the provinces in May. Doesn’t anyone seriously consider to lock up this lunatic?

As Sondhi’s “aim to educate those less-worthy residents in upper provinces” only accelerates the sliding into even deeper extremes. Not only the Democrats’ coalition partners would revolt. Just imagine. Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung.