Somchai Wongsawat is the 26th Thai prime minister

Somchai Wongsawat, brother in law of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, became the 26th Thai prime minister after winning voting in the parliament on Wednesday.

 

 

Somchai, deputy leader of People Power Party, won 298 to 163 over Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva. Five abstained.

 

House Speaker Chai Chidchob announced Somchai's victory after about an hour of voting.

 

PPP MPs voted for Somchai on Wednesday after difference over the nomination inside the party can be settled on Tuesday. A faction in the PPP on Monday vowed not to vote for Somchai.

 

Somchai was married to Yaowapa, the younger sister of former prime minister Thaksin.

 

Yaowapa was a member of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai Party and lost her voting right when the party was dissolved. His daughter Chinnicha is the youngest female MP in the current House of Representatives.

 

Political observers said Somchai's strength lies in his soft and gentle character, which is why he would be the perfect person to negotiate an end to political tensions with the anti-government group, People's Alliance for Democracy.

 

Somchai was justice permanent secretary from 1999 to 2006, and then became permanent secretary for the Labour Ministry.

 

In 2003, when Somchai was permanent secretary of justice, he made headlines for conflicting with then-justice minister Purachai Piumsombun over the ministry's budget.

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/09/17...es_30083657.php

Another Thaksin man in power? How insane. This is not going to go away and now PAD will really dig in for the long haul. It is going to get bloody.

Wow, it reminds me of this country I know of, where the president got two of his sons installed as governors of large states and then several years later one of his sons became president after a disputed election that was settled in his son's favor by Supreme Court judges he'd selected.

 

 

It is going to get bloody.

 

I hope it doesn't come to that, but the PAD is definitely not happy. But the news reports make it seem as if the political situation in Thailand is a bomb about to blow. Apparently, the financial market is already reacting. This morning, probably because of the Lehman Brothers collapse, most foreign currencies were down. The US dollar started at 33.87 against the baht, the lowest it's been in about two weeks. At this moment, the US dollar is already back up to 34.11, and there is still more than two hours to go for trading rounds today, from the time of this post.

 

So far I've found two reactions from the PAD.

 

This one, in the BANGKOK POST:

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Shortly after the vote, core leaders of People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) Chamlong Srimuang and Somsak Kosaisuk held a news conference, saying that the group does not accept Mr Somchai because he is a nominee of Mr Thaksin.

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And this one, from TNA:

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His appointment as the Kingdom's top minister takes place amid warnings by anti-government People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters that they would not accept any member of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) as Thailand's premier.

 

The PAD has accused the PPP-led government of being a proxy for Mr. Thaksin, who is now living in Britain.

This appointment will be like a red rag to a bull. Somchai will be seen by them as even more of a proxy for Thaksin than Samak ever was.

 

But it could be a cunning ploy by Thaksin and the PPP to further antagonise PAD and force them to even more violent and drastic measures to try to unseat the Government. The Government could then impose another State of Emergency and invoke the draconian Internal Security powers (that they are at the moment holding in reserve) whilst at the same time courting international sympathy for their attempts to prevent the overthrow of a 'democratically' elected Government - the USA would like that!

 

As someone has already commented this could get very bloody and I believe the question is not if but when.

As someone has already commented this could get very bloody and I believe the question is not if but when.

 

While I don't want to see this situation become violent, to me the ideal situation for farang would be a windfall for the exchange rate. We're about due for a turn-around on the exchange rate, but I am truly sorry if this is the way it will happen.

 

The exchange rate won't do you much good if all farong have to flee the country.