Rightist rifts

A few days ago PPT posted on the tired and lost who remained defiant. In that post, PPT commented that the bedraggled group of protesters at Sanam Luang seemed to have lost its way.

In an effort to revive its flagging support, the leadership, under People’s Alliance for Democracy’s Chaiwat Sinsuwong, former aide to Privy Council leader Prem Tinsulanonda, Admiral Banawit Kengrian and a tired soldier Air Marshal Watchara Ritthakanee, decided to try to prevent Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra getting to the Ministry of Defense. The small group failed.

Behind the scenes, there was a bigger failure. The Nation reports that:

when the Thai Patriotic Front asked Comrade Pichit, aka Thongdee Namsaengkot, leader of Palang Thammatippatai, to join the rally at the Defence Ministry, … their request was turned down.

The “Thai Patriots” then decided “it needed to review its position…” which means they are going home, “citing conflicts with other anti-government groups…” after claiming to have raised and spent about 5.5 million baht.

At Khaosod Chaiwat explains that the Palang Thammatippatai had “greatly offended him by refusing to lend their hands in his group′s protest at the Defence Ministry and even ‘sabotaging’ the group′s campaign.” He blasted his former friends having “also contributed to lack of attention from the public toward their activities…”.

With the only long-standing but very small anti-government rally now at an end, the royalist right appears disorganized. Even so, we expect that the big bosses of the royalist opposition will be able to mobilize street protesters “when the time is right.”