Updated: Deal done?

Newin and Abhisit

Thai Newsroom reports that the Bhum Jai Thai Party, “under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob is becoming a ninth coalition partner headed by … Pheu Thai…”.

It goes on to say that the 71 Bhum Jai Thai MPs “will join the 310-MPs-strong Pheu Thai-led coalition in Friday’s joint House/Senate meeting to cast yea votes for Srettha [Travisin]…”.

If true, and if this coalition holds firm, this means that the vote for prime minister will be completed without the unelected senators. That is, at least, a good outcome as these are a bunch of pro-military snakes, leeches, criminals and thugs.

The move has:

… apparently dampened speculation that a couple of “uncle’s camps”, namely the Palang Pracharath and Ruam Thai Sang Chart, might possibly be brought into it. By nickname, [Gen] Prawit [Wongsuwan] is called Uncle Pom and [Gen] Prayut[h Chan-ocha] is called Uncle Tu…. The Move Forward rank and file have unwaveringly persisted that their progressive party remain as part of a Pheu Thai-led coalition government without either “uncle’s camp” in it….

Let’s see what happens over the next few days. Bhum Jai Thai was born of Puea Thai when Newin abandoned Thaksin to link up with the military. He’s known as a dealmaker (as well as a vote buyer), so is likely to have dealt directly with Thaksin Shimawatra on this deal. Yet party leader Anutin Charnvirakul, who has hinted at joining a Puea Thai-led coalition, wanted Move Forward out. How’s he been mollified?

We can’t help wondering if the deal only applies to the PM vote and if more coalition wrangling will come after that vote.

Update: Well, we guess it is still a maybe. The Bangkok Post reports that there’s still pressure to kick out Move Forward. There, a new coalition is explained:

Sources said a Pheu Thai-led coalition government might include the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), which still leads the caretaker government and has 40 House votes, the Bhumjaithai Party with 71 votes, the Democrat Party with 25, the Chartthaipattana Party with 10, the Prachachat Party with nine, the Pue Thai Rumphlang Party with two MPs, the Chartpattanakla Party with two, the Seri Ruam Thai Party with one and the Plung Sungkom Mai Party, also with one vote.

Such a coalition might get enough support from the unelected swill to get Srettha selected. That would be the conservative coalition discussed in a previous post.