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As the title of this video suggests, I am asking the question, "what is the Democrat Party doing right now?" We were in this whole - I put up a recent video talking about this and my thoughts and just the general state of play with regard to the whole leaked phone call between Paetongtarn and Hun Sen, let's just dive in. I thought of making this video after reading a recent article from the Nation, that's nationthailand.com, the article is titled: The Democrat Party reaches consensus to remain in the Government Coalition. First off, "consensus". I like that word. Let me get to it in a moment. Quoting directly: "The Democrat Party reaches consensus," - they keep saying a couple of things over and over in this article and I think it's worth pointing it out - "The Democrat Party reaches consensus to remain in the Government Coalition after a 3-hour meeting on Thursday. Party leader Chalermchai Sri-on, who also serves as Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, convened a meeting of the parties Executive Committee to discuss the current political situation and decide whether to withdraw from or continue in the Government Coalition. This decision comes in the wake of the leaked audio clip between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen, which mentioned the Commander of the 2nd Army Region." 

Well mentioned? The Prime Minister undermined him. She said he was an opponent to the counterparty in these negotiations which is the representative of another sovereign state that Thailand is in, at least right now, in nominal conflict with. So I would say “mentioned” is a bit of an understatement. Quoting further: "Before the meeting, Chalermchai denied reports suggesting that the Democratic Party had been offered additional Ministerial positions," - again, consensus and additional Ministerial positions are two recurring themes throughout this. And I'm using the thumbnail of the line from Braveheart which is, "you are all busy arguing over the scraps from Longshank's table, you forgot your god given right to something better," which I am starting to wonder about the Democrat Party. Because the Democrat Party if you go back to 2010 - which I was here on the ground and boy did that conflict come right to my doorstep - at that time the Democrats were completely at odds with these folks. So for them to be in a Coalition Government, especially in light of what Ms. Paetongtarn did last week, I find just flabbergasting absolutely, and I do have to wonder, what were you offered, what are you getting for that? And then this whole notion of consensus, I'll get to here in a moment. Quoting further: "Regarding public calls for the Democratic party to withdraw from the coalition," - it's notable that the second largest party Bhumjaithai already did. Which traditionally they had more yeah there was a break there, but they're kind of more ideologically aligned if you will with Phue Thai, much more so than the Democrats have ever been. - Quoting further: "Chalermchai acknowledged that there were both requests to leave and expressions of support, each with valid reasoning. He assured that the Party would carefully consider all perspectives." Over three hours? A matter of hours after the incident occurred. Maybe go back to the drawing board and rethink. My thoughts. Quoting further: "Jenjira Rattanaphian stated that the decision made by the Party's Executive Committee today was considered a consensus." Now okay first of all what does that mean? "Considered a consensus"? Well if you know the background here, there is a major rift inside the Democrat Party. A lot of people have been talking about the rift inside of the UTN Party which apparently there is, but people are kind of forgetting there is a rift within the Democrat Party and I'm very curious to know what Mr. Abhisit has to say about all this. The former Prime Minister who came from the Democrat Party. As I have noticed, there's no mentioning him in the article. That said, quoting further: "She clarified that the meeting was intended to discuss the political situation and that no discussions about Ministerial positions took place. 

Quickly here, as I have discussed in other videos, we do have a paid news service, Integrity News Service. You can email us if you want information on how to subscribe to that. I do longer form videos getting into sort of the deeper rabbit holes of how it probably now moving forward a lot of these videos are going to be about political stuff and how it will probably impact the expat world here in Thailand. Also very quickly, I want to go ahead and plug Pancake Palace. We recently started a new restaurant here in Thailand. It's dedicated to kind of American diner food and all-day breakfast. Pancake Palace. We have got buffalo wings; we've got cheeseburgers and of course we have got all day breakfast and pancakes; we've got great chilli. For folks who like American diner food, maybe check that out. 

That said, going back here. Again, I want to quote again: "no discussions about Ministerial positions took place." Again, that is said multiple times throughout the article and this notion of a “consensus”. I just want to know you know what the Democrats are even thinking as a whole party because Bhumjaithai pulled out and they were in the Coalition, and they were part of the government far longer than the Democrats were. The Democrats have said they have been sort of trying to find their way if you will with regard to where they stand politically. This is the time where you need to kind of stand up and be counted, because I have got to be honest with you, if the actions of the Prime Minister indeed did not have any ill intent involved, if there was no for lack of better term, malice a forethought it was simply frankly her incompetence and naïveté that caused this, then she probably shouldn't be heading the government to begin with. Now does that mean you pull out of the Coalition? I don't exactly know but that said, I think there's at least, I think maybe a new consensus should be come to.