As predicted in my earlier comment, the game of multi-dimensional political chess currently being played out in Thailand has just witnessed a number of dramatic moves, while some think that the King may have been castled, 0-0.

Sadly, the first sign of real violence among the street pawns has just occurred, with one of the yellow-shirted, anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters having been killed at an occupied airport, Don Mueang. Local television reports that a grenade was fired at the airport, which is Bangkok’s domestic hub.

Judicial Coup

But the knights and the bishops are also on the move. Only today (Tuesday), Thailand’s constitutional court has, as predicted, dissolved the governing People’s Power Party (PPP, Phak Palang Prachachon), and two of its coalition partners, for alleged fraud during the last election. The leaders, most notably the current prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin Shinawatra’s brother-in-law, have been banned from politics for five years. So we now have a judicial coup.

Yet, these judicial gambits can be easily countered, because, under the constitution, most of the MPs involved will be able to keep their seats under another party name (one is already in place, namely the Puea Thai), and should thus be capable of forming a new government.

Unsurprisingly, the red-shirted government-supporting pawns are likewise on the move, and, this morning, they forced the Constitutional Court to change the location for its final hearing to Bangkok's administrative courthouse. There has then been a predictably-enraged response to the court’s verdict among the red shirts, who accuse the judges of sabotaging democracy, and of going against the elected will of the people. As I commented earlier, if Thaksin were to return to Thailand to fight another election, it is very likely that he would win it, as would his proxy prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, or any replacement proxy. In addition, and despite the presence of a large number of riot police, the red-shirted protesters have blocked the courthouse, vowing that they will not let the judges out.

So we now have two airports closed by yellow-shirted, anti-government protesters, and a courthouse blockaded by red-shirted, pro-government supporters.

We must further never underestimate the protean ability of Thai political parties to re-create themselves; shape-shifting is, after all, a Thai political art form. The People’s Power Party (PPP) is itself a classic example of this phenomenon. The party was founded on November 9, 1998, by Police Lieutenant Colonel Garn Tienkaew. However, many of its MPs come from Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai (‘Thai Love Thai’) Party, following the dissolving of Thai Rak Thai by the Thai Supreme Court on May 30, 2007.

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.

I predict that the same process will now lead to the formation of yet another party, and, as I have said, this third transformation is already under way as the Puea Thai Party.

Thus, the high risk game of Thai chess continues, and one fears that the bitter battle between Red and Yellow can only deteriorate into more violence. This is so sad for such a beautiful country.

H. M. the King

In past political crises, H.M. the King has managed, on so many occasions, to employ his revered status and political brilliance to prevent Thailand from descending into civil war. But he is now approaching 81, and he is reported to be frail. One just wonders how far this great man is being kept ignorant of what is really happening to his country by those around him with their own agendas, some of whom, we know, are desperate to maintain their privileged political power and status in the face of popular democracy?

We need to know the real puppet masters who are playing the Yellow chess pieces on this increasingly-deadly chess board. Has, for example, the King been castled, 0-0-0?