As we have done in the past, we provide a few links to the international media as it reports on yesterdays events in Thailand.

What a headline at The New York Times: Your Friday Briefing: Thailand in Turmoil

After the military-backed Senate rejected Pita Limjaroenrat as prime minister, Thailand was staring down what could be another intense period of political unrest and nationwide protests.

Whats next: A likely scenario is that Pheu Thai another party in the coalition that backed Pita in the elections  would field Srettha Thavisin, a property tycoon who is considered a more palatable candidate among Thailands military establishment. The tumultuous week ahead may or may not end with a new prime minister in charge.

Also at The New York Times: Juntas Allies Reject Thai Election Results, Derailing Top Opposition Figure

The Thai militarys hold on the Senate blocked a popular progressive candidate who had emerged as the clear winner. Parliament will now have to vote again, as the opposition vows to demonstrate.

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In the current circumstances, there is some resonance for Thailand in a couple of op-eds at The Economist a couple of weeks ago. Okay, both were about Russia, and The Economist is exceptionally hawkish in its editorials about Putin and Russia. Nevertheless, PPT kept being prodded to think of Thailand while reading the op-eds about the brief Prigozhin mutiny. Excerpts below.

By former tycoon and now Putin opponent Mikhail Khodorkovsky:

It will take armed insurrectionby democratsto transform the country for the better.

Mr Putins fall can only be brought about by force. Only an armed populace can topple this dictatorship.

Regime change is coming. Exactly when is impossible to say. But one thing is certain: we must be ready for it.

Clipped from...

Reuters has gone out on something of a political limb before the Pita case going to the Constitutional Court to contend that the role of the monarchy in Thailand is at the core of a looming deadlock that could tip Southeast Asias second-largest economy into crisis, with reformers once again vying to dislodge the grip on power of the royalist military establishment.

The report argues: The main reason is that part of Move Forwards political platform is the once-unthinkable proposal to amend Thailands lese majeste law, Article 112 of the criminal code. It says the idea is so radical that minority parties and many members of the appointed Senate have vowed to block Pita from becoming prime minister.

While King Vajiralongkorn has no role in choosing a government, [and] has remained silent on the lese majeste issue since the election, theres a whiff of interest. Reuters adds: The Royal Palace did not respond to a request for comment.

Whats the big deal for the old, grey ones? Reuters says:

Move Forward&#...

As widely expected, the juntas Election Commission has done as it is meant to: it has decided to submit a petition to the Constitutional Court seeking the disqualification of PM-hopeful Pita Limjaroenrat over alleged media shareholding.

Thai PBS reports:

The EC, at its meeting this morning, agreed with its fact-finding committees conclusion that there is sufficient evidence to prove that Pita owned 42,000 shares in iTV, a media company, when he registered his election candidacy.

The ECs decision comes one day ahead of the joint sitting of the House and Senate to select a new prime minister for Thailand.

The move is designed to prevent Pitas election as prime minister and/or to give unelected senators more grist for their anti-Pita mill, probably convincing more of these junta representatives to vote against Pita.

A report states that the EC is making the case for the Constitutional Court to disqualify Pita as MP under the Constitutions Sections 98 (3) and 101 (6). That is, the juntas constitution:

Section 98

A person under any of the following prohibitions shall be the person who is prohibited from exercising the...