The wheeling and dealing has seen at least one casualty.

CSI LA earlier today released a copy of a palace announcement, which appears to be real.

It is an announcement that Gen Apirat Kongsompong, now a senior palace official, is being punished for egregious behavior, failing to do his specified duties, and going beyond his authority.

CSI LA reckons this involves the meeting between Thaksin Shinawatra and Gen Apirat on Langkawi Island on 5 May 2023. That meeting was rumored to be about a deal for Thaksin post-election. They consider the recent events in Hong Kong to be the deal done there playing out. Other social media commentators are less sure and suggest that it is not the meeting that was at issue but the fact that the meeting between a palace official and Thaksin was leaked.

Waiting for the deal makers to announce the next plan for Thailand, conjured in secret meetings, is driving a wedge between pro-democracy forces, thus doing the ruling classs work.

You have to marvel at the way Thaksin Shinawatra can make everything political about him. His party did not get the political landslide he wanted, but it was a part of a pro-democracy/anti-military landslide that is now being shredded.

While he may be wrong this time, massage parlour tycoon-turned-whistleblower Chuvit Kamolvisit has been right about a lot of late, and he recently

held a press conference on Thursday in which he claimed Pheu Thai had struck a deal with Bhumjaithai and the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) parties to form a government with a combined 279 MPs, excluding the MFP. He said that key figures of the parties met Thaksin in Hong Kong to strike the deal on Tuesday the same day Mr Thanathorn [Juangroongruangkit] met Thaksin there, Mr Chuvit claimed. With the formation of a new coalition, the MFP [Move Forward], the United Thai Nation Party, and the Democrat Party would form the opposition, he said.

That will be a disunited opposition, meaning the ruling parties will probably have unchecked control in parliament.

The betting is strong for Anutin Charnvirakul to emerge as prime minister after a sham selection process next week, with the real selection after that.

Interestingly, much of the uncomfortableness about the backroom dealing is targeted at Thanathorn. In another recent story, theres this:...

According to one longtime observer:

Millions of Thais were gripped with suspense, misery, or delight seeing a Shakespearean display of political knives and an agonized Et tu Brute? echoing in the hostile Senate when it voted twice to crush popular Pita Limjaroenrats chances to become prime minister.

The grim, militarized, junta-appointed 249-member Senate was not a welcoming place for Pita, 44, who won a nationwide House election in May, promising to reform the U.S.-trained military and stop them repeatedly seizing power through coups.

Pita also wanted to reform the constitutional monarchy, slash the militarys opaque budget and lucrative commercial enterprises, downsize the swollen number of generals, end conscription, and disband the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC).

The response, however, has so far been tepid. It seems almost a wait-and-see position. That may make some sense, as there is a heck of a lot going on, in public and behind closed doors.

The article quotes academi...