[killjoy]

So given that the Crown Prince probably would be unable to give Thailand the kind of stability it has enjoyed during his father's long reign, some of us theorize that Thaksin has been trying to establish a Singapore-style autocracy, with himself playing the role of Lee Kwan-Yew. Under this scenario, Thaksin would be in place either to abolish the monarchy after the King's death and manoeuver himself into position as president of a republic, or at least to marginalize the putative new king into irrelevance and then wield dictatorial powers (whether as prime minister or as party chief).

You are making a huge mistake in assuming that the Prince is the only member of the Royal family fit to follow in the King's footsteps. That is all I am going to say on a public forum.

[Hawthorn]

killjoy wrote:

> You are making a huge mistake in assuming that the Prince is the only member of the Royal family fit to follow in the King's footsteps. <

On the contrary, my assumption is that he ISN'T fit.

And I know that at least some Thais would prefer the King's daughter (the never-married one -- I forget her name) as their next monarch.

Problem:

My understanding is that under the Kingdom's constitution, the Crown will automatically go to HRH the Crown Prince. Maybe a constitutional amendment is a real possibility? But now I'm getting way over my head into the realm of uninformed speculation. So 'nuff said!