This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 001346 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2015 
TAGS: PREL PGOV TH SNAP
SUBJECT: BANGKOK READIES ITSELF FOR TWO OPPOSING WEEKEND 
POLITICAL RALLIES 
 
REF: BANGKOK 01301 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ralph L. Boyce for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Two large political rallies are scheduled to 
take place in Bangkok's Sanam Luang royal plaza over the 
weekend. On March 3, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and 
his Thai Rak Thai party are preparing to mobilize 200-300 
thousand supporters, including many who will be brought in 
from outlying provinces, to listen to the Prime Minister's 
explanation for calling for new elections.  The People's 
Alliance for Democracy (PAD) plans to hold another 
anti-Thaksin rally on March 5.  There are concerns that 
remnants of the Thaksin supporters might clash with PAD 
supporters at the Sunday night rally.  Ambassador and other 
Embassy officials have conveyed concern about potential 
violence to leaders of both sides; although we have received 
encouraging assurances that both sides are committed to 
peaceful methods, there is potential for conflict.  Party 
registration ended on March 3 for the April 2 elections. Thai 
Rak Thai was the only major party to register candidates, 
alongside six smaller parties.  Singapore sources have told 
us that Singapore is contemplating pulling out of the Shin 
Corp deal. END SUMMARY. 
 
RALLIES SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY AND SUNDAY 
 
¶2. (C) All eyes will be on Bangkok's politically charged 
Sanam Luang royal plaza this weekend as Prime Minister 
Thaksin Shinawatra and the People's Alliance for Democracy 
(PAD) mobilize their supporters to show up in large numbers 
at opposing rallies on Friday and Sunday. First up will be 
the Prime Minister and his Thai Rak Thai party which predict 
that between 200 and 300 thousand supporters will show up 
from all over Thailand to listen to the PM "bare his heart" 
and discuss his reasons for dissolving parliament and holding 
new elections. The Prime Minister is also expected to roundly 
condemn the three major opposition parties for sticking to 
their decision to boycott the national elections, currently 
scheduled to be held on April 2. TRT officials say their 
rally should end around 10 in the evening. Arsa Sarasin, the 
King's Principal Private Secretary, told the Ambassador that 
the Prime Minister had assured the King that his speech would 
be positive and calm. Crowds began arriving in the early 
afternoon of March 3, including hundreds of vans arriving 
from the up-country provinces, Thaksin's main base of 
support. 
 
¶3. (C) The Democrat Party canceled their scheduled Saturday 
rally, although they planned to hold two anti-Thaksin 
demonstrations in the southern provinces of Pattani and 
Satun.  The PAD plans to hold another rally in Sanam Luang on 
Sunday, March 5, which coincides with the "deadline" they 
have given the Prime Minister to resign. There is some 
concern that remnants of the pro-Thaksin rally could clash 
with participants from the Sunday rally.  There are also 
concerns that the Sunday crowd might move on to Government 
House or another location if the deadline expires without a 
resignation.  A Royal Thai Navy Admiral (and prep school 
classmate of Thaksin) told the DCM on March 2 that the 
situation will be harder to control if the protesters leave 
Sanam Luang. He added that the unstable political situation 
"can't go on forever" and that things would have to be 
settled well before June, when Thailand will celebrate the 
60th anniversary of the King's accession to the throne.  A 
number of foreign dignitaries are expected to visit Thailand 
at that time. 
 
EMBASSY OFFICIALS CONVEY CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL VIOLENCE 
 
¶4. (C) Embassy officers have consistently urged RTG officials 
and protest leaders to keep demonstrations peaceful.  On 
March 3, Ambassador Boyce reiterated this message to Foreign 
Minister Kantathi as well as a senior adviser to the Prime 
Minister.  Both officials agreed and told the Ambassador that 
the RTG had no interest in provoking a conflict. PolCouns 
relayed similar concerns to a senior PAD representative, who 
assured her that the PAD was aware of the need to keep things 
peaceful and avoid confrontation. 
 
PARTIES IN PLAY 
 
¶5. (U) With the Democrat, Chart Thai and Matichon parties 
planning to stay at home on election day, Thai Rak Thai is 
certain to dominate any election, possibly winning all 500 
seats in Parliament -- assuming the election actually takes 
place.  Opposition parties had until today to register their 
party lists to participate in the April election.  They did 
not.  Other than TRT, only six relatively insignificant or 
unknown parties successfully handed in their paperwork.  The 
most well-known of these is the Prachakorn Thai Party, led by 
the controversial ex-governor of Bangkok, Samak Sundaravej. 
Prachakorn Thai plans to contest parliamentary seats in all 
400 nationwide constituencies. While the vast majority of 
these candidates probably have little chance of winning, 
their participation is significant because Thai law has 
different rules for winning elections in which a candidate 
runs unopposed (Reftel A). At the registration site March 
2-3, some followers of the smaller parties waved TRT banners 
alongside those of their own parties.  At least three other 
small parties which had reportedly been interested in 
registering were not among those announced on Friday. 
 
PRIME MINISTER THAKSIN TELLS BOYCOTTING PARTIES TO GO TO BURMA 
 
¶6. (U) During an appearance at the National Stadium to 
officially register TRT for the April election, Prime 
Minister criticized the three boycotting opposition parties 
and said that they should take a lesson from imprisoned 
Burmese Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi who was clearly 
"dying to have an election in Burma." 
 
SHIN CORP DEAL IN TROUBLE? 
 
¶7. (C) Post has heard repeated rumors, including from the 
Singapore DATT (Strictly Protect) that the Singapore 
Government (GOS) is increasingly uncomfortable with the 
negative publicity associated with the deal between Shin Corp 
and the state-owned Temasek company and that GOS may consider 
canceling the deal with Shin Corp.  This represents a shift 
in sentiment.  As recently as February 8, a Singapore Poloff 
told us at a reception that Singapore was prepared to weather 
the negative publicity behind the deal. 
 
BANGKOK STILL LIKES THAKSIN BUT DO THEY TRUST HIM? 
 
¶8. (U) Bangkok is universally cited as the primary source of 
opposition to the ruling Thai Rak Thai party.  However, a 
poll published by the well-regarded Assumption University 
recently revealed that a plurality of Bangkok voters- 44 
percent- would vote for TRT in the upcoming election, versus 
30 percent who would not. 57 percent said that they would 
vote in the upcoming election despite the opposition's call 
for a boycott, versus 25 percent who were unsure and 18 
percent who said they would honor the boycott. When asked if 
the poll would be "free and fair", fully half of respondents 
said they were not or not quite confident that they would be. 
 
¶9. (C) COMMENT. No one really expects trouble at the 
pro-Thaksin rally this evening-- a huge gathering that will 
be covered fully by the Thai media and which will be used by 
the embattled PM to bolster his case that the real opposition 
to him is confined to disgruntled pockets of the Bangkok 
elite.  The key on Sunday will be whether the peaceful nature 
of the anti-Thaksin protests will continue to hold.  We have 
been very forthright about the need to avoid violence and 
have received encouraging reassurances from all quarters. 
That being said, there is some nervousness about Sunday and 
beyond. END COMMENT. 
BOYCE