"Slippery as an eel" is an expression that always comes to mind whenever I'm reminded of him.
Thais often say that all politicians are "kee-gohng"... but Thaksin takes it to a higher level and is in a class of his own when it comes to the amounts of money involved in his crooked deals.
Shady and dishonest weapons procurement programs are a major problem here, that's for sure, but the beneficiaries are numerous and spread out, they don't enrich one man and his corrupt family to the same extent that the Shinawatras have seen their fortunes multiply since starting out as silk merchants in San Kamphaeng.
