womble

i hope he does go to london or somewhere like that, he is bound to get mixed up in some insider trading or something similar which will hopefully end up in him being incarcerated there.

Maybe the Train will be finished by the time it opens.

Well I can't be botherd to argue anymore.

I guess I meant we are all tourists then as if thats how you read it the thats how it is.

Thinking about it 700 isn't a lot to pay.

Although I am very dissapointed in many aspects of this new airport including the 2km bus ride to the taxi terminal, the lack of public transport other than buses, and numerous other things.

I do not think it's fair to raise fees when services are still inadequate, especially when so much $ has been skimmed off through corruption.

Lets just leave it at that then.

The fact that I highlighted Tourists and We does not mean we are all tourists, that is how you personally have chose to interperet it. It seems you often interperet peoples posts in a different way to how they were intended simply so you can have a go at someone.

After reading samrans post I see 700 baht is quite cheap compared to sydney, so maybe it's not that bad afterall, it's a shame others on this thread couldn't come up with more constructive posts.

JD, you seem to really like your buses, so I won't piss on your fire, but if that train you are talking about takes as long as most things in Thailand to be built, it's gonna be a long way off.

I'd also like to point out that most countries with projects like this would have seen this completed before the opening of the airport. they havn't even started it yet!

I for one do not like buses and so am not thrilled about having to get a bus 3km, 6km or however far it is before i can get my taxi.

The fact that it is supperior to anything thailand has had before is frankly not saying much, i mean look at the state of the current airport.

For the amount of tourists thailand gets and the cost of this new airport, the transport to and from the new airport is IMHO crap.

I think the only people who will like the idea of 'cruising' around on buses will be single males without families such as yourself, or budget travelers.

I think you'll find that most people on this forum will be very disapointed at the travel options available to them. Imagine a family of 4 coming on holiday, it will not be easy for them.

in fact you DID say you were a tourist and then retract it ...

no i didn't please read my first two posts properly. In the first one I mentioned tourists being treated badly, and in the second post I said "foriegners/tourists", all expats living here in Thailand can be classed as foriegners can they not? Also both of my posts were before you said anything about me calling myself a tourist, I had already used foriegner/tourist before you even said that.

6km for a taxi? no

Well I took that from a post by someone else who was quoting the nation newspaper as the source, if the article or poster is wrong then I appologise for not using better sources, maybe you could enlighten me as to the correct distance if my source is wrong.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...1855&st=240

"By the way... Did you read Nation last week end ?

They wrote a piece about Suvarnabbhumi.

They confirmed something that i've heard before : passengers will have to take a shuttle bus, from the terminal, in order to go to the taxis station, 6 km away

Train? Light rail is on its way!

This airport was first on it's way 50 years ago, don't you think it would be better to have it ready when the airport was opening?

whinge much?

Yes I do whinge from time to time, we all do.

By the way, here's a couple of examples of you being a moany queen!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=18223&hl=[/b]

"I am constantly amazed by the farang that lie about their ages on gay.com. They talk with guys promising dates excitement etc when they get to Thailand and then pooftah ... they get here and the profile age of 42 turns out to be a real age of 58+.

Yes, Thai men are quite tolerant of older men. They will happily go out on a date (for the most part) with OLD men. Every one I know that has met either of the 2 guys in specific that I am referring to has pretty much walked away from the meeting. Not because of the man's age. The reason they cited was that the guy was a liar. Couldn't tell the truth about a simple thing so why should he be trusted with matters of the heart?

Any ideas? or comments?"

The above is an example of you having a whinge and then asking for other peoples opinions similar to how I did myself, only the subject matter is slightly different!

another example

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=58612&hl=

May I also point out that you have been taken to task by moderators before for generally being bitchy and causing problems with people for no reason at all.

If you want to have a go at my posts at least get your fact straight, then you can reply by PM as moderators have told you to do before when you want to be a troublemaker. That way I can just delete them and not have to reply to defend myself against posts by yourself that are not based on fact.

I put it to you that you are a bored moany old queen with nothing better to do that nit pick constantly at peoples posts. I've put up with it for months and as none have been directed at me i've let it go, now you try to argue when your facts arn't even straight.

say something useful or don't say anything at all.

Chiang Mai has its fair share of Farang undesirables, who often term up with Thai counterparts. These are not in anyway community minded people nor would it be wise to associate with them.

Thailand has become a haven for foreign criminals and sexual deviants.

I would like to see the visa amount substantially increased for those acquiring one-year visas, a termination of the visa runs and government agencies established for those wishing to apply to stay in the Kingdom short term or long term, meaning having to use an agent to apply for visas. Companies, schools etc being fined or closed down if discovered employing illegal stayers, criminals and sexual deviants. Employers knowing or not knowing.

From each home country a special document is available from police confirming there is nothing or something on file about applicants. I have one myself, from Scotland Yard London police. Cost £10, 40 days for issue.

it sounds like you dont know much about thailand

How does raising visa prices help? Lots of these 'criminals' you talk of have access to money, and some honest decent folk are not rolling in cash.

And using agents just makes it more costly, you seem to think that the authorities and government agencies here can be trusted to carry out fair and non corruptable assesment of applications.

I think Blackjack is right, you know nothing about this country, or indeed what any developing country such as thailand is like.

yes Thai's pay the same, there's no duel pricing when leaving here which is quite nice and a welcome change. The fact that they too pay the same doesn't make it ok, it just means they too are getting less for their extra 200 baht.

Well if the raise is country wide then that doesn't really make much difference as nearly everyone comes through that airport anyway and the reason they are justifying it is because it's a new airport, otherwise it would change at a different time and not at the same time as moving airports.

Yeah the free shuttle is public transport, but hardly up to the standard expected of a new airport the size of this in the 21st century.

A train would reduce fumes better than buses. Buses will also be faced with the problems of traffic jams and they will not take you door to door.

Not the ideal way to get into the city unless you are on a budget. Also taking the bus with a load of bags 6km to get a taxi at a rate that is not taking advantage of convenience and monopoly is also not ideal in my opinion.

If you think taking the bus into town or taking the bus 6km to then get a taxi is an improvement then I hope you don't have too many bags when you are using said bus. Luckily for you though the fumes will be marginally better whilst waiting god knows how long for that bus. I doubt the service will be running as efficiently as swiss or german public transport.

Also a better way to beat those fumes may be to have a decent extactor system or a better Q system such as in singapore, you could even have the waiting area inside in aircon, did you ever think of that?

I didn't say I was a tourist, I said I was fed up with how tourists were treated, two different things. Anyway it is my belief that nearly all thais view us as tourists regardless of whether we live here or not, you may disagree with this, if so let me know why, I also never said you were a tourist, but we are all foriegners and that my friend means we are treated different whether we like it or not.

i'm not a tourist, but I was once. Most people leaving the airport are tourists. I've been living here 7 years, came here as a tourist before that. In the time I have been here I have seen attitudes to foriegners worsen, that is something I do not like. Maybe it's because I now speak the language and understand the culture better than before that I notice it more, but i'm pretty sure things are getting worse.

My problem isn't actually so much with the 200 baht raise, but more with the fact that we (those using the airport), are expected to pay more than before when the deal we are getting is worse. So what if the airport is shiny and new, there is no public transport and no taxis from the main terminal. We are being expected to pay more whilst they think they can give us less in return, not a good deal in my opinion.

So my first answer relates to the title because I am fed up with prices rising in so many places in Thailand when standards and services are actually falling.

Yes i'm whinging, but I thought forums were a place where we can air our views?

Yes I did bring up the fact I may well leave, i'm just pretty fed up that no one can come back with something better than "you know where the door is".

I asked a sensible question, "is anyone else feeling the same?"

If not maybe tell us why I am wrong and why the 200 raise is justified, also maybe some examples of where prices are being raised, but services and standards are getting better as a result.

That would be a little more constuctive than "you know where the door is", which i've seen said by people a 1000 times on here and it's much easier to say than actually post a reply with data and stats to proove a person wrong in their assumption.

The thread is related to tourism as it involves the airport, and I think there's nothing wrong with taking someone to task when they state tourists are ######ing up the country, when in all likelyhood they first came here as a tourist. Also stating problems with the tourist and housing industry when that person themselves is an owner and therefore directly a part of that problem is a bit hipicritica don't you think?

By Seth Mydans The New York Times

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27, 2006

BANGKOK Sounding desperate, Thailand's harried leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, wrote to President George W. Bush last spring with what sounded like an SOS. Thai democracy, he said, is under threat.

"Key democratic institutions, such as elections and the observance of constitutional limitations on government, have been repeatedly undermined," he wrote in a letter published in the Thai press.

Thaksin had been forced by public pressure to give up his office in April, he explained, but was staying on as what he calls a caretaker prime minister.

Bush sent a friendly but noncommittal, and possibly nonplussed, reply.

Since then, things have only gotten worse for Thaksin as court rulings go against him, allies desert, his party faces a possible ban in court, and an election scheduled for October that he could see as his lifesaver appears about to recede farther into the future.

Critics have now accused him of fabricating the assassination attempt against him that was reported Thursday.

Some say this is the endgame in a campaign against him that has included huge street demonstrations and an opposition boycott - and the subsequent annulment in court - of an election that Thaksin won handily in April.

The underlying question is this: Who is threatening democracy and undermining constitutional limitations on government - the people who have taken to the streets and turned their backs on a election, or Thaksin himself?

His critics say that Thaksin has so eviscerated democratic institutions and processes in his five years in power that they had no other means of opposing him or protecting the Constitution.

In a rationale that echoes the one given in the Philippines for repeated "people power" uprisings, they argue, in effect, that they must destroy democracy in order to save it.

"It's not true that Thaksin represents genuine democracy and overthrowing him in the streets is unacceptable," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University. "I think democracy is nuance; it's subtle and has to be contextualized. Just because you have someone coming along and winning elections is not tantamount to having democratic rule."

Thaksin is an election winner, the biggest in Thai history. He still has the overwhelming support of the country's poor and rural voters and would almost certainly be re-elected in a new ballot.

But that would not solve the country's problems, or end the current impasse, his critics say.

"Thaksin says he plays by the rules, but he's the one who broke the rules most of the time," said Kavi Chongkittavorn, a political commentator at the daily newspaper The Nation. "I think democracy means a lot of things. It doesn't just mean elections; it also means checks and balances, it means transparency, it means how you use your powers, it means you are accountable as a leader."

There is some excitement here about replicating Philippine "people power," but if the Philippine experience has anything to offer Thailand, it is a warning.

Precedent is powerful, the Filipinos found: Democracy is fragile, and once the fire of popular putsch is lit, it can smolder for years, then flame up anew to burn down another government.

The response to this in both the Philippines and Thailand is that their democracies are young and imperfect and that their self-regulating mechanisms cannot always be relied on, as they are in more mature democracies.

In the Philippines, for example, former President Joseph Estrada was ousted in 2001 by a popular uprising - "People Power 2" - after a constitutional impeachment process failed because of corruption in the Legislature.

In Thailand, Thaksin's manipulation of democracy has been as thorough and direct as anything the Philippines has seen in recent years. He came to power in 2001 with the country's first outright majority in Parliament, the result of a new Constitution, passed in 1997, meant to create more stable governments.

Once in office, his critics say, Thaksin used his electoral mandate as a cover to begin weakening the checks and balances that limited his power.

He packed his allies onto independent commissions on elections and corruption, the constitutional court and the Senate as well as the military leadership; he undermined civic organizations, intimidated the press and monopolized television; and used his overwhelming mandate to crush political opposition.

His critics say Thaksin has used his office to hugely enrich himself, his family and favored associates. The chief spur to the uprising against him was the sale by his relatives of the family's telecommunications empire to a Singapore firm for $1.9 billion, avoiding most taxes.

As his struggle for political survival intensifies, some military and government officials have warned of the possibility of violent clashes if the street demonstrations resume.

On Thursday, the police announced they found a bomb in the trunk of a car parked near Thaksin's house. An army lieutenant was arrested in connection with the incident, which the government called an assassination attempt, and a general was dismissed.

Newspapers immediately speculated that the incident had been contrived by Thaksin for political purposes.

One option Thaksin has mentioned in the past is the declaration of a state of emergency that would allow him to assume special powers.

Thaksin's aggressive use of power and the uprising against him have set the country on an uncertain course stretching the limits of the constitution and, as Thaksin said, threatening democracy.

"My fear is that we will emerge out of this crisis many months from now so bruised and so bloody that we'll be unrecognizable," Thitinan, the political scientist, said.

A question that many opponents of Thaksin, as well as those of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who succeeded Estrada, fail to ask is what would come next if their elected leaders were overthrown, sidestepping the democratic process.

In the Philippines, Arroyo is the product of people power. Yet she has disappointed the public, so she in turn has become the target of people who want to push her from office.

Actually I know a few of the people who have been involved with helping with this project and the people hired are extremely well qualified.

Personally i'm not a fan of these big projects, but that doesn't make them wrong if done in the right way. Plenty of people in samui have been ripped of by locals with dodgy land titles, I expect thats whats happened here. Well I guess they will have to loose any land that isn't properly titled, but I hope they can put that behind them and make the rest of the project a success.

The land has been cleared and a road (a decent one at that) has been built, hopefully this gets up and running before it does the property market in samui any more damage.

Yeah a predictable answer there from steveromagnino, I wondered how long it would take for the usual, "if you don't like it you know where the door is".

I thought i'd already mentioned that I may well exit that door in the next 12 months.

Also I'd like to point out that you are one of those tourists/foriegners f&*king up the places that you like to go to.

I hate it when people somehow think they are superior to other foriegners present in a country and how somehow they should be allowed to enjoy the country 'how it was' whilst others are the cause of 'their' paradise lost.

May I also point out that many foriegners are involved in business that is not tourist related.

And also that you yourself are involved in investment as I do believe you own a property here, is that not correct?

Offcourse we all know that the growth in the Thai property market is without doubt sustainable and there are infact no bubbles appearing anywhere in the market.

I for one am gettiing extremely fed up with the way tourists are being treated here. So much so that i'm considering leaving this country. We are treated as if we are fools and all they want is to take our money with no upgrades in service or thoughts for our welfare.

the taxi situation and lack of public transport at the airport is a prime example. Also the national park fee increase when they provide us with nothing, not even signs in English.

Is anyone else getting fed up with the way we are continually being taxed without being given anything back.

I really feel strongly about this as I think it shows a complete lack of respect and also it shows that they must think we lack intelligence.

I'm pretty close to taking my money elsewhere where it is appreciated and I will at least have some rights and be treated fairly.

Anyone else feeling the same?

I also feel that from an investment point of view Thailand has had it's day, there are now better places to conduct business where rules protect us and returns are better. There are many places now looking more attractive than Thailand IMHO.

You would think that they would at least have a mono rail or train of some discription to and from the taxi stand.

Whats the bet that you can take an airport car from the airport terminal itself?

I wonder who it is that will hold the concession for that?

Actually i've been giving it some thought, PAD is not a political party and is not aiming to promote any political party.

This means a rally held by them should be perfectly legal unless they are infiltrated by thugs from the other side.

A huge rally by TRT supporters on the other hand runs a huge risk of breaking election laws which is something Thaksin cannot afford to risk, especially when he is unaware of how strict the new

EC may be.

I think there is a possible way out should the new EC really wish to solve this huge problem facing the country.

Thaksins mouth will more than likely come out with something that will violate election laws, it's quite possible that he could be stopped by the new EC.

He really has taken things too far now and I think we will eigher see him stopped by the EC or the court cases, or we will see him create violence to take control and not have to attend those court cases.

Also one thing i'd like to point out about this guy in custody refusing to name names.

We all know that the first thing Thai's do is squeal, partly because they wanna save their own skin, but mostly because the police use torture to get confessions.

Now if this guy was really guilty don't you think for such a thing as plotting to blow up the PM they would use a few 'persuasive techniques'.

They would have had a full confession out of him before you can say The Rack.

His statement made on TV has obviously been written by someone else.

This B movie has nearly run it's course, I really can't believe anyone could believe it.

It shows just how gullible the poor in the N and N.E are.

It doesn't matter what spin is put on it on Thai TV, the conflicting statements, timing and just about every matter relating to this shown on the TV make it obvious it's a set up.

I really can't believe anyone is so stupid as to believe it.

Looks like from this 'confession' he will keep his mouth shut, and so there won't be any more arrests or any ringleaders caught.

Trouble is thaksin has already said he knows who they are.

This really is playing out like a made for cable movie. It's just getting funnier and funnier. The trouble is in the end it won't be a laughing matter as people will have to die before the country is rid of this despot.

What scares me the most is they are prepared to mobilise people with cash to bring the fight to bangkok. They have to mobilise people as if they don't they know that the people in Bangkok will be able to force Thaksin to quit.

Personally I think PAD should refuse to Rally and wait for the courts, if that fails then there is no other alternative but to rally. As all other avenues will have been exhausted.

An election will solve nothing.

This is the proof that they are prepared to fight to the death.

Between now and the first court case there is going to be some serious moves by thaksin aimed at taking control. I doubt he will risk going to court so he will eigher try to sieze control through the emergency decree, or somehow create instability in some way or another that could postpone the court dates.

I'm sure there is some serious lobbying behind the scenes with the judges that could hopefully put an end to Thaksin, the question is will he be able to stop the court hearing the cases.

I think it may well be time to get out of Bangkok, things are going to get very messy by the looks of things and it'll be a miracle if no one is killed.

It's quite obvious that Thaksin is only worried about saving his own skin, what happens to the country and the Thai people is obviously of absolutley no importance to him.

And it's not a police duty to interpret election laws, it's up to the Election Commission to decide wheather PAD rallies break them or not.

Absolutely!!!

Yeah the first paragraph is correct, only he failed to identify the 'Troublemakers', which we all know to be TRT.

Minister fears pre-election chaos

Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana warned on Monday that troublemakers would cause continuing security chaos and panic among the public for their political gain as the October general election is approaching.

Air Chief Marshal Kongsak said law enforcement officers must be cautious in determining motives when dealing with incidents related to bomb and other security threats.

The minister's comment followed a bomb hoax Monday morning near Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's residence, only days after police foiled an alleged assassination attempt on the premier using a car bomb.

The minister said officials would let police investigators determine the identity of the culprits, and for the time being, 'troublemakers' could not be ruled out.

''I'm very certain that similar incidents will continue to happen because the general election is coming. They'll do everything for their political gain," Marshal Kongsak said, "and officials must use their good judgment.''

Last Thursday, police arrested an army lieutenant for allegedly planning the car bombing to kill the prime minister.

However, the interior minister said comments on the assassination attempt should be made with caution as the legal process is in process and is still inconclusive.

''Many people worry that the arrest of the military officer will lead to nothing. We need to wait for more solid evidence. We should have the truth if we wait for another week,'' Marshal Kongsak said.

He said any comment by Prime Minister Thaksin should be regarded as his "personal opinion:. Earlier, Mr. Thaksin said that the car bomb was targeting his life. (TNA)

There is so many conflicting statements released by the police that can be used by the lawyer to discredit the evidence. Although if this goes to court we all know that the truth and eveidence play no part in deciding the verdict.

Police fabricate evidences : Thawatchai's lawyer

A lawyer representing the lieutenant accused of attempting to assassinate the prime minister claims police fabricated evidence against his client.

Internal Security Operation Command staff member Lieutenant Thawatchai Klinchana is in custody suspected of attempting to blow up Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

He has been charged with unlawful possession of explosives.

But, his lawyer Sirichai Jaidee claimed on Monday police had amended the items found in Thawatchai's possession at the time of his arrest.

According to Sirichai, Thawatchai was arrested on Thursday of last week in a Daewoo car that contained explosives and was parked at Bang Phlat district near the premier's residence.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lt General Wiroj Chantharangsi told a press conference three items had been confiscated from the vehicle. These were two sticks of TNT, approximately 20 litres of ammonium nitrate, benzene and a detonator.

Sirichai told news reporters yesterday a police complaint against Thawatchai now stated the car contained 4.8 kilograms of TNT, 1.6 kilograms of C4 explosive, 59 litres of ammonium nitrate and diesel (a total weight of 67.57 kilograms), electronic circuits and detonation wires.

Thawatchai's family asked police General Kowit Wattana investigate the discrepancies.

The suspect's wife Sangworn and other relatives visited him again on Monday.

Meanwhile police investigator Maj General Winai Thongrong said more than 20 people had so far been interviewed in relation to the alleged assassination.

He could not reveal if there would be more arrests.

The Nation

You can see this is really starting to backfire, everyone is going into damage limitation mode now, how many more of TRT will beg the public to believe them that it really wasn't a set up.

As always with these guys you can tell the truth by reversing whatever they say. They are so economical with the truth that in nearly all situations if you just take the opposit of whats being said it isn't often far away from the truth.

DPM Chidchai insists bomb plot targeted Thaksin

BANGKOK, Aug 28 (TNA) - The alleged carbomb plot last Thursday really was an assassination attempt on caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya affirmed on Monday.

Pol. Gen. Chidchai said that the incident was a real attempt against the life of the prime minister, and that it was not a set-up.

"We received reports of the assassination attempt since August 9-10 and the accused was caught red-handed with evidence," he said .

The deputy prime minister was responding to an opinion poll on the weekends which showed that half the people in Bangkok did not believe the alleged bomb plot against Prime Minister Thaksin was genuine.

The Bangkok University poll found that 49.8 per cent of those surveyed in the capital and its surrounding areas believed the alleged plot on Mr Thaksin's life was a hoax.

Only 20.5 per cent of respondents believed it was actually a serious assassination attempt.

Pol. Gen. Chidchai said he did not want to politicize the issue nor had it linked with politics, but said he could confirm the incident was not set up.

He said he had warned about the plot since his birthday on August 13.

However, the deputy minister did not confirm that military officers were involved in the plot, simply saying that police are investigating the case, and that he was confident that the police could solve the case.

(TNA)-E003

Yeah he's dodgy.

Suriya, Newin, Thamarrak, Suddarat, Prommin, Chidchai, Pongsak, Chaturon, this lot are in it up to their necks, and these are the ones who are most vocal in supporting the PM.

There are others, but when theres mud to be flung or words of encouragement for the caretaker PM, these are often the first to open their mouths.

Notice how in recent weeks their are fewer mouths in TRT that are willing to stick up for the embattled caretaker PM, although not for any noble reasons, in typical thai style just to save their own skins.

A lot of them are in so deep though that should the PM be forced to quit they will be in big trouble.

Ok this is a long time ago, but sheds a little light.

Thaksin's Tiff With the Thai Bank Governor: William Pesek Jr.

Oct. 22 (Bloomberg) -- If you're wondering about the health of Thailand's economy, rising tensions between the prime minister and the central bank governor may offer some ominous clues.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra ordered the finance ministry to study ``reform'' of the Bank of Thailand's supervisory role, according to Post Today newspaper. The idea is to reduce the central bank governor's authority, splitting his role as regulator from that of deciding monetary policy.

All this may sound pretty innocuous. It's not like Thaksin is looking for a bigger say in interest rate decisions. Well, not yet at least. Investors could be excused for wondering if this is the first step toward Thaksin wrestling some control over monetary policy away from independent central bankers.

Thaksin is used to getting his way, as any strong-willed former CEO might. His history -- self-made, larger-than-life billionaire -- made him Asia's answer to Silvio Berlusconi, a tycoon who leveraged his business success to become prime minister of Italy. Thaksin, like Berlusconi, also has been accused of using public office to advance his private business interests.

Yet as both men amply demonstrate, one's prowess in the corporate boardroom can count for little when running a country or an economy. Thaksin's efforts to rein in the central bank may prove to be an example of that phenomenon -- one that could have dismal implications for the nation's bond market over time.

The Debt Factor

The very underpinnings of Thailand's economic boom in recent years may be unraveling and debt has much to do with it. The saga over at state-owned Krung Thai Bank Pcl is a case in point. It's also at the heart of Thaksin's rift with Bank of Thailand Governor Pridiyathorn Devakula.

Earlier this month, the central bank revoked the reappointment of Krung Thai's president, Viroj Nualkhair, after the lender announced that it had added 46 billion baht ($1.1 billion) of bad loans in the second quarter. It alleged Viroj, who was selected by Thaksin's finance minister in 2001 to run the bank, was ``lax'' in supervising lending. Viroj denied the allegation and asked the government to investigate.

``The Pridiyathorn-Viroj conflict has dragged on for weeks, undermining confidence in Thailand's financial sector management,'' economist Thitinan Pongsudhirak of the London School of Economics wrote in a report for IDEAglobal.

Economic Uncertainty

One reason, Thitinan notes, is that ``it now appears that Pridiyathorn's days are numbered irrespective of how the tussle between him and Viroj turns out.'' Yet at the same time, Thitinan says, Thaksin must consider how risky it would be to fire a respected central bank governor at a time of growing uncertainty about the economy.

The government last month cut its 2004 growth forecast to 6 percent from 8 percent at the start of the year. Thailand's SET Index is down 14 percent the year, and the currency, the baht, is down more than 4 percent. Along with the growth outlook, investors are looking at a resurgence of bird flu and violence related to Muslim separatists in Southern Thailand.

Krung Thai has been a key player in Thaksin's strategy to boost domestic growth known as ``Thaksinomics.'' It was always more hype than substance -- old-fashioned pump priming dressed as something new and revolutionary. And banks like Krung Thai were there to help things along, pumping credit into the economy to stimulate consumption and investment.

State Banks

``The state banks are being used by the government as a source of off-budget financing and are being told to lend to politically important sectors,'' The Economist Intelligence Unit said in an Oct. 19 report. ``The private banks have been forced to match state bank lending. There is a real risk that in the event of a sharp rise in interest rates, non-performing loans in the financial sector would soar and the government might be forced to bail out the state banking sector.''

All this raises a question: Wouldn't the lack of an independent central bank regulating banks only increase these risks?

It may be just an unfortunate coincidence that all this is occurring at a time when the Thai central bank is tapping the brakes more aggressively than its peers in Asia. This week it raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point for the second time in two months to 1.75 percent.

Credit Conditions

While low short-term rates are a key element of Thaksinomics, the central bank had little choice. Consumer prices last month rose 3.6 percent from a year earlier, the fastest pace in almost six years. If policy makers don't tighten credit conditions, bond traders will do it for them with higher yields. Yet the government can't be happy, especially ahead of national elections in February.

A central banker in your pocket has always been a good thing to have in Asia. Prior to the Asian financial crisis, close ties between monetary powers and governments were the norm. The arrangement kept money too cheap, financial risks unmanaged and fueled the speculative bubbles that burst so spectacularly in 1997.

There's been a very visible effort since then to create firewalls between monetary policy and politics. One can only hope Thaksin isn't looking to turn back the clock on central bank independence. If he does, investors should be quick and fierce in their punishment.

To contact the writer of this column: William Pesek Jr. in Tokyo at at [email protected] .

Last Updated: October 21, 2004 16:25 EDT

So that's the guy manning the business desk in the Newsline! Son of Pridiyatorn himself! He's hilarious. I posted about him last week and Tittanan (?) said he is well connected, I had no clue.

MUST watch this guy today, after the weekend, around 10 on Channel 11.

Yeah it was obvious he was connected, it seems he is seriously connected.

Out of interest can anyone shed light on his fathers relationship to Thaksin, do they get on, does he follow what he's told or is there any conflict.

This guy said something really funny on saturday night, he said he normally know the truth within a day or two, however this time he said it may take a couple of weeks.

The other guy on this programme is really wet, he also tries to disagree with much that Pridiyatorn's son says just for the sake of it.

Anyone know who he is?

I think what we will see next is a start up of the rallies and something I havn't seen mentioned yet although i think it's almost certain to happen.

I think Thaksin will have thugs pretend to be PAD and they will start the violence. It's quite obvious at present that any violence will have to be started by pro Thaksin supporters, they can't get PAD to be violent, so thats why they became violent the other day, it back fired big time as anti thaksin protesters still refused to fight.

The next step is to infiltrate PAD with pro thaksin supporters and have them start the next wave of violence.