Foreign Ministry Cancels Thaksin's Diplomatic Passport

[Tony Clifton]

I'm curious. Did Richard Nixon get to keep his diplomatic passport?

[sriracha john]

Staying on topic, the removal of his diplomatic passport was a very pointed action.

He was no longer a diplomat, he no longer deserved one, and it was removed.

[jumnien]

If the Thai generals have learned one thing from the generals in Myanmar, it's that it's a good idea to keep the previously elected leader out of the press and off the streets as much as possible and delay the next election indefinitely for the sake of national unity.

[LaoPo]

Staying on topic, the removal of his diplomatic passport was a very pointed action.

He was no longer a diplomat, he no longer deserved one, and it was removed.

I thought to have read in the past in one of the threads that ALL ex-generals, -members of Government and other -diplomats (no longer active) could keep their diplomatic passports in Thailand... ??

LaoPo

[sriracha john]

Staying on topic, the removal of his diplomatic passport was a very pointed action.

He was no longer a diplomat, he no longer deserved one, and it was removed.

I thought to have read in the past in one of the threads that ALL ex-generals, -members of Government and other -diplomats (no longer active) could keep their diplomatic passports in Thailand... ??

LaoPo

Reading Post #174 of THIS thread gives an excellent explanation...

[Arkady]

Staying on topic, the removal of his diplomatic passport was a very pointed action.

He was no longer a diplomat, he no longer deserved one, and it was removed.

I thought to have read in the past in one of the threads that ALL ex-generals, -members of Government and other -diplomats (no longer active) could keep their diplomatic passports in Thailand... ??

LaoPo

No, just former PMs and foreign ministers and presumably their wives. On the other hand all current and former directors of Thai Airways and their immediate families get first class travel for life.

[Plus]

I believe you have slight problems with the idea of 'freedom of the media'. That does not mean that the media is the mouth of the government to spread their propaganda, but has the responsibility to report as impartial as possible, and from both sides.

Thai media is still not a government's mouthpiece at the moment, and the generals are asking it not to be Thaksin's mouthpiece either, which is only fair. The media shouldn't spread Thaksin's propaganda just like they shouldn't spread goverment's.

[Meerkat]

Considering that the "War on Drugs" has been cited as one of the reasons for the coup in the first place, it is imperative that the CNS keeps itself above board on this issue.

Consider for a moment that it wasn't, does you logic still hold?

Now, prepare for a little surpise - the drug war WAS NOT a reason for the coup!

Of course it was one of the reasons cited. I refer you to the text of the CNS White Paper on the subject: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006/11/27...es_30020056.php

That paper was published two months after the coup. See how Wikipedia documents the causes:

"Causes of the coup

Many causes of the coup were identified, both by the junta as well as by independent observers. Initial reasons stated by the junta were the Thaksin government’s alleged creation of an “unprecedented rift in society”, corruption, nepotism, interference in independent agencies, and insults to the King. Later reasons stated by junta leaders included Thaksin’s alleged vote buying, plans to provoke violence, and weakening of the military.

Two months after the coup, the junta issued a white paper identifying many reasons for the coup, including corruption, abuse of power, lack of integrity, interference in the checks and balances system, human rights violations, and destroying the unity of the people."

That's where war on drugs was first mentioned, under "human rights violations". It WAS NOT one of the major reasons for the coup.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_200...ses_of_the_coup

Where did I ever say that it was a major reason for the coup? I said it was a reason. You called me out, saying that I was wrong. I then showed you definitive proof that I was correct. Then you tried to steer the argument towards something else about it being a major reason. Trying to change my argument to say that it wasn't a major cause for the coup does your argument no favours at all. The fact that they only came out with a detailed paper two months after the coup does not mean that it was not a reason beforehand. Or do you accuse the CNS of changing its story after sending the tanks in?

Do you seriously believe that because they only said it was a reason two months after the event (or that it wasn't a major reason), that that should give them the right to punish without due process?

Thaksin is the only former PM to have had his passport revoked after leaving office - and that includes other PMs ousted by coups. The decision was made on Dec 31st (although not released until later) - at exactly the same time as the junta was accusing the old guard of causing the attacks. You reckon that was a coincidence?

Other PMs probably weren't engaged in "undercurrent" political activities. General rule is to stay low, come back quietly, and never demonstrate any political ambitions. Works well for Suchinda.

I seriously doubt that they made that decision on NY's eve while bombs were still going off everywhere and no one knew what was going on, but if you choose to believe so, who can stop you?

What “undercurrent” political activities? If there was a shred of evidence that Thaksin was up to something, you can bet your bottom dollar that it would be straight in the press courtesy of our friends in the CNS rather than the vague accusation we got within hours of the attacks.

Don't get me wrong here. I want to see Thaksin before a jury if a case can be built for his many alleged wrongdoings, but the worst thing that can happen for Thailand until new elections can be organised is for the CNS to arbitrarily abuse its position, as it has accused the former PM of doing. If the people who still think Thaksin wasn't as bad as he's been made out to be consider him wrongly punished in absentia, it can do no good for the stability of the country, and bear in mind that those people might constitute the majority of the population.

IIRC it has historically been the counter-coups that caused the most damage in this country; surely by not providing the transparency it so lauds, the CNS is in danger of moving away from its oft-quoted aim of reuniting a divided populace.

[marshbags]

Staying on topic, the removal of his diplomatic passport was a very pointed action.

He was no longer a diplomat, he no longer deserved one, and it was removed.

Correct, and just to jog your memory boxes on what the Oxford dictionary states fellow posters:-

diplomat n. 1 member of a diplomatic service. 2 tactful person. ( Thaksin )

diplomatic adj. 1 of or involved in diplomacy. 2 tactful. diplomatically adv. [French: related to *diploma]

( Thaksin )

What a joke, it,s pathetic.

It is a fact / true that Toxin and his wife ceased long ago to come under this phoney requirement

( Phoney on their part ) OFFICIALLY when he himself resigned way back, indeed before the last election.

Well he said so anyway but it was another HONEST / DISHONEST mistake...........................

Only a couple of days ago his fellow demoniser and shadow " The Looney Lawyer " reitterated as much in another of his rants on how hard done by and misunderstood his paymaster and his family are.

Of course it goes without saying if there was no GAIN for him money wise then he wouldn,t give a monkeys cus about the PAIN and them being hard done by.

marshbags

Edited January 13, 2007 by marshbags

[Mid]

It is a fact / true that Toxin and his wife ceased long ago to come under this phoney requirement OFFICIALLY when he himself resigned way back, indeed before the last election.

[Ga-gai]

The crime of Thaksin is becoming more and more aware among thais, I've noticed.

I was visiting a temple last week and was walking around in its garden at the back. There were statues that symbolized budhist teachings. I stepped by one statues, which eas a human figure with a pigs head. The sign beside it said:

-If you pratice curruption and cheating others, you are condemned to the spirit of the pig!

Okay...(!)

While I was walking to the next statue in row, there were som young thai females that just got in front to the one I just left. They started to talk with each other. Could not hear eveything they said, but I did catch the word "Thaksin" from their conversation a couple of times.

Well, well...

Edited January 15, 2007 by Ga-gai

[John K]

The crime of Thaksin is becoming more and more aware among thais, I've noticed.

I was visiting a temple last week and was walking around in its garden at the back. There were statues that symbolized budhist teachings. I stepped by one statues, which eas a human figure with a pigs head. The sign beside it said:

-If you pratice curruption and cheating others, you are condemned to the spirit of the pig!

Okay...(!)

While I was walking to the next statue in row, there were som young thai females that just got in front to the one I just left. They started to talk with each other. Could not hear eveything they said, but I did catch the word "Thaksin" from their conversation a couple of times.

Well, well...

If I may ask what part of Thailand did this happen in?

[eljeque]

์

Diplomtic pasport invoked , Now cancel his normal passport too

You guys are bit much naieve. Mr Taksin with his zillions have 100% a non Thai pasport in some tax heavens it cost only 100.000 Euro to get residence, and more tax haevens has for free pasports when you insert in the banks big cash ! Believe me he can travel free without Visa's !

Dragon.

Yet, where ever he is, he must leave the country on the same passport and on the same visa as he entered. I am surprised that there aren't any angry Brits who feel they had been done wrong by any of his policies writing to Immigration and trying to spread some dirt on him. I would expect that he has the UK government's blessing to be in the country, but that never stopped any subject there from complaining.