Thailand Demands Telecom, Satellites Back From Singapore

[Prakanong]

Thai politicians and legal eagles who have found theirs in the last few days)

They sure did back down from "we'll seize yer satellites anyway possible!" to "uhh we'll do this the quasi-legal way" to "maybe we'll just let the thai private sector handle it but we heartily approve of getting them back someday."

I assume they figured out that internationally they would look just like their neighbor Burma or they are just making a feint while they plan on repatriating it through less than legal means in the future.

It is the Thai way though - say the most extreme then back down

No wonder they care so much about face - they are always losing it!

[Sing_Sling]

No wonder they care so much about face - they are always losing it!

[Prakanong]

No wonder they care so much about face - they are always losing it!

Maybe it would be interesting to look at the Hokkien "Keasu" and thec Thai "Sia Na"

It might go some way towards explaining success?

The fear of failure against the fear of losing face?

[marshbags]

I don,t know if it has already been posted but................................

I cannot help but wonder where the role of the Shittywatra,s come into the equation relating to possibly buying them back.

Surely they must be held to account financially if such a proposal is carried through and be made / obliged to make a substancial contribution.

I cannot get my head round the fact that they sold them in the first place, and, if there is a need to repurchase them the 73 billion they got for selling, needs to be taken into account.

It surely is wrong for Thailand and consequently it,s citizens to have to foot the bill and to make it worse have to buy back at a far greater price than even the obscene amount the Shitties got in the first place.

Yes i know it,s down to marketable value ect. but this does not in anyway ease what i see as an injustice regarding who did what and who therefore should in IMHO be held accountable for at least the profits, ( non taxable ) they made out of this unethical business deal on their part.

Regarding the Singapore situation although i question their ethics prior to the deal being finalised i have to accept it was a business agreement, and yes i can hear some of you saying " business is business."

On the other hand had it been a reversal of the situation and the Singers CEO ( or equivalent ) sellng to Thailand i cannot but help thinking how unhappy, to say the least, they would have been with a similar scenario. ???????????

marshbags and

[Sing_Sling]

No wonder they care so much about face - they are always losing it!

Maybe it would be interesting to look at the Hokkien "Keasu" and thec Thai "Sia Na"

It might go some way towards explaining success?

The fear of failure against the fear of losing face?

Kiasu-ism is alive and well . . . and quite annoying when it pertains to everyday events, but quite powerful when used for things of importance. Good point.

[Prakanong]

No wonder they care so much about face - they are always losing it!

Maybe it would be interesting to look at the Hokkien "Keasu" and thec Thai "Sia Na"

It might go some way towards explaining success?

The fear of failure against the fear of losing face?

Kiasu-ism is alive and well . . . and quite annoying when it pertains to everyday events, but quite powerful when used for things of importance. Good point.

Myself and a pal often have a "Kiasu of the week" - there have been some crackers.

Boarding Air Asia we have both experienced people pretending to have kids with them so they can board earlier ;-)

[chuang]

'Clipped'...quote.. you probably bought for a girl of questionable character....

It is sad to say you refer all Thai women as 'questionable character'... you are so dehumanizing..

You know how many forum readers here have Thai girlfriends/wives....

You still don't get it, do you......

never did i say 'all thai women'...where did i say all thai women , show me...go back and learn how to read or stop using your emotions to post

if you bought a house and car and are trying to get it back...then yeah she was probably of questionable character.

do i get it? what, you think all because you pay cash to buy something that it should be yours?

so show me genius where did i say all thai women? im trying really hard not to start a flame war with someone as primitive as you...

ps...where did youre post disappear too?

why dont you tell me what it is i am supposed to get?

[chuang]

'Clipped'...quote.. you probably bought for a girl of questionable character....

It is sad to say you refer all Thai women as 'questionable character'... you are so dehumanizing..

You know how many forum readers here have Thai girlfriends/wives....

You still don't get it, do you......

never did i say 'all thai women'...where did i say all thai women , show me...go back and learn how to read or stop using your emotions to post

if you bought a house and car and are trying to get it back...then yeah she was probably of questionable character.

do i get it? what, you think all because you pay cash to buy something that it should be yours?

so show me genius where did i say all thai women? im trying really hard not to start a flame war with someone as primitive as you...

ps...where did youre post disappear too?

why dont you tell me what it is i am supposed to get?

You are a GENIUS not a PRIMITIVE as this is what you made out to be...yet you still don't get it, do you?

NEVER NEVER ARGUE WITH A FOOL......

[Sing_Sling]

No wonder they care so much about face - they are always losing it!

Maybe it would be interesting to look at the Hokkien "Keasu" and thec Thai "Sia Na"

It might go some way towards explaining success?

The fear of failure against the fear of losing face?

Kiasu-ism is alive and well . . . and quite annoying when it pertains to everyday events, but quite powerful when used for things of importance. Good point.

Myself and a pal often have a "Kiasu of the week" - there have been some crackers.

Boarding Air Asia we have both experienced people pretending to have kids with them so they can board earlier ;-)

Yup, been there and seen it . . . it is wonderful to behold - - - I especially like the people literally running from the plane to beat you to immigration . . .

God love 'em, for they know not what they do!

Majulah Singapurah!

[Prakanong]

No wonder they care so much about face - they are always losing it!

Maybe it would be interesting to look at the Hokkien "Keasu" and thec Thai "Sia Na"

It might go some way towards explaining success?

The fear of failure against the fear of losing face?

Kiasu-ism is alive and well . . . and quite annoying when it pertains to everyday events, but quite powerful when used for things of importance. Good point.

My pal who is an American Dr at SGH had a classic recently.

He gets discount at the 7-11 there and went for a Pepsi.

They were 1:30 each but the guy told him for an extra 40 cents he could have 2

He said he only wanted one.

From behind him came the voice

"If I give you the 40 cents can I have the other one lah" - gotta love them

But as an Ang Moh we can get away with a lot here - just pretend you do not know their cultural norms ;-)))

Myself and a pal often have a "Kiasu of the week" - there have been some crackers.

Boarding Air Asia we have both experienced people pretending to have kids with them so they can board earlier ;-)

Yup, been there and seen it . . . it is wonderful to behold - - - I especially like the people literally running from the plane to beat you to immigration . . .

God love 'em, for they know not what they do!

Majulah Singapurah!

[ZhongFu]

I am a Singaporean and personally spend 80% of my last 4 years in Thailand............... and I really wonder those that speak bad about our country know about our history and country's direction and how our government teaches and take care of us.... and I didn't know about all these till I start doing my own business around Asia.

I love the system in SG and I hope that everyone can say that about their own country too..... Just hope that one day, Asia will round up together to work as a team and stop pulling each other down.

We do not have any resource at all but now...... we are everywhere albeit you know or do not know...... try starting a business in SG and it WILL change your mind....

There no point trying to imagine what it is like in SG.... its just so completely clear...

I uttered out not because of anger but more so that due to the fact that most of the people here speak without knowing what SG is.

Edited February 26, 2007 by ZhongFu

[chuchok]

My pal who is an American Dr at SGH had a classic recently.

He gets discount at the 7-11 there and went for a Pepsi.

They were 1:30 each but the guy told him for an extra 40 cents he could have 2

He said he only wanted one.

From behind him came the voice

"If I give you the 40 cents can I have the other one lah" - gotta love them

Brilliant.got to love 'em!!

[Prakanong]

Marshbags

I do believe the Satellites will cost much less now than when Temasek bought them - the value of Shin Corp shares is way down.

[bingobongo]

Springtime for Stalin

Thailand last September rebelled against the free-market and rural-oriented policies of elected prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and staged a military coup. Since then the military government has shown itself thoroughly unversed in the nuances of the free market, imposing exchange controls for a day before reversing itself and now threatening to seize the telephone company Shin Corporation from Singapore's Temasek Holdings, simply because it had previously been owned by Thaksin. Putin, if not Stalin, would approve of the new Thai government's approach to foreign investment.

http://www.prudentbear.com/articles/show/359

Edited February 26, 2007 by bingobongo

[macular]

My pal who is an American Dr at SGH had a classic recently.

He gets discount at the 7-11 there and went for a Pepsi.

They were 1:30 each but the guy told him for an extra 40 cents he could have 2

He said he only wanted one.

From behind him came the voice

"If I give you the 40 cents can I have the other one lah" - gotta love them

Brilliant.got to love 'em!!

If you look at this incidence at a "face" value perspective, it is considered to be "shameful" and "greedy" to ask for a cheap bargain.

But if you look at another perspective, the guy from behind is getting full approval of the American Dr to make good use of the unwanted beneficial discount.

The bottom line is: he's got his Pepsi @ 40 cents instead of $1.30.

Welcome to the real world.

[marshbags]

Marshbags

I do believe the Satellites will cost much less now than when Temasek bought them - the value of Shin Corp shares is way down.

I hope you are right on this observation, just in case the Thai community finish up paying the price to get them back.

They were quoting an obscene amount, well in excess of the original purchasing price on Thai T.V.,s channel 6 news the evening prior to my posting the comments.

Thus my lack of being able to comprehend the injustice of re purchasing the satellite equipt. ect. and who i think should pay to get them back.

marshbags

[Prakanong]

Marshbags

I do believe the Satellites will cost much less now than when Temasek bought them - the value of Shin Corp shares is way down.

I hope you are right on this observation, just in case the Thai community finish up paying the price to get them back.

They were quoting an obscene amount, well in excess of the original purchasing price on Thai T.V.,s channel 6 news the evening prior to my posting the comments.

Thus my lack of being able to comprehend the injustice of re purchasing the satellite equipt. ect. and who i think should pay to get them back.

marshbags

The Straits Times were saying Shin Corps shares were down in value to about 40% of what they paid Taksin for them.

If Shin Sat who is part of Shin Corp follows then they will be cheaper but not always the case but i beleive so.

I posted somewhere above I think how much Temasek were saying they were worth - through their organ The Straits Times - it may have been 85 million USD

I think you have to distinguish about ownership of the equipement and the concession to operate. It is my understanding it is the concession to operate that Temasek now own with some revenues paid to Thailand.

I would have thought Thailand would have more income with Temasek operating though as nobody would buy off Thailand in todays climate.

[Prakanong]

My pal who is an American Dr at SGH had a classic recently.

He gets discount at the 7-11 there and went for a Pepsi.

They were 1:30 each but the guy told him for an extra 40 cents he could have 2

He said he only wanted one.

From behind him came the voice

"If I give you the 40 cents can I have the other one lah" - gotta love them

Brilliant.got to love 'em!!

If you look at this incidence at a "face" value perspective, it is considered to be "shameful" and "greedy" to ask for a cheap bargain.

But if you look at another perspective, the guy from behind is getting full approval of the American Dr to make good use of the unwanted beneficial discount.

The bottom line is: he's got his Pepsi @ 40 cents instead of $1.30.

Welcome to the real world.

Nothing wrong in asking for discount or a bargain at the right time and place - this was just not it.

I myself while accompanied by said American on Saturday walked away from a Clarke Quay Restaurant as they would not mach the price for crab that Jumbo sold at not 50 metres away (Jumbo is better anyway)

No the bottom line is he got nothing and almost got told to eff off but instead just laughed at!

Do you think asking complete strangers in shops to pratake in offers such as discounts or BOGOF's is the real world?

Now if the cheap idiot had said why do we not both pay 70 cents that may have been more acceptable but i would not have thought that the real world unless it was someone I knew.

[Mid]

I hope you are right on this observation, just in case the Thai community finish up paying the price to get them back.

just in case ???

forgone conclusion , should they return !!!!

[slimdog]

One thing that has to be remembered is that Shin Satellite (sattel) is also a major shareholder, sometimes upto 98% in quite a few other companies, some of which are listed on the SET such as CSLoxinfo (csl), some not, such as Laos telecom, Shin Cambodia, ipstar Australia, Ipstar Nz, Shenington Investments to name just a few, some if not all of these will possibly have some assets rather than just concessions.

[Prakanong]

One thing that has to be remembered is that Shin Satellite (sattel) is also a major shareholder, sometimes upto 98% in quite a few other companies, some of which are listed on the SET such as CSLoxinfo (csl), some not, such as Laos telecom, Shin Cambodia, ipstar Australia, Ipstar Nz, Shenington Investments to name just a few, some if not all of these will possibly have some assets rather than just concessions.

Yeah - how do they just extract the satelitte business or do the junta want all shin corp assets - then they can listen in to the Laos and Cambodian military calls ;-)))))

[Prakanong]

"Mr Sittichai added that the initial offer to buy back Shin Satellite from Temasek was no longer on the table."

No sooner do they say they would buy them back at a commercial rate they flip-flop again - who can beleive anything this govt has to say?

How does this affect potential investment if they flip flop like this?

Thais up the ante on Shin

Bangkok to take back television station, Thai minister says AIS, ShinSat may follow

Wednesday • February 28, 2007

BANGKOK — Thai authorities have threatened to take over the country's only private television broadcaster iTV, which is now indirectly controlled by a consortium led by Temasek Holdings, even before a deadline next week to pay fines and outstanding fees.

ITV is staring at a bill of 100.3 billion baht ($4.49 billion), which it is in no position to pay as the March 6 deadline looms large. The bulk of this is a penalty for having too much entertainment and too little news in its programming mix.

"We have to revoke the concession because iTV cannot pay the amount of money ordered by the court," said Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula. "We have no other choice. We need to cancel its concession because we are the owner of the airwaves."

Thailand's Information and Communications Technology Minister Sittichai Pokaiudom told Dow Jones Newswire yesterday that the government would revoke iTV's broadcasting licence within 48 hours.

Temasek owns about 53 per cent of iTV through Shin Corp, which critics have said gave the Singapore investment company undue influence over Thai media.

Mr Sittichai went further to suggest that the takeover of iTV could signal the unravelling of the Shin Corp empire — once owned by the family of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra before it was sold in a $3 billion deal to a Temasek-led consortium.

He warned that the Thai authorities might also seize Shin's other assets, which include Advance Info Service (AIS), the country's biggest mobile operator, and Shin Satellite, Thailand's sole private satellite operator.

He told Dow Jones Newswire: "iTV is one of the first to come. Temasek may lose all its money in Shin Corp because if iTV is gone, AIS goes and Shin Satellite goes, then Shin Corp will have no value.

"Both AIS and Shin Satellite may not last in Singapore hands for long. Apart from the nominee issue, we are also investigating their concession contracts (for breaches of the law). If they did (break the law), the law requires us to revoke their licences. There are many ways that the government can take back Shin Satellite without paying any money."

Mr Sittichai added that the initial offer to buy back Shin Satellite from Temasek was no longer on the table.

Thailand's commerce ministry had earlier investigated allegations that Temasek had used a holding company as a nominee shareholder of Shin Corp to get around a 49 per cent limit on foreign ownership of telecommunications companies.

"Of course they broke the law. This was pointed out by the initial investigation by the Ministry of Commerce," Mr Sittichai said.

"The investigation has gone quiet after it was passed to the police, but now we are reviving it and it will be sent to the Department of Special Investigations. I think it will not take long before we decide whether to send the case to court," he said, adding that the probe would be wrapped up in a matter of months.

But for now, the military government in Bangkok has focused its firepower firmly on iTV.

Shortly before the Thai Cabinet met yesterday to decide on the fate of iTV, the chairman of the broadcaster, Mr Boonklee Plangsiri, tendered his resignation. He is also the executive chairman of Shin Corp. The Stock Exchange of Thailand halted trading of iTV shares yesterday.

Thai media groups fear that if iTV, which began broadcasting in 1996 as the only free-to-air broadcaster in Thailand not under government or military control, eventually fell into the hands of the junta, it would destroy what little independent reporting still exists on the nation's airwaves.

"Taking control of iTV will mean that all the stations have the same news reports," said Ms Supinya Klangnarong, who heads the Campaign for Popular Media Reform. "Having iTV as a private, independent station is a way to balance the news reports."

The Thai Broadcast Journalists Association urged the government not to take over iTV, but to help the company restructure to settle its debts before returning as an independent station.

However, Mr Pridiyathorn has said the government will nationalise the station and it "will have to change its name".

A government source suggested that rival broadcaster MCOT, which is 75 per cent owned by the Thai Finance Ministry, could step in to operate the channel. Yesterday, more than 1,700 iTV staff were also left wondering their fate.

Despite these latest developments, Thailand's Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram, who is in Japan on an official visit, told journalists that Thai-Singapore relations would be "back on track before too long" and that "different aspects of our bilateral relationship go on without interruption".

"Both Singapore and Thailand are neighbouring countries. And we value the friendship that we both have … Let me say that these things we have to live through it and find ways to get back." — AGENCIES

Copyright MediaCorp Press Ltd. All rights reserved. "

[thedude]

i wonder if the iTV issue is what led to Pridiyathorn's resignation this morning.

interesting to note the same media who were suspicious of iTV being a Thaksin mouthpiece are now holding it up as a beacon of free speech.

[ThaiGoon]

Pridiyathorn has resigned this morning? Really?

[ThaiGoon]

Oh indeed he has....

[Bruce1]

The whol;e thing is stupid nonsense.

Why doesn't the military just install its own secure communications and stay out of business.

[wintermute]

The whol;e thing is stupid nonsense.

Why doesn't the military just install its own secure communications and stay out of business.

It's become a "face" issue now which means lots of money, time, diplomatic goodwill, and manpower will be spent on something that will have little practical benefit for the country.

Edited February 28, 2007 by wintermute

[slimdog]

Samart conducts feasibility study into ShinSat purchase

Samart is conducting a feasibility study into acquiring shares of Shin Satellite (ShinSat), company president Vatchai Vilailuck said Wednesday.

Vatchai said the company had already informed its Malaysian strategic partner, Telekom Malaysia, of its interest in the satellite business. The Malaysian telecom giant owns 18 per cent of Samart.

"We've yet to approach ShinSat shareholders on the matter," he added.

He said some investment bankers had approached Samart about helping the company facilitate the deal but that political factors were the key to Samart making a decision to acquire ShinSat shares.

source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingne...newsid=30028136

[LomSak27]

Ahh and so the great satellite debate is over - sorry ... the fantasticaly stupid idea Singapore might GIVE the satellites back for some reason has been cooked and fork stuck in. Sorry THailand you are going to have to buy it IF you really want it .... and that most definetly should settle the matter! Just like that headpiece in the San Francisco museum from the Auyathia period a year or so back, it's just not so attractive an idea if you actually have to pay for it. oopsy

Good idea though. Everybody did have a lot of fun for a while. Got everyone, their brother and the tuk tuk driver down the soi pissed at Singapore and of course Taksin by default and who knows maybe you might get something for nothing ... and keep peoples minds off the current goverments foulups with the economy and the deep south.

"Nothing wrong in asking for discount or a bargain at the right time and place - this was just not it."

Kayup Kayup ..factor takes over, on to something else