Thailand Demands Telecom, Satellites Back From Singapore

[Nemo.]

Can I have my ball back please?

How pathetic of the current leadership really! This will destroy nervous business confidence and do NOTHING for Thailand except turn it into a banana republic.

The real issue is that the leadership will not ask why a "small" nation like Singapore can afford to buy up "thai" sats! Things like a large expat community, low corruption, planning.....

[Jai Dee]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs ready to clarify Gen.Sonthi’s remark on Thaicom Satellite

Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms Thailand is ready to clarify Gen.Sonthi Boonyaratglin’s remark on the Thaicom Satellite to the Singapore Government.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kitti Wasinond (กิตติ วะสีนนท์) disclosed that the Singapore Government has yet officially contacted or requested Thailand in written words to explain Gen.Sonthi’s remark.

Gen.Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and Chairman of the Council for National Security (CNS), delivered a special lecture under the topic of “Patriotic Ideologies” on last Friday, saying that he will bring back national assets, especially the Thaicom Satellite, from Singapore. The Thaicom Satellite concession was sold by Shin Corp, the satellite’s concessionaire, to Singapore’s Temasek Fund.

Mr Kitti added that Gen.Sonthi has the right to express opinions. His remark on the matter is deemed academic and should not be an issue. Laws concerning telecommunication business and share sales should be consulted before the government takes action on the satellite matter.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 Febuary 2007

[Dupont]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs ready to clarify Gen.Sonthi's remark on Thaicom Satellite

Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms Thailand is ready to clarify Gen.Sonthi Boonyaratglin's remark on the Thaicom Satellite to the Singapore Government.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kitti Wasinond (กิตติ วะสีนนท์) disclosed that the Singapore Government has yet officially contacted or requested Thailand in written words to explain Gen.Sonthi's remark.

Gen.Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army and Chairman of the Council for National Security (CNS), delivered a special lecture under the topic of "Patriotic Ideologies" on last Friday, saying that he will bring back national assets, especially the Thaicom Satellite, from Singapore. The Thaicom Satellite concession was sold by Shin Corp, the satellite's concessionaire, to Singapore's Temasek Fund.

Mr Kitti added that Gen.Sonthi has the right to express opinions. His remark on the matter is deemed academic and should not be an issue. Laws concerning telecommunication business and share sales should be consulted before the government takes action on the satellite matter.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 19 Febuary 2007

??????????This looks like a back flip to me!

That aside a repossessed Satellite system would become quickly obsolete back in Thai hands. Who would want to get involved helping them to update it?

[Jai Dee]

ICT Ministry considering buying back Shin Satellite

The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology is considering the possibility of buying back the country's only satellite operator Shin Satellite Plc from S'pore's Temasek, Minister Sittichai Pokaiudom said Monday.

About Bt10 billion is needed to buy back Shin Satellite Plc, which came under Temasek's control when it bought a controlling stake in the parent company - Shin Corp. Plc early last year, Sittichai said.

However, Sittichai also mentioned that it may not be necessary to buy back Shin Satellite if the company is a foreign-owned company, because its operating concession could be revoked.

The ministry plans to probe the nationality of Kularb Kaew Co., a holding company allegedly used by Temasek as a nominee shareholder of Shin Corp. in over to avoid the 49 percent limit on foreign company ownership.

However, Shin Corp. owns only 41.3 per cent of Shin Satellite, hence Shin Satellite may not be considered a foreign company even if Kularb Kaew and Shin Corp. are determined to be foreign-owned.

Source: The Nation - 19 February 2007

[Sing_Sling]

Hey, Thaigoon . . . check out the top 5 placements . . . any comments?!

Yeah, genius, that absolutely proves nothing regarding this deal. And in case you still have no freaking clue, I don't personally dislike Singapore. I have several Singaporeans as friends. But on this particular issue, I'm with the Thai government. They are doing the right thing albeit with wrong rhetoric.

And get someone who can read Thai to translate this for you, so you might have some clue about the deal:

http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/2007/02/19/W...php?newsid=5346

Genius? Me? You do me a great honour, but why are you getting into personal attacks and name-calling? I shall refrain from your type of language as that already makes you a loser.

Mate, it is not the rhetoric that is wrong, it is the whole system, the whole approach and the whole reasoning behind it.

As for this deal, it is all part and parcel of the big figure or do you think standards bodies simply close their eyes to certain things? Singapore has always been well known for their open and judicial approach to business - please show me where this is not the case, and try not to use innuendo as a tool.

As for you saying that you have several Singaporean friends sounds like the typical: Some of my best friends are jews/black/indians etc . . .

You lost your credibility prior to this by trying to obfuscate the issue by attempting to hint at shady deals with Burma . . . If you cannot argue your way out of a wet paper bag then perhaps you should not even try.

The Junta is dead wrong in this and it seems the professional diplomats are doing cartwheels trying to clean up one mess after another as there are clearly more Chiefs than Indians in Thailand at the moment.

Read Thai? Are you a newcomer?

[ColPyat]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs ready to clarify Gen.Sonthi’s remark on Thaicom Satellite

Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms Thailand is ready to clarify Gen.Sonthi Boonyaratglin’s remark on the Thaicom Satellite to the Singapore Government.

This sort of thing has been going on since day one.

One of the junta leaders makes a speach putting his foot in his mouth, and the burocrats have to scramble trying to de-escalate the situation created.

It is rather comical, in a way. Often, in meetings informing the public, you have permanent secretaries sitting next to the military man, and straight away having to correct the strong worded remarks of the military man into a more acceptable language.

It's right out of 'Yes, Minister', only that here the burocrats can't seem to keep up with containing the damage created by the barrage of speaches fired off on about every issue by generals.

[MiG16]

it is interesting to me why the Siam Commercial Bank had no problem with the deal and the prospect of 'losing national assets' never seemed to bother them while they acted as financial advisors to temasek on the deal, no doubt temasek must have relied on their opinion on the necessary financial structure.

was the Siam Commercial Bank complicit, negligent, or plain ignorant?

wonder why the Siam Commercial Bank was never put to task by the powers that be over their role in this 'scandal'.

you might wanna refer to the shareholders list of Siam Commercial bank I discuss this constantly with my brother, but again not something Im about to say here

[ThaiGoon]

Genius? Me? You do me a great honour, but why are you getting into personal attacks and name-calling? I shall refrain from your type of language as that already makes you a loser.

Mate, it is not the rhetoric that is wrong, it is the whole system, the whole approach and the whole reasoning behind it.

As for this deal, it is all part and parcel of the big figure or do you think standards bodies simply close their eyes to certain things? Singapore has always been well known for their open and judicial approach to business - please show me where this is not the case, and try not to use innuendo as a tool.

As for you saying that you have several Singaporean friends sounds like the typical: Some of my best friends are jews/black/indians etc . . .

You lost your credibility prior to this by trying to obfuscate the issue by attempting to hint at shady deals with Burma . . . If you cannot argue your way out of a wet paper bag then perhaps you should not even try.

The Junta is dead wrong in this and it seems the professional diplomats are doing cartwheels trying to clean up one mess after another as there are clearly more Chiefs than Indians in Thailand at the moment.

Read Thai? Are you a newcomer?

Calling you a genius was name-calling? Wow, what a sensitive little soul.

Anyway, yeah Singapore has been known for their open and judicial approach to busniess, but that doesn't mean or prove anything in this case which is abundantly clear that it was a shady deal. Try to read the Thai news article that I posted or get someone to translate it for you. So hopefully you will have a better understanding of the whole issue. And no, I never said anything about Burma. I have no idea what you are on about.

[ColPyat]

you might wanna refer to the shareholders list of Siam Commercial bank I discuss this constantly with my brother, but again not something Im about to say here

Yeps, very interesting subject.

Recently a paper has been brought out detailing those particular shareholding issues in this and many other companies. The holy grail though - how much land is owned, has not yet been penetrated. But i am sure, given the new found courage in the academia, this will also be investigated soon.

[Clipped]

quote: sing_slingSingapore knew what they were getting into?

They knew about the ousting of Thaksin?

They knew about the military take-over?

They knew about the Thai government wanting the satellites back?

Temasek must be stupid then . . . or you. Do you not realise that the stuff was all sold, by a private company.

The guy you bought your car from will now want it back from you - you knew what you were getting into.

the singaporean government was dealing with a crooked politician, which told them ,' alright no problem, the deal will go through.'

im sure tamesak had questions regarding legitimacy, and asked WHAT THE SATELLITES ARE CURRENTLY USED FOR, you dont find out afterwards that the military just happens to use the satellites also. unless of course someone doesnt take the the time to ponder the complete deal, as yourself sing_sling.

thaksin didnt know he was going to get ousted, so in his mind he had all the resources to cloak, smoke and mirror the entire situation for an undetermined period of time, hel_l the farker even changed the constitution to accomodate his business dealings.

now that he has been ousted all his dealing are coming to light. singapore only knew what thaksin wanted them to hear.

so did singapore know he was going to be ousted? ....no

did they know about the military takeover? ....no

did they know the thai government wanted the satellites back? ....if thaksin lost power you betcha, theyd know they would be on shaky ground, no one to help cover up the deal,and make something work that isnt suppose to work.

dealing with a crooked politician doesnt legitimize things.

Edited February 19, 2007 by Clipped

[sriracha john]

it is interesting to me why the Siam Commercial Bank had no problem with the deal and the prospect of 'losing national assets' never seemed to bother them while they acted as financial advisors to temasek on the deal, no doubt temasek must have relied on their opinion on the necessary financial structure.

was the Siam Commercial Bank complicit, negligent, or plain ignorant?

wonder why the Siam Commercial Bank was never put to task by the powers that be over their role in this 'scandal'.

you might wanna refer to the shareholders list of Siam Commercial bank I discuss this constantly with my brother, but again not something Im about to say here

Would that be because Thaivisa rules expressly forbids it?

you might wanna refer to the shareholders list of Siam Commercial bank I discuss this constantly with my brother, but again not something Im about to say here

Yeps, very interesting subject.

Recently a paper has been brought out detailing those particular shareholding issues in this and many other companies. The holy grail though - how much land is owned, has not yet been penetrated. But i am sure, given the new found courage in the academia, this will also be investigated soon.

Ditto above.

[ando]

Errr... Am I missing something here or wasn't the sale of Shincorp shares to Singapore perfectly legal?

If the Thai government feels that telecommunications networks should become national assets, then they need to put up the money and nationalize them instead of whining about who sold what to who in the past.

This whole saga about how terrible it is for Singapore to have a controlling interest in Shincorp, and how terrible it was of Thaksin to sell the family shares is just a bunch of retrospective moaning that achieves nothing at all for the country. All it does achieve is to whip up patriotic sentiment and vilify Thaksin, who of course is seen as the political enemy of the current ruling military junta.

If the generals really cared about the welfare of the country they would stop playing the victim role and start doing something to rectify the so called problem. I think all the huffing and puffing, and whinging and whining about the Shincorp sale is all about trying to knock out political support for a perceived political opponent.

So just what exactly are the generals plans to bring Shincorp back home? I haven't heard any. And I doubt we will. Its all just part of the political game and it should be put to bed by a competent leadership.

[chuchok]

the singaporean government was dealing with a crooked politician, which told them ,' alright no problem, the deal will go through.'

im sure tamesak had questions regarding legitimacy, and asked WHAT THE SATELLITES ARE CURRENTLY USED FOR, you dont find out afterwards that the military just happens to use the satellites also. unless of course someone doesnt take the the time to ponder the complete deal, as yourself sing_sling.

thaksin didnt know he was going to get ousted, so in his mind he had all the resources to cloak, smoke and mirror the entire situation for an undetermined period of time, hel_l the farker even changed the constitution to accomodate his business dealings.

now that he has been ousted all his dealing are coming to light. singapore only knew what thaksin wanted them to hear.

so did singapore know he was going to be ousted? ....no

did they know about the military takeover? ....no

did they know the thai government wanted the satellites back? ....if thaksin lost power you betcha, theyd know they would be on shaky ground, no one to help cover up the deal,and make something work that isnt suppose to work.

dealing with a crooked politician doesnt legitimize things.

The little bit that I know about Singapore is that they are no fools at all.I would say that as far as they were concerned,that this deal was 100% legitimate.It also falls into their current portfilio of communications companies.It is also IMO one of the least currupt countries in the World.

They have investments of over USD90 billion.Not bad for a little country of 4 million people....

All I read here is asumption after asumption.Everybody guesses that singapore was in on a shady deal.How do you all know this?Were you at the meetings etc...

[Sing_Sling]

The little bit that I know about Singapore is that they are no fools at all.I would say that as far as they were concerned,that this deal was 100% legitimate.It also falls into their current portfilio of communications companies.It is also IMO one of the least currupt countries in the World.

They have investments of over USD90 billion.Not bad for a little country of 4 million people....

All I read here is asumption after asumption.Everybody guesses that singapore was in on a shady deal.How do you all know this?Were you at the meetings etc...

I think this is exactly what the short-sighted are failing to see . . . innuendo after innuendo.

A deal was a deal, agreed upon by both parties, this was not a secretly dealt deal, this was quite public, as it had to be.

Is this so difficult to understand?

[ando]

What happens to that reality if, for example, Thaksin is handed a 30 year sentence? I'm not so quick to give up on the current proceedings. Already his wife and brother-in-law have been charged. It's a start... it's a beginning. If things DO progress from there and Thaksin is sent packing away to some prison for the rest of his natural life, it would send shock waves through the whole corruption mind-set. Let it work its way down from there... and in a generation or two with the kids beginning to learn that it's not OK to pay off the land office in order to secure Dad's ill-gotten deed ... right on down to the local cop pay-off to avoid the non-existent traffic offense. Putting Potjaman and Thaksin away stands the potential for significant change in what has been a cultural norm.

Thaksin's history has been chockfull of "firsts"...

let his imprisonment continue that trend.

Every country has some degree of intrinsic corruption. Its just that in some places like Thailand its more entrenched throughout society as a way of life. That doesn't mean that the Thais like or prefer corruption. I have seen various polls indicating the average Thai sees corruption as one of their MAJOR social problems.

But as anywhere, individuals are powerless to take on corrupt officials. Many resign themselves to the fact that it is simply the way things are. No point making a mater of oneself over principle when there is a family to be fed. Every Thai has been compromised by official corruption on many occasions throughout their life. And I am certain most expats would have also. Does that make them corrupt also, or does that make them victims of corruption?

Corruption ultimately benefits only the elite. The godfathers of the country who rule by wealth and influence rather than elected accountability. On the other hand, true democracy benefits the exploited underclass. It makes the power brokers accountable every 4 years at the ballot box. Is it any wonder that the elite power brokers have a problem with a democracy where the poor exploited underclass have the majority at the ballot box?

The current political situation in Thailand is not a battle between official corruption and democracy as the military junta would like to portray. It is a battle between social classes. A battle that can only occur through democracy. And a battle that will be won by the social underclass if democracy is allowed to flourish.

[LivinLOS]

Errr... Am I missing something here or wasn't the sale of Shincorp shares to Singapore perfectly legal?

If the Thai government feels that telecommunications networks should become national assets, then they need to put up the money and nationalize them instead of whining about who sold what to who in the past.

This whole saga about how terrible it is for Singapore to have a controlling interest in Shincorp, and how terrible it was of Thaksin to sell the family shares is just a bunch of retrospective moaning that achieves nothing at all for the country. All it does achieve is to whip up patriotic sentiment and vilify Thaksin, who of course is seen as the political enemy of the current ruling military junta.

If the generals really cared about the welfare of the country they would stop playing the victim role and start doing something to rectify the so called problem. I think all the huffing and puffing, and whinging and whining about the Shincorp sale is all about trying to knock out political support for a perceived political opponent.

So just what exactly are the generals plans to bring Shincorp back home? I haven't heard any. And I doubt we will. Its all just part of the political game and it should be put to bed by a competent leadership.

I too have yet to see what Singapore has done wrong..

Thaksin has avoided paying income tax on the sale.. OK sure.. But why is that Singapores problem !!

Even the nominees holding issue (which I havent heard proved one way or another) seems normal business practice for the region.. Its a risk that Singapore may have analysed and then taken.. Its a risk that may not work for them.. But its not like anything weas stolen or shady.. They purchased something and paid for it.. The fact the seller was a Thai crook is hardly thier fault.

The way its being discussed is as though singapore paid for and ran off with Thai assets.. Just becuase it is called ThaiCom1 and the King named it.. Whoop de do.. It was a publically listed company.. If Thailand wants to own it then Thailand needs to buy it !! After that its is a Thai asset.

[slimdog]

Thai Council of State to rule on Shin satellite concession

BANGKOK, Feb 19 (TNA) - Thailand's Council of State will be asked to rule regarding whether Shin Satellite Plc is a foreign-owned company whose Bt140 billion communications satellite concession, granted during the tenure of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, could be revoked by the Thai government, Information and Communication Technology Minister Sitthichai Pookaiya-udom said Monday.

The ICT minister said it would take the Council of State about one month to decide the matter, following an earlier comment by Council for National Security chairman Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin's that Singapore's Temasek Holdings satellite concession should be reclaimed by Thailand.

Mr Sitthichai said the Council of State may investigate whether Kularb Kaew Co., a major shareholder of Shin Corp, is foreign-owned or not. Shin Corp is a major shareholder of Shin Satellite Plc.

Under Thai law, foreign ownership of telecommunication firms is limited to 49 per cent.

The ICT minister said the Singaporean satellite concession could be revoked only if Kularb Kaew was legally determined to be a foreign-owned firm. If Kularb Kaew was ruled as a non-foreign firm, Mr. Sithichai suggested that public opinion should be considered as to whether or not it would be cost-effective for the Thai government to buy back the Temasek satellite concession, which is scheduled to expire in the next 10 years.

Mr Sitthichai said he would grant no concessions, including for the ThaiCom 6 satellite, to foreign-owned companys, and would only use Thai-owned companies as future satellite concessionaires.

However, the Defence Ministry could not cite national security reasons for possible revocation of satellite concessions, Mr Sitthichai added. (TNA)-E008

source: http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=28022

[nick2k]

hey! laws are suppose to be applied fairly to all people in the country. ...so, let me repeat. what about the DTAC/Ucom situation where telenor of norway has 70% ownership? why are you guys all trying to ignore this question?

..could it be - because this is sonthi's company? the guy who has the television program denouncing all the evil that thaksin has committed? the guy who lead the PAD?

talk about evil.

Yeah, it's ironic that the former leader of the People Alliance for Democracy is now a mouthpiece for an unelected government appointed by the junta...

Regarding the Telenor argument, I think the key issue with Shincorp is the satellites they own, and which are used by the Thai military. Telenor does not control satellites in the same direct way, so they are of little concern to the generals.

As for taking back the satellites for national security: How many armies in the world actually rely on the services of a private telecommunication company for their operations? For security's sake, it would be much better to set up a separate satellite entirely controlled by the army. I believe this is what serious armies do, from the USA to Europe and China.

I'm baaaack...

previously, I didn't have any knowledge about thai military use of the shin satellites. so, I decided to do some research before opening my mouth. here is what I found out...

telenor has 3 satellites. they control 3 satellites. so, your claim that telenor doesn't control satellites is __________. (you fill in the blank.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_l...llite_operators

as for using the satellites for national security. my question to you is - if you are so knowledgable about their use as military devices, what are they using them militarily for? from my research, I found out that shin had contracts with the countries of lao and cambodia to provide those countries with access to tv broadcasting, etc. ..could it be - you are saying that thailand was spying on those countries?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_Satellite

what really interests me is - why is thailand so concerned about the satellites in regards with national security when so many other countries are not? did you know that singapore has a satellite looking over australia - providing that country with some major satellite services? ..and let's not forget all the contracts that the usa has with countries all over the world. why are they not up in arms because of their agreements with the usa?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optus

something tells me that this huge issue with the shin corp was not about national security, but a personal grudge between some powerful thai people. and "this" other party just wants to destroy thaksin for no other reason than a personal vendetta. he is even willing to take down thailand in the process.

I love wikipedia. have you checked out what they say about sondhi limthongkul?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sondhi_Limthongkul

in particular... the quote, "Under Viroj's management, the debt that Manager Group owed to Krung Thai Bank was reduced from Bt1.8 billion to THB 200 million.", made me wonder what sondhi did in such a short amount of time to decrease a 1.8 billion baht debt to 200 million baht. he didn't bend over, did he? I mean - how else can you make so much money by just working in the bank?

actually, now that I think about it. "pete_r" just made this "CLAIM" about the shin satellite being used for military purpose. we really don't know if his "CLAIM" is true. he didn't present any supporting documentation at all.

if this is all about "anti-foreigner paranoia", bring it out. I think the world would want to know. "enquiring minds NEED to know."

[blaze]

hey! laws are suppose to be applied fairly to all people in the country. ...so, let me repeat. what about the DTAC/Ucom situation where telenor of norway has 70% ownership? why are you guys all trying to ignore this question?

..could it be - because this is sonthi's company? the guy who has the television program denouncing all the evil that thaksin has committed? the guy who lead the PAD?

talk about evil.

Yeah, it's ironic that the former leader of the People Alliance for Democracy is now a mouthpiece for an unelected government appointed by the junta...

Regarding the Telenor argument, I think the key issue with Shincorp is the satellites they own, and which are used by the Thai military. Telenor does not control satellites in the same direct way, so they are of little concern to the generals.

As for taking back the satellites for national security: How many armies in the world actually rely on the services of a private telecommunication company for their operations? For security's sake, it would be much better to set up a separate satellite entirely controlled by the army. I believe this is what serious armies do, from the USA to Europe and China.

I'm baaaack...

previously, I didn't have any knowledge about thai military use of the shin satellites. so, I decided to do some research before opening my mouth. here is what I found out...

telenor has 3 satellites. they control 3 satellites. so, your claim that telenor doesn't control satellites is __________. (you fill in the blank.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_l...llite_operators

as for using the satellites for national security. my question to you is - if you are so knowledgable about their use as military devices, what are they using them militarily for? from my research, I found out that shin had contracts with the countries of lao and cambodia to provide those countries with access to tv broadcasting, etc. ..could it be - you are saying that thailand was spying on those countries?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_Satellite

what really interests me is - why is thailand so concerned about the satellites in regards with national security when so many other countries are not? did you know that singapore has a satellite looking over australia - providing that country with some major satellite services? ..and let's not forget all the contracts that the usa has with countries all over the world. why are they not up in arms because of their agreements with the usa?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optus

something tells me that this huge issue with the shin corp was not about national security, but a personal grudge between some powerful thai people. and "this" other party just wants to destroy thaksin for no other reason than a personal vendetta. he is even willing to take down thailand in the process.

I love wikipedia. have you checked out what they say about sondhi limthongkul?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sondhi_Limthongkul

in particular... the quote, "Under Viroj's management, the debt that Manager Group owed to Krung Thai Bank was reduced from Bt1.8 billion to THB 200 million.", made me wonder what sondhi did in such a short amount of time to decrease a 1.8 billion baht debt to 200 million baht. he didn't bend over, did he? I mean - how else can you make so much money by just working in the bank?

actually, now that I think about it. "pete_r" just made this "CLAIM" about the shin satellite being used for military purpose. we really don't know if his "CLAIM" is true. he didn't present any supporting documentation at all.

if this is all about "anti-foreigner paranoia", bring it out. I think the world would want to know. "enquiring minds NEED to know."

Thank you for the links- although wikipedia is not always completely reliable, when it comes to factual information, it's pretty good- and these links certainly help provide a basis for informed debate.

[Clipped]

it does not take a genius to figure out that the heart of almost any military is communications.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

a primer as to what exactly the satellites are:

http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/space/...om/thaicom.html

Mindful of the growing population and business base in Thailand, Shinawatra Computer and Communications Co. Ltd. (SC&C) signed a contract with Hughes Space and Communications Company, today Boeing Satellite Development Center, in October 1991 to develop the country's first dedicated communications satellite system. Two satellites, light-weight versions of Hughes' popular Hughes 376 model, were ordered to be built and delivered in 24 and 28 months, respectively. The system was named "THAICOM" by His Majesty King Bhumiphol, to symbolize the link between Thailand and modern communications technology.

Thailand is not without satellite telecommunications service; companies have been using regional systems operated by Indonesia and INTELSAT.

The Thai government in 1991 granted Shinawatra a 30-year concession to operate communications satellites for the country. Shortly thereafter Shinawatra signed the approximately $100 million contract with Boeing, which includes the spacecraft, ground equipment, and training of Shinawatra employees to be satellite controllers.

SC&C has other concessions in Thailand, such as cable television, cellular telephone services, digital paging, and data services. The THAICOM satellites allow SC&C to continue offering these services and provide the capability for private VSAT networks, direct-to-home television and digital audio broadcasting, mobile telephone services, and videoconferencing. SC&C's concession also calls for it to lease transponders to other companies and government agencies. Shinawatra Satellite Public Co. Lt., an SC&C subsidiary, operates the spacecraft.

Based on the reliable Boeing 376 bus, each THAICOM satellite has two Ku-band transponders (plus one spare), powered by 47-watt traveling-wave tube amplifiers. The effective isotropic radiated power over Thailand is 50 dBW. The spacecraft also carry 10 C-band transponders (plus two spares), linked to 11-watt solid state power amplifiers. These have a broader coverage area, from Japan to Singapore, and provide 33 to 38 dBW.

The THAICOM Boeing 376L satellites share some characteristics with the other Boeing 376 spin-stabilized models sold to customers around the world. The outer and inner cylindrical solar panels slide together for launch, and in orbit, the outer panel is lowered and the round, dual-polarized antenna is raised. Silicon solar cells provide electrical power (700 watts at beginning of life for THAICOM), and a nickel-hydrogen battery provides power during eclipse.

The THAICOM satellites weigh approximately 629 kg (1384 lb), with their hydrazine stationkeeping fuel, at beginning of life in orbit. Because of the light electronics payload, the satellites will be able to carry several years' worth of additional fuel. The THAICOM contract calls for 13.5 years of service, versus 8 to 10 years for other HS 376 models with more transponders.

THAICOM 1 was launched on an Arianespace rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, on December 17, 1993. The satellite's size allowed it to share the launch vehicle with another Boeing spacecraft. THAICOM 2 was successfully launched October 7, 1994, also sharing an Ariane rocket with another Boeing satellite. In an Ariane launch, the spacecraft is injected directly into geosynchronous transfer orbit, so no perigee stage is needed. A Thiokol Star 30 apogee kick motor is used to circularize the spacecraft's orbit around the equator. Four 22.2 Newton thrusters are used for stationkeeping. The satellites are designed to operate between 78 degrees and 120 degrees East longitude. Telemetry, tracking, and control are done through the Boeing-built ground station in Nonthaburi, a province 15 km north of Bangkok.

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singapores track record regarding spying:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/option/pri...newsid=30024843

NATIONAL SECURITY

ShinSat sale 'tragic blow for defence'

Published on January 23, 2007

Expert says takeover should be blocked or Thailand would have to spend billions to ensure signals are not intercepted

Singapore's takeover of the Thaicom satellite and AIS mobile phone company is a "tragedy" for Thailand's defence communications network and should be blocked if possible, a top Australian defence analyst said yesterday.

Deal of the Century

Professor Des Ball said the sale of the ShinSat satellite and AIS to Temasek would end up costing Thailand billions of baht - which would be the price of having to launch a new satellite to ensure the Thai military's signals could not be intercepted.

"It's not in Thailand's interests to allow Singapore control of such a critically important communications system, through the satellite and mobile phone company," Prof Ball said in an interview in Bangkok yesterday.

"That's why they [the Thai Army] are now talking about their own satellite and using [two-way] radios - their system has been compromised."

Professor Ball, from the Australian National University in Canberra, is a world authority on signals intelligence. A regular visitor to Thailand and Southeast Asia, he has strong links with the Thai military.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said yesterday the government would solve the problem in the long run - by either buying the [shinSat] stake back or launching a new satellite. "We have to think about this in various aspects, not only security, but also commercial," Surayud told reporters.

"Further, we don't know whether the current stakeholder wants to sell to us."

The government had no plan to launch a new satellite in the short term, but the Information Communications and Technology Ministry was likely to launch its own satellite late this year, he said.

Prof Ball said Australia went through a similar debate five years ago when Singtel purchased the Optus mobile phone company. He was one of a series of analysts who publicly opposed the takeover. The Australian government eventually allowed the sale to go through, partly to ensure continued close cooperation with the island state, but Australia had to spend a huge sum on fibre-optic cables to avoid use of the Optus satellite and ensure its defence communications were secure.

Part of the problem, Ball said, was "Singapore have a track record of taking advantage of information for commercial and political purposes" - as did the US, and former Soviet Union.

Singapore had "listened to and photographed Australian military facilities", which had created diplomatic rifts, he said.

"They have a history of abusing their access to training in other facilities abroad.

"That is not what friends are supposed to do - they abused their friendship," Ball said.

But remarks made recently by Army chief General Sonthi showed it was very clear Thailand was aware of the problem posed by the Shin takeover, he said.

The sale of ShinSat to Temasek had "given Singapore direct access to the Royal Thai Army's satellite communications", Ball said.

"They are going to have to have their own independent system, otherwise they hand their military and very sensitive [data] traffic to Singapore on a plate.

"It's a tragedy they've handed that away with the Shin deal and will now have to redesign their own system.

"If they could get out of this [shin] there are national security reasons why they should. If not, they'll have to spend billions [of baht] - or hundreds of millions of dollars - to redesign another satellite system. Launching a new satellite could cost US$250 million.

"If I was in [Thai] Army HQ [headquarters] I'd be trying to get out of this [shin] deal as quick as I could."

Singapore already had an extensive array of satellite listening facilities, from a major base on Sentosa Island to listening equipment at the Thai Army base in Sai Yok - which Prof Ball said appeared to be "primarily focused on Thailand" - judging by the types of antennae he had seen there in recent years.

There were both HF (High Frequency) and VHF (Very High Frequency) antennae at the Singaporean compound at RTA base in Sai Yok, but he believed "the VHF is predominantly listening to Thailand" within a radius of 100-150km. A priority target might be a military base such as the Ninth Division and its associated units at Kanchanaburi.

Ball presumed that Thai military data sent via the Thaicom-3 would be encrypted - "so that's not easy [to decode ] ... it depends on the level of encryption and the Singaporeans' ability to access this stuff.

"The Thaicom-3 satellite system carries a considerable amount of military and non-military [data] traffic. And in a sense, AIS and the mobile phone system is the same issue - it's the ability [of Singapore] to monitor the mobile phone traffic devices from that satellite."

Thailand's communications experts were "very switched on" and among the leaders in Southeast Asia, Ball said. "And Thaicom-3 is one of the most advanced in Asia.

"These guys know how your circuits flow better - probably better than anyone, other than the Singaporeans. They would have been aware of this [problem] from the start."

Jim Pollard

The Nation

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was i at the deal? no.......but i do know people who have first hand experience with the uses of the satellites....namely airforce personnel....its not like singapore is going to admit to misuse, no country does.

singaporeans are no angels...

[pete_r]

hey! laws are suppose to be applied fairly to all people in the country. ...so, let me repeat. what about the DTAC/Ucom situation where telenor of norway has 70% ownership? why are you guys all trying to ignore this question?

..could it be - because this is sonthi's company? the guy who has the television program denouncing all the evil that thaksin has committed? the guy who lead the PAD?

talk about evil.

Yeah, it's ironic that the former leader of the People Alliance for Democracy is now a mouthpiece for an unelected government appointed by the junta...

Regarding the Telenor argument, I think the key issue with Shincorp is the satellites they own, and which are used by the Thai military. Telenor does not control satellites in the same direct way, so they are of little concern to the generals.

As for taking back the satellites for national security: How many armies in the world actually rely on the services of a private telecommunication company for their operations? For security's sake, it would be much better to set up a separate satellite entirely controlled by the army. I believe this is what serious armies do, from the USA to Europe and China.

I'm baaaack...

previously, I didn't have any knowledge about thai military use of the shin satellites. so, I decided to do some research before opening my mouth. here is what I found out...

telenor has 3 satellites. they control 3 satellites. so, your claim that telenor doesn't control satellites is __________. (you fill in the blank.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_l...llite_operators

as for using the satellites for national security. my question to you is - if you are so knowledgable about their use as military devices, what are they using them militarily for? from my research, I found out that shin had contracts with the countries of lao and cambodia to provide those countries with access to tv broadcasting, etc. ..could it be - you are saying that thailand was spying on those countries?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_Satellite

what really interests me is - why is thailand so concerned about the satellites in regards with national security when so many other countries are not? did you know that singapore has a satellite looking over australia - providing that country with some major satellite services? ..and let's not forget all the contracts that the usa has with countries all over the world. why are they not up in arms because of their agreements with the usa?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optus

something tells me that this huge issue with the shin corp was not about national security, but a personal grudge between some powerful thai people. and "this" other party just wants to destroy thaksin for no other reason than a personal vendetta. he is even willing to take down thailand in the process.

I love wikipedia. have you checked out what they say about sondhi limthongkul?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sondhi_Limthongkul

in particular... the quote, "Under Viroj's management, the debt that Manager Group owed to Krung Thai Bank was reduced from Bt1.8 billion to THB 200 million.", made me wonder what sondhi did in such a short amount of time to decrease a 1.8 billion baht debt to 200 million baht. he didn't bend over, did he? I mean - how else can you make so much money by just working in the bank?

actually, now that I think about it. "pete_r" just made this "CLAIM" about the shin satellite being used for military purpose. we really don't know if his "CLAIM" is true. he didn't present any supporting documentation at all.

if this is all about "anti-foreigner paranoia", bring it out. I think the world would want to know. "enquiring minds NEED to know."

Yes, thanks for the research. I have to admit I don't have enough time to do all the necessary fact-checking myself, and usually refrain from posting for that reason.

For this particular post, we have to ask ourselves why the Thai military make such a fuss about taking control of the Shin satellites back from Singapore. There are a few possibilities:

(i) Nationalist rhetorics.

(ii) Putting up pressure for a negotiation between Thailand and Singapore.

(iii) Personal grudge and vendetta towards Thaksin (the reason you put forward in your post).

(iv) The necessity to control these satellites because of existing military operations relying on them (the reason I put forward).

Honestly, I don't have supporting documentation for any of these reasons. So I made the assumption that the generals work for the good of the country (I try to be of good faith in what they say since the coup, here). With that assumption, I have to rule out reasons (i), (ii) and (iii), because none of them are good for the country, in terms of international reputation and economic confidence for example. That leaves only reason (iv), a military necessity, as good enough to justify the declarations by Gal Sondhi.

According to your post, your assumption is opposite to mine in that there is a "powerful party" "willing to take down thailand in the process" of "destroying thaksin". Based on this assumption, you logically choose reason (iii), the personal grudge and vendetta against Thaksin.

So far our two theories are based on assumptions and have the same weight. If you want to prove yours, you need to provide supporting documentation (there is no mention of a "powerful party willing to take down thailand in the process of destroying thaksin for no other reason than a personal vendetta" in the Wikipedia articles that you mention). You could also try to disprove my theory, but I doubt internet sources will have any positive proof that the military do not use the Shin satellites.

Otherwise, both of us are only speculating, which may be what this forum is for after all. A lot of news are inherently unverifiable, unless one gravitates in the circles of power.

I see the Telenor story as a side issue. It is clear that the current junta has little interest in it compared to Shincorp, either because it was not under the control of Thaksin (reason (iii)), or because they don't have any military operation relying on them (reason (iv)). In any case, Telenor is out of the spotlight and I skipped the fact-checking homework. My apologies for that and thanks to you again for doing the research.

Oh, and sorry if I have irked you with my reply to your first post. That wasn't my intention.

[Clipped]

thaicom 5 has ku as well as ka band capabilities, ka band is designated primarily for military use as well as for the up and coming hdtv format....as well as internet via satellite:

i dont have time to google everything, so you skeptics regarding the thai militaries concerns regarding ka band, look it up yourself...ive brought enough to the table...

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http://www.cellular-news.com/story/20846.php

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Buzz Technologies says that it has signed an agreement with the Thai Military Lanna Center, Chiang Mai, Army Unit 33, The Third Army Region. Buzz Technologies will supply the following to test with the intention to purchase secure online communications: Wifi/Wimax; Instant messaging (IM), Voice and Video; SMS/MMS alert services; secure dedicated web browser and a selection of Buzz Hardware Devices to troops deployed in the filed and to provide coverage to military bases

These products have not yet been released to the public however some of these products will be available to the public in the coming weeks

Thailand announced a 10-year military buildup in 2005, allocating US$6.6 billion to strengthen its armed forces. Thailand's Military has an annual operating budget of close to US$2 billion. At the heart of Thailand's drive to modernize its military is a world-class information system. This Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I) system provides the Royal Thai Supreme Command (RTSC) with the vital data and decision support it needs to act swiftly in times of military emergency, civil unrest or national disaster.

In size, scope and impact, the new Thai system ranks among the most complex integration projects ever undertaken. Today, as a result of the firm's work, Thailand has the most advanced military communications in its region. Of the 43 countries in Asia, only Thailand, through its C3I system, has full interoperability with the U.S. Armed Forces.(via satellite)

Thailand's Military Personal are very well versed in IT implementation and management. Buzz Technologies is looking forward to continuing involvement with the Royal Thai Military

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Star-of-Siam

this was a was a defense satellite project which was initiated by the military but met heavy opposition from taksin... some say it was because thaksin declared it unfeasible do to cost....BUT was that the real reason?....it wouldve have been a major competitor to ShinSat...a taksin owned satellite communications company....

if star of siam had followed through, the majority of the bombings in the south could have been back tracked, because the thai military would have real time (visual)vehicle tracking abilities from space.

had star of siam been allowed to proceed, most of this gibberish regarding military usage couldve been avoided.

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need more proof let me know...

ever heard of the emergency broadcasting system? some of its by satellite...whichi s now in singapores hands

[Clipped]

thai military and microwave links:

http://www.ijcim.th.org/past_editions/1999...7-drprasart.pdf

due to security requirements almost all military networks are made up of military microwave links, fiber optics or dedicated leased lines, or military owned communications lines bypassing any commercial or civilian junction points.

once again it doesnt take a genious to figure out what type of transmission media is going to be used once a bomb is dropped onto a fiber optic transmission line.

did someone say satellite?

[Krungthepian]

Interesting issue this. And it may have had a controversial start - one of the strong rumors re Thaksin acquiring this satellite licence is that he gave a large backhander to General Sunthorn, one of the military chiefs when the NPKC took power briefly in 1991-92. The matter came up after Thaksin became PM because Sunthorn's mia noi sued to get a share of his estate, which turned out to be a whopping Bt1.4 billion or thereabouts. And everyone suddenly thought, well, where did he get all that dough? The details might be slightly out - apologies. But I can recall The Nation running a wonderful page-one pic of Thaks and Pojie sitting on the carpet/floor in front of Gen Sunthorn (taken in early 90s) when this lawsuit or legal squabble emerged over the general's surprisingly large estate.. a short time after Thaksin became PM.

And look at how Thaks got control of the pay-TV firm he set up with Seattle businessman William Monson in the late 80s.. Monson arrested by police (then under control of Thaks' buddy Chalerm Yoobamrung, who was police minister, I think) .. on dodgy fraud charge.. the Thai businessman who introduced Thaks to Monson claimed last year that firm - which went on to become UBC - was how Thaks made his first billion baht. Very profitable.

You wonder if a case couldn't be made out of this in which you would argue that Thaks and his brother-in-law - Justice Minister for much of his time in office - improperly kept Monson's cases out of the court, until they were deemed to have expired because of the statue of limitations (12 years?).

Anyway, Thaks has interesting skeletons in his closet. The stuff that may have the potential to really hit him is the War on Drugs killings - that conjures up images of him fighting extradition cases abroad. Senator Kraisak alluded - at launch of the very good Chris Baker biog of Thaksin at the FCCT a couple of years ago - to the Shinawatra family's business dealings in timber and opium. He tempered his remarks by saying the opium trade was almost legit many years back, but he said that's how people in the North often claimed the family made its money. Kraisak's remarks were not reported at the time, allegedy cos it was too hot to be published - given Thaksin was firmly in charge then. But it would be interesting if a serious doco maker from abroad got into that issue because there is an awful lot of meat on that bone, you might say. The details re some killings in North is v disturbing.

Apologies for getting off topic.

But congrats to some posters for some very interesting info re Thaksin killing off the military's proposal for its own satellite. Fascinating.

His saga has a long time to run.

Mention of the Marcos and Suharto clan's ill-gotten wealth is also depressing. To see Tommy Suharto allowed out of jail after just five years for ordering a judge to be wacked is just plain shameful. I hope he had to pay a lot for that. Although reports from Jakarta are few years back were that Tommy's jail suite hosted the best parties in the capital, so you suspect not. However bad the justice system seems here at times (Duang getting off killing the cop, etc), you realise it's only half as bad as Indon, Burma, Phnom Penh, Laos..

[ColPyat]

Anyway, Thaks has interesting skeletons in his closet. The stuff that may have the potential to really hit him is the War on Drugs killings - that conjures up images of him fighting extradition cases abroad. Senator Kraisak alluded - at launch of the very good Chris Baker biog of Thaksin at the FCCT a couple of years ago - to the Shinawatra family's business dealings in timber and opium. He tempered his remarks by saying the opium trade was almost legit many years back, but he said that's how people in the North often claimed the family made its money.

Isn't it rather ironic that Kraisak talks about families having illgotten wealth from not so kosher businesses. Just to remind you - Kraisak Choonhavan, son of Chatchai, grandson of Phin. Need i say more, or has Kraisak retuned his family's assets to the state, or explained his advisory role to his father's government, during which those rather ghastly incidents of the many dead boat people happened, another one of those never investigated and punished gross human rights violations Thailand is so famous for?

And as to the drugwar, though luck on that. Thaksin will most definately not be charged with that, as there would be many people be implicated that do not want to be, if Thaksin would open his mouth in order to defend himself.

Nothing here is monolithic, and neither was Thaksin's rule. Thaksin ruled, because there were a lot of quarters that directly benefitted from his corruption, up to the last minute. And in the drug war, there was a clear agreement by all power networks in this country. Everybody is dirty.

[distortedlink]

Any foreign individual or company wishing to purchase a stake in Thailand or its industries should first peruse Thailand’s strict constitutional rules and policies regarding foreign investments & the carrying out of business in Thailand. Follow these to the letter and foreign investors are welcome in Thailand with the blessing of the Thai government, providing they keep to the permitted professions & industries.

Try and sneak through loop holes and back door deals than the foreign investors will eventually get their fingers burned, no matter who provides the loop hole or opens the back door.

Singapore, their contract is illegal. The fault lies with their lawyers who obviously didn’t put in enough research or have the foresight to see that a new Thai government may want to enforce the law and correct any previous what they consider to be unlawful company agreements.

[chuchok]

NATIONAL SECURITY

ShinSat sale 'tragic blow for defence'

Published on January 23, 2007

Expert says takeover should be blocked or Thailand would have to spend billions to ensure signals are not intercepted

Singapore's takeover of the Thaicom satellite and AIS mobile phone company is a "tragedy" for Thailand's defence communications network and should be blocked if possible, a top Australian defence analyst said yesterday.

Deal of the Century

Professor Des Ball said the sale of the ShinSat satellite and AIS to Temasek would end up costing Thailand billions of baht - which would be the price of having to launch a new satellite to ensure the Thai military's signals could not be intercepted.

"It's not in Thailand's interests to allow Singapore control of such a critically important communications system, through the satellite and mobile phone company," Prof Ball said in an interview in Bangkok yesterday.

"That's why they [the Thai Army] are now talking about their own satellite and using [two-way] radios - their system has been compromised."

Professor Ball, from the Australian National University in Canberra, is a world authority on signals intelligence. A regular visitor to Thailand and Southeast Asia, he has strong links with the Thai military.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said yesterday the government would solve the problem in the long run - by either buying the [shinSat] stake back or launching a new satellite. "We have to think about this in various aspects, not only security, but also commercial," Surayud told reporters.

"Further, we don't know whether the current stakeholder wants to sell to us."

The government had no plan to launch a new satellite in the short term, but the Information Communications and Technology Ministry was likely to launch its own satellite late this year, he said.

Prof Ball said Australia went through a similar debate five years ago when Singtel purchased the Optus mobile phone company. He was one of a series of analysts who publicly opposed the takeover. The Australian government eventually allowed the sale to go through, partly to ensure continued close cooperation with the island state, but Australia had to spend a huge sum on fibre-optic cables to avoid use of the Optus satellite and ensure its defence communications were secure.

Part of the problem, Ball said, was "Singapore have a track record of taking advantage of information for commercial and political purposes" - as did the US, and former Soviet Union.

Singapore had "listened to and photographed Australian military facilities", which had created diplomatic rifts, he said.

"They have a history of abusing their access to training in other facilities abroad.

"That is not what friends are supposed to do - they abused their friendship," Ball said.

But remarks made recently by Army chief General Sonthi showed it was very clear Thailand was aware of the problem posed by the Shin takeover, he said.

The sale of ShinSat to Temasek had "given Singapore direct access to the Royal Thai Army's satellite communications", Ball said.

"They are going to have to have their own independent system, otherwise they hand their military and very sensitive [data] traffic to Singapore on a plate.

"It's a tragedy they've handed that away with the Shin deal and will now have to redesign their own system.

"If they could get out of this [shin] there are national security reasons why they should. If not, they'll have to spend billions [of baht] - or hundreds of millions of dollars - to redesign another satellite system. Launching a new satellite could cost US$250 million.

"If I was in [Thai] Army HQ [headquarters] I'd be trying to get out of this [shin] deal as quick as I could."

Singapore already had an extensive array of satellite listening facilities, from a major base on Sentosa Island to listening equipment at the Thai Army base in Sai Yok - which Prof Ball said appeared to be "primarily focused on Thailand" - judging by the types of antennae he had seen there in recent years.

There were both HF (High Frequency) and VHF (Very High Frequency) antennae at the Singaporean compound at RTA base in Sai Yok, but he believed "the VHF is predominantly listening to Thailand" within a radius of 100-150km. A priority target might be a military base such as the Ninth Division and its associated units at Kanchanaburi.

Ball presumed that Thai military data sent via the Thaicom-3 would be encrypted - "so that's not easy [to decode ] ... it depends on the level of encryption and the Singaporeans' ability to access this stuff.

"The Thaicom-3 satellite system carries a considerable amount of military and non-military [data] traffic. And in a sense, AIS and the mobile phone system is the same issue - it's the ability [of Singapore] to monitor the mobile phone traffic devices from that satellite."

Thailand's communications experts were "very switched on" and among the leaders in Southeast Asia, Ball said. "And Thaicom-3 is one of the most advanced in Asia.

"These guys know how your circuits flow better - probably better than anyone, other than the Singaporeans. They would have been aware of this [problem] from the start."

Jim Pollard

While this may be true,it's not exactly coming from an unbiased source is it?

[ThaiGoon]

Clipped, thanks a lot for very informative posts. They were great.

[Jai Dee]

MOJ ready to help in reclaiming state property from Singapore

The Minister of Justice said that his agency was ready to provide full legal aid in reclaiming state property, especially satellite systems purchased by Singapore.

Justice Minister Charnchai Likhitjitha (ชาญชัย ลิขิตจิตถะ) said that the Ministry of Justice was ready to provide assistance if the Army Commander in Chief and Council for National Security (CNS) Chairman, Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkrin, made a formal statement calling for the retrieval of Thai state property from Singapore. Mr. Charnchai said such a move would most certainly be aimed at satellite system contracts purchased from Thailand by Singapore. The Minister of Justice said that neither the government nor the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology have appealed for assistance into the matter.

Mr. Charnchai added that the Ministry of Justice has some leading legal experts who would be glad to engage in negotiations.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 Febuary 2007

[slimdog]

editorial from the Bangkok Post

Wrong speech at wrong time

Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin spoke unwisely last week in his speech to young volunteers about the nation and its military. The vow to recapture national assets sold to Singapore in the Shin Corp deal was as poorly phrased as it was incorrect. Since Gen Sonthi is the army commander, coup leader and head of the Council for National Security, his words were taken seriously. The Singapore government was not the only one looking for clarification through the weekend. Thai diplomats were forced to scramble and try to downplay the general's remarks. They were clearly as much in the dark as their foreign embassies, wondering just what Thailand's most powerful political figure was thinking.

Full editorial: http://www.bangkokpost.net/200207_News/20Feb2007_news19.php

Columnist Anuraj Manibhandu also wrote:

Sending mixed signals

There are no camels in Thailand or Singapore, only a tenaciousness identifiable with the animals of the desert that reserve food in their humps. Partly due to the staying power that both sides have shown in recent weeks, the controversial wishes of Gen Sonthi Boonyarataklin, army chief and head of the Council for National Security, should not break the back of relations between the two countries.

Full story: http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/20Feb2007_news23.php

Temasek may offload satellite firm

Singaporeans want to ease tensions

Temasek Holdings could look to sell Shin Corp's holdings in Shin Satellite Plc to help ease growing tensions between Thailand and Singapore.

Full story: http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/20Feb2007_biz32.php