Thaksin says Thai lockdown a mistake

[jimn]

15 hours ago, unamazedloso said:

Who cares what Thaksin thinks? Isn't he a criminal like his sister? Typical greedy nature.

Tell me who isnt? The Thai's in the villages love him. Whatever he did wrong legally he made up for in his genuine concern for the welfare of the Thai people. He was opposed and eventually disposed of by those in Bangkok who were more dishonest then he. A shame for Thailand that the election process is now so "adjusted" in favour of those that disposed of him.

[dave moir]

15 hours ago, Guderian said:

Well he could hardly have been expected to tell the truth and say that the government has done a world-class job of managing the virus so far. 

I think luck more than good management!

[recom273]

57 minutes ago, WhatsNext said:

5000 baht is not a joke in a country were you can easily live on 10.000 a month. 5000 in the province is actually enough to live on given that almost everyone has land, a makeshift house and nearly free food. 

 

So think before "U lol" as you so eloquently wrote

I think it’s more the fact that a good proportion of people (who have been paying I to the governments national insurance scheme for many years) haven’t received the payment, and no one is accountable, just a mobile phone app.

 

Come on, it’s not the 70s any longer, not everyone lives in wooden houses in the village, growing their own food and fishing in the creek, they have real life problems that aren’t going to stop when everyone returns to work and 5000 is going nowhere. 
 

 

[dave moir]

8 minutes ago, mberbae said:

 

Judging by the extremely low number of Covid cases and related deaths, shows that

the Government ultimately did a good job. Those that agree with Thaksin most likely

are bar flies or Happy Ending shop visitors.

 

You have a sad imagination!!!! 

[Mikeasq60]

Thailand has this lock down been worth the lost jobs, incomes, cant feed family or pay bills, even suicides. Was the lockdown worth it? I have a question what was so bad about Thaksin, why was it deemed necessary to over throw him from power im just curious! Who decided that he had to go I dont want to say because Ill get a spanking again from TV.

[Nanaplaza666]

16 hours ago, unamazedloso said:

Who cares what Thaksin thinks? Isn't he a criminal like his sister? Typical greedy nature.

They are all criminals , the only thing that matters is wich criminal has the best interest for the people and the country . 

[PeachCH]

Thaksin was the best prime minister Thailand ever had. With him still in charge, the country would look much better. Also less pain for the Falangs. 

[ramrod711]

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thaksin says Thai lockdown a mistake

Takes one to know one.

[Magenta408]

Easy to say. i have my own personal views and I believe far too many lives have been ruined as in so many other countries on this globe. 

[spidermike007]

There should be an international law, preventing billionaires from commenting at all, on the economic shutdown. They are the least affected by it, and have zero perspective on it. 

 

Having said that, I do agree that economic shutdown was an experiment in mass insanity. It was a mistake that will be reckoned with for a very long time to come.

[AgMech Cowboy]

Thaksin was a visionary (you can thank him for the expressways and mass transit) and was a good leader for a period of time and then he got 'very' corrupt. Way too corrupt.

 

He's right though. The lockdowns and stay at home orders are worse than the virus. The hardships for the world's 'economy' will be devastating.  All us guys living on 'Social Security' or whatever your government's and your former company's pension plan is called, better be worried.

[Kerryd]

Thaksin is a crook, plain and simple.

He was a telecommunications giant in Thailand. He decided to sell his company but wasn't allowed to under Thai law as he was trying to sell it to an "offshore" company (and there were National Security concerns, as his satellites apparently handled all of Thailand's military communications).

His answer to that was to use his fortune to run for government.
"Thai laws at the time disallowed the sale of integral assets of national importance to the public or to any foreign entity, but Thaksin amended the laws to allow such sale."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksin_Shinawatra#Sale_of_Shin_Corporation

Apparently back then, it was "rumoured" that a vote for Thaksin would get you a shiny 100 baht note, especially in the "North East" where there are a lot of poor farmers (and that's how the "North-East" became his "heartland" of support).
"...in which the impoverished, poorly informed masses are easily manipulated by people of his ilk. And Thaksin's manipulation has been well documented."
"In the majority of rural constituencies, outright vote buying remains the key determinant of poll results."
https://web.archive.org/web/20110926231731/http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/03/21/opinion/opinion_20003175.php

Once in power his corruption started running rampant. He came up with the "30 baht" healthcare scam and while everyone was distracted by that, he transferred shares of his company to people like his maids and drivers and assorted family members. Those people then gave those shares to an "offshore" company, not only circumventing Thai law but costing the country 10s (100s ?) of billion in tax revenue.

He told the Constitutional Court that it was an "honest mistake" when he transferred those shares to maids and chauffeurs and the court apparently accepted that excuse and dropped the charges of trying to "hide his wealth".
"Transferring to maid and driver

Thaksin was charged with illegally concealing billions of baht of his wealth by transferring ownership of Shin Corp. shares to his drivers and maids, without their knowledge. Thaksin tearfully told the Constitutional Court that it was an honest mistake before the Court acquitted him on the charges."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksin_Shinawatra#Sale_of_Shin_Corporation
 

Meanwhile, Thaksin was also using his position to have government property sold to his wife (supposedly at 25% of the market value) so she could then flip it for the full value. Thaksin was convicted on that charge and so was his wife who was given a 3 year prison sentence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potjaman_Na_Pombejra#Ratchadaphisek_land_purchase_controversy

And his "war on drugs" ? Thaksin blamed many of the deaths on "drug dealers" shooting each other and he may actually have been truthful in that because it was rumoured that what was really happening was the police were "clearing out the competition". (And if you'd been following the news for any length of time, you'd know that it's been long suspected who the major drug dealers in the country really are, as well as the fact that Thaksin used to be a LCol in the RTP. Just coincidence of course.)
(Stories linked in a previous post.)

And during one of Thaksin's trials (the land case), he tried to bribe the judge by having his lawyer deliver a 2 million baht bribe (in a paper lunch bag). The judge rejected the bribe and apparently had the lawyer thrown in jail.
https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-34224120080625

Thaksin suddenly realized he wouldn't be able to bribe his way out of trouble. That is when he cooked up the plan to get his Diplomatic passport returned under the pretense of flying to China for the Olympics. After arriving there he announced he wouldn't be returning to Thailand (I think he said because he wouldn't get a "fair trail" - probably meaning one that he'd be able to bribe his way out of).

He lost ownership of the football club (Manchester City ?) when the league decided he was "unfit" for ownership due to his legal issues. That's when he fled to Dubai (perhaps thinking the UK might actually consider deporting him once he was not longer a member of the football "elite").

He has been tried and convicted "in absentia" in one case (the land case noted above). I think the Statue of Limitations has expired in one or two other cases and I think they may have dropped the charges (lack of evidence or no hope of gaining a conviction for one reason or another) in a couple more cases. I haven't been following it for awhile now as he's rarely in the news anymore.

His assets in Thailand were frozen ages ago.
It was thought (in the Thai press) that he not only financed a lot of the "red shirt" protests personally, but also financed his sister's election campaign for the specific purpose of getting her elected so she could then grant him Amnesty and unfreeze all his assets.

Yingluck did try to bring in an Amnesty bill but it ran into problems when even her own "red shirts" protested against it because it would have also given Amnesty to the "yellow shirts" as well and they wanted only their people to benefit. (Kind of hard to pass a piece of legislation that only pardons one group of people and not their rivals. The fallout would have been disastrous). Of course, many people were pretty sure the Amnesty bill was purposely designed to let Thaksin return and reclaim his wealth.

As for the "toes" that Thaksin stepped on that led to his downfall ? We can't discuss those on ThaiVisa. Let's just say that many people in positions of influence were under the distinct impression that Thaksin was trying to become the #1 most loved person in the country. (It's no secret why the anti-Thaksin side wore yellow shirts.)
It was also speculated on in the Thai media (English and Thai language versions) but I won't link any of it here.

Oh and for those who don't know - Thaksin was (is) pro-Chinese.     
"Following trips to Beijing and Sichuan panda zoo, former Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and her older brother Thaksin Shinawatra visited their ancestral village in Meizhou, Guangdong province on October 31, NetEase reported.
Yingluck and Thaksin, are fourth generation ethnic Chinese Thais originating from a family of Hakkas in Taxia village, Fengshun county of Meizhou city."
http://shanghaiist.com/2014/11/01/yingluckthaksin_go_on_a_family_trip/

And yes, you can Google all of that. Most of it was headline news back then. 

You can also look at the Wiki entry (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksin_Shinawatra) for more information.

[moe666]

Alot of people have come out of the wood work to say what has been done lockdowns do not work. I have to ask where was their recommendations before the lockdowns came in to affect. Alot of people second guessing the means to an end, less cases at present. We will see what happens when they reopen the econo mies of many countries. At least Thailand has got the case load down to a very manageble level.

[bipper]

Hindsight is a great thing abs and it's still way to early to be certain. He also could have donated the billions he extracted out of the Thai economy first his own personal gain now that would be worth hearing. FOS! Oh and ignore.

[Darkside Gray]

16 hours ago, unamazedloso said:

Who cares what Thaksin thinks? Isn't he a criminal like his sister? Typical greedy nature.

Thailand was a much better place when he was in power than now!

[SkyFax]

13 minutes ago, moe666 said:

We will see what happens when they reopen the econo mies of many countries.

As South Korea Eases Limits, Virus Cluster Prompts Seoul to Close Bars

May 9, 2020

 

Go out, socialize and have fun, South Korea’s government told its people, declaring the start of “a new daily life with Covid-19” — while keeping a vigilant eye out for any sign of backsliding, any need for restrictions to snap back into place.

 

It didn’t take long.

 

On Saturday, just the fourth day of the new phase, the mayor of Seoul ordered all the capital’s bars and nightclubs shut down indefinitely after the discovery of a cluster of dozens of coronavirus infections.

 

South Korea initially attacked the pandemic with such success that it became a model cited worldwide, all but halting a large outbreak without choking off nearly as much of its economy as other nations have. Now it is attempting something just as difficult: moving gradually, safely closer to something resembling everyday life.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/09/world/asia/coronavirus-south-korea-second-wave.html

[RedRoadRunner]

The man is absolutely right. Greedy or not, the recent government is not one notch better but they have caused an almost none recoverable damage to the country by their incompetence, but praising themselves to be the greatest.

[CGW]

16 hours ago, johng said:

Elected x 2  and the only one to serve out a full term without being "overthrown"

Exactly! many comment on Thaksin never having experienced "government" prior to his time, it was a circus, rampant corruption, as you state his was the first government in Thai History to serve a full term as all previous "governments" were so corrupt they were thrown out long before due by date.

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

He said his experience of handling the SARS and bird flu pandemic as prime minister in 2003-2005 led him to believe that it was not worth sacrificing the economy by imposing lockdown measures. Among the measures Thaksin used to combat the SARS outbreak was sending shipments of hand sanitiser to people in the Northeast, his heartland of political support

Keeping his loyal supporters happy.... smart man.

[Docno]

15 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

GF was telling me that Thais on an FB group were running a poll and Thaksin had 5 times more votes than Prayut as preferred leader of the country right now. Therefore a lot of Thais actually do care about him. Even though he is a criminal fugitive, the GF said that all Thai politicians are corrupt though some are less corrupt, or, at least corrupt in the right way and look after their people (voters).

I'm not arguing with the results of the survey, but I wouldn't trust an FB survey for anything. FB pages reflect networks of people, and we have no way of knowing if the network of people who clicked into that page are representative of the voting population or the general population. 

[PlastikbinLina]

16 hours ago, thai006 said:

spend that mount of money in just one night here lol 

As soon as they share it with the rest of the family. 10 mins max

[ChipButty]

2 hours ago, randy723 said:

+what did he or his sister do that was a crime? 

Where should we start?

[Blue Water Sailor]

13 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Don't count on it, though. 3 decades ago, when HIV was discovered, pharmaceutical companies and politicians promised vaccine within 12-18 months. During SARS epidemic, vaccine was promised in 18 months.

 

Seen any around yet? They're nearly 30 and 20 years overdue...

It will be rolled out. This one is way different. This is about total control of the world. You dont need to look any further than the Monster Bill Gates. Do some research and you'll find out that has his tentacles all over this. What this man has done with his vaccines in third world countries is crimes against humanity. If the people of the world dont stand up to this billions will die. That's his real end game, to depopulate the world. What everybody needs is clean water and uncontaminated food. But these psychopathic monsters dont want to hear that because it sheds the brightest light on them and there goals.

[NoshowJones]

17 hours ago, unamazedloso said:

Who cares what Thaksin thinks? Isn't he a criminal like his sister? Typical greedy nature.

I don't know much about Thai politics, but Thaksin was the PM when I first came here. I compare  Thailand then with the way it is now with this clown in charge.

It has sure been a downward spiral since then where expats are concerned.

[ubon farang]

Who knows who is wrong who is right? If the government did nothing then what we all be saying? I think they did right thing for once. As for taksin Just enjoy the money you took from the Thai people. You were not the first to do that and you wont be the last and say Hi to your sisiter In England She to is enjoying the fruiets of being PM in Thailand 

[GarryP]

3 hours ago, Sharp said:

download 'brave' browser for Thaivisa Garry..

Done. Thanks. 

[ujayujay]

Who's Thaksin!?!?

[Steve Vincent]

18 hours ago, unamazedloso said:

Who cares what Thaksin thinks? Isn't he a criminal like his sister? Typical greedy nature.

Who’s not corrupt in Thailand ? He also done good with orphans setting up several institutions before the government intervened and closed them down and retook the money leaving many children homeless again...today’s government only concerned about the rich Leaving many Thais without a pot to <deleted> in 

[NoshowJones]

15 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

Isn't every politician a criminal ?

Well they are hypocrites and liars, although I know about the corruption, sometimes it is not that bad if you can make it work for yourself.

The only real criminal politicians were the UKs Blair and Brown.

[ujayujay]

17 hours ago, CGW said:

Best democratically elected "Prime Minister" Thailand has ever had - unfortunately! 

Democratically elected......????????????????????????????????????????????

Edited May 15, 2020 by ujayujay