Death Threat To Thaksin Thickens Political Plot

[lazeeboy]

Death Threat to Thaksin Thickens Political Plot

A chat room on a popular Thai-language website is drawing visitors over a troubling question: Will ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra be assassinated when he returns home?

''I am concerned about Thaksin's security,'' writes one visitor to 'Rajademnern,' the room for political dialogue and comments on the 'Panthip.com' website. ''If he wants to come back to Thailand, he should not take (the national airline) Thai Airways. He should take another international airline.''

This buzz on the fate of Thaksin, who was driven out of power in a military coup last September, has grown since Wednesday. It has emerged in the wake of a comment made that day by Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the army chief and head of the junta, warning Thaksin from returning to the country.

''The majority of people still oppose him so if he came back now, in the middle of the crisis, it would put his life in danger,'' Sonthi told a Bangkok radio station. ''It would be very dangerous for him.''

Some Thaksin supporters have drawn parallels between this threat and what happened over two decades ago in the Philippines to Benigno Aquino, a popular opposition figure forced into exile during the years of the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship. Aquino was shot dead at the Manila airport in 1983 on return from exile.

Thailand, however, has been spared such high-profile political assassinations since it became a constitutional monarchy in 1932. ''We have never had political assassinations where leading, national political figures have been targeted,'' Thanet Aphornsuvan, assistant professor of history at Bangkok's Thammasat University, said in an interview. ''The only political killings on record are at local and municipal level, involving the local contenders.''

The prospect of Thaksin returning from nine months in exile in London and other Asian cities has gathered pace after a committee appointed by the junta ordered local banks on Monday to freeze 1.5 billion US dollars worth of assets held in 21 domestic accounts by Thaksin and his wife.

A day later, the country's military-installed prime minister, Surayud Chulanont, told reporters that Thaksin's decision to return to ''fight the charges'' was hardly surprising. ''His reasons for wanting to return are understandable,'' Surayud, a former army chief himself, said. ''He does not have to seek permission (from the junta).''

The order by the Asset Examination Committee, which scrutinised the business deals Thaksin is alleged to have illegally profited from during his five years as prime minister, could not have come at a worse time. Barely two week earlier a special tribunal appointed by the junta delivered a ruling to disband the Thai Rak Thai (TRT- Thais Love Thai), the political party Thaksin started nine years ago, and bar from politics all its leaders for five years.

''It confirms that the new government is going the whole way against the TRT,'' Chanida Chanyapate, deputy director of Focus on the Global South, a Bangkok-based think tank, told IPS. ''They are doing so one by one to try and end Thaksin's party.''

Despite what Sonthi says, the TRT continues to have a huge following. The estimated 14 to 16 million supporters it had at the time of the September 2006 coup makes it the largest political party in this South-east Asian nation. This substantial vote base of TRT supporters lies in the poorer, rural provinces thanks to the benefits from Thaksin's pro-poor policies, like a universal health care scheme.

Thaksin, who was a billionaire telecommunications tycoon before becoming the country's leader in 2001, has earned two firsts to his name, denied to the 22 prime ministers who preceded him. He was the first premier in the country's history to finish a full four-year term and the first leader to be reelected to a consecutive term in office.

Since the coup, both he and his party have also become the first to stand up and fight the military that captured power through a coup --Thailand's 18th over the last seven decades. ''This is new for Thai politics, what Thaksin and his supporters are doing,'' says Thanet, the historian. ''The deposed prime minister is not going away after the coup unlike before, but has become a force; so, too, his party and its supporters.''

The past weekend reinforced this reality. Anti-coup demonstrators, many of them TRT loyalists, clashed with the police on Saturday night. The estimated 10,000 people who had gathered at a rally in an open field in the historic part of Bangkok ahead of the clash were the largest number on record since these anti-military and pro-TRT protests began.

No wonder, by Wednesday, Bangkok was rife with rumours arising from the recent swirl of events. They even forced some companies to send staff home early and caused the Thai stock market drop by 2.3 percent, reaching a two-week low.

The more widespread among them was the possibility of another coup as a response to the escalating tension. This fear spread late into the night despite repeated messages over the media by the military leaders for the public to ignore the scuttlebutt of a putsch.

''The situation now has grown very tense, specially after Thaksin's assets were frozen'' Laurent Malespine, who runs 'Don't Blink', a Bangkok-based political research consultancy, told IPS. ''Right now there are people who want another coup to happen.''

In Thailand, there have been ''self-coups'' in the past or ''coups by the military leaders in power, launched against themselves to clear up a messy issue,'' he says. ''It is not a coup by an outside force.''

Source: IPS - 15 June 2007

if taksin does come back and is killed,goodbye tourist,investers,money,saftey,and thailand as we know it ................

[jdinasia]

‘'The majority of people still oppose him so if he came back now, in the middle of the crisis, it would put his life in danger,'' Sonthi told a Bangkok radio station. ‘'It would be very dangerous for him.''

Absolute garbage! Speak to any regular Thai and they all say Thaksin is OK. This has just been a witch hunt from day one. Any regular Thai? He had mixed reviews in BKK from the beginning and that support went to near zero the results from the last poll were that in MANY places the 'no' votes outnumbered the TRT votes. He's never been liked in many places in Thailand 'by regular Thais' including Phuket and the South.

I still don't know exactly what he's done wrong. A lot of the members on here who have been in Thailand for 5 mins all jump on the band wagon. Those who've been here a bit longer remember the pre-Thaksin days. Read up ... the reasons you don't know what he's done wrong are the same reasons you think 'any regular Thai' would support him Lack of basic understanding about where you live

Anybody want Chuan and the Democrats to come back...??? The Demos? Sure! Some of TRT's MP's? Sure! any number of good people! Sure! Thaksin? NO!

He may not been perfect but this country was ticking along nicely when Thaksin was in charge. The top officials had their corruption payments stopped an all got the gripes, hence the witch hunt! LOL ... again read up! Corruption under Thaksin was at an all time high! If the country had been 'ticking along nicely' Thaksin would still be in charge

This country is slowly killing itself internationally from within. But less now than when Thaksin was bleeding it dry!

"Backpack, News At Ten, Kanchanaburi"

Amazing Thailand!

(and some of the people living in it!)

Edited June 15, 2007 by jdinasia

[Jessy]

DOn't under estimate Thaksin. He is extremely wealthy and powerful, still with friends in high places, and he still has a huge amount of support, much now hidden beneath the surface. Also, don't forget that money speaks volumes in Thailand. It buys power and influence and supplicates to greed. I wouldn'tbe surprised if he is back in politics in some shape or form within the next year or two.

[chinthee]

DOn't under estimate Thaksin. He is extremely wealthy and powerful, still with friends in high places, and he still has a huge amount of support, much now hidden beneath the surface. Also, don't forget that money speaks volumes in Thailand. It buys power and influence and supplicates to greed. I wouldn'tbe surprised if he is back in politics in some shape or form within the next year or two.

Well, that theory works if you think any country can function without the engine of growth, the backbone of any society, the middle and upper middle class.

Yeah, he has very rich friends, who are all being watched. He has 30% of the electorate in Issan who are not the engine of growth.

You decide.

[Plus]

And they took away his money.

There's no chance of him peacefully coming back and into high power games again. No amount of money, that he can only promise, can reverse his fortunes and no one can help him.

He can stir up some trouble at best but short of overthrowing the junta he has no immediate future.

His best strategy is to lay low and plan for comeback sometimes after the elections, popping up all over the place is not doing him any good.

One more point about bribery and friends in high places - for them it's not the cash that matters, it's long-term business opportunities. Two years ago he could offer the moon, now it's only suitcases of cash in exchange of a very real chance of being sued and exposed.

Latest bribe attempts are a perfect example of how dangerous it could be.

[lukamar]

Absolute garbage! Speak to any regular Thai and they all say Thaksin is OK. This has just been a witch hunt from day one.

I still don't know exactly what he's done wrong. A lot of the members on here who have been in Thailand for 5 mins all jump on the band wagon. Those who've been here a bit longer remember the pre-Thaksin days.

Anybody want Chuan and the Democrats to come back...???

He may not been perfect but this country was ticking along nicely when Thaksin was in charge. The top officials had their corruption payments stopped an all got the gripes, hence the witch hunt!

This country is slowly killing itself internationally from within.

"Backpack, News At Ten, Kanchanaburi"

A few members who have been in Thailand for a bit longer than 5 minutes remember the 2500 extra judicial deaths under Thaksin. Quite how this fits in with the country ticking along nicely is a bit beyond me.

I was also in Thailand during the time of the extra judicial deaths and no one in the North cared a hoot. In fact they were quite glad that the drug problem was being addressed and they did not care how or by whom. From our western view it was wrong, from their view, on the ground, it was right. I had some of the people involved sitting in my garden talking about it, I've stated that before, few here have had that luxury but they talk like they have the word from the horses mouth.

Backpack is right in a lot of ways, but a lot depends on where you are talking to the people and what level of society they live. Thailand is continually shooting itself in the foot and although a lot of people, primarily in the city do not like Thaksin, in other areas he's looked on as a good guy. If everyone hated him, like a lot of posters here keep saying, the CNS would not have bothered to go to the great lengths it has to eradicate him.

While assassinating him would solve a short term problem for the CNS it has to be aware that the north and northeast may go the way of the south if that happens. It's hard to fight against a martyr, no matter how corrupt you may say he is. The other thing that is different with this coup and others is that Thaksin and the TRT have not rolled over like the ones in the past and the CNS does not want them to have any chance of recover in the foreseeable future as the CNS would then become the hunted in a strange roll reversal. This is a very serious power play and no one concerned really gives a darn about Thailand no matter what they all say.

[sriracha john]

Actually to just shoot Dr. Taskin would not get the point across, his opponents would much rather destroy the man.

first they exile him (what it must be like to be kept out of LOS)

then they kill his political party.....

then they take his money....

next will be a public embarrassment that will turn the ignorant masses against him

after that maybe an accident that leaves him alive but broken

by this point all of his power will be gone and he will go live his days broken in hong kong

if he stris up more trouble, they can put him in a rice sack and beat him with sandlewood clubs like they did the last Takin (look in the history books... guy with almost the same name doing the same shit)

believe in karma...

and if he seizes power and upstages them before this can happen, then they will just shoot him.

better for him to stay quiet. he should know, he used to be a cop.....

As Thaksin has always attempted to portray himself as royalty, I think he would enjoy meeting his end in the same way as King Taksin.

[sriracha john]

Whilst riding about in the Eastern province of Chantaburi yesterday... the local driver, when asked about Thaksin's plan to return, raised his hand to the side of his head, pointed two fingers, then, "pulled the trigger" while saying "Boom!".... then proceeded to laugh loudly and long.

[issanpaul]

DOn't under estimate Thaksin. He is extremely wealthy and powerful, still with friends in high places, and he still has a huge amount of support, much now hidden beneath the surface. Also, don't forget that money speaks volumes in Thailand. It buys power and influence and supplicates to greed. I wouldn'tbe surprised if he is back in politics in some shape or form within the next year or two.

well Said,,

Now frozen assets? Come On Get Real.

[John K]

DOn't under estimate Thaksin. He is extremely wealthy and powerful, still with friends in high places, and he still has a huge amount of support, much now hidden beneath the surface. Also, don't forget that money speaks volumes in Thailand. It buys power and influence and supplicates to greed. I wouldn'tbe surprised if he is back in politics in some shape or form within the next year or two.

well Said,,

Now frozen assets? Come On Get Real.

Not all of them. Thaksin just said he is broke so it means he is not.

[lazeeboy]

DOn't under estimate Thaksin. He is extremely wealthy and powerful, still with friends in high places, and he still has a huge amount of support, much now hidden beneath the surface. Also, don't forget that money speaks volumes in Thailand. It buys power and influence and supplicates to greed. I wouldn'tbe surprised if he is back in politics in some shape or form within the next year or two.

well Said,,

Now frozen assets? Come On Get Real.

the new government is running scared ,we should all be a bit worry to

[Jai Dee]

Minister of Industry confident rumors of Thaksin-backed economic sanction against Thailand will have no effect

The Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister, Mr. Kosit Panpiemras, is confident that alleged rumors of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's efforts to conduct economic sanctions against Thailand will be ineffectual.

Mr. Kosit is convinced that the Thai economy will continue to grow at a rate of 4 percent. Mr. Kosit said that rumors of a public relations company hired by Dr. Thaksin to conduct economic sanctions against Thailand will have no effect against the nation.

In the private sector, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) Chairman, Mr. Santi Wilasakdanone, said that political instabiliy is a major factor creating foreign investor's reluctance to invest in Thailand. Mr. Santi said that investors who have done business in Thailand in the past do understand the nation's situation and are willing to continue investments in the nation.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 16 June 2007

[John K]

Minister of Industry confident rumors of Thaksin-backed economic sanction against Thailand will have no effect

The Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister, Mr. Kosit Panpiemras, is confident that alleged rumors of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's efforts to conduct economic sanctions against Thailand will be ineffectual.

Mr. Kosit is convinced that the Thai economy will continue to grow at a rate of 4 percent. Mr. Kosit said that rumors of a public relations company hired by Dr. Thaksin to conduct economic sanctions against Thailand will have no effect against the nation.

In the private sector, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) Chairman, Mr. Santi Wilasakdanone, said that political instabiliy is a major factor creating foreign investor's reluctance to invest in Thailand. Mr. Santi said that investors who have done business in Thailand in the past do understand the nation's situation and are willing to continue investments in the nation.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 16 June 2007

That is 100% Thaksin, to go after a whole country for getting in his way. Rumor or not it fits his psychological profile.

[hammered]

Minister of Industry confident rumors of Thaksin-backed economic sanction against Thailand will have no effect

The Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister, Mr. Kosit Panpiemras, is confident that alleged rumors of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's efforts to conduct economic sanctions against Thailand will be ineffectual.

Mr. Kosit is convinced that the Thai economy will continue to grow at a rate of 4 percent. Mr. Kosit said that rumors of a public relations company hired by Dr. Thaksin to conduct economic sanctions against Thailand will have no effect against the nation.

In the private sector, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) Chairman, Mr. Santi Wilasakdanone, said that political instabiliy is a major factor creating foreign investor's reluctance to invest in Thailand. Mr. Santi said that investors who have done business in Thailand in the past do understand the nation's situation and are willing to continue investments in the nation.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 16 June 2007

I think the US ambassador has already said that the US government did not agree with what Botts said.

[Mid]

Mr. Kosit is convinced that the Thai economy will continue to grow at a rate of 4 percent. Mr. Kosit said that rumors of a public relations company hired by Dr. Thaksin to conduct economic sanctions against Thailand will have no effect against the nation.

Dear Mr Kosit ,

please remove thy head from the sand ...................

[Jai Dee]

PM: Thaksin can decide when to return

The government is ready to provide security if ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra is to return to Thailand, but it is up to him to decide when is the appropriate time to come back, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said in a television interview on Saturday.

"It's all up to Mr Thaksin's decision," Gen Surayud said, adding that he is ready to talk to Mr Thaksin if he contacts him. "I've been ready since the past nine months," he said.

More from the Bangkok Post here.

[Mid]

The government is ready to provide security if ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra is to return to Thailand

he's gotta be dizzy ,

I sure am .......................

[mellow1]

A promise of elections.A promise is something that hasn't happened yet.A promise only raises expectations.A promise may not always be kept.That there will be elections in the future,is likely.

Thaksin is a very smart man.Any business undertakings he engaged in,will have been scrutinized

by his lawyers,any loopholes, fully exploited,but in accordance with the law.If and when, the promise

of elections,come true,he will probably win his case in court.Unlike the Junta,who overthrew the elected

government.There remains 6MO.to go before the "promised"elections are to occur.Anything can happen

in that period of time.look at the brilliant track record, of the Junta thus far.

[jdinasia]

A promise of elections.A promise is something that hasn't happened yet.A promise only raises expectations.A promise may not always be kept.That there will be elections in the future,is likely.

Thaksin is a very smart man.Any business undertakings he engaged in,will have been scrutinized

by his lawyers,any loopholes, fully exploited,but in accordance with the law.If and when, the promise

of elections,come true,he will probably win his case in court.Unlike the Junta,who overthrew the elected

government.There remains 6MO.to go before the "promised"elections are to occur.Anything can happen

in that period of time.look at the brilliant track record, of the Junta thus far.

Glad you think so highly of Thaksin

However, we have seen big business all over the world get busted for cheating the system, unfair practices etc etc. Thing Enron and Qwest .... think oil in Russia ... telecoms etc etc.

But Thaksin is not just up against the wall for Shin ... there was also all the cronyism and shady deals with the airport etc.

So ... what we await next is a constitution ... then elections. (I look at the Junta so far and if I had to pick one word for them it would have to be restraint) The junta has moved slowly and without bloodshed ... all in all not a bad record for a military coup

[Bill97]

PM: Thaksin can decide when to return

The government is ready to provide security if ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra is to return to Thailand,

More from the Bangkok Post here.

Security? Like a private cell?

[lazeeboy]

PM: Thaksin can decide when to return

The government is ready to provide security if ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra is to return to Thailand,

More from the Bangkok Post here.

Security? Like a private cell?

security like jfk got

[chownah]

The way the military dictatorship is handling this shows their inability to manage a nation...let's hope they are persuaded to give up thier feeble attempts soon before they dig the hole any deeper.

[gdot]

If Taksin ever gets any traction again (in the sense of getting anywhere near a come-back) in Thai politics, it won't be because of the much-touted 'millions of supporters' he is always said to have 'in the countryside', but because the current leadership team shoot themselves in the foot by mismanagement. On that, the jury's stil out I think - even if they made some silly mistakes as on aspects of economic policy.

Taksin's apparent mass support in the northern (NOT southern!) countryside was only in part due to the health arrangements etc that are usually mentioned in press reports (they all seem to quote from each other!): it was to a large extent a matter of archetypal vote-buying on a massive scale, in two ways: (1) by splurges of spending at particular times and in particular areas (money that, like other populist spending, disappears without effect and doesn't do anything for the economy), and (2) by buying local and regional leading individuals who, in the very traditional political culture of the poorer rural north, can pretty much tell their population which way to vote. Past demonstrations (like the farmers descending on BKK prior to the coup) were similarly rent-a-crowd operations, gathered and bussed down with Taksin's money.

With TRT disbanded and the money frozen, while those local figures can no longer rely on patronage from the Taksin network, the oompf of the 'movement' is likely to be lost - unless the current Thai leadership completely messes up.

Edited June 17, 2007 by gdot

[hammered]

If Taksin ever gets any traction again (in the sense of getting anywhere near a come-back) in Thai politics, it won't be because of the much-touted 'millions of supporters' he is always said to have 'in the countryside', but because the current leadership team shoot themselves in the foot by mismanagement. On that, the jury's stil out I think - even if they made some silly mistakes as on aspects of economic policy.

Taksin's apparent mass support in the northern (NOT southern!) countryside was only in part due to the health arrangements etc that are usually mentioned in press reports (they all seem to quote from each other!): it was to a large extent a matter of archetypal vote-buying on a massive scale, in two ways: (1) by splurges of spending at particular times and in particular areas (money that, like other populist spending, disappears without effect and doesn't do anything for the economy), and (2) by buying local and regional leading individuals who, in the very traditional political culture of the poorer rural north, can pretty much tell their population which way to vote. Past demonstrations (like the farmers descending on BKK prior to the coup) were similarly rent-a-crowd operations, gathered and bussed down with Taksin's money.

With TRT disbanded and the money frozen, while those local figures can no longer rely on patronage from the Taksin network, the oompf of the 'movement' is likely to be lost - unless the current Thai leadership completely messes up.

Which the current leadership are eminently capable of doing. The unfortunate reality is that there are splits in the NLA, splits in the govevrnemtn, splits in the judiciary, splits between government and Junta and splits in the Junta as well as splits in the military. In a country where there is little involvement in politics outside of the small group (I include the TRT guys in that too) who control it, anything can happen with the divides so big. It should also be said that there are divides within the ex-TRT too.

[Grover]

If Taksin ever gets any traction again (in the sense of getting anywhere near a come-back) in Thai politics, it won't be because of the much-touted 'millions of supporters' he is always said to have 'in the countryside', but because the current leadership team shoot themselves in the foot by mismanagement. On that, the jury's stil out I think - even if they made some silly mistakes as on aspects of economic policy.

Taksin's apparent mass support in the northern (NOT southern!) countryside was only in part due to the health arrangements etc that are usually mentioned in press reports (they all seem to quote from each other!): it was to a large extent a matter of archetypal vote-buying on a massive scale, in two ways: (1) by splurges of spending at particular times and in particular areas (money that, like other populist spending, disappears without effect and doesn't do anything for the economy), and (2) by buying local and regional leading individuals who, in the very traditional political culture of the poorer rural north, can pretty much tell their population which way to vote. Past demonstrations (like the farmers descending on BKK prior to the coup) were similarly rent-a-crowd operations, gathered and bussed down with Taksin's money.

With TRT disbanded and the money frozen, while those local figures can no longer rely on patronage from the Taksin network, the oompf of the 'movement' is likely to be lost - unless the current Thai leadership completely messes up.

Which the current leadership are eminently capable of doing. The unfortunate reality is that there are splits in the NLA, splits in the govevrnemtn, splits in the judiciary, splits between government and Junta and splits in the Junta as well as splits in the military. In a country where there is little involvement in politics outside of the small group (I include the TRT guys in that too) who control it, anything can happen with the divides so big. It should also be said that there are divides within the ex-TRT too.

The irony of TRT (Thais Love Thais) is that the word Love means to unite, yet the founder of TRT has splintered the nation almost irrepairably.

[DamianMavis]

Off topic a bit but......

"It does not seem to follow the pattern of Thais and Buddhism." in reference to assassinating Thaksin.

uh.... rofl

You are aware that political assassinations were common place like 20 years ago right? Budhism? My friend watched his mothers brain splatter all over him simply because they were in the wrong family. Just in the past couple of years as an example of devout budhists some cleaners found a crazy man desecrating the budhist shrine at the corner by Gaysorn.... the upstanding budhist cleaners murdered the man on the spot.

Damian

[belidofan]

Off topic a bit but......

"It does not seem to follow the pattern of Thais and Buddhism." in reference to assassinating Thaksin.

uh.... rofl

You are aware that political assassinations were common place like 20 years ago right? Budhism? My friend watched his mothers brain splatter all over him simply because they were in the wrong family. Just in the past couple of years as an example of devout budhists some cleaners found a crazy man desecrating the budhist shrine at the corner by Gaysorn.... the upstanding budhist cleaners murdered the man on the spot.

Damian

just for the record: that shrine is as "budhist" as my pygmee mother-in-law, it's rather a shrine of hundi-worship.

[Jai Dee]

PM ready to ensure safety of Mr. Thaksin upon return to Thailand

The Prime Minister affirms that the government is ready to ensure the security of Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra when he returns to testify in various cases.

Prime Minister Gen Surayud Chulanont reported on the incident in which the Department of Special Investigations issued a court summons for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to appear in court to testify in the SC Asset Corporation stock scandal. Gen Surayud said that the government is not opposed to Mr. Thakin's return to Thailand and would ensure his full security.

The Prime Minister reports that so far Mr. Thaksin has yet to issue a statement. Gen Surayud added that the comments made by the Chairman of the Council for National Security that Mr. Thaksin's safety was not guaranteed upon his return to Thailand are merely observations and are not meant to be threatening in any way.

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

[Mid]

unfortunately the CNS Boss is on record as saying otherwise ......................................

[bkkandrew]

unfortunately the CNS Boss is on record as saying otherwise ......................................

And he is the big boss, top brass, top dog, organ grinder, big knob, gaffer, head honcho, grande fromage, poochakhan yai...

So, if I were Mr T, I would listen to him...