Thaksin Prepares for Return to Thailand

[Gottfrid]

On 6/7/2023 at 5:09 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

Talking, talking, and more talking.

He can just take any plane back to Thailand. He doesn't need a visa.

He doesn't even have to think about a hotel booking or enough money to buy food.

All will be provided to him, for free, for years.

Come on, come back, we are waiting for you.

That´s the words from a person that only sees black and white. Welcome to Thailand, the grey zone, where everything is possible. ???? 

[Artisi]

3 hours ago, MrMojoRisin said:

What clear and specific evidence? Post a link to it. The trials were nothing but unfair and 100% politicised. Why do you bother posting untruths?

How about you posting a link as to why the trials very unfair and politicalised. You're always quick to take the other side but have never backed up your claims. 

[MrMojoRisin]

57 minutes ago, bannork said:

 

A summary of the charges against Thaksin, convictions and acquittals.

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions pronounced him guilty of power abuse in his wife’s purchase of a state-owned plot in the coveted Ratchadaphisek area at a price much cheaper than market value.

In October 2008, Thaksin was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison. The 10-year statute of limitations for that court verdict expired in October 2018.

The court later gave Thaksin another two years in prison after finding him guilty of malfeasance in the two-and three-digit lottery case.

He was handed a further three years’ imprisonment for abusing his position to authorize loans totaling 4 billion baht to Myanmar via the Export-Import Bank of Thailand.

The loans were then spent on buying supplies from a telecom firm owned by Thaksin’s family.

Thaksin was sentenced to five more years in prison in another case in which he was found guilty of using nominees to hold shares in Shin Corp. The law prohibits any political office holder from holding shares in a telecom company.

Acquitted in two cases

The court acquitted Thaksin in two of the cases brought against him. In 2019, it dismissed charges of dereliction of duty and malfeasance in the Finance Ministry’s administration of a rehabilitation plan by the private firm Thai Petrochemical Industry (TPI).

In the same year, Thaksin was also acquitted of masterminding loans of 9 billion baht granted by the state-owned Krungthai Bank to subsidiaries of property firm Krisda Mahanakorn. The court found no convincing evidence to prove accusations that Thaksin was the “big boss” who ordered bank executives to approve the loans.

The money was meant for refinancing and land acquisition for real estate development, but it was instead used for share trading on the stock market and was laundered to conceal its source, according to public prosecutors.

In 2015, Krungthai’s former executive board chairman Suchai Jaovisidha and former bank president Viroj Nuankae were among more than a dozen defendants sentenced to prison terms in connection with the loan scandal.

 

Dodgy, politicised courts means it all amounts to zero for all but the junta loving kool aid drinkers. 

[MrMojoRisin]

31 minutes ago, Artisi said:

How about you posting a link as to why the trials very unfair and politicalised. You're always quick to take the other side but have never backed up your claims. 

[MrMojoRisin]

46 minutes ago, bannork said:

Jim, your attempt to liken the Thai courts to Nazi Germany is absurd. The findings of the Court's verdicts, the reasonings behind the verdicts were all published at the time.

The only way Thaksin can escape these convictions is a pardon from above, using the new regulation that says convicted offenders don't have to be detained in jail, or faking illness like Kamnan Poh did and live it up in a hospital. 

I think Thaksin would only accept the first option. 

We will just have to see how it plays out. 

Whilst Thaksin is waiting for the sun, he may be waiting for you to tell (him) what went wrong. 

 

 

????????????

 

https://www.newmandala.org/a-response-to-vanina-sucharitkul/

[MrMojoRisin]

38 minutes ago, Artisi said:

How about you posting a link as to why the trials very unfair and politicalised. You're always quick to take the other side but have never backed up your claims. 

Out of idle curiosity, why do you believe the charges, convictions and sentencing of political players is so lopsided? Is it that the pro-democracy side are all law breakers and the coup supporters are all law abiding?

[Eric Loh]

49 minutes ago, Artisi said:

How about you posting a link as to why the trials very unfair and politicalised. You're always quick to take the other side but have never backed up your claims. 

The current roadblocks by the conservatives to prevent a popular elected pro-democractic leader from attaining his rightful top job do give many pause to ponder that the past cases by post coup judiciaries have elements of political expediency. Don't you share the same thought? 

[bannork]

2 hours ago, MrMojoRisin said:

????????????

 

https://www.newmandala.org/a-response-to-vanina-sucharitkul/

No mention of his convictions regarding the Exim Bank and his use of nominees in Shin Corp in that article 

[MrMojoRisin]

43 minutes ago, bannork said:

No mention of his convictions regarding the Exim Bank and his use of nominees in Shin Corp in that article 

You can bleat on about contrived convictions until the cows come home, just be aware, before those cows get home - Thaksin will already be in Thailand with all the trumped up charges and convictions dropped and he’ll either be free and clear or preparing for retrials under fair courts which will result in him being free and clear. My guess, you’ll still be stammering “but, but Thaksin to an ever dwindling circle of junta lovers forevermore as the rest of Thailand just gets on with enjoying life in a democracy.

[bannork]

39 minutes ago, MrMojoRisin said:

You can bleat on about contrived convictions until the cows come home, just be aware, before those cows get home - Thaksin will already be in Thailand with all the trumped up charges and convictions dropped and he’ll either be free and clear or preparing for retrials under fair courts which will result in him being free and clear. My guess, you’ll still be stammering “but, but Thaksin to an ever dwindling circle of junta lovers forevermore as the rest of Thailand just gets on with enjoying life in a democracy.

https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/Democracy-not-goal-Thaksin

Thaksin is a populist demogogue,  and as such is yesterday's man. Read Dr Thitinan 's article published today showing how Thaksin never challenged the elite or intended to reform Thailand, unlike MF.

And once again, Jim, try to remember, a dislike of Thaksin does not mean a love of the junta 

[MrMojoRisin]

33 minutes ago, bannork said:

https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/Democracy-not-goal-Thaksin

Thaksin is a populist demogogue,  and as such is yesterday's man. Read Dr Thitinan 's article published today showing how Thaksin never challenged the elite or intended to reform Thailand, unlike MF.

And once again, Jim, try to remember, a dislike of Thaksin does not mean a love of the junta 

What’s your point?

 

Why do you dislike Thaksin?

Why do you not dislike Prayuth?

What is the difference between the two (other than one being pro-democracy and the other anti-democracy)?

 

[rabas]

4 hours ago, MrMojoRisin said:

Out of idle curiosity, why do you believe the charges, convictions and sentencing of political players is so lopsided? Is it that the pro-democracy side are all law breakers and the coup supporters are all law abiding?

Why would anyone believe a Thai politician who made billions, much while in office did not abuse power? 

[MrMojoRisin]

13 minutes ago, rabas said:

Why would anyone believe a Thai politician who made billions, much while in office did not abuse power? 

Who you talk’n ‘bout?

Thaksin?

If so, you need to fact check yourself.

Thaksin founded AIS in 1987 and was a billionaire well before launching his own political party TRT in 1998 and becoming PM in 2001. If anything, politics has caused Thaksin to lose a substantial amount of money.

 

You should have just said “Why would anyone believe a Thai politician” and left it at that.

 

Back to the original question - why is it only pro democracy politicians that are getting banned, charged, convicted and sentenced by the Thai courts whilst the anti-democracy politicians haven’t a care in the world?

[rabas]

1 hour ago, MrMojoRisin said:

Who you talk’n ‘bout?

Thaksin?

If so, you need to fact check yourself.

Thaksin founded AIS in 1987 and was a billionaire well before launching his own political party TRT in 1998 and becoming PM in 2001. If anything, politics has caused Thaksin to lose a substantial amount of money.

 

You should have just said “Why would anyone believe a Thai politician” and left it at that.

 

Back to the original question - why is it only pro democracy politicians that are getting banned, charged, convicted and sentenced by the Thai courts whilst the anti-democracy politicians haven’t a care in the world?

Thanks, but my ~40 years here is enough to understand Thai corruption. Not sure about your original question. My question was do you or anyone believe Mr. Thaksin did not abuse power.

 

Perhaps helpful, Thaksin entered politics early in 1994 via the very charismatic Chamlong Srimuang.  Later when Thaksin was removed from power Chamlong expressed regret at getting "such a corrupt person" into politics. [1]

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by rabas

[asf6]

Thaksin won't be coming home in July - not this July anyway. Maybe in July 2033 or 2043. Waaaay too much 'stuff' to clear up first. 

[MrMojoRisin]

14 minutes ago, rabas said:

Thanks, but my ~40 years here is enough to understand Thai corruption. Not sure about your original question. My question was do you or anyone believe Mr. Thaksin did not abuse power.

 

Perhaps helpful, Thaksin entered politics early in 1994 via the very charismatic Chamlong Srimuang.  Later when Thaksin was removed from power Chamlong expressed regret at getting "such a corrupt person" into politics. [1]

 

Seems you’ll need at least another 40+ years here to get up to speed.

 

If you think Thaksin was anything other than low level corrupt when compared to those that came before or after him, then you my friend are beyond naive.

 

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/1993/05/motherjones-mj93-course-corruption/

 

 

[scorecard]

On 6/7/2023 at 5:07 PM, chalawaan said:

Prayuth to be held accountable! Taksin coming home a pardoned man in weeks!

Either MFP are smoking the best bud on Sukhumvit, or they know something the rest of us don't.

I would be happy if half their plans come true. 

You say "... a pardoned man ...".

 

So who is going to pardon him and on what legally sound point of law?  

[bannork]

3 hours ago, MrMojoRisin said:

What’s your point?

 

Why do you dislike Thaksin?

Why do you not dislike Prayuth?

What is the difference between the two (other than one being pro-democracy and the other anti-democracy)?

 

I dislike Prayuth.He should be in jail along with Suthep.

Thaksin should have served jail time too. He hides millions, perhaps billions of baht, in his servants' names for years, using their names to trade on the stock exchange. The motive? Surely stock market manipulation. Drive up the price, leading other investors to believe that company is sound, then sell having made a profit.

And he called it 'an honest mistake', the weasel.

 Then he stacked his government with rich industrialists, no reformers in sight, gave the poor just enough to keep them happy, the 30 baht health scheme was good, and then proceeded to eliminate any opposition by buying up political parties, banning lucrative state advertising in any media that criticised him and suing anyone who criticised him.

Not a genuine democratic bone in his body.

Edited June 9, 2023 by bannork

[Artisi]

7 hours ago, MrMojoRisin said:

Out of idle curiosity, why do you believe the charges, convictions and sentencing of political players is so lopsided? Is it that the pro-democracy side are all law breakers and the coup supporters are all law abiding?

I don't have a dog in this race so don't particularly care one way or another and if I did it wouldn't make any difference, just as your one sided view counts for nothing. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

On 6/8/2023 at 5:04 AM, FarangJon said:

Corrupt gangster. Deserves life time jail. But there wont be any justice. Disgusting. Money rules. 

You could be referring to a large portion of the population there.

[Mr Meeseeks]

25 minutes ago, bannork said:

Not a genuine democratic bone in his body.

Lol, he’s Chinese-Thai, democracy is a cultural antithesis. 

[MrMojoRisin]

25 minutes ago, Artisi said:

I don't have a dog in this race so don't particularly care one way or another and if I did it wouldn't make any difference, just as your one sided view counts for nothing. 

Ahh, apathy.

 

If you couldn’t care less why do you waste time prattling on about Thaksin being some sort of super villain?

 

Or is the apathy feigned to avoid answering the question?

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by MrMojoRisin

[zzaa09]

9 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

That´s the words from a person that only sees black and white. Welcome to Thailand, the grey zone, where everything is possible. ???? 

Many hues of grey, actually. Most of which aren't recognized by those usual circles. 

[zzaa09]

2 hours ago, MrMojoRisin said:

Seems you’ll need at least another 40+ years here to get up to speed.

 

If you think Thaksin was anything other than low level corrupt when compared to those that came before or after him, then you my friend are beyond naive.

 

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/1993/05/motherjones-mj93-course-corruption/

 

 

Not that any such whataboutism course would be applicable, as the cycle of contemporary [going back some 100 years] Thai politics, by it's very instinctive nature, is and has been soundly corrupt. Dependent largely on varying degrees in which one's perspective is based on. 

 

No doubt that the Shinawatra clan were on the take and succumbed to the corrupted tasked at hand, yet one doesn't have to be a scholar [or even a decent researcher] to comprehend long before their time and long after, the deep criminal element of everything Thai politics was/is rampant and accepted as part and parcel of oligarchical rule - all of which made the Shinawatras seem angelic in comparison.  

 

To diverse degrees they're all associated with the same club.....and any newcomers are deemed to follow or forced to join.

[bannork]

6 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Not that any such whataboutism course would be applicable, as the cycle of contemporary [going back some 100 years] Thai politics, by it's very instinctive nature, is and has been soundly corrupt. Dependent largely on varying degrees in which one's perspective is based on. 

 

No doubt that the Shinawatra clan were on the take and succumbed to the corrupted tasked at hand, yet one doesn't have to be a scholar [or even a decent researcher] to comprehend long before their time and long after, the deep criminal element of everything Thai politics was/is rampant and accepted as part and parcel of oligarchical rule - all of which made the Shinawatras seem angelic in comparison.  

 

To diverse degrees they're all associated with the same club.....and any newcomers are deemed to follow or forced to join.

Yes, sadly Jim, Thaksin got his monopoly contract for AIS from guess who? The military.

He apparently bought a Benz for one of the coup leaders of 1991.

He knows the game and will bend over double to be allowed to return to Thailand 

 

[rabas]

3 hours ago, MrMojoRisin said:

Seems you’ll need at least another 40+ years here to get up to speed.

 

If you think Thaksin was anything other than low level corrupt when compared to those that came before or after him, then you my friend are beyond naive.

 

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/1993/05/motherjones-mj93-course-corruption/

 

In Thailand, what you see is not what you get, or maybe not there at all. You'll never 'see' by reading foreigners in Rolling Stone or New Mandala. The cultures are not translatable. It's like peeling an onion and at the end there's nothing there, not even the peels, and your hands are dry. Nothing happened, except your money is gone, and there is no evidence, was it there to begin with?

 

Your friend Mr Thaksin was just as bad and worse at the same time, on a Thai scale. He made two big mistakes, possibly he too didn't fully appreciate Thai culture. He left an ugly trail of violence behind him, and openly played the I'm better than you game. Both very unacceptable in Thailand.

 

So now he's gone. And no, he's not coming back. Or maybe he will come back and also not be here, and no one will know what happened, Thai style.

 

[Artisi]

10 hours ago, MrMojoRisin said:

Ahh, apathy.

 

If you couldn’t care less why do you waste time prattling on about Thaksin being some sort of super villain?

 

Or is the apathy feigned to avoid answering the question?

 

Wrong again. I haven't once prattled on about Thaksin being a villain. 

So once more your comment is meaningless dribble. 

[AhFarangJa]

On 6/8/2023 at 8:33 AM, bannork said:

If they dissolve MF, the MPs have 60 days to move to a new party. As FF prepared MF for that eventuality, so I'm sure MF will have a spare party.

Very difficult for the authorities to ban 150 plus MPs!

Even if Pita is banned, Settha from PT can take over as PM candidate. The Shinawatra clan have already said Thaksin's daughter is too inexperienced to be PM.

If PT remain with MF as their left leaning MPs urge, then it will be difficult for the senators to resist voting for Settha as PM if Pita is banned.

Business leaders are urging quick formation of the government, and any unrest following a ban of MF will be blamed on the government.

Yesterday Wan Noor, leader of the southern party Prachachart and part of the coalition, made a moving speech, to paraphrase his words: ' I've spent the last two weeks upcountry and everywhere the people asked me when will the government form. The people comprise of 75 million people, the Election Commission just a few members, their job simply to ensure the election went smoothly, the Constitution Court just a few judges. Meanwhile the Thai people urgently want the government to start work. The people have spoken, the age of dictators is over.

Concise, and informative, thank you for your post. Politics in this Country is always a minefield.

[Rimmer]

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