Thaksin And His Wife Issued Arrest Warrants Over Ratchadapisek Land Case

[jackspratt]

Was he perfect? No!, is he better than what we have now? YES! Is he being hunted becuase he jumped throgh loop holes and didnt share the booty? YES!

Was he directly responsible for 2,500 extra-judicial murders - YES.

Enough said.

[jackspratt]

What are his choices? Buying the footy club might buy him a bit of sympathy with the UK.

Will he go to Hong Kong where he's reported to have bought a property. Will the Chinese protect him? Maybe.

Where else can he go?

Perhaps he'll become this country's headache.....

Thaksin Moving To Australia?!?! Looking for property in Sydney

6 months ago. Old news, and will never happen.

[jackspratt]

first there is no extradition treaty between thai and uk,

Errr......then how do you explain this?

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagena...d=1044360289117

[sriracha john]

Ridding a country of a despot is no easy task. Philippines still struggles from the fallout of Marcos years later.

That's only a theory, but you maybe surprised to learn that a recent poll of Filipinos voted Marcos as the most popular president ever. They never had any clear indication on how much money he siphoned out of the economy and all estimates vary greatly. The fact that they still can't find his apparent fortune makes one wonder where the truth lies.

IMO, The Philippines suffers more from the recent lineup of totally incompetent presidents.

Indeed, I would be surprised. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to locate any information about this poll. If you know anything more about its specifics or its location, it would be appreciated.

The Marcos dictatorship was responsible for an estimated 100,000 disappearances (and presumed deaths) of Filipinos. He siphoned tens of billions off the treasury over 23 years of tyrannical rule.

As lackluster as any subsequent leaders were, they've all been relative improvements as none of them came anywhere near those sorts of numbers.

A good article regarding their times since Marcos is:

In 20 Years Since Marcos, Little Stability for Philippines which can also point out the many parallels it shares with Thailand. Hopefully, one parallel that will be missing for Thailand is having Thaksin's offspring as a governor and an MP.

I do apologize for the off-topicness of this.

[Tony Clifton]

Haven't quite a few UK criminals been pinched in Thailand and were then extradited in the past.

[Choscura]

they should have a pay-per-view channel with thaksin's arrest on it. they should get every piece of tape they can of his arrest and transport into custody. I want to watch this stuff.

especially if it happens in the Man-U directors box.

[sriracha john]

What are his choices? Buying the footy club might buy him a bit of sympathy with the UK.

Will he go to Hong Kong where he's reported to have bought a property. Will the Chinese protect him? Maybe.

Where else can he go?

Perhaps he'll become this country's headache.....

Thaksin Moving To Australia?!?! Looking for property in Sydney

6 months ago. Old news, and will never happen.

Shame really... as the owner of the Sydney Swans, his infusion of money might have helped them to improve....

[Grover]

? you reckon we will actually see photos of this guy in handcuffs and behind bars ? hope so but havent got my hopes up

[jackspratt]

What are his choices? Buying the footy club might buy him a bit of sympathy with the UK.

Will he go to Hong Kong where he's reported to have bought a property. Will the Chinese protect him? Maybe.

Where else can he go?

Perhaps he'll become this country's headache.....

Thaksin Moving To Australia?!?! Looking for property in Sydney

6 months ago. Old news, and will never happen.

Shame really... as the owner of the Sydney Swans, his infusion of money might have helped them to improve....

Hadn't thought of that aspect. In that case, there are some very nice places for sale in Fremantle - a far more needy cause than the Swans

[Tony Clifton]

? you reckon we will actually see photos of this guy in handcuffs and behind bars ? hope so but havent got my hopes up

A lot has happened since the voided elections that many would have never thought would happen. Expect things to continue in the same manner.

[Mid]

Thaksin extradition uncertain, says Thai Foreign Ministry

BANGKOK, Aug 15 (TNA) – Deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra may not be extradited from England, where he has taken self-exile following last year's coup, should the corruption charges lodged against him and his wife, Pojaman, be considered by the British authorities as a political case, Foreign Ministry spokesman Tharit Charungwat said Wednesday.

Mr. Thaksin, for whom an arrest warrant has been issued by order of the Supreme Court, had allegedly evaded court hearings along with his spouse over the Bangkok Ratchadaphisek land deal in Thailand. The couple had failed to attend the first hearing on Tuesday under a court subpoena, prompting the Office of the Attorney General to obtain the arrest warrant for them.

Though Thailand and the United Kingdom have reached an extradition agreement, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said, Mr. Thaksin could remain free to stay in England if the British authorities consider him not as a felon but as a political defendant.

snjp

MCOT Public Company Limited.

[Plus]

If Thaksin adopts this line of defense, it will work in the short term but what will happen after the elections? Maybe he should try legal loopholes instead - the treaty is hundred years old, it doesn't cover the crimes he is accused of, the UK would have to consider if his offenses are punishabel under UK laws.

Even better is "life will be in danger" argument that Saksena uses so successfully in Canada.

There are more criminals extradited from Thailand to UK, it's a two way street, and Brits need to be diplomatic about it.

[Mid]

Thaksin prepare options in aftermath of arrest warrant

August 16, 2007 : Last updated 06:35 pm

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has instructed his team of lawyers to prepare various options in light of the arrest warrants issued against him and his wife Pojaman on Tuesday, lawyer Pichit Chuenban said Wednesday.

"Thaksin calmly listened to my report [on the warrants] as he fully understands the real situation and knows his litigation has been politicised," Pichit said.

He said his client was aware of various bullying attempts aimed at him in the period between the September 19 coup and the August 19 referendum.

He said he would update his client on legal moves, including the possibility of seeking political asylum.

"I believe Thaksin will finalise his decision on his next move in a couple of days," he said.

The Nation

[sriracha john]

He said he would update his client on legal moves, including the possibility of seeking political asylum.

Political asylum would involve his absence from Thailand for at least a decade...

From all of us in Thailand:

"Bye Bye Thakky.... Don't Forget to Write... Sorry about those frozen assets. Enjoy your English winters and your English food."

Edited August 15, 2007 by sriracha john

[DMasut]

What I don't understand is why the Chinese and British governments would consider extradition for cases not related to terrorism, drug trafficking, violence or money laundering?

Many countries do not recognize extradition for issues (including taxes) outside of those mentioned above.

This is clearly a political deal with financial ramifications and most countries would just seize the property within their own jurisdiction and issue "bench warrants" to arrest them upon their return.

I think it is time for the Thaksins to strongly consider "Political Asylum".

Otherwise I think once they re-enter Thailand, they may never see light of day or worse.

Money is nothing to die for or spend the rest of your life in imprisoned for.

[TAWP]

Money is nothing to die for or spend the rest of your life in imprisoned for.

Isn't that something you contemplate before you commit a crime?

[slimdog]

An earlier report regarding the Ratchada Land Deal

BOT ready to clarify controversial land deal

BANGKOK, Oct 2 (TNA) – Bank of Thailand’s Governor-designate Tarisa Watanagase on Wednesday reiterated the central bank was ready to clarify doubts over the controversial land deal made with Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra, wife of ousted prime minister Thaksin, or suspicious lending by Krung Thai Bank Plc, if the Asset Scrutiny Committee and the National Corruption Counter Commission sought its clarification.

She said the bank had not yet been contacted by both panels for possible questioning or request for information on the land sale by the Financial Institutions Development Fund to Kunying Pojaman or the alleged corruption in the lending by Krung Thai Bank.

However, should the panels seek its cooperation, the bank was ready to provide the information because its assistant governors Pairoj Hengsakul and Samart Buranawattanachoti had supervised performances of FIDF and Krung Thai Bank.

BOT’s Deputy Governor Sawangjit Chaiwattana, who is a former manager of FIDF, said she expected the Asset Scrutiny Committee would summon her for questioning on the sale of 33 rais of land off Ratchadapisek Road worth 772 million baht by FIDF to the wife of the ousted premier soon.

She said the central bank was ready to clarify any questions on the land deal because it was done in accordance with laws.

The deal was not settled in haste as many alleged. FIDF had done it in accordance with legal procedures. All transactions in the process could be explainable.

She affirmed the deal was not against the NCCC’s laws since FIDF had already discussed the matter with the commission before making a decision.

The land sale by FIDF to Khunying Pojaman came to the limelight as many suspected prices of land set at that time are much lower than the market price. (TNA) – E005

source: http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=25742

[DMasut]

Does anybody know where I can find the answers to these questions

1. What is the "Statute of Limitations" to file ?both Civil and Criminal cases in Thailand?

2. What if any difference is there on filing such cases with regards to Medical and Legal Malpractice, Fraud, Financial debts, Theft and Criminal Assault?

3. What about cases in which Doctors or Lawyers practice without proper licenses or education and do damage to their clients?

4. Are these considered criminal or civil cases?

Edited August 15, 2007 by DMasut

[Astropuppy]

So much energy is being spent on Thaksin (and his wife) that the root problems are being forgotten.

If nobody has noticed let me remind you: the government looks much more like a Socialist Government than a Democracy. The Economy is faltering under the new leadership. The THB is back to 32.4 and investment confidence is close to zero. Corruption is back in full force and there is not even a pretense of somebody doing something about it. (; or is little kitty armbands the best approach that Thailand has to offer?)

The momentum that was moving Thailand into a position of influence in Asia (and to some degree globally) has been lost and there is no plan whatsoever to reverse it. The most I have heard is that a former Thai communication satellite should return to Thai possession; everything Thai stays in Thai. What kind of plan is that? I have absolutely no doubt that this plan will be successful. Thailand has stopped being the Land of Smiles and has become the Land of Whiners. It breaks my heart.

All the attention to this Soap Opera has blinded many to reality. Hey...we could talk about Paris Hilton or Brittany Spears!!! Now what was being said about what's-his-name and whoever's wife?

[sriracha john]

"Sometimes he made me look like a teenager."

Life on the run: 'It's so hard to get a decent haircut'

London may seem like the perfect playground for a billionaire with time on his hands. But Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand who fled here pursued by allegations of corruption, has found an exile's lot is not always a happy one, according to a new book.

The life of an exile is never easy. The Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero was banished in 58 B.C. and it caused him to fall into a deep depression; Napoleon died on St Helena, never to see his native France again; while the Egyptian politician Mahmoud Sami al-Baroudi so hated his exile to what is now Sri Lanka that he wrote a series of poems full of lament and misery.

But all of these hardships are nothing, surely, compared with the tribulation confronting the billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand and a man whose life in London has been made miserable by that most pernicious of urban challenges - finding a decent barber.

The man who was ousted from power by a military coup last year and who bought Manchester City in an apparent bid to find solace, discovered to his dismay that getting his hair cut in a way that he liked was as difficult a challenge as staying in power.

Such was the struggle for a decent trim that when he travelled to either Singapore or Hong Kong, he flew in his own stylist from Bangkok. "The hairdressers in London cut it either too short or too funky," Mr Thaksin confided. "Sometimes he made me look like a teenager."

This insight about the remarkable and wasteful habit of Mr Thaksin as he sought grooming perfection in London is just one in a series of revelations that appear in a controversial new book about the former communications tycoon, which has set Thailand chattering about its ousted leader.

Among the revelations about the Man City boss's life in the nation's capital is that he occupies his time shopping for handbags for his wife and two daughters and singing karaoke with a Thai pop singer called Lydia, who sometimes accompanies him on his shopping trips. "She is like another daughter to him," Mr Thaksin's son said.

And while one might think a man of Mr Thaksin's means can find plenty of the good life in London, he also likes to hop to France for "real wine and homemade food". And when he's not sipping wine, shopping for handbags or singing Thai pop songs with Lydia, he takes a plane to a golf club in Miami in order to finesse his swing. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the number of social engagements and shopping trips he has to co-ordinate, Mr Thaksin told the book's author that he owns eight mobile phones and 20 SIM cards.

The book, entitled Thaksin, Where Are You, was written by Sunisa Lertpakawat, a lieutenant in the Thai armed forces who claimed she travelled to London this summer at her own expense on a mission to find Mr Thaksin and persuade him to grant her an interview. According to Ms Lertpakawat, she pulled it off and secured seven hours-worth of exclusive interviews with the notoriously reclusive man by a combination of weeping and pleading. Eventually, as she tells it, Mr Thaksin gave in.

But in Thailand, not everyone is persuaded by this charming little narrative and its tale of enterprise and ingenuity. Many people - including members of the military who overthrew Mr Thaksin last year - believe the former prime minister is behind the book and that it is nothing less than a sophisticated PR project that has been carried out to boost his image, just as he faces fresh legal difficulties in Thailand, where a court has issued a warrant for his arrest. One anonymous government official bluntly told a Thai newspaper: "You-know-who is the hand behind this publication."

Last night, Ms Lertpakawat denied the book was anything other than what it claimed to be and insisted that Mr Thaksin - while agreeing to be interviewed - was not the instigator of the idea. Speaking from Bangkok, she said: "I refute that. He did not know I would be there - it was just my own work. This is my job... I am a Catholic, I think God is responsible for everything. When I was in London I prayed to God, I prayed that he put Thaksin in front of me."

Ms Lertpakawat said that she took time off from her job as a television reporter and anchor with the Thai army's media unit and flew to London in May. Once there, she spent days staking out Mr Thaksin at the apartment close to Hyde Park in which he lives. She said that she approached him several times and that he refused to speak with her. Having spent all her money on the flight to London and her expenses, she said she then explained the severity of her situation to her fellow countryman. "I told him that if he did not agree to the interview then I would lose my savings account," she said. "It would be zero. He was not in the mood to give an interview... After I told him I would lose my money he agreed."

And what a diverting, insightful interview Mr Thaksin provided. Carried out over two days, the former prime minister painted a colourful picture of himself that could barely have been more guaranteed to grab the headlines than if it had been specially produced by his PR agency.

Rounding off the image, Mr Thaksin's son, Panthongtae, met separately with Ms Lertpakawat at a Thai restaurant and provided her with a series of family photographs and permission to use them in her book. There are pictures of Mr Thaksin working on that famous golf swing, Mr Thaksin shopping in a supermarket, Mr Thaksin on a bicycle, Mr Thaksin buying a pizza, Mr Thaksin feeding his son :bah: *Panthongtae turns 28 years old in December, btw* and Mr Thaksin looking at fish in an aquarium. All in all it is quite a family album.

The revelations about the man who paid almost £82m to buy Man City come as he faces growing difficulties in Thailand, where demonstrations last year - apparently linked to allegations of corruption - preceded the coup that saw him forced from power. This week, a Thai judge issued an arrest warrant for the former prime minister and his wife, Pojamarn, claiming that their failure to attend the court hearing to face corruption charges gave "reason to believe that they are evading prosecution".

Mr Thaksin and his wife are charged with several offences relating to a 2003 land deal, in which his wife is alleged to have bought the land from the Financial Institutions Development Fund, which is directed by the central bank. If convicted, the pair face up to three years in jail.

The former prime minister's lawyer, Pichit Chuenban, told reporters after the hearing that Mr Thaksin would return to Thailand to face the charges, but only after elections scheduled for later this year had gone ahead. In a statement, Mr Thaksin said he was aware of the court's decision and was consulting with his legal team about the best way to proceed.

According to Ms Lertpakawat, the charges that have been brought against Mr Thaksin and his family have had a deep impact on the ousted leader. She said that when he talked about seeing his family placed before the court, it was all he could do not to burst out crying. "He almost cried before me. He could not hide the emotion. It was very dramatic. He is a famous guy," she said.

While Ms Lertpakawat herself was weeping on Thai television last night over the army's decision to discipline her for a breach of regulations, she appears remarkably upbeat about her fortunes. Though the printing of her book was halted after just 4,000 copies were completed, she said she was now setting up a publishing house and was planning to write another book about her own story.

And Mr Thaksin also appears to have found a solution to his difficulties - at least those of finding a suitable barber. In her book, Ms Lertpakawat writes that Mr Thaksin stopped having to fly in his stylist after finding a "Spanish hairdresser at a Toni & Guy in London who manages to get his haircuts just right".

The Independent was able to confirm that the man who provides such sparkling cuts is 27-year-old Jorge De Sancho, who works at the chain's Mayfair branch. Mr De Sancho was not at the salon yesterday, but a receptionist said of Mr Thaksin: "He takes his time and likes to chat to Jorge. He's very friendly and doesn't come across as self-important at all."

- The Independent (UK)

[Tony Clifton]

So she complains to Thaksin about emptying her savings account clean and will end up broke if he doesn't give her the interviews, prints 4000 books and now plans to open a publishing house and write another book, all with these meager profits?

Who's your daddy?

[chinthee]

OMG, you can't make this stuff up. Reality is better than fiction.

[Bruce1]

I actually bought one of Lydia's albums, as part of trying to improve my Thai. Its quite reasonable. Gee, Mr T and I share musical tastes Wonder if he likes U2?

[hammered]

I actually bought one of Lydia's albums, as part of trying to improve my Thai. Its quite reasonable. Gee, Mr T and I share musical tastes Wonder if he likes U2?

Ah but is Lydia being desribed as your gik as she now is with Mr. Thaksin?

[Jai Dee]

PMs Office Minister challenges Dr.Thaksin to return to Thailand

The Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, Assoc. Prof. Thirapat Serirangsan (รศ.ดร. ธีรภัทร์ เสรีรังสรรค์), calls for deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinwatra to defend himself against his charges in Thailand.

Assoc. Prof. Thirapat says the Supreme Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for Dr. Thaksin and his wife, Khunying Potjaman, will not affect the 2007 constitution referendum on August 19th. He affirms that the interim government cannot interfere with Thailand's justice institution. Thus, he would like Dr. Thaksin to return to Thailand to fight his charges rather than staying abroad.

As for the former Parliament President, Mr. Uthai Pimchaichon (อุทัย พิมพ์ใจชน)'s indicatoin that the interim government campaign for people to vote in favour of the new charter draft and constitutional amendment would later be possible, Assoc. Prof. Thirapat says the information has been twisted since the current administration urges to hold the general election by the end of this year, whether the constitution draft would pass or fail.

In response to the Thai Rak Thai Group's accusation that the army asked military officials, village headmen and districts chief to vote in favour of the new charter draft, Assoc. Prof. Thirapat demands concrete evidence from the Thai Rak Thai Group to forward to the Election Commission of Thailand.

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

[Mid]

constitutional amendment would later be possible

why are we hearing this more and more ????

[soundman]

constitutional amendment would later be possible

why are we hearing this more and more ????

Sales pitch to encourage the gullible to voting for constitution they might otherwise have problems with.

Once the constitution is law AFAIK it will be almost impossible to make changes to it with out clear majority in the house, academic involvement & Royal Decree.

[Mid]

Once the constitution is law AFAIK it will be almost impossible to make changes to it with out clear majority in the house, academic involvement & Royal Decree.

concur

[sriracha john]

Warrant issued for Thaksin's arrest

When former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin and his wife failed to appear in a Bangkok court to face charges of corruption, the Judge decided he was not going to allow his court to be used for games - and promptly issued a warrant for Thaksin's arrest, risking a political problem with Thaksin's current hosts, the UK.

The Thai authorities are losing patience with former prime minister Thaksin - and the issue is now threatening UK - Thai relations.

A Thai Court on Monday issued a warrant for the arrest of Thaksin and his wife who are now living in London, although the status of their residence in the UK is unclear.

The UK, under the current Labour government, has a history of harbouring the rich who have run away from their countries and refusing to cooperate with the country that wants them back. Of particular note are a number of Russians which Russia wants to bring to trial.

With the issue of the warrant, Thaksin becomes a fugitive. Thailand has not yet sought his extradition from the UK nor has it asked for Interpol's help to arrest him. But Thailand has frozen Thaksin's assets starting first with those it could identify, and later with a broader injunction.

It is not at all clear what assets Thaksin is living off but it is only a matter of time before Thailand invites the UK to make certain that UK banks are not facilitating the breaking of the sanctions and also invites the UK to suggest to its banks that there is ample evidence of suspicious conduct for banks to be making reports under the UK's Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, which may result in Thaksin being denied access to any funds held in or obtained via UK financial institutions.

Given the fuss over Nigeria's Abacha who stashed huge amounts of wealth in UK banks and spent a lot of time in London, it is surprising that London has become the refuge of choice for wealthy foreign fugitives - and it demonstrates that, perhaps, some of the reports of London being a ready venue for money laundering may not be wide of the mark.

- The Chief Officers Network Newsdesk

http://chiefofficers.net/888333888/cms/ind...haksin_s_arrest

Edited August 16, 2007 by sriracha john

[thedude]

An earlier report regarding the Ratchada Land Deal

BOT ready to clarify controversial land deal

BANGKOK, Oct 2 (TNA) – Bank of Thailand's Governor-designate Tarisa Watanagase on Wednesday reiterated the central bank was ready to clarify doubts over the controversial land deal made with Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra, wife of ousted prime minister Thaksin, or suspicious lending by Krung Thai Bank Plc, if the Asset Scrutiny Committee and the National Corruption Counter Commission sought its clarification.

She said the bank had not yet been contacted by both panels for possible questioning or request for information on the land sale by the Financial Institutions Development Fund to Kunying Pojaman or the alleged corruption in the lending by Krung Thai Bank.

However, should the panels seek its cooperation, the bank was ready to provide the information because its assistant governors Pairoj Hengsakul and Samart Buranawattanachoti had supervised performances of FIDF and Krung Thai Bank.

BOT's Deputy Governor Sawangjit Chaiwattana, who is a former manager of FIDF, said she expected the Asset Scrutiny Committee would summon her for questioning on the sale of 33 rais of land off Ratchadapisek Road worth 772 million baht by FIDF to the wife of the ousted premier soon.

She said the central bank was ready to clarify any questions on the land deal because it was done in accordance with laws.

The deal was not settled in haste as many alleged. FIDF had done it in accordance with legal procedures. All transactions in the process could be explainable.

She affirmed the deal was not against the NCCC's laws since FIDF had already discussed the matter with the commission before making a decision.

The land sale by FIDF to Khunying Pojaman came to the limelight as many suspected prices of land set at that time are much lower than the market price. (TNA) – E005

source: http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=25742

Amazing that the anti-thaksin lynch mob is so obsessed with putting him down that they ignore this big gaping hole in the legal process. These are the same people accusing him of destroying checks and balances in the institutions! The BOT officials were not even questioned! The BOT is the agency responsible for the public auction, and they even consulted with the NCCC before finalising the transaction with Pojaman!

Why are these facts ignored and deemed inadmissable?

They did interview MR Pridiyathorn (the then BOT governor) a few months ago and he essentially said the same, that the auction was conducted in the public realm, and it was above board and verifiable, but Thaksin's lawyers were excluded from the 'closed door' interview, so they couldn't use Pridiyathorn's testimony.

I also mentioned some time ago that i was one of the parties invited to bid on the Ratchada land back in 2003, and when Pojaman won the bid, people in the industry, myself included, thought that she had OVERPAID for the land, our valuations could not justify the price she paid. She was just looking to build her own home on the site, not for commercial development, which is why her winning price rendered other bidders' commericially based valuations uncompetitive. Again, its amazing how the junta is twisting the story around to make is sound like she got the land at a discounted price because nothing could be further from the truth.