Foreign Minister 'transfers' Thai Ambassadors

[george]

It is the turn of ambassadors : FM

BANGKOK: -- Foreign Minister Noppadol Pattama on Wednesday admitted that he decided to transfer ambassadors in the United Kingdom.

Noppadol cited the reason for the reshuffle that Ambassador to the United States Krit Kanchanakunchorn has been appointed as His Majesty's deputy Principal Private Secretary effective May 1.

Noppadol said he would complete the reshuffle of officials in the ministry within this month adding that he would ensure that reshuffle is accountable and decided in accordance to seniority, knowledge and competency.

A source said Kitti Wasinondh, Ambassador to the United Kingdom who was the Foreign Ministry spokesman during the September coup is transferred because he did not give ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra a warm welcome during his stay in London.

The source said ambassadors in Japan, Belgium and Canada would also be transferred.

--The Nation 2008-03-05

Noppadon explains changes at Foreign Ministry

BANGKOK: -- Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama denies launching a campaign against those who supported the coup-makers, after the Ambassadors of Thailand to Japan, England, Brussels and Canada were transferred to different postings.

"These transfers resulted from His Excellency Krit Garnjana-Goonchorn, the Thai ambassador to Washington, having requested a transfer from the Foreign Ministry. The transfers were needed to fill in the empty post in Washington," Mr Noppadon said.

He added: "I assure you that the government does everything within reason. We don't use emotions to make judgements."

--Bangkok Post 2008-03-05

[plachon]

What was that Toxin was saying about forgetting about the past and not wanting to seek revenge on officials who were ever-so slightly pro-coup?

A man whose word you can trust obviously.

The question that bothers me is, how much longer can the honest civil servant, the middle class and the educated Thai who cares about genuine democracy go on sitting in the shadows watching these travesties of governance and democracy, before coming out and showing their feelings publically? The longer they allow this to go on, the harder it will be to regain genuine freedom and democracy as aspired to after the 92 Black May events and enshrined in the 97 "People's Constitution".

Something's got to give sooner or later, as these transfers and demotions continue unabated.

[taxexile]

transferred because he did not give ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra a warm welcome during his stay in London.

We don't use emotions to make judgements."

[Prakanong]

What was that Toxin was saying about forgetting about the past and not wanting to seek revenge on officials who were ever-so slightly pro-coup?

A man whose word you can trust obviously.

The question that bothers me is, how much longer can the honest civil servant, the middle class and the educated Thai who cares about genuine democracy go on sitting in the shadows watching these travesties of governance and democracy, before coming out and showing their feelings publically? The longer they allow this to go on, the harder it will be to regain genuine freedom and democracy as aspired to after the 92 Black May events and enshrined in the 97 "People's Constitution".

Something's got to give sooner or later, as these transfers and demotions continue unabated.

Well the Ambassador to Britain did not exactly support democracy as he supported a coup that got rid of the 97 Constitution.

As he did not beleive in it then maybe he should be moved.

[plachon]

What was that Toxin was saying about forgetting about the past and not wanting to seek revenge on officials who were ever-so slightly pro-coup?

A man whose word you can trust obviously.

The question that bothers me is, how much longer can the honest civil servant, the middle class and the educated Thai who cares about genuine democracy go on sitting in the shadows watching these travesties of governance and democracy, before coming out and showing their feelings publically? The longer they allow this to go on, the harder it will be to regain genuine freedom and democracy as aspired to after the 92 Black May events and enshrined in the 97 "People's Constitution".

Something's got to give sooner or later, as these transfers and demotions continue unabated.

Well the Ambassador to Britain did not exactly support democracy as he supported a coup that got rid of the 97 Constitution.

As he did not beleive in it then maybe he should be moved.

I'm well aware of this apparent contradiction. However, I am sure he was more concerned about the way that Toxin was riding roughshod over the 97 Constitution to not impede a regime change which, it was originally hoped would allow the 97 Constitution to be strengthened.

[highdiver]

every admisitration has the right to choose its rpresentatives who are to be deligatesof the goverment and the country internationally.

I belive that special attention is given to ambasadors who are positioned at what are undoubtadly power centres such as DC or London.

this happens in most countries when an administration changes and the new administration would like to see changes in the office.

I dont think that this is unique to thailand as some of the posters would like us to belive.

[Polsevogn]

Good news. Out with the coup apologists... Ok Pai!!!

[samran]

whatever the rights and wrongs of it, this government is winner takes all. Stikes me however, that there is a certain element of pettiness to it all.

One wonders though if the goverment really hasn't learnt its lesson. Coup aside, you need to remember that there were ALOT of people truely pissed off with them before the coup happened, and are going through the motions of antagonising them again.

If there are no channels to voice grivences internally (as the civil service will be scared into submission), then the only outlet are street protests.

[steveromagnino]

whatever the rights and wrongs of it, this government is winner takes all. Stikes me however, that there is a certain element of pettiness to it all.

One wonders though if the goverment really hasn't learnt its lesson. Coup aside, you need to remember that there were ALOT of people truely pissed off with them before the coup happened, and are going through the motions of antagonising them again.

If there are no channels to voice grivences internally (as the civil service will be scared into submission), then the only outlet are street protests.

my TRT mate is stoked; he's got a new posting overseas, goes next week I think. All the promised favours these guys were due a year and a half ago...now it is time to pay up.

Nothing to do with being pro or anti coup. You never exactly heard Banharn and plenty of other politicians speaking out against the coup and they get to be part of the government now.

Has everything to do with anyone who has the guts to take sides before, will now reap what they sewed. And this is exactly why hardly anyone was/is forthcoming with evidence in the land deals, vote buying, King Power, Airport, low cost housing, 30b healthcare, OTOP, Elite Card, TAT film festival, Chalerm's sons, underground advertising contracts etc etc deals - if you speak out now, you get screwed over later.

So...better to keep quiet, and at worst nothing happens, at best you get paid off for your support. Or speak out against the coup. Maybe become minister of commerce or something.

Edited March 5, 2008 by steveromagnino

[Gravelrash]

Maybe I am missing something here, but all new governments stack posts with hacks, friends and supporters. No government anywhere wants people not on side representing its interests or defining its policies, some even stack the judiciary. No doubt the real fun and games will come, but I would see this as sop.

[george]

Update:

One ambassador to be changed : FM

BANGKOK: -- Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama on Wednesday said there would be a minor change in the ministry to transfer an ambassador to replace Thai Ambassador to the US Krit Ganjana-Goonchorn who is appointed as HM's deputy Principal Private Secretary.

Krit will take the new position on May 1, so that the reshuffle should be done by this month, Noppadon told reporters.

"There would be a minor change some 3-4 positions (in the line with replacement in vacant positions after Krit)," he said, adding reshuffle is accountable and decided in accordance to seniority, knowledge and competency.

Asked if Kitti Wasinondh, Ambassador to the United Kingdom would be transferred because he did not give ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra a warm welcome during his exile in London, Noppadon said he has not considered other positions yet. "I would take about two weeks to review this matter," he said.

"Many people try to say this government has done an unfair reshuffle, but I promise the reshuffle if any would be done with accountability and I can explain what I do," he said.

Noppadon insisted that he would not change the ministry's permanent secretary since the current one Virasakdi Futrakul still performed.

--The Nation 2008-03-05

[Prakanong]

every admisitration has the right to choose its rpresentatives who are to be deligatesof the goverment and the country internationally.

I belive that special attention is given to ambasadors who are positioned at what are undoubtadly power centres such as DC or London.

this happens in most countries when an administration changes and the new administration would like to see changes in the office.

I dont think that this is unique to thailand as some of the posters would like us to belive.

Its certainly not unique in many political systems such as the USA.

The UK is meant to be different though and meant to be political neutral.

My pal spoke up as a member of the audience in question time when he first started at the FCO which he should not have done.

The scroll on his wall is from the Queen asking him to represent the Courty of St James or whatever it is (can not remember exactly)

[Big A]

The only shuffle a Thai government is capable of is the five-knuckled one!!

[Tony Clifton]

What was that Toxin was saying about forgetting about the past and not wanting to seek revenge on officials who were ever-so slightly pro-coup?

A man whose word you can trust obviously.

The question that bothers me is, how much longer can the honest civil servant, the middle class and the educated Thai who cares about genuine democracy go on sitting in the shadows watching these travesties of governance and democracy, before coming out and showing their feelings publically? The longer they allow this to go on, the harder it will be to regain genuine freedom and democracy as aspired to after the 92 Black May events and enshrined in the 97 "People's Constitution".

Something's got to give sooner or later, as these transfers and demotions continue unabated.

They won't make it past April.

So far, all that we've seen is disappointment, Noppadon and company serving the master, the master's return, criminals in parliament, strategic transfers that seem to lead to freeing the master of charges and accusations and what else...

If they keep pushing it this way, before they do any further damage or cause more unnecessary deaths, the TRT zombies , I suspect quite a few, will be whisked away in the middle of the night and we'll wake up with another hours old coup one of these mornings.

They're asking for it, again.

whatever the rights and wrongs of it, this government is winner takes all. Stikes me however, that there is a certain element of pettiness to it all.

One wonders though if the goverment really hasn't learnt its lesson. Coup aside, you need to remember that there were ALOT of people truely pissed off with them before the coup happened, and are going through the motions of antagonising them again.

If there are no channels to voice grivences internally (as the civil service will be scared into submission), then the only outlet are street protests.

Yes, a lot of people were pissed off with Thaksin and TRT, and, the trend continues, even if they pronounced the word reconciliation thousands of times recently, it's all but a theater play, they are far from making reconciling moves, more like dividing the country even deeper and further.

PPP won't allow the PAD protests this time around. It cost them dearly last time under the TRT name.

They've already started interfering with ASTV's signal as was done under TRT (The Nation channel suffered as well back then)

They'll cut the PAD's legs off right from the start.

It will be the beginning of the end for the PPP and the beginning of riots and violence.

Unless, like I said above, members of this government and it's dirty but not invisible hand are whisked away in the middle of the night to prevent another blood bath like was done with the Sep. 19 coup.

Edited March 5, 2008 by Tony Clifton

[Seneque]

Many bored business thai people i meet tells me the only solution to the political turmoil is : pop mr T.... evil is back.

[pulsevogn]

Don't forget: There are a lot of people around who can't be politicians for another 4 years, but CAN be ambassadors... Obviously some higher end jobs need to be created. So it's time for a house cleaning in that sense.

[clausewitz]

Unless, like I said above, members of this government and it's dirty but not invisible hand are whisked away in the middle of the night to prevent another blood bath like was done with the Sep. 19 coup.

You mean they should be executed by death squads? And you are hoping that will happen..for the countries, good of course.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

It is quite obvious who the puppetmaster is. An apolitical string puller.

[Tony Clifton]

Unless, like I said above, members of this government and it's dirty but not invisible hand are whisked away in the middle of the night to prevent another blood bath like was done with the Sep. 19 coup.

You mean they should be executed by death squads? And you are hoping that will happen..for the countries, good of course.

Go back to my post above and see if you can find these words:

1-Executed

2-Death Squads

[younghusband]

Unless, like I said above, members of this government and it's dirty but not invisible hand are whisked away in the middle of the night to prevent another blood bath like was done with the Sep. 19 coup.

You mean they should be executed by death squads? And you are hoping that will happen..for the countries, good of course.

Go back to my post above and see if you can find these words:

1-Executed

2-Death Squads

Possibly not but it's a reasonable interpretation of what you were implying.

[Tony Clifton]

Unless, like I said above, members of this government and it's dirty but not invisible hand are whisked away in the middle of the night to prevent another blood bath like was done with the Sep. 19 coup.

You mean they should be executed by death squads? And you are hoping that will happen..for the countries, good of course.

Go back to my post above and see if you can find these words:

1-Executed

2-Death Squads

Possibly not but it's a reasonable interpretation of what you were implying.

I wasn't asking for one of your presumptions.

[younghusband]

Unless, like I said above, members of this government and it's dirty but not invisible hand are whisked away in the middle of the night to prevent another blood bath like was done with the Sep. 19 coup.

You mean they should be executed by death squads? And you are hoping that will happen..for the countries, good of course.

Go back to my post above and see if you can find these words:

1-Executed

2-Death Squads

Possibly not but it's a reasonable interpretation of what you were implying.

I wasn't asking for one of your presumptions.

Oh gosh you've floored me now with that devastating rejoinder.Ah well it's best to know when runs across an intellectual colossus with the debating skills of a Cicero.

[Tony Clifton]

Unless, like I said above, members of this government and it's dirty but not invisible hand are whisked away in the middle of the night to prevent another blood bath like was done with the Sep. 19 coup.

You mean they should be executed by death squads? And you are hoping that will happen..for the countries, good of course.

Go back to my post above and see if you can find these words:

1-Executed

2-Death Squads

Possibly not but it's a reasonable interpretation of what you were implying.

I wasn't asking for one of your presumptions.

Oh gosh you've floored me now with that devastating rejoinder.Ah well it's best to know when runs across an intellectual colossus with the debating skills of a Cicero.

Debate?

You said "You mean they should be executed by death squads? And you are hoping that will happen..for the countries, good of course."

That's not debating, that's putting words in my mouth, quit it with the insults and trolling.

I may get angry and post one of those caricatures you hate so much.

Which reminds me, I thought I had told you about 6 times by now to put me on your ignore list.

[younghusband]

Unless, like I said above, members of this government and it's dirty but not invisible hand are whisked away in the middle of the night to prevent another blood bath like was done with the Sep. 19 coup.

You mean they should be executed by death squads? And you are hoping that will happen..for the countries, good of course.

Go back to my post above and see if you can find these words:

1-Executed

2-Death Squads

Possibly not but it's a reasonable interpretation of what you were implying.

I wasn't asking for one of your presumptions.

Oh gosh you've floored me now with that devastating rejoinder.Ah well it's best to know when runs across an intellectual colossus with the debating skills of a Cicero.

Debate?

You said "You mean they should be executed by death squads? And you are hoping that will happen..for the countries, good of course."

That's not debating, that's putting words in my mouth, quit it with the insults and trolling.

I may get angry and post one of those caricatures you hate so much.

Which reminds me, I thought I had told you about 6 times by now to put me on your ignore list.

So you have nothing more to add except bluster.As I said before Chownah's interpretation was quite reasonable in the circumstances and you have yet to explain what you meant by "whisked away in the middle of the night".

P.S I don't mind caricatures or satire at all.It's mind numbing juvenilia that becomes tedious

[Tony Clifton]

"whisked away in the middle of the night" means "whisked away in the middle of the night".

You are the one suggesting execution by death squad.

Get lost.

I've had it with your personal insults.

[geriatrickid]

One day people are screaming that the ambassadors are incompetent, idiots, ad covering up corruption. The day these people are replaced they are then considered as martyrs to the cause of clean government and integrity. Get real. Many of the ambassadors were political appointees left over from the military dictatorship and did not turn in great performances. This is a well deserved change, particularly since they would be not believe in the government policies to be represented. The current government was elected by the people and has both thelegal & moral right to appoint ambassadors. If some of the priviliged folks and holier than thou expats are upset, too bad. That's the downside of having an election. Maybe the complainers should look up who the ambassador listings that their home countries have and see how many of the appointees are actually career diplomats or political appointees.

[AdultGolfer]

"whisked away in the middle of the night" means "whisked away in the middle of the night".

You are the one suggesting execution by death squad.

Get lost.

I've had it with your personal insults.

Hello there Tony,

I also understood your "whisked away in the middle of the night"-comment to mean deathsquads. Most people will understand it that way, I think. Just who is doing the WHISKING, anyway? - what do you mean? - what were you trying to say???

-AG

[Tony Clifton]

"whisked away in the middle of the night" means "whisked away in the middle of the night".

You are the one suggesting execution by death squad.

Get lost.

I've had it with your personal insults.

Hello there Tony,

I also understood your "whisked away in the middle of the night"-comment to mean deathsquads. Most people will understand it that way, I think. Just who is doing the WHISKING, anyway? - what do you mean? - what were you trying to say???

-AG

Jeez!

If you read my original post, I said "I suspect quite a few, will be whisked away in the middle of the night and we'll wake up with another hours old coup one of these mornings."

Were there any death squads with the last coup? NO

Was anyone in government killed killed by the militrary? NO

In this context, whisked away means temporarily brought somewhere safely and quietly to neutralize the government in power at that moment.

[chownah]

"whisked away in the middle of the night" means "whisked away in the middle of the night".

You are the one suggesting execution by death squad.

Get lost.

I've had it with your personal insults.

Hello there Tony,

I also understood your "whisked away in the middle of the night"-comment to mean deathsquads. Most people will understand it that way, I think. Just who is doing the WHISKING, anyway? - what do you mean? - what were you trying to say???

-AG

Jeez!

If you read my original post, I said "I suspect quite a few, will be whisked away in the middle of the night and we'll wake up with another hours old coup one of these mornings."

Were there any death squads with the last coup? NO

Was anyone in government killed killed by the militrary? NO

In this context, whisked away means temporarily brought somewhere safely and quietly to neutralize the government in power at that moment.

OK then....I'm relieved....I thought someone was going to take a really big version of those wire things that chef's use and and whisk them into a frappe or something......I was going to ask you for a link or a reference or something to verify that they even had such big wire beater things available......so....thanks for the explanation.

Chownah

[Tony Clifton]

OK then....I'm relieved....I thought someone was going to take a really big version of those wire things that chef's use and and whisk them into a frappe or something......I was going to ask you for a link or a reference or something to verify that they even had such big wire beater things available......so....thanks for the explanation.

Chownah

whisk

To move somewhere quickly; "The President was whisked away in his limo"

A frenchman giving English lessons to an englishman in Thailand.

The end is near.

Edited March 6, 2008 by Tony Clifton