Mingkwan Said To Be Ready To Step Down

[george]

PPP INFIGHTING

Mingkwan said to be ready to step down

'Depressed' commerce minister decries interference and lack of party support

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan will soon announce his resignation because he is feeling depressed at the lack of support from the People Power Party.

A source, who works close to Mingkwan, said Dr Olarn Chaipravat, now an adviser to Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee, is a candidate to replace Mingkwan.

"Mingkwan feels very depressed because his own party does not give any support to his work. The party has also put pressure on Mingkwan and intervened in all the matters under his responsibility such as the rice policy," the source said.

"Mingkwan feels that he is a black sheep in the party. He is a clean man, free from corruption, but other politicians are trying to force him out of office to pave the way for them to take the benefits of the Commerce Ministry," added the source.

Mingkwan is out of favour in the People Power Party, which is now under the tight control of Newin Chidchob.

There were reports from Government House that Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was planning to reshuffle his Cabinet, allowing Mingkwan to keep his role as deputy prime minister only and taking away the Commerce Ministry portfolio from him.

"There have been rumours all afternoon that Dr Olarn will be replacing Mingkwan," said another well-informed source. "The reason they want Dr Olarn, who is one of Thailand's top economists, is because the government now does not have strong economic leadership. Mingkwan had aspired to become

the economic head of the government, but he has failed. Dr Surapong also lacks fundamental knowledge when it comes to real economic issues."

However, the source said he was doubtful that Dr Olarn would accept the job, given the shaky status of a government that might not last more than another six months.

Samak and the core leaders of the People Power Party took over management of the rice policy from Mingkwan before setting up a rice price-guarantee programme that would cost the government more than Bt25 billion. This price-guarantee programme is susceptible to irregularities.

Over the weekend, panelists at the Thammasat University's Faculty of Economics gave an "F" to Mingkwan's performance at the Commerce Ministry.

This has further increased pressure for Mingkwan to be shunted out.

However, Deputy Commerce Minister Viroon Tejapaiboon said that it would be unfair to kick Mingkwan out of the position as it was too early to criticise his performance.

"Mingkwan should not resign from the position as he has the efficiency needed to help the country," said Viroon, adding that Mingkwan was a key person to help his party win the general election.

However, he suggested that Mingkwan might need to adjust his character in order to survive in the political arena as he is not a politician. "He may need to become more careful when he speaks because his words can create difficulties for him later," he said.

--The Nation 2008-06-18

[Tony Clifton]

"He is a clean man, free from corruption"

He may very well be but he sure was tempted and fooled by being on the old TRT-PPP payroll, sucks the political life right out of you. Now, resign like a man and join the PAD.

[nothingleftbutfaith]

"He is a clean man, free from corruption"

He may very well be but he sure was tempted and fooled by being on the old TRT-PPP payroll, sucks the political life right out of you. Now, resign like a man and join the PAD.

A former Governor of a State Enterprise (MCOT) free of corruption.Yeah , sure....

[Seneque]

Another cry baby ... it's not my fault type ... nobody likes me ...

he is ready to step down now that his check is in the mail.

[bratpack]

Cannot accept critisism or failure so he runs like a coward.

his he a man or mouse.

[hammered]

It doesn't matter how good, talented or brilliant you are at your job or how knowledgable or how much you can do for your country or how many great or even revolutionary ideas you have, if you are not doing exactly what the main faction(s) of the PPP want for their poltical ends you will not survive, which basically means you become as Mingkwan found out just a nice face to put to the public and cannot do anything you want. How long any reasonable person can survive as such depends on their self esteem and possibly their will to do the best for their country possibly also tinged with their love of limelight or possibly hard cash.

This is a project you sign onto whole heartedly and believe fully in, or avoid. It is more like a religion, crusade or belief.

[Samuian]

they are all like their master - out for a kill - but then insisting to be genuine and honest - liars!

[Old Man River]

It doesn't matter how good, talented or brilliant you are at your job or how knowledgable or how much you can do for your country or how many great or even revolutionary ideas you have, if you are not doing exactly what the main faction(s) of the PPP want for their poltical ends you will not survive, which basically means you become as Mingkwan found out just a nice face to put to the public and cannot do anything you want. How long any reasonable person can survive as such depends on their self esteem and possibly their will to do the best for their country possibly also tinged with their love of limelight or possibly hard cash.

This is a project you sign onto whole heartedly and believe fully in, or avoid. It is more like a religion, crusade or belief.

Mingwan did a great job in marketing and PR while heading Toyota Thailand. This is his strength. I have no idea why Samak put him in as Commerce Minister as this was an accident waiting to happen. People I talked to said they thought his role in this government would be in the tourism area due to his strong promotional skills. As Commerce Minister his ideas have included "Dollars for durian", T-pop and Talok, rice "The New Oil" and patenting Thailand's full moon parties. The fault of this lies with Samak, not with Mingwan.

[Seneque]

As Commerce Minister his ideas have included "Dollars for durian", T-pop and Talok, rice "The New Oil" and patenting Thailand's full moon parties

And you consider this an achievement ?

I gather there are more pressing issues to address ....

He could refuse the job as a commerce minister, he didn't !

[Old Man River]

As Commerce Minister his ideas have included "Dollars for durian", T-pop and Talok, rice "The New Oil" and patenting Thailand's full moon parties

And you consider this an achievement ?

I gather there are more pressing issues to address ....

He could refuse the job as a commerce minister, he didn't !

Really, sometimes I wonder. Below is what I wrote. I stand by it. Read it again and see if you still think I listed the above as achievements.

'Mingwan did a great job in marketing and PR while heading Toyota Thailand. This is his strength. I have no idea why Samak put him in as Commerce Minister as this was an accident waiting to happen. People I talked to said they thought his role in this government would be in the tourism area due to his strong promotional skills. As Commerce Minister his ideas have included "Dollars for durian", T-pop and Talok, rice "The New Oil" and patenting Thailand's full moon parties. The fault of this lies with Samak, not with Mingwan".

On the comment that he could have refused the job as Commerce Minister. Yes, but really, how many people you know would refuse it? Your secretary doesn't count.

[sriracha john]

patenting Thailand's full moon parties

ROFLMAO ....

[hammered]

It doesn't matter how good, talented or brilliant you are at your job or how knowledgable or how much you can do for your country or how many great or even revolutionary ideas you have, if you are not doing exactly what the main faction(s) of the PPP want for their poltical ends you will not survive, which basically means you become as Mingkwan found out just a nice face to put to the public and cannot do anything you want. How long any reasonable person can survive as such depends on their self esteem and possibly their will to do the best for their country possibly also tinged with their love of limelight or possibly hard cash.

This is a project you sign onto whole heartedly and believe fully in, or avoid. It is more like a religion, crusade or belief.

Mingwan did a great job in marketing and PR while heading Toyota Thailand. This is his strength. I have no idea why Samak put him in as Commerce Minister as this was an accident waiting to happen. People I talked to said they thought his role in this government would be in the tourism area due to his strong promotional skills. As Commerce Minister his ideas have included "Dollars for durian", T-pop and Talok, rice "The New Oil" and patenting Thailand's full moon parties. The fault of this lies with Samak, not with Mingwan.

I think Mingkwan could have just steered clear of the whole shooting match, and there probably is a lesson for anyone else who lacks a huge power base in the power party. Sure Samak, if he indeed selected the cabinet, which is open to debate, made a mistake. Then again the PPP dont have much to work with in terms of talent. We have now seen how many ministers screw up: Jakrapob, Mingkwan, the Health minister whose name escapes me. We have now seen how many u-turns: Samak on smash the PAD part one, Chalerm two or three times on ban ASTV. And we are waiting to see how what is rapidly becoming seen as the land gift to Cambodia by Noppadon goes down. it is a sorry cast of misplaced, talentless but arrogant people who somehow the country must rely on through not only the most tumultuous political period in decades but also through economic times that are testing all.

Still maybe we can advise Mingkwan to take a long deserved rest at the next full moon party as he seeks more information on what he wants to patent. It could well end up being a mind altering experience for the dear man.

By the way omr, I for one got the sarcasm in your piece of writing

Edited June 18, 2008 by hammered

[steveromagnino]

It doesn't matter how good, talented or brilliant you are at your job or how knowledgable or how much you can do for your country or how many great or even revolutionary ideas you have, if you are not doing exactly what the main faction(s) of the PPP want for their poltical ends you will not survive, which basically means you become as Mingkwan found out just a nice face to put to the public and cannot do anything you want. How long any reasonable person can survive as such depends on their self esteem and possibly their will to do the best for their country possibly also tinged with their love of limelight or possibly hard cash.

This is a project you sign onto whole heartedly and believe fully in, or avoid. It is more like a religion, crusade or belief.

Mingwan did a great job in marketing and PR while heading Toyota Thailand. This is his strength. I have no idea why Samak put him in as Commerce Minister as this was an accident waiting to happen. People I talked to said they thought his role in this government would be in the tourism area due to his strong promotional skills. As Commerce Minister his ideas have included "Dollars for durian", T-pop and Talok, rice "The New Oil" and patenting Thailand's full moon parties. The fault of this lies with Samak, not with Mingwan.

he wasn't put in there by Samak, he was put in there by Thaksin probably as reward for all the dodgy deals done with MCOT and also for standing up for Thaksin in the hours straight after the coup.

I think he was bearable at Toyota, and bearable (although very non transparent) at Channel 9. better than some would be as complimentary as I think is appropriate.

He has been utter rubbish in govt.

he isn't the first marketer to run things; Somkid was a marketer too. But difference was Somkid is a smart strategic guy and Thaksin no matter how much we like or don't like him; had a very very clear plan for himself and for the country; fairly clearly Mingkwan or as he is fairly insultingly referred to J Ming is heavily reliant on agencies, staff and underlings to make himself look good and needs some one to give him a plan of action; without them he looks like he does now - i.e. an idiot. Probably, yes, would have made a good minister of Tourism; however that isn't a prime post from which to skim; the key best ones and some one can correct me on this are interior, agriculture and defense. Commerce and Finance are great to interfere with business and the judicial process; PM office and running media are great to interfere with judicial process via the media.

With 2 'J's clearly sidelined (and both former aides of the former PM) I personally am wondering whether this isn't some sort of personal crusade by the ManCity faithful to throw out any vestiges of the pink handbag variety (not that there is anything wrong with that); similar to when the war on drugs was launched while his kids were alledgedly loading up big time on E and anything else they could lay their hands on, perhaps this time the boy has been seen by the dad engaging in recreational activities with some nice men and this is why the purge?

Mingkwan would be perhaps the biggest disapointment so far in this govt; at least Jakapop did a bunch of things; in a very tough market all we saw from Mingkwan other than the idiotic ideas above was the idea to set up a rice cartel while the rest of the world was worrying whether there would be sufficient rice to stop people starving. Nice play Einstein. Nice theory Shakespeare.

[Old Man River]

It doesn't matter how good, talented or brilliant you are at your job or how knowledgable or how much you can do for your country or how many great or even revolutionary ideas you have, if you are not doing exactly what the main faction(s) of the PPP want for their poltical ends you will not survive, which basically means you become as Mingkwan found out just a nice face to put to the public and cannot do anything you want. How long any reasonable person can survive as such depends on their self esteem and possibly their will to do the best for their country possibly also tinged with their love of limelight or possibly hard cash.

This is a project you sign onto whole heartedly and believe fully in, or avoid. It is more like a religion, crusade or belief.

Mingwan did a great job in marketing and PR while heading Toyota Thailand. This is his strength. I have no idea why Samak put him in as Commerce Minister as this was an accident waiting to happen. People I talked to said they thought his role in this government would be in the tourism area due to his strong promotional skills. As Commerce Minister his ideas have included "Dollars for durian", T-pop and Talok, rice "The New Oil" and patenting Thailand's full moon parties. The fault of this lies with Samak, not with Mingwan.

he wasn't put in there by Samak, he was put in there by Thaksin probably as reward for all the dodgy deals done with MCOT and also for standing up for Thaksin in the hours straight after the coup.

I think he was bearable at Toyota, and bearable (although very non transparent) at Channel 9. better than some would be as complimentary as I think is appropriate.

He has been utter rubbish in govt.

he isn't the first marketer to run things; Somkid was a marketer too. But difference was Somkid is a smart strategic guy and Thaksin no matter how much we like or don't like him; had a very very clear plan for himself and for the country; fairly clearly Mingkwan or as he is fairly insultingly referred to J Ming is heavily reliant on agencies, staff and underlings to make himself look good and needs some one to give him a plan of action; without them he looks like he does now - i.e. an idiot. Probably, yes, would have made a good minister of Tourism; however that isn't a prime post from which to skim; the key best ones and some one can correct me on this are interior, agriculture and defense. Commerce and Finance are great to interfere with business and the judicial process; PM office and running media are great to interfere with judicial process via the media.

With 2 'J's clearly sidelined (and both former aides of the former PM) I personally am wondering whether this isn't some sort of personal crusade by the ManCity faithful to throw out any vestiges of the pink handbag variety (not that there is anything wrong with that); similar to when the war on drugs was launched while his kids were alledgedly loading up big time on E and anything else they could lay their hands on, perhaps this time the boy has been seen by the dad engaging in recreational activities with some nice men and this is why the purge?

Mingkwan would be perhaps the biggest disapointment so far in this govt; at least Jakapop did a bunch of things; in a very tough market all we saw from Mingkwan other than the idiotic ideas above was the idea to set up a rice cartel while the rest of the world was worrying whether there would be sufficient rice to stop people starving. Nice play Einstein. Nice theory Shakespeare.

Other than your comment on Thaksin putting Mingwan in place, not Samak (which I accept), I don't see where the theory comment comes from. Frankly, Mingwan was an accident waiting to happen whether put in place by Thaksin or Samak. To me, this is black and white, not theory and I think the result has borne this out.