Trump’s Vision for a Government Overhaul with RFK Jr. and Elon Musk Gaining Power

[sriracha john]

Thaksin to surrender diplomatic passport

Former PM Thaksin Shinawatra has decided to return his diplomatic passport to the Foreign Ministry to ease the pressure on his brother-in-law, PM Somchai Wongsawat, a source close to him said yesterday. Thaksin had already informed his brother-in-law of his decision, but has not set a date for the return of the passport, according to the source. One possible date would be Oct 21, as the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions will hand down a verdict on the Ratchadaphisek land case in which Thaksin and his wife, Potjaman, are defendants, the source added.

Thaksin and his wife are seeking political asylum in Britain. The two and their children have been living in self-exile in London since fleeing Thailand in August. They both jumped bail and warrants for their arrest have

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/131008_News/13Oct2008_news04.php

He hasn't down the previous ... but perhaps he will do the following....

Thaksin willing to return decorations

Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will likely agree to return all of his royal decorations if required to by law, Government Spokesman Natthawut Saikua said yesterday.

If Thaksin fails to appeal the Supreme Court's guilty verdict and two-year jail sentence against him in the Ratchadaphisek land case, the Knight Grand Commander (Second Class, higher grade) of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao would need to be recalled.

A PM's Office decree endorsed by then-PM Thaksin in August 2005 gives eight criteria for the recalling of royal decorations, including if a person is convicted by the highest court and ordered to serve time in prison.

Although the Supreme Court is the final court of appeal, he can appeal its judgement against him if solid new evidence can be presented that could change the essence of the case, according to directives on appeals for cases under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders.

If Thaksin does not seek a retrial within 30 days, the PM's Office must seek royal approval to demand the royal decorations be returned.

Natthawut said if Thaksin committed an offence that fell into any of the eight categories, he would have to comply with the law. However, he said Thaksin did not commit any corruption.

"Whoever raises the issue only wants to aggravate the situation for the former PM," he said. awwww....

Democrat Party chief adviser Chuan Leekpai suggested the government deal with the matter straightforwardly and in accordance with regulations.

Thaksin has received nine royal decorations, starting with the Member (Fifth Class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand in 1974. The highest was the Knight Grand Commander (Second Class, higher grade) of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao, bestowed in 2003.

The eight criteria for royal decorations to be recalled include the death penalty; a prison sentence, except for petty offences or crimes of negligence; and confiscation of assets for being unusually rich or convicted of anti-money laundering offences. Termination or dismissal for serious disciplinary or other charges, removal from post on malfeasance charges or constitutional offences or for being unusually rich, declared bankruptcy and abuse of the royal decorations are the other grounds for recovery of the royal rewards.

- The Nation / 2008-10-24

==============================

Criteria #2 fits.... return them quickly, Thakky..... along with your diplomatic passport....

1. Diplomatic Passport

2. Royal Decorations

and now...

3. Police Rank

Thaksin may lose his rank

Police are considering stripping former PM Thaksin Shinawatra of his rank of Lieutenant-Colonel for his conviction in the Ratchadaphisek land purchase case. Police spokesman Police Lieutenant-General Watcharapol Prasarnratchakit said the disciplinary division and human resources office, among others, were studying the move. He said they would have to wait for 30 days before proceeding as Thaksin, convicted of violating the anti-graft law, could appeal if he can produce new evidence.

Under the National Police Act, commission officers can be stripped of their rank when found guilty of corruption or sentenced to jail. The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions issued a verdict against Thaksin, for abuse of authority in his wife Potjaman's purchase of the land at a discount from the Bank of Thailand's Financial Institutions Development Fund in

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/291008_News/29Oct2008_news14.php

[steveromagnino]

A great piece by The Nation!!

Toxin is like a thrashing shark in a net of smaller fish as it gets pulled ever nearer the surface. Some will get bashed by his tail and others will get crushed against the sides, while others will fall victim to his snapping razor sharped teeth, as he flails desperately to avoid the encircling net. But sooner or later, he'll come unstuck and meet his fate on board the good ship Justice. But for the moment, keep well away from this fearful beast with evil in his eyes!

PS. Am I being a bit hard on sharks?

Perhaps flounder might be a closer piscine simile, in his present unhappy situation, than 'shark' ?

Whale shark perhaps. No teeth, so not much bite, but Thaksin's son will give the upstanding members a mighty painful suck

Edited October 29, 2008 by steveromagnino

[Samuian]

...Will you be helping a good, honest politician fleeing unjust prosecution in his homeland, or are you being used by a skilled con artist?...

from Post #359...

makes one wonder what the decision will be...

[animatic]

A great piece by The Nation!!

Toxin is like a thrashing shark in a net of smaller fish as it gets pulled ever nearer the surface. Some will get bashed by his tail and others will get crushed against the sides, while others will fall victim to his snapping razor sharped teeth, as he flails desperately to avoid the encircling net. But sooner or later, he'll come unstuck and meet his fate on board the good ship Justice. But for the moment, keep well away from this fearful beast with evil in his eyes!

PS. Am I being a bit hard on sharks?

Perhaps flounder might be a closer piscine simile, in his present unhappy situation, than 'shark' ?

Whale shark perhaps. No teeth, so not much bite, but Thaksin's son will give the upstanding members a mighty painful suck

"Baby take your teeth out, it'll be fine,

leave'm on the kitchen table."

[sriracha john]

Thaksin only has until November 20th to keep touting himself as Police Lieutenant-Colonel... next up should be his bogus PhD "Dr." title...

Case Not Final, Thaksin Yet to Be Stripped of Rank

A police spokesman has confirmed that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra will not yet be stripped of his ‘Police Lieutenant- Colonel’ rank.

Deputy National Police Chief and Police Spokesman Police Lieutenant General Watcharaphol Prasanratchakit confirmed that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra will not be stripped of his ‘Police Lieutenant-Colonel' rank as yet. The police spokesman explained that since the indictment of Thaksin in the Ratchadapisek land case is not final, the ousted premier is eligible to retain his police rank.

Thaksin was indicted by the Supreme Court’s Division for Political Post Holders last month for violating the anti-corruption bill and has been sentenced to two years in jail. The former premier, now a fugitive, is current residing in the U.K.

Thaksin’s legal team has been instructed to request permission to file for an appeal with the Supreme Court which will decide if the appeal has grounds. An appeal is only permissible if the defence has new evidence which could change the outcome of the case.

Police Lieutenant General Watcharaphol explained that according to the 2004 National Police Bill, the police officer will be stripped of his rank only after the officer has been convicted and the case is final.

- TOC / 2008-10-29

[marshbags]

another letter on the Thaksin situation has been written....

Please keep Thaksin there. We don't want him here

Dear British asylum authorities,

Before you say it, this is not dismayed sarcasm or a lame attempt at reverse psychology. This letter means every word that is written, and the one and only message that it tries to convey must not be misunderstood. We want you to keep Thaksin Shinawatra in England forever, or as long as you possibly can. Pure and simple.

He calls your country democratically mature and denounces his motherland as a dictatorial backwater where a large sector of the population cannot stand a rich and popularly elected leader.

Let him be there. He may be right. We are seemingly not sophisticated enough to deal with a democratic champion of the poor who has more money than everyone living below the poverty line put together but still needs to evade taxes and swallow up state properties against the will of the laws. Too complicated.

If he has already asked for asylum, give it to him right away before he changes his mind. If he has not, make him an offer he can't refuse. We don't care if that means you give Thailand a slap in the face. Just check our country's sorry state. A patient in a coma doesn't care how he looks.

Of course, a lot of people are making noises about the need to get him back for punishment. But ironically these are the same people who want Thaksin to disappear from the face of the earth. The other group that wants him back has the opposite goal of re-installing him as a democratic hero. So, as you can see, both camps harbour different agendas on his return, which will have the same consequence: disaster.

We may be a minority, but trust us when we say you will do Thailand a big, big favour by keeping the man. Let him launch a clandestine government in exile or simply continue to pull the strings of countless nominees. We won't blame you. If Thailand is as bad as he's saying it is to the world, we deserve to be weakened and undermined by this misunderstood angel of liberty.

We are through debating Ample Rich, Win Mark, SC Assets, the EXIM bank loan or the Ratchadapisek land deal. Thaksin has become a myth - he's either a hoax or something noble smeared by those envious of its virtues. Either way, he's too hot to handle over here.

We have ended up a wreck trying to work out if he was good or bad for Thailand. It's your turn, and the question is equally simple: Will you be helping a good, honest politician fleeing unjust prosecution in his homeland, or are you being used by a skilled con artist? Either way, a democratically mature nation like yours should be able to cope with the consequences of keeping him, without Parliament being seized and blood spilled on the streets.

Again, don't worry. You have little to lose. One half of the world will praise the asylum as your stern message against dictatorship, while the other half will be too exhausted to press on with his controversial cases anyway. And by all means The United Kingdom will be seen as a land of opportunities. Where else can political victims hunted down by ruthless dictators manage to buy a premium soccer club, sit in the director's box and then sell it at double the profit a year later?

We can never win with this man. None of the corruption cases was ever going to make its way to court when he was in power, but now that they have, he deems the courts politically motivated. This, however, doesn't mean we will mind if you take that excuse seriously and grant him asylum. There's a little problem, but we think you can cope. Giving him asylum could spark a "yellow" protest at your Bangkok embassy, but rejecting him will send a "red" army to the same compound. In either event it might cause some panic, but sooner or later embassy staff will get used to it like most of the Thai people.

So please, the least you can do is buy us some time. If you are reluctant to grant him asylum or want to kick him out straight away, a lot of legal time-wasting tactics can be explored. If it normally takes two years, make it five. If it normally takes five, make it ten. In fact, tell us who we have to kill if you can make him a British citizen.

Yours sincerely and God save your Queen,

A group of Thai people.

- The Nation / October 29, 2008

Let him go somewhere else.......WE DO NOT WANT HIM !!!!!!

He really is seen in the light of what the majority of posters on this forum are continually highlighting.

In my neck of the woods anyways.

Those who may not know would also want him kicked out if after / when they where made aware of his evil persona.

I would also hope that the reference to our Queen is also meant in a respectful way.

It,s a pity the writer had to add the reference in his closing.

The queen by the way does not , nor will she be seen, interferring politically.

That is the British governments job, when the EU and P.Correct brigade allow them to do so.

Now hopefully we can get back on topic, if defending our Queen in response to the above is considered off topic., that is.

marshbags

Edited October 29, 2008 by marshbags

[animatic]

I seems pretty far fetched that an exculpatory evidence exists

to prove beneficial to Thaksin in the case. It is so cut and dried,

it can't possibly be disproved, the facts are facts.

But flayling whale sharks must disturb the shrimp breeding grounds.

It's just what they do.

[younghusband]

The queen by the way does not , nor will she be seen, interferring politically

marshbags

And that's one of the reasons Elizabeth is held in universal admiration.

Edited October 29, 2008 by younghusband

[sriracha john]

I would also hope that the reference to our Queen is also meant in a respectful way.

It was. Thais respect and admire Queen Elizabeth and likewise Queen Sirikit is held with the same admiration from Brits and the world at large.

[h90]

I got told, but didn't understand much......

The temple with the Big Buddha who have Thaksins face, got a visit of PAD Pattaya and the monk agreed to remove them within 7 days. PAD did not agree so he agreed that PAD can destroy the Thakky-Buddhas now.

As I told.....not sure if that is all true, please confirm if someone has more info.

[sriracha john]

It's all about anti-corruption Article 100, stupid!

There is hardly any doubt that former premier Thaksin Shinawatra is an intelligent person. So, when he said in his note to "dear friends in the international media" on October 22 that he was "confused" by the Supreme Court's verdict a day earlier to jail him for two years, he was only being humble.

Or, to put it mildly, he was only pretending that he didn't get it.

Of course, he knew exactly what brought about the unprecedented jail sentence for an ex-premier.

It's Article 100 of the National Counter Corruption Commission law which, for the first time, spells out clearly that "conflicts of interest" among Cabinet members are punishable by imprisonment.

What Thaksin didn't expect was to become the first big fish to be caught by this huge net - and a very big one at that.

He simply couldn't bring himself to face the fact that a man of his wealth and influence could be sentenced to a jail term. He was "confused" because he thought he could get away with anything - even when he was out of office.

This was what he wrote about his "confusion":

"I listened to the judgement yesterday and even now I am still confused; there is no evidence of fraud, corruption or abuse of power in relation to the bid in question; my wife was the one who was involved and made the decision to bid for the land, offered a lot more to the seller, the Financial Institutions Development Fund [FIDF], than other bidders, signed the contract with the seller, paid for the land with no involvement from her husband except when he was required to sign a spousal form ..."

No evidence of fraud, corruption or abuse of power?

It was an anti-corruption clause that he had violated, according to the verdict. And "conflict of interest" committed by a prime minister is clearly a clear case of corruption and abuse of power.

He added: "The best I can comprehend is that I was convicted simply because I was a politician. In that case, I was guilty because I was quite a successful politician. I got elected twice by the majority of the Thai people as prime minister."

No, he wasn't convicted because he was a politician. The prison term was imposed on him because he was a politician caught violating a tough clause in a law aimed at snaring politicians who make no distinction between personal and public interest.

And that, without exception, is a serious crime in any politically developed country, especially in the United Kingdom, which Thaksin had earlier described as a "democratically mature country".

Politicians, particularly those given a public mandate to run a country, are supposed to avoid any act that may be construed as benefiting their own family members when they should be acting for the public interest. In this case, Thaksin admitted having signed a spousal consent form to allow his wife to bid for a piece of land being handled by a government agency.

As the verdict pointed out, as soon as word went out that the PM's wife was in the bidding contest, officials in charge of the auction immediately knew what they were supposed to do. The level playing field was immediately tilted to one side.

Thaksin knew, and we all knew, that it didn't matter at all, as he claimed in his statement, that he didn't have any direct supervisory power over the FIDF. The public, the officials, his wife and the premier himself knew how things were supposed to work. And he exploited that to the hilt.

Thaksin blamed "various groups of privileged elites" for conspiring against him. He says they "believe in anything but democracy". Thaksin says he is a threat to them "because I represent the principle of liberal democracy".

Perhaps he really is confused here. Thaksin himself is, without a doubt, at the forefront of Thailand's "privileged elite". He also apparently confuses electoral gimmickry and populism with "liberal democracy".

If Thaksin isn't one of highest members of the "privileged elite", he wouldn't be able to call the shots from afar, even when he is now called, in some circles, "Inmate Thaksin".

Besides, if he were just an ordinary man trying to help the country, he wouldn't be able to create such a sensation by simply saying he will make a public address to his supporters by telephone on November 1 at a gathering of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship.

In the end, it's not the two-year jail term that "confused" him. After all, he insisted all along that the issue of conflict of interest was nothing but his critics' feeble excuse to irritate him. Nothing more, nothing less.

No. Thaksin simply can't live with the fact that he became the first politician to be convicted under Article 100 of the National Counter Corruption Commission Act.

- The Nation / 2008-10-30

[marshbags]

Thaksin only has until November 20th to keep touting himself as Police Lieutenant-Colonel... next up should be his bogus PhD "Dr." title...

Case Not Final, Thaksin Yet to Be Stripped of Rank

A police spokesman has confirmed that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra will not yet be stripped of his ‘Police Lieutenant- Colonel’ rank.

Deputy National Police Chief and Police Spokesman Police Lieutenant General Watcharaphol Prasanratchakit confirmed that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra will not be stripped of his ‘Police Lieutenant-Colonel' rank as yet. The police spokesman explained that since the indictment of Thaksin in the Ratchadapisek land case is not final, the ousted premier is eligible to retain his police rank.

Thaksin was indicted by the Supreme Court’s Division for Political Post Holders last month for violating the anti-corruption bill and has been sentenced to two years in jail. The former premier, now a fugitive, is current residing in the U.K.

Thaksin’s legal team has been instructed to request permission to file for an appeal with the Supreme Court which will decide if the appeal has grounds. An appeal is only permissible if the defence has new evidence which could change the outcome of the case.

Police Lieutenant General Watcharaphol explained that according to the 2004 National Police Bill, the police officer will be stripped of his rank only after the officer has been convicted and the case is final.

- TOC / 2008-10-29

Not about the land but Thaksin related re their questionable ethics ect. ect.

Just got back from out of town, and just in case this is not covered, my wife mentioned that Thaksins son was kicked out of University in Hawaii for failing his exams.

Thai news report last night ( 29th ) said it occured two weeks ago ??????

His mother Poggy went to the school to try the customary bribe / pay money to get the results fixed and both where banned from campus.

The principal gave her a bollo.....telling off and sent them on their way in Western style fashion.

marshbags

[steveromagnino]

Not about the land but Thaksin related re their questionable ethics ect. ect.

Just got back from out of town, and just in case this is not covered, my wife mentioned that Thaksins son was kicked out of University in Hawaii for failing his exams.

Thai news report last night ( 29th ) said it occured two weeks ago ??????

His mother Poggy went to the school to try the customary bribe / pay money to get the results fixed and both where banned from campus.

He was caught cheating at Ramkamhaeng University, all well covered and proven and discussed to death years ago.

His sisters were alledged to have gained entry to Kaset and Chula without meeting the entry requirements.

And now failing again in Hawaii. Maybe all the muscly lean surfer dude hopa haoles were too much of an attractive for young Oak, a proven moron in the world of business with a company How Come Entertainment only obtaining revenues when deals such as the CKC advertising deal for the subways was torn up at the PM's behest, and How Come was given a monopoly on advertising opportunities on the sub way station best areas.

Hope to see more news; doesn't surprise me at all, would certainly expect to hear the same response as always from this family without any morales - NO APOLOGY, WE WERE VICTIMS.

Cue the violins.

[animatic]

Not about the land but Thaksin related re their questionable ethics ect. ect.

Just got back from out of town, and just in case this is not covered, my wife mentioned that Thaksins son was kicked out of University in Hawaii for failing his exams.

Thai news report last night ( 29th ) said it occured two weeks ago ??????

His mother Poggy went to the school to try the customary bribe / pay money to get the results fixed and both where banned from campus.

He was caught cheating at Ramkamhaeng University, all well covered and proven and discussed to death years ago.

His sisters were alledged to have gained entry to Kaset and Chula without meeting the entry requirements.

And now failing again in Hawaii. Maybe all the muscly lean surfer dude hopa haoles were too much of an attractive for young Oak, a proven moron in the world of business with a company How Come Entertainment only obtaining revenues when deals such as the CKC advertising deal for the subways was torn up at the PM's behest, and How Come was given a monopoly on advertising opportunities on the sub way station best areas.

Hope to see more news; doesn't surprise me at all, would certainly expect to hear the same response as always from this family without any morales - NO APOLOGY, WE WERE VICTIMS.

Cue the violins.

Oh I thinkg maraccas castinets and mariachi trumpets for this one.

Aye boyo you're coming back home, oops where is home now daddy?

So can daddy buy an Oxford Don this week?

Nice to see Hawaii U. standing up for QUALITY education.

No 'super rich brat' child left behind. Just a kick in the behind.

Potty banned from campus... ROTFLOL, so who doesn't like yanks!

[KKK]

Thaksin guilty in land deal case

Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions Tuesday found ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra guilty in Ratchadaphisek land deal case and sentenced him to 2 years in jail. His wife Khunying Potjaman was freed from all charges.

So the previous court decision that Khunying Potjaman was guilty has been upturned! and she is now a free woman. Perhaps Thaksin does have a case for asylum in UK on the basis he won't get a fair trial cause it seems Potjaman didn't but now has..that's if you want to believe the Supreme Court has got it right this time.

But does the "Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions" have the right to acquit Potjaman anyway? She never held a Political Position unless giving Thaksin a "h**d-job" counts.

Oops I forgot Potjaman is not a free woman...she still has the 3 year sentance for tax evasion pending...UK send them both back.....I'm sure we can find a cosy double room in some jail here for them......

No not at all she is STILL convicted and sentenced for the FIRST case.

this is a NEW case.

and it was his actions, not hers at question.

She turned out not to be under this courts jurisdiction.

But she is still an 'escaped convict' from the earlier case.

If you read from my

Oops

you'll realize that you and I actually agree. Edited October 30, 2008 by KKK

[Maestro]

A flame fest has been removed. Please stay with the topic and don't attack each other.

--

Maestro

[marshbags]

I would also hope that the reference to our Queen is also meant in a respectful way.

It was. Thais respect and admire Queen Elizabeth and likewise Queen Sirikit is held with the same admiration from Brits and the world at large.

Thanks S.J. for that and for making the important, respectful comparison of Queen Elizabeth and Queen Sirikit.

What splendid selfless contributions and sacrifices both have made for their respective countries and the world in general.

How sad and yet predictable that YH has to once again posted what i consider a double edged, mischief making comment.

Far better to to offer no comment rather than do so, when it has a possible hidden agenda.

IMHO as always

marshbags

Edited October 31, 2008 by marshbags

[sriracha john]

Will Thakky be tacking more prison time onto his sentence???

Supreme Court to monitor Thaksin's speech

The Supreme Court is going to monitor former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's address to his supporters at a gathering today in order to determine whether there is an act of contempt of court, a source said Friday.

The president of the Supreme Court called a meeting of senior executives and judges from the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Political Office Holders on Monday to discuss the matter, according to the source.

If Thaksin comments are in contempt of court or any judge, legal action will be taken against him, said the judge, who added that such offence carries the penalty of 1-7 years' imprisonment and a fine of between Bt2,000 and Bt14,000.

The court president also warned the media against publishing possible libelous comments by Thaksin, the source said.

Thaksin is expected to make a phone-in during the gathering of his supporters organised by the hosts of the Truth Today television programme, which is broadcast on the state-run NBT, at the Rajamangala Stadium.

The court on Oct 21 sentenced Thaksin in absentia to two years in jail in connection with the Ratchadaphisek land scandal, in which his wife Pojaman bought a coveted land plot far cheaper than the market price from a state agency.

Thaksin said the court sentence was politically motivated as there was no evidence of fraud, corruption or abuse of power against him. "I was convicted simply because I was a politician," he said in his statement issued in London.

Judges were concerned about Thaksin's criticism and agreed to the need to protect the judiciary's reputation, the source said yesterday.

The Supreme Court has posted on its website (www.supremecourt.or.th) an electronic version of the complete 39-page verdict in the Ratchadaphisek land scandal case.

- The Nation / 2008-10-31

[sriracha john]

Thaksin only has until November 20th to keep touting himself as Police Lieutenant-Colonel... next up should be his bogus PhD "Dr." title...

Case Not Final, Thaksin Yet to Be Stripped of Rank

A police spokesman has confirmed that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra will not yet be stripped of his ‘Police Lieutenant- Colonel’ rank.

Deputy National Police Chief and Police Spokesman Police Lieutenant General Watcharaphol Prasanratchakit confirmed that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra will not be stripped of his ‘Police Lieutenant-Colonel' rank as yet. The police spokesman explained that since the indictment of Thaksin in the Ratchadapisek land case is not final, the ousted premier is eligible to retain his police rank.

only 19 days and counting....

before "Once a square-head, always a square-head" is stripped...

- with thanks to the pro-Thaksin Matichon newspaper who published this previously unpublished photo

[marshbags]

EDITORIAL

Masked cowardice to go on show today

By The Nation

Published on November 1, 2008

Thaksin is bound to tell his supporters that he had nothing to do with the state Thailand is in

Thaksin Shinawatra is set to cross yet another line today, and not even the looming threats of political violence and deepening national divide will stop him from fanning the flame. It doesn't matter if his phone-in speech, to be delivered to supporters at Rajamangala Stadium, is prudent. This long-distance address by the ousted prime minister will be a declaration of war, a desperate and a very high-stakes gamble.

Phoning in to talk to his supporters is not a crime, or so it seems, but it could make the concealment of shares, the evasion of tax and the purchase of the Ratchadapisek land plot look like mere flaws. Those were offences that he should not have committed as prime minister. Telling his supporters that those problems were not illegal and that anyone saying otherwise simply wants to destroy him is something Thaksin is not supposed to do as a Thai citizen.

For all his "I love my country" rhetoric, Thaksin does not mind destroying his homeland in order to portray his indefensible political crimes as a conspiracy. Hiding behind landslide victories and the praise for social policies that favoured the poor, he has never accepted that the charges against him constituted conduct unbecoming a national leader. He never faced it like a man and instead is distorting the consequences of his wrongdoings as being "politically motivated".

Thailand is in this predicament not because of elements that are jealous of Thaksin's wealth and popularity. If such elements do exist, they are taking advantage of Thaksin's failure to reinforce democracy while he was in the best position to do so. Thaksin's contempt for true democratic values brought about his downfall. What we are experiencing is the repercussions of one leader's badly mistaken idea that an electoral mandate gave him the licence to do anything.

The worst part is that he has been telling the world he was right. Again, he invoked his election triumph and his popular welfare programmes. The Thai Supreme Court, which based its ruling in the Ratchadapisek land case on the intent of the law and nothing else, is being denounced as working under dictatorial influence. Even now Thaksin refuses to accept that it was illegal for his family to acquire the land while he was in power.

Was it a crime that warranted a coup? No.

Was it Thaksin's stubborn mentality that made the deal a legitimate danger to democracy? Yes, because it led to his complete dismissal of the value of checks and balances on the conflict of interests. During his time, agencies like the Revenue Department and Securities and Exchanges Commission did not work in the country's best interests but spent much of their time finding loopholes that could justify the tax-free nature of the Temasek deal.

Nobody knows what Thaksin's "democracy" would have been like if it hadn't been for the coup and the People's Alliance for Democracy. Obviously it would have been a democracy which had no grounds to criminalise the Ratchadapisek land purchase, the blatant use of nominees to avoid billions of baht in tax and the loan to the Burmese junta that would substantially go into Shin Corp's pockets. What these would have done to the 1997 Thai Constitution is anybody's guess.

He will not tell his supporters today that Thailand's crisis started with his complete contempt for the law and attempt to stay above it once he got caught. He will blame anyone but himself, fuelling political tension and widening the social rifts in the process. He will not tell them that the law is there to ensure equality in a democracy. Instead, he will claim that the law is an unjust tool used to destroy a "successful politician" like him.

He will never admit that the current lawlessness of Thai politics began with his own rejection of real democratic and legal principles. He will lambaste everyone who has crossed the line, without explaining the root cause why they were able to do so. He will say that the bitter divide in his motherland is not his fault but the result of a conspiracy on the part of people envious of his noble political success. Most of all, we will never hear him say that while he may have been shrewd and noble in spending the taxpayers' money, he is nothing but a selfish coward where his own interests are concerned.

Unquote

This evil scum in exile is hel_l bent on destroying the opposition of all he has / does represent and doesn,t give a shit who gets killed in the process.

This includes of course those who are now marching on the capitol to defend him, but little do they care as there judgement as always is governed by the passing of mega baht and greed, and confused by the usual intake of free fire water to get them in the mood for violence hate and destruction by the packs leader.

This is definitely a recipe for untold violence and anarchy that could eclipse all previous scenario in recent memory.

If he where to get his objectives realised then the only way forward is that of a dictatorship led by a very undesirable, unethical dictator / leader.

God forbid it

Never going to happen Thaksin, you, EVIL, SELF SERVING BASTARD

IMHO as always

marshbags

Edited November 1, 2008 by marshbags

[animatic]

EDITORIAL

Masked cowardice to go on show today

By The Nation

Published on November 1, 2008

Thaksin is bound to tell his supporters that he had nothing to do with the state Thailand is in

Thaksin Shinawatra is set to cross yet another line today, and not even the looming threats of political violence and deepening national divide will stop him from fanning the flame. It doesn't matter if his phone-in speech, to be delivered to supporters at Rajamangala Stadium, is prudent. This long-distance address by the ousted prime minister will be a declaration of war, a desperate and a very high-stakes gamble.

Phoning in to talk to his supporters is not a crime, or so it seems, but it could make the concealment of shares, the evasion of tax and the purchase of the Ratchadapisek land plot look like mere flaws. Those were offences that he should not have committed as prime minister. Telling his supporters that those problems were not illegal and that anyone saying otherwise simply wants to destroy him is something Thaksin is not supposed to do as a Thai citizen.

For all his "I love my country" rhetoric, Thaksin does not mind destroying his homeland in order to portray his indefensible political crimes as a conspiracy. Hiding behind landslide victories and the praise for social policies that favoured the poor, he has never accepted that the charges against him constituted conduct unbecoming a national leader. He never faced it like a man and instead is distorting the consequences of his wrongdoings as being "politically motivated".

Thailand is in this predicament not because of elements that are jealous of Thaksin's wealth and popularity. If such elements do exist, they are taking advantage of Thaksin's failure to reinforce democracy while he was in the best position to do so. Thaksin's contempt for true democratic values brought about his downfall. What we are experiencing is the repercussions of one leader's badly mistaken idea that an electoral mandate gave him the licence to do anything.

The worst part is that he has been telling the world he was right. Again, he invoked his election triumph and his popular welfare programmes. The Thai Supreme Court, which based its ruling in the Ratchadapisek land case on the intent of the law and nothing else, is being denounced as working under dictatorial influence. Even now Thaksin refuses to accept that it was illegal for his family to acquire the land while he was in power.

Was it a crime that warranted a coup? No.

Was it Thaksin's stubborn mentality that made the deal a legitimate danger to democracy? Yes, because it led to his complete dismissal of the value of checks and balances on the conflict of interests. During his time, agencies like the Revenue Department and Securities and Exchanges Commission did not work in the country's best interests but spent much of their time finding loopholes that could justify the tax-free nature of the Temasek deal.

Nobody knows what Thaksin's "democracy" would have been like if it hadn't been for the coup and the People's Alliance for Democracy. Obviously it would have been a democracy which had no grounds to criminalise the Ratchadapisek land purchase, the blatant use of nominees to avoid billions of baht in tax and the loan to the Burmese junta that would substantially go into Shin Corp's pockets. What these would have done to the 1997 Thai Constitution is anybody's guess.

He will not tell his supporters today that Thailand's crisis started with his complete contempt for the law and attempt to stay above it once he got caught. He will blame anyone but himself, fuelling political tension and widening the social rifts in the process. He will not tell them that the law is there to ensure equality in a democracy. Instead, he will claim that the law is an unjust tool used to destroy a "successful politician" like him.

He will never admit that the current lawlessness of Thai politics began with his own rejection of real democratic and legal principles. He will lambaste everyone who has crossed the line, without explaining the root cause why they were able to do so. He will say that the bitter divide in his motherland is not his fault but the result of a conspiracy on the part of people envious of his noble political success. Most of all, we will never hear him say that while he may have been shrewd and noble in spending the taxpayers' money, he is nothing but a selfish coward where his own interests are concerned.

Unquote

This evil scum in exile is hel_l bent on destroying the opposition of all he has / does represent and doesn,t give a shit who gets killed in the process.

This includes of course those who are now marching on the capitol to defend him, but little do they care as there judgement as always is governed by the passing of mega baht and greed, and confused by the usual intake of free fire water to get them in the mood for violence hate and destruction by the packs leader.

This is definitely a recipe for untold violence and anarchy that could eclipse all previous scenario in recent memory.

If he where to get his objectives realised then the only way forward is that of a dictatorship led by a very undesirable, unethical dictator / leader.

God forbid it

Never going to happen Thaksin, you, EVIL, SELF SERVING BASTARD

IMHO as always

marshbags

All spot on.

[morejunk]

The Nation reported that Toxin recorded his broadcast in Hong Kong. Arrest him in HK and send him back. They would understand the charges against him.

A good time to issue an arrest warrant through Interpol. Cancel the red passport and get Shitawatra as he passes through any customs worldwide.

[Plus]

Morejunk - what are you talking about?

What passes as the "government" here works for Thaksin, they are not going to issue any arrest warrants or attempt to extradite him.

It's "Thaksin Cabinet, Don Muang branch", it has nothing to do with Thailand as a country, they can't care less.

[morejunk]

Morejunk - what are you talking about?

What passes as the "government" here works for Thaksin, they are not going to issue any arrest warrants or attempt to extradite him.

It's "Thaksin Cabinet, Don Muang branch", it has nothing to do with Thailand as a country, they can't care less.

Perhaps there is hope that the OAG will expand their efforts.

BREAKING NEWS >> Tuesday October 21, 2008 18:00

OAG to file Thaksin extradition request with UK

(BangkokPost.com) - The Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) will immediately coordinate with the British authority to extradite ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra to Thailand after the Supreme Court on Tuesday found him guilty in the Ratchadaphisek land deal case and sentenced him to two years imprisonment, according to Attorney-General's Special Litigation Department director-general Seksan Bangsombun.

"The prosecutors will soon make a copy of the court verdict and pass it on to Britain to quickly extradite him," Mr Seksan told reporters.

He said the court’s verdict will be transcribed into English and it will be forwarded to Britain.

However, the amount of time to bring back the former premier to Thailand would depend on the British authorities, not the Attorney-General, he said.

The OAG has formed a working body to work on this matter, he added.

[Samuian]

What passes as the "government" here works for Thaksin, they are not going to issue any arrest warrants or attempt to extradite him.

It's "Thaksin Cabinet, Don Muang branch", it has nothing to do with Thailand as a country, they can't care less.

For me it's tough to comprehend that this is actually all REALLY happening!

And a whole Nation is standing by watching it happening....

[younghusband]

Thanks S.J. for that and for making the important, respectful comparison of Queen Elizabeth and Queen Sirikit.

What splendid selfless contributions and sacrifices both have made for their respective countries and the world in general.

How sad and yet predictable that YH has to once again posted what i consider a double edged, mischief making comment.

marshbags

Quite apart from the fact you are (a) flaming and ( in clear breach of forum rules, I have no idea what you are talking about.

[sriracha john]

EVIL, SELF-SERVING BASTARD

Almost makes one wonder what happened to this guy to turn him into one from this dapper, young cop...

Was it something genetically related to his geometric cranium?

Edited November 1, 2008 by sriracha john

[fidelio]

Thanks S.J. for that and for making the important, respectful comparison of Queen Elizabeth and Queen Sirikit.

What splendid selfless contributions and sacrifices both have made for their respective countries and the world in general.

How sad and yet predictable that YH has to once again posted what i consider a double edged, mischief making comment.

marshbags

Quite apart from the fact you are (a) flaming and ( in clear breach of forum rules, I have no idea what you are talking about.

Neither does he ...

[Samuian]

Thanks S.J. for that and for making the important, respectful comparison of Queen Elizabeth and Queen Sirikit.

What splendid selfless contributions and sacrifices both have made for their respective countries and the world in general.

How sad and yet predictable that YH has to once again posted what i consider a double edged, mischief making comment.

marshbags

Quite apart from the fact you are (a) flaming and ( in clear breach of forum rules, I have no idea what you are talking about.

Neither does he ...

Let him keep it this way...

referring to "square cranium " and "genes", i thought her name was pojamarn..

[tig28]

What passes as the "government" here works for Thaksin, they are not going to issue any arrest warrants or attempt to extradite him.

It's "Thaksin Cabinet, Don Muang branch", it has nothing to do with Thailand as a country, they can't care less.

For me it's tough to comprehend that this is actually all REALLY happening!

And a whole Nation is standing by watching it happening....

I quote this re extradition from another post ---- I have no idea if it is correct or not & would be interested to learn of its accuracy.

quote:

The European human rights law does not allow anybody to be extradited to a country where they could be executed or treated in a inhuman or degrading way.Thailand has a very bad track record on human rights.Amnesty international condem Thailand on a reg basis.Until Thailand bring there prisons up to a level that is fit to keep human beings in then extradition will only go one way.They also have to stop the beatings & murder of prisoners & also give them health care.European nations will not send people to be starved beaten tortured & be left for dead {when sick}

As a separate observation---- Thaksin has been found guilty of corruption as a government official. I understand the self-fulfilling feeding frenzy that is being built here --- but get just a little realistic...... this is not exactly the crime of the century ! You may well suggest that other more grievous matters are or should be pending ---- but until then......... "Interpol" ?

Before this thought drives the group collectively over the edge & I end up being tarred with the deadly "Toxinesque supporters" brush ---I shall point out that when he was removed as prime minister by a coup (obviously by definition -- illegal) I believed it was the correct action. My only reservation was that it occurred but a couple of months before general elections were due to be held.

The proposal that the opposition puppet-masters had finally lost all hope of ever regaining the power they regarded as their divine right seemed to have some credence. Now we have an aligned group with the masterfully understated name of PAD floating the theory that the best (only?) way to ensure a correct result in a Thai general election is to ensure that the electorate does not have any influence over the outcome. GO DEMOCRACY !!!!

My belief that the PAD path to dictatorship is unwise in no way equates to any support for the ex-prime minister. Nor does it lessen my intense dislike for some of his actions. If the only solution to the current problems is to eliminate any possibility that in the future the people can remove an unpopular government at the ballot box then the pathway is opened to real bloodshed.