Do You Want Thaksin Back As Prime Minister?

[billp]

even though that has been shown to be flawed

How has it been shown to be flawed? The government was elected. Full stop. I've never seen any substantiated evidence of anything else.

It's just PAD propaganda to justify their idea that the "one man - one vote" system we naive foreign democrats seem to favour is, somehow, not applicable to Thailand. Or hazardous to the power of the entrenched elite, more like it.

[Sarge]

Many seem to forget how hard we all were complaining when thaksin still was in power ,

all those visa changing standards etc , those were the threads of the year , untill the coup .....

I was relieved with his demise ...

so now we know where all that venom against Thaksin comes from, clearly some foreigners here in TV are only concerned about their visa stamp (or lack thereof) and not Thai people.

I wonder how many of the PAD aficionados are absconding to Thailand having burnt bridges back home (not flaming but it seems that most unsavoury characters don't want Thaksin back)

The other burning question is how many of these people would actually support a military coup back home or mingle in the picket lines of unlawful terrorist movements who hijack main airports?

[stingray]

I believe it was Taksin that started the crackdown on bar trading hours. That if nothing else would explain his unpopularity on TV. As for the corruption etc anyone who has been here a while knows that was SOP for any government and had nothing to do with his ousting.

His drug crackdown is also cited as why he should have gone. Both my ex wife and girlfriend claim that the drug problem was better under control in those days and the streets safer. Personally don't have answers for that.

Right about the bar hours and also he made the first move to tighten up Visa on Arrival and work permits. They needed tightening up and it was a scandal how bars were allowed open round the clock and girls made to man them and pole dance etc. Cleaned that up and it needed it.

Lot of shady falangs hate him for reasons that make him acceptable to most ordinary folk here.

So what you think why 90% of tourists come to LOS? For swimming in the dirty Jomtien Beach? You have to face the reality. If the coverment would close down all the bars and Entertainements, who would come overhere and how long all the big shopping centres in Pattaya would survive? Who would buy all this houses in theyr gf or wifes name? Things they never would do in Europe by the way.

[DP25]

so now we know where all that venom against Thaksin comes from, clearly some foreigners here in TV are only concerned about their visa stamp (or lack thereof) and not Thai people.

You can think that all you want, but the main venom towards Thaksin from foreigners stems from the extrajudicial mass murder of over 2,500 people, half of which have been proven to have no connection to crime at all. His use of slander charges against journalists who dared to speak out and expose his corruptions is not very popular either, under Thaksin Thailand's freedom of press ranking plummeted as his political opponents were systematically silenced using the power of the state. Not mention his dozens of corruption scandals. But yeah, go on thinking that anti Thaksinism is because they want a visa stamp, or just because they hate poor Isan people.

[jdinasia]

Hey sarge .. specifically who are the "unsavoury (sic) characters don't want Thaksin back"? ----insert "that" into the quote but I didn't want the mods to think I was changing what you said!

BTW have you seen any farang "mingling in the picket lines" of what I assume you mean to be the PAD?

Edited November 26, 2008 by jdinasia

[canuckamuck]

Show me a Thai Prime Minister who was less corrupt than Thaksin

Show me a Thai election where vote buying or other shenanigans were not involved

Show me a candidate for Prime Minister that would behave better.

Thaksin was corrupt, as they all are/were. At least there was social progress and economic confidence during his terms.

In this light Thaksin was the high point of Thai politics, everything since has been a freefall towards a failed state. Thaksin's return now would not fix the mess. They need to change the system and create a free media with constitutional protection. And they need better education. Without these two things, Thailand is stuck.

I didn't vote, but I wish Sondhi would have been hit by a bus before he instigated the first coup. I hope he is recognized one day as enemy of the state he is. This is all about his own idignation and pride.

Edited November 26, 2008 by canuckamuck

[jdinasia]

Canuckamuck ... Thaksin brought corruption to a whole new level never before seen in Thailand! Question that? Look at his and his wife's net worth in 2001 and again in 2006! and Sohndi didn't instigate a coup, Sonthi did

[canuckamuck]

Canuckamuck ... Thaksin brought corruption to a whole new level never before seen in Thailand! Question that? Look at his and his wife's net worth in 2001 and again in 2006! and Sohndi didn't instigate a coup, Sonthi did

The only reason you think Thaksin was worst was because he was better at business. Those before him only had less talent to pillage the masses.

Pad was the root cause of the coup, Sonthi just made the call.

[Misplaced]

Canuckamuck ... Thaksin brought corruption to a whole new level never before seen in Thailand! Question that? Look at his and his wife's net worth in 2001 and again in 2006! and Sohndi didn't instigate a coup, Sonthi did

The only reason you think Thaksin was worst was because he was better at business. Those before him only had less talent to pillage the masses.

Pad was the root cause of the coup, Sonthi just made the call.

yes, he was/is better than most in regards to "business of corruption"

[canuckamuck]

Canuckamuck ... Thaksin brought corruption to a whole new level never before seen in Thailand! Question that? Look at his and his wife's net worth in 2001 and again in 2006! and Sohndi didn't instigate a coup, Sonthi did

The only reason you think Thaksin was worst was because he was better at business. Those before him only had less talent to pillage the masses.

Pad was the root cause of the coup, Sonthi just made the call.

yes, he was/is better than most in regards to "business of corruption"

I believe I said that

[billp]

Look at his and his wife's net worth in 2001 and again in 2006!

No. What were they? What's your source? In any case it's no surprise that after Thaksin transferred his assets into his wife's name in order to avoid conflict of interest allegations, his businesses continued to make money under her ownership. If there was corruption (and I'm sure there must have been at least SOME - this IS Thailand, it's the way the whole country functions), the Thai judicial system has only been able to prove this one small bullshit case in several years of trying. He was rich to begin with; he stayed rich while in office, should he have taken an oath of poverty? So I'm not convinced that Thaksin "brought corruption to a whole new level." Prove it.

[jdinasia]

Net worth figures are reported when running for office The gains were enormous You are free to read through the accumulated years of postings on the topic since it is all available here on ThaiVisa, because doing your legwork just isn't my job!

[Lizard]

Thailand's two choices !!

1. Have a corrupt PM & Government, that does nothing for Thailand, or it's people.

2. Or a corrupt PM & Government, that does something for Thailand and it's people.

Thaksin fits the #2 position

[Colonel_Mustard]

Don't really want Thaksin back but there's no credible alternative at the present time.

[DP25]

Actually Thaksin would be #3, have a corrupt PM and government, that does nothing for Thailand, and murders thousands of people to distract the populace from his own corruption.

[LaoPo]

Many seem to forget how hard we all were complaining when thaksin still was in power ,

all those visa changing standards etc , those were the threads of the year , untill the coup .....

I was relieved with his demise ......and I'm not even talking about all those timetable goals he had .

Utter arrogance from bottom to top .....

I voted NO , very clearly .

Although I am absolutely not a yellow shirt supporter , very much the contrary !

I say Thailand needs change like the US , luhk khrung perhaps , an outsider who's got a message

with 2 little cute daughters who will save the country and the image to the international world ?

That's funny, thats just what I was thinking! To solve their conflict here, they need someone who isn't too close to EITHER side. That leaves Abhisit out as he is probably seen as being a yellow sympathizer. Obama is taken. How about Tiger Woods? Or how about a Thai pop star? An Elvis impersonator? The KFC mascot seems popular? Beckham (he seems to be willing to move anywhere for the right amount of money)? Sarah Palin (she tried Pad Thai once with moose meat)? Joran Van der Sloot, he is a looker and maybe already in Thailand? Schwarzenegger clearly wants to be the leader of some country and the US won't let him ... Anyone?

Yes: member HENG !

He's educated in both the US and Thailand, relatively young, knows the business world, invests in real estate, sells tropical fish and orchids and since his orchids - hundreds of thousands as I read - are dying on the airport right now, he's probably THE man to drag Thailand out of this quicksand.

HENG...where are you ?

Your duty is calling and Thailand needs you ! Your father will be proud of you !

LaoPo

[siam4ever]

Ever since the Sondhi/Chamlong man-boy mutual admiration society took control of Government House the country has been going down hill. It doesn't matter if it's Thaksin or Samak or Somchai, just put an elected person in Government House and get on with it. The evil powers behind the PAD must be stopped!

[Mosha]

If Thaksin did so much for all the rural poor why do the rural poor in the south, said to be the 2nd poorest part of Thailand, consistantly return a democratic majority?

[duchovny]

What does it matter what a bunch of Farang think?

This is Thailand. The Thais decide.

What we think and write on an internet forum is irrelavent.

[bdenner]

What does it matter what a bunch of Farang think?

This is Thailand. The Thais decide.

What we think and write on an internet forum is irrelavent.

What a load of crap!

We may not have a vote BUT just being members of this forum shows we certainly have interests in Thailand and what we think is very relevant.

I voted YES. If for nothing else its the dog you know against the one you don't. AND I now drive on sealed roads, have power, town water and an airconditioned clinic with 2 doctors etc. where 8 years ago the village was a dust bowl with nothing. Thank you TRT, may have been corrupt but no more so than any other Thai political party.

Edited November 27, 2008 by bdenner

[duchovny]

What does it matter what a bunch of Farang think?

This is Thailand. The Thais decide.

What we think and write on an internet forum is irrelavent.

What a load of crap!

We may not have a vote BUT just being members of this forum shows we certainly have interests in Thailand and what we think is very relevant.

I voted YES. If for nothing else its the dog you know against the one you don't. AND I now drive on sealed roads, have power, town water and an airconditioned clinic with 2 doctors etc. where 8 years ago the village was a dust bowl with nothing. Thank you TRT, may have been corrupt but no more so than any other Thai political party.

As long as you think your vote on an internet forum has pull with Thailands politicians I'm happy for you.

[Jazzmaster]

If he was democratically elected, of course I do. He is the only Thai Politician that has any recognition or political capital with the rest of the non 3rd world. Yes, he might be corrupt, but cant think of anyone else that can help advance Thailand the way he did. The pool of qualified and charasmatic candidates is not exactly SRO.....in the LOS

[12DrinkMore]

I am impressed at the level of support for Thaksin in TV.

It seems that those who are against him are jealous of his successes or have a personal problem with him. None of them are proposing or indeed seem to offer a better alternative.

Unfortunately in Thailand the rule of the Baht prevails, even when it causes chaos and massive damage to the country. At least Thaksin aligned his greed to the needs of the country with telecommunications and infrastructure.

[Jingthing]

I am impressed at the level of support for Thaksin in TV.

Really? Are you reading the same results as I am or don't you know the difference between Yes and No?

[soundman]

Funny, looking at those poll results, they appear in-line with various polls on similar subjects conducted amongst Bkk residents.

[12DrinkMore]

Really? Are you reading the same results as I am or don't you know the difference between Yes and No?

I didn't refer to the majority vote, just that I was impressed by the the amount of support Thaksin was receiving on TV.

I previously felt that Thaksin had zero support form the expat community. So maybe I have been wrong or people are changing their ideas after two years of observing the current incumbents clowning around.

(BTW "yes" in Thailand means "maybe" and "no" means "perhaps" )

[LinkPopularity]

I have no real understanding of the whole Thaksin situation, but probably as much as many others on here. It seems to me that Thailand is corrupt and will be corrupt for some time to come. Those before Thaksin were corrupt and carried out illegal activity's. Those that come after Thaksin will probably do the same. Thaksin was at least making improvements and putting Thailand on the right track. I voted yes.

hear hear

[Jingthing]

This isn't a hypothetical question when you consider that Mr T is "back in politics" and he clearly wants this. However, given all the water (blood?) under the bridge, I can't imagine why people want him back now. As if this country isn't divided enough with his proxies, imagine the trouble with the thing itself?

[LinkPopularity]

Well, after the events of the last few days, he's looking better and better. At least he tried to do something for the rural poor. While he was in power, I thought there was a positive, forward-looking atmosphere in Thailand. Since he was deposed the country has been in a terrible mess.

And as for him being so corrupt, well, first of all he was a billionaire when he took office. That was from being a successful entrepreneur, not from politics. The biggest thing everybody seems to hold against him was selling off his company in a way that didn't draw any taxes. But I really think that was primarily a miscalculation stemming from a clever accountant, and Thaksin - unwisely - just signed off on it.

And, after 2 years of investigation, the only illegal act they've been able to pin on him is a conflict of interest in allowing his wife to make a lowball bid on a piece of property? Give me a break! In the civilized world, this would be seen as a midemeanor meriting, maybe, a fine or a slap on the wrist, not 2 years in jail. And if they're prosecuting that, why aren't they equally prosecuting the corrupt police colonel who somehow has amassed a vast fortune on a salary of 15,000 baht a month? Or the civil servant who periodically shows up in his private cove on his yacht with his 5 mia nois?

Thaksin is beloved by the rural poor because he made a real difference in their lives. Certainly a cut above the profoundly undemocratic thugs illegally occupying (and trashing) Government House for months at a time, beating and killing their fellow countrymen in streets with iron bars and guns, and now showing their ugly face to the world by shutting down the country's most important airport.

My question is, why the elected prime minister does not or cannot order out the troops and the water cannons and disperse these subversive terrorists. Why are the leaders not being arrested and tried for treason?

you already answerred your own question; Well, after the events of the last few days, he's looking better and better.

[Jingthing]

He is damaged (and convicted) goods. Surely Thailand can dredge up somebody better for the future that doesn't just cement the same old divides of the past.