Thailand Revokes Thaksin's Passport

[Samuian]

Nicaragua doesnt recognize dualcitizenship except with a few central amarican countries.Doest this mean our intrepid hero has renounced his citizenship with every other country he has a passport from including of course Thailand?

He didn't get citizenship, only a passport.

Please allow me a question. Does Thai law allow to revoke Thai-born citizenship?

it seems towork the other way around... as ...

Thai-CitizenShip has been offered to Tiger Woods after he won his 1st "green jacket"

he thankfully declined...

[sriracha john]

[LawnGnome]

Suck on that Thaksinistas

[webfact]

Congratulations - to whom it may concern - its brilliant!

[sriracha john]

Congratulations - to whom it may concern - it's brilliant!

The production talent all belongs to Purakhanda....

http://www.youtube.com/user/Purakhanda

who, purely coincidentally, looks remarkably similar to... Samak...

[animatic]

Congratulations - to whom it may concern - its brilliant!

Well that made my day!

Bravo to the Purakhanda, a fine job.

Edited April 18, 2009 by LivinginKata

[LawnGnome]

For those who enjoy the Thakin rap - there is a Samak Rap as well. The arranger is one of Thailand's most gifted young musicains, a fine harpsichordist, and associate conductor of the Bangkok Opera. Sorry that I don't know how to imbed videos, im slow.

Edited April 18, 2009 by OptimusPrimeBKK

[mc2]

did you make this clip ?

[h90]

Well that made my day!

Bravo to the Purakhanda, a fine job.

yes great artist this...what was his name?

--Thaksin

[Pipcon]

After all the sadness of the last weeks, this has brought flowing tears - of a good kind.....

[raro]

still gasping for air...and so is the Missus. Absolutely brilliant!

[Ricardo]

did you make this clip ?

Not me squire, but the missis & I did thoroughly enjoy it, wish it could have a very-wide circulation here.

[Insight]

Has also just entertained the residents of bhan Insight. Great stuff!

[Tony Clifton]

Tedious work and brilliant work!

[samgrowth]

This is another entertaining one:

Sondi say that "PM Thaksin is not a God, but PM Thaksin is the best PM that Thailand ever had." "I am admit this" he added.

Edited April 18, 2009 by samgrowth

[sriracha john]

This is another entertaining one:

Like most Red Shirt activities... it's a cheapo copy... that lacks substance or character on its own.

Edited April 18, 2009 by sriracha john

[samgrowth]

This is another entertaining one:

Like most Red Shirt activities... it's a cheapo copy... that lacks substance or character on its own.

Cheapo? Yes

Copy? No, this clip is 8 months old, and have been view 28,000 times.

[YORKSHIREPUD]

Thaksin needs to be exiled from this great country forever, for the sake of the people and the future of Thailand, it's been proved that he is a traitor to the people and the country, to extradite him would be a big big mistake, don't ever let him have the chance to put his foot in the threshold of this land of smiles ever again.

He cannot be punished for his crimes here, he has too much money, he can buy his way out of anything if he is allowed to re-enter this land of beautiful people.

[sriracha john]

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega shakes hands with former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

REUTERS

Thaksin running out of hiding places

As former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra travels around the world, international police are preparing arrest warrants against him, reported The Age.

These moves come after the Thai government revoked his passport, accusing him of inciting the protests that disrupted the ASEAN Summit in Pattaya last weekend and later caused chaos in Bangkok.

He made frequent video and telephone speeches to his supporters as they disrupted the summit and then rampaged through the streets of Bangkok.

On Tuesday, the Thai government issued the latest arrest warrant against Thaksin, accusing him of inciting people to break the law in last week's violence.

The next day, the Nicaraguan government said it issued a passport to Thaksin in January, naming him an 'ambassador on a special mission' to bring investment to the country.

Despite facing corruption charges, Thaksin has travelled to Australia, China, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Cambodia in his private jet.

At these locations, he has frequently given interviews that have fuelled the conflict that has bitterly divided Thailand since 2006.

A spokesman for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told The Age that it 'understands that an arrest warrant has been issued' for Thaksin, but declined to comment on the Thai legal system and political process, or any future requests by Thaksin to visit the country.

But Thaksin may soon not have many places to hide.

Long before Tuesday's warrant, the Thai government asked Interpol to arrest Thaksin once it had found out his whereabouts.

The international police agency has issued a 'red' notice on Thaksin, reported The Nation. The notice is recognised in various countries and serves as a legal basis for his arrest and extradition.

The Thai government is also working towards extraditing Thaksin from China and has begun similar talks with Hong Kong and Dubai, where Thaksin is believed to be hiding.

It may only be a matter of time before he has to return home to face the music himself.

- The Electric New Paper (Singapore) / 2009-04-19

[brahmburgers]

It may only be a matter of time before he has to return home to face the music himself.

- The Electric New Paper (Singapore) / 2009-04-19

I hope upon hope the current big shots in Bangkok don't succeed in getting T to return to Thailand.

They wouldn't be shooting themselves in the foot by doing so, they would be stuffing a stick of dynamite in the shaky foundation of Thai well-being. ....essentially destroying whatever fragile bit of progress is being made toward national reconciliation.

It would be like a family which had a guest kid stay at their place. The teenager was constantly disruptive, and would steal and dominate everyone in the place. He finally leaves, but keeps calling and stirring up trouble in his former pad. Why would his former hosts want to force him to return?!

Bringing T back to Thailand would cause either big problems or gigantic problems for Thailand and its people.

T's star is fading fast. Let him fade to away. Bringing him to Thailand would only stir things up and embellish his cult status. It would be akin to the last Russian Czar, Nicholas, bringing Rasputin back, or the U.S. congress bringing back Nixon - after such fiends' demise.

He won't be 'facing the music" if he returns. He'll be playing the tunes, and the powers-that-be will be gyrating all over the place in response.

Edited April 19, 2009 by brahmburgers

[LawnGnome]

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega shakes hands with former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

REUTERS

Thaksin running out of hiding places

As former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra travels around the world, international police are preparing arrest warrants against him, reported The Age.

These moves come after the Thai government revoked his passport, accusing him of inciting the protests that disrupted the ASEAN Summit in Pattaya last weekend and later caused chaos in Bangkok.

He made frequent video and telephone speeches to his supporters as they disrupted the summit and then rampaged through the streets of Bangkok.

On Tuesday, the Thai government issued the latest arrest warrant against Thaksin, accusing him of inciting people to break the law in last week's violence.

The next day, the Nicaraguan government said it issued a passport to Thaksin in January, naming him an 'ambassador on a special mission' to bring investment to the country.

Despite facing corruption charges, Thaksin has travelled to Australia, China, Hong Kong, Dubai, and Cambodia in his private jet.

At these locations, he has frequently given interviews that have fuelled the conflict that has bitterly divided Thailand since 2006.

A spokesman for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told The Age that it 'understands that an arrest warrant has been issued' for Thaksin, but declined to comment on the Thai legal system and political process, or any future requests by Thaksin to visit the country.

But Thaksin may soon not have many places to hide.

Long before Tuesday's warrant, the Thai government asked Interpol to arrest Thaksin once it had found out his whereabouts.

The international police agency has issued a 'red' notice on Thaksin, reported The Nation. The notice is recognised in various countries and serves as a legal basis for his arrest and extradition.

The Thai government is also working towards extraditing Thaksin from China and has begun similar talks with Hong Kong and Dubai, where Thaksin is believed to be hiding.

It may only be a matter of time before he has to return home to face the music himself.

- The Electric New Paper (Singapore) / 2009-04-19

Tick Tick Tick Mr. Thaksin...

[LawnGnome]

Where Thaksin went wrong

By: Voranai VanijakaPublished: 19/04/2009 at 12:00 AMNewspaper section: News Remember hundreds of thuggish men armed with axes, machetes and other weapons attempting to take over Bangkok and succeeding in vandalising the Royal Cliff Beach Resort's convention centre in Pattaya?

Remember an angry mob trying to kidnap Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and sending Asean leaders scurrying away? Secretary-general to the PM Niphon Phromphan left with broken ribs?

Remember gas trucks planted in different areas in Bangkok - their explosions can wipe out entire city blocks?

Remember reports of two civilians supposedly gunned down by the red shirts; taunting and wielding of weapons, burning of buses and tyres?

Remember that one guy, who unzipped and urinated on the street, in an act of mocking defiance, in front of soldiers and all the cameras?

Remember - and this is by far my favourite - the two red-shirt women ranting and raving, running up to a group of men? One, a flabby woman perhaps in her forties, took off her shirt, revealing a black bra, in rage, posturing and taunting the men? While the other one simply jumped on a man and attacked him?

Images on TV. What went through your mind while watching? Many thoughts, no doubt. Though I would venture that most of our thoughts more or less came to the same conclusion. Which was: "Holy crap! Somebody better do something! Call in the marines! Where's spider-man?! These thugs are going nuts! Wait a sec! Are they gonna come after me next?" Chaos, anarchy, the absence of law - scary stuff.

That, fellow citizens, residents, illegals and everyone else, is why Thaksin Shinawatra and the red shirts failed in their uprising. He wanted, needed popular backing. But instead of inspiring and rallying, the red shirts scared the pah khao ma (traditional sarong), the Gucci pants and fisherman's pants off the poor, the rich and the farang respectively alike.

TV images of thugs running amok all over the city is too unsavoury. It turned public opinion against him. Not all, of course. But enough to lose the Songkran War for Thaksin.

Thaksin was banking on his popularity, sure of a mass uprising to support him and oust the Democrat-led coalition government, paving the way for his exoneration and return to power - that was the goal. It could have happened. I, for one, have always thought that Thaksin is the most popular man in Thailand. Well, next to singing sensations Golf & Mike, of course - we Thais have our priorities straight.

But alas, it wasn't meant to be.

You can blame it on poor generalship. Whoever is chief advisor to Thaksin should be fired. Hire me instead. I want a flat in London and a life-time supply of free chips at a Cambodian casino. I read Sun Tzu's Art of War once in elementary school, so I'm qualified!

Why did yellow succeed and red fail? Both started as peaceful demonstrations, then graduated to terrorism.

The PAD's "final solution" was taking the airport hostage. Sure, there were weapons, violence and deaths. But there was also organisation to the movement. Key leaders were always visible, leading the charge, keeping the mob under control. For the rest of us Thais, Suvarnabhumi is way over there - isolated, way, way, way over there. It was annoying. It was unfortunate. It was inconvenient. But it did not threaten people of their properties. It's not right outside our windows. Unless a trip was planned, it didn't directly touch us.

The UDD's "final solution", on the other hand, was to take over Bangkok. Oops. Who thought that one up? An armed mob running amok all over the city. Key leaders were nowhere in sight. Citizens were threatened and killed. Yup, that will win over public opinion alright. Their actions were way, way, way too near and menacing for comfort. People's revolution? Nope, mob rule.

Like in many cultures and societies, we Thais too prefer to bury our heads in a rice bowl - see no evil, hear no evil - as long as evil is a safe distance away. But this one was right in our faces, and no amount of mascara or skin-whitening cream could hide our terror. It's a matter of proximity, and we won't stand for it.

The red shirts came undone because of images on TV. No wonder they threatened the media with violence, for being so bias as to capture realities with cameras.

So here we are. PM Abhisit emerged from the Songkran War looking prettier than he usually does. People are quick to forgive his earlier misjudgment and indecisiveness. He recovered well enough. Through careful orchestration, and perhaps sheer luck, the military did not end up killing anyone - at least not that we know of at the moment. Many now call him a national hero for exercising the virtue of patience and taking control of the situation.

Thaksin, meanwhile, in reports from Dubai on Friday, has softened his stan

ce and said he's willing to talk. Well, that's what he said.

Is it over? Of course not. Also on Friday, there was an attempted assassination on PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul. Fortunately, if not miraculously, he survived a close range attack by gunmen with automatic weapons, who fired almost 100 rounds. Well, whatever Buddhist relic Sondhi was wearing, look for copies to become the hottest selling items in Thailand since Roti Boy. Anyway, this conflict might go underground and get even uglier.

Is it over? Of course not. This is beyond Thaksin, Sondhi, red or yellow. History has shown that, be it coup, murder, corruption, uprising, terrorism or whatever other evils the rich and powerful orchestrated - rarely, if at all, does anyone ever get punished. Rarely, if at all, does anyone ever get held responsible. So there will always continue to be coups, murders, corruption, uprisings, terrorism and others. Why not? Rarely, if at all, are there ever any repercussions.

Is it over? Of course not. This is beyond Thaksin, Sondhi, red or yellow. When disaster strikes due to the incompetence and ineptitude of officials, no one is ever fired or jailed. At worst, they get transferred to continue being incompetent in another government post. How that's for encouraging criminals into believing they stand a good chance of terrorising the country?

All these, of course, are mai pen rai. But don't post any inappropriate content on the internet, or the wrath will be upon you like white on jasmine rice! We Thais have our priorities straight.

Source - BKK Post - http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion...ksin-went-wrong

[webfact]

Abhisit asked to replace Kasit, Korbsak

By THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Published on April 19, 2009

Coalition leaders are pressuring Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for changes in the Cabinet line-up involving two key figures from his Democrat Party, sources in the government say.

Leaders from other coalition parties have asked the prime minister to replace Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu, who is in charge of economic affairs, and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, according to the sources.

They are dissatisfied with Korbsak's "strictness" in the allocation of state budget to projects overseen by Cabinet members from the smaller coalition parties.

Kasit's appointment to the Cabinet despite his role in last year's protest, which involved seizure of Bangkok's two airports, raised eyebrows among coalition leaders at the time, the sources said.

Korbsak said yesterday that it would depend on the prime minister whether he fell foul of a Cabinet reshuffle.

Abhisit met leaders from other coalition parties on Friday at the house of his secretary-general Nipon Prombhand in the Lat Phrao area.

Nipon was injured when angry red-shirt protesters assaulted him at the Interior Ministry.

Nipon is likely to ask to be replaced after the incident, according to one government source.

He is expected to be replaced by Democrat MP Sirichok Sopha.

The coalition leaders agreed to the need for constitutional amendment, particularly of certain problematic clauses at the centre of the political conflict that culminated in last week's riot in the capital, according to the source.

They also agreed to the idea of an amnesty for people facing legal complications due to their involvement in the political conflict, on condition that they have not been convicted in a criminal case.

- THE NATION -

[animatic]

It may only be a matter of time before he has to return home to face the music himself.

- The Electric New Paper (Singapore) / 2009-04-19

I hope upon hope the current big shots in Bangkok don't succeed in getting T to return to Thailand.

They wouldn't be shooting themselves in the foot by doing so, they would be stuffing a stick of dynamite in the shaky foundation of Thai well-being. ....essentially destroying whatever fragile bit of progress is being made toward national reconciliation.

It would be like a family which had a guest kid stay at their place. The teenager was constantly disruptive, and would steal and dominate everyone in the place. He finally leaves, but keeps calling and stirring up trouble in his former pad. Why would his former hosts want to force him to return?!

Bringing T back to Thailand would cause either big problems or gigantic problems for Thailand and its people.

T's star is fading fast. Let him fade to away. Bringing him to Thailand would only stir things up and embellish his cult status. It would be akin to the last Russian Czar, Nicholas, bringing Rasputin back, or the U.S. congress bringing back Nixon - after such fiends' demise.

He won't be 'facing the music" if he returns. He'll be playing the tunes, and the powers-that-be will be gyrating all over the place in response.

Nixon went quietly into retirement, then discretely waited about 10 years

before writing several well received books on international political issues.

He actually did what Thaksin refused to do. He left politics.

And when after a suiable spell he became a discrete commentator,

and he was rehabilitated as a useful citizen.

He never left the country.

Thaksin has made that impossible for himself.

[LawnGnome]

Abhisit asked to replace Kasit, Korbsak

By THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Published on April 19, 2009

Coalition leaders are pressuring Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for changes in the Cabinet line-up involving two key figures from his Democrat Party, sources in the government say.

Leaders from other coalition parties have asked the prime minister to replace Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu, who is in charge of economic affairs, and Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, according to the sources.

They are dissatisfied with Korbsak's "strictness" in the allocation of state budget to projects overseen by Cabinet members from the smaller coalition parties.

Kasit's appointment to the Cabinet despite his role in last year's protest, which involved seizure of Bangkok's two airports, raised eyebrows among coalition leaders at the time, the sources said.

Korbsak said yesterday that it would depend on the prime minister whether he fell foul of a Cabinet reshuffle.

Abhisit met leaders from other coalition parties on Friday at the house of his secretary-general Nipon Prombhand in the Lat Phrao area.

Nipon was injured when angry red-shirt protesters assaulted him at the Interior Ministry.

Nipon is likely to ask to be replaced after the incident, according to one government source.

He is expected to be replaced by Democrat MP Sirichok Sopha.

The coalition leaders agreed to the need for constitutional amendment, particularly of certain problematic clauses at the centre of the political conflict that culminated in last week's riot in the capital, according to the source.

They also agreed to the idea of an amnesty for people facing legal complications due to their involvement in the political conflict, on condition that they have not been convicted in a criminal case.

- THE NATION -

Personally, I would dump Kasit as well. Not because of any PAD connections, I don't really care about that. But more for the fact that he doesn't strike me as "diplomatic". To many Thaksin/Samak speak before you think moments.

I don't think they finance guy has any worry at the moment. I have been impressed with the speed that they have come up with economic stimulus packages, and I think the coalition partners are just sqealiing for a bigger slice of the pie. That won't happen until the next election cycle, when they manage to pick up about 50 seats from the "Now irrelevant" PTP.

[animatic]

Dumping a strong financial manager for being too 'strict '

in times of a world wide financial melt down

is about as stupid an idea as playing

mumbly peg with hand grenades.

Kasit has never been as bad as Noppadom was,

but yeah, he probably does shoot from the hip a bit too much for a diplopmat.

Still getting faced off with Hun Sen takes a bit of a hard case too.

I suspect Hun Sen respects him more for having NOT played nice.

Subtlety is not a strong point for that strongman.

Still dumping either should be rather low on the priority list right now.

Edited April 19, 2009 by animatic

[suthnuh]

So much hatred. For Thailand to have any chance of moving forward this has to stop.

Thaksin may be bad, but he was not half as bad as Bush, and America did not solve its problems though which hunts.

People should really try to get back to their senses. Lets face it, Thaksin is mainly a great threat to a small powerful elite.

I find Thaksin to be worse than Bush on many points.

You might not agree on the politics, but atleast look at the numbers and aim with their rule.

Really...lets name a few things. Torture, starting a war based on lies, politically motivated firing of attorneys, illegal wiretapping without going through congress, leaking of CIA agent, denial of global warming, reconstruction of Iraq without bidding or oversight..

But for sure...checks and balances are much stronger in the US than in Thailand, and a US president can only do so much damage.

Oh my, where to begin?

1. Torture - You mean 'enhanced' interviewing? You prefer what? Public beheading on Al Jazeera?

2. Starting a war based on lies - which lies? You can't be referring to the WMD samples retrieved and delivered to the UN, which they then misplaced and rediscovered in their NY offices can you? Maybe you're referring to the rape and dismemberment of Iraq women perpetrated by Hussein's (Sadam, not Barak) son? Or possibly the testing of chemical WMD on the Kurds... Iraqi citizens? No. Certainly you wouldn't be referring to any of those.

3. Politically motivated firing of attorneys - as opposed to what? The political appointing of judges? Seriously now, say it isn't so.

4. Illegal wiretapping - Of whom? International calls going into the USA from locations within nations that are known to support and sponsor terrorists? By the way... the US congress doesn't "approve" wire tapping. A judge does that by authorizing a warrant.

5. Leaking of CIA agent - You surely are referring to Lewis Libby who was tried and convicted, and not President Bush who was not... right?

6. Global warming - Are you serious? You do realize that the ambient temperature, at least in the USA, is now moving lower. So, it needs to get cooler for global warming? Wow, so that's what happened to the dinosaurs! Try again.

7. Reconstruction of Iraq without bidding - Okay so the process was badly implemented, but your alternative is what? Not rebuilding Iraq? I think in this case the new schools, hospitals, homes, and infrastructures installed can speak for themselves. It's already done. And the process has been corrected. We blew up the facilities, it's only right we build new ones, and we've done more than just rebuild items ruined by the war. So I'll let this stand as it's own example.

I'm not a big Bush fan. I didn't vote for him. But I will defend against misinformed half-truths.

Cheers,

S

[brahmburgers]

Thaksin may be bad, but he was not half as bad as Bush,

Two very different people. I'm an American, and have consistently been opposed to Bush's policies. However, Bush didn't try to turn his power position into a personal self-enriching fiefdom, as T did. Bush mislead sometimes, but T has actively lied the whole time he's been in the limelight. I challenge anyone, of any color shirt, to find one public statement that T has made in the past 8 years that has not been a lie. Bush didn't run from responsibilities and commitments. T consistently has.

If you want to compare T to others, try comparing him to Philippines' Marcos or Indonesia's Sukarno or Suharto. Those are similar despots.

Edited April 19, 2009 by brahmburgers

[samgrowth]

Why compare Thaksin with Bush, when you can compare Thaksin with Saddam, Lee Kuan Yew, etc.

Edited April 19, 2009 by samgrowth

[Rinrada]

You were saying......

Memos show Bush administraion authorized torture

Brunei News.Net

Saturday 18th April, 2009

Declassified memos, just released, show the Bush administration authorized the CIA to engage in harsh torture techniques.Those that carried out the torture however will not be held accountable.

Four memos released by the Justice Department Thursday, set our various techniques including the use of a plastic neck collar to repeatedly slam a prisoner into a wall, confining a suspect in a box with insects, keeping detainees naked, and standing in painful positions. The memos also approve slapping, sleep deprivation, and waterboarding - a technique that simulates drowning.

In a statement, U.S. President Barack Obama said his administration will not prosecute agents who carried out the harsh interrogations, but he left open the possibility of prosecuting anyone who acted without legal authority.

Michael Hayden, who led the CIA under then-President George W. Bush, blasted the release, saying foreign governments will think the CIA "can't keep a secret" and are now less likely to cooperate with the United States.

Current CIA director Leon Panetta released a statement Thursday, saying there are new policies in place, but he strongly opposes efforts to prosecute those who were carrying out interrogation practices that had been approved at the time.

The director of national intelligence, Dennis Blair, said it is important to remember that the CIA was struggling to obtain critical information from captured al-Qaida leaders after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In a statement, he said those techniques will not be used in the future.

The memos were released Thursday to meet a federal court deadline in response to a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union.

An ACLU spokesman, Alex Abdo, praised the Obama administration for releasing the memos but said transparency is not enough.

The rights group Amnesty International welcomed the documents' release but criticized the government's decision to not hold accountable those responsible for committing "acts of torture."