Thailand Revokes Thaksin's Passport

[chrislarsson]

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.

[midas]

This interesting comment was on the BBC World website carrying this story.

BBC are usually known for acurate reporting

Secret location

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva welcomed the end of the protests on Tuesday, but said his government would remain on guard.

He is now working from a secret location because he fears an assassination attempt, our correspondent says.

Mr Abhisit has accused Mr Thaksin's supporters of stockpiling weapons for a possible armed struggle against the government.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7999586.stm

[TAWP]

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.

[grahamhc]

There are photos of him on some web site (here?, 2BKK) with a Nicaraguan diplomatic pasport. Dunno if real or photoshopped.

Surely you mean Nigerian, with a serial number 419.

Then he can send out '000s of emails asking people to help him get his money out of Thailand, if they just send him their bank details ........

[chrislarsson]

shouldnt we execute Mr Thaksin too when he order to use REAL GUN to kill drug dealer and innnocent bystander?? Where is the human right then...

The war on drugs was bad, but I really never heard many Thais complaining about it at the time it happened. Can anyone show the demonstrations against Thaksin in 2003?

[lannarebirth]

I am no supporter of Thaksin or anyone else - as far as I can see ALL politicians are corrupt in one way or another - as indeed are most people on different levels. Depends on the definition of corruption - in my view pretty much the whole of the free economy is corrupt in that the basis for exchanging good is largley "profit and greed" rather than "survival and need"

I have no knowledge of whether ex-pm Thaksin was doing better things for the poor outside of Bangkok but what I am sure of is that he was "perceived" as person who took money away from Bangkok to distribute to poorer areas. I remain convinced that it was this and not his illegal activities that caused the popular protests that led to the coup. An independent examination of all politicians would probably leave most of them unsuitable to govern.

The current government, any government, could remove any effect Thaksin has on the situaton by really beginning to organise fairer distribution of Thailands wealth. That can only be achieved by higher taxation on wealthier people (including I suspect many ex-pats) to build the schools, hospitals, communications, and better housing needed in the poorest parts of Thailand.

This would of course no doubt greatly upset the yellow shirts as they quite clearly fear the notion of real democracy - where the poor uneducated farmer's vote has the same power as that of a millionaire. Why is that I wonder? could it be that the rich realise they are part of a very small and very selfish minority?

Actually, Abhisit has already started a dialogue on higher taxation of both inheritance and property (not sure about income). He has IMO a great vision, but iit requires time and funding. One side wants to give him no time, the other no funding.

[lannarebirth]

This interesting comment was on the BBC World website carrying this story.

BBC are usually known for acurate reporting

Secret location

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva welcomed the end of the protests on Tuesday, but said his government would remain on guard.

He is now working from a secret location because he fears an assassination attempt, our correspondent says.

Mr Abhisit has accused Mr Thaksin's supporters of stockpiling weapons for a possible armed struggle against the government.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7999586.stm

There would appear to be some justification for his caution:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KD15Ae03.html

[chrislarsson]

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.

Edited April 15, 2009 by chrislarsson

[baht&sold]

BREAKING NEWS:

Following heroically saving the citizens of Din Daeng flats from potential incineration by the reds, the caped crusader is now being enlisted to capture and return Dr Thaksin:

Batman saves Bangkok - now hunting Thailand's own Dr Evil:

Edited April 15, 2009 by baht&sold

[norwayeagle]

Mr Thaksin have to options,jump a bridge,or come back and face it.quess he will try EVERYTHING first,his "hardisk" is full and need defragmentation or else it will all run over. Just a matter of time now! Who am i?(Former Military analytic and observer)

[Big Guy]

shouldnt we execute Mr Thaksin too when he order to use REAL GUN to kill drug dealer and innnocent bystander?? Where is the human right then...

The war on drugs was bad, but I really never heard many Thais complaining about it at the time it happened. Can anyone show the demonstrations against Thaksin in 2003?

In fact most thais are worried about the present drug situation and prefer the way taksin dealt with it rather than just ignoring it as they are doing at present

[ballpoint]

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.

Yep, that's a concise summary of Thaksin's crimes, except you got the attorney one wrong, it should read "political motivated murder of attorneys", now how 'bout George W?

[plachon]

Mmmm ... the courts already ruled against him last year. He has already been convicted of another crime. So in theory, that should be enough without the need to go through the courts again.

Honestly, I don't understand those who stick up for Thaksin in any way. Heads buried in the sand.

..............or in quite a number of cases, on his payroll. How many are down at the 500 baht / day end is a moot point, but judging by the quality of some of the sycophants we see on Thaivisa, apparently quite a few are on basic pay.

[321niti123]

Finally, someone does something about thaksin, this has gone on long enough

[h90]

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.

well Thaksin: 3000 War against Drugs

Bush 1.500.000 with Afghanistan and Iraq

[midas]

There would appear to be some justification for his caution:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KD15Ae03.html

Incredible! Those that think it has fizzled out dont realise what could be

brewing in the dark corners of Isaan

[Plus]

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.

Tortue - used on Southern muslims all the time.

War based on lies - ok, he hadn't started any wars. Only a drug war where two thirds of dead had no connections with drugs whatsover, sort of like hitting Iraq of WMD and 9/11

Politically motivated firing of attorneys - kids stuff comparing to what Thaksin did with Thai mitiary, law enforcement, judiciary and check and balance agencies. For example, Thaksin appointed his cousin as a Supreme Commander, among other things.

Illegal wiretapping - a couple of months after assuming office, Thaksin issued a secret order to illegaly investigate and monitor the activities of prominent Thai media owners

Leaking of a CIA agent - we don't have anything like that here, but, perhaps, snatching and killing a prominent muslim laywer in the broad daylight on a busy street could qualify.

Denial of global warming - hmm, how about telling UN Human rights commissioner that "UN is not my father and why don't you go and investigate your own country first"? Also how about publicly stating that democracy is not Thailand's goal and other approaches are needed when dealing with simple villagers?

reconstruction of Iraq without bidding or oversight. - we had our little Suwarnabhumi airport saga here, with about 20% of funds gone into private pockets.

>>>

Maybe Thaksin is not as bad as Bush, but he's also a tin pot dictator from a developing country, you need to cut us some slack here.

[raro]

And now what. If worst comes to worst, he will flee to Uganda or Burundi and be able to live quite comfortably in the presidential palace there with his billions.

this was mentioned a couple times here. Thaksin doesn't have billions. he at one time before last year had as much as 2 billion US, but 68 billion baht was seized (that's nearly 2 billion US).

when he had to sell Manchester City the BBC said he had less than 300 million US in assets. that may be a lot to you and me, but its poverty when u were a billionaire and u no longer have a legitimate way of making money. his debts im sure go way beyond his assets.

as far as Abhisit, i wasn't sure if i liked him, since he gained power thru civil unrest (and closing BKK). but i think he handled this week great and i'm thinking he gained the loyalty of a lot more people.

of course he looks like a fool to the rest of the world, but thats just Thailand lol

First off, Abhisit came to power in a process lined out in the Thai constitution. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, similar things happened for instance in Germany when Willy Brandt came to power and later Helmut Kohl.

As for Thaksin's cashflow, I also sense that he is running a bit short on cash. This would explain why he is so desperate to recoup the frozen assets in Thailand. Just looked at the Forbe's list and there are three billionnaires listed for Thailand - Thaksin is not among them.

[bonobo]

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 am no fan of Bush, but despite his faults and mistakes, there is no doubt in my mind that he acted in what he thought was in the best interest of the country.  I can't say the same for Thaksin.  I think he acted primarily in what was in the best interest for himself.  

[rixalex]

When will you people realise Taksin has the majority support in the country,

I'll realise it when it happens to be true.

Reds want democracy,

If that were true, why do they campaign under the banner of Thaksin?

Why not have a total amnesty

Why not? Because people who break the law should face justice. If a poor man steals 100 baht you can be certain they'll be no amnesty for him. Why one rule for the poor and one for the rich and powerful?

[kalumevillage]

dear friends,

my impression is that thaksin want to come back and go to court, i think we will have some surprise

[crocodilexp]

What is the penalty for Treason - if found guilty?

It's not treason if you succeed.

No worries -- yellows are safe on this count.

[lannarebirth]

What is the penalty for Treason - if found guilty?

It's not treason if you succeed.

No worries -- yellows are safe on this count.

PAD leaders were charged with treason and the charges were reduced by Thailand's Appeals Court during the Somchai Wongsawat government.

[bonobo]

What is sad is that initally, Thaksin had a strong mandate from the poor as well as from the business community.  With that mandate, he could have been one of the truly great ones.  But he alientated the business class, turned the Islamic community totally against him, then turned staunch royalists away.   

If he could have worked for the betterment of Thailand instead of the betterment of the Thaksin family, the country would not have had to go through the turmoil that it has.

[crocodilexp]

First off, Abhisit came to power in a process lined out in the Thai constitution. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, similar things happened for instance in Germany when Willy Brandt came to power and later Helmut Kohl.

Wait... was it Brandt or Kohl that was elected owing to the fact that courts appointed by a military junta disqualified two prime ministers (one for hosting a cooking show), disbanded the ruling party twice, and then his party paid off several MPs and kept them locked in a hotel over the weekend so the ruling party could not bribe them back? I do need to brush up on my German history...

For the record, Thai "constitution" was written by the military after a coup and approved in a referendum where real choice was "this constitution or junta rule of indefinite length". It's not exactly a revered and time-tested legal document like the U.S. Constitution. It's obvious to anyone familiar with Thailand that legal system here is not quite exemplary. Courts turn with the wind -- when Thaksin was the PM, he was almost convicted of corruption on strong evidence, but judges voted to free him with no explanation given.

[roamer]

What passport he now holds, if any, matters little. It is only a document that allows you to travel from place to place. It does not guarantee you admission or residence. Much like Gary Glitter you have to find a place willing to take you. Its hard to think of anywhere now ready to do this after the events of the last week, for better or worse I think Thaksin will be back in LOS before me and I'm returning in a few months.

[JacknDanny]

It seems everyone is missing the point. Thaksin cares not about the passport or Thailand. He wants to reclaim 2 things

1. the face he lost when they threw him out

2. the Billions the goverment has of his

He sold the football team to the Arabs I am sure withe the condition he could stay there.

Man City was sold to a consortium from Abu Dhabi, NOT Dubai.

One of the conditions of the sale was that Thaksin be made honorary president of the club. A position he held for a very short period of time, before the owners fired him off, when all the corruption cases started piling up against him, and they realised what a tw@t he was.

I very much doubt that these same owners would have any wish offer him any protection in Dubai.

[chrislarsson]

And now what. If worst comes to worst, he will flee to Uganda or Burundi and be able to live quite comfortably in the presidential palace there with his billions.

this was mentioned a couple times here. Thaksin doesn't have billions. he at one time before last year had as much as 2 billion US, but 68 billion baht was seized (that's nearly 2 billion US).

when he had to sell Manchester City the BBC said he had less than 300 million US in assets. that may be a lot to you and me, but its poverty when u were a billionaire and u no longer have a legitimate way of making money. his debts im sure go way beyond his assets.

as far as Abhisit, i wasn't sure if i liked him, since he gained power thru civil unrest (and closing BKK). but i think he handled this week great and i'm thinking he gained the loyalty of a lot more people.

of course he looks like a fool to the rest of the world, but thats just Thailand lol

First off, Abhisit came to power in a process lined out in the Thai constitution. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, similar things happened for instance in Germany when Willy Brandt came to power and later Helmut Kohl.

As for Thaksin's cashflow, I also sense that he is running a bit short on cash. This would explain why he is so desperate to recoup the frozen assets in Thailand. Just looked at the Forbe's list and there are three billionnaires listed for Thailand - Thaksin is not among them.

The problem is that the constitutional court has been politicized. Do anybody believe that Abhisit will get dismissed if he appears in a cooking show?

[plachon]

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.

It also has to be borne in mind that Bush was a puppet President, while Thaksin was very much the puppet-master, both in power and in exile. Also, there is no evidence that Bush ever went insane. The same cannot be said for Thaksin.

[LTGTR]

He'll have an Emirates passport by tomorrow.