Thailand Revokes Thaksin's Passport

[Richard W]

Revoking his passport wont solve much in the long run.

In a few years time, the 111 members who were banned will form a new party, come election time they will probably win.

They did (PPP), but had family members standing in their stead. However, they didn't secure a majority.

It's a long over due step. But I wonder what other passports he has..hmmm

Hopefully a lot, he still represents 65% or more of the electorate

His supporters got less than 50% of the votes cast in the last election (Dec '07).

[henryalleman]

Thailand revokes Thaksin's passport

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has revoked the passport of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra for allegedly inciting protests that disrupted a major Asian summit, a government spokesman said Wednesday.

Asian leaders were forced to flee the summit in the coastal resort of Pattaya by helicopter on Saturday after pro-Thaksin demonstrators stormed the venue in an international embarrassment for the government.

"The foreign ministry has cancelled his passport," government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told AFP. "The incident on the 11th is the reason."

"The decision to cancel his passport was based on passport issuing regulations, which state that the ministry can cancel or recall a passport if it can prove that a person has caused damage to the country," he said.

Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and lives in exile to avoid a two-year jail term for a corruption conviction. He has made a series of speeches to his supporters in Thailand by videolink and phone in recent weeks.

A Thai court issued an arrest warrant for Thaksin and 12 of his key supporters on Tuesday over anti-government protests in Bangkok that left two people dead the previous day.

The demonstrators abandoned a three-week vigil outside Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's offices on Tuesday to avoid a threatened military crackdown.

- AFP 2009-04-15

This is the last straw.

Sooner or later, he will be trapped in one of the very few countries that might allow him to stay, assuming he bribes their leaders, and they aren't particularly interested in maintaining relations with Thailand.

Marcos, the Shah, Duvalier – Thaksin just joined their ranks, and it's just a matter of time.

Patience, my friends.

You forgot one important thing. Non of the above opened their mouth in exile and instigate publicly an revolution.

Thaksin broke this golden rule, therefore he will become an international outcast who will not be welcome in any country.

[Richard W]

Anyway not 1 person slightly injured from M16??? is very hard to believe considering.

Slight injuries seem unlikely. Actually, some of the protestorsrioters were reported by the hospitals to be seriously injured.

May be a little off topic but about passports, did you know Abhisit has 2 Passports?

I guess he will have to give one up as its against the constitution to be dual nationality?

Conflict of interest and all that red tape stuff.

Unless he changes the law of course.

Law's already been changed. You'd know that if you read the visa forums.

[arco27]

So, Thaksin is now officially Persona non grata........."an unwelcome person,".........

Doesn't that mean he's no longer allowed to enter Thailand? Hurts the extradition process a bit, doesn't it?

He will probably retire in a villa on the lake of Geneva. I just hope that the Swiss Banks lost his money the way they lost mine

[monkfish]

We all have to read and use our brain matter to figure out the truth!

This has happened before in Thailand i.e. people killed and just vanish i.e Thammasat University I believe so we can not rule it out,

It may however not be the case which I really hope to be true.

One thing I couldn't work out in the crackdown is why Soldiers were shooting prone! Really no need with paper bullets???

Thai media don't help in the matter by not reporting the whole truth, this only leads to rumors and many Thai people already

believe it was a cover up! They claim not to have used live bullets but there is video evidence from UK TV they did.

Anyway not 1 person slightly injured from M16??? is very hard to believe considering.

Rubbish- Besides the media, how many Thais do you know that don't have a camera phone? If anyone was shot by the Thai military there would be hundreds of pictures and video clips. I'm amazed the Reds didn't shoot a couple of their own members purely for propaganda points. There were many injured during these riots, but no evidence of anyone being shot by an M16.

All of the pictures and videos to date show that the violence was instigated and perpetrated by the armed Red Shirt Terrorists while the Thai police did nothing and the Thai military showed amazing discipline and restraint.

I can accept your opinions but calling them Terrorists is out of order!!

I really hope for all our sake they are not Terrorists!!

They were Thai protesters attacked with M16 Assault rifles!

How did they Know they were loaded with blanks?

As far as they were concerned they were fighting for there lives! What would you do hero?

If all Red shirts are Terrorists then you are saying half Thailand are Terrorists!! and we are talking at least 10 million!

Pitty they were not all in Bangkok ehh?

Mostly Red Shirts are poor Issan farmers who earn less than 7000BHT living 7 people to 1 room and live in wooden shacks..

How can you call them Terrorists??? It really turned my stomach to see M16's used against them.Bxxxger Fxxxck Fxxk bxxxds

[wolf5370]

What is the penalty for Treason - if found guilty?

as you likely know, most of Thai law is based on English law and treason was a capital offence

although hanging was abolished in 1965, treason remained on the statute as a hanging offence

i suspect it still may be, but i am not 100% sure

certainly its not been used as a punishment for treason for many years

i would guess its still on the thai statute.

In England the death penalty has not been abolished.

There is still a working gallows at Wandsworth jail.

And presumably there is still a hangman on a retainer.

The death penalty has been abolished for murder.

The death penalty is still there for treason.

I think. Please correct me if I am wrong.

OK. You are wrong The death penaly was still in existance for high treason and buring HM dockyards up until the 1998 when it was abolished. There is no death sentance in the UK - and the last deah penalty was carried out in 1964 for muder (death penalty abolished for murder in 1969)

Sorry, its now just an urban myth.

[monkfish]

Anyway not 1 person slightly injured from M16??? is very hard to believe considering.

Slight injuries seem unlikely. Actually, some of the protestorsrioters were reported by the hospitals to be seriously injured.

May be a little off topic but about passports, did you know Abhisit has 2 Passports?

I guess he will have to give one up as its against the constitution to be dual nationality?

Conflict of interest and all that red tape stuff.

Unless he changes the law of course.

Law's already been changed. You'd know that if you read the visa forums.

Good for him! I like the man somehow English n all that, just his bosses i don't like.

Hope they don't get him on corruption charges for changing the law when required!

[wolf5370]

I was talking to an educated, quite well to do, middle aged Thai woman today. She didn't like Thaksin much, which I was not suprised with. However she is worried that now he has gone that the western-like PC libralism will allow the muslims to encroach much further into the kingdom. She is already worried about the incursions in the South from Malaysian Muslims (and the terrorism there) and the amount of Mosques that are going up even in the North. She believes that Muslim ghettoisation/enclaving is pushing the local Buddhist Thais away from these areas with subtle intimidation (mostly noise she said, but also with continual complaints).

Whether she is right or wrong in her views of the Muslim spread or not is secondary to this discussion, but it is interesting that she would have Thaksin back because she she's him as strong and the current (and even possible future) administration as weak and fears loosing her culture due to missplaced political correctness.

[BigBikeBKK]

We all have to read and use our brain matter to figure out the truth!

This has happened before in Thailand i.e. people killed and just vanish i.e Thammasat University I believe so we can not rule it out,

It may however not be the case which I really hope to be true.

One thing I couldn't work out in the crackdown is why Soldiers were shooting prone! Really no need with paper bullets???

Thai media don't help in the matter by not reporting the whole truth, this only leads to rumors and many Thai people already

believe it was a cover up! They claim not to have used live bullets but there is video evidence from UK TV they did.

Anyway not 1 person slightly injured from M16??? is very hard to believe considering.

Rubbish- Besides the media, how many Thais do you know that don't have a camera phone? If anyone was shot by the Thai military there would be hundreds of pictures and video clips. I'm amazed the Reds didn't shoot a couple of their own members purely for propaganda points. There were many injured during these riots, but no evidence of anyone being shot by an M16.

All of the pictures and videos to date show that the violence was instigated and perpetrated by the armed Red Shirt Terrorists while the Thai police did nothing and the Thai military showed amazing discipline and restraint.

I can accept your opinions but calling them Terrorists is out of order!!

I really hope for all our sake they are not Terrorists!!

They were Thai protesters attacked with M16 Assault rifles!

How did they Know they were loaded with blanks?

As far as they were concerned they were fighting for there lives! What would you do hero?

If all Red shirts are Terrorists then you are saying half Thailand are Terrorists!! and we are talking at least 10 million!

Pitty they were not all in Bangkok ehh?

Mostly Red Shirts are poor Issan farmers who earn less than 7000BHT living 7 people to 1 room and live in wooden shacks..

How can you call them Terrorists??? It really turned my stomach to see M16's used against them.Bxxxger Fxxxck Fxxk bxxxds

A terrorist is one that engages in acts or an act of terrorism. Another definition, which applies well to the Red Shirt Terrorists, is the use of violence for the achievement of political ends.

A couple more definitions:

"All criminal acts directed against a State and intended or calculated to create a state of terror in the minds of particular persons or a group of persons or the general public"

United Nations: "criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other nature that may be invoked to justify them"

Red Shirt Terrorists committed terrorist acts. Not every person wearing a red shirt participated in these terrorist acts. But there is no denying that Red Shirts attacked civilians, made public calls for armed insurrection, used LPG trucks and commandeered buses as weapons and potential weapons, etc etc. All caught on film and on video.

Hence it is completely appropriate and accurate to call those who engaged in this violence terrorists.

[BigBikeBKK]

I was talking to an educated, quite well to do, middle aged Thai woman today. She didn't like Thaksin much, which I was not suprised with. However she is worried that now he has gone that the western-like PC libralism will allow the muslims to encroach much further into the kingdom. She is already worried about the incursions in the South from Malaysian Muslims (and the terrorism there) and the amount of Mosques that are going up even in the North. She believes that Muslim ghettoisation/enclaving is pushing the local Buddhist Thais away from these areas with subtle intimidation (mostly noise she said, but also with continual complaints).

Whether she is right or wrong in her views of the Muslim spread or not is secondary to this discussion, but it is interesting that she would have Thaksin back because she she's him as strong and the current (and even possible future) administration as weak and fears loosing her culture due to missplaced political correctness.

Hmmm, interesting idea. However it should be noted that Thaksin's policy on Muslim unrest in the South was a complete disaster...

[wolf5370]

I was talking to an educated, quite well to do, middle aged Thai woman today. She didn't like Thaksin much, which I was not suprised with. However she is worried that now he has gone that the western-like PC libralism will allow the muslims to encroach much further into the kingdom. She is already worried about the incursions in the South from Malaysian Muslims (and the terrorism there) and the amount of Mosques that are going up even in the North. She believes that Muslim ghettoisation/enclaving is pushing the local Buddhist Thais away from these areas with subtle intimidation (mostly noise she said, but also with continual complaints).

Whether she is right or wrong in her views of the Muslim spread or not is secondary to this discussion, but it is interesting that she would have Thaksin back because she she's him as strong and the current (and even possible future) administration as weak and fears loosing her culture due to missplaced political correctness.

Hmmm, interesting idea. However it should be noted that Thaksin's policy on Muslim unrest in the South was a complete disaster...

Oh, I completely agree - that may not be the view of some Thais though.

[selftaopath]

Thailand revokes Thaksin's passport

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has revoked the passport of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra for allegedly inciting protests that disrupted a major Asian summit, a government spokesman said Wednesday.

LOL I have heard much a/b arrest warrants etc. But I wonder where the ACTION is? Often it appears that we hear TALK TALK TALK but no follow through or ACTION. LOL more rhetoric perhaps? This reminds me what a criminology professor of mine stated: If there is NO punishment – there is NO crime. TIT and consequences may only be for the very poor or uneducated. Maybe.

[bf2002]

Thailand revokes Thaksin's passport

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has revoked the passport of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra for allegedly inciting protests that disrupted a major Asian summit, a government spokesman said Wednesday.

Asian leaders were forced to flee the summit in the coastal resort of Pattaya by helicopter on Saturday after pro-Thaksin demonstrators stormed the venue in an international embarrassment for the government.

"The foreign ministry has cancelled his passport," government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told AFP. "The incident on the 11th is the reason."

"The decision to cancel his passport was based on passport issuing regulations, which state that the ministry can cancel or recall a passport if it can prove that a person has caused damage to the country," he said.

Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and lives in exile to avoid a two-year jail term for a corruption conviction. He has made a series of speeches to his supporters in Thailand by videolink and phone in recent weeks.

A Thai court issued an arrest warrant for Thaksin and 12 of his key supporters on Tuesday over anti-government protests in Bangkok that left two people dead the previous day.

The demonstrators abandoned a three-week vigil outside Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's offices on Tuesday to avoid a threatened military crackdown.

- AFP 2009-04-15

Soon we will see if all the loud threats the coup makers, the yellow shirts, and the Democrats have claimed will actually happen!!!!

Finally, we will see if the world's latest round of condemnations are just talk or something they will back with action. Will the extradition actually happen? Or will these countries treat Thailand with the respect they talk so much about?

Or will all the hot aired people, here and in the government, be shown for who they are?

Call me when something actually HAPPENS!

I bet the BHT will go to 42 against the USD before anything happens. I'll be spending that exchanged currency before anything happens. I believe these loudmouths will MAKE the Thai currency weaken to 42 and nothing else will come of it...oh well, I'll get a cheaper vacation at least.

Edited April 15, 2009 by bf2002

[seri thai]

Jai Dee

Thanks for that article, I enjoyed it.

I can only say that imho, Abhisit has played a complete masterstroke. I wonder if he was on the Oxford University Chess Team? Some things just don't add up as to why a group of very intelligent people allowed the ASEAN conference to run in the format that it did. We on this site could all see the potential problems, Abhisit must have seen them. I wouldn't be surprised if behind closed doors the first statement by him to the other ASEAN leaders was along the lines of 'guys we are expecting alot of trouble this week, we may have to postpone, I know its a ballsache but we will all be better off in the end'.

As much as the ASEAN leaders may have thought 'how weak' when the Thai government 'allowed' the protestors through to the conference, the message was quite clear, the Thais would avoid using force at all costs unless the situation was really bad. When force was used it became completely acceptab le and understood. Thaksins news interview disassters were scripted around the 'terrible continuing military oppression' of the Thai people, he had been desperate to engineer a confrontation in order that the Army stepped in, but it has backfired more than he (Thaksin) could ever have calculated. Thaksin has orchestrated his own very public downfall. Abhisit gave Thaksin enough rope to hang himself and he did just that. There is a post on here somewhere from a forum member saying that people in his very staunch redshirt town are now no longer wearing their redshirts or will even engage in discussion about Thaksin or what happened in Bangkok.

Abhisit I think you are a closet genius I tell you, Genius.

edited to add

jamesjdaly

Don't worry, what Offset said! I think if they get him back in this country they might just lose the keys. Inciting revolution could only be seen as the worst case of treason, Thaksin might be lucky to escape with his life if found guilty, and if he does I think he will be locked away and disappear into obscurity.

IMO Smart but not THAT smart!

I'd say the Pattaya debacle was just what it was and a big shock/loss of face to the government about the status and psychology of security forces. I wonder if Newin came up with the blue-shirts without telling anyone or received instructions to do so from Suthep as they didn't trust the police/military entirely. That played badly.

However I believe the orders for military restraint against provocation in BKK allowed the red shirts to play themselves out in front of the world press. I doubt at this stage the government should or even could or have ordered stronger action but it played well.

Expect to see a few folks on the transfers list!

It will be interesting to see how much "co-operation" comes from the police/military in any re-organisation. They don't like government interference in their fiefdoms

Anyhow reformation of the boys in brown is 50 years overdue. Maybe we will see it in our lifetimes?

[seri thai]

The problem in arresting Police Colonel Doctor Thaksin is given in the Bangkok Post this morning: Mr Sirisak said police responsible for tracking him down have made no progress.

He said the prosecution team in charge of seeking Thaksin's extradition had agreed to ask the Royal Thai Police to set up a committee or appoint an individual to coordinate with the prosecution. :D

"We've sent a letter to police headquarters,' Mr Sirisuk said. "We do not know in which division or department the letter has got stuck. :D

[webfact]

AFTER THE CHAOS

More rallies 'as soon as decree ends'

By THE NATION

Published on April 16, 2009

Movement will regroup and hit back stronger, Pheu Thai MP vows

The red shirts were likely to regroup after the government lifts the state of emergency, sources from security forces said yesterday.

Although life in Bangkok appears to have returned to normal, intelligence officials have had tips that supporters of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra plan more rallies as soon as the state of emergency is discarded.

Red-shirt leaders such as Jatuporn Promphan, Jakrapob Penkair had earlier announced they were ready to stage an underground movement.

Informants claim the new round of rallies were intended to be more dramatic than those that took place in recent days. Full Story

- THE NATION -

[foxyhooper]

This is still Thailand and no matter what you are found guilty of, he still has enough cash to buy anything he wants; including his freedom. We should never forget that.

WRONG! Thaksin is not a very rich guy compared to other business people here in Thailand.

Now the entire world will watch that legal procedure arround Thaksin and an "elephant can't be covered with a lotus leaf" !

/edit typing error

i am happy finally he will pay, looks like there is no way out for him but remeber its still Thailand

[Heng]

A diplomatic passport is a diplomatic passport whether you're from Russia or Tuvalo, and surely provides visa hassle free travel.

Arrivals by private jet don't even pass through any visa lines or customs in most countries. They process you at the hangar of whatever air support services you're using. Funny how a lot of posters seem to be expecting to see Thaksin in the visa application lines at overseas consulates or something.

[TVmonitor]

The Red shirts won't melt away

The PM is ineffectual - the power is not with him but behind him. His handling of the ASEAN meeting - in Pattaya?? - at Song Khran??? - has left him way down in international estimation

I would have thought the last thing this current govt needs is thaksin back in the country under arrest - or worse still a bungled attempt to get him back.

[bonobo]

I can accept your opinions but calling them Terrorists is out of order!!

I really hope for all our sake they are not Terrorists!!

They were Thai protesters attacked with M16 Assault rifles!

Simple protesters do not carry molotov cocktails, they do not smash cars which they think  are carrying the PM, they do not kill vendors who disagree with them, nor do they pull men out of cars and savagely beat them.

[bonobo]

" Whether he bought their votes or not, whether he "tricked" them or not, he had a mandate. It is pretty simple."

Wow, your comment has no logic whatever.

Or perhaps your saying that tricking the poor is really quite OK?

Do you still believe in the easter bunny?

Are you bothering to read my post?  I never wrote that it was OK to "trick the poor."  I never made any judgement call on it at all, in fact.  All I am saying is that the poor supported him.  And that is pretty much a fact, no matter how illogical you think that might be.  

[mikehock]

"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? "

I really doubt that anybody would accept, in any country, the idea that the PM should be spending time in preparation of and filming a cooking show.

He broke logical and sensible laws.

That's quite a statement. Obama was a guest in Jay Leno's show just a few weeks ago for instance.

mmmm Good Comparison...yes Obama on a talk show , very similar to spending time in preparation of and filming a cooking show

i would say that was quite a statement ...NOT

[brahmburgers]

Soon or later, the truth will opened up for the whole world. This government is lying, tons of eyes withnesses, people got killed with the real bullets. This killer will be the one who get the warrant. This government is a professional lies and making up stories from good guy turn to a bad guy.. Tons of evidences on the internet showing.... how long can still be lying??? At least they know what they done.. GOD is watching!!!!

take a deep breath and pour some cool water on your hot head. Being a poor loser is not pretty. Methinks you are one of brainwashed, perhaps directly in T's employ.

In regard to the Thai gov't wanting to bring the conniving liar back to Thailand: BAD IDEA.

He's already dissolving in his own froth of brown bubbles. Best to let him fade away in fits and belches.

[meelousee]

According to the Ministry of Foreign affairs (issuing entity) can revoke with reason any passport including diplomatic pass and it stays revoked until such time as a hearing and challenge to the MoFA is resolved.

He may hold any number of other courtesy passports during the time the hearing and challenges are met.

If Thailand can prove that he caused the hindrance or destruction of property and cause of injury to lawful citizens, international courts may issue an Interpol warrant of detention while extradition processes are completed.

All but one country has signed onto those conditions and conventions that is France. He may stay free in France until such time as the international courts convict him only then can Interpol make an arrest. And that could take up to 10 years.

Thailand unfortunately has several legal hurdles to overcome. The Thai courts and speed their decisions up but not those of other countries.

If a large enough bounty is placed on him the courts may have nothing to do.

Information resources

MOFA

Interpol

If anyone can find something to the contrary or know of it please let me know.

Edited April 16, 2009 by meelousee

[john b good]

"The decision to cancel his passport was based on passport issuing regulations, which state that the ministry can cancel or recall a passport if it can prove that a person has caused damage to the country," he said.

Though, wouldn't it need to be decided by the courts if the person has done damage or not? Nobody is denying the events of the past days, but I would think that a court decision was needed.

Why need a court decision when he was seen on television by millioms around the world committing sedition and treason.

Are you suggesting that it was not Thaksin being interviewed.

The revocation of his passport is way overdue.

[Jai Dee]

Mr.Thaksin’s passport cancelled

The Foreign Ministry has cancelled former PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s ordinary passport since April 12th after red-shirt protesters broke into the venue of ASEAN Summits in Pattaya, Chon Buri province.

Foreign Affairs Ministry Spokesman Tharit Charungvat said yesterday (April 15th) that the ministry had revoked all passports of Mr.Thaksin, including his red diplomatic passport on December 12th, 2008, and the ordinary passport on April 12th following the red-shirts’ riot at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Pattaya Hotel.

The cancellation of both passports is in accord with the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s regulation on the issuance of passport which specifies that a passport can be cancelled if the holder’ staying abroad can negatively impact the image of the Kingdom of Thailand or other countries.

Thereby, following the revocation of both passports, Mr. Thaksin must return to Thailand on no condition. The Foreign Affairs Ministry then calls for cooperation from Thai embassies and consulate offices worldwide to send Mr.Thaksin’s Certificate of Identity (CI) documents to the ministry. However, the cancellation of passport does not strip Mr.Thaksin of citizenship of Thailand.

Foreign governments worldwide have already been informed of the cancellation of Mr. Thaksin’s passports, the spokesman said.

Source: National News Bureau of Thailand - 16 April 2009

[k1w1]

See this video clip!!!!!! Local medias are not telling the truth!

Apparently, a downtown battle field sparked yesterday as the puppet government used the military troop by way of declaring the state of emergency over the area of Bangkok Metropolitan and its vicinities to specifically dissolve by force the Red-shirt protesters. Red-shirt protesters politically demand the puppet prime minister and government-entangling privy councilor head to resign.

In pictures, the troop brutally shot the Red-shirt protesters, who defended their barracks for political rally, to dead and got severe injuries, while the latter retaliated with no weapons. Not only the ordinary citizen, but also a few monks and a three years old child were also murdered by firing bullets. Most corpses were secretly hidden, taken away and destroyed by the troop to avert any physical evidence. Up to now, nearly one hundred people were registered dead and injured, being drastically and contradictorily contrast to the government report, as saying only two persons were dead.

Some pictures exhibited the Red-shirt women knelled themselves down with flowers in front of the soldiers while begging for their lives. Some pictures delineated the soldiers' shameful actions drawing on by dragging and yanking the hair of an unarmed woman protester.

The government also made image-smearing stories, lies and deceptions by hiring people to wear the red shirts and ordered them to create chaos and destroy public properties during the evening time in order to generate widespread civil disobedience, as if the Red-shirt protesters had done by themselves.

I've seen two of those videos and the person who dragged the women by the hair was not a soldier. It was a shouting match between two red shirted women and a bunch of casually dressed locals.

Second the video with the women kneeling was done whne Army boys were standing with guns Everything looked pretty relaxed. The women was not distraught. She was giving out red roses and looked like she was actually enjoying being the focus and making the Army boys feel uncomfortable about having unarmed people give them red roses.

I have heard about the supposed brutal killing of portestors and taking of bodies. So far we have not seen any video or photographic evidence so I it is currently hearsay although distrubing and worrying that it is being spread as a rumor with no evidence.

I cannot believe 200 red shirted eye witnesses that were unable to whip out a phone and take a quick snap.

I have heard that red shirts were being paid B2000 for each day and an additional B2000 for every person they got to join the protest. There is just as much likelihood that the so called Army killings are a vicious lie being spread by the paid supporters .

So We are all waiting for evidence of the killings and until that happens you are a troll.

[mikehock]

Who are you trying to kid? 'not a very rich guy! Ha Ha!

He was reported to have spent c.$1.5 billion on a private jet just last month.

JUST who are these business people people you are comparing him too. Is there an equivalent of the Forbes listing here in Thailand or do you have other sources? Seriously.

By the way here is a list fo the to 40 wealthiest in Thailand:

http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/09/richest-t...9thai_land.html

Thailand is currently number 16 with $400 million dollars, about 10 percent compared to the richest one.

The richest one in Thailand have an asset of 35 billion $.

Correction. according to Forbes list

Thailand's Richest

#1 Chaleo Yoovidhya has assets of US$4 billion

#16 Thaksin Shinawatra & family assets in total of US$400million

this was as of September 2008

[ilyushin]

Plenty of rich people who committed far worse crimes than Thaksin are sitting back on a luxury boat or some beach chair at a resort or some other place in some country in the world.... enjoying life.

If he wanted to retire in luxury, he could most certainly do it, as long as he kept things quiet there isnt much anyone could do.

Who are the plenty of people who have committed far worse crimes and what crimes did they commit?

The only reason Thaksin has not been charged for all his crimes is the number of others that would go to jail also.You don't just charge Thaksin and he goes to jail, many hundreds if not thousands of others would be charged in the investigation. That is why they have selected charges that will either include only a few people like his wife and children or Thaksin only. The red shirts are also a prize in the latest charges.

See the public domain extract below which clearly show the difference between the institution and the man.

The Shinawatra government also faced allegations of corruption, authoritarianism, treason, conflicts of interest, acting non-diplomatically, and muzzling of the press. Thaksin was accused of tax evasion, lèse majesté and selling national assets to international investors. Independent bodies, including Amnesty International criticized Thaksin's human rights record.

[Jai Dee]

Several countries support using parliamentary means for solving political problems in Thailand

Several countries called for parliamentary means in solving of political problems in Thailand, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accelerated its efforts to explain the fact in bid to restore the country’s good image.

Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Tharit Charungwat said that the situation in Thailand had not been stable yet, therefore the ministry had to accelerate its effort to explain the fact to foreign governments and press, but the restoration of the country's good image and the campaign for investment and tourism could not be carried out at the moment, because if there was any violent situation, the country’s image would be affected in long term.

Meanwhile the reactions of foreign governments such as the United States, the European Union, Britain and Australia to the incident showed opposition to the use of violence on protesters and called for the use of parliamentary means in solving political problem.

As many countries had watched Thailand more carefully as a destination for their nationals' travellers, the Foreign Ministry had explained to foreign governments that the Thai government would focus on tourists’ safety and carefully protect the Suvarnabhumi International Airport. Besides, foreigners were not target of any group.

Source: National News Bureau of Thailand - 16 April 2009