Relaunching Thaksin Shinawatra

[Siripon]

The standard of acting at yesterday's soap opera was very low, especially Yaowapa's eye dabbing. I wasn't aware the dust pollution was that bad at Chiang Mai.

[steveromagnino]

The standard of acting at yesterday's soap opera was very low, especially Yaowapa's eye dabbing. I wasn't aware the dust pollution was that bad at Chiang Mai.

If my reading of the Thai newspapers is correct, then she might have been crying thanks to the near miss when the cow released (the same way with overtones of the royal ploughing ceremony) went beserk, ran around and nearly trampled, of all the people there, the lovely shapely Yaowapa and her beard.

I mean seriously, badly sung karaoke and politicising Buddhism while asking for a royal pardon when legally he cannot because he hasn't done jail time?

THe guy is a joke. He was a lousy PM and he is just being a dork now.

And what an awful voice! yey gods.

[Samuian]

Yeah, all the "well wishers" and "hope he comes back"

are those "big names" who lost their place at the feeding trough,

the others are misguided "hope fulls", caught in his luring web

of promises which are cost the country dearly already!

The question you should be asking is who is at the feeding trough at the moment. They have been milking the country for decades. A thai friend who studies politics at uni described them (not 100%sure) as the 'Brotherhood of Twelve' refering to the families that run Thailand. The faceless thieves who get a cut from every piece of action going ...

Well, you want to tell the audience for the defense of the man

concerned right now, that it is alright to steal, even when caught red handed,

many others steal as well, every second, anywhere on the planet!

And "others" do this for decades on grand scale too, so let him off the hook!

If it is so, yet you only mention "the brotherhood of 12",

an open accusation, for defense?

Do you mind to elaborate who exactly "they" are?

(I can imagine.... in which direction this yet unfounded accusation goes! )

if it really is so, isn't it time to stop this ?

And if this is to stop, isn't it a good beginning - one has to start

somewhere - or did "they" get, in you very humble and honored

opinion "the wrong man"?

Talking "faceless thieves" - why then is his sister's (Ms.Yaowapa's)

Nickname widely known as Ms. 30% Cash?

And that of Ms. Sudarat, a Member of his former Cabinet Ms.20%?

And.... and....and... with which rights did he change the law regarding

taxes on profits from selling shares/

Don't you agree that - regardless whatever, whoever does, the PM should

stay out and be a true leader, clean and be an outstanding shining example,

then a dubious figure who is under suspicion, as head of a state, to only serve

himself, his family and close supporters?

While making blinding promises to his voters like "I am going to eradicate poverty!"

while at the same time, enriching himself on a never seen grand scale?

Some food for thought?

I don't want to start to unravel his heavy handedness in certain affairs and avoid

speculation about his real ambitions... think that has been discussed here on this and

other public forums ad nauseum!

Edited July 27, 2009 by Samuian

[hammered]

No super suprise but Thaksin still manged to get the Thai media to push his PR campaign (as always).

Interesting twitter exchange between Abhisit and Thaksin

The low turnout in Chiang Rai has started tongues wagging.

[DP25]

The standard of acting at yesterday's soap opera was very low, especially Yaowapa's eye dabbing. I wasn't aware the dust pollution was that bad at Chiang Mai.

Yeah, all around it was a pretty disappointing performance. Poor turnout, and the 'BIG SURPRISE!' that would astonish the world was just a song. What a let down from all the hype.

[mrtoad]

people can accuse him of many things

but I dont think anyone can accuse him of lacking creativeness

Pretty much any corporate crook has creativeness.

[Samuian]

Yeah, all the "well wishers" and "hope he comes back"

are those "big names" who lost their place at the feeding trough,

the others are misguided "hope fulls", caught in his luring web

of promises which are cost the country dearly already!

The question you should be asking is who is at the feeding trough at the moment. They have been milking the country for decades. A thai friend who studies politics at uni described them (not 100%sure) as the 'Brotherhood of Twelve' refering to the families that run Thailand. The faceless thieves who get a cut from every piece of action going ...

And STILL did under Thaklsin.

Same, same, no difference.

Well, he brought the skim-scams to unseen new heights

and with that a bad, bad example was set, green lights!

Or did anybody ever hear before about investigations

into "unusual wealth"....

and then making a joke out of the judiciary system -

with his unprecedented show of "honest mistakes".

That made even the most conservatively forgiving people

stand up and listen...and some started to think!

And this was the beginning of his and his crony-cabinet unmaking!

it often is said that it hit only him, what about the 111 (or so)

people banned form politics?

if not a good start, but someone dared to start!

[animatic]

Maybe he should be relaunched as

The Good Ship Lollypop.

Setting sail daily for Fantasyland, and points farther south.

Has the same relevance and resonances with the same age groups.

Edited July 27, 2009 by animatic

[Koo82]

Khun Thaksin's 60th Birthday at Royal Dragon Restaurant:

[timekeeper]

Khun Thaksin's 60th Birthday at Royal Dragon Restaurant:

looks like a rivetting event......

free food, free drink, free entertainment (for insomniacs) and a crisp 500 baht note in an envelope at every place setting

[Koo82]

Any source they paid 500 Baht?

No source?

[hammered]

Any source they paid 500 Baht?

No source?

I doubt people were paid to attend these celebrations.

Some events had good turnouts while some had lowish ones. That strikes of reality to me. If everything is absolutely stuffed full of people all wearing the same T-shirt and clapping in unison it looks more dodgy.

Thaksin also styill retains a fairly high level of popularity. Quite how high nobody knows but we will get an idea come the next election.

[Plus]

Is it the restaurant in Bang-Na where they spent a million baht on food on that day?

[hammered]

Is it the restaurant in Bang-Na where they spent a million baht on food on that day?

Something like that but then people paid 500 baht a seat to eat there or something.

On this occasion I dont think those attending any of the local events were paid to go and in some venues no doubt there werent seat charges. Guess that PTP had to steer clear of involvement in that or they would be in trouble with the EC.

[Plus]

I don't think it was a 500 baht a table fund raiser. I think someone just footed the whole bill, and that's how it got into the news.

Or maybe the owners reported total receipts for that day to the media.

[hammered]

I don't think it was a 500 baht a table fund raiser. I think someone just footed the whole bill, and that's how it got into the news.

Or maybe the owners reported total receipts for that day to the media.

It was mentioned by organisers that seats were 500 baht each and tables 5000 baht and that it was sold out. I dont doubt that could easily happen given the real support Thaksin has and that it was his fifth cycle. They probably still lost money on such a lavish press covered event anyway.

No doubt some/many of the local events involved free food, but this signature Chinese table thing is I think different

[Plus]

I was referring to this:

"Bt1.050 million: The amount spent by the "People Missing Thaksin" club while celebrating the former leader's birthday at a restaurant on Bang Na-Trat road."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/07/28...cs_30108490.php

[hammered]

I was referring to this:

"Bt1.050 million: The amount spent by the "People Missing Thaksin" club while celebrating the former leader's birthday at a restaurant on Bang Na-Trat road."

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/07/28...cs_30108490.php

Could read that as the amount they spent to put it on for guests (who could still then have bought tickets) or the amount spent by members in attending the event. I have heard reliably that tables were 5000 baht and chairs 500 baht though.

[SpoliaOpima]

Most celebrations netted a hundred or less. I believe Udon was the largest, and didn't even make 10,000 attendees. The 'big surprise' turned out to be a badly sung song.

Seemed like pretty much a flop to me. But even if every gathering had garnered real numbers - say 30-50K each - it would have proved nothing except that Thaksin is trying to build a cult of personality.

He keeps saying how he's going to 'save' the country when he returns. Might be nice to hear some concrete details. I don't think we will, because it's obvious he just wants to get his hands on the assets on ice here. He started conspiring with Samak and the comm ministry back in the late 70s to build a satcom monopoly for himself. Once he had that, he sold what was essentially a national patrimony to a Singaporean company, four days after pushing legislation that exempted ShinCorp from capital gains tax, thus yielding the highest profit any company had ever made in a single transaction in SET history. During his tenure as PM, Police Colonel Thaksin made more money from private deals than even the previous recordholder, Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat.

He hasn't the slightest interest in helping Thailand, he wants to help himself. End of story.

[animatic]

He keeps saying how he's going to 'save' the country when he returns. Might be nice to hear some concrete details. I don't think we will, because it's obvious he just wants to get his hands on the assets on ice here.

He started conspiring with Samak and the comm ministry back in the late 70s to build a satcom monopoly for himself.

Once he had that, he sold what was essentially a national patrimony to a Singaporean company,

four days after pushing legislation that exempted ShinCorp from capital gains tax,

thus yielding the highest profit any company had ever made in a single transaction in SET history.

During his tenure as PM, Police Colonel Thaksin made more money from private deals

than even the previous recordholder, Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat.

He hasn't the slightest interest in helping Thailand, he wants to help himself. End of story.

If he every were to regain control of the country,

his personal yacht for gun boat diplomacy with Cambodia and the region would have to be named

the Graft Spree.

Edited July 28, 2009 by animatic