Thaksin Strikes Bhutan Deal For Shin Corp

[sriracha john]

Don't forget Thai Air Asia, 51 percent owned by Shin Corp:

"  . . . what surprised AirAsia [Malaysia] officials was the speed at which things move in Thaksin's Thailand.

"Four months after beginning negotiations, AirAsia [Malaysia] had a partner, an aviation licence, a staff of 300 and even an endorsement from the Premier."

http://flitesite.co.uk/nuke/modules.php?na...article&sid=200

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Ahhh yes, AirAsia.... I always remember their kharmic beginning :

AirAsia forced to abort its first flight

Published on Feb 3, 2004

The inaugural flight of budget airline Thai AirAsia, carrying reporters and senior Shin Corp executives to Chiang Mai, was aborted shortly after take-off yesterday.

The plane returned to Bangkok International Airport following problems with its flap-control indicator.

There were about 100 passengers aboard. Aside from reporters, it carried company executives as well as 20 senior executives from major shareholder Shin Corp.

Among the passengers was Advanced Info Service president Yinglak Shinawatra, the younger sister of the prime minister.

[chownah]

So far all the negative stuff thats been posted is off topic as far as I can tell. If Shin corp manipulated the gov't in Myanmar then that has nothing to do with the legitimacy of the Bhutan deal.

Thailand is making a name for itself in the international communications business and Shin Corp. is mostly the vehicle for this. I feel very confident that if the Thai people voted as to whether they wanted the gov't to continue to promote Shin Corp. deals internationally they would overwhelmingly vote yes. Perhaps you don't like the methods used but it is working. Thailand is keeping its presence in the industry alive and growing....and frankly I don't think there is any other way that would happen.

You want to talk about competition in the satellite comm. business in Thailand....get a grip on reality man....there is no competition and probably never will be!!! Starting a telecomm like that is not like opening a noodle shop you know. Just how many com-sat companies do you think Thailand can support?

The Thai people know about all of the corruption. They knew about it in the last election. They clearly like what Thaksin is doing and they want more of the same!...whether you like it or not!

[Heng]

So far all the negative stuff thats been posted is off topic as far as I can tell.  If Shin corp manipulated the gov't in Myanmar then that has nothing to do with the legitimacy of the Bhutan deal.

Thailand is making a name for itself in the international communications business and Shin Corp. is mostly the vehicle for this.  I feel very confident that if the Thai people voted as to whether they wanted the gov't to continue to promote Shin Corp. deals internationally they would overwhelmingly vote yes.  Perhaps you don't like the methods used but it is working.  Thailand is keeping its presence in the industry alive and growing....and frankly I don't think there is any other way that would happen.

You want to talk about competition in the satellite comm. business in Thailand....get a grip on reality man....there is no competition and probably never will be!!!  Starting a telecomm like that is not like opening a noodle shop you know.  Just how many com-sat companies do you think Thailand can support?

The Thai people know about all of the corruption.  They knew about it in the last election.  They clearly like what Thaksin is doing and they want more of the same!...whether you like it or not!

Bravo.

[sriracha john]

So far all the negative stuff thats been posted is off topic as far as I can tell.  If Shin corp manipulated the gov't in Myanmar then that has nothing to do with the legitimacy of the Bhutan deal.

When the reputation and validity of the corporation are called into play, all relevant facts are worth examining. It's why a criminal's past history is allowed into court proceedings regarding a current crime.

Thailand is making a name for itself in the international communications business and Shin Corp. is mostly the vehicle for this.

The name Thailand is making for itself is a bad one. It's why only countries such as Burma and Bhutan are doing satellite deals with Thailand. It's why no world-players in the field have anything to do with this country. For Burma, it's beause it can't get anyone else to deal with.

I feel very confident that if the Thai people voted as to whether they wanted the gov't to continue to promote Shin Corp. deals internationally they would overwhelmingly vote yes.  Perhaps you don't like the methods used but it is working.  Thailand is keeping its presence in the industry alive and growing....and frankly I don't think there is any other way that would happen.

There are other ways. Legitimacy matters. If Thailand were able to lower it's "Corruption Index" to other area nations' levels, such as Singapore and South Korea, it would go a long way to improve the economy and Thailand can move forward like those countries. When countries shy away from highly corrupt countries with companies like Shin, it hurts the country. Publications like the World Bank treatise, "Challenging Corruption in Asia: Case Studies and a Framework for Action", can be very educational in this matter.

You want to talk about competition in the satellite comm. business in Thailand....get a grip on reality man....there is no competition and probably never will be!!!  Starting a telecomm like that is not like opening a noodle shop you know.  Just how many com-sat companies do you think Thailand can support?

Actually, you broached the topic of competition, but obviously there is none in Thailand's satellite business. I've already posted why. Certainly it's not a noodle-shop business, but you fail to understand the global, multi-national corporate level this industry is conducted in. By excluding big-name players and snuffing out foreign investment through utilizing monopolistic strategies because of the benefits of writing your own laws, that hurts Thailand.

We'll never know how much bigger the field would be nor how much more beneficial the industry would be for Thailand if it was not controlled by one man.

The Thai people know about all of the corruption.  They knew about it in the last election.  They clearly like what Thaksin is doing and they want more of the same!...whether you like it or not!

Thankfully, there's many examples of people revolting against authoritarians, once the cash cow (and populist programs) that supplied them previously, falters. It's just a matter of time before the "house of cards" comes tumbling down.... and when that happens, you'll see a different level of loyality and confidence the people have in Thaksin. With the current drop in his approval ratings corresponding with the drop of all the major economic indicators is no accident. People do wake up from dreams.

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[Heng]

Let he with his own multinational satellite corporation which has never had shady dealings throw the first stone.

[chownah]

If the Thai people are given the choice of:

1.) supporting a corrupt relationship between a Thai comm-sat company and the Thai PM

or

2.) of dismantling the corp and dissolving the best and most popular government they have had in at least a generation and buying this service from a farang company

.......well you guess what the outcome would be.

Edited June 7, 2005 by chownah

[Plus+]

Sad thing is that these are the only choices left for Thailand, and they both suck. I wonder why.

Also Thais ARE buying this service from farangs - the ones who developed the technology, the ones who designed the satellites, the ones build them, and the ones who put into space. What is there to be so patriotic about?

What did the PM promised Chinese in exchange for letting them to put his satellite into HK reserved orbit? We'll never know.

As for starting satellite business - Taksin was virtually nobody, just a guy peddling computers to police stations nationwide, when he got his sweet concession to put a satellite into space (from late general of 1992 Black may times).

[Heng]

Sad thing is that these are the only choices left for Thailand, and they both suck. I wonder why.

Also Thais ARE buying this service from farangs - the ones who developed the technology, the ones who designed the satellites, the ones build them, and the ones who put into space. What is there to be so patriotic about?

As for starting satellite business - Taksin was virtually nobody, just a guy peddling computers to police stations nationwide, when he got his sweet concession to put a satellite into space (from late general of 1992 Black may times).

Nothing patriotic about it. It's all about the profit. And that doesn't suck.

His is a great example to show that avg. people from only moderately wealthy backgrounds (the entire family probably wasn't even worth $5-10 million before Thaksin) can go all the way here. Just takes luck, hard work, and a few connections.

Edited June 7, 2005 by Heng

[chownah]

Sad thing is that these are the only choices left for Thailand, and they both suck. ...........

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It is easy for me to get caught up in the arguement but I want to pause here for a moment and agree with you 100% on this statement. It IS really too bad that this is the choice that Thai people have.....and the same can be said for the multitude of coporate-government connections all around the world....its a shame that they give us the people such sucky alternatives....