Thaksin Goes Off Radar Screen

[george]

PM goes off radar screen

PHAYAO: -- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra today disappeared off the radar screen - quite literally - when the helicopter he was flying in ran into difficulties during poor weather conditions.

The flight in the police helicopter had begun smoothly this morning, taking off from Doi Lo district in the country's northern province of Chiang Mai at 10.00hrs to transport the prime minister and his secretary, Mr. Prommin Lertsuridej, to a school in nearby Phayao Province's Chiang Kham district.

It should have been a flight of less than an hour, but as the helicopter ascended, it became obvious that heavy fog was going to impede the pilot's view.

After flying above the fog cloud, the pilot dropped height again, only to discover that the helicopter's radar had malfunctioned.

It was over an hour later before the lost pilot finally made it to a nearby airfield, where the prime minister and his entourage were able to transfer to an army helicopter to take them to the school.

"I arrived later than scheduled because the helicopter had to fly through the fog. When it descended, the radar broke, and we ended up flying round in circles, wasting a lot of time. The fuel nearly ran out", Mr. Thaksin later confessed.

"But it was good, as it enabled me to see huge tracts of forest which had been destroyed. Everyone should help conserve our forests", he added.

At the school, the prime minister promised to accelerate the issuance of land title deeds to local villagers, in an attempt to halt forest encroachment.

He warned that unless the nation's forests were preserved, the result would be 'seas of mud' and deaths caused by landslides.

--TNA 2005-06-13

[Ajarn]

At the school, the prime minister promised to accelerate the issuance of land title deeds to local villagers, in an attempt to halt forest encroachment.

How is speeding up the process to award deeds to former encroachers going to help halt more encroachment? Seems like it would have the opposite effect, from my view.

[penzman]

He missed a great opportunity for guitar lessons with the late great Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Holly, John Denver, The Lynyrd Skynyrds who all perished in plane/helicopter crashes.

[Khun Larry]

PM goes off radar screen 

PHAYAO: -- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra today disappeared off the radar screen -

--TNA 2005-06-13

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He has been off the radar screen for a while now.

[thaibebop]

He missed a great opportunity for guitar lessons with the late great Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Holly, John Denver, The Lynyrd Skynyrds who all perished in plane/helicopter crashes.

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I don't think Stevie would have taught him.

[khunlungphudhu]

He missed a great opportunity for guitar lessons with the late great Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Holly, John Denver, The Lynyrd Skynyrds who all perished in plane/helicopter crashes.

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I understood he was a 'fiddler'!

[kayo]

He missed a great opportunity for guitar lessons with the late great Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Holly, John Denver, The Lynyrd Skynyrds who all perished in plane/helicopter crashes.

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I don't think Stevie would have taught him.

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Why didn´t he just stay away??

We could have held a tribute concert for him, with Bob Williams, Rod Stewart, Elton, and Justin Timberlake..

(list of musicians is crap on purpose. )

[Pattayatony]

He was kept busy COOKING the books.

Edited June 14, 2005 by Pattayatony

[thaibebop]

He was kept busy COOKING the books.

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shredding cooking cutting and pasting

[sriracha john]

The Associate Press added this bit on their piece:

The helicopter finally made an emergency landing at another airfield as it was running low on fuel, said Thaksin, who complained of feeling dizzy but was otherwise unhurt.

Can only assume it was left off the TNA version as the government news service don't want their leader to be perceived as a wuss.....

[ChiangMaiMike]

If he was either above the fog or in it, how could he "see the forests"... ???

I guess there is a reason he is noted for his 'Vision'.

M

[lampard10]

He missed a great opportunity for guitar lessons with the late great Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Holly, John Denver, The Lynyrd Skynyrds who all perished in plane/helicopter crashes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What about Jim Reeves?