Japan Allows Thaksin Visit

[RIJoe]

Thailand is a laughing stock to most of the world. This is not surprising. His sister being elected Prime Minister would be like Richard Nixons sister being elected President. No, even worse.. Nixon was pardoned.

Richard Nixon didn't have a sister: http://en.wikipedia....ixon#Early_life

Geez, it was an example - who cars if he had a sister!?!

[Ricardo]

Rule of law? There is no rule of law when you can buy the law. Even in Japan!

Don't you think maybe be was framed? And what about the killing of people on the street in Bkk? You forgot to mention?

"Don't you think maybe he was framed?"

No. The courts have been very careful to spell out why he was guilty, when passing sentence, as you'll recall. And his own party was in-power, with his brother-in-law PM-Somchai running things, how can it have been unfair ?

Thaksin said during-the-trial that he would accept their judgement, why would he do that if he felt he was being framed, as you now suggest ?

But anyway now his sister is PM, and his nominee-party is again in-power, so he is free to return and face the courts with the other several changes. Why doesn't he ... I wonder ?

[Jingthing]

Seems like most of the news coming out of this new government is about Thaksin. Are we surprised?

[phiphidon]

Seems like most of the news coming out of this new government is about Thaksin. Are we surprised?

I'll think you'll find that most of the "news" concerning Thaksin is generated by comments from the Democrat Party and/or The Newspapers and the new Government have to respond to this "news" And No, I am not suprised that this is happening and will continue to do so.

[hanuman1]

Seems like most of the news coming out of this new government is about Thaksin. Are we surprised?

If I was editing your work, I'd rewrite it as:

Seems like the media are focusing most of their reporting on issues concerning the government's dealings with regard to Thaksin. Are we surprised?.

We might not like Thaksin, but we LOVE talking/bitching about him. So pass me more of that bitchin' fodder, especially if it's from The Nation - Yummy Yummy!!!!

[ballpoint]

Seems like most of the news coming out of this new government is about Thaksin. Are we surprised?

I'll think you'll find that most of the "news" concerning Thaksin is generated by comments from the Democrat Party and/or The Newspapers and the new Government have to respond to this "news" And No, I am not suprised that this is happening and will continue to do so.

Right. It was the Democrats who appointed Thaksin's sister as PTP leader.

It was the Democrats who then called her Thaksin's clone.

It was the Democrats who appointed Thaksin's relative as foreign minister.

It was the Democrats who begged Japan to allow Thaksin in.

It was the Democrats who returned from a trip to Dubai and declared that Thaksin wants to be trade ambassador.

Keep digging your hole.

[samurai]

Seems like most of the news coming out of this new government is about Thaksin. Are we surprised?

Wasn't it the same with the old government?

2009-02-05 11:27:26

Japan bans Thaksin from entering : PM

BANGKOK: -- Japan has banned ex-Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra from entering the country as he is a fugitive, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Thursday.

[webfact]

Japan gives visa to ex-Thai PM Thaksin

TOKYO, August 15, 2011 (AFP) - Japan said Monday it had given a visa to former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who has lived in exile since a 2006 military coup and wants to visit Japan next week.

The special entry permit was granted after the new Thai government of Yingluck Shinawatra, a younger sister of Thaksin, requested that Tokyo allow the visit, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said.

Thaksin hopes to visit Japan from August 22 to 28 and tour northeastern areas devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, a trip that Bangkok said would help boost bilateral ties.

"The Thai government... takes a policy of not prohibiting former prime minister Thaksin from visiting any country and requested that Japan issue a visa," Edano told reporters.

"In light of the request from the Thai government and various related considerations, we have decided to issue a visa."

Thaksin, who served as Thai prime minister between 2001 and 2006 before being deposed in the coup, has been living in exile in Dubai to avoid a two-year jail term for a corruption conviction.

Japan does not allow the entry of people who have been found guilty of a crime and sentenced to jail terms of more than one year, but the government occasionally makes exceptions.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-08-15

[webfact]

SHINAWATRA GOVERNMENT

Any officials helping Thaksin should face probe : Abhisit

By The Nation

Ex-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday said it is Japan's right to grant a visa to Thai PM's brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who is scheduled to give a lecture there late this month.

Abhisit added that he doubted whether any Thai officials had been involved in helping Thaksin obtain his entry visa to Japan.

"Thaksin is still a fugitive, running away from a prison sentence in Thailand. There are still also some trials pending in the Thai court. Therefore, any Thai officials found to be facilitating and helping him on any matter have to face investigation," Abhisit said.

The Abhisit government put pressure on many foreign countries to ban entry to Thaksin, on the grounds that he is a fugitive with some arrest warrants issued against him.

However, foreign countries changed their treatment of Thaksin almost immediately following the win of his youngest sister Yingluck and her Pheu Thai party over Abhisit's Democrat party in the July election.

Germany revoked the visa ban for Thaksin a couple of days after the result of the July election became known.

Thai Foreign Minister Surpong Tovijakchaikul said recently Japan had granted a special visa to Thaksin.

The minister confirmed that he had discussed Thaksin's visa request with the Seiji Kojima, Japanese ambassador to Bangkok, last week.

Japanese law does not permit the entry of a person who has been found guilty and given a jail term of more than one year, but, if circumstances requiring his or her entry are recognised, the justice minister can issue a special permit.

Thaksin plans to visit Japan between August 2228 to give a lecture and visit Miyagi prefecture, which was devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the Kyodo news agency reported.

"In my opinion, the case against Thaksin was a political one," Surapong told reporters.

"I don't want political issues to interfere with international affairs," said Surapong, who is a distant relative of Thaksin. "The Pheu Thai Party's policy is to focus on trade and investment in international relations."

The previous Thai government, under the Democrat party, revoked Thaksin's normal and diplomatic passports. He has been travelling on his Montenegrin passport.

"Obviously the policy of this government is different than that of the previous one," said Surapong, an engineer by training who has had no past experience in foreign affairs.

-- The Nation 2011-08-15

[hammered]

The last mob used diplomacy in a policy to chase Thaksin around the world by moaning if any country was going to allow him in. The new government "have no such policy", so countries arent going to be too bothered. Abhisit and the anti-Thaksinista alliance go utterly bonkers.

Predictable all round. Now lets get on to 300 baht policy, the price of food and other more important issues

Edited to add: the anti-Thaksinista alliance has lost as has been well pointed out by several analysts just after the election and indeed even just before it in Thitinan's case. They took a risk and got it wrong. It will be interesting to see how long before they accept it or whether they will resort to other more extreme measures.

Edited August 15, 2011 by hammered

[Oberkommando]

How long before the imperious former leader returns I wonder?

Germany and now Japan allowing him entry recently. More will follow surely!

:jap:

[hammered]

How long before the imperious former leader returns I wonder?

Germany and now Japan allowing him entry recently. More will follow surely!

:jap:

He will be back. Its now either cut a deal on his sides terms or he takes all anyway, which could get messy. The anti-Thaksinista alliance would have been better off cutting the deal a year or so ago. Now their hand is a lot weaker.

[Oberkommando]

How long before the imperious former leader returns I wonder?

Germany and now Japan allowing him entry recently. More will follow surely!

:jap:

He will be back. Its now either cut a deal on his sides terms or he takes all anyway, which could get messy. The anti-Thaksinista alliance would have been better off cutting the deal a year or so ago. Now their hand is a lot weaker.

Indeed. It was only a matter of time.

[Puccini]

..."In light of the request from the Thai government and various related considerations, we have decided to issue a visa."...

Is "various related considerations" a euphemism for "tea money"?

[webfact]

related

PM Denies Role in Thaksin Case

The prime minister says she has not ordered arrangement for the international police to scrap arrest warrant against her convicted brother Thaksin Shinawatra.

Follow this link:

[scotbeve]

Looks like that in the diplomatic circles they are happy now that there isn't any annoying Kasit anymore.

LIKE!!!! :jap:

[Thaihog]

Thaksin will be back home before Xmas...

All the cards falling into place now... I read in one of the papers that his ex-wife's (Potjaman) brother is being tipped for the top police job... so he's got the govt. in his pocket, now the police, he just needs to get the army and he's got a full house!!!

[scorecard]

Looks like that in the diplomatic circles they are happy now that there isn't any annoying Kasit anymore.

Perhaps you could share your source for this?

[Jingthing]

I think this is Japan's fault mostly. Do they normally grant visas to criminal fugitives? Of course not. As long as he has that record, they are treating him in a special way. They shouldn't have even got involved with Thai politics by asking the minister.

[Oberkommando]

Looks like that in the diplomatic circles they are happy now that there isn't any annoying Kasit anymore.

Perhaps you could share your source for this?

Common sense one would imagine. Kasit was a bungling imbecile and Thailand is better off without him interfering in foreign affairs IMO.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

:jap:

[h90]

How long before the imperious former leader returns I wonder?

Germany and now Japan allowing him entry recently. More will follow surely!

:jap:

He will be back. Its now either cut a deal on his sides terms or he takes all anyway, which could get messy. The anti-Thaksinista alliance would have been better off cutting the deal a year or so ago. Now their hand is a lot weaker.

But what PTP is doing now will make the Anti-Thaksinistas stronger. PAD got very weak. Everyone was bored about Abhisit.

Now with every relative from Thaksin appointed and every idea of making Thaksin this or that, some blood is pumped in the almost dead body of PAD.

Not long and the Democrats and the PADs second line of people will start to love and support each other again.

A PAD demonstration with Democrats support and a Thaksin relative as police boss with a nervous military is an explosive mix.

[samurai]

Looks like that in the diplomatic circles they are happy now that there isn't any annoying Kasit anymore.

Perhaps you could share your source for this?

Kasit, the Thaksin hunter and his buddy Abhisit loved to announce that this and that country is going to "ban" Thaksin.

Now he is gone and all the countries have no problem that Thaksin is a so called "fugitive from justice" and a "terrorist."

Now these countries say that they allow Thaksin visits.

How comes?

[samurai]

SHINAWATRA GOVERNMENT

Any officials helping Thaksin should face probe : Abhisit

Thats rich. Coming from an ex-PM who had two and a half year to get Thaksin and bring the terrorists home and to jail. But he and his administration failed to do so, even if hat was the issue they bragged the most about and how much closer they got to get him. Only words, no success and no action.

[kraplung]

For Thani's information Thaksin has announced he will travel from the 22nd to the 28th. No doubt he will inform the Minister in due course.

[RedNIvar]

SHINAWATRA GOVERNMENT

Any officials helping Thaksin should face probe : Abhisit

Thats rich. Coming from an ex-PM who had two and a half year to get Thaksin and bring the terrorists home and to jail. But he and his administration failed to do so, even if hat was the issue they bragged the most about and how much closer they got to get him. Only words, no success and no action.

I think this Government will succeed where Abhisit's Government had failed. I believe that this government will succeed in bringing Thaksin back into Thailand. As you said the previous administration kept going on to how they will bring him back but flat out failed.

[hammered]

How long before the imperious former leader returns I wonder?

Germany and now Japan allowing him entry recently. More will follow surely!

:jap:

He will be back. Its now either cut a deal on his sides terms or he takes all anyway, which could get messy. The anti-Thaksinista alliance would have been better off cutting the deal a year or so ago. Now their hand is a lot weaker.

But what PTP is doing now will make the Anti-Thaksinistas stronger. PAD got very weak. Everyone was bored about Abhisit.

Now with every relative from Thaksin appointed and every idea of making Thaksin this or that, some blood is pumped in the almost dead body of PAD.

Not long and the Democrats and the PADs second line of people will start to love and support each other again.

A PAD demonstration with Democrats support and a Thaksin relative as police boss with a nervous military is an explosive mix.

The PAD are still angry at being sacrificed to make it look more balanced between red and yellows in terms of court cases.

There are more than a few ex PAD who have moved to the red side

Abhisit called this the let the people decide election. He actually called it this, and the people did decide.

There is little mood for more demonstrations especially in the early days of this administration.

In a few months the 111 are again back in politics. This gives a chance for an early election next year, which will undercut any attempt to oppose the government on the streets. It is an option.

At the next election there will have been a couple of reshuffles and PTP will be in charge of interior administration

PTP really seem like they are going to do the populist pledges.

Abhisit is still there and that guarantees PTP a lot of votes.

PTP are Thaksin's party. That guarantees PTP a lot of votes.

The military know a coup will be dangerous and risky and if just left alone to a degree and given some toys will likely shut up shop in their barracks.

The police support PTP whoever is their leader

Most people now expect Thaksin to return even many yellow shirts say it is inevitable

Now is not a time for division in the country

Crispin did a piece ages ago on a deal where PTP are left alone if they win the vote and Thaksin got some money back. The latter happened under the last government, now it is time to see about the former. The PTP were meant not to interfere in certain things too.

At the next election if the PTP and reds are still together they will get a bigger majority.

[scorecard]

I think this is Japan's fault mostly. Do they normally grant visas to criminal fugitives? Of course not. As long as he has that record, they are treating him in a special way. They shouldn't have even got involved with Thai politics by asking the minister.

Agree. Also difficult to understand why Japan would want him to be touring areas hit by the earth tremor and tsunami and giving advice - his knowledge of these subjects is doubtful, his involvement in the handling of the Phuket / South of Thailand tsunami would not be seen as outstanding in any way, and his government was criticized internally and externally for the lack of transparency in terms of budget allocations and gifts from abroad - 'where did the money go', with no answers?

[samurai]

I think this is Japan's fault mostly. Do they normally grant visas to criminal fugitives? Of course not. As long as he has that record, they are treating him in a special way. They shouldn't have even got involved with Thai politics by asking the minister.

It's Abhisits fault. And the Japanese way to show him what they think of him and his demands.

Don't forget it was Abhisit statement that Thaksin is "banned" in Japan. Making big noise and all that. No one needs that nor wants him.

[Buchholz]

Seems like most of the news coming out of this new government is about Thaksin. Are we surprised?

Not surprised at all as he is their priority.

.

[Buchholz]

Looks like that in the diplomatic circles they are happy now that there isn't any annoying Kasit anymore.

Perhaps you could share your source for this?

Common sense one would imagine. Kasit was a bungling imbecile and Thailand is better off without him interfering in foreign affairs IMO.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

:jap:

And HELLO to the new bad trash bumbling imbecile clown...