Thaksin Calls In To 'Instruct' Thai Cabinet

[webfact]

SHINAWATRA GOVERNMENT

Thaksin calls in to 'instruct' Cabinet

By The Nation

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday denied that her brother, former prime minister Thaksin, was influencing her government by issuing instructions when he called in via a Skype call on Wednesday as Pheu Thai Cabinet members were holding a meeting.

"All he did was offer moral support and tell them it's their job to serve the people," Yingluck said.

She explained that Pheu Thai Cabinet members had gathered to exchange their views on various issues now that the government has been running the country for a month.

"It was really a meeting among us, with Thaksin offering encouragement towards the end of the meeting," she said.

Yingluck insisted that she was the "real prime minister", dismissing allegations that Thaksin was pulling the strings.

"I do my duties every day. I attend meetings and do everything. The mechanism of making decisions rests with the Cabinet. I do my job. I am on my own," she insisted.

On Wednesday, Thaksin participated in the meeting held at the Pheu Thai headquarters for more than an hour via Skype - an application that allows users to make video calls over the Internet. The ex-premier suggested that the government quickly help victims once the floodwaters receded and also reportedly advised them to go ahead with stimulus policies, such as the village fund project.

Meanwhile, senior opposition figures yesterday urged the government to not let itself be influenced by Thaksin or become obsessed by his problems.

Chief opposition whip Jurin Laksanawisit, who is a senior Democrat Party figure, said Thaksin's participation in the Cabinet members' meeting, even though it was via Skype, proved that Yingluck is his "puppet".

"This shows that Thailand has two prime ministers - the real one and the puppet. This should not have happened," Jurin said. "Yingluck has the duty of running the country and respecting her post. She should be aware that the Cabinet works for the entire country, not one particular family."

Opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is also chief of the Democrat Party, said Thaksin might have used this opportunity to prod the government to start making its election promises come true. He said the government's actions over the past month indicated that instead of formulating policies that would benefit the country as a whole, it was more obsessed with Thaksin. Abhisit pointed to the government's moves to change the law so the fugitive former premier could get his Thai passport back.

-- The Nation 2011-09-23

[Buchholz]

Yingluck insisted that she was the "real prime minister", dismissing allegations that Thaksin was pulling the strings.

a female Pinocchio

[FOODLOVER]

Will the real slim shady please stand up!

[Soutpeel]

Our man in Dubai must be a real cheap ar*se...Calling in by Skype... .......I would expect a despot of his emmience would have least have their own dedicated satellite systems...I mean what would Dr Evil think, OMID will be losing face over this one

[slapout]

If as reported he only offered encouragement, but yet this took an hour via Skype, it appears the cabinet/PM are having a sinking spell. Hope they are all back on their feed after the 'encouragement', thus they can continue in their quest for the various projects, promises, and other activities which take up their time.

[tominbkk]

Waiting for the resident Thaksin brown-nosers to chime in with the party line!

[givenall]

Woo,

I have never seen this anywhere. A criminal runs the countryfrom abroad. It is like the mob boss runs his organization from the Jail

Edited September 23, 2011 by metisdead
Font, please use default forum font when posting!

[bristolgeoff]

it is all coming together now for the fugitive.pardon soon and control the government when he is back

[Ricardo]

I myself was also thinking, of phoning-in to the next full-Cabinet meeting, so that I can spend an hour reminding them to serve the people, and congratulating them on their limited-progress to-date.

Will I too be able to do this, OK I'm a farang, but then so is Thaksin nowadays. ?

Edited September 23, 2011 by Ricardo

[rametindallas]

Nobody, NOBODY, can tell Dr. Thaksin he's wrong. EVAR. What a magalomaniac. Now it is completely in the open that the whole government is a puppet of a non-resident dictator. I read that he is even making midlevel bureaucratic appointments. Folks, if Dr. Thaksin gets his way, he will be Thailand's first 'president for life'. All you Thaksin apologists need to give it up because this man is making fools of you. I have to stop now because my consternation level is past the red line.

[animatic]

Woo,

I have never seen this anywhere. A criminal runs the countryfrom abroad. It is like the mob boss runs his organization from the Jail

As astonishingly accurate as it is evil and absurd.

[jonclark]

"All he did was offer moral support and tell them it's their job to serve the people," Yingluck said.

I not sure what i find more incredulous1) that a convicted criminal is telling the government its' job or 2) a criminal offering moral support; an oxymoron if ever I've seen one. Only yesterday we had a report stating Thai kids are happy to cheat, lie, deceive, well bugger me senseless, it doesn't take a genius to see why they think like this. This demonstrates why kids think it is morally except able to be this way as their parents voted for a man / party which exemplifies this way of thinking, and yet they complain when their kids turn out as criminals.

Arrrrrrrggggghhhhh this country drives me crazy sometimes!!!!!!

[ratcatcher]

Woo,

I have never seen this anywhere. A criminal runs the countryfrom abroad. It is like the mob boss runs his organization from the Jail

As astonishingly accurate as it is evil and absurd.

Edited September 23, 2011 by ratcatcher

[bendejo]

Come on now, did anyone really expect this to be otherwise?

Other news is a re-shuffling of military. Gee, I wonder what's behind that?

Edited September 23, 2011 by bendejo

[rubl]

Come on now, did anyone really expect this to be otherwise?

Other news is a re-shuffling of military. Gee, I wonder what's behind that?

Just the yearly re-shuffle with people moving out, up, or in.

[Crushdepth]

Come on now, did anyone really expect this to be otherwise?

Other news is a re-shuffling of military. Gee, I wonder what's behind that?

This should be interesting. His last attempt to stuff the military full of relatives failed.

[webfact]

Deputy PM: Thaksin Video Call Only to Greet Party Members

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung has claimed that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called in through video-link only to greet the Pheu Thai Party members.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung denied a rumor that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called in via video conferencing during the recent Pheu Thai Party meeting last Wednesday to issue instructions to the government.

Chalerm insisted Thaksin called in only to greet the party members.

There was no discussion regarding politics. Chalerm strongly denied that Thaksin has a great influence on the Cabinet and assigns work to each minister.

However, he added that the government would consider any suggestions made by Thaksin that would benefit the country.

In the meantime, Chalerm said that the Pheu Thai government pledges to fulfill promises given during its election campaign.

He added that the party plans to hold a Pheu Thai Party member meeting every Monday in order to prepare for necessary documents to be ready for cabinet meetings on Tuesdays.

Moreover, Chalerm said the relatives of those killed in the government crackdown on red-shirt protesters during the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration forwarded a letter of complaint requesting that the Department of Special Investigation or DSI speed up its investigation.

He said the case would be trialed soon.

Meanwhile, the DSI concluded that at least 13 people may be have been killed by state officers.

Chalerm said in the event that politicians are found to be involved in the incident, he will forward the case to the National Anti-Corruption Commission to take legal action against those guilty.

Chalerm denied that the government creates fraudulent evidence to slander anyone.

-- Tan Network 2011-09-23

[Pi Sek]

This is not a good headline from The Nation, and just fuels those that put it down as a biased news source.

Yinglak clearly stated that he didn't "instruct" anything. This is quite probably <deleted>, but such an absolute headline with nothing in the content to back it up doesn't help at all. Could this be the first case of use of the libel Law to silence media critics a-la-TRT?

However, there is no doubt in my mind that Thaksin was indeed instructing Peua Thai, as some might argue is his place to do so as owner of Peua Thai. Still though, we've recently heard that the vast majority of Peua Thai supporters want the opposition (and, to a lesser extent, the government) to stop going on about Thaksin - but why would they since his deification is ostensibly Peua Thai's highest priority (after they told, and continue to tell, everyone the exact opposite)?

[animatic]

Might as well have been Nopadom stating it,

that's how believable it is...

[YellowFeverCAD]

Waiting for the resident Thaksin brown-nosers to chime in with the party line!

Don't worry they will be along soon enough to blame the Nation or to claim that we need to give PTP more time and all their usual nonsense.

I really don't know what is worse the state of Thailand (awful) or the insanity of all the farangs in TV that are so brainwashed into believing they somehow have their finger on the pulse of Thailand based on living here. They will never get they are always going to be outsiders nothing they do will ever change that.. period.

[rubl]

There was no discussion regarding politics. Chalerm strongly denied that Thaksin has a great influence on the Cabinet and assigns work to each minister.

However, he added that the government would consider any suggestions made by Thaksin that would benefit the country.

Just like the time before the general elections when k. Banhahn went to see his dear friend k. Thaksin who happened to be close by (Brunei I think). He just wanted to say hello and obviously politics, elections and cabinet seats were not discussed.

I'm sure the main topic of k. Thaksin's phone/video-in was the football match coming Sunday

Edited September 23, 2011 by rubl

[Mosha]

This must have been on Thai TV as my wife mentioned it. "They say Thaksin telephones to tell the government what to do". She also mentioned them running off to Cambodia while people are suffering from the floods.

[whybother]

Deputy PM: Thaksin Video Call Only to Greet Party Members

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung has claimed that former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called in through video-link only to greet the Pheu Thai Party members.

It took him an hour to say "Hi"?

Isn't he on the phone to them every other day, anyway?

[drdoom6996]

Yingluck insisted that she was the "real prime minister", dismissing allegations that Thaksin was pulling the strings.

a female Pinocchio

Is her nose the only thing that grows when she lies?

[MunterHunter]

Is her nose the only thing that grows when she lies?

No her bank account does as well

[473geo]

There is just one thing some of you guys and the Nation are forgetting..........

If you insist Thaksin is pulling strings........and this government actually performs and delivers in the eyes of the voters.......

I guess you are making sure one guy gets all the credit.......

smart......real smart......

[Who, me ?]

There is just one thing some of you guys and the Nation are forgetting..........

If you insist Thaksin is pulling strings........and this government actually performs and delivers in the eyes of the voters.......

I guess you are making sure one guy gets all the credit.......

smart......real smart......

Well, minimum risk, then....as there are very few chances for any promise to be actually delivered as it was stated, and as for the performance, well, it is still way below average....

[rixalex]

However, there is no doubt in my mind that Thaksin was indeed instructing Peua Thai, as some might argue is his place to do so as owner of Peua Thai.

No law-abiding citizen would argue that it is his place because owner of Puea Thai or not, he is banned from politics, is he not? Does that mean absolutely nothing? Perhaps it does, judging by the fact that PTP campaigned with him as a frontman - Thaksin thinks, Puea Thai acts - and the EC took no action against that.

[peterdk]

So if elder brother calls for more than 1 hour using Skype and thus the internet, they must have a decent service provider.

I wonder who supplies the internet to the government meeting room.

Would the ISP most likely be shaking in their pants and praying that the call wont drop, while elder brother is on Skype ?

Or does elder brother get same treatment as me, when I call my ISP and complain about (lack of) service.

Edited September 23, 2011 by peterdk

[moe666]

In another thread someone wondered why have a cabinet meeting at PTP headquaters now you know why.This guy just cannot stay out of the spot light and keep his mouth shut.