Thailand Gives Ex-PM Thaksin Passport Back: Govt

[phiphidon]

No, it wasn't democratic, but the country was heading into turmoil over the undemocratic and self serving shenanigans of Thaksin, after that the return to elections was relatively fast and painless.

Relatively painless excepting the martial law, airport takeovers, riots in central Bangkok and the numerous other debacles and crises that have happened since 2006 which have left Thailand's reputation in tatters and cost the country billions upon billions in lost revenue.

Hate to beak your bubble but the air port take overs and riots in central Bangkok were done under a democratic Government.

I for one think Thailand does not need that kind of Democracy and if it takes an military take over to put a end to it so be it.

It is indeed a sad state of affairs that those kind of actions can be tolerated just because it is a Democracy.

What was so terrible about the military it would not have allowed either one of those actions. Doe's that bother you.

Don't know if this is OK but CNN is making Thailand look like a our gang comedy.

Thailand has reissued a passport to fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Mr Thaksin was given his passport back in October because he was "no longer a threat to the country", a foreign ministry spokesman told the BBC.

Mr Thaksin lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail term imposed on him for abusing his powers while in office.

His passport was revoked under the previous government but the current PM is his sister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Since her administration came to power in August it has made no secret of the fact that it wished to reverse the decision, the BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok reports.

"Hate to beak your bubble but the air port take overs and riots in central Bangkok were done under a democratic Government.

What was so terrible about the military it would not have allowed either one of those actions. Doe's that bother you."

Well it certainly allowed one of them (guess which?). The Army General Anupong refused to intervene in the PAD takeover of the airport and in fact later called for the dissolution of parliament - kind of lets you know which political colour they prefer, doesn't it.

[Oberkommando]

Hate to beak your bubble but the air port take overs and riots in central Bangkok were done under a democratic Government.

I for one think Thailand does not need that kind of Democracy and if it takes an military take over to put a end to it so be it.

It is indeed a sad state of affairs that those kind of actions can be tolerated just because it is a Democracy.

What was so terrible about the military it would not have allowed either one of those actions. Doe's that bother you.

All the things I listed happened as a result, once more, of Thai military interference in politics in the shape of the 2006 coup and the abrogation of the 1997 peoples' constitution (a constitution if you remember which was the first to be written as a direct result of the military dictator Suchinda's coup and bloody crackdowns in 1992).

Anyone calling for military dictatorships and coups clearly doesn't have the first clue about Thai history and should be ashamed of themselves for doing so.

[Crushdepth]

The army is the only thing standing between Thailand and dictatorship. Personally I thought the last military government was much better behaved than this gang of crooks. More honest too.

[phiphidon]

Just to lighten things up I found this snippet of news - talk about timing

Friday 16th December, 2011

UAE lifts travel warning for Thailand

The UAE foreign ministry has lifted a warning issued recently to citizens against travelling to Thailand..............................

http://feeds.bignews.../?sid=201881571

[Misterwhisper]

Just wondering how many other Thai nationals living abroad (and not having a 2-year prison sentence on their back nor having jumped bail, which in itself is another criminal offence) apply at their local embassy for a passport one day and can pick it up the very next day.

This entire issue stinks like rotten fish, to say the least. Everybody has lied through their teeth and if not an alleged foreign ministry official had ratted the story out to the media and the Dems, we all would have been kept in the dark indefinitely. I mean, the man received his passport already 6 WEEKS ago while a mere two weeks ago the Foreign mInister was still waxing about giving him his passport back as a "New Year's gift".

This has all been planned from a long hand and it wasn't anticipated that the truth would come to light so readily.

[letitbe]

The army is the only thing standing between Thailand and dictatorship. Personally I thought the last military government was much better behaved than this gang of crooks. More honest too.

your wasting you time a lot here simply do not understand Taksin or what he wants to achieve and the harm he has done and is quite capable of doing which is far far less than any of army coups None so blind as those cant see and when its to late they can go hide in their academic holes and ignorance. Same as supporters of Gaddafi saddam Mugabwie and all rest they cant see it until its to late. I certainly hope the Army again does it duty as one of only hopes to stop this evil monster who is on par with Hitler Pol Pot and rest They will see in time unless Taksin is stopped one way or another

[nurofiend]

The army is the only thing standing between Thailand and dictatorship. Personally I thought the last military government was much better behaved than this gang of crooks. More honest too.

your wasting you time a lot here simply do not understand Taksin or what he wants to achieve and the harm he has done and is quite capable of doing which is far far less than any of army coups None so blind as those cant see and when its to late they can go hide in their academic holes and ignorance. Same as supporters of Gaddafi saddam Mugabwie and all rest they cant see it until its to late. I certainly hope the Army again does it duty as one of only hopes to stop this evil monster who is on par with Hitler Pol Pot and rest They will see in time unless Taksin is stopped one way or another

you do realise how gaddafi came into power in the first place don't you?

[FalangBaa]

Mr T is looking more like Bobby Robson every day, or is it the other way round?

[Buchholz]

Thaksin's Passport Reinstated Since Oct 26

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Thani Thongpakdi affirms the Thai passport of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was reinstated since October 26 as he was no longer on the ministry's blacklist.

He said Thaksin had applied for a Thai passport at the Royal Thai Embassy in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on October 25. Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul approved the issuance of the passport and a passport was issued to Thaksin on October 26.

-- Tan Network 2011-12-16

So all the news pronouncements in the other 400 post thread are all brazen, known, bald-faced lies...

with his passport already having been issued over a month beforehand:

Thailand to issue passport for ex-PM Thaksin soon: FM

BANGKOK, December 2, 2011 (AFP) - Thailand will issue a passport for its fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra "very soon," his sister's government said Friday, angering the controversial ex-leader's opponents.

Ya gotta hand it to Yingluck's government.

They can lie with straight faces and tell the populace to f*** o** without batting an eye.

Oh dear. You sound a little upset.

Yes, unmitigated bullshit of the highest unprecedented level has that effect.

.

[Buchholz]

The passport was given back over 1.5 month ago.

How long time, had it not been for a whistle blower that contacted the Democrats, would they have continued to lie about this issue?

Given Thaksin's record and his lying cousin, Foreign Minister Surapong's record... it would be infinity.

.

[Buchholz]

The Foreign Minister clearly lied , saying he knew nothing about the passport. Loved the part where Yingluck said with a straight face she also knew nothing about the passport. Then I realized there has been in essence a constant stream of lies over the last few months. Why is that ?? Is this government so arrogant it simply lies to the peasants, then later if you get caught like the Foreign Minister, it seems to be no problem. Or are they so stupid they simply get tripped up in all these lies???

1. Foreingn Minister Surapong (center), who is Thaksin's cousin and Hun Sen's friend, really is that stupid.

2. He doesn't see it as a problem.

[473geo]

Has the world stopped.......or did I miss it 1.5 months ago?

Perhaps just an over exagerated non event.....

[webfact]

Passport issued in October

THE NATION

Thaksin given travel document one day after he submitted application

The Foreign Ministry yesterday confirmed it had issued a regular passport to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in late October, a day after the ousted premier made a request.

Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul said yesterday he had granted permission to issue a regular passport to Thaksin in accordance with the 2005 Foreign Ministry regulation.

Thaksin submitted his application through the Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi on October 25, requesting a passport as an ordinary citizen.

His passport was cancelled on April 12, 2009 after protests by the red-shirt group against the Abhisit Vejjajiva government.

The then foreign minister Kasit Piromya revoked Thaksin's regular passport under article 23 (7) of the ministry regulation on the ground that his stay abroad might hurt the country's interests. Thaksin was accused of manipulating the red-shirt protests.

Surapong said he revoked Kasit's order and granted permission to issue a passport to Thaksin because the government did not consider his stay abroad as a threat to the country.

The Consular Affairs Department issued a regular passport to Thaksin on October 26 and delivered it to him through the ministry-embassy normal channel, according to ministry spokesman Thani Thongpakdi.

Surapong rejected an allegation by the opposition Democrat Party that he had personally handed over the passport to the former premier. The minister was in Abu Dhabi from November 22-25 but did not meet Thaksin who was then in South Korea.

The Democrats threatened to impeach Surapong for abuse of power by issuing a passport to Thaksin who was escaping a jail sentence. Thaksin was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for abuse of power over the purchase of a plot of land from a state agency while he was holding a political position.

Surapong challenged the opposition party to open a debate in Parliament or take legal action against him.

"The termination [of the passport] was motivated by politics, the issuance is also in the same manner," he said. "This is a political issue so it should be solved by political means."

Surapong said he had not removed Thaksin's name from any blacklist as the name was never in the list.

Thaksin used to also hold a diplomatic passport but it was terminated by the military-backed government under Surayud Chulanont in 2007.

Thani said the former premier applied for a regular passport, not a diplomatic one.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said she has just learned that her elder brother Thaksin had been issued a passport and understood that the Foreign Ministry had pursued the matter in accordance with the law and regulations.

Opposition leader Abhisit said Foreign Minister Surapong will have to take responsibility if he is found to have abused his authority and violated the law on the issue.

Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut accused Surapong of lying to the public that he has not yet issued a passport to Thaksin when in fact he done so a long time ago.

The minister made a mistake and violated the law. "Shame on Surapong for lying and having no accountability. This person should not be the foreign minister. Prime Minister Yingluck should dump him," Chavanond said.

Chavanond, a former secretary to the foreign minister in the previous government, distributed a letter signed by Sansith Narinthalangul na Ayuthaya, assistant to the Secretary of Criminal Court for persons who hold a political position, to the Foreign Ministry's permanent secretary on August 15, 2008 prohibiting Thaksin from travelling abroad.

Article 21 (2) of the 2005 Foreign Ministry regulation says the ministry can cancel any passport on a request from the police, court or interior officials.

The Court, however, granted permission to Thaksin on July 28, 2008 to travel out of the country.

-- The Nation 2011-12-17

[cougar52]

Maybe I need to talk to the FM, because my ex-wife, the mother of my children, when to the Thai Embassy in Washing, D.C. to renew her passport and was told that they would issue an emergency passport to go to Thailand and get a New I.D. Card because she has been living in the U.S. legally since 1976. They told her she had to go to Thailand and stay in her Village in Phitsanuloke about three months and get her new I.D. Card.

Maybe the FM can fly to Washington, D.C. and give her new passport and I.D. Card. or not. This Red Government is B.S.

[metisdead]

Off topic bickering posts have been removed.

[Crushdepth]

The army is the only thing standing between Thailand and dictatorship. Personally I thought the last military government was much better behaved than this gang of crooks. More honest too.

your wasting you time a lot here simply do not understand Taksin or what he wants to achieve and the harm he has done and is quite capable of doing which is far far less than any of army coups None so blind as those cant see and when its to late they can go hide in their academic holes and ignorance. Same as supporters of Gaddafi saddam Mugabwie and all rest they cant see it until its to late. I certainly hope the Army again does it duty as one of only hopes to stop this evil monster who is on par with Hitler Pol Pot and rest They will see in time unless Taksin is stopped one way or another

you do realise how gaddafi came into power in the first place don't you?

I know how he was got rid of.

[jalansanitwong]

The passport was given back over 1.5 month ago.

How long time, had it not been for a whistle blower that contacted the Democrats, would they have continued to lie about this issue?

Which one ? Thaksin has so many passports i cant keep track of them.

[ozzieman05]

Montenegro revokes Mr T's passport because he harms Montenegro?

Yes, the homeland of international outlaws with big pockets tries to be accepted by the EU.

If this is the case, then the passport for Mr T follows UN laws: Everyone has the human right to have a nationality (passport).

Nope, sorry not everyone, a passport is a privilege not a right, and it has nothing to do with asserting your nationality.

Added to which, what possible use could a criminal convicted to two years in jail have for using one? Do prisons organise overseas trips for inmates or something?

The passport was revoked on a ministerial order. The passport was then reinstated on a ministerial order.

The legality of issuing the passport is not in question. The decision to revoke the passport was rooted in politics and the decision to reinstate the passport was rooted in politics.

Seems we are talking about two different people

Thaskin passports was revoked as he is a fugitive after a court conviction and he is on the fun

The court case was over fraud a conviction in a criminal court

seems many of you forget this

[ozzieman05]

Thailand needs to become a military dictatorship until the Thai people become mature enough and educated enough

What a disgusting statement.

well i and my thai family would much prefer a military government than this lot of totally corrupt robber barons they would not be worse thats for sure and we can only hope yet again the army will save Thailand from itself before your hero completely takes over and starts reeducating peole pol pot style. I find people like you disgusting even though you are either totally naive deluded or just plain stupid

My Thai wife and many of her educated Uni friends now agree

Thailand will be better off if this bunch of clowns are forced out of their currupt haven

What I think does not matter, what any westerners think does not matter

They are Thai and worst of all they are from Issan, they are the ones that matter

[ozzieman05]

Hate to beak your bubble but the air port take overs and riots in central Bangkok were done under a democratic Government.

I for one think Thailand does not need that kind of Democracy and if it takes an military take over to put a end to it so be it.

It is indeed a sad state of affairs that those kind of actions can be tolerated just because it is a Democracy.

What was so terrible about the military it would not have allowed either one of those actions. Doe's that bother you.

All the things I listed happened as a result, once more, of Thai military interference in politics in the shape of the 2006 coup and the abrogation of the 1997 peoples' constitution (a constitution if you remember which was the first to be written as a direct result of the military dictator Suchinda's coup and bloody crackdowns in 1992).

Anyone calling for military dictatorships and coups clearly doesn't have the first clue about Thai history and should be ashamed of themselves for doing so.

So any jews who wished the German milatary had taken Aldof out of power before he had the chance to kill millions upon millons around the world

Should be ashamed of themselves

seems we have different views of logic

Who was it that said

A crime worse than Evil

Is the peoples acceptance of It

[ozzieman05]

The army is the only thing standing between Thailand and dictatorship. Personally I thought the last military government was much better behaved than this gang of crooks. More honest too.

Oooops

History shows you are correct

[Skywalker69]

Honesty. Integrity. Credibility...

+ Working for all Thais.

+ Reconciliation.

[rixalex]

Thaskin passports was revoked as he is a fugitive after a court conviction and he is on the fun

LOL

A typo i presume, although perhaps fun isn't far off the mark. As a man who always puts himself and his own interests first, he is i'm sure enjoying this little sh-t storm of his own creation. To h-ll with all the renewed divisiveness and infighting back in his supposed beloved homeland, he'll feel like he has scored an extra point out of all this against those who dared to suggest he be made accountable to the same laws as everyone else, and that is all that will matter to him. How simple life becomes when all you ever have to consider is what you get out of something.

[rixalex]

Ya gotta hand it to Yingluck's government.

They can lie with straight faces and tell the populace to f*** o** without batting an eye.

Oh dear. You sound a little upset.

Yes, unmitigated bullshit of the highest unprecedented level has that effect.

.

Not for all it seems. Thaksin's loyal followers seem to, if anything, get off on the bullshit him and his brown nosed clowns dish out - the more bullshit the better.

You might have thought, or at least you might of hoped, that some of the more thinking members of that group of followers, might stop for a minute and consider that for all the distaste and dislike they have for those who brought him down - those whom they consider to be as bad, if not worse than Thaksin himself - that to whoop and hurrah at all this crap, as they do, is just a trifle stupid and childish. Alas... there either are no thinking members, or those that are have bought so deeply into the program, they can no longer think with any degree of sanity or reason. Either way, i find that kind of sad.

[ozzieman05]

Thaskin passports was revoked as he is a fugitive after a court conviction and he is on the fun

LOL

A typo i presume, although perhaps fun isn't far off the mark. As a man who always puts himself and his own interests first, he is i'm sure enjoying this little sh-t storm of his own creation. To h-ll with all the renewed divisiveness and infighting back in his supposed beloved homeland, he'll feel like he has scored an extra point out of all this against those who dared to suggest he be made accountable to the same laws as everyone else, and that is all that will matter to him. How simple life becomes when all you ever have to consider is what you get out of something.

Sorry yes you are right is was a Typo

should of been run

But looking back I agree FUN may fit the part more accurately

[ozzieman05]

Ya gotta hand it to Yingluck's government.

They can lie with straight faces and tell the populace to f*** o** without batting an eye.

Oh dear. You sound a little upset.

Yes, unmitigated bullshit of the highest unprecedented level has that effect.

.

Not for all it seems. Thaksin's loyal followers seem to, if anything, get off on the bullshit him and his brown nosed clowns dish out - the more bullshit the better.

You might have thought, or at least you might of hoped, that some of the more thinking members of that group of followers, might stop for a minute and consider that for all the distaste and dislike they have for those who brought him down - those whom they consider to be as bad, if not worse than Thaksin himself - that to whoop and hurrah at all this crap, as they do, is just a trifle stupid and childish. Alas... there either are no thinking members, or those that are have bought so deeply into the program, they can no longer think with any degree of sanity or reason. Either way, i find that kind of sad.

There is an old Say

THEY HAVE BEEN DOWN SO LONG, Down looks like Up to Them

Edited December 17, 2011 by metisdead
Please do not post in all capital letters, bold, unusual fonts, sizes or colors. It can be difficult to read.

[Oberkommando]

your wasting you time a lot here simply do not understand Taksin or what he wants to achieve and the harm he has done and is quite capable of doing which is far far less than any of army coups

Several Thai military dictators and their military governments have been immeasurably worse than Thaksin and his populist governments.

So many people completely ignorant of Thai history on here yet feel fit to make ridiculous statements (and quite frankly offensive to those that lost lives in the struggle for Thai democracy in the last century).

Your Hitler and Pol Pot comparisons to Thaksin are laughable and not even worth addressing.

It's no wonder Thais continually tell us that "this is Thailand, you no understand" with the level of ignorance shown on here.

Absolutely staggering.

Edited December 17, 2011 by Oberkommando

[rixalex]

The legality of issuing the passport is not in question. The decision to revoke the passport was rooted in politics and the decision to reinstate the passport was rooted in politics.

Most law abiding citizens would question the legality of the issuing of passports to convicted criminals who have fled the country. I do appreciate though that such matters seem to be a case of discretion, with no hard and fast rules. That strikes me as being a complete nonsense though. Passports are not a right, they don't determine one's nationality, they simply allow one to travel overseas, and people who the courts have instructed to spend time in jail, have no possible need for one, unless they are breaking the law by ignoring the courts. What you favour is for the state to encourage and better facilitate such law breaking. It's such a ridiculously stupid position to take, it really deserves no response. With that said...

[ozzieman05]

your wasting you time a lot here simply do not understand Taksin or what he wants to achieve and the harm he has done and is quite capable of doing which is far far less than any of army coups

Several Thai military dictators and their military governments have been immeasurably worse than Thaksin and his populist governments.

So many people completely ignorant of Thai history on here yet feel fit to make ridiculous statements (and quite frankly offensive to those that lost lives in the struggle for Thai democracy in the last century).

Your Hitler and Pol Pot comparisons to Thaksin are laughable and not even worth addressing.

It's no wonder Thais continually tell us that "this is Thailand, you no understand" with the level of ignorance shown on here.

Absolutely staggering.

1) Both you and I have no say in Thailand as we are not of Thai Blood

2) Yes many coups have been really bad , but we are now refering to the 2006 coup where not 1 person died and new free elections came from it, corrupt people who hid under pretend justice has to face up tpo their crimes

3) So all the millions that died under Hitlers rule are just laughable under your rules

4) and as far as so many people being Ignorant

Here I agree with you, if they where more educated this poor excuse for a government would not have been able to con the Thai people to get into power

[rixalex]

It's no wonder Thais continually tell us that "this is Thailand, you no understand" with the level of ignorance shown on here.

"Us"?

Speak for yourself.