Drastic Overhauling For Thai Cabinet

[pimay11]

PM: Thaksin not involved in Cabinet reshuffle

The Nation

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday insists she made her own decision in regard to the shuffling of the Cabinet, saying her brother Thaksin had no involvement in the matter.

"I am solely responsible for the Cabinet line-up and Thaksin was not linked to the matter," she said.

Yingluck said she would explain her decision following the issuing of the royal command on the ministerial appointments.

She said she shuffled her Cabinet with the aim to streamline and strengthen work, arguing she did not pay attention to the number of positions involved.

The Cabinet reshuffle is being submitted for royal endorsement.

-- The Nation 2012-01-18

The Nation:

Incoming Deputy Education Minister Sakda Kongpet on Wednesday said he knew he would get to join the Cabinet after meeting with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in Hong Kong befrore the New Year holiday.

"I flew to meet Thaksin and subsequently knew about getting my appointment in advance," he said.

One of these two people is a bald face liar. Either Yingluck or Sakda.

[animatic]

In the spring, maybe a drastic keel-hauling of this cabinet will happen?

[TAWP]

Will the US grant a person on their black list to enter the nation if TAVEESIN is required to travel there for anything regarding cabinet work?

[rockdoc]

The outgoing deputy agriculture minister, Pornsak Charoenprasert said yesterday he personally viewed a Cabinet seat as "an asset you share with other people".

Typical politicians response. No mention of it being an honour to serve the country and its people; it's just an "asset" that you get to share with the other pigs jostling at the trough.

[Buchholz]

PM: Thaksin not involved in Cabinet reshuffle

The Nation

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Wednesday insists she made her own decision in regard to the shuffling of the Cabinet, saying her brother Thaksin had no involvement in the matter.

"I am solely responsible for the Cabinet line-up and Thaksin was not linked to the matter," she said.

Why bother denying it? We know you're lying.

For the sake of consistency.

She denied back in August that Thaksin had anything to do with the selection of the original Cabinet.

She may be a liar, but she gets consistency points for being so dedicated to it.

.

[Lite Beer]

Cabinet reshuffle list endorsed by His Majesty

The Nation

His Majesty the King Wednesday signed a royal command to endorse the Cabinet reshuffle list, Cabinet Secretary-General Ampol Kittiampol said.

The reshuffle list was sent back to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Wednesday evening.

Six members of the first Yingluck Cabinet were transferred to new positions and ten new faces were brought into the Cabinet.

The six transferred ministers are:

General Yuthasak Sasiprapha: Deputy PM of National Security

Sukumpol Suwanatat: Defence Minister

Surawit Khonsomboon: Deputy Public Health Minister

Kittiratt Na-Ranong: Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister

Boonsong Teriyaphirom: Commerce Minister

Woravat Auapinyakul: PM's Office Minister

The ten new ministers are:

Suchart Tadathamrongvech: Education Minister

Nivatthamrong Boonsongpaisal: PM's Office ministers

Nalinee Thavisin: PM's Office ministers

Arak Chonlatanon: Energy Minister

Charupong Ruangsuwan: Transport Minister

Pongsvas Svasti: Industry Minister

Natthawut Saikua: Deputy Agriculture Minister

Chatchart Sithipan: Deputy Transport Minister

Sakda Kongpet: Deputy Education Minister

Tanusak Lekuthai: Deputy Finance Minister

-- The Nation 2012-01-18

[Buchholz]

The crowd on Twitter is now talking about the fact that the new cabinet member destined for the Trade Minister position is Nalinee Joy Taveesin.

She is currently blacklisted by the US for co-operating with dictator Robert Mugabe, of Zimbabwe. See: https://www.epls.gov...dex=0&xref=true

This is the sort of scum they put into ministerial positions.

Zimbabwe is where Thaksin has a platinum mine valued at a Trillion Baht.

He doesn't have any trouble associating with scum from either country.

.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Buchholz

[sparebox2]

Will the US grant a person on their black list to enter the nation if TAVEESIN is required to travel there for anything regarding cabinet work?

Yeah yeah. And Thaksin is also reported (by Mark) to be on Interpol wanted list.

[Buchholz]

Sakda gets the job after meeting Thaksin

"I flew to meet Thaksin and subsequently knew about getting my appointment in advance," he said.

PM: Thaksin not involved in Cabinet reshuffle

"I am solely responsible for the Cabinet line-up and Thaksin was not linked to the matter," she said.

First order of business for the new Cabinet is informing Sakda that his story doesn't match the clone's story.

.

[Buchholz]

ten new faces were brought into the Cabinet.

Natthawut Saikua: Deputy Agriculture Minister

Congratulations...

[Teddy3943]

Here we have a real typical Thai way of acting. Everyone who had some building or work done by Thai workers knows that they start first doing things and then realizes that this start was wrong. What follows is a mostly bad modification or a complete knock down and start again from scratch. Acting without thinking things over before is what I see all the time around me.

The new cabinet will be filled up with people according to the "debts" the pm has to them. Also the normal way of behavior in Thailand. "I do something for you and later you do something for me", that's the basic of corruption. This is so deep accepted in the Thai sociëty that most Thai people even don't recognize corruption.

Getting a job here is not measured by your skills, but by which important middle person supports your application or how much you are willing to pay to get the job. Sad, very sad for honest (young) people who want to come forward in the right way.

[DP25]

The crowd on Twitter is now talking about the fact that the new cabinet member destined for the Trade Minister position is Nalinee Joy Taveesin.

She is currently blacklisted by the US for co-operating with dictator Robert Mugabe, of Zimbabwe. See: https://www.epls.gov...dex=0&xref=true

This is the sort of scum they put into ministerial positions.

It's not a surprise, Mugabe's Zimbabwe is pretty much the ideal model that they desire for Thailand. Rampant corruption, unbridled power, and the ability to ruthlessly crush any dissent is the ultimate goal for this bunch

Edited January 18, 2012 by DP25

[TAWP]

Will the US grant a person on their black list to enter the nation if TAVEESIN is required to travel there for anything regarding cabinet work?

Yeah yeah. And Thaksin is also reported (by Mark) to be on Interpol wanted list.

No, he didn't. And if you are interested in reading the actual documents I linked them above. But you don't seem interested in facts.

[moe666]

Will the US grant a person on their black list to enter the nation if TAVEESIN is required to travel there for anything regarding cabinet work?

Yeah yeah. And Thaksin is also reported (by Mark) to be on Interpol wanted list.

No, he didn't. And if you are interested in reading the actual documents I linked them above. But you don't seem interested in facts.

Facts why would we want to bother with facts.

[Arkady]

If true, the removal of Finance Minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala is a mistake. I see that the Nation finally acknowledged that the gentleman was a fiscal conservative and favoured discipline in the market. This is precisely why I supported the man. I recall many people in TVF ripping into him and criticizing him without even knowing what his policies were. He was probably one of the few people acting as a counter weight to possibly reckless financial policies. Of course Mr. Abhisit is happy to see him go and replaced with someone more along the lines of the loosey goosey former finance minister Korn. Thailand doesn't need more investment manager types in the position of finance minister. It needs a disciplined austere accountant type. Mr. Korn wasn't the right man for the ministry when the markets were in melt down mode and Kittirat Na Ranong is not the right man for the job either. This man is basically another Korn. He has a background in the investment markets and he's an MBA.

These MBAs that worked in the stock market and the investment firms are the people that created the financial market mess with their funny money schemes and asset swaps. It's like going to a chiropractor when what is needed is an orthopedist or neurologist.

I anticipate that the international markets will not embrace this change. Thailand should have looked to the stable economies of Sweden, Canada or the Nederlands to see what type of finance minister was best suited for the current conditions. What is not needed now are investment manager types. Bad, bad mistake not to keep the soon to be former finance minister.

Mr. Abhisit didn't like the soon to be former finance minister because he was a no nonsense guy and reversed some of the former minister Korn's policy decisions. , and it seems that the PM Yingluck doesn't like him either because he is not aftraid of saying no and most likely gave an ultimatum. The new finance minister will probably reimplement the Korn policies because he thinks the same way. Mark my words, any screwing around on the debt will eventually mess up Thailand's credit rating.This country has a real problem with prudent fiscal policy and of working towards a goal. It's like a kid that wants it now, this very instant.

Would that be the same Korn who was voted Finance Minister of the Year by the FT?

I find myself quite unusually in agreement with Geriatrickid's assessment of the new finance minister. Kittirat was a good president of the stock exchange (at least by Thailand's low standards) but he hasn't been a good deputy PM for economic affairs in his few months in the job and he seems clearly not to have the qualities necessary for a good finance minister. Yes, he does have an MBA and he was a rather mediocre analyst at SEC-1 but was quite good at managing people as head of research, although it has to be said that as a Thai house they were producing research that was largely ignored by fund managers who were interested in research produced by foreign houses. After SEC-1 went bust he got involved in wheeler dealing and property development through a company that is still controlled by his family and managed by his sister. There is nothing whatever in his background that is orientated towards macroeconomics and he hasn't made any public utterances that are suggestive of even a superficial understanding of macroeconomics. While he gave an impression of independence at the SET he now seems to behaving like wholly like a Pheua Thai aparatchik dancing wherever the strings of master pupeteer in Dubai lead him.

Thirachai, on the other hand, seems to have swapped roles with Kittirat in a sense. At the SEC he seemed to bend over backwards to accommodate the Shinawatras and all their deals and questionable shareholder structures. Now it looks like he's had enough after only four months at the job that should have been the pinnacle of his career. Looking the other way when various deals took place was one thing but actively forcing the nation into fiscal incontinence and sending the economy along the road to Athens by monetising the FIDF debt has proved too much for a Bank of Thailand scholar steeped in the mores of fiscal and monetary prudence. Good for him. He probably has some lucrative job offers lined up with commercial banks anyway that will compensate for this wrong turning.

Where I disagree with Geriatrickid is in his assessment of Korn. Although he does have an investment banking background, he doesn't have an MBA. He read PPE at Oxford and I think did a masters in economics too. He does create the impression of being a wanke_r banker but at Jardine Fleming Thanakhom he was a fairly plain vanilla type who concentrated on regular capital raising for clients and didn't get involved in any outrageous house of cards type activities like sub-prime. After his family sold the business to Chase he seemed to be just kept on at Chase as the Thai figurehead without any real work to do and certainly did nothing controversial. As finance minister he displayed a pretty strong grasp of marcoeconomics by Thai standards. He could have floated endless popularist schemes and inefficient mega projects but he chose the course of fiscal prudence, preferring to go for a balanced budget again within a few years, despite the hypocritical red shirt and Pheua Thai accusations of fiscal irresponsibility at the time.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Arkady

[hellodolly]

Here we have a real typical Thai way of acting. Everyone who had some building or work done by Thai workers knows that they start first doing things and then realizes that this start was wrong. What follows is a mostly bad modification or a complete knock down and start again from scratch. Acting without thinking things over before is what I see all the time around me.

The new cabinet will be filled up with people according to the "debts" the pm has to them. Also the normal way of behavior in Thailand. "I do something for you and later you do something for me", that's the basic of corruption. This is so deep accepted in the Thai sociëty that most Thai people even don't recognize corruption.

Getting a job here is not measured by your skills, but by which important middle person supports your application or how much you are willing to pay to get the job. Sad, very sad for honest (young) people who want to come forward in the right way.

Well I certainly am not a fan of Yingluck but I wonder what kind of debt's she would have being as she is new to politics.

Of course there is a huge debt to her brother but she has already learned that she can not just white wash all his crimes.

[AleG]

The fact that neither the Science Minister or the Foreign Minister were replaced is all the proof needed to bury the idea that the reshuffle is about getting the most capable people for the job.

[animatic]

The fact that neither the Science Minister or the Foreign Minister were replaced is all the proof needed to bury the idea that the reshuffle is about getting the most capable people for the job.

Spot on there AleG!

[Buchholz]

The crowd on Twitter is now talking about the fact that the new cabinet member destined for the Trade Minister position is Nalinee Joy Taveesin.

She is currently blacklisted by the US for co-operating with dictator Robert Mugabe, of Zimbabwe. See: https://www.epls.gov...dex=0&xref=true

This is the sort of scum they put into ministerial positions.

Zimbabwe is where Thaksin has a platinum mine valued at a Trillion Baht.

He doesn't have any trouble associating with scum from either country.

.

New minister on US blacklist

PM's Office Minister Nalinee sanctioned by Treasury Dept office for dealings with Mugabe regime

The Yingluck II Cabinet, announced yesterday evening, was immediately rocked by a controversy after new face Nalinee Taveesin, who was appointed PM's Office minister, was exposed as being on a United States blacklist due to her alleged business connections with Zimbabwe.

Nalinee's name was on the US blacklist of "cronies" of the much-abhorred Zimbabwean regime. The disclosure was certain to put more strain on bilateral relations after the US Embassy's recent terrorist warning on its website upset the Thai government.

Nalinee described the issue as a mix-up.

"It was a misunderstanding on the part of the US."

"This happened a long time ago. I didn't do anything as alleged," she told the Krungthep Turakij newspaper.

Nalinee's qualifications to be a minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office had been checked constitutionally before the Cabinet list was submitted for His Majesty the King's approval, Cabinet Secretary-General Ampon Kittiampon said yesterday.

However, Ampon said he was not aware that her name was on the list of Zimbabwean Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) by the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in November 2008.

About two decades ago, the revelation that veteran politician Narong Wongwan was on a US blacklist all but ruined his political career. He was a prime ministerial candidate when news about the blacklist knocked him off his perch.

Robert Amsterdam, the lawyer for fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, reportedly wants to compare former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva with Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe for Abhisit's alleged role in the bloody crackdown against civil disobedience last year.

The US OFAC designated in the SDN list Nalinee Joy Taveesin, then an ordinary Thai businesswoman, for her facilitation of a number of financial, real-estate, and gems-related transactions on behalf of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's wife Grace Mugabe and other Zimbabweans on the SDN list.

"Ironically, Nalinee Taveesin has participated in a number of initiatives on corruption and growth challenges in Africa and Southeast Asia while secretly supporting the kleptocratic practices of one of Africa's most corrupt regimes," according to a OFAC statement issued on November 25, 2008.

As a consequence, American citizens or entities were prohibited from doing business with her, while her assets, if they went through a US jurisdiction, would be frozen.

Zimbabwe was sanctioned by the US in 2003 for its undemocratic practices. In 2005, an executive order by then president George W Bush expanded the list of sanction targets to include immediate family members of the designated individuals of the Zimbabwean sanctions as well as those who provide assistance to the sanctioned targets.

Nalinee said she was close to many countries' leaders, not just those governing Zimbabwe. She insisted that she did not do any illegal business overseas.

Cabinet Secretary-General Ampon said he had reviewed Nalinee's |credentials for a ministerial post |and found nothing against Thai laws. Her name was submitted together with other new ministers for His Majesty's approval, and got royal endorsement yesterday evening.

If appearing on the SDN list is not against Thai law, she is still eligible to be a minister, Ampon said.

"But if such a status is against Thai law, we have to consider the matter again," he said. "At this moment, don't make any premature conclusion."

-- The Nation 2011-01-19

Edited January 18, 2012 by Buchholz

[Buchholz]

Sakda gets the job after meeting Thaksin

"I flew to meet Thaksin and subsequently knew about getting my appointment in advance," he said.

PM: Thaksin not involved in Cabinet reshuffle

"I am solely responsible for the Cabinet line-up and Thaksin was not linked to the matter," she said.

First order of business for the new Cabinet is informing Sakda that his story doesn't match the clone's story.

Sakda was at it again with telling reporters that Thaksin had asked him to pass along to the Cabinet that they all have just 6 months to accomplish their assigned tasks or they will face being replaced in another massive Cabinet shake-up at that time.

Additionally, at that time, the infamous 111 Thai Rak Thai Party executives will have completed their 5 year ban and thus be eligible to join any new Cabinet line-up in June. The new Cabinet then could also include fellow Red Shirt Leaders Jatuporn and Apiwan joining their buddy Natthawut.

Reported in the other paper this morning.

.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Buchholz

[Buchholz]

The dismissed Deputy Agriculture Minister Pornsak Charoenprasert, that indicted Red Shirt Leader Natthawut replaced, had a great comment on his removal after just a handful of months (which apparently comprises a "term")...

"I'm stepping down because my term is completed, not because of corruption. They [ministerial positions] are for sharing and I shouldn't waste my thoughts on that."

He seemingly didn't waste much of his thoughts while he was serving his full term, either.

.

Edited January 19, 2012 by Buchholz

[Buchholz]

.

The incoming Blacklisted Prime Minister's Office Minister Nalinee purports the blacklisting won't affect her.

She provided other contradictory statements in the other paper this morning.

.

[maidu]

PM asserts her brother, ex-PM Thaksin, not involved in cabinet reshuffle; changes aimed to make cabinet more suitable, streamlined /MCOT

Last time I checked, their political party motto is still "Puea Thai Acts."

Why is it so hard for a Shinawatre to tell the truth?

Well, at least one upcoming cabinet Minister can speak a semblence of the truth, when he admitted he had gone to visit Mr. Thaksin abroad, and was given the nod for the position.

....and 15 of 16 are men. Is there such a small pool of qualified women in Thailand?

[maidu]

There must be some partying going on in Bangkok. A Minister's position is often an open door to added money bags. I'll bet they'll now be a bit smarter than the 'permanent minister' who recently got caught with too many bags of money stacked in his residence.

Edited January 19, 2012 by maidu

[exeter]

I drastic re shuffle after 6 months in power would tend to indicate that some pretty poor choices for running the country were iniatially made, does not bode well or enthuse confidence in the electorate for the future, but then then its a bit like picking a football team, everyone picks different players. Some of the original players, it would appear, could not kick the ball let alone pass it. Still good game good game! For your short stay you will be rewarded.

[geriatrickid]

Will the US grant a person on their black list to enter the nation if TAVEESIN is required to travel there for anything regarding cabinet work?

She is not on a black list for travel. All that is required is as follows; _{. As a result of Treasury's action, any assets of the individuals and entities designated today that are within U.S. jurisdiction must be frozen. Additionally, U.S. persons are prohibited from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these individuals or entities.}

[Buchholz]

I drastic re shuffle after 6 months in power would tend to indicate that some pretty poor choices for running the country were iniatially made, does not bode well or enthuse confidence in the electorate for the future

while another drastic reshuffle in another 6 months is looming.

The 111 Gang will be sure to bring on the corruption professionals in June.

.

Edited January 19, 2012 by Buchholz

[Buchholz]

Will the US grant a person on their black list to enter the nation if TAVEESIN is required to travel there for anything regarding cabinet work?

The new Prime Minister's Office Minister Nalinee is Blacklisted because of her banned financial dealings with Mugabe's wife, who herself was the subject of Swiss action a few months ago:

Swiss stop Mugabe's wife travelling to UN meeting

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/swiss-stop-mugabes-wife-travelling-to-un-meeting-2376498.html

.

[Buchholz]

Was it blood diamonds?

Don't let Mugabe's wife hear you say that...

Mugabe wife sues over diamond story

Zimbabwe's first lady files for defamation against newspaper for publishing story sourced from US cables on WikiLeaks.

The wife of Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean president, has filed a suit against a newspaper demanding $15m for publishing leaked US cables on her alleged involvement in illicit diamond trading.

http://www.aljazeera...4107545343.html

.

Edited January 19, 2012 by Buchholz

[webfact]

related:

Cabinet reshuffle appropriate: PM Yingluck

Follow this link: http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__4989748