BURNING ISSUE

Guess who's coming for lunch?

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

A simple meal last week put Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.

BANGKOK: -- There were two confusing stories hyping up the drama, while Yingluck and her spokesman made matters worse by denying sexual misconduct even before salacious rumours started circulating.

The lunch in question was a private function scheduled well in advance. After all, it is not unusual for government leaders to set aside time for private and personal affairs.

The PM's security detail was using the walkie-talkie code Wo5, indicating that it was Yingluck's personal time, while reporters on the beat were kind enough to suspend coverage for that duration.

Yet last Wednesday Yingluck and her security detail made a grand entrance at the Four Seasons Hotel in full view of the public and hotel staff. She then proceeded to the lunch at a suite on the 8th floor, not the 7th floor as speculated earlier. The waiting staff and her bodyguards had her in their line of vision for the entire two hours.

The story should have easily ended once the lunch concluded. However, a second story emerged to fuel more intrigue.

Well-known government critic Akeyuth Anchanbutr started telling the world via social media about how he was assaulted by an unidentified man about 10 minutes after Yingluck had left the premises. In his remarks, he implied he had become a victim because he was curious about who Yingluck's luncheon host was, even though he never made any outright accusations or gave any names. However, he did provide enough hints for people to connect the dots.

Whether it was by accident or design, he happened to be in the hotel at the same time as Yingluck and was allegedly attacked without any provocation or clear reason.

Akeyuth was having a cup of coffee in the Parichart Courtyard - an area that the premier would not have had to pass when she arrived or departed, so he could not have seen Yingluck. Plus, he would not have been in a position to know what had transpired at the lunch, which was obviously off-limits to hotel guests.

As news of the attack began circulating in the social media-sphere, the name of real-estate developer Srettha Thavisin started coming up. Akeyuth had, after all, mentioned that Srettha was seen at the hotel and even hinted that maybe he had hosted the lunch.

Akeyuth also made sweeping remarks implying that his being attacked was linked with the luncheon, though he presented no evidence to back his allegations.

He said his attacker looked like a man who had close ties with former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, yet he refused to lodge a police complaint.

In addition, publicity about the alleged attack on Akeyuth increased exponentially after the Democrats started raising doubt about Srettha's land speculation and social-media users started gossiping about Srettha being Yingluck's old flame.

Ruling party and the government spokespeople rushed to deny there was a romantic angle to the lunch - but that only ended up stirring more prurient interest.

Speculation over the Yingluck-Srettha-Akeyuth saga is expected to swirl around for another week or so before the public moves on to a new drama. Like all previous political mysteries, the Akeyuth "attack" seems likely to end as a cold case.

-- The Nation 2012-02-14

The problem is that YS has got so used to blanking questions that people end up guessing the answers.

She should clearly start being more open and therefore honest.

Hard for her to be open and honest, look at her bosses slimy behaviour.

Didn't a previous PM get sacked for having "personal business"?

Maybe Yingluck should concentrate on being PM.

Is this just a press release being published as "news"? A standard government media relationship worldwide. Nothing sinister, just 24 hour news creating an environment with little time for investigative reporting.

this whole story is absolutely ridiculous

"while Yingluck and her spokesman made matters worse by denying sexual misconduct even before salacious rumours started circulating."

where's the proof to this claim that she denied sexual misconduct before rumours started???

taking into account that she wouldn't have made any statement at all had it not been brought to public attention, and that's where the rumours began as soon as it was known.

BS

Personally I find meeting with a major land speculator in a private way,

when the flood management land grabs are in the works,

more damning than is the thought of her getting blackmailed about her sex life.

But we forget that they see collusion and and sweetheart deals here as SOP.

Only suggestions of sex between consenting adults sets off the

'panic! society is falling' meters to red line.

If it is anal retentive to be anti-corruption then so be it.

I find being Laise-faire about corruption much the greater malady.

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by animatic

Personally I find meeting with a major land speculator in a private way,

when the flood management land grabs are in the works,

more damning than is the thought of her getting blackmailed about her sex life.

But we forget that they see collusion and and sweetheart deals here as SOP.

Only sex between consenting adults sets of the panic society is falling meters to red line.

If it is anal retentive to be anti-corruption then so be it.

I find being Laise-faire about corruption much the greater malady.

ma'lady *tips hat*

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by nurofiend

What she does in her own time is her own business but wasn`t parliament in session. AS the P.M should she have not been there instead of excusing herself and why was there no mention of her meeting made before? Esp if it was known well in advance...

I think her powers of concentration are pretty much stretched to their limits after she has chosen her nail polish colour.

I think her powers of concentration are pretty much stretched to their limits after she has chosen her nail polish colour.

Allegations have been made.

They now need to be answered.

If she is making a personal invesyment in a baked bean canning plant then fine. If those baked beans are then chosen as school dinners across Thailand then it's not.

AIS, ExIm Bank, Amply Rich, Shin Corp, Burmese Government etc.

It smells more like Dick Cheney putting his Halliburton stock in 'Blind Trust'.

Except he put 85% ONLY Halliburton stock into it,

and then aimed Halliburton contracts for oil delivery in Iraq.

His 'Blindly Held Stock' went from 900 million to 2 billion during his term in office,

but he didn't know what was in his 'blind trust'... in theory.

Here they don't even bother to hide it,

they think their power can prevent it from being acted on.

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by animatic

jayboy i think they just see Fox News,and end up with a gutter press mind.

I haven't suggested that she has done anything immoral, just unethical.

She had a personal meeting with a real estate developer. She has business interests in real estate. Why was she meeting him? Especially when parliament was in session and she should have been there.

I have removed a bickering session.

If you can't reply to topics without the personal attacks and squabbling, pls. take some time away from the computer to regain your composure.

jayboy i think they just see Fox News,and end up with a gutter press mind.

I haven't suggested that she has done anything immoral, just unethical.

She had a personal meeting with a real estate developer. She has business interests in real estate. Why was she meeting him? Especially when parliament was in session and she should have been there.

I agree with you. It's a shame that some people on this forum (in fact 50% of Thailand) still don't get it.

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by Nickymaster

I think her powers of concentration are pretty much stretched to their limits after she has chosen her nail polish colour.

So, it was a nooner. How interesting.

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by z12

Well-known government critic Akeyuth Anchanbutr

This whole story revolves around this guy.

Describing him as above, certainly puts it all in context.

".......another week or so before the public moves on to a new drama.

That is one of the strengths of the Opposition......making up stories and reporting them as fact.

They have a long history of this.

But when challenged in court to validate them, they scream "freedom of the Press'

Cest' la Vie

I don't know if pre-Valentine sex did happen or not.

But 1 man and 1 unmarried beautiful woman in a hotel together. . . . . . I better stop there, before my imagination runs wild.

Well-known government critic Akeyuth Anchanbutr

This whole story revolves around this guy.

Describing him as above, certainly puts it all in context.

".......another week or so before the public moves on to a new drama.

That is one of the strengths of the Opposition......making up stories and reporting them as fact.

They have a long history of this.

But when challenged in court to validate them, they scream "freedom of the Press'

Cest' la Vie

Ok he is known as a 'government critic'

But even you must find it strange that a simple explaining of the facts in this way would have made this go away.

So why all the drama and talk of i'm a women i can do what i want????????

That is one of the strengths of the CURRENT GOVERNMENT......making up stories and reporting them as fact. Just ask Chalerm.

They have a long history of this.

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by thaicbr

I don't know if pre-Valentine sex did happen or not.

But 1 man and 1 unmarried beautiful woman in a hotel together. . . . . . I better stop there, before my imagination runs wild.

The waiting staff and her bodyguards had her in their line of vision for the entire two hours.

and nobody filmed it?

Bugger.

Posts making no contribution to the topic have been removed.

So, it goes from possible sexual liaison, to maybe a conflict of interest real esteate development?

or both?

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by z12

So, it goes from possible sexual liaison, to maybe a conflict of interest real esteate development?

or both?

So it goes from normal to normal

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by rubl

So, it goes from possible sexual liaison, to maybe a conflict of interest real esteate development?

or both?

So it goes from normal to normal

Good to know, sexual liaison and conflict of interest, is normal, but I guess we all knew that already.

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by z12

So, it goes from possible sexual liaison, to maybe a conflict of interest real esteate development?

or both?

So it goes from normal to normal

Good to know, sexual liaison and conflict of interest, is normal, but I guess we all knew that already.

It's all about Thainess, local customs, or in other words something foreigners doesn't understand

So, it goes from possible sexual liaison, to maybe a conflict of interest real esteate development?

or both?

Either ways somebody is getting f....d.

So, it goes from possible sexual liaison, to maybe a conflict of interest real esteate development?

or both?

So it goes from normal to normal

Good to know, sexual liaison and conflict of interest, is normal, but I guess we all knew that already.

It's all about Thainess, local customs, or in other words something foreigners doesn't understand

Meaning rampant inbred corruption?

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by z12

I think her powers of concentration are pretty much stretched to their limits after she has chosen her nail polish colour.

As long as the nail polish is not dry, a woman is defenseless. Burt Reynolds

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by TackyToo

Was it a buffet all you can eat lunch?

Edited February 14, 201214 yr by z12