Senior Pheu Thai MP Advises Thaksin To Forfeit 46 Billion Baht For Amnesty

[MegaRanter]

It's murky as you go higher in Thailand. Just like in Nigeria, no big player is a saint.

Last two weeks some director level civil servants, were found to have diverted $3 billion of police pension funds into private accounts in a few commercial banks, and the court gave them bail for $80000 each. While pensioners were all aging and dying the bunch were only thinking about the interest yield, at least or the whole stash if no one ever asks.

[Buchholz]

Here was the same Senior Pheu Thai Party MP's (when he was Pracharaj Party Leader) earlier advise regarding Thaksin ....

Pracharaj Party Leader Urges All Parties to Reconcile for Peace

The Pracharaj Party Leader urged all related sides to become harmonious and asked the public to forgive the deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has decided to leave politics.

Responding to the political conflict among Thai nationals right now, Pracharaj Party Leader Sanoh Thienthong said everyone should stop their disputes and cooperate instead, in order to fight the oil crisis that is hitting the country's economy at the moment.

He also talked about the return of the exiled premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Sanoh said the public should forgive him, since Thaksin has affirmed that he will not engage in politics and has stated that he will devote himself to charity work.

Commenting on whether the return of the deposed Prime Minister will lead to trouble, the Pracharaj leader said that it would depend on Thaksin's actions.

- Thailand Outlook / March 31, 2008

[hellodolly]

Great news, one step closer in bringing Thaksin home. So he could be home in time for his birthday and what a party that will be.

every mindless crook in the country will be sad.

They may not be the sharpest knife's in the drawer but they dislike competition being allowed to come back.

[MAJIC]

Oh, well we must believe you Ian as you worked with a human rights organisation. Human rights violations have been happening in this country for a long time before and after Thaksin was Prime Minister and not everything you read on the web is true you know. In this country the web is censored alot so maybe all the websites with positive statements about Thaksin have been removed.

Well if there was any truth in your statement,it certainly would not have taken very long!

[GentlemanJim]

Maybe they should start calling it the "Amnesty and Thaksin Refund Act".

Or it could be Amnesty Refunding Shinawatra Embezzlers

[GentlemanJim]

Oh, well we must believe you Ian as you worked with a human rights organisation. Human rights violations have been happening in this country for a long time before and after Thaksin was Prime Minister and not everything you read on the web is true you know. In this country the web is censored alot so maybe all the websites with positive statements about Thaksin have been removed.

As it appears have websites where it is possible to have an intellectual exchange with well informed rational individuals.

[masterbiker49]

46 Billion Baht,now thats some serious graft to share around.65 million Thais,3 million Baht each & the rest left over for fun & giggles at the welcome home party.Thats some reconcilliation PRESENT at the ATM for all.

[louse1953]

Of course Thaksin has already lost the money in court, and he has no claim on it. He can SAY he has one, but why should he get amnesty in exchange for not stating a claim for what he can NOT legally claim?

Sanoh is just throwing out ideas in case someone bites down hard on them. Like 'Thaksin can buy off his charges with money he's already lost in court...' Amazing logic. It also has much to do with the slippery eel way laws can be reinterpreted by the highest bidder. Likely the bane of Thailands very existence.

This is not about Thaksin getting his money back, that's just the spoils of war, he wants control of the country, anything less and he's still lost face. If he gains complete control, behind the scenes or in front, he can just TAKE the money and call it his.

Funniest part is Sanoh says:

"He pointed to the 1997 Charter in which the independent monitoring organizations were given too much power and resulted in legal confusions."

Yes, Thaksin ran roughshod over the checks and balances and couldn't be prosecuted,

and yet Sanoh says that's because they were too strong... and confused him.

It's confusing to NOT get to steal from the public coffers and get away with it?

Balderdash, poppycock, bilge, and merde de toro.

Poor Sanoh, such confusing times for the old guy.

These dinosaurs of Thai politics just need to fade away for real progress to happen.

Back of the adviser queue for you Sanoh.Face is huge,but also 46 bill.The money has already been divided up to various departments,if it comes back it will come from taxpayers pockets.

[louse1953]

Great news, one step closer in bringing Thaksin home. So he could be home in time for his birthday and what a party that will be.

Rekon he'll get a birthday cake in the monkey house?

[louse1953]

Oh, well we must believe you Ian as you worked with a human rights organisation. Human rights violations have been happening in this country for a long time before and after Thaksin was Prime Minister and not everything you read on the web is true you know. In this country the web is censored alot so maybe all the websites with positive statements about Thaksin have been removed.

Removed by whom,Yinluck?

[louse1953]

In respect to th actual issue, the suggestion of;

1, No longer contesting the monetary penalty and ,

2. PTP proposing the amnesty

give insight into the current strategy. I think it is a viable way forward. In Thailand, money is very important and such a loss would act to satisfy many people in the anti Thaksin camp. It would also play to the "I love Thailand and will sacrifice for the nation strategy".

I think it is wise that the government not propose the amnesty and instead allow a private member's Bill to be considered. A brilliant political move as a member is allowed to bring forth legislation and members can then decide. Unsavoury or difficult political issues have sometimes been resolved in this manner as it keeps the government unattached to a contestable Bill. One sees this with hot button issues such as the Death Penalty, Abortion or Gun related issues in other parliaments.

Nothing precludes a member of the House for introducing a Bill. That is what the House is for: The consideration and discussion of parliamentary acts.

There is no contest on the monetary issue,it's well gone.

[louse1953]

So make it fair and allow every person who has been convicted of a crime the ability to buy their way out of jail using a sliding scale based on net worth. And I guess that every one who has a negative net worth gets out for free.

What makes a billionaire criminal different than a poor criminal. Ooohhhh. Silly me -- money and power.

An unfair judicial system? Well than it's unfair for everybody. Come back and do you're two years like a man. The population will rally around you once you're out! What are you thinking? It would be over and done with by now.

Exactly,he probably would have only done a year in style.couldn't stay with the common crim. surely.He is a coward and gets other people to do his dirty work,even using family.This whole saga is down to this megalomaniac.

[Payboy]

46 Billion Baht,now thats some serious graft to share around.65 million Thais,3 million Baht each & the rest left over for fun & giggles at the welcome home party.Thats some reconcilliation PRESENT at the ATM for all.

Something wrong with the math there, I think.

[louse1953]

I thought you were supposed to give to the monks, not take from them?

They (temples/monks) have to have permission from the interior minister to control over 50 Rai of land.

More from the land saga.

It started when Grandma Nuem Chumnanchartsakda, a lay sponsor of the abbot of Wat Thammikaramvaraviharn in Prachuabkirikhan Province, where Hua Hin, the most famous resort town is located, had donated a large pieces of land measuring about 732 rais (293 acres) and registered on a title deed No. 20 located at Klong Soi No.5, Klong Luang District, Patumthani Province. This place is generally known as Rangsit about 25 Km up north on Paholyothin Highway from Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok. The donation was written down on Grandma Nuem’s will on Nov. 20, 1969 at Dusit District in Bangkok. Two years later on May 22, 1971, Grandma Nuem passed away. So, it was known then that the land was donated under the will of Grandma Nuem to a Buddhist temple known as Wat Thammikaramvaraviharn.

According to media reports, the 3 court-appointed inheritance custodians had tried in vain to transfer ownership of the land to the temple. But the temple abbot did not cooperate and insisted that it’s better for the temple if the land be sold out for cash, citing that the temple already had a nearby land of about 50 rais, which was enough for the temple to make use of it. Besides, the donated land was in Patumthani, a place so far away from the temple. Nothing was done about the land until 1990, during which the abbot pressured the 3 custodians of the inheritance to the point that they all had to resign as the inheritance custodian. Shortly afterwards, Mahamongkut Foundation was appointed as the new inheritance custodian under the order of the Interior Minister, who happened to be Mr. Snoh Tienthong, who has been known as Chao Poh Wang Nam Yen of Sra Keo Province (bordering Cambodia in the East). Chao Poh means big boss or godfather in the mobster context.

Snoh Tienthong served as interior minister in the government with Gen. Chatichai Choonhavan as PM and Leader of Chart Thai Party (disbanded by Constitution Court’s ruling on Dec 2, 2008 for election fraud) from 1988 to 1991. Snoh later joined New Aspiration Party with Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyuth as leader and himself as secretary-general. He again served as Interior minister when Gen. Chavalit had the mandate to form the government in Nov. 1996. Snoh served as minister of interior for the second time until Nov. 8, 1997 when Gen. Chavalit resigned as prime minister as a result of the financial meltdown crisis in Asia, during which the value of Thai Baht hit the Bht50 per US dollar in its free fall in the exchange market.

According to a regulation, any donation of land to a temple if exceeds 50 rais in area, the temple must seek permission from the minister of interior to make the donation effective and traditionally permission was granted without any problem. But Snoh Tienthong made it a historic in the annals of land donation in which a religious entity was involved, by refusing to grant permission for Wat Thammikayaramvaraviharn to take the land donation. Instead, he issued a letter on Feb. 12, 1990 in his capacity as interior minister ordering the temple to transfer the right on the land to Mahamongkut Foundation.

There was no reports in the media about the transfer of rights over the donated land from the temple to the foundation but 6 months after Snoh issued his latter to the temple, the ownership of the land was passed over from the temple to Mahamongkut Foundation and the Foundation passed the ownership of the land to Alpine Real Estate Co., Ltd. and Alpine Golf and Sports Club Co., Ltd. on Aug 21, 1990. According to Matichon newspaper, the two companies paid about Bht 142 million (other sources reported the cost at Bht 130 million) to Mahamongkut Foundation. The two companies at the same time arranged with a commercial bank to pledge the land for a loan of Bht220 million. This financing arrangement resulted in an instant income of Bht 78million in the two companies’ accounts. It’s a smart financial juggling but who were behind such win-win arrangement?

I didn’t surprise at all when I found out that the shareholders of the two companies were Mrs. Uraiwan Tienthong, wife of Snoh Tienthong (holding 300,000 shares at a par value of Bht 100/share totaling Bht 30 million), Mr. Vithya Tienthong, younger brother of Snoh (holding 150,000 shares at Bht 15 million in value) and Mr. Choocheep Harnsawas (an MP from Patumthani in TRT party who has been close to Snoh) holding 150,000 shares at Bht 15 million in value).

It should be noted that the two companies were set up in late January 1990, about three weeks before Snoh issued the letter to the temple as mentioned above. Is it a conspiracy by Snoh and his wife to get the land via legal circumvention? To many people, it looks very obvious.

Time passed and the land became a premier 18-hole championship golf course and a high-end housing estate, not too far from Bangkok, Snoh’s wife, Mrs. Uraiwan, sold the golf course and the housing estate to Thaksin Shinawatra in 1998 at a price of Bht 500 million. It was said that Thaksin made an offer to buy and Snoh and his wife decided to comply with the offer as a political good win gesture. Mrs. Uraiwan later was appointed Minister at the Ministry of Culture for two times and another time as Minister of Labour in the Thaksin government before the Sept 19, 2006 military coup. She also served as Minister of Labour in Samak Suntharavej and Somchai Wongsawat governments between Feb. 6, 2008-Dec. 2, 2008). So, this is why the Alpine Golf land deal was an untouchable issue until the NCCC decided to pick it up for investigation in 2009 and finally found it substantial enough for the Supreme Court trial.

http://blog.nationmu...0/09/16/entry-1

What a tangled web they weave,who's up who of thai politics.

[Thaddeus]

Good for you Ram Rod. Lets have a national referendum on the issuse!

If the bill is passed does that mean the PT will say we are all one and start listing ti their betters,

I doubt it they will still oppose any one that tries to stop them from corruption.

Interesting tukkytuktuk You recently joined and was for the most part not posting a lot

Calgaryll gets banned and your posts start coming a lot faster, Different style but just as inane,

I think you missed off an S in the last line.

[louse1953]

Here was the same Senior Pheu Thai Party MP's (when he was Pracharaj Party Leader) earlier advise regarding Thaksin ....

Pracharaj Party Leader Urges All Parties to Reconcile for Peace

The Pracharaj Party Leader urged all related sides to become harmonious and asked the public to forgive the deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has decided to leave politics.

Responding to the political conflict among Thai nationals right now, Pracharaj Party Leader Sanoh Thienthong said everyone should stop their disputes and cooperate instead, in order to fight the oil crisis that is hitting the country's economy at the moment.

He also talked about the return of the exiled premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Sanoh said the public should forgive him, since Thaksin has affirmed that he will not engage in politics and has stated that he will devote himself to charity work.

Commenting on whether the return of the deposed Prime Minister will lead to trouble, the Pracharaj leader said that it would depend on Thaksin's actions.

- Thailand Outlook / March 31, 2008

The Thaksin Retirement Fund charity

[GentlemanJim]

In respect to th actual issue, the suggestion of;

1, No longer contesting the monetary penalty and ,

2. PTP proposing the amnesty

give insight into the current strategy. I think it is a viable way forward. In Thailand, money is very important and such a loss would act to satisfy many people in the anti Thaksin camp. It would also play to the "I love Thailand and will sacrifice for the nation strategy".

I think it is wise that the government not propose the amnesty and instead allow a private member's Bill to be considered. A brilliant political move as a member is allowed to bring forth legislation and members can then decide. Unsavoury or difficult political issues have sometimes been resolved in this manner as it keeps the government unattached to a contestable Bill. One sees this with hot button issues such as the Death Penalty, Abortion or Gun related issues in other parliaments.

Nothing precludes a member of the House for introducing a Bill. That is what the House is for: The consideration and discussion of parliamentary acts.

Geriatrickid

This post confirms my worst fears in that for a few weeks now I have been convinced you were suffering the effects of too much sun and now it's confirmed.

How can it be a viable way forward for Thaksin to no longer contest the money penalty? The last time I looked, in any judicial system, the criminal does not have a say in the matter. These were illegal ill-gotton gains, masses of money accumulated in a knowingly underhand criminal manner, just as illegal as the money and profit generated from selling a tonne of cocaine at highstreet prices. The highest court has found Thaksin guilty of a very serious crime. The amazing thing for Thaksin is that financial crimes do not seem to be viewed so badly in Thailand and he only picked up 2 years in the slammer. Just how many years would someone get in the US for criminally avoiding $1.2 Billion in tax to the IRS? The going rate would be 25-50 years plus the forfeit and seizure of everything they and their direct family possess.

For such a right winger you seem somewhat reluctant to see justice dished out to a master serial criminal. When you can start pleading on behalf of Madhoff and Stanford for them to be forgiven and absolved of robbing money from people then you will have a case to fight Thaksin's corner, until then can you desist from trying to tivialise the crimes committed by someone that has been found guilty by due legal process in Thailand's judicial system.

The other worrisome matter is that you consider this a 'brilliant political move', ....mind-boggling !

Edited April 18, 2012 by GentlemanJim

[mikebell]

Yeah, fantastic solution. Just let the rich buy their way out gaol.

You can't rail against traditional Thai culture.

Some fifteen years ago, several poor Thais in Surin falsely declared a Cambodian was born in Thailand and no doubt received some baht for their trouble. Years later the police arrest the illegal immigrant on some matter and the Great Thai Justice Department swings into action. The poor Thai has been found guilty and has been jailed for THREE YEARS.

There's one rule for the rich and .....

[yeeowww]

We can do some dodgy land deals, plan another deadly war on drugs, plan another massacre in the south and start making preparations to install Thaksins brother as army chief. Ha,ha,ha its such fun being part of the anti-Thaksin brigade. Next would be to solve the poverty gap in the nation.

As I recall one of the big campaign promises (a.k.a. lies) was "there will be no more poor after 6 months!".

Take it away Tuk... this one's all yours.

[siampolee]

Pimay 11 post # 26

Ever wonder what was in the 114 suitcases which Thaksin transported to Finland only days before the coup?

Thaksin has to take his ego where ever he may go.

[Ricardo]

Good for you Ram Rod. Lets have a national referendum on the issuse!

Finally, a post from tukkytuktuk, which I actually agree with !

I hope it's not the exception, which proves the rule.

<snip for brevity>

In this country the web is censored alot so maybe all the websites with positive statements about Thaksin have been removed.

Would you care to expand on what PM-Yingluck's administration has done, over the past eight-and-a-half months, to correct this terrible situation and expand freedom-of-speech ?

Perhaps they might allocate some of the funds, seized by the courts from criminals, to the task ? Or do they have a more-deserving cause in mind, I wonder ?

[BlackJack]

why not welease Bwian as well

[Buchholz]

46 Billion Baht,now thats some serious graft to share around.65 million Thais,3 million Baht each & the rest left over for fun & giggles at the welcome home party.Thats some reconcilliation PRESENT at the ATM for all.

Thaksin's never been one to share.

.