Thailand's endless crisis tests investor patience

William Pesek

BANGKOK: -- RED warning signs are flashing again in Bangkok. We're not talking about flashing lights of emergency vehicles - although that might yet prove to be the case - but the T-shirts of protesters loyal to Thaksin Shinawatra, the billionaire prime minister ousted in 2006 and still dominating Thailand from exile.

Tens of thousands of "red shirt" Thaksin loyalists took to the streets on Sunday supporting amendments to the constitution that would get their hero closer to returning home.

Opposition parties and the judiciary are determined to keep out a man they view as no less Machiavellian than Richard Nixon. So resolute, in fact, that they have resorted to warping the nation's democratic institutions to head off his return. It proves that almost six years since Thaksin's departure, Thailand's government is no more credible or efficient than it was under his leadership.

What's a troubled, stuck-in-2006 nation to do? Let Thaksin return and get this mess over with.

Not that Thaksin, the Silvio Berlusconi of Asia, deserves a single baht of his money back. Like the former Italian prime minister, Thaksin used his business connections to ascend to the leadership. [more...]

Source: http://www.brisbanet...0628-215ca.html

-- Brisbane Times 2012-06-29

The nightmare continues

"Thailand could spend another six years obsessing over all things Thaksin. Or it could just bring him home, and sort out this mess".

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/thailands-endless-crisis-tests-investor-patience-20120628-215ca.html#ixzz1z8XJINrC

The last line of that article is interesting.

"Just bring him home". What the hell does that mean? He's been free to come home for years, but too much of a coward to do so.

I'm sure he's got enough money for the plane fare from Dubai to Swampy.

If he does come back, and it's a big IF, there will be an even bigger mess to sort out.

Thailand isn't obsessing over all things Thaksin, it's only his dedicated followers and this sycophantic lot in government.

If his sister could just cut him loose to wither in the desert, Thailand might just have a chance to recover.

The article makes some good points. The author refers to Thaksin as the Silvio Berlusconi of Southeast Asia, and makes a powerful case that Thailand is the RIMM (Research in Motion) of Asia. That is the failed enterprise.

What's a troubled, stuck-in-2006 nation to do? Let Thaksin return and get this mess over with.

Are the Thai Nation to beg him to come home? He is to much of a coward to come home.

Everyone in control should GET over it, GET on with it or GET left behind. ASEAN not far away.

Everyone in control should GET over it, GET on with it or GET left behind. ASEAN not far away.

That'll cause more red warning lights, believe you me. There'll be many more occurences of farang deaths in 2015, when immigration opens the gates. But this time the farangs won't be white skinned!

-mel.

The nightmare continues

Really- when will it end ?

"Let Thaksin come return and get this mess over with". A somewhat naive statement that spoiled an otherwise reasonable article. Thaksin is unlikely to return until everything is manipulated so that he does not serve his prison sentence and hopefully (for him) his confiscated millions are returned.

The article makes some good points. The author refers to Thaksin as the Silvio Berlusconi of Southeast Asia, and makes a powerful case that Thailand is the RIMM (Research in Motion) of Asia. That is the failed enterprise.

in compare to Thaksin is Silvio as innocent as claims to be....

More the mindset of Stalin or Hitler, just he could pull it off (,yet).....

Mr T is now being described as "Stalin or Hitler", is that going too far? I do not believe him to be a saint, but is he worse than any other dozen Thai PMs since 1932? And, he is not the source of Thailand's problems, though it is certainly the symbol. The fundamental problem of Thailand is an oppressive ruling class that use corruption, the police and military, to keep the wealth of the country to themselves.

It's a shame that they only look at Thaksin for his money...it's all about the greed and the lust for money in Thailand any more. Many of my fellow foreign investors are pulling out of Thailand and I'll be right behind them. We are tired of all the bullshit. It's a shame because I love Thailand and it's people but I hate the politics, corruption, police bs, and the greed. Even my Thai wife is tired of all the bs and she is ready to leave...never thought I would ever hear that from her.

It's a shame that they only look at Thaksin for his money...it's all about the greed and the lust for money in Thailand any more. Many of my fellow foreign investors are pulling out of Thailand and I'll be right behind them. We are tired of all the bullshit. It's a shame because I love Thailand and it's people but I hate the politics, corruption, police bs, and the greed. Even my Thai wife is tired of all the bs and she is ready to leave...never thought I would ever hear that from her.

We are in a flood area, and might get flooded again. We can't pull out of Thailand, but we don't invest. We try to get out most of the resources but don't buy anything new....

This reporter clearly has his finger on the pulse unlike the BBC or AF press.

So if he comes back he can serve his sentence? Lets remember the law applies to all, no matter how rich or important you are?

It also seems the judiciary have a stack of new cases to prosecute Taksin, should the whitewashing bills get through? It would be good that politicians are accountable for their actions?