Rowdy Rally Forces Thaksin To Cancel Meeting In Los Angeles

[Jingthing]

Can someone post a link to a picture of Thaksin and Kissinger from this trip?

[scorecard]

As said, its all just rumors, some disproved, others not... but their existence is a reflection of the lack of official notices, press releases, main stream media involvement, and the associated clarity they bring.

Instead, up to now, it's all been a hodge-podge of mish-mash.

Have you and Ratcatcher considered the possibility that the lack of publicity is simply because his visit is neither very newsworthy or interesting.

Most Thai people (with an interest in politics) are vaguely aware Thaksin obtained a US visa and was met by PAD protestors at some locations - not very dramatic and not very surprising.

We regulars - including myself - on Thai Visa political threads tend to get a bit obsessive (some markedly more than others) but let's have a little self awareness.Thaksin's foreign trips are not very controversial now.

This one is controversial as it involves the lone superpower country left. One that he hasn't visited to in 6 years.

It's also the first one where he noticeably appealed to the local Thais living in a foreign country. Coincidentally, it's also the first one where he was noticeably rejected by the local Thais living in a foreign country.

He goes to Cambodia he hugs the head of state like a long lost brother and is given a position within the Cambodian government.

He goes to Nicaragua and he is met and accommodated for by the head of state. He's provided with a passport of that country while there.

What has gotten in the USA? Jeers and shouts of "Go To Jail!" as descends down a rickety staircase from a walk-up noodle shop where he met with 10 supporters over spring rolls.... yeah, this has all been a dramatic change from his normal operation.

Judging by the amount of interest this has generated on the local Thai boards and blogs, its clearly more than a few who are "vaguely aware" of the USA tour and its implications. They're yammering away about it all over.

The thing is, there's been a void created by the aforementioned PR machine seizing up and the worst managed tour in a long time... and that's fertile ground for rumor starting.

.

Fair enough.You make a reasonable case though I have yet to see much if any international coverage of the matter.As for local web boards I don't think they reflect much except the views of those who hold very strong opinions, certainly not most Thais.

I disagree, I speak pretty good Thai, and I mix with a lot of Thais from all walks of life, family and extended family, middle class professionals & semi professionals, factory workers, etc., and students from around 18 to 35 years old.

More and more these folks are, mostly quietly, making negative comments about the man, some even making statements that they have realized how devicive and how tricky the man is. Some even seriously very negative about the man. Just my experience and just a small cross section. The list of unfulfilled promises is now quite long, and many folks (who were swayed by the promises) now realizing that the promises were hollow and will never be delivered.

On a different angle, you, jayboy, say "Have you and Ratcatcher considered the possibility that the lack of publicity is simply because his visit is neither very newsworthy or interesting".

To me it's an indicator that he is losing his hold (manipulation) over his (often blind) followers, and I hope this trend continues, and we quickly get to the point where he is irrelevant and things get more balanced.

There is of course the point that Thai political parties, for decades, have been nothing more than several 'get rich quick clubs - no morals needed' and these clubs and their owners are not going to disappear tomorrow; they will hang on, ruthlessly, for as long as possible.

A more educated, more vocal and more honest and sincere middle class is still sorely needed to spearhead serious and sustainable change.

Edited August 18, 2012 by scorecard

[scorecard]

I would have thought that someone of the international stature of Mr Thaksin would have had a convoy of reporters following his every move. He seems to have "gone off the radar" for a moment. Odd for him.

After all he is the ex-Prime Minister of Thailand, albeit a disgraced ex.

The lack of reportage regarding his States visit is interesting though not surprising.

Surely with as well oiled a PR machine as this man, we should have heard about every move he makes.

On the other hand, he may have scurried back to his mountain retreat in Montenegro or his desert palace in Dubai to rethink his next adventure into the limelight.

I cannot imagine the pain he must be experiencing being away from his native land for so long, missing his family, friends and loving supporters.

Maybe he has gone to England as the Premiership season starts today and he may be having dinner with Mancini?

Your right about his PR machinery. That's been an extraordinary dearth of information over this whole tour. Its very atypical of him to not highlight every contact, every meeting, and every "success".

Not surprising that from that void are a number of non-evidenced supported rumors.

One that was disproved was a couple of Red Shirt websites put out that 8 yellow shirts were arrested in LA. The reality was that none were, supported with pictorial and documentary evidence.

One that has not been disproved was that Thaksin was asked to leave the USA after the LA fiasco. That the US government wanted no part of Thailand's dispute on its territory and that had been a condition of his visa approval. That the US was not going to cancel his visa (as that would send out a political statement), but just that he should leave. That way he can claim it was all of his own accord. Cancel it for whatever reason he chose to come up with.

As said, its all just rumors, some disproved, others not... but their existence is a reflection of the lack of official notices, press releases, main stream media involvement, and the associated clarity they bring.

Instead, up to now, it's all been a hodge-podge of mish-mash.

Also interesting - no statements from noppadon.

[rubl]

Latest 'my leaks':

Robert A. to Dr. T, saying "told you so, but would you listen?"

[OzMick]

Is it possible the excitement was too much and the mongrel dropped dead?

[Buchholz]

Can someone post a link to a picture of Thaksin and Kissinger from this trip?

I've not come across any photos or any other independent confirmation it transpired.

Meanwhile, this sign was posted on the front wall of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok yesterday. Not sure how long it lasted.

[marshbags]

So the reception and the headlines haven,t been good since all the publicity regarding the granting of your US visa. ..............................................

Why not cut your loses and make the biggest headlines you could ever wish to get around the world.

Return direct from the US to Bangkok ASAP and give yourself up to face the following, an immediate 2 year jail term plus while your serving it several ( double digit at the last count ) charges that are currently on hold pending your return,

All guaranteed to give you yet many more super headlines world wide, especially when you may well be convicted based on the evidence that is stacked up, and safely recorded and awaiting yours and Thailands day /s in court and further incarceration.

Go on please, make our day, 1st for the Thai citizens of genuine integrity who have always and still do respect the laws of the land, what they have been put in place for, plus those of the elected institutions that lawfully reach judgement based fairly upon them who eagerly await you standing before them.

At the same time I also guarantee you will be making many long term guests in the country, not least of all, the many members of Thai visa and my humble self, who respect truth, honesty and the meaning of right and wrong.

We are sick to death of all the hyprocritical bullsh*t constantly hitting the headlines courteousy of your puppet government led by and " cloned by you " sister and MP's, bribed supporters ect. ect. and are getting bored and p*ssed off with the daily verbal they continually spout from scripts written and authorised by yourself.

Oh! by the way we will understand it, if this time should you take up my suggestion when you disembark, you don,t kiss the ground so there is no need to worry about loosing the face you once had as we also know you lost it a longgggggg time ago. .

marshbags

P.S.

I,m nearly weeing myself with excitement, thinking of all the new threads and debate our forum can look forward to, should you take up it up.

Edited August 18, 2012 by marshbags

[Buchholz]

I was under the impression he'd be there in the USA until August 23rd.

webfact Posted 2012-08-09

NEW YORK: -- Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra kicked off a two-week visit to the United States

http://www.thaivisa....s/#entry5556310

One that has not been disproved was that Thaksin was asked to leave the USA after the LA fiasco. That the US government wanted no part of Thailand's dispute on its territory and that had been a condition of his visa approval. That the US was not going to cancel his visa (as that would send out a political statement), but just that he should leave. That way he can claim it was all of his own accord. Cancel it for whatever reason he chose to come up with.

and now we have Noppadon confirming that Thaksin has indeed left the United States and is in South Korea, but denying that Thaksin left early or changed his travel plans.

Matichon (article in Thai)

http://www.matichon....1&subcatid=0100

In like a lion, out like a lamb

Elvis has left the building

.

Edited August 18, 2012 by Buchholz

[Thaddeus]

and now we have Noppadon confirming that Thaksin has indeed left the United States and is in South Korea,

.

Maybe he just fancied a Korea change.

(S'ok, I know where my coat is)

[AleG]

Can someone post a link to a picture of Thaksin and Kissinger from this trip?

If such photo exists, and just to be safe, it would be advisable to draw a salt pentagram around it.

[GentlemanJim]

I think he will be in Cambodia next, he needs a hug and his ego needs a good stroking!

Isn't this also cue for the Thai Foreign Ministry to say tomorrow that they had just made a request to the USA to hold and extradite Thaksin, but he seems to have left the USA.

Edited August 18, 2012 by GentlemanJim

[MAJIC]

In view of the Public statement that Amsterdam and Company made prior to Thaksins visit to America: that they were no longer acting on his behalf for the visit, it was obvious it was destined to become a Big Flop, and Amsterdam distanced himself accordingly,as hired manipulaters,will often do, by deserting a sinking ship,before they get sucked down as well.

[Ricardo]

and now we have Noppadon confirming that Thaksin has indeed left the United States and is in South Korea, but denying that Thaksin left early or changed his travel plans.

Perhaps he is checking that the pumps will be shipped soon ?

[Skywalker69]

and now we have Noppadon confirming that Thaksin has indeed left the United States and is in South Korea,

.

Maybe he just fancied a Korea change.

(S'ok, I know where my coat is)

Maybe he went to South Korea to ask for the water-pump he orderd last year, for the flooding.

[rubl]

Jeez! You guys here really have a memory like a sieve, I think.

The reason dr. Thaksin is in South Korea is that he had promised to return his bodyguards safely after use.

[marshbags]

and now we have Noppadon confirming that Thaksin has indeed left the United States and is in South Korea,.

Maybe he just fancied a Korea change.

(S'ok, I know where my coat is)

Maybe he went to South Korea to ask for the water-pump he orderd last year, for the flooding.

Maybe he,s overseeing the transfer of the mega baht he,s made from the floods ect. as another alternative country to store his additional, illgotten gains.

marshbags

Edited August 18, 2012 by marshbags

[Credo]

Frankly, I can't believe the nonsense that has permeated this thread. His visit to the US was never likely to be anything spectacular. He is a former PM and there are many former heads of state that that visit and barely get a mention. Royals frequently visit with little fanfare. A official visit would get some attention, but only because the press corp and the media would get endless releases.

His primary goal was to get a visa and flaunt it. He could only do that by actually going to the US. He accomplished that goal.

[scorecard]

Frankly, I can't believe the nonsense that has permeated this thread. His visit to the US was never likely to be anything spectacular. He is a former PM and there are many former heads of state that that visit and barely get a mention. Royals frequently visit with little fanfare. A official visit would get some attention, but only because the press corp and the media would get endless releases.

His primary goal was to get a visa and flaunt it. He could only do that by actually going to the US. He accomplished that goal.

Today, somehow, I doubt that he would just see this lone point.

He went, he saw basically nobody of import.

He got booed pretty much everywhere he went, and encountered numerous pretty negative and direct slogans on the placards.

He had to abort small scale meetings at no name malls and Thai restaurants.

Some will say the boos etc., were the efforts of the PAD and no doubt some of the negative folks would be PAD sympathizers, and some are folks who seriously just don't like the man, his history and his morals, and on US soil didn't fear reprisals for holding up their messages.

My guess is that he's licking his wounds.

But hey, what's next, anybody's guess.

Edited August 18, 2012 by scorecard

[Buchholz]

Frankly, I can't believe the nonsense that has permeated this thread. His visit to the US was never likely to be anything spectacular. He is a former PM and there are many former heads of state that that visit and barely get a mention. Royals frequently visit with little fanfare. A official visit would get some attention, but only because the press corp and the media would get endless releases.

His primary goal was to get a visa and flaunt it. He could only do that by actually going to the US. He accomplished that goal.

So, are you refuting then his stated goals were meeting with American politicians, American business people, and to meet his fellow countrymen in the USA?

He failed in meeting his goals... and did so rather spectacularly.

Pulling the plug with his early departure (whether or not he was directed to do so by the American government) was the icing on the disastrous cake he had concocted.

[Credo]

I am not so foolish as to believe what Thaksin, or most other politicians say.

He is a private citizen. Why would any US politician meet with him?

He likes attention and rubbing stuff in people's faces. He wanted a visa. He got a visa. He went. He got a lot of attention, and negative attention is still attention.

He is not going to conduct any business in a public manner. That would be counter productive and too risky.

[Buchholz]

I am not so foolish as to believe what Thaksin, or most other politicians say.

He is a private citizen. Why would any US politician meet with him?

He likes attention and rubbing stuff in people's faces. He wanted a visa. He got a visa. He went. He got a lot of attention, and negative attention is still attention.

He is not going to conduct any business in a public manner. That would be counter productive and too risky.

When has he ever shied away from publicity?

The thing is, he did not get "a lot of attention." He got very little, relatively speaking, and most of it was very negative (something he's extremely unfamiliar with).

His speeches were flops, his venue selection were laughable flops, and whatever supposed positive PR there was (eg. meeting Kissinger) end up only as un-supported empty claims.

He's a former head of state is reason enough for some American official to meet with him. That none did reflects the pariah he has become. That not even a low-level official did speaks volumes, given the man's ego and self-importance.

The only rubbing of faces in it was his own loss of status/standing. For an ego maniac like him, no media attention, no grandly publicized meetings with the captains of industry and politics, all coupled with the disrespect he encountered obviously bothered him enough for him to end the charade early.

.

[Credo]

I think it boils down to perception.

Virtually nobody in the US cares about Taksin except the small subset of Thai's and their followers. No politician has any reason to meet with him, he's not the leader of anything. Even his defacto leadership of the current government would be politically incorrect. The only people that might have an interest in meeting with him are other retired politicians he might have forged a friendship, if he ever forged a friendship with anyone.

If he wanted to have a speaking tour, he could have scheduled a lecture tour of a few universities, but that might have been difficult. The bigger the audience the more contentious the crowd. Fidel Castro could go on a speaking tour as could any of the former leaders of banana republics.

His visa just might have precluded him from engaging in some activities. I don't know.

He also has to be careful of the long arm of the law. He needed to get his visa, get his trip done and get out before anybody brought to bear the legal problems that just might end up with him being detained. One Thai born-US citizen filing a criminal charge on something (think extrajudicial killing) could have resulted in his detention. The charge probably wouldn't stick, but he doesn't want to get caught up in the US judicial system.

Thaksin was the one who went public with his US visa. He proved he had one and now he's gone on to safer areas.

[Skywalker69]

Frankly, I can't believe the nonsense that has permeated this thread. His visit to the US was never likely to be anything spectacular. He is a former PM and there are many former heads of state that that visit and barely get a mention. Royals frequently visit with little fanfare. A official visit would get some attention, but only because the press corp and the media would get endless releases.

His primary goal was to get a visa and flaunt it. He could only do that by actually going to the US. He accomplished that goal.

Today, somehow, I doubt that he would just see this lone point.

He went, he saw basically nobody of import.

He got booed pretty much everywhere he went, and encountered numerous pretty negative and direct slogans on the placards.

He had to abort small scale meetings at no name malls and Thai restaurants.

Some will say the boos etc., were the efforts of the PAD and no doubt some of the negative folks would be PAD sympathizers, and some are folks who seriously just don't like the man, his history and his morals, and on US soil didn't fear reprisals for holding up their messages.

My guess is that he's licking his wounds.

But hey, what's next, anybody's guess.

And no karaoke preformance? Let ít me be, or Bluberry Burberry hill.

[Thaddeus]

I think it boils down to perception.

Absolutely right, it does boil down to perception, and he has finally got a taste of his perception of being a god like leader is just a little wide of the mark.

[theblether]

In his mind he would be feted everywhere he went in the US.........he would need to be out of hls mind to not realize now that the game is up.

Unfortunately for everyone else.......he is out of his mind. Just like the idiotic officials that gave him a US visa.

[nidieunimaitre]

In his mind he would be feted everywhere he went in the US.........he would need to be out of hls mind to not realize now that the game is up.

Unfortunately for everyone else.......he is out of his mind. Just like the idiotic officials that gave him a US visa.

So it all comes down to a very simple explanation: the US officials that issued the visa are idiots.

Your exact words, right?

If only they were as clever as you.

[waza]

Frankly, I can't believe the nonsense that has permeated this thread. His visit to the US was never likely to be anything spectacular. He is a former PM and there are many former heads of state that that visit and barely get a mention. Royals frequently visit with little fanfare. A official visit would get some attention, but only because the press corp and the media would get endless releases.

His primary goal was to get a visa and flaunt it. He could only do that by actually going to the US. He accomplished that goal.

Yer but show some class, even Yingluck does her entertaining at the four seasons, not some Thai take away restaurant or carpark in a redlight district.

[jayboy]

Having looked for media accounts of Thaksin's visit (apart from the predictable Thai based reports) I eventually found an American perspective which is in direct contradiction of the impression given by the usual suspects:

http://blogs.lmu.edu/asiamedia/2012/08/16/thailands-thaksin-visits-los-angeles-and-lmu/

I'm not sure that this proves anything other than an internet search will come up with anything.I retain my view that the whole visit amounts to almost zero interest and significance

[Ricardo]

So did the $200-a-head Red-Shirt supporters get their refunds yet, for the no-show 'Talk With Thaksin', or are the cheques still in-the-post ?

[OzMick]

So did the $200-a-head Red-Shirt supporters get their refunds yet, for the no-show 'Talk With Thaksin', or are the cheques still in-the-post ?

There is no word in my Thai dictionary for "refund". I have been told there is such a word, but it is far to rude to be included in a Thai/English dictionary, and should never be used in the presence of a farang.