Thaksin Shinawatra Agrees To Shorten Trip To Myanmar As Advised

[webfact]

POLITICS

Former PM agrees to shorten trip to Myanmar as advised

The Nation

Ex-leader decides to change itinerary 'to protect' his red-shirt supporters

BANGKOK: -- Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will curtail a visit to Nay Pyi Taw and cancel a meeting with the red shirts at the border town of Tachilek, following advice from Thai and Myanmar security authorities.

Thaksin is scheduled to arrive in the Myanmar capital tomorrow for a one-day visit, his legal adviser Noppadon Pattama said yesterday. He also confirmed the ex-PM would not go to Tachilek.

"Due to the recent discovery of an assassination plot, security authorities of the two countries cited safety risks as the reason to avoid Tachilek," he said.

Noppadon said Thaksin decided to revise his itinerary because he did not want to put the red shirts at risk. A large number of red shirts had urged Thaksin to postpone his trip to Tachilek because of the alleged security concern.

Noppadon said security agencies should get to the bottom of the suspected plot because Thaksin had received death threats in the past.

The former PM spearheaded the "war on drugs" and this could be a motive behind the plot, he said.

More than 2,500 alleged drug dealers were killed during the controversial crackdown in 2003, and the Thaksin government accused by rights groups of inciting a nationwide spree of extrajudicial killings by police.

Last Friday, Myanmar officials beefed up security along the border ahead of a meeting organised by the Narcotics Control Board in Chiang Rai, opposite Tachilek.

This led to the seizure of assorted weapons allegedly belonging to traffickers. A Shan man was detained as a suspect.

In his initial statement, the man said he was given a contract to kill Thaksin, who allegedly wanted to pay his respects at the Tachilek Shwedagon Pagoda. The man was said to be vague on who offered him the contract and subsequently recanted his statement.

Myanmar authorities forwarded his statement to the Provincial Police Region 5, triggering several theories on the "plot".

Chalerm backs story

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said the Provincial Police had alerted him about the threat.

The case appeared to have reached a dead end after the Shan suspect recanted his statement and Thai authorities had no jurisdiction to investigate the case, Chalerm said. He said neither he nor the police had fabricated the story.

Commenting on the opposition's demand to issue an extradition request for Thaksin, Chalerm said the Democrats were in power for two years and eight months but failed to bring the fugitive back.

He said Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva should directly notify the Office of the Attorney General about Thaksin's whereabouts, paving a way for an extradition.

National Security Council secretary-general Paradorn Pattanathabutr said initial reports indicated a connection between the weapons seizure and the assassination attempt.

Paradorn said Thai authorities would have to wait for a full report from their Myanmar counterparts. Pending the verification, no conclusion could be drawn about any plot, he said.

Meanwhile, Thaksin's son Panthongtae Shinawatra posted pictures of the weapons seized in Tachilek on his Facebook account.

Panthongtae wanted to rebut Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat, who earlier voiced scepticism about the assassination attempt, saying the seizure included only three M-79 grenades without launchers. Panthongtae countered by displaying pictures of three seized launchers and a number of M-16 assault rifles.

-- The Nation 2012-11-07

[Buchholz]

Meanwhile, Thaksin's son Panthongtae Shinawatra posted pictures of the weapons seized in Tachilek on his Facebook account.

from the internationally-recognized and near-Pulitzer-Prize-winning Oak's Truly Truthful News Service (AKA Facebook)

[asiawatcher]

Nice to hear there is a spanner in the works. Anything that can display contempt for Thaksin is a good move in my eyes. Interruption to his schedules included but especially when it affects his ego stroking itinerary to impress his lame supporters.

[OzMick]

"In his initial statement, the man said he was given a contract to kill Thaksin....... The man was said to be vague on who offered him the contract and subsequently recanted his statement............" .........after they removed the electrodes from his testicles.

He then said "I had no intention to kill Thaksin, but it's a bloody good idea."

[chainarong]

If the eleven year statute of limitations don't come first, maybe something else will , he's a marked man, toxic as all F!!!!k

[petedk]

In the "other newspaper" the Army Intelligence is quoted as saying that they have no evidence whatsoever of a planned assassination and that the whole story was made up so that Thaksin could get out of the trip without losing face.

[MunterHunter]

Thaksin Shinawatra agrees to run and hide like a little girl

[OzMick]

Patheticpoof Pantywaist Pansyboy Thaksin's son said that a weapons expert told him that RPGs could be used to attack Thaksin's hotel, which he knows from his BKK experience.

Russian or US nuclear weapons could turn the whole area into a sheet of glass. But there are no plans for that to happen either.

[whybother]

Panthongtae wanted to rebut Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat, who earlier voiced scepticism about the assassination attempt

I don't think Sukampol will be a minister after the next reshuffle. He has shown an inability to "do his job".

[givenall]

I have been in Burma, and I think he found out it is not a nice place to stay

[saltandpepper]

Panthongtae wanted to rebut Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat, who earlier voiced scepticism about the assassination attempt

I don't think Sukampol will be a minister after the next reshuffle. He has shown an inability to "do his job".

chances are that he is going to be replaced by Panthongtae...

[kartman]

Mae Sai Immigration are very pleased at the outcome of their 'rumour'

[bigbamboo]

I must say it's jolly decent of Thaksin to selflessly cancel his trip for the benefit of his supporters.

As for getting to the bottom of the plot Pantongtae would appear to be the 'go to' guy here. He seems to know more about it than anyone else.

[bendejo]

Just wait until the Chinese start producing cheap airborne drones and flooding the markets with them, that guy is going to be doing a lot of sky watching.

[DLock]

So, only 26 people showed up huh?

Loser.

[jerrysteve]

Thats too bad, coz a lot of people could of had some practice at Target Shooting. Dam! There goes the CONTEST.

[patjem]

Panthongtae wanted to rebut Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat, who earlier voiced scepticism about the assassination attempt

I don't think Sukampol will be a minister after the next reshuffle. He has shown an inability to "do his job".

since when did that really matter to PTP? therefore, he'll probably get promoted.

[Baerboxer]

What a load of <deleted>! Really - weapons found, opportunity to cancel meeting due to probable embarassing lack of attendance. Save face, show "caring side for nice red shirt friends" and maybe generate some sympathy for a poor guy trying to help his country being intimidated by ruthless gang of assassins.

Very good PR machine to generate all this though - and relies on the uneducated masses believing everything their generous benefactor tells them.

[Baerboxer]

Panthongtae wanted to rebut Defence Minister Sukampol Suwannathat, who earlier voiced scepticism about the assassination attempt

I don't think Sukampol will be a minister after the next reshuffle. He has shown an inability to "do his job".

since when did that really matter to PTP? therefore, he'll probably get promoted.

Inability = promotion. Voice scepticism against the "family" = game over,

[Soutpeel]

Here is a novel suggestion to the Thai goverment, seeing as you know the whereabouts of a known Thai fugitive, why dont you request his arrest, extradite back to Thailand and I am sure a nice warm jail cell will keep him safe from any assasination attempts...

[AleG]

In the "other newspaper" the Army Intelligence is quoted as saying that they have no evidence whatsoever of a planned assassination and that the whole story was made up so that Thaksin could get out of the trip without losing face.

Reminds me of the kid that warned about a bomb in the school to avoid an exam on that day.

[Tanaka]

Just showing, again, what a pathetic coward that criminal really is. And what does that make those who actually believe what he says? Hmmmm.......

[Tanaka]

There will be no peace in Thailand as long as that person is allowed to be free and alive.

[ALFREDO]

As a fighter for the right cause and a fighter against "coups" which disrupt the possibility of legally elected Prime ministers to do their jobs,

did he had a meeting with - Aung San Suu Kyi- who had a partly similar fate than him?

I doubt that! Business is more important, was it always, also, when he was in office!

Edited November 7, 2012 by metisdead

[MEL1]

One attempted pot shot is enough. Good Luck!

Should have read up on Lee Harvey Oswald first to get a good place to shoot.

However, even a short stay is enough time to get a picture shot.

I hope the 'press' guys get that shot.

-mel.

[manxninja]

Having met Thaskin when he was touring Buriram.

He is a decent man that is worshipped in issan area.

When he was in power he made major progress on the roads and infrastucture.

When the yellow took charge nothing at all was done.

So yes he was good for the whole country and not just the chinese thai elite.

[rubl]

Having met Thaskin when he was touring Buriram.

He is a decent man that is worshipped in issan area.

When he was in power he made major progress on the roads and infrastucture.

When the yellow took charge nothing at all was done.

So yes he was good for the whole country and not just the chinese thai elite.

Just for a moment I thought you were talking about another previous PM, k. Banharn. Suphanburi also has magnificent highways.

Mind you the reference to Thai-Chinese Elite might be felt as a bit of an insult to both former PM's.

[Skywalker69]

Having met Thaskin when he was touring Buriram.

He is a decent man that is worshipped in issan area.

When he was in power he made major progress on the roads and infrastucture.

When the yellow took charge nothing at all was done.

So yes he was good for the whole country and not just the chinese thai elite.

Decent man? Which planet did you just came from?

[MAJIC]

In the "other newspaper" the Army Intelligence is quoted as saying that they have no evidence whatsoever of a planned assassination and that the whole story was made up so that Thaksin could get out of the trip without losing face.

Or could be not enough followers were due to turn up,causing even more loss of Face.

[Buchholz]

Having met Thaskin when he was touring Buriram.

He is a decent man that is worshipped in issan area.

When he was in power he made major progress on the roads and infrastucture.

When the yellow took charge nothing at all was done.

So yes he was good for the whole country and not just the chinese thai elite.

He was not good for the whole country.

He infamously said he would only help the areas of the country that voted in the majority for him, while supposedly the other areas of the country could suck eggs.

He certainly wasn't good for the Deep South as his actions in 2004 triggered an escalation of violence unparallelled there with thousands dead and which continues until today.

More thousands were killed all over the country with the implementation of his non-judicial massacres during his infamous Drug Wars.

What did he say and do when you met him that you were left with your mistaken impressions?

.