Thaksin Makes 3rd Attempt To Visit Germany

[george]

PM makes 3rd attempt to visit Germany

BANGKOK: -- Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's plan to visit Germany next month, after two previous cancellations, has been called into question again by political uncertainty at home, official sources said on Wednesday.

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Sihasak Phungketkeow confirmed that Thaksin, who has been prime minister since 2001, is scheduled to visit Germany in mid-March after postponing the visit twice.

"Of all our major partners, Germany is the only one he hasn't visited yet," said Sihasak. Thaksin had to cancel his first planned trip to Germany in 2004 due to rising tensions in Thailand's deep South, where a separatist movement has been escalating, and again last year due to Germany's snap election.

Thaksin's visit next month is scheduled to coincide with a Thai-German Joint Economic Commission, combining public and private sector participants, aimed at bolstering bilateral trade and investment.

But diplomats involved in planning the visit are worried it may be cancelled for a third time due to political uncertainly.

Thaksin, although still immensely popular in the provinces, has come under heavy criticism from academics, the media, and broad swathe of society in Bangkok for his family's tax free 73.3 billion baht (1.9 billion dollar) sale last month of their holdings in Shin Corp - Thailand's largest telecomunications conglomerate - to Singapore's investment arm - Temasek Holding.

An estimated 60,000 protesters gathered outside Parliament building over the weekend to call for Thaksin's resignation.

While Thaksin has insisted he will never resign, political observers have speculated that he may call for a snap election to reclaim his mandate and cool tensions in the capital.

"If I was him I would seriously think about it (a snap election)," said Korn Chatakavaij, deputy secretary general of the opposition Democrat Party.

"First of all, the Democrats aren't ready for an election," Korn admitted.

Under Thailand's current election law, politicians must be members of the political party for at least 90 days before they are allowed to contest an election. A snap election would prevent many current government members of parliament from joining the opposition parties.

"On the other hand, what does Thaksin have? His old style of politics still works. He's got 73 billion baht in cash, so the chances of him winning a new mandate is high," Korn told the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) at a gathering Tuesday night.

Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party won 377 out of the 500 contested seats in the last general election of February, 2005, giving him an overwhelming majority in parliament.

--DPA/Bangkok Post 2006-02-08

[Mobi]

PM makes 3rd attempt to visit Germany

Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Sihasak Phungketkeow confirmed that Thaksin, who has been prime minister since 2001, is scheduled to visit Germany in mid-March after postponing the visit twice....

Thaksin's visit next month is scheduled to coincide with a Thai-German Joint Economic Commission, combining public and private sector participants, aimed at bolstering bilateral trade and investment.

Or.... maybe he's planning to file the annual returns for Ample Rich Frankfurt.....

Could be in serious trouble if he runs foul of German financial regulations..... He might be living there one day.We Hope.

[penzman]

He may have to postpone for a 4th attempt or even never get to go at all depending on what goes on before this week-end. See the Thai News Clippings forum...