How Thaksin Rules Thailand With Skype And Instant Messenger

[george]

NYT article on how Thaksin rules the country with Skype and instant messenger

Full story: http://2bangkok.com/...-messenger.html

[Buchholz]

A coincidental post earlier today

Those responsible and in command will, I hope, eventually be brought to court.

From the top down.

Thaksin Skypes

.

[SparklingCascades]

Skype and Instant Messenger ! Whom is he trying to reach.....the rice farmers?

[Huayrat]

Yet the article does not tell the world that he is wanted for more criminale cases not brought by the coup makers.. If your gonna write an article atleast tell the whole truth

Edited January 27, 2013 by george
formatting

[daboyz1]

Yet the article does not tell the world that he is wanted for more criminale cases not brought by the coup makers.. If your gonna write an article atleast tell the whole truth

Yes, most of the foreign press seems to leave that small detail out. Not surprising.

From the article:

"A highly politicized case initiated by the coup makers"

I guess newspapers don't research their articles these days.

Edited January 27, 2013 by daboyz1

[473geo]

If he ruled Thailand he would be back in Thailand.........is there anybody here who cannot follow this simple logic?.........Let us be clear about this Thaksin influences Thai politics from Dubai....nothing more.

[Buchholz]

Skype and Instant Messenger ! Whom is he trying to reach.....the rice farmers?

By their own admission, he's successfully reaching the government...

.

Edited January 27, 2013 by Buchholz

[sscsamui]

The charges brought by the coup makers where and are legit....

[kurnell]

His sister is the big boss. Why doesn't he return? He has the support of the masses

[LuckyLew]

They got the title wrong ... it should be

"NYT article on how Thaksin ruins the country with Skype and instant messenger

[surangw]

Is that why skype is running slowly lately?

[geriatrickid]

Skype and Instant Messenger ! Whom is he trying to reach.....the rice farmers?

One of my friends has a family rice farm. He has an iphone, We facetalk. The brilliance of this option is that as long as he has a wifi connection we can connect anywhere for free if I am on an Apple device. I get treated to updates such as last week when he called to let me know that some guy who I only met a couple times finally hooked up with the girl in the next village that he's been chasing for years. Without our Apple technology, I'd never have learnt of this very important gossip.

BTW, skype has replaced Hotmail instant messenger and will be the only option available for MS users in March for those users that relied upon the hotmail instant messenger service. Google purchased Motorola phones and is putting all of its messaging and mail services access on the devices. Anyone that has a mobile phone now has access to instant messaging services. It is one of the most low cost and efficient methods of connecting with people.

[endure]

Skype and Instant Messenger ! Whom is he trying to reach.....the rice farmers?

One of my friends has a family rice farm. He has an iphone, We facetalk. The brilliance of this option is that as long as he has a wifi connection we can connect anywhere for free if I am on an Apple device. I get treated to updates such as last week when he called to let me know that some guy who I only met a couple times finally hooked up with the girl in the next village that he's been chasing for years. Without our Apple technology, I'd never have learnt of this very important gossip.

BTW, skype has replaced Hotmail instant messenger and will be the only option available for MS users in March for those users that relied upon the hotmail instant messenger service. Google purchased Motorola phones and is putting all of its messaging and mail services access on the devices. Anyone that has a mobile phone now has access to instant messaging services. It is one of the most low cost and efficient methods of connecting with people.

AIM? Blackberry Messenger? SMS? Camfrog?

[geriatrickid]

His sister is the big boss. Why doesn't he return? He has the support of the masses

Perhaps, his love of Thailand is paramount.

I expect that the much beloved former PM has chosen to remain in exile during the period of reconciliation.

It looks like you too miss him, as do many millions of Thais. You will have to maintain your resolve and try to understand that the beloved former PM is sacrificing his own life for the future of the nation. Do not be glum, but instead, take solace in the dedication to Thailand that the former PM shows. Turn your frown upside down and support the national reconciliation effort.

And remember, you can tune in to some of the many inspirational talks that former PM Thaksin provides.

Unfortunately, I haven't been watching as the work schedule has been rather heavy. Laundry, trimming the cat's nails, annual budgets, checking out the birds etc.

[geriatrickid]

AIM? Blackberry Messenger? SMS? Camfrog?

AIM is not very popular in Thailand. I think that you will find that Blackberry is not popular with the younger demographic. I ditched my device for an iphone. It is simpler to use. SMS does nto provide real time interaction and Camfrog is more of a social interaction kind of thing, sort of for people chatting or exposing their genitalia to others. I believe that MS software dominates the Thai market for PCs and laptops.As such, Skype & Windows messenger are the dominanant programs. Also easier to use for unsophisticated folks like me. Our office software now features annoying messenger options that allows us to comminicate in real time with the other offices without having to run up long distance telephone charges. It also allows our corporate security unit to more effectively spy on the empoyees.

Edited January 27, 2013 by geriatrickid

[HeavyDrinker]

Perhaps, his love of Thailand is paramount.

And the money he steals from the nation.....

[A_Traveller]

Glad to see that this article is leaking through the pay walls. Irrespective of GK's misdirections, Thaksin continues to "manage" his little sister as he did throughout her corporate life. 10 phones with numbers allocated by seniority, access apparently to bureaucratic briefs emailed to him.

Not ideal, and not the best way to run a modern democracy. I accept that there are those who are content with this situation, but how can one manage relationships at senior international level when the PM you speak to is but a conduit and not a certain one at that. I supose some would claim you could flirt your way through ...

Edited January 27, 2013 by A_Traveller

[longway]

If he ruled Thailand he would be back in Thailand.........is there anybody here who cannot follow this simple logic?.........Let us be clear about this Thaksin influences Thai politics from Dubai....nothing more.

He could be back in Thailand anytime of his choosing, whether he 'ruled' Thailand or not. You seem to be confused. Perhaps you mean he cannot make his criminal convictions disappear by decree, well not yet anyway.

I expect he will do his best to keep a low profile until the Bangkok elections are over anyway, before pushing for his amnesty.

Edited January 27, 2013 by longway

[MAJIC]

Skype and Instant Messenger ! Whom is he trying to reach.....the rice farmers?

Lower than that,can't see them having good reception via skype!

Edited January 27, 2013 by MAJIC

[MAJIC]

His sister is the big boss. Why doesn't he return? He has the support of the masses

Perhaps, his love of Thailand is paramount.

I expect that the much beloved former PM has chosen to remain in exile during the period of reconciliation.

It looks like you too miss him, as do many millions of Thais. You will have to maintain your resolve and try to understand that the beloved former PM is sacrificing his own life for the future of the nation. Do not be glum, but instead, take solace in the dedication to Thailand that the former PM shows. Turn your frown upside down and support the national reconciliation effort.

And remember, you can tune in to some of the many inspirational talks that former PM Thaksin provides.

Unfortunately, I haven't been watching as the work schedule has been rather heavy. Laundry, trimming the cat's nails, annual budgets, checking out the birds etc.

I take it GK you will not be lobbying for the Sarcasm Smiley?

[MAJIC]

If he ruled Thailand he would be back in Thailand.........is there anybody here who cannot follow this simple logic?.........Let us be clear about this Thaksin influences Thai politics from Dubai....nothing more.

Well at least you are half way there,in your clear thinking!

[MAJIC]

His sister is the big boss. Why doesn't he return? He has the support of the masses

When Prison is not an option,and a long life is!

Edited January 27, 2013 by MAJIC

[EyesWideOpen]

dam_n...........so it there is a skype interruption of service, there will be no leadership here in Thailand ?????

Wow things are worse than I thought... :-)

[FarangTalk]

That's what happens when you get the military involved in the political process. History repeats itself in Thailand... Over and over again.

Now any charges against Thaksin will be tainted with the coup no matter how legit.

The PAD and the coup were terrible mistakes, and Thailand will pay for them for decades to come.

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Thaivisa Connect App

[noitom]

One can conclude a few things from Fuller's article. That he, in fact, had to see Thaksin in London in order to do an interview and the article. Yet there was not one quote from Thaksin nor does Fuller "clearly" state that he did in fact interview Thaksin face to face in London. Fuller uses quotes from supposed Thaksin lackeys and his own paraphrasing.

Second, Fuller seems to be patronizing this "Thaksin remote management" phenomena by pointing out sound bite economic facts that tourism is booming and unemployment is non existent as well as the implication that Thaksin's methodology gets big deals done, Thailand is on the move while the rest of the world is in a "slump," and Thaksin cuts through the government red tape with some sort of "remote single point of accountability." As other posters, and everyone who really knows Thailand point out, Fuller ignores the facts that Thaksin is a convicted criminal, "cannot" legally return to Thailand, and does not meet with world heads of state or represent the country as any legal representative of the people at anytime or place.

Fuller, by his patronizing point of view that Thaksin is using technology to forge some sort of clever "new global state leadership model," is actually making the rest of world leadership considering doing deals with Thailand look life a laughing stock analogous to countries who are sitting down to negotiate or "wink" at the meeting table about major trade deals with the Somalia pirates as the legal heads of state of Somalia. Can you imagine if Richard Nixon had setup shop in some Bahamas compound and started running the USA by telex? How long do you think it would have taken the US military to take him out?

Fuller seems to want us to see that Thaksin's remote use of technology to command all important decision making and budget authorizations of Thailand in a version of Hakim Bey's Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ) is a very cool thing for a country. Fuller's article expresses a view that is very dangerous for the world. Just think of all the convicted leaders such as Charles Taylor, for example, who might have escaped to some TAZ state such as Thaksin and still be pulling the strings in the goldfields of Sierra Leone. Or a Ferdinand Marcos, had he operated today in the day of technology, with all his looted wealth of the Philippines still commanding the country from some smartphone somewhere in a TAZ.

The New York Times is clearly no longer "all the news that's fit to print." Fuller's patronizing view of Thaksin and lack of truth and reality about the real background around this strange case of a nation, Thailand, becoming a prisoner of a pirate operating in some TAZ clearly illustrates that. Thaksin being a criminal leader at large is not a good thing for Thailand and not a good thing for the world. Fuller should be aware of this.

[daboyz1]

One can conclude a few things from Fuller's article. That he, in fact, had to see Thaksin in London in order to do an interview and the article. Yet there was not one quote from Thaksin nor does Fuller "clearly" state that he did in fact interview Thaksin face to face in London. Fuller uses quotes from supposed Thaksin lackeys and his own paraphrasing.

Second, Fuller seems to be patronizing this "Thaksin remote management" phenomena by pointing out sound bite economic facts that tourism is booming and unemployment is non existent as well as the implication that Thaksin's methodology gets big deals done, Thailand is on the move while the rest of the world is in a "slump," and Thaksin cuts through the government red tape with some sort of "remote single point of accountability." As other posters, and everyone who really knows Thailand point out, Fuller ignores the facts that Thaksin is a convicted criminal, "cannot" legally return to Thailand, and does not meet with world heads of state or represent the country as any legal representative of the people at anytime or place.

Fuller, by his patronizing point of view that Thaksin is using technology to forge some sort of clever "new global state leadership model," is actually making the rest of world leadership considering doing deals with Thailand look life a laughing stock analogous to countries who are sitting down to negotiate or "wink" at the meeting table about major trade deals with the Somalia pirates as the legal heads of state of Somalia. Can you imagine if Richard Nixon had setup shop in some Bahamas compound and started running the USA by telex? How long do you think it would have taken the US military to take him out?

Fuller seems to want us to see that Thaksin's remote use of technology to command all important decision making and budget authorizations of Thailand in a version of Hakim Bey's Temporary Autonomous Zone (TAZ) is a very cool thing for a country. Fuller's article expresses a view that is very dangerous for the world. Just think of all the convicted leaders such as Charles Taylor, for example, who might have escaped to some TAZ state such as Thaksin and still be pulling the strings in the goldfields of Sierra Leone. Or a Ferdinand Marcos, had he operated today in the day of technology, with all his looted wealth of the Philippines still commanding the country from some smartphone somewhere in a TAZ.

The New York Times is clearly no longer "all the news that's fit to print." Fuller's patronizing view of Thaksin and lack of truth and reality about the real background around this strange case of a nation, Thailand, becoming a prisoner of a pirate operating in some TAZ clearly illustrates that. Thaksin being a criminal leader at large is not a good thing for Thailand and not a good thing for the world. Fuller should be aware of this.

I have a hard time understanding how anyone can make a serious argument with the above post. Totally spot on.

[Locationthailand]

Despite his continued BS he is not involved in politics, the scenario of a convicted crim and bail jumper (obviously) running a country is simply insane. Only in Thailand!

[Buchholz]

That's what happens when you get the military involved in the political process. History repeats itself in Thailand... Over and over again.

Now any charges against Thaksin will be tainted with the coup no matter how legit.

The PAD and the coup were terrible mistakes, and Thailand will pay for them for decades to come.

The bigger mistake was not preempting his six year despotic reign when popularity was decided to be more important than the rule of law and his asset concealment was swept away.

Thaksin and his subsequent friend and family proxy PMs' will forever be tainted for that.

Thailand has paid for that now for over a decade with Thaksin and his Red Shirt henchmen with no end in sight.

.

Edited January 27, 2013 by Buchholz

[kurnell]

His sister is the big boss. Why doesn't he return? He has the support of the masses

When Prison is not an option,and a long life is!

The rich don't go to prison in Thailand. Or hadn't you noticed?

[Ricardo]

The rich don't go to prison in Thailand. Or hadn't you noticed?

But didn't he recently tell a South Korean journalist that he's down to his last million ?

Oops ... perhaps the FM's 'white-lie disease' is contagious !