An Evening with
Her Excellency Yingluck Shinawatra
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand

Grand Ballroom, The Intercontinental Bangkok

7pm, Monday March 11, 2013
Members 1,700 Baht, Non-members 3,300 Baht

When Yingluck Shinawatra assumed power in 2011 on the back of a sweeping victory by the Pheu Thai party, most critics assumed she was plucked from a relatively low-profile private-sector role, and propelled into office as a mere front for her older brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. With political divisions still deep and bitter, more conflict was predicted.

Now, almost at the halfway mark of her term in office, under Ms Yingluck Thailand has enjoyed rare if delicately balanced political equilibrium and stability. Many say the Prime Minister has come into her own, earning the respect of the Cabinet and the administrative machinery.

If the political détente prevails, Thailand's first female prime minister is even likely to complete her term -- no mean feat in a country which has seen six governments in the last eight years. While the challenge of political reconciliation remains, and the Pheu Thai party must walk a thin line to stay in power, the current breathing space is allowing her government to focus on fundamental issues -- like flood control and water management, and the economy. A three-year, two trillion Baht plan is designed to revamp Thailand's railway system and includes high speed trains. Investment in infrastructure has lagged, and Thailand needs to up its game to remain competitive in a rising neighbourhood and an imminent Asean Economic Community in 2015.

It has been a tradition for Thai prime ministers to give an annual address to the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand. On March 11th Ms Yingluck will address critical economic issues and the future of Thailand in a keynote speech, and take questions from the foreign press at our annual gala dinner.

Tickets are available now through the FCCT office, priced at 1,700 Baht for members and 3,300 Baht for non-members, inclusive of VAT.

Registration at the dinner begins at 5pm.

http://fccthai.com/items/1030.html

Edited March 4, 201313 yr by Tywais
Added source link

"most critics assumed she was plucked from a relatively low-profile private-sector role, and propelled into office as a mere front for her older brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra"

No, not most critics; everyone with mental faculties. And they don't assume, they know.

"Thaksin thinks, Puea Thai acts"

"She is my clone"

What?? 11th of March? Sorry, think I'm busy on that day... Or sick. Not sure yet...

Stood next to her at a dinner in Sydney last year when she made an offical visit. Didn't realise it was her as no one was speaking to her. That changed as the night wore on however.

Stood next to her at a dinner in Sydney last year when she made an offical visit. Didn't realise it was her as no one was speaking to her. That changed as the night wore on however.

You weren't chatting up the Thai PM were you Samran? Go on admit it, she's not exactly horrible

Now if it were Angela Merkel ......

Members 1,700 Baht, Non-members 3,300 Baht

Any discount if wearing a red shirt? And is it for the whole evening or just 'short-time?

Stood next to her at a dinner in Sydney last year when she made an offical visit. Didn't realise it was her as no one was speaking to her. That changed as the night wore on however.

Sydney the country you mean or that is what she thought.

Stood next to her at a dinner in Sydney last year when she made an offical visit. Didn't realise it was her as no one was speaking to her. That changed as the night wore on however.

Sydney the country you mean or that is what she thought.

Syderney, New South Wales.

The place with that bridge

re

You weren't chatting up the Thai PM were you Samran? Go on admit it, she's not exactly horrible

hes right : )

dave2

She's gonna have to do something special for me to pay 3,300bht.......

Talking about the Rhino and Elephant Ivory trade won't cut it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21646863

Stood next to her at a dinner in Sydney last year when she made an offical visit. Didn't realise it was her as no one was speaking to her. That changed as the night wore on however.

You weren't chatting up the Thai PM were you Samran? Go on admit it, she's not exactly horrible

Now if it were Angela Merkel ......

In her day maybe. But she's a bit old now....

Stood next to her at a dinner in Sydney last year when she made an offical visit. Didn't realise it was her as no one was speaking to her. That changed as the night wore on however.

Sydney the country you mean or that is what she thought.

Syderney, New South Wales.

The place with that bridge

and the stylish opera house that was named "pregnant oyster"

Stood next to her at a dinner in Sydney last year when she made an offical visit. Didn't realise it was her as no one was speaking to her. That changed as the night wore on however.

You weren't chatting up the Thai PM were you Samran? Go on admit it, she's not exactly horrible

Now if it were Angela Merkel ......

In her day maybe. But she's a bit old now....

some women are like wine...

Some cheap wine go rancid with age.

I would love to meet her

Stood next to her at a dinner in Sydney last year when she made an offical visit. Didn't realise it was her as no one was speaking to her. That changed as the night wore on however.

Well go on, fill us in Samran!...

How exactly did it change as the night went on?

Stood next to her at a dinner in Sydney last year when she made an offical visit. Didn't realise it was her as no one was speaking to her. That changed as the night wore on however.

Sydney the country you mean or that is what she thought.

Syderney, New South Wales.

The place with that bridge

and the stylish opera house that was named "pregnant oyster"

Hey hey, you leave our opera house alone mate. Its about Yingluck, not pregnant oysters.

I'd stay away from her right now. Seems everywhere she goes she's hitting people and nations up for loans for Thailand. As reference we have two threads going in the news section here right now, one for Denmark and one for Sweden, I think. She visited their leaders and plead for "investments" in Thailand to build Thai infrastructure.

So I'll be going out the back door. The ten bucks I could loan her wouldn't help that much anyway.

Stood next to her at a dinner in Sydney last year when she made an offical visit. Didn't realise it was her as no one was speaking to her. That changed as the night wore on however.

Well go on, fill us in Samran!...

How exactly did it change as the night went on?

Well, a Thai PM, basically sitting by herself at the central table (her table guests were up mingling between courses). I think it was actually one of those things where they wanted to allow anyone there to be able to approach and talk to her, but didn't communicate it too well. People figured it out as the night went on. I actually went up to the table right next to her to have a chat to a friend who was there and none of her minders jumped me. It was the minders who gave it away that it was her. I was about 50cm from where she was sitting - alone.