Thaksin is busy talking, but is anyone listening?


Thaksin Shinawatra

Thai politics is never dull but too much excitement is a cause for concern. Just as the mercury starts to soar, political foes are gearing up for a dry season offensive. First, there's the news that Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will be taken to task for financial irregularities that could jeopardise her tenure in office. Then there's Yaowapha Wongsawat, her elder sister, who is being positioned to wait in the wings as a replacement.

The manipulation of these two sisters as political proxies is yet another sign that strings are being pulled to perpetrate the weird and ultimately shameful arrangement by which Thailand has unwittingly permitted its leadership to be hijacked by one unusual, rich and ambitious Thai exile living in Dubai.

Fugitive from justice Thaksin Shinawatra keeps phoning home, appointing leaders and guiding the business of parliament. The opposition Democrats have been quick to criticise him for bending the rules to breaking point in order to win concessions for himself.

And despite the business acumen that has made him a wealthy man, Thaksin has a documented record of clumsily obsessing about himself, and using the instigation and amelioration of civic strife to advance personal aims.

As he reportedly phoned in to the 40,000 red shirts who gathered solemnly in Bangkok last year to commemorate those who died in the street violence of May 19, 2010, they needn't mourn anymore because he was coming home. It turns out he didn't make it back by the end of 2012 as predicted because his amnesty plan provoked opposition and stalled, leaving Thaksin in high dudgeon, trying to retrieve lost time.

Yingluck is also proving more popular than him, which was not part of the script when he installed her in power. Increasingly, when he talks, nobody listens. His much-hyped, much-Skyped amnesty plan has gone nowhere and excites little interest from the public, with only 3 per cent in favour, according to a poll.

In recent months, he has been paying visits to regions bordering Thailand on every side, behaving like an emissary of the Thai government. But his claim is only as good as his ability to rule through a proxy such as his sister, who is increasingly showing signs of independence.

His recent phoned-in laments of impatience about constitutional reform and the stalled amnesty bill indicate he is aching for action, looking for novel ways to show his hand, win attention and further promote his personal agenda.

But guerrilla attacks and violence are an everyday occurrence in the deep south of Thailand, poverty remains grinding and if the reds and the yellows start marching again during this hot anniversary season, all bets are off.

Philip J. Cunningham is a media researcher and freelance writer

This article first appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition on Apr 02, 2013 as Thaksin keeps talking, but is anyone listening?

-- scmp.com 2013-04-02

Source: http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1204857/thaksin-busy-talking-anyone-listening

There is no need for Thaksin to return to Thailand as long as

1. Cabinet members and high ranking PTP official still wet their pants when he calls them on Skype to deliver a roasting,

2. The whole camarilla sailing under the PTP flag still regards it mandatory to go on an annual pilgrimage to receive the paymasters blessings, and

2. The PM impersonator does not show any inclination to depart on a student solo flight without instructor.

Him being "unable" to return to his "fatherland" is a great excuse for Thailand not being the leading ASEAN nation yet, and Thaksin will use it at nauseam while the country goes down the drain.

And the chances of getting "sehdaenged" are a lot higher for him in Thailand than in Dubai. He knows that.

Who said that?

Apparently it is OK to quote from

This article first appeared in the South China Morning Post
print edition on Apr 02, 2013 as Thaksin keeps talking, but is anyone
listening?

Can we get more from them and less from the nation?

This reminds me of the poster who said that it was normal for Thaksin to phone in, but no one needed to listen :-)

Thailand has unwittingly permitted its leadership to be hijacked by one unusual, rich and ambitious Thai exile living in Dubai.

Rather than having its leadership hijacked for decades by a number of unusually rich, Thai families living, who knows where!

Thaksin is busy talking, but is anyone listening?

Yes...everybody is listening...that's the problem. Who do you think was the inventor of the rice scam (cost 4 billion USD/year) and the borrowing of 63 billion USD (pay back 160 billion USD) for infrastructure?

Who pays the piper.....

Whos listening?As long as he's still got the doe ray mee they'll still dance.

Thailand has unwittingly permitted its leadership to be hijacked by one unusual, rich and ambitious Thai exile living in Dubai.

Rather than having its leadership hijacked for decades by a number of unusually rich, Thai families living, who knows where!

Just remind me, I don't seem to recall any of those 'unusually rich people' ordering the deaths of thousands of innocents, nor inciting others to torch the Capital.

I must have missed the news that day.

Yingluck proving to be more popular than Thaksin according to polls. She is also more popular than Abhisit as the people voted him out in favor of Yingluck. She is doing very well as far as the Thai people are concerned.

Thailand has unwittingly permitted its leadership to be hijacked by one unusual, rich and ambitious Thai exile living in Dubai.

Rather than having its leadership hijacked for decades by a number of unusually rich, Thai families living, who knows where!

Just remind me, I don't seem to recall any of those 'unusually rich people' ordering the deaths of thousands of innocents, nor inciting others to torch the Capital.

I must have missed the news that day.

No the damage done by those 'unusually rich people' has taken place over decades and has been far more destructive to Thailand that anything that may be blamed on Thaksin. Take a look at Thai education standards if you want an example.

Thai education standards? Give them a tablet and tell them to shut up

Yingluck proving to be more popular than Thaksin according to polls. She is also more popular than Abhisit as the people voted him out in favor of Yingluck. She is doing very well as far as the Thai people are concerned.

She is doing very well but that's because she avoids getting anywhere near anything negative if she can avoid it. If one of her ministers has to talk about deaths in the south or corruption in the rice scheme and she's shaking hands with a foreign leader whilst they're both smiling who do you think is going to look the best. It's a cheap trick but it does work here at least. In that sense since she's not a politician she's doing everything right.

Thailand has unwittingly permitted its leadership to be hijacked by one unusual, rich and ambitious Thai exile living in Dubai.

Rather than having its leadership hijacked for decades by a number of unusually rich, Thai families living, who knows where!

Just remind me, I don't seem to recall any of those 'unusually rich people' ordering the deaths of thousands of innocents, nor inciting others to torch the Capital.

I must have missed the news that day.

No the damage done by those 'unusually rich people' has taken place over decades and has been far more destructive to Thailand that anything that may be blamed on Thaksin. Take a look at Thai education standards if you want an example.

I find this to be extremely unhelpful, reminds me of a friend who doesn't like Thaksin a lot, but can't blame him much either because "he's only doing what everyone else is doing". Low expectations from voters bring more of the same in Parliament.

Thailand has unwittingly permitted its leadership to be hijacked by one unusual, rich and ambitious Thai exile living in Dubai.

Rather than having its leadership hijacked for decades by a number of unusually rich, Thai families living, who knows where!

Just remind me, I don't seem to recall any of those 'unusually rich people' ordering the deaths of thousands of innocents, nor inciting others to torch the Capital.

I must have missed the news that day.

No the damage done by those 'unusually rich people' has taken place over decades and has been far more destructive to Thailand that anything that may be blamed on Thaksin. Take a look at Thai education standards if you want an example.

Then why didn't/don't Thaksin and his proxies DO something when they were/are in power?????

Then why didn't/don't Thaksin and his proxies DO something when they were/are in power?????

It will take more decades to put right than the decades it has taken to create the problems. That is why

Thais continue to put their faith in Thaksin, Yingluk and PTP with increasing voter numbers at each general election.

Thailand has unwittingly permitted its leadership to be hijacked by one unusual, rich and ambitious Thai exile living in Dubai.

Rather than having its leadership hijacked for decades by a number of unusually rich, Thai families living, who knows where!

Just remind me, I don't seem to recall any of those 'unusually rich people' ordering the deaths of thousands of innocents, nor inciting others to torch the Capital.

I must have missed the news that day.

No the damage done by those 'unusually rich people' has taken place over decades and has been far more destructive to Thailand that anything that may be blamed on Thaksin. Take a look at Thai education standards if you want an example.

Take a look at Thai education standards if you want an example.

As far as I remember, Thaksin (and party) were in power in power for the last 10 out of 12 years.... And what have the done?? Yes, spend a few hundred million dollars on tablet computers to silence the kids (+parents).

You can achieve a lot of things in a decade if you want to. Fact is that Thaksin doesn't really care about the educational system because it doesn't bring him much. Thaksin is a smart man, if you can generate a few billion dollars for yourself and family, you can surely improve the education standard. A few months ago the Thais had the lowest TOEFL score in the whole of ASEAN.

I think you shot yourself in the foot with the education example.....

I think you shot yourself in the foot with the education example.....

No you are wrong, I indicated that it was decades of rule under the "unsually rich" families that that caused the dire state of education in Thailand. I further indicated that it would take decades to repair the damage. Also your memory is not strong, Thaksin parties have not been in power for 10 out of the last 12 years. Check it out!

I think you shot yourself in the foot with the education example.....

No you are wrong, I indicated that it was decades of rule under the "unsually rich" families that that caused the dire state of education in Thailand. I further indicated that it would take decades to repair the damage. Also your memory is not strong, Thaksin parties have not been in power for 10 out of the last 12 years. Check it out!

Well, I know that the decade Thaksin was in power not much happened. Come on man, you know that Thaksin could have done much more. Again, if you want to praise thaksin and his achievements, better don't mention education.

Then why didn't/don't Thaksin and his proxies DO something when they were/are in power?????

It will take more decades to put right than the decades it has taken to create the problems. That is why

Thais continue to put their faith in Thaksin, Yingluk and PTP with increasing voter numbers at each general election.

As a Nottingham Forest supporter I simply cnnot agree with you.

The only people talking about Thaksin are the Democrats and the media, no one else gives a flying fig- if they stopped talking about him and reporting his every breath, then maybe the country could start to at least move on a day to day basis.

Well, I know that the decade Thaksin was in power not much happened. Come on man, you know that Thaksin could have done much more. Again, if you want to praise thaksin and his achievements, better don't mention education.

Please read more carefully, I am not praising Thaksin for anything, I am merely stating that Thailand has been seriously damaged by decades of interference by "the unusually rich families" who controlled the Dems, I referred to education as an example of this.

Then why didn't/don't Thaksin and his proxies DO something when they were/are in power?????

It will take more decades to put right than the decades it has taken to create the problems. That is why

Thais continue to put their faith in Thaksin, Yingluk and PTP with increasing voter numbers at each general election.

As a Nottingham Forest supporter I simply cnnot agree with you.

You have far more to worry about than Thaksin then. 555

The only people talking about Thaksin are the Democrats and the media, no one else gives a flying fig- if they stopped talking about him and reporting his every breath, then maybe the country could start to at least move on a day to day basis.

Correct! But how to make Thaksin stop talking/interfering...?

One thing for sure is the PTP MPs and senators are listening to him under a threat of having their pay withheld by the paymaster.

The only people talking about Thaksin are the Democrats and the media, no one else gives a flying fig- if they stopped talking about him and reporting his every breath, then maybe the country could start to at least move on a day to day basis.

Correct! But how to make Thaksin stop talking/interfering...?

And how can they stop millions of Thais voting for him in ever growing numbers at each general election.

The only people talking about Thaksin are the Democrats and the media, no one else gives a flying fig- if they stopped talking about him and reporting his every breath, then maybe the country could start to at least move on a day to day basis.

Correct! But how to make Thaksin stop talking/interfering...?

And how can they stop millions of Thais voting for him in ever growing numbers at each general election.

Perhaps if there was a viable alternative party to compete with the PTP it would be a start. Currently the opposition spend more time walking out of parliament in a strop than they do actually debating and putting forward viable polices to garner support.

PREM-R, on 02 Apr 2013 - 15:21, said:

And how can they stop millions of Thais voting for him in ever growing numbers at each general election.

Cut off the money, then see which direction his vote count goes...

The only people talking about Thaksin are the Democrats and the media, no one else gives a flying fig- if they stopped talking about him and reporting his every breath, then maybe the country could start to at least move on a day to day basis.

Correct! But how to make Thaksin stop talking/interfering...?

And how can they stop millions of Thais voting for him in ever growing numbers at each general election.

General election blah blah .

Well, your reply has nothing to do with it. Smutcakes say stop Taking about thaksin, I said that even we would stop talking it doesn't guarantee that he stops too.

The only people talking about Thaksin are the Democrats and the media, no one else gives a flying fig- if they stopped talking about him and reporting his every breath, then maybe the country could start to at least move on a day to day basis.

Correct! But how to make Thaksin stop talking/interfering...?

And how can they stop millions of Thais voting for him in ever growing numbers at each general election.

Perhaps if there was a viable alternative party to compete with the PTP it would be a start. Currently the opposition spend more time walking out of parliament in a strop than they do actually debating and putting forward viable polices to garner support.

Walking out of parliament or commit to borrowing 63 billion USD (pay back 160 billion USD) without a proper feasibility study. Correction, that was earlier.

The walking out today is because the independent house speakers are only working for Thaksin to make sure he will not be punished for all his crimes. Democracy at it's best!

Haven't we learned from the rice scam??

Where would Thaksin and his clan be when Thailand is bankrupt? Answer: Very rich and not in Thailand.