Thailand denies paying Tony Blair over US$640,000 fee to attend unity forum

[mrfill]

The Thai deputy prime minister has denied paying Tony Blair 20m baht (£410,000) for participating in a reconciliation forum next month in Bangkok, despite a local news report claiming that the latter's attendance would cost that much in fees and expenses.

I think I side with the local news report after reading the article below.

From the article: Blair becomes world's best paid speaker, pocketing £364,000 for just one hour's work

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1167682/Blair-worlds-best-paid-speaker-pocketing-364-000-just-hours-work.html#ixzz2cCvlwoUc

Not that it really matters if he is or isn't. It is still a tough job and some one has to do it.

The real reason I post here is I was wondering if I am correct in assuming that the Daily Mail is the same caliber of reporting as The Nation?

edot spelling

Don't know about the Daily Mail. Will have to get the guys from the UK's input on this.

Famous as the newspaper that supported Hitler in the 30s.

70+ years later, its political views have changed little and it panders to the sort who think education is a waste of good money.

[Frank James]

War criminal, sociopath, pathological liar, Dick Cheney's chihuahua. You guys always bloviating about Mr. T being a criminal, here's a real one.

[metisdead]

Posts using derogatory nicknames or intentional misspelling of people’s names have been deleted. If you don’t want your post to be deleted, spell people’s names correctly.

[Pimay1]

War criminal, sociopath, pathological liar, Dick Cheney's chihuahua. You guys always bloviating about Mr. T being a criminal, here's a real one.

And Mr. T is not a real one?

[jbrain]

Blair will instead see only his travel and accommodation costs covered, Thailand's ministry of foreign affairs told the Guardian,

I noticed the deputy PM stopped just short of adding that Blair will use a budget airline and has agreed to get laid ( pun intended) at the Nana hotel to keep costs down.

[mrtoad]

War criminal, sociopath, pathological liar, Dick Cheney's chihuahua. You guys always bloviating about Mr. T being a criminal, here's a real one.

And Mr. T is not a real one?

Blair and Mr T should get on pretty well, they are pretty similar.

[mrtoad]

I'd have thought that the PTP party has enough experienced 'b' liars without having to take lessons from the master.

I notice that they denied paying him over $640k. Maybe it was just less than that figure.

True to form they couldn't have made a worse choice.

Maybe they have a sense of himouras well - something that's not always seen around these parts.

However, I agree that they have enough experience in theri own ranks without requiring lessons from the gurning, self serving idiot Blair.

[Frank James]

Whatever Thaksin has done, pales in comparison to Blair's impact upon the world. A lot of UK soldiers are dead or permanently disabled because of his toadying up to the Bush/Cheney Crime family. How they must have laughed about him when he wasn't in the room. he should be in the dock at the ICJ, answering for war crimes, just like the Serbs.

Mr. T doesn't even rate in criminality, compared to this charlatan. Show him a good time at Soi Cowboy, then give him the bum's rush he deserves.

[siampolee]

For me it was his puppy like pandering to the US's foreign policies that marred his premiership.

For me and many others like me from al facets of the political spectrum it was his total addiction to breathing that marred his premiership.

[lemonjelly]

This muppet show of a government only needs to make the lies believable to the simple minded ghost fearing folk that placed their trust in them…...

[johnnie20110]

Blair would not speak without a fee. Somebody is going to be lying. I cannot understand why anyone who considers themselves in a position of World Leadership would risk speaking in Thailand under the current Government. Seems Kofi Annan has some sense.

Indeed. So going from Yingluck's previous claim of "probably confirmed" attendance for the two (or whatever nonsense words she used), there's been one declining and one getting paid 20 million baht to attend.

Great job PM. Let the whitewash continue.

[johnnie20110]

War criminal, sociopath, pathological liar, Dick Cheney's chihuahua. You guys always bloviating about Mr. T being a criminal, here's a real one.

And Mr. T is not a real one?

Blair and Mr T should get on pretty well, they are pretty similar.

Even though Thaksin is richer from his looting.

[hellodolly]

War criminal, sociopath, pathological liar, Dick Cheney's chihuahua. You guys always bloviating about Mr. T being a criminal, here's a real one.

Well I have to agree with you about Dick Cheney.

He was so corrupt he made Thaksin look good.

Bush was just a face he used to pull Blair's strings.

[hellodolly]

This muppet show of a government only needs to make the lies believable to the simple minded ghost fearing folk that placed their trust in them…...

Unfortunately it is the majority who did not place there trust in them that has to pay the bill.

[sandrabbit]

_{that's cheap for him so what are they complaining about?}

[Bodrules]

Can't stand the pillock - to much wrong with his tenure in office (and no, I didn't vote for the champagne socialist t***) from running a deficit at the height of a credit / housing market bubble, to allowing Brown the Gormless to underfund the armed forces which he merrily chucked into Iraq (when he didn't have to) and into Afghanistan on the cheap (well, not that he's the first PM to do that of course), ensnaring the UK in that Human Rights farrago that has really benefited Cherie Blair (QC) chambers (weirdly, what a co-incidence), uncontrolled immigration, bloating the public sector, wasting money on PFI etc etc

<and breathe>

Anyway, there is very little chance he'll do this for expenses only (though that depends on how you define expenses doesn't it ) as he even asks for money if you want an autograph apparently.

As for the Daily Mail, don't read it much as it is fairly inaccurate = one look at its science articles tells you all you need to know. That said, it did push for justice for the parents of Stephen Lawrence and named his killers and publicly invited them to sue the newspaper (which they never did)

[YeaBiGgiEs]

I can confirm with my hand on a bible that Thailand has not paid me to be here neither.

[rametindallas]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2316315/Tony-Blair-makes-fortune-lecture-tours--YOU-taxpayer-pay-stay.html

"On a visit to the Philippines, where he was reportedly paid £200,000 a time for two half-hour lectures, he and his entourage were put up free of charge at the UK ambassador’s official residence.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1112424/Tony-Blair-talks-way-15m-payday.html

"The former Prime Minister has a lucrative new career as the world's best-paid public speaker.

His agents typically charge $250,000 (£164,000) for a 90-minute speech.

No freebies from this guy.

At that rate, Thailand should get 220 minutes for their $640,000 or slightly more than an hour and a half at the Philippines rate. Surely Thailand wants to pay more than the Philippine Islands for something; national pride don't you know. Tony Blair will give them something they do not have now and that is legitimacy. No problem. They already buy votes and friends so why not buy legitimacy? If they get TB for the entire conference and he puts his stamp of approval on it, the government will have gotten a good deal (from their point of view) for $640,000. Besides, it's not their money they are paying him.

[deecee10]

Blair, Blair, Blair,

Blah, Blah, Blah.

Waste of the price of his plane ticket, never mind some absorbitant fee.

[meatboy]

has it been mentioned yet there is the cost of his bodygaurd john prescot couple of nights down soi cowboy and a bucket of rice should be enough.

[stoli]

Hillary not only commands a much higher speaking fee price, but you must also donate to her upcoming race for President. Tony Blair's cost is small.

[Arkady]

He won't do it for free. He is more likely to finesse things by asking for a donation to one of his foundations which are intermingled with his personal affairs. His travel expenses won't be economy on an Indian budget airline with a 12 hour transit in Mumbai either. It will be a private jet for of course security reasons. Read the Ghost Writer by Robert Harris, if you want more information on the structure.

[harryfrompattaya]

I wouldnt p-ss on Tony Blair or his wife if they were on fire.let alone give them any money .

I am glad you will not

I will pay to hear Blair speak

[jbrain]

I wouldnt p-ss on Tony Blair or his wife if they were on fire.let alone give them any money .

I am glad you will not

I will pay to hear Blair speak

I have a few voice recordings of Blair. Make me an offer.

[harryfrompattaya]

No I want hear him in person I will even leave Sol 6 and travel anyway in Thailand to see and hear him

[billd766]

Whatever Thaksin has done, pales in comparison to Blair's impact upon the world. A lot of UK soldiers are dead or permanently disabled because of his toadying up to the Bush/Cheney Crime family. How they must have laughed about him when he wasn't in the room. he should be in the dock at the ICJ, answering for war crimes, just like the Serbs.

Mr. T doesn't even rate in criminality, compared to this charlatan. Show him a good time at Soi Cowboy, then give him the bum's rush he deserves.

Make sure he pays his bar bill first AND gives a tip.

[Neilly]

No I want hear him in person I will even leave Sol 6 and travel anyway in Thailand to see and hear him

You started on it early today