Thaksin Returns As Pm

[sriracha john]

Wissanu resigns today

The resignation of caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam will be effective today, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday.

"Wissanu will leave his office immediately when his resignation letter becomes effective on June 24," Thaksin said.

==============

Terse words from Mr. Diplomatic

particularly in light of the years of service provided by Wissanu and the number of times he has saved his master...

EDITORIAL

Twilight of a premiership

Departure of PM's trusted advisers could make him more vulnerable in his battle for political survival

The resignation of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's most trusted legal advisers, Cabinet secretary-general Borwornsak Uwanno and deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, in quick succession at a time when their counsel was most needed, indicates the populist leader may have entered the most difficult phase - if not the twilight - of his political career. At long last, the Election Commission, under tremendous public pressure, has endorsed the findings of its investigation subcommittee in regard to electoral fraud allegedly committed by the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party and based on damning evidence. The ultimate penalty for Thai Rak Thai if it's found guilty is disbandment.

Together, Borwornsak and Wissanu, arguably the brightest legal minds of their generation, served Thaksin well, identifying legal loopholes for him to exploit by hook or by crook in gaining political power, while amassing personal gain at the same time. They also put forward a credible legal defence and engaged in some effective spin doctoring whenever the prime minister and his cronies became entangled in corruption scandals that broke out into the open.

They provided a very valuable service to Thaksin, and their departure will probably make him even more vulnerable. One likely explanation for the two legal experts' deserting Thaksin at his most desperate hour may be the realisation that their political master is no longer legally defensible. It is not as if they have suddenly rediscovered their conscience, after having helped Thaksin achieve his devious designs at the expense of the public interest.

Borwornsak and Wissanu may not deserve sympathy, but their abandoning ship at this time is perfectly understandable.

These past five months have seen the most dramatic reversal of fortune for Thaksin, once considered the country's most popular politician and who was poised to take absolute control of Thai politics.

Then the Thaksin family decided to reward itself with the most lucrative of business deals: selling off their controlling stake in telecom giant Shin Corp, which Thaksin had founded, to Singapore's Temasek Holdings for a tax-free Bt73.3 billion on January 22. Thaksin thought he could have the best of both worlds.

But he also could not resist being patronising towards the public he vowed to serve, saying his children had made the decision so that he could focus on politics and avoid criticism about conflicts of interest.

Thaksin's arrogance of power, reinforced in no small part by the false sense of security that came from having two of the cleverest legal experts in his employ, blinded him to the possibility of a public backlash. As it turned out, the Shin sale lifted the veil of deception and exposed Thaksin for who he really was: an overly ambitious politician with a serious lack of scruples who did not bother to hide his deep contempt for the people.

It is interesting to note that Thaksin founded Thai Rak Thai only eight short years ago, in 1998. Through big-budgeted mergers and acquisitions, he managed to fill the party stable with the best politicians money could buy in an attempt to find a short cut to the top political office, all the while wielding a populist platform that pandered to the unprincipled and the gullible.

The Thai Rak Thai Party's meteoric rise in politics over such a brief period could prove to be its undoing. Ever-rising public expectations for the Thaksin government to continue delivering populist goodies like universal healthcare, easy loans and tax breaks - to name just a few - were stopped in their tracks quite a while back by hard economic realities that compelled the government to tighten fiscal discipline. To many, these populist policies, which had been marketed as a gift that would keep on giving, turned out to be nothing but a big hoax.

Increasing numbers of citizens are beginning to see more clearly now. Thaksin, the great manipulator, is getting a taste of his own medicine now, as public expectations exceeded his ability to deliver. But there can be no worse possible scenario than having his lawyers abandon ship just as Thaksin is gearing up to fight for his political survival, which will depend largely on legal technicalities.

- The Nation

[John K]

TRT's future to be decided on Tuesday

POST REPORTERS

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday expressed readiness to submit to his fate, as the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) set Tuesday as the date for deciding the future of his Thai Rak Thai party. Mr Thaksin hinted that he was up against forces greater than he, and that it was best to resign himself to whatever might befall him.

''I have more opportunities than you do, but they come and go. My time as the prime minister must also come to an end,'' he said, presiding over an event to mark the fourth anniversary of the assets conversion office.

Mr Thaksin said his departure from office, however, may occur under the constitution or under pressure from an individual or a group of individuals.

A source close to Mr Thaksin said he was feeling disheartened by the political ambiguity surrounding the government and his party.

The Election Commission recently forwarded a report on alleged electoral fraud by TRT to the prosecution. It endorsed the findings that the ruling party violated article 66 of the Political Party Act, which says a party could be dissolved for any action deemed to be subversion of the democratic system and constitutional monarchy, or for acquisition of executive power by unconstitutional means, or for committing any act deemed a threat to national security, public order, or ethics and morality.

If the OAG decides to indict TRT and the Constitution Court rules against the party, TRT will be disbanded.

The source said Mr Thaksin had assessed the situation and concluded he was fighting a losing battle.

Cabinet members close to Mr Thaksin said he was becoming tired of fighting a proxy war. He believed he was pitted against a highly charismatic individual who was behind campaigns to oust him from office.

The individual in question was believed to be behind the resignation of his top legal experts, Borwornsak Uwanno and Visanu Krue-ngarm.

Mr Visanu revealed his plan to resign to the media on Thursday, only a few weeks after Mr Borwornsak stepped down as cabinet secretary-general.

Mr Thaksin shrugged off Mr Visanu's resignation, saying there were several others to fill the vacant seats.

Eyebrows were raised yesterday when Mr Thaksin announced that Mr Visanu's resignation would take effect today. Mr Visanu earlier said he needed more time to clear his work.

The source said Mr Thaksin was putting on an act when he stepped onto a stage and sold populist policies. Instead he was ready to step aside as prime minister and take advice from ''non-partisan'' individuals who would mediate to resolve the political crisis, said the source.

Mr Thaksin has been forced to step aside once, after the April 2 snap election, only to return shortly after the Constitution Court ruled the poll invalid. Party members were also left in the dark because he had failed to manage conflicts among factions, said the source.

Rumours were spreading that some key party members, including Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak, Education Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng, and Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya, were considering leaving.

Mr Chaturon and Mr Thanong denied the rumours, while Mr Somkid neither denied nor confirmed the speculation.

He slipped past reporters at Don Muang airport when he arrived from France. In the evening, Mr Somkid showed up at the conference of the Federation of Thai Industries at the Regent Cha-Am Hotel in Phetchaburi and played down the rumours.

''I would like to encourage you guys [businessmen] to have more optimism by paying interest to a lot of business challenges coming in the future, rather than paying interest to whether I will resign or not,'' said Mr Somkid.

Meanwhile, the OAG-appointed panel concluded yesterday it can decide whether to indict TRT even though the EC did not press a charge against the party leader. OAG spokesman Atthapol Yaisawang said the prosecution cannot summon witnesses to testify and must make a decision based on the evidence submitted by the EC.

The panel will establish whether the two party executives implicated in the alleged bankrolling of small parties had acted with the party's consent.

If the panel finds that their act was not for the benefit of the party, it will send the probe findings back to the EC, which might call for a joint probe with the OAG

[John K]

Cabinet members close to Mr Thaksin said he was becoming tired of fighting a proxy war. He believed he was pitted against a highly charismatic individual who was behind campaigns to oust him from office.

Did he look in the mirror?

He does not even acknowledge it was his greed that started all of this.

Did someone open a lead lined container of greed shittonite near him or did he do it himself?

[Martin]

Is the moral behind all this that you can't be a businessman and a politician?

The saying "Off with the old, before on with the new" may apply to more than just girlfriends!

Thai political maturity seems to have developed to the stage that it is realised that the senior military officers should steer clear of political involvement, until they have retired from the military.

And now it is beginning to see that the same should apply to business leaders.

[John K]

Martin;

I tend to disagree with you on the businessman part , however the military I agree with you without a doubt. There are some smart people out there in business who can do the right thing.

The basic problem here is Thaksin forgot or never knew he was put in office to serve the people and not himself. If he saw it as just a way to get money, then he was bad news from GO!

When a politician stops serving the people he or she represents, they stop being a politician and become something else.

For Thaksin it looks like the toilet has been flushed, the water is spinning, and all that is left is the chug chug chug. Lets hope it does not backup before that.

[Jai Dee]

Bangkok Herald-Examiner Exclusive

It was revealed today by a source close to the political turmoil that a certain powerful figure, known only by the shadowy name of "Plus", was behind the campaign to oust caretaker PM Thaksin Shinawatra. Through a vast network of followers and using his amazing talent for calm, rational, intellectual thinking, he has amassed a power base that surpassed those of the caretaker PM. The source further revealed that he had as a goal the restoration of democracy to Thailand through transparency and common sense. This has struck a cord with tens of thousands of individuals who now look to the charismatic "Plus" for his sagely wisdom.

Just so the general readership of ThaiVisa understands... the Bangkok Herald-Examiner is a fictional news source.

We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message.

But they are funny sometimes...

However the editor does need to be reminded about not flaming other TV members...

[John K]

Bangkok Herald-Examiner Exclusive

It was revealed today by a source close to the political turmoil that a certain powerful figure, known only by the shadowy name of "Plus", was behind the campaign to oust caretaker PM Thaksin Shinawatra. Through a vast network of followers and using his amazing talent for calm, rational, intellectual thinking, he has amassed a power base that surpassed those of the caretaker PM. The source further revealed that he had as a goal the restoration of democracy to Thailand through transparency and common sense. This has struck a cord with tens of thousands of individuals who now look to the charismatic "Plus" for his sagely wisdom.

Just so the general readership of ThaiVisa understands... the Bangkok Herald-Examiner is a fictional news source.

We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message.

But they are funny sometimes...

However the editor does need to be reminded about not flaming other TV members...

However "Plus" need only fear his evil nemesis “Minus.”

[Jai Dee]

The Criminal Court will hear a defamation case filed against the Democrat Party by TRT

The Criminal Court accepts the defamation suit filed by the Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) against the Democrat Party in connection with the April 2 snap election.

In the suit, TRT deputys secretary-general Prommin Lertsuridej (พรหมมินทร์ เลิศสุริย์เดช) alleges the Democrat Party, its leader Abhisit Vejjajiva (อภิสิทธิ์ เวชชาชีวะ), secretary-general Sutheo Thuagsuban (สุเทพ เทือกสุบรรณ) and spokesman Ong-art Klampaiboon (องอาจ คล้ามไพบูลย์) of damaging his reputation by defaming that he and some TRT executives had hired small parties to run in the April election to help ensure victories for TRT candidates. The law requires unchallenged candidates to win at least 20% of the total number of voters in respective constituencies.

Dr. Prommin denied having bribed small parties, saying the accusations of the Democrats were groundless.

Preliminary court hearing was set on July 24.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 24 June 2006

[penzman]

With dissolution of TRT, would the ridiculous amount of lawsuits they're throwing around become pointless and dismissed by the courts ?

[John K]

With dissolution of TRT, would the ridiculous amount of lawsuits they're throwing around become pointless and dismissed by the courts ?

I have a great Idea that will have several thousand members.

Lets start a club. The only qualification to join is having been sued by the TRT or Thaksin.

People that have been sued more than once will have VIP status.

[sriracha john]

Bangkok Herald-Examiner Exclusive

It was revealed today by a source close to the political turmoil that a certain powerful figure, known only by the shadowy name of "Plus", was behind the campaign to oust caretaker PM Thaksin Shinawatra. Through a vast network of followers and using his amazing talent for calm, rational, intellectual thinking, he has amassed a power base that surpassed those of the caretaker PM. The source further revealed that he had as a goal the restoration of democracy to Thailand through transparency and common sense. This has struck a cord with tens of thousands of individuals who now look to the charismatic "Plus" for his sagely wisdom.

they are funny sometimes...

However the editor does need to be reminded about not flaming other TV members...

"sometimes"... :D

sorry, if the article isn't clear enough ,

but actually it's the opposite of a flame and is intended as a suitable tribute to one of the top political posters with TV membership.

*Sriracha - Thailand's hub of obtuseness ....but only at times*

[John K]

POLL FRAUD

Embattled TRT 'not afraid of law'

Party welcomes chance to prove innocence: Sudarat

The Thai Rak Thai Party has called for a speedy review of the allegation that it committed campaign fraud, saying it wants to clear its name and move on instead of being embroiled in uncertainty.

"The Thai Rak Thai Party executive board has no worries about the legal proceedings and welcomes this as a chance to confirm its innocence in court," party deputy leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan said yesterday.

The party faces dissolution if found guilty of campaign fraud.

Sudarat was commenting on the upcoming review by the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) on whether to forward the case to the Constitution Court.

Prosecutors will decide on Tuesday whether to initiate judicial proceedings or to ask the Election Commission (EC) to gather additional evidence.

Last month the EC's Nam Yimyaem panel found cause to suspect that the ruling party had bankrolled small parties to contest the April 2 election in order to overcome the so-called 20-per-cent rule.

Because of the election boycott by opposition parties, Thai Rak Thai was left to field lone candidates, who were required to muster the support of at least 20 per cent of eligible voters.

This rule did not come into play, however, if any other party joined a constituency race in addition to Thai Rak Thai.

The EC submitted the Nam Yimyaem panel's investigative report to OAG without endorsement early this month. Following the prosecutors' objections, it endorsed the charges against the ruling party and resubmitted the report on Thursday.

EC member Prinya Nakchudtree said the OAG had sole jurisdiction on how to proceed with the case against Thai Rak Thai.

Sudarat said her party had had no involvement in the alleged fraud, hence party members remained upbeat.

She also dismissed speculation that caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak might resign.

Rumours persisted, however, that other Cabinet members might step aside in the wake of yesterday's departure of caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.

Democrat Party deputy secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban said Wissanu's departure was a big dent in the credibility of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his government.

"Good people like Wissanu, Purachai Piumsombun [former deputy prime minister] and Kasem Wattanachai [former education minister] seem unable to work under Thaksin's leadership," he said.

Suthep said Thaksin should follow the lead of his former subordinates and step aside before it was too late.

"The political turmoil will remain as long as Thaksin clings to power, and the country is the real victim of his refusal to exit," he said.

He said Thaksin should make clear if and when he would relinquish power, instead of making dubious statements to keep everyone guessing his true intentions.

With the fate of the ruling party hanging in the balance pending the outcome of litigation, political observers have expressed concern about the ramifications of preparations for the next general election.

The EC has proposed October 15 as the date for voting. The caretaker government has endorsed this.

But the draft election-day decree appears not to be forthcoming, as relevant parties fear that its hasty enactment might give a new lease of life to the EC.

The three top courts have demanded that the EC step aside, paving the way to restore the credibility of the electoral process following the botched April 2 vote.

Should the election-day decree take effect now, the three remaining members of the EC would have a convenient excuse to cling to office as being obliged to make preparations for the balloting.

Democrat executive Nipit Intarasombat said EC chairman Vasana Puemlarp had told him he would leave office before October 15.

"Vasana wants to clear his work backlog before stepping aside," he said.

Nipit added that opposing sides were engaging in myriad court battles designed to end the political crisis.

"It will take the judicial proceedings a lot of time to resolve all the relevant issues, and the three top courts should induce a timely solution by summoning leaders of the major parties to work out a settlement," he said.

Source: The Nation website June 25, 2006

[cclub75]

Cabinet members close to Mr Thaksin said he was becoming tired of fighting a proxy war. He believed he was pitted against a highly charismatic individual who was behind campaigns to oust him from office.

It's an astonishing statement !

I mean : there isn't many "highly charismatic individual" in the Kingdom... Right ?

What's going on ? Are we sure it's not a translation problem ?

Or is it what I think It is... ?

[John K]

Cabinet members close to Mr Thaksin said he was becoming tired of fighting a proxy war. He believed he was pitted against a highly charismatic individual who was behind campaigns to oust him from office.

It's an astonishing statement !

I mean : there isn't many "highly charismatic individual" in the Kingdom... Right ?

What's going on ? Are we sure it's not a translation problem ?

Or is it what I think It is... ?

He moves his mouth and noise comes out, but don’t believe it unless he is feeding his wallet. I seem to recall similar noise around the beginning of April.

But yes, "Plus" could indeed be wearing him down.

[tettyan]

Cabinet members close to Mr Thaksin said he was becoming tired of fighting a proxy war. He believed he was pitted against a highly charismatic individual who was behind campaigns to oust him from office.

It's an astonishing statement !

I mean : there isn't many "highly charismatic individual" in the Kingdom... Right ?

What's going on ? Are we sure it's not a translation problem ?

Or is it what I think It is... ?

I am with you on this one. There are very few people in this country that fit that description - being both charismatic and having the influence to bring about the resignation of a deputy PM and a senior cabinet official.

It will be interesting to watch how this plays out in the next few weeks.

[John K]

PAD revives talk of street protests

Pledges action if govt interferes with courts

By Mongkol Bangprapa Ampa Santimetaneedol Bangkok Post

The People's Alliance for Democracy was back in action yesterday, declaring its readiness to return to the streets if the Constitution Court's consideration on Thai Rak Thai party's status was subject to interference. About 1,000 PAD members reaffirmed their mission to topple the Thaksin Shinawatra regime at a meeting at Thammasat University.

PAD coordinator Suriyasai Katasila told members they gathered yesterday to foster regional networks, boost the long-term strength of people's politics, discuss measures to stop the Thaksin regime, ensure transparency and true democracy and push for political reform.

He said political reform could not materialise as long as the Thaksin government remained in office.

PAD would wait for the courts to exercise their power to find a solution to the political stalemate and would keep a close watch on the government to see how it reacted.

It would call a major demonstration if the Constitution Court's work in considering whether Thai Rak Thai should be disbanded was interfered with, he said.

The Constitution Court is expected to be asked next month to decide whether the Thai Rak Thai party should be disbanded for allegedly bankrolling small political parties to contest the April 2 general election.

PAD yesterday condemned caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin, his cabinet and election commissioners for holding on to power and refusing to resign to end the political conflict.

In a statement read out by Mr Suriyasai, PAD pledged to pursue the party-for-hire case, push for legal punishment of Thai Rak Thai, and campaign for political reform.

The group said the Election Commission was trying to help Thai Rak Thai delay the consideration process despite the fact that the Constitution Court had already ordered the dissolution of the small parties which were paid in the scandal.

PAD leader Pibhop Dhongchai said PAD had a clear mission to push for long-term political reform and follow His Majesty the King's advice for the Constitution, Supreme and Administrative courts to end the national crisis.

He said the group was curious whether the law and virtue could solve the country's problems while Mr Thaksin was using his political influence to avoid legal action.

Mr Pibhop said Mr Thaksin was a ''troublemaker'' obsessed with power and wealth but who had no understanding of reason, ethics and the law.

Somsak Kosaisuk, another PAD leader, said Mr Thaksin improperly applied populist policies, such as distributing money which ended up in the pockets of the rich.

Those policies increased household debts to 140,000 baht from 70,000 baht per family.

Media firebrand Sondhi Limthongkul, also a PAD leader, told the meeting he planned to travel to the United States on Aug 8 to expand his campaign against Mr Thaksin among overseas Thais.

''Politics in 1997 opened the door for local and national capital to mix. Mr Thaksin thrived along with transnational capital groups who wore suits and robbed us.

''Thais had no idea and thanked him,'' the Manager Group founder said.

Mr Thaksin's only regret was his failure to privatise the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand so Singaporean capital groups could take control of the business, he claimed. A court earlier put an end to the government's plan to privatise Egat.

[Martin]

If anybody is keeping score, please put me down as NOT SURPRISED by this.

The silence (with regard to any supportive statements, comments, or remarks for the embattled poltical leader) from the area of charisma has been speaking volumes to me.

[digitele]

Fellow TV er's Who can guess who is or might be the

" highly charismatic individual who was behind campaigns to oust him from office."?

I sense a surprise ending in the works.......TIT

[John K]

I don’t want to speculate on this play on words. I suspect it is just a comment to save face. It may be a totally fictitious person. Also It’s not his nature to fold and with the risk of how much he has to lose, the comment is totally out of context.

My advice is don’t hold your breath.

[Siripon]

Cabinet members close to Mr Thaksin said he was becoming tired of fighting a proxy war. He believed he was pitted against a highly charismatic individual who was behind campaigns to oust him from office.

It's an astonishing statement !

I mean : there isn't many "highly charismatic individual" in the Kingdom... Right ?

What's going on ? Are we sure it's not a translation problem ?

Or is it what I think It is... ?

Most Thais think it is what it is....but surely it's way beyond the realms of Thai Visa to get into a discussion on this, skating on very thin ice.

Where are the mods when you need them, or are they sleeping off hangovers following the tragic slaughter of the Vikings by the German war machine?

[John K]

Thai PM insists party innocent of vote fraud

BANGKOK (AFP) - Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has insisted that his ruling Thai Rak Thai party was innocent of vote fraud charges stemming from inconclusive elections held in April.

"The party did not do anything wrong," Thaksin told reporters in his first public comments on the charges.

"I have played by the rules, and everyone else should play by the rules as well," he said.

The Election Commission on Thursday accused the party of breaking two laws in the campaign for the April 2 elections, which have since been invalidated by the courts.

Prosecutors are expected to decide on Tuesday whether to bring the case before the Constitutional Court. If convicted, the court could dissolve the party and ban Thaksin from forming a new one for five years.

The charges accuse Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party of illegally financing fringe groups to contest the polls in a bid to make the elections look more legitimate after the opposition decided to boycott them.

Thaksin's party has run the country for the last five years. Analysts have warned that disbanding Thai Rak Thai could plunge Thailand deeper into crisis.

Thaksin, 56, earlier this year survived months of mass street protests demanding his resignation over claims that the billionaire politician used his office to enrich his business empire.

Despite the demonstrations in Bangkok, his popularity in rural Thailand delivered his party a clear victory in the elections that he called to end the protests.

But due to the opposition boycott the polls failed to produce a parliament, forcing Thaksin to temporarily step aside.

He returned to his job last month after the courts invalidated the elections and cleared the way for new polls tentatively set for October 15.

[John K]

Is this the testimony the OAG, EC, and the courts may need to complete their investigation?

[cclub75]

Another statement from the Great Leader :

"The party committed no mistake," Mr. Thaksin said, "and therefore, it is unnecessary to dissolve it."

(Bangkok Post, 25 june)

I love this kind of syllogism !

-TRT is a party

-a party can not make a mistake

-therefore TRT does'nt make mistake

Socrates is still alive in Thailand.

[John K]

Well I am sure the Bangkok Herald-Examiner will have a bit on it soon.

Translation provided below.

"I have played by the my rules, and everyone else should play by the my rules as well,"

Penzman where is that photo?

[stumonster]

I wonder how mr't' s astrologer views the impending events ?He has been a principle in advising direction in the past.

[Martin]

Thaksin, naturally, claims 16 million, or whatever, voted for HIM.

But, in fact, the voters voted for a local candidate who indicated that he would be 'going along with' TRT. (And, going by previous happenings, might well soon be changing to 'going along with' the MPs of some other party!!)

My feeling was that, in our constituency, it was felt that the incumbent MP had represented us OK, and his was the only name there, so he got votes again. The message about ticking the 'No Vote' box wasn't always received loud and clear in the villages.

It isn't yet greatly appreciated that naughty things done in Bangkok matter to us up here. (Though , if all our clever youngsters who did well at school and have gone and got good jobs in Bangkok are saying that Thaksin is a bad 'un, there must be something in it.)

What does impress, though, is that in the time of our new MP we have had a huge expansion of our village lake and the old water-shortage worries are now just things of the past, and the local hospital has been extended and we can be examined by a doctor for just 30 baht.

The time of our previous MP is most remembered for the fact that he ended up in jail about six years ago for lining his pockets with money that was meant for the purchase of hospital supplies.

So maybe the feelings could be summed up as "TRT OK. Pity about its leader, though."

[slimdog]

Martin

One of the things you seem to have forgotten is the party list vote.

[penzman]

Well I am sure the Bangkok Herald-Examiner will have a bit on it soon.

Translation provided below.

"I have played by the my rules, and everyone else should play by the my rules as well,"

Penzman where is that photo?

Haven't got the celebration's dvd or vcd yet. In time...

I wonder how mr't' s astrologer views the impending events ?He has been a principle in advising direction in the past.

Has probably fled alonf with his earnings by now.

[John K]

I wonder how mr't' s astrologer views the impending events ?He has been a principle in advising direction in the past.

One of his stars must be near a black hole.

[sriracha john]

Huge turnaround for itv, thaksin

There's a strange irony to the current misfortunes of the controversial TV station and the caretaker PM

The fortunes of iTV Plc, the controversial television company, pretty much mirror those of its former owner, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Now encumbered by the prospect of having to pay a huge penalty of Bt76 billion, iTV could go under. Some activists, such as Jon Ungphakorn, the former senator, and Supinya Klangnarong, the secretary-general of the Campaign for Popular Media Reform, are campaigning for a revocation of iTV's licence for this independent (hmmm...) broadcast station.

At the same time, Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai Party is under threat of a lawsuit which could result in the Constitution Court ordering it to be dissolved. The Attorney General is awaiting an opinion from the Election Commission about the case of allegedly hiring smaller parties to run in the April 2 poll. Once it gets the opinion attached with the case, it can pass it on to the Constitution Court for immediate final ruling.

On January 9, 2004, iTV's stock shot up to Bt34.50 a share. The company became a market darling because of an impending arbitration panel ruling, which eventually resulted in a favourable revision of iTV's concession. Under its contract with the PM's Office, iTV is supposed to pay an annual concession fee of 44 per cent of revenue, or Bt1 billion, whichever is greater. But iTV said it was adversely affected by cable television and competition arising from disguised commercials on these local operators. The arbitration panel ruled in favour of iTV, allowing it to cut back its payment to only 6.5 per cent of revenue or Bt230 million.

This occurred when Thaksin's power was all-encompassing, and critics and academics lashed out furiously at the sweetheart deal, saying it was yet another example of policy corruption. Thaksin's Shin Corp then controlled 53 per cent of the iTV stake. In turn, the Shinawatra and Damapong families held at the time about 49 per cent of Shin.

Thaksin's popularity also peaked in February 2005 when going into the general election. His Thai Rak Thai Party garnered 19 million votes, compared to 11 million in 2001. Thaksin's power looked invincible and it seemed he would hang on as prime minister for life.

But in January, the Shinawatra and Damapong families drew flak from the public after they sold off their 49-per cent stake in Shin Corp to Temasek of Singapore for Bt73.3 billion. Charges flew that the Shinawatra and Damapong families were traitors because they had sold national assets to a Singaporean state enterprise. Temasek had become the new owner of iTV. Few countries would allow a foreign entity to take control of a local television station. The anti-Thaksin movement cried foul and before long they began to get more and more attention and support from the broader public.

The following month, Thaksin decided to dissolve the House of Parliament to avoid addressing the Shin Corp deal. He hoped the April 2 snap election would sweep Thai Rak Thai back into power unchallenged again and the people would let the Shin Corp deal slip from the radar screen. It didn't happen and Thaksin began to rapidly lose political capital among intellectuals and influential Thais. Mass demonstrations against Thaksin in Bangkok streets and elsewhere in the country dominated the news.

Still, Thai Rak Thai managed to get 16 million votes in the April 2 snap election, mostly from the rural electorates. But there would not be any election as hitherto predicted by the political pundits. The Constitution Court nullified the election as unconstitutional.

The PM's Office, meanwhile, had routinely appealed the iTV case to the Central Administrative Court. It was not expecting a result. But in May this year, as the tide turned against Thai Rak Thai, the Central Administrative Court reversed the ruling of the arbitration panel. As a result, iTV was ordered to pay Bt76 billion in fines because of its programming adjustments since 2004. iTV adjusted its programmes without first notifying the PM's Office.

So, in a nutshell, Thaksin's family has been accused of selling national assets to Singapore for Bt73.3 billion, while in a twist of irony, iTV has been ordered to pay back Bt76 billion to the state.

Temasek must be scratching its head in disbelief over the sudden shift in the political wind. It bought into Shin Corp on the assumption that Thaksin would deliver all the promises of political stability and honouring of contracts.

If iTV eventually has to pay a fine of Bt76 billion and Bt1.7 billion in backdated fees, its stock price would devalue to just Bt0.02 , according to Seamico Securities. If iTV does not have the money to pay the fine, its debt might be converted into equity so that the PM's Office can then take control of it.

But iTV is arguing that it should pay a fine of only Bt100 million a year, or Bt274,000 a day, through its own formula for compensation. If this were to be the case, then its stock price would be valued at Bt3.47. Yesterday, iTV was trading at about Bt2.58, a far cry from Bt34.50 in January.

iTV's future is hanging by a thread, similar to the political fortunes of Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai.

Given the current political mood, one only has to guess that it will be difficult for Temasek to keep control of iTV.

Similarly, Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai may lose control of their political future at the hands of the highest courts in the land.

Thanong Khanthong

- The Nation