Royal Decree Sets Oct 15 Election Date

[Jai Dee]

Abhisit challenges Thaksin to a live pre-election debate

Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday challenged caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to a debate ahead of an election scheduled for October 15.

“If the prime minister is so confident in his policies and methods, he can meet me anytime on a television program so the people can see, hear and compare our policies,” Abhisit, pictured, told a party seminar at the Miracle Grand Hotel entitled ‘The People Come First.’ “Because at the end of the day, the people will make the decision. My party will respect the decision of the people.”

The Democrats appear ready to face the voters after boycotting the April 2 election, which the Constitutional Court later nullified. In the 2005 election, Thai Rak Thai trounced the Democrats by nearly 12 million votes.

Bolstered by the recent court decisions that voided the election and jailed the former election commissioners, the Democrats have launched a media blitz designed to portray the party as free from corruption. Playing off the Criminal Court’s recent verdict against the election watchdog, Abhisit said yesterday that the courts should investigate corrupt officials instead of constitutionally enshrined bodies designed to fight graft.

“We will amend the law so that corruption charges don’t have an expiry date,” Abhisit said. “Injured parties can file cases directly to the court. It will cause politicians to go directly to jail. There will be no need to go through the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) in order to prevent those independent institutions from being interfered with by politicians.”

Over the past year or so, Democrat leaders have devoted much of their time to investigating allegations of government corruption, and raised questions surrounding the purchase of bomb scanners for Suvarnabhumi airport, as well as the largely tax-free transfer of Shin Corp shares worth 73.3 billion baht from Thaksin’s family to Temasek Holdings.

The attorney general has yet to bring charges against anyone in connection with contracts dealing with the airport construction. In March, the Securities and Exchange Commission cleared Thaksin of wrongdoing regarding the Shin Corp share sale, but fined his son Panthongtae 5.982 million baht for three violations of the Securities and Exchange Act in connection with the deal.

The party’s fight against corruption is an attempt to capitalize on the anti-graft sentiment that fueled large street protests in Bangkok about four months ago. Corruption allegations marred the previous two Democrat governments, which led the country through most of the 1990s.

Democrat party members have routinely criticized Thai Rak Thai for pushing a populist agenda. But the main opposition party plans to unveil its own ‘People’s Agenda’ on Wednesday.

Abhisit offered a sneak preview yesterday, saying that the party wants to raise the minimum wage by at least seven baht per day. The minimum wage for unskilled labor currently stands at 184 baht per day, while labor groups want it to rise to 233 baht. In June, the Finance Ministry proposed a 10-baht increase.

The Democrat party leader also said it would change the formula for calculating the fuel tariff (ft) rate for electricity which, he claimed, would allow electricity prices to fall. The current formula was introduced before state-owned electricity firm EGAT planned to list on the Stock Exchange of Thailand, he said.

“Since EGAT is not listed on the SET, there is no need to cling to the old formula,” he said.

Prior to the change in calculating the ft rate, EGAT took a heavy financial hit in the government’s attempt to shield consumers from rising global oil prices. Abhisit did not say if EGAT, which needs cash to invest in new ventures, would take a financial hit from this policy.

In addition, Abhisit said the public should not pay the two-baht-per-liter of petrol that currently finances the Oil Fund that racked up nearly 90 billion baht in debt during a subsidy program two years ago.

“It is not the responsibility of the people to redeem the sins of the current government,” he said. “If the petrol price is reduced, it will bring relief to the business owner and allow the minimum wage to increase 13 baht per day.”

Again, Abhisit failed to say if state-owned oil company PTT would then be required to pay back the billions owed to the fund. The current government has used market leader PTT to sell retail petrol lower than cost to protect consumers from global oil prices.

The Democrats also have plans to reduce public debt and set up a ‘sufficiency economy’ fund that will provide financial aid to rural villages. It is still unclear whether the money amounts to direct aid or loans, similar to Thai Rak Thai’s Village Fund program. Details will be forthcoming on Wednesday, Abhisit said.

Analysts have long questioned the Democrats’ ability to defeat Thai Rak Thai on policy. The various lending programs, 30-baht healthcare scheme and war on drugs that the government has implemented have cemented the party’s popularity in rural areas.

“The policies of the Democrats – education, anti-corruption, debt reduction – are very abstract,” said Somchai Pakapatwiwat, a political scientist at Thammasat University. “The Democrats need more concrete policies. Thaksin has the advantage on policy because Thai Rak Thai’s policies are very articulate and aimed at a targeted market.”

Source: ThaiDay - 7 August 2006

[sriracha john]

Yes and Thaksin has been using that authority not only in the south. If you will recall the banning of websites falls under this. Adult sites like Adultfriendfinder and so on were blocked under this act. I am sure there are some threads on this but at the moment I don't have time to hunt them down. So the question is still as posted above.

It was the courts that most recently were searching the web, not Thaksin, for those that did not agree with their rulings on boards like this and panthip. They even caused panthip to close for a few days by making it known that they would search out anyone, with the polices help, that disagreed with them.

But yet, a different court also made for a more independently free webworld:

Court rules for Sondhi

Published on Feb 3, 2006

The Administrative Court yesterday ordered authorities to desist from shutting down the ASTV satellite service of government critic Sondhi Limthongkul and his media group’s website.

The Nation

but besides that... clearly the numbers are lopsided:

Internet crackdown

Published on Oct 19, 2005

The government will launch a crackdown on websites that contain inappropriate material, the government spokesman said yesterday.

Surapong Suebwonglee said more than five million websites from around the world are affected.

websites closed or investigated by Thaksin: 5,000,000

websites closed or investigated by Courts: less than a handful

*edit* certainly there are differences in the motivations or direct nature of the website blocking/investigating, but that was John K was specifically addressing, the blocking of websites.

Edited August 7, 2006 by sriracha john

[Jai Dee]

Sangsit Piriyarangsan shows a print of the of the Civil Society Network to Stop the Thaksin System’s Web page.

Source: The Nation - 7 August 2006

[John K]

This is from way back in a thread that George started in 2004

Free cow for every farmer: Thaksin

BANGKOK: -- Call it beef-barrelling. Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has bucked his Thai Rak Thai party into election mode with a shower of promises capped by a pledge to hand out cows to the nation's farmers.

Centring his re-election strategy firmly on those Thais who shot him to power almost four years ago, Mr Thaksin hopes that his free calves will moo down the opposition Democrats in poor rural communities in the election due early next year.

Technically, the free cows are not free. Instead, Mr Thaksin, according to his spokesman Jakapob Penkair, plans to set up a kind of animal bank where farmers can borrow a calf and return it – fattened up – some years later.

"They would return the capital, as well as interest, in the same manner in which they borrowed – as a cow," Mr Jakapob said. "Any difference in weight will be given to the farmer in cash."

Mr Jakapob said the scheme, which has been inexplicably named the Special Purposes Vehicle, will be extended to pigs, chicken, goats and any other livestock, and might ultimately see farmers cashing in their animals for other rural resources, such as agricultural machinery.

But pesky details, such as how much it will cost, not to mention failsafe mechanisms to ensure farmers don't switch their cows with fatter counterparts to increase their profits, have not yet been finalised.

Mr Jakapob said he expected details would be unveiled gradually, as Mr Thaksin embarks on a campaign stampede through the country.

Also on tour is his newly-announced poverty relief caravan, a group of technicians who will meet every Thai family and advise them how to increase their wealth.

An opinion poll released yesterday suggested Mr Thaksin, who has reeled from the effects of bird flu and religious violence in the south this year, is unlikely to meet his personal target of 400 out of 500 parliamentary seats, but will comfortably win the election, largely due to his overwhelming popularity with farmers.

Other pledges will extend the immensely popular health scheme and introduce tax breaks to Thais who care for their ailing parents.

But it is the cows who are likely to round up the most votes. Mr Jakapob said the idea came from Mr Thaksin's tour of the southern provinces. On a trip to discuss the violent uprising, villagers instead told the Prime Minister: "If you want to help us, buy us cows."

Some of the new rural currency could come from Australia, under a recent but controversial proposal to import 1 million cows to increase the breeding stock of Thailand's 6 million cattle.

That idea seems to have stalled, partly because of local opposition and also because of supply shortages in Australia. Cattle Council executive director Brett de Hayr said the drought and other conditions meant quality Aussie cows were now worth their weight in gold.

But that might just beef up the appeal to Thai farmers.

--news.com.au

[sriracha john]

Congratulations Thaksin. You scored a perfect 8 out 8 for following in Marcos's footprints. You're in wonderfully good company.

Good point John and it might fly, except that Martial Law has always been set out in the Constitution and predates Thaksin and the TRT's election as the government. So someone may have followed Marcos's footprint but it wasn't TRT or Thaksin.

Whether it's called "martial law" or "emergency decree," it will still smell the same.

The vernacular is not nearly as important as its implementation.

Only until Thaksin "declared martial law" or "suspended martial law and declared an emergency decree" or however it's chosen to be worded, did aspects of either one really get implemented to the degree that Thaksin has done. His perfect 8 out of 8 matches with Marcos version of martial law is unmatched by any of his predecessors. He has taken oppression and control of this area to never-before-seen levels.

Thailand declares martial law

From CNN Bangkok Bureau Chief Tom Mintier

January 6, 2004

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Thailand's government has declared martial law in three southern provinces after the most widespread bout of violence to hit the region since 1993.

Also from 2004:

The Royal Thai Government provided Amnesty International with substantive comments about the situation in the South, including the following background information: "Until the beginning of the year, the three Southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat had been examples of ‘peaceful coexistence’ between different religious and cultural elements. The recent spate of incidents and escalating violence, which resulted in the death and injuries of innocent civilians, both Muslim and Buddhist, are the handiwork of those who aim to destroy this peaceful living in diversity."

Notice any change since Thaksin took the helm?

This was all re-iterated in 2005:

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you of the Thai government's decision to submit the "Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situation, B.E. 2548," to replace the existing martial law and grant Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra absolute power to declare a state of emergency came into force on 16 July 2005.

and renewed continuously up to the present time.

Thaksin and Marcos are like two peas in a pod. They are cut from the same cloth. They come from the same mold.

They are brethren in morals, aims, motivations, actions, and words.

It's why Thaksin should be nipped in the bud at 5 years... and not be allowed to drag a Nation down the drain for 23 years like Marcos.

Edited August 7, 2006 by sriracha john

[Jai Dee]

PM says 8,000 patients w/ heart diseases will have a chance to undergo surgery within 2007

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said 8,000 patients with heart diseases who are under the 30-baht healthcare project can have an opportunity to undergo heart surgery within next year, in an occasion to celebrate His Majesty the King’s 80th Anniversary.

Following Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin’s visit to Khon Kaen Center Hospital, he said he will push forward the plan for 8,000 people with heart diseases to undergo surgery before the end of 2007. Furthermore, the welfares of doctors and nurses will also be taken care of because they have been working diligently in looking after the patients.

At the same time, an “excellent center” will be developed nationwide so patients who are suffering from heart diseases can undergo surgery right away without having to wait in queues.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 07 August 2006

[John K]

PM says 8,000 patients w/ heart diseases will have a chance to undergo surgery within 2007

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said 8,000 patients with heart diseases who are under the 30-baht healthcare project can have an opportunity to undergo heart surgery within next year, in an occasion to celebrate His Majesty the King’s 80th Anniversary.

Following Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin’s visit to Khon Kaen Center Hospital, he said he will push forward the plan for 8,000 people with heart diseases to undergo surgery before the end of 2007. Furthermore, the welfares of doctors and nurses will also be taken care of because they have been working diligently in looking after the patients.

At the same time, an “excellent center” will be developed nationwide so patients who are suffering from heart diseases can undergo surgery right away without having to wait in queues.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 07 August 2006

TRT voters only ... right? let the other .....

Edited August 7, 2006 by John K

[chownah]

like two peas in a pod. They are cut from the same cloth. They come from the same mold.

Birds of a feather, kith and kin, Sonny and Cher, Bonnie and Clyde, Poncho and Cisco, like hand and glove, bacon and beans, salt and pepper, like Curly, Moe and....wait nononono.

[Martin]

"Following Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin’s visit to Khon Kaen Center Hospital, he said he will push forward the plan for 8,000 people with heart diseases to undergo surgery before the end of 2007"

I know this center well, since I am only hale and hearty because of the excellent work done by the cardiologists there, in "rodding out" one of my coronorary arteries, in February 2003.

But, at present, it is overshadowed by a monument to the total ineptitude of the pre-Thaksin governments.

An enormous building that was to be the Regional Heart-Surgery Center was being built, but inability to get their act together and react by floating the baht when the slump in export orders in 1996 left the pegged baht over-priced, brought the building of this Center to a halt.

With typical provincial ingenuity, the cardiologism management at Khon Kaen did what it could, when so let down by incompetence in Bangkok.

It put into operation one small Catheter Theatre in the only completed building, which was the site engineers' temporary building.

I was operated on in that 'site hut' building, and then transferred by ambulance to the neighbouring Srinakarind Hospital's ICU.

For over eight years that huge partly-built building has sat there and the tower cranes have never moved. In the meantime, a small program has been beavering away in the 'site hut' at its base.

Don't be surprised if the voters see the man who built Shin successfully as a better choice than the merely-noise-making politicians who cocked up before.

I am no admirer of Thaksin, nor apologist for some of his doings, but I do recognise that electors tend to be quite hard-headed and will go for the not-very-nice-but-competent choice rather than the sweet-but-incompetent one.

(Look at England, and how its electorate 'held its noses' and elected the bunch led by nasty Thatcher rather than the nicer lot led by sweet old Michel Foot.)

[sriracha john]

like two peas in a pod. They are cut from the same cloth. They come from the same mold.

Birds of a feather, kith and kin, Sonny and Cher, Bonnie and Clyde, Poncho and Cisco, like hand and glove, bacon and beans, salt and pepper, like Curly, Moe and....wait nononono.

Precisely. They even share having ostentatious, showy wives and obnoxious brats for kids in common.

[Plus]

Well, in real life Democrats got the then Health minister convicted for major corruption scandals, his supporters were later covered by Sudarat and good doctors who exposed the scandals were subdued.

After the crisis Democrats were in power for less than 4 years, only one of them with economy growing, Thaksin is in his 6th year of straight growth. But hey, let's blame everything on his predecessors.

[chownah]

I saw Abhisit on the television tonite!!! He was walking behind a two wheeled tractor pretending to be driving it....it was not convincing....it was not effective at preparing the land for anything and I doubt it was very effective in making rural voters think he is competent......at least in running a two wheeled tractor....one wonders if they will extrapolate this incompetence to other areas. Of course how well he handles a tractor has nothing to do with how he would do at running a country....so one wonders what he was doing out there walking behind a tractor with the press covering it as news.....my wife's comment was that he is "ting tong".

I really do hope that the Democrats get a better act together or if they have a good act already that they do a better job getting the word out to the public....his tv appearance today seemed rather lame...but maybe some voters will respond to it...I don't know.

[Siripon]

I saw Abhisit on the television tonite!!! He was walking behind a two wheeled tractor pretending to be driving it....it was not convincing....it was not effective at preparing the land for anything and I doubt it was very effective in making rural voters think he is competent......at least in running a two wheeled tractor....one wonders if they will extrapolate this incompetence to other areas. Of course how well he handles a tractor has nothing to do with how he would do at running a country....so one wonders what he was doing out there walking behind a tractor with the press covering it as news.....my wife's comment was that he is "ting tong".

I really do hope that the Democrats get a better act together or if they have a good act already that they do a better job getting the word out to the public....his tv appearance today seemed rather lame...but maybe some voters will respond to it...I don't know.

So Thaksin's got nothing to fear from a TV debate, right?

[sriracha john]

As Thaksin would say, "Take it easy, Siriporn" :

PM in no rush to debate Abhisit

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday shrugged off a challenge by Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva for a one-on-one public debate ahead of the general election.

"[The election] has not begun yet. There's no registration of candidates yet. Do they want a debate now? Take it easy. In politics, you need to take it easy," Thaksin said of the Abhisit challenge.

The prime minister said he believed politicians' popularity stemmed from their performance. That was why he focused on work in spite of criticism about his tour of the provinces and the interpretation it was "advance election campaigning".

Thaksin said yesterday that after a "boring, long wait", a general election would be held on October 15.

"Then there will be a clear direction for the public and government officials. After the election, the country will see a new beginning," he said.

Thaksin was speaking in Khon Kaen where he was inspecting government projects.

His itinerary will take him to At Samat district in Roi Et. That was the scene of his January poverty-fighting "reality-show".

His two-day trip to the district, which starts today, is a follow-up.

Thaksin flew to Khon Kaen yesterday morning accompanied by several Cabinet members, including Interior Minister Kongsak Wantana and his deputy Sermsak Pongpanit and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat.

The group arrived at Khon Kaen airport at about 9.40am and was welcomed by about 300 local officials and residents.

But Thaksin's schedule was changed abruptly. A planned visit to Srinagarindra Hospital at Khon Kaen University was cancelled.

Instead, he was taken to Khon Kaen Central Hospital to inspect a Public Health Ministry project. A number of academics and critics of Thaksin had been waiting for him at the university.

Public Health Minister Pinij Charusombat denied the change of schedule had anything to do with an expected protest.

Pinij changed the schedule because he believed cases at Khon Kaen Central Hospital better helped the prime minister understand public-health problems.

Later, Thaksin went to a temple in Nong Rua district, where he inspected an anti-poverty project. He spoke to more than 1,000 residents who gave him a warm welcome.

He thanked his supporters for offering him morale.

Thaksin said the government had many plans in the pipeline to improve the well being of people and strengthen the economy.

He blamed political problems for a delay in the distribution of affordable computers to schoolchildren.

The prime minister spent last night at a Khon Kaen hospital.

The Nation

[sriracha john]

Farm-debt write off demand

Angry farmers yesterday morning surrounded the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry demanding it keep its promise to write off half their debt.

More than 2,500 farmers from 26 Central provinces converged on the Rajdamnoen Avenue compound.

They claimed the government had reneged on a March promise to buy up half of their Bt400 million in bank debt.

Caretaker Agriculture Minister Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan was prevented from leaving the ministry to catch an internal flight until she showed the farmers she had ordered Bt200 million in debt relief.

She showed farmers the order to the Fund for Restoration and Development for Farmers to purchase the debt.

The farmers later dispersed.

Earlier, some farmers confronted police when they noticed officers were armed. The issue was settled after talks.

In March, farmers took similar action. Yesterday, they demonstrated to ensure Sudarat would submit the debt plan to the Cabinet for consideration at today's meeting.

Farmers' leader Chanin Duangdara criticised caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for going back on an election promise to have the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives buy back all farm debt.

The Nation

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

From the central plains region, the farmers are members of the Farmers Debt Network and demand that the ministry speed implementation of a Cabinet decision ordering the Ministry to shoulder a portion of their debts to stop the ongoing process of some farmers going into insolvency. Charin Duangdara, a farmers' network consultant, said the protesters want the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to inform the Cabinet that it will make partial payment to the Farmers Rehabilitation and Development Fund, in line with the agreement reached by both sides on June 16. Without a Cabinet endorsement, the partial repayment could not proceed, resulting in over 3,500 indebted farmers having their lands repossessed for auction as they claim they cannot manage to repay their loans.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=112060

Edited August 7, 2006 by sriracha john

[chownah]

I saw Abhisit on the television tonite!!! He was walking behind a two wheeled tractor pretending to be driving it....it was not convincing....it was not effective at preparing the land for anything and I doubt it was very effective in making rural voters think he is competent......at least in running a two wheeled tractor....one wonders if they will extrapolate this incompetence to other areas. Of course how well he handles a tractor has nothing to do with how he would do at running a country....so one wonders what he was doing out there walking behind a tractor with the press covering it as news.....my wife's comment was that he is "ting tong".

I really do hope that the Democrats get a better act together or if they have a good act already that they do a better job getting the word out to the public....his tv appearance today seemed rather lame...but maybe some voters will respond to it...I don't know.

So Thaksin's got nothing to fear from a TV debate, right?

Why should Toxin debate anyone? Is there some advantage for him in doing so? As things stand now he will win the next election by most people's estimates....so why take a risk by agreeing to a debate? Toxin is not as young and pretty as Abhisit so he would be at a clear disadvantage in a debate. These things are obvious and I'm puzzled at why anyone would think that Toxin would be foolish enought to enter a tv debate.

For Toxin to respond to Abhisit call for a debate would certainly do two things regardless of the outcome of the debate: 1. It would lower Toxin's stature to appear to be forced into a discussion ...and 2. It would raise Abhisit's stature to appear to be able to force Toxin into discussion. This is a lose-lose situation for Toxin....clearly he will decline....probably his best ploy is to ingnore it entirely.

I want to be clear about my intentions....I am not supporting Toxin here...I am just trying to focus on the political reality of this situation to see why Toxin might decline debate....or course maybe I'm wrong and he will do it....but don't hold your breath. Yeah...I know...its alot more fun to say bad things about him and portray him as the devil himself.......

[Jai Dee]

The Democrat Party pledges to issue a special law that protects women from violence and sex abuse if it is elected the government

The Democrat Party pledges to issue a special law that protects women from violence and sex abuse if it is elected the government.

Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva (อภิสิทธ์ เวชชาชีวะ) told representatives of WEMOVE, a women’s rights group, yesterday that if it is the government, the first bill to be put on the House meeting agenda will be the one concerning prevention of violence in families and society.

Mr. Abhisit said the party plans to promote a moral society if it has a chance to administer the country.

He said a minister will be assigned to specifically oversee women’s affairs, adding women’s role in politics will also be promoted.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 08 August 2006

[Jai Dee]

Thai Farmers’ Debt Network continues demonstrating in front of Agriculture Ministry

Members of the Thai Farmers’ Debt Network continue to gather in front of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, as they are waiting for the ministry to issue a document to postpone the prosecution against Thai farmers with debt. The network plans to move to the Government House because they would like to know whether the Cabinet will approve their proposal or not.

Since last night, 500 people from the Thai Farmers’ Debt Network have gathered in front of the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry. However, the demonstration has been peaceful and orderly. They would like the ministry to delay the prosecution and the confiscation of 3,700 Thai

If the Cabinet does not agree with the proposal of the Thai Farmers’ Debt Network, it will continue to demonstrate indefinitely, and it is also ready to deliver more intensive measures in the future.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 08 August 2006

[Plus]

Thaksin will try to avoid a debate at all costs. He'll look like shit against Abhisit, he can't defend his policies in public, he can't engage in intellegent discussion. It's obvious he can't show himself for what he really is as he won't look good at all. Or maybe he will, but his refusal so far is not inspiring.

That's an interesting situation - where the politician has to hide from his opponents. He won't sway any votes this way, and people will add "coward" to the long list of names for him. Maybe he gave up Bangkok, South and urban population altogether already. Hemight win the election on the back of Isan, but the rest of the country will be ungovernable. We'll see people back on the streets again.

I don't think it will go that far, he'll either not take the PMship or will be convicted in one or another court case.

[Jai Dee]

A group of 2,500 farmers sit outside the Agriculture Ministry yesterday. They want the government to keep its promise to halve the Bt400 million they owe to state cooperatives. The group dispersed late in the evening after caretaker minister Sudarat Keyuraphan signed a document endorsing debt reductions.

Source: The Nation - 8 August 2006

[sriracha john]

One among several of the PM's current hardships:

State auditor to begin Shin sale tax probe

The Office of the Auditor-General plans to summon the Revenue Department chief and four other top officials to explain the decision not to impose income tax on the family of caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra over the sale of shares in Shin Corp via Ample Rich, said a source. The summonses will be issued as the officials have twice failed to answer OAG questions over tax exemption in the purchase of Shin Corp shares from Ample Rich by Panthongtae and Pinthongta Shinawatra, Mr Thaksin's children.

If they failed to show up after the summonses, the OAG would first notify the finance minister. If they still refused to testify, they would be liable to jail terms of six months and a fine of 10,000 baht each, said the source.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/08Aug2006_news06.php

----------------------------------------------------------

Could it be another round-up of his stooges going off to jail??

That'll put another "scratch on the new car's paint job."

Of course, not to mention, if he actually has to pay more fines or his kids do or his gardener's aunt ... I forget exactly who controlled his Shin stock.

[Jai Dee]

Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is greeted by a group of admirers during his tour of Khon Kaen province yesterday.

Photo by The Nation - 8 August 2006

Additional commentary by the Bangkok Herald-Examiner in 10... 9... 8...

[sriracha john]

A group of 2,500 farmers sit outside the Agriculture Ministry yesterday. They want the government to keep its promise to halve the Bt400 million they owe to state cooperatives. The group dispersed late in the evening after caretaker minister Sudarat Keyuraphan signed a document endorsing debt reductions.

Source: 8 August 2006

I guess they'll be back after they find out the document isn't exactly forthcoming with relief for them:

From "EC Guilty!" thread:

Meanwhile, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said her ministry will ask for a budget to buy out the farmers’ debts before their assets will be confiscated. She said the government is ready to lend a hand as it truly understands their troubles. However, the assistance can take some time, and the Farmers’ Rehabilitation and Development Fund has to coordinate with other financial institutions as well.

She can just tell them... "Wait, please be patient; right after we've pork-barrelled the farmers in Khon Kaen on our current road trip, you guys will be 92nd on our list." T

[sriracha john]

"One at a time... ONE at a time!!"

A Tired-Looking Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra caught up in Sex-For-Votes Scandal in Khon Kaen!!!

Photo by Bangkok Herald-Examiner - 8 August 2006

hate to disappoint, JD

Edited August 8, 2006 by sriracha john

[sriracha john]

DISCLAIMER:

the above post is sarcastic humor.... not to be considered as an actual fact.... or is it????????????????

[John K]

Thaksin will try to avoid a debate at all costs. He'll look like shit against Abhisit, he can't defend his policies in public, he can't engage in intellegent discussion. It's obvious he can't show himself for what he really is as he won't look good at all. Or maybe he will, but his refusal so far is not inspiring.

That's an interesting situation - where the politician has to hide from his opponents. He won't sway any votes this way, and people will add "coward" to the long list of names for him. Maybe he gave up Bangkok, South and urban population altogether already. Hemight win the election on the back of Isan, but the rest of the country will be ungovernable. We'll see people back on the streets again.

I don't think it will go that far, he'll either not take the PMship or will be convicted in one or another court case.

Plus I could not agree with you more, he fears the light. He can’t show his face in the light of democracy. The one thing that is different is cockroaches ocasionaly come out in the light.

[Jai Dee]

hate to disappoint, JD

Not really up to your usual standard SJ...

And wrong thread too... shouldn't that photo/comment combo be more appropriate to the Mia Noi Thread?

[sriracha john]

hate to disappoint, JD

Not really up to your usual standard SJ...

And wrong thread too... shouldn't that photo/comment combo be more appropriate to the Mia Noi Thread?

The "official" line:

With humble apologies, it was a "rush order" and we mistakenly assigned a junior member of the staff to the job.

The management of the Bangkok Herald-Examiner regretfully regrets this regretful error.

(there's no Dutch around, are there?)

The "unofficial" line:

Hey, it wasn't so bad. He was given that magic elephant wand his last time up there. Now you know what that was really for.

and besides... just imagine the caption if I had used THIS photo instead?

Edited August 8, 2006 by sriracha john

[sriracha john]

DISCLAIMER:

with apologies to anyone doing "scientific research" or for those that are only in search of "serious debate" or are just .... oh nevermind...

Edited August 8, 2006 by sriracha john

[hammered]

I saw Abhisit on the television tonite!!! He was walking behind a two wheeled tractor pretending to be driving it....it was not convincing....it was not effective at preparing the land for anything and I doubt it was very effective in making rural voters think he is competent......at least in running a two wheeled tractor....one wonders if they will extrapolate this incompetence to other areas. Of course how well he handles a tractor has nothing to do with how he would do at running a country....so one wonders what he was doing out there walking behind a tractor with the press covering it as news.....my wife's comment was that he is "ting tong".

I really do hope that the Democrats get a better act together or if they have a good act already that they do a better job getting the word out to the public....his tv appearance today seemed rather lame...but maybe some voters will respond to it...I don't know.

So Thaksin's got nothing to fear from a TV debate, right?

Why should Toxin debate anyone? Is there some advantage for him in doing so? As things stand now he will win the next election by most people's estimates....so why take a risk by agreeing to a debate? Toxin is not as young and pretty as Abhisit so he would be at a clear disadvantage in a debate. These things are obvious and I'm puzzled at why anyone would think that Toxin would be foolish enought to enter a tv debate.

For Toxin to respond to Abhisit call for a debate would certainly do two things regardless of the outcome of the debate: 1. It would lower Toxin's stature to appear to be forced into a discussion ...and 2. It would raise Abhisit's stature to appear to be able to force Toxin into discussion. This is a lose-lose situation for Toxin....clearly he will decline....probably his best ploy is to ingnore it entirely.

I want to be clear about my intentions....I am not supporting Toxin here...I am just trying to focus on the political reality of this situation to see why Toxin might decline debate....or course maybe I'm wrong and he will do it....but don't hold your breath. Yeah...I know...its alot more fun to say bad things about him and portray him as the devil himself.......

Hey I totally agree Mr. Thaksin will not debate Mr. Abhisit. Why would he allow a member of the opposition access to prime time TV that will go out all over the Isaan and North when he has done everything he could to prevent the oppositon from having any platform in these areas? The last thing Mr. Thaksin wants is information reaching people in these areas. As some posters have noted the up country voters are a discerning lot. It is just at the moment they get only TRT propoganda 24/7, so it is not surprising so many of them adore Mr. Thaksin. That combined with the well spread lie of "if Mr. Thaksin loses, you will all lose your OTOP and 30 baht health care" and the control of TRT influential ones is quite a combination to better. And yet there are still people who see this in some nice little western framework where "hey the Democrats should ccome up with better policies and then the northerners will vote for them". Why blame the opposition? It doesnt really matter what the message is if you have no chance of getting any message across.