Book critical of PM selling like hot cakes

Second print run for `Knowing Thaksin'

BANGKOK: -- Bangkok senator Chirmsak Pinthong's new book about Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's policies and tricks are selling so well a reprint has been ordered.

The 260-page book, Rutun Thaksin ``Knowing Thaksin'', edited by Mr Chirmsak, contains articles about the vision, policies and alleged profit-seeking tactics of Mr Thaksin, whose government was the first to win a majority of House seats in Thai history.

Mr Chirmsak said all 5,000 copies of the book were reserved, so he had to order a second publication of 10,000 copies by Post Publishing Plc. A second book, Rumaitun Thaksin ``Not Knowing Thaksin'', will be published in 6-9 months.

Chulalongkorn Book Centre, which usually orders no more than 200 copies of any book, ordered 500 copies, Nai In bookstore 2,000 copies, Central bookstore 2,000 copies, Se-ed bookstore 5,000 copies, his friends 100 copies, Democrat MPs 500-1,000 copies and Thai Rak Thai spokesman Suranan Vejjajiva one copy, he said.

He published the book because his radio and TV programmes of the same name were banned in December 2002. However, he denied acting out of revenge.

``I published this book to promote freedom of expression. The books contain no article of mine because I do not want to be accused of taking revenge,'' said the former Thammasat University lecturer.

The book includes articles by Somkiat Tangkitvanich, director of Thailand Development Research Institute's economic research division, on ``policy corruption'', and academic Thirayuth Boonmee, who writes about ``Thaksinocracy''.

Other articles include Kasem Sirisamphan's ``Thaksin and Democracy under the Political Party System'', M.R. Akin Rabibhat's ``Patronage System and Thai Politics in the `Think New, Act New' Era'', Navaporn Ruangsakul's ``When the Marketing Guru Has State Power,'' Sumet Wongpanichlert's ``Future of Thai Telecoms under the Digital Leader's Term: Think New, Act New?'' and Niphon Puapongsakorn's `` Monopoly and Thai Capitalism''.

Kittisak Prokkati writes on ``Seven Mysteries under Thaksinocracy'' and Somkid Lertpaiboon writes on ``The Thaksin Government and its violations of the Will of the Charter''.

The second book will include articles by Ammar Siamwalla, on ``Populist Policies'', Chaiwat Satha-anan about government projects, Surichai Wankaew about the government's relations with NGOs, Thanes Charoenmuang about local politics, Asada Chaiyanam about the government's foreign policies and former national anti-graft agency chief Klanarong Chanthik about monitoring the government.

--Bangkok Post 2004-03-28

I loathe to criticize the thai govt. but Kuhn Thaksin seems to have an awfully thin skin. If TRT is going to rule for 20 years like Kuhn Thaksin says, he needs to be more open towards his critics and not stick his head in the sand and pretend there is no problem. How can Thailand be considered democracy if its critics are silenced?

Isn't it just childish to ban Khun Chirmsak's Radio and TV shows? And by the way... mango_head, it is no longer sufficient to address Our beloved leader "Khun"

ASIC

Isn't it just childish to ban Khun Chirmsak's Radio and TV shows? And by the way... mango_head, it is no longer sufficient to address Our beloved leader "Khun"

ASIC

True. He is Tun Thaksin since he became Prime Minister