Thaksin Seeks Exile In London

[Grover]

My pic of him leaving Gatwick today...

It is copyrighted....

Thats a forced smile if I ever saw one. I wonder whats underneath the smile? Mai pen rai na, mai pen rai...

[kayo]

My pic of him leaving Gatwick today...

It is copyrighted....

Thats a forced smile if I ever saw one. I wonder whats underneath the smile? Mai pen rai na, mai pen rai...

the whistling one is a bit suspect too....

[Grover]

My pic of him leaving Gatwick today...

It is copyrighted....

Thats a forced smile if I ever saw one. I wonder whats underneath the smile? Mai pen rai na, mai pen rai...

the whistling one is a bit suspect too....

"me? corrupt? never."

[coldcrush]

On grounds that he sanctioned extra judicial killings.

State sanctioned Murder.

Unproven dodgy business practices are hardly a good enough reason to refuse entry.

Ordering police to kill without trial, or at the least stand by and fail to take any action to stop the killing is however strong enough reason IMHO.

this is so far fetched and taken out of context. crime against humanity are refers to acts of murderous persecution or any large scale atrocities against a body of people.

Why am I even bothering arguing here... oh well.

You should stop or should get a Thai history lesson! Thaksin was directly involved in the killings of approx 2500 thai people to combat the drug yaba which took a grip of young people and old Is that not an attrocity in itself...

Also if you cannot be bothered to argue that is your freedom, which some people are grateful for....

Edited September 20, 2006 by lopburiguy

[curber]

It seems all of you are forgetting that Thaksin was elected by the people of Thailand....perhaps by a flawed system but none the less by Thailands version of a democratic vote.Yes he may have committed crimes against the people,fraud.theft and numerous other crimes.I cannot verify any of these accusations personally but many of you seem totally convinced of the truth of your allegations.You all seem quick to judge someone who in your own countries is considered innocent until proven guilty....a right we all hold dear.It took all of our countries many years of democratic governing to get to the position they are in today.Military coups had little to do with the rights all of us now enjoy...they came about thru democratic elections and changes made by the elected officials.I am a Canadian and our system is far from perfect....there is still corruption of power in some cases but I certainly wouldn`t consider a military coup the answer to our problems.Don`t misunderstand what I am saying ...I think Thailand needed a change of government...I`m not a Thaksin fan but this is not the way to right the wrongs....democracy will sort out it`s problems in time

[yoshiwara]

It seems all of you are forgetting that Thaksin was elected by the people of Thailand....perhaps by a flawed system but none the less by Thailands version of a democratic vote.Yes he may have committed crimes against the people,fraud.theft and numerous other crimes.I cannot verify any of these accusations personally but many of you seem totally convinced of the truth of your allegations.You all seem quick to judge someone who in your own countries is considered innocent until proven guilty....a right we all hold dear.It took all of our countries many years of democratic governing to get to the position they are in today.Military coups had little to do with the rights all of us now enjoy...they came about thru democratic elections and changes made by the elected officials.I am a Canadian and our system is far from perfect....there is still corruption of power in some cases but I certainly wouldn`t consider a military coup the answer to our problems.Don`t misunderstand what I am saying ...I think Thailand needed a change of government...I`m not a Thaksin fan but this is not the way to right the wrongs....democracy will sort out it`s problems in time

I don't see too many opposition forces protesting against the coup and demanding Thaksin back.....and nor will we in the foreseeable future. Without his personal patronage the whole TRT disappears...which it will anyway...stand by for abolition.................

[george]

Update:

Govt heavies flee after many held

BANGKOK: -- Thai Rak Thai executives and close aides of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra have scattered abroad while others still in the country have been taken into custody or have gone into hiding upcountry, sources said yesterday.

Party deputy spokesman Jatuporn Promphan said no executives visited the party's headquarters yesterday because of the new ban on assembling in groups of more than five people.

Meanwhile, Thai Rak Thai Party executive board member Veera Musikapong said he and some party members will seek permission from the Administrative Reform Council (ARC) leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin to visit former deputy prime minister Chidchai Vanasatidya, who is being detained at the Army Command.

A senior party member said some key members had left on unscheduled trips abroad before the coup. Former agriculture minister Sudarat Keyuraphan has gone to Paris with her family and is still there, while former interior minister Kongsak Wantana was heading for Germany.

A Commerce Ministry source said former deputy prime minister and commerce minister Somkid Jatusripitak had reportedly changed his return from France to Singapore, instead of Bangkok, as first planned.

Former finance minister Thanong Bidaya was attending the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Singapore, which ended yesterday.

Rumours spread about a cabinet in exile forming in Singapore when many ex-ministers were reported to be "regrouping" there.

Pojaman Shinawatra, plus two of her children - Panthongtae and Paethongtarn - escaped to Singapore with ousted PM's Office minister Newin Chidchob, on Tuesday night. However, they have reportedly left the city-state to meet daughter Pinthongta in London, where she is studying and the family owns a mansion - and wait for Thaksin to arrive from Washington.

Former foreign minister Kantathi Supamongkhon decided not to return to Bangkok from France, travelling instead to London, where he has a house. Kantathi was in Paris to attend the Thai-France Cultural Exhibition, that was presided over by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Meanwhile, a source said former deputy prime minister Chidchai Vanasatidya was being held in a safe house by the Administrative Reform Council. Former secretary-general to the prime minister Prommin Lertsuridej and Justice Ministry permanent secretary Somchai Wongsawat, who is Thaksin's brother-in-law, have been placed in separate custody on the second floor of the Army Command building.

The website of firebrand millionaire Ekkayuth Anchanbutr, www.akeyuth.com, reported that Chidchai was arrested at around 9.30pm on Tuesday after he picked up Prommin, who was carrying a black briefcase from Government House. They proceeded to the Army Command, as Chidchai had smelled the coup brewing. They were arrested immediately and detained until 4am yesterday before they were separated in the morning.

Troops went to Chidchai's residence and disarmed the security guards there shortly after he left to see Prommin, the website claimed.

Somsak Thepsuthin, the party's Wang Nam Yom faction leader and ousted labour minister, is in Sukhothai while deposed natural resources and environment minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat reportedly sought refuge at the home of a senior forestry official in a Bangkok suburb before fleeing to abroad.

Senior party members including Chaturon Chaisang, Phumtham Wechayachai and Suranand Vejjajiva are in the country but not detained by the ARC as they are still reachable by phone.

Party deputy and ousted industry minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, plus former defence minister Thamarak Isarangura and former social development and human security minister Watana Muangsook are reportedly staying in the country at an unidentified location.

--The Nation 2006-09-21

[Grover]

It seems all of you are forgetting that Thaksin was elected by the people of Thailand....perhaps by a flawed system but none the less by Thailands version of a democratic vote.

Well, I guess the critical word here is "flawed". How "flawed" does a democratic system need to be before it is no longer considered democratic? Say for example, if media was muzzled, checks & balances systems essentially non-functioning and serving the TRT party, widespread shameless corruption, the list goes on and on, ect, then would "Thailands version of a democratic vote" you describe really be "democratic"? Sounds awfully awfully twisted form of democracy to me, almost a complete joke. Gives democracy a bad name IMHO.

So what I am trying to say is that it is all good and well to defend democracy, but LOS under Thaksin never smelt like a real democracy to me. Didn't even come close.

[Montanut]

It seems all of you are forgetting that Thaksin was elected by the people of Thailand....perhaps by a flawed system but none the less by Thailands version of a democratic vote.Yes he may have committed crimes against the people,fraud.theft and numerous other crimes.I cannot verify any of these accusations personally but many of you seem totally convinced of the truth of your allegations.You all seem quick to judge someone who in your own countries is considered innocent until proven guilty....a right we all hold dear.It took all of our countries many years of democratic governing to get to the position they are in today.Military coups had little to do with the rights all of us now enjoy...they came about thru democratic elections and changes made by the elected officials.I am a Canadian and our system is far from perfect....there is still corruption of power in some cases but I certainly wouldn`t consider a military coup the answer to our problems.Don`t misunderstand what I am saying ...I think Thailand needed a change of government...I`m not a Thaksin fan but this is not the way to right the wrongs....democracy will sort out it`s problems in time

Amen....

[kayo]

Taksin arrives in Gatwick: source

20 September 2006

....But he made no comments to waiting reporters, before heading off -- in a black Mercedes with the

registration plate "THAI 1" -- to London city centre, where he has a home.

.............................

Dressed in a black suit, red tie and white shirt, Thaksin was whisked through immigration after stepping out of the Thai Airbus 340-600 which brought him from New York.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman in London told AFP that Thaksin's trip would be "a private visit. It's not in an official capacity. We haven't got details of who will be accompanying him."

Thaksin, who has property in London and whose daughter is reportedly a student at the London School of Economics, is a regular visitor to the British capital, the spokeswoman added.

No details of his exact itinerary were immediately available nor how long he intended to spend in Britain.

But Prime Minister Tony Blair's official spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government policy, said Thaksin had not requested a meeting with his British counterpart or any other senior government minister.

The Foreign Office spokeswoman told AFP there would be "no reason" for him to be refused entry as he had all the appropriate documentation.

The coup in Bangkok was led by General Sonthi Boonyaratglin late Tuesday and has so far proved bloodless.

As tanks rolled into the Thai capital, Thaksin -- a telecoms magnate turned politician -- was holed up in a plush Manhattan hotel, waiting to give a speech to the UN, which was promptly cancelled.

Blair's spokesman restated Britain's position on the coup, expressed by Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett in New York hours after news of the military takeover emerged.

"The foreign secretary yesterday (Tuesday) expressed the government's concern at developments in Thailand," he said. "Our general approach would be that we wish to see a return to democracy as quickly as possible.

"There are elections scheduled for October and November and we are actively trying to find out whether those elections will go ahead or not. Obviously, we believe they should.

"The Thai prime minister will be coming here in a private capacity. He has been here before and made private visits before," he said.

[Scott]

When this is all over, I sure hope that "Happiness Index" that's been used to gauge everything, is higher.

[corkscrew]

When this is all over, I sure hope that "Happiness Index" that's been used to gauge everything, is higher.

Hey, guys, let's eat.

[brahmburgers]

If the beefeaters won't let him thru the gates, the yanks will take him. Florida has always had open arms for fleeing despots with blood on their hands.

[brahmburgers]

it seems as though none of Thaksin's once-stalwart supporters are saying peep to support him now. Notto surprising really, when you consider that all of his supporters had TRT and Thaksin money (usually channeled via his wife) lining their pocketbooks. His whole political / loyalty machine was well-oiled with money. Similarly, all promotions were based on loyalty rather than ability. Thaksin's house of cards came down in a slight breeze, with nary a chirp of protest from any of his former supporters.

[albert dickinson]

i read today that taxsin is in London,seeking political assylum. no doubt.I suppose the great British Government wil offer him all the amenities that they bestow on all the other assylum seekers.IE Free accomodation,free clothing, free food,all at the expense of the british tax payer I hope that the Thai people in the UK will raise their voices ang throw this man and his family out.

a frozen pensioner living in Thailand

Albert

[alexth]

i read today that taxsin is in London,seeking political assylum. no doubt.I suppose the great British Government wil offer him all the amenities that they bestow on all the other assylum seekers.IE Free accomodation,free clothing, free food,all at the expense of the british tax payer I hope that the Thai people in the UK will raise their voices ang throw this man and his family out.

a frozen pensioner living in Thailand

Albert

Thai people in England worry about themselfs, they have a better paid job or a better sponsor, don't think the politics will attract their interest as much as to raise their voices in a foreign country...

Edited September 21, 2006 by alexth

[crawford]

I know Taksin is a" wery bad man," but forcing him to live in England is cruel and inhumane punishment. Be kind....send him straight to hel_l.

Haha! Good one!

[suiging]

Why send Toxin to England ? As far as I am aware he can not speak Polish or Albanian

[crawford]

The worthy opposition to TRT has historically distinguished itself by corruption with an urban business outlook. Right so they never did squat for the poor upcountry rural population (Taksin realized this and made them his base) nothing they have said in the last year indicates this will change. So now the evil one is overthrown after the bell ringing Sangsom chugging we can get back to corrupt goverment that is a little less corrupt than evil old Thaksin and does nothing for rural thais. So it goes ...

Very much what I've been thinking. What was so uniquely corrupt about Thaksin? Is it just that nobody here remembers any of the former rulers?

[Beachedwhale]

btb its interesting that he can go in and out of the UK freely, yet many of his countrymen are refused visitor visa's on the grounds that they might not return to Thailand.......

It is my understanding that in most countries the visa requirement is only that you have a valid ticket out of the country prior to the visa expiration or the means to buy one - often possession of a credit card would suffice ... it does not necessarily require that the ticket is back to your home country. So perhaps we can start a sweep on where his next port of call might be, if not Thailand, and if the UK does not grant him some kind of extension...

My assumption is that he might want to go to the Channel Islands or Switzerland to update his passbook... (do banks in other countries still use pasbooks like Thailand banks do?)

[crawford]

It seems all of you are forgetting that Thaksin was elected by the people of Thailand....perhaps by a flawed system but none the less by Thailands version of a democratic vote.Yes he may have committed crimes against the people,fraud.theft and numerous other crimes.I cannot verify any of these accusations personally but many of you seem totally convinced of the truth of your allegations.You all seem quick to judge someone who in your own countries is considered innocent until proven guilty....a right we all hold dear.It took all of our countries many years of democratic governing to get to the position they are in today.Military coups had little to do with the rights all of us now enjoy...they came about thru democratic elections and changes made by the elected officials.I am a Canadian and our system is far from perfect....there is still corruption of power in some cases but I certainly wouldn`t consider a military coup the answer to our problems.Don`t misunderstand what I am saying ...I think Thailand needed a change of government...I`m not a Thaksin fan but this is not the way to right the wrongs....democracy will sort out it`s problems in time

Well said! Good to see another independent thinker here. It really is curious, isn't it, to see so many Westerners in favor of a military government.

[crawford]

It seems all of you are forgetting that Thaksin was elected by the people of Thailand....perhaps by a flawed system but none the less by Thailands version of a democratic vote.

Well, I guess the critical word here is "flawed". How "flawed" does a democratic system need to be before it is no longer considered democratic? Say for example, if media was muzzled, checks & balances systems essentially non-functioning and serving the TRT party, widespread shameless corruption, the list goes on and on, ect, then would "Thailands version of a democratic vote" you describe really be "democratic"? Sounds awfully awfully twisted form of democracy to me, almost a complete joke. Gives democracy a bad name IMHO.

So what I am trying to say is that it is all good and well to defend democracy, but LOS under Thaksin never smelt like a real democracy to me. Didn't even come close.

Fine, but which country DOES smell like a real democracy to you? I don't know of any.

[Jai Dee]

Former PM has arrived in London

Ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has arrived in London last night. The report says his visit is a personal visit and has no appointment with any official of the Government of England.

Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin talked to the media in London and admitted that he has been dismissed from the premiership post of Thailand. He said that if Thailand will organize the upcoming general election under the supervision of United Nations, then his Thai Rak Thai Party would have the opportunity to be elected as the next government again.

In the meantime, the Government of England disclosed that it has no idea on the duration of stay of Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin, but it is possible that he would stay in England for a long period as his daughter is studying there. The English government has expressed its concerned over the political situation of Thailand and affirmed that it would not interfere with the matter.

Meanwhile, ratings agency Moody's has affirmed that Thailand possesses an economic stability and its positions is strong enough to endure short-term disturbances.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 21 September 2006

[charlie123]

ok it all gone tits up in the uk

thaksin is back in thailand reports todays

so let get the ball rolling about his visa as he is a normal visitor now

so when is his first visa run and what company will he use

we can all book the same bus

for a happy chat ???? {NOT }

how about an up yours talking toooooooo

its time to find out what all this jousting is about i knew the uk would

ask the tw-t to leave asap

so hes here in thailand and the thai people i work with are not HAPPY ABOUT IT

so deport him again

get rid make up a reason about he cant have a long stay visa

he will beleave that as he made them rules

ha ha ha ha ha

[Rinrada]

[size=3]Thai election pledge as ousted leader finds refuge in London[/size]By Richard Lloyd Parry in Bangkok, David Brown and Richard Beeston...(with thanks ..the Times)

THAILAND’S deposed Prime Minister began a new life as a political refugee in London last night, where he started to rally supporters and took the first steps towards establishing a government in exile.

As the leader of the military coup tightened his grip over the country and announced that a new Prime Minister would be appointed in two weeks’ time, Thaksin Shinawatra touched down at Gatwick from New York.

Smiling and looking relaxed, he was driven away in a black Mercedes with the registration number “THAI 1”.

He was accompanied by several aides and was expected to be joined by Kanthathi Suphamongkhon, his Foreign Minister.

The arrival of the billionaire businessman-turned-politician put the British Government in an embarrassing position. It said that Mr Thaksin was welcome here as a private visitor, but pointedly refused to endorse his return to power. “It is not for us to say that he should be reinstalled,” Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, said.

“We have called for a return to democratic government.”

Mr Thaksin has close personal and business interests in Britain and is a frequent visitor to London, where he recently brought a luxury home. It is believed that he will be reunited there with his wife, who left Thailand on Tuesday, and their two daughters and son.

British officials said that there was a tacit agreement with the new Thai military authorities to allow the ousted Prime Minister to remain in London, but that could change if he attempts to rebuild his power base and launch a political comeback from Britain.

“There is the intriguing possibility that he could be considering a government in exile,” Jason Abbott, a specialist in South-East Asian politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, said. “He is a maverick and he may think that this is a battle he can win if if he toughs it out.” But engineering a return to power half way across the world looked like an increasingly difficult task last night.

King Bhumibol of Thailand, the elderly and revered head of state, gave his blessing to the army general who drove out Mr Thaksin in the bloodless coup on Tuesday, issuing a proclamation saying: “The general public is requested to remain calm and all civil servants and state officials to follow instructions issued by General Sondhi Boonyaratglin.”

General Sondhi insisted that he would cede power to a civilian government within a fortnight, but suspended the constitution, banned protests and continued to detain ministers of the deposed Government.

There was general calm across the country, and many Thais welcomed the end to nine months of confrontation between the three-times elected Mr Thaksin and his vocal and highly organised enemies.

Tanks and soldiers were at key squares and intersections, many of them festooned with flowers presented by grateful citizens and with yellow ribbons, symbols of loyalty to the King. But for most of Bangkok’s 12 million people — and for the many tourists in the city — everyday life went on undisturbed.

Mr Thaksin was attending the UN General Assembly in New York when the coup was launched, and he attempted to pre-empt it with a telephone broadcast dismissing General Sondhi. But military forces quickly surrounded Government House and took into custody the Prime Minister's allies, including his deputy, Chitchai Wannasathit. His close aide and Agriculture Minister, Ms Sudarat Keyuraphan, has fled to Paris.

General Sondhi said that Mr Thaksin was welcome to return home. “Thaksin is a Thai and a fellow countryman and there will be no problem should he decide to return — we are like brothers,” he said at a press conference in the army headquarters, seated alongside the chiefs of the armed forces and police.

But his assurances were followed by a threat that the new authorities would be investigating allegations of corruption in the ousted Government and that anyone suspected of breaking the law would be punished.

An announcement on state-run television said that General Sondhi’s junta had mandated the Auditor General to investigate government corruption, which will certainly include Mr Thaksin. “We have to accept what happened,”

Mr Thaksin’s official spokesman said. “We are not coming back soon.”

...and more.....

Page 1 || Page 2

[Rinrada]

Former PM has arrived in London

Ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has arrived in London last night. The report says his visit is a personal visit and has no appointment with any official of the Government of England.

Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin talked to the media in London and admitted that he has been dismissed from the premiership post of Thailand. He said that if Thailand will organize the upcoming general election under the supervision of United Nations, then his Thai Rak Thai Party would have the opportunity to be elected as the next government again.

In the meantime, the Government of England disclosed that it has no idea on the duration of stay of Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin, but it is possible that he would stay in England for a long period as his daughter is studying there. The English government has expressed its concerned over the political situation of Thailand and affirmed that it would not interfere with the matter.

Meanwhile, ratings agency Moody's has affirmed that Thailand possesses an economic stability and its positions is strong enough to endure short-term disturbances.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 21 September 2006

Wonder where they hang out......ENGLISH Government...must be some sort of underground movement.... ..dear dear....

[Charma]

Former PM has arrived in London

Ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has arrived in London last night. The report says his visit is a personal visit and has no appointment with any official of the Government of England.

Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin talked to the media in London and admitted that he has been dismissed from the premiership post of Thailand. He said that if Thailand will organize the upcoming general election under the supervision of United Nations, then his Thai Rak Thai Party would have the opportunity to be elected as the next government again.

In the meantime, the Government of England disclosed that it has no idea on the duration of stay of Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin, but it is possible that he would stay in England for a long period as his daughter is studying there. The English government has expressed its concerned over the political situation of Thailand and affirmed that it would not interfere with the matter.

Meanwhile, ratings agency Moody's has affirmed that Thailand possesses an economic stability and its positions is strong enough to endure short-term disturbances.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 21 September 2006

This is very carefully written propaganda (apart from the English bit I mean!)

[gocus]

killings of approx 2500 thai people

They were not only thais....

[Grover]

It seems all of you are forgetting that Thaksin was elected by the people of Thailand....perhaps by a flawed system but none the less by Thailands version of a democratic vote.

Well, I guess the critical word here is "flawed". How "flawed" does a democratic system need to be before it is no longer considered democratic? Say for example, if media was muzzled, checks & balances systems essentially non-functioning and serving the TRT party, widespread shameless corruption, the list goes on and on, ect, then would "Thailands version of a democratic vote" you describe really be "democratic"? Sounds awfully awfully twisted form of democracy to me, almost a complete joke. Gives democracy a bad name IMHO.

So what I am trying to say is that it is all good and well to defend democracy, but LOS under Thaksin never smelt like a real democracy to me. Didn't even come close.

Fine, but which country DOES smell like a real democracy to you? I don't know of any.

The ones that doen't smell rotten

[astral]

Thaksin says coup unexpected, says Bangkok paper

Sep 20, 2006

AsiaOne

He obviously doesn't read ThaiVisa.com, it was mentioned here a week ago.