One Of The Most Vile Females In Thailand

[sriracha john]

Thailand's former Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan speaks to reporters as she returns from a foreign trip at Bangkok Internation Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006. Sudarat, one of closest associates of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is expected to face a probe in a search to uncover alleged financial wrongdoing by Thaksin, his associates, and herself. (AP Photo)

Sudarat Returns, takes break

Sudarat Keyuraphan, the agriculture minister in the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra government, vows to devote more time to her family now she is out of politics.

Accompanying Sudarat on the flight were her husband, businessman Somyos Leelapanyalert, Thai Rak Thai spokesman Sita Divari, and former Bangkok MP Yuranan Pamornmontri.

She returned to Thailand Sunday afternoon and told reporters she would make up for lost time with her three children "and do my best to take care of my family".

Sudarat is a deputy leader of the Thai Rak Thai Party. She flew into Bangkok International Airport from Germany.

Family, friends, and members of the Thai Rak Thai as well as news media greeted her at the airport. *A large contingent of rats from the sewers of Bangkok also came out to greet their old friend.*

She confirmed she had spoken with overthrown prime minister Thaksin and that he had instructed her and all party members to cooperate with the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM).

Sudarat said she was now "out of politics temporarily" and during that time she would cooperate with the CDRM, including reporting to council leaders and assisting in an investigation into her assets. *which are huge*

"Don't worry. We won't cause any trouble," she said, adding she would reenter politics "when there are new rules", referring to a rewritten Constitution.

* "No need to worry about us causing trouble. We've already looted the National Treasury so there's no point really." *

Sudarat, one of Thaksin's most trusted aides, was abroad in France for the Everything Thai festival in Paris when her government was toppled by the Tuesday coup.

- The Nation

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Auditor-General graft-busting zeroes in on Sudarat

Bangkok Post - Sep 22 1:07 PM

Auditor-General Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka is zeroing in her anti-graft mission on former agriculture minister Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan

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[Lacoste]

Yes a Rat indeed.

[Rinrada]

Also seem to remember she had the Health portifilo during the ..."every one has to wear a useless paper mask crisis and walk around Bangkok looking like a fugitive from an Americian episode of Dr Kildare".....

[britmaveric]

Nought will happen to any of them!!!

[Rinrada]

face...

[jdinasia]

Nought will happen to any of them!!!

Brit ...you never did buy me that drink ......

[siampolee]

Sadly yet another scumbag who is screwing the Thai people,she will escape scot free. shame about all the poor sods who have been shafrted by T.R.T THAI ROBBING THAI, ALSO KNOWN AS THASKIN ROBBING THAILAND !!

[Jai Dee]

Way-off topic comments deleted.

Some acceptably-off-topic comments retained.

Those whose comments have been deleted know what I mean.

[Donz]

ok you win, and yes she is vile

[Beavis and Butthead]

It seems to me that a thread like this would be a breeding ground for deleteable posts

[Khutan]

Or maybe soon to close this thread.

Please be careful with what you say, and also remember even though people may be in the shadow of suspicion, that does not mean they are guilty of anything.

Please treat people the same way that you would like to be treated yourselves.

[lookpedkeeray]

May I remind everyone that she was a democratically elected government minister?

What specific policies or actions would you consider vile?

Why should she not return to Thailand?

Why should she not re-enter politics?

NOTE: These are just questions, not opinions for or against anyone.

[blam]

Sudarat Keyuraphan

She was the one that set up the investigation of misuse of the farmer's debt rehabilitation funds by other members of TRT. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE JOKE! Talk about a fox guarding the henhouse? Hey. we're talking a little figure here so it's really nothing; 2 Billion Baht this time. A rose by any other name is still a...? She thinks of herself as simply a patsy, but basically she really is another TRT crook. Little did she know how far over her head she was. And now, she flys back from Paris, for what? Why would she come back if she knew that it's curtains? Hmm...

Anybody remember the run for governor Krueng Thep 2000? Anybody ever read the Peter Principle? Anybody ever heard Bugs Bunny say "What a maroon'? This woman has a big problem and she should get out of Dodge pronto. On the other hand, maybe she will turn State's evidence against Thaksin's entire gang of uber leeches just to save her own butt, (and her own personal bank account.)

Thaksin's cash is not the only money that should be frozen.

'Old and in the way' in Phuket

[MarkBKK]

May I remind everyone that she was a democratically elected government minister?

Please find out what the word means and use it correctly in future ...

[lookpedkeeray]

May I remind everyone that she was a democratically elected government minister?

Please find out what the word means and use it correctly in future ...

It means getting more votes than everyone else.

And to pre-empt the vote buying argument: When your electorate is rich, you can buy votes by promisting tax cuts and other economic measures. Everywhere in the world people vote for the guy who gets the most money into their pockets.

No, it's not right, but many people seem to completely discount the opinions, needs and aspirations of up country folk, merely because they also received that couple hundred baht at the election party.

There's a good letter in The Nation about this today:

Upcountry poor will bear the brunt of the results

It's interesting to note that in retrospect the greatest threat to Thailand's democracy was not Thaksin, who admittedly did do damage to independent checks-and-balances mechanisms and was self-serving. Rather the major danger to democracy was the elite of Bangkok.

This newspaper has provided an ideal and constant example of what people who form Bangkok's intelligentsia think. Opinion pieces too numerous to mention hammered Thaksin with a verve that is usually reserved elsewhere for true dictators (I'm talking Pol Pot style tyranny, not a guy who sells off rights to the country's mobile phone services) and also were repeatedly condescending concerning Thaksin's rural support. The message: The ignorant masses in the countryside vote for Thaksin; the better educated here in Bangkok know better.

The message now to the people in Isaan is this: your votes don't count and neither do your opinions. You voted for Thaksin both out of ignorance and greed - his populist programmes did more for rural healthcare than any prior administration sure, but this came at the expense of your Bangkok betters. Once again the unfortunate axiom that upcountry people elect a government, but Bangkok gets rid of them holds true.

Now we have a military junta in place. This is what Bangkok's "democracy advocates" have basically allowed to happen. Bangkok's elite couldn't be happier (I do not buy for a minute the dodgy polls your newspaper publishes, which says everyone loves the coup) but I'm left to wonder who gets the dung-flavoured end of the stick?

Foreign reaction to this coup is almost entirely negative, with the sole major exception of China (that in itself is very telling) and foreign direct investment is bound to suffer, and tourism to drop. The people who will suffer are not the smug, gloating elite of Bangkok, but the "grassroots people", the people who work low-end jobs in the tourist industry, and if the economic effects are strong enough layoffs are bound to follow in every sector. It's done now and cannot be reversed, but I hope that if the junta does allow free elections in a year's time, whatever the results, if Thaksin or someone is elected by the majority of Thai people, that the same situation does not repeat itself. I hope Bangkok's elite can put aside its self-serving condescending ways and allow the institution of democracy to cement itself in this country.

Marshall Law

Bangkok

[Gonzo the Face]

May I remind everyone that she was a democratically elected government minister?

What specific policies or actions would you consider vile?

Why should she not return to Thailand?

Why should she not re-enter politics?

NOTE: These are just questions, not opinions for or against anyone.

I would like to make a point here:

'Lookpedkeeray', please do not take this as an affront to your good self, but it is more pointedly directed at ALL those who keep bring up the "they were democratically elected" statement.....

Why can't you people get it through your heads that this is THAILAND not some western country, where you can rely on a reasonable amount of honesty in the counting and reporting of election results. JUST BECAUSE SOME CANDIDATE GOT THE HIGHEST NUMBER IN THE VOTE COUNT, DOES NOT MEAN HE/SHE WON DEMOCRATICALLY.

Not to leave out the Tony Blair contingent, but I direct this at those also and primarily the George Bush and John Howard Crowds, who seem to use the statement a lot.

If you have as we do in Thailand, a large number of the electorate who are not highly educated and someone with a lot of money pays for their vote.......... Is that Democratic and correct in your opinion ?????

If you promise a million baht to each village before the election, then after you have voted for and put into office it turns out to be a loan, to each of the participating villagers, [taken out of gov't coffers] said villagers being not highly educated, spend it foolishly on things they do not have often , such as meat several times in a week, or TV's or Hand phones, [benefiting a certain company]...... thence come time to pay back and the poor people cannot pay back........ Is that Democratic and correct in your opinion ?????

How about promising that every citizen can and will have complete medical care for 30 baht.... where , anywhere, in the world can you get X-Rayed, broken arms set, wounds stitched up, medicine, pills, doctor exams, hospitals, utilities, salaries, paid out of a pot of 30 Baht's?

Yes I know , some places where there is a National Health Care program it can be done, but , there is a system put into place whereby money is extracted from payrolls, and other contributions, but that is not the case here in Thailand. Here we, fire in about 2 years , the hospital administrator for malfeasance. Because boys and girls there is no Santa Claus.....you cannot pay the bills out of the 30 baht pot. ....... Is that Democratic and correct in your opinion ?????

No , it is neither correct, proper nor democratic..... But that's what happens here in Thailand....

So I would suggest to all reading this that lets get off that democratically elected crap.....It just ain't so...

[sriracha john]

May I remind everyone that she was a democratically elected government minister?

As a Minister within an assortment of Ministries she was appointed by Thaksin to each one, not elected.

What specific policies or actions would you consider vile?

Her lies during the bird flu epidemic, her role in the computer purchase corruption while Public Health Minister, her duplicity in her husband's construction company receiving dubious government contracts without competition. Her role.... oh nevermind, lots of information available. Try various search engines.

Why should she not return to Thailand?

She should return to Thailand. She has assets to seize, jail time to serve, and face to lose. All those things are better accomplished in Thailand.

Why should she not re-enter politics?

I believe her time at the TRT feeding trough has been more than adequate. Plus, I believe if and when she's convicted of various felonies and serving prison time, that would, by law, prevent her from re-entering politics for awhile.

NOTE: These are just questions, not opinions for or against anyone.

With apologies if the answers are considered overly brief.

[sriracha john]

May I remind everyone that she was a democratically elected government minister?

Please find out what the word means and use it correctly in future ...

It means getting more votes than everyone else.

Again, in her roles as Agricultural Minister and Public Health Minister, she received no votes from anyone except Thaksin. These roles gave her infinitely more power to abuse and misuse the system.

If she had simply been an ordinary elected MP, her role in the unprecedented corruption present in the Thaksin regime would be matched by hundreds of other ordinary TRT Party MP's and subsequently be of far less significance. Her position as one of the founding members of the TRT Party mark her as an extra-ordinary person within this "machine."

Edited September 25, 2006 by sriracha john

[lookpedkeeray]

If you have as we do in Thailand, a large number of the electorate who are not highly educated and someone with a lot of money pays for their vote.......... Is that Democratic and correct in your opinion ??

My opinion doesn't matter much, so be sure to pass your suggestion on to the people who will be drafting the next constitution; something like "Only people who have at least completed Mathayom 6 are allowed to vote".

That should set things straight.

[blam]

Ever so concise clarification sriracha john. Noted, thank you, and well done.

Sudarat Keyuraphan definitely needs a lesson in 'fiscal fortuity' and requires more than a little off the payroll 'downtown time' with the Kreung Thep sewer maintenance crews. Twenty years sounds like a nice round number to me. Her level of mendacity is not to be absolved, and she is a good part of the reason why the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) HAD to step in. Period.

'Old and in the way' in Phuket

[steveromagnino]

May I remind everyone that she was a democratically elected government minister?

Please find out what the word means and use it correctly in future ...

It means getting more votes than everyone else.

Again, in her roles as Agricultural Minister and Public Health Minister, she received no votes from anyone except Thaksin. These roles gave her infinitely more power to abuse and misuse the system.

If she had simply been an ordinary elected MP, her role in the unprecedented corruption present in the Thaksin regime would be matched by hundreds of other ordinary TRT Party MP's and subsequently be of far less significance. Her position as one of the founding members of the TRT Party mark her as an extra-ordinary person within this "machine."

hear hear.

Nice post Meesta Sriracha:-). Or is that Meesta John?

[chuchok]

Please treat people the same way that you would like to be treated yourselves.

Do I have to buy them a beer then?

[the swagman]

Good letter to the editor.

The poor of the country will have to sit back for a while now.

I thought Thailand had grown up but no, Bkk elite rule.

[Rinrada]

....gotta admit that she aint bad looking......

[womble]

....gotta admit that she aint bad looking......

What??

in the same way that condolezza rice is fit?

You Perv!

[Siripon]

The headline of this thread is unbecoming for Thaivisa.com, but I would just like to point out that the lady in question is wearing black. Who died?

It couldn't be that she fears the power of yellow like her boss and his family?

Sudarat came back and Pojaman went.

Perfect timing!

[sriracha john]

The headline of this thread is unbecoming for Thaivisa.com, but I would just like to point out that the lady in question is wearing black. Who died?

It couldn't be that she fears the power of yellow like her boss and his family?

Sudarat came back and Pojaman went.

Perfect timing!

I apologize if you found the wording I chose for the thread title excessively unflattering, but I wanted to convey the depth of my feelings for someone who has taken such extreme advantage of the general good will of the Thai people in such a despicable manner. I have been repeatedly repulsed by her contemptible actions and shameful deeds over the past five years.

Still, I thought by stating that she is "one of the most" that it would allow for some latitude.

I suppose it's more than a coincidence that you happen to mention, in my opinion, "the most" vile female in Thailand in your post.

[pap]

May I remind everyone that she was a democratically elected government minister?

What specific policies or actions would you consider vile?

Why should she not return to Thailand?

Why should she not re-enter politics?

NOTE: These are just questions, not opinions for or against anyone.

I would like to make a point here:

'Lookpedkeeray', please do not take this as an affront to your good self, but it is more pointedly directed at ALL those who keep bring up the "they were democratically elected" statement.....

Why can't you people get it through your heads that this is THAILAND not some western country, where you can rely on a reasonable amount of honesty in the counting and reporting of election results. JUST BECAUSE SOME CANDIDATE GOT THE HIGHEST NUMBER IN THE VOTE COUNT, DOES NOT MEAN HE/SHE WON DEMOCRATICALLY.

Not to leave out the Tony Blair contingent, but I direct this at those also and primarily the George Bush and John Howard Crowds, who seem to use the statement a lot.

If you have as we do in Thailand, a large number of the electorate who are not highly educated and someone with a lot of money pays for their vote.......... Is that Democratic and correct in your opinion ?????

If you promise a million baht to each village before the election, then after you have voted for and put into office it turns out to be a loan, to each of the participating villagers, [taken out of gov't coffers] said villagers being not highly educated, spend it foolishly on things they do not have often , such as meat several times in a week, or TV's or Hand phones, [benefiting a certain company]...... thence come time to pay back and the poor people cannot pay back........ Is that Democratic and correct in your opinion ?????

How about promising that every citizen can and will have complete medical care for 30 baht.... where , anywhere, in the world can you get X-Rayed, broken arms set, wounds stitched up, medicine, pills, doctor exams, hospitals, utilities, salaries, paid out of a pot of 30 Baht's?

Yes I know , some places where there is a National Health Care program it can be done, but , there is a system put into place whereby money is extracted from payrolls, and other contributions, but that is not the case here in Thailand. Here we, fire in about 2 years , the hospital administrator for malfeasance. Because boys and girls there is no Santa Claus.....you cannot pay the bills out of the 30 baht pot. ....... Is that Democratic and correct in your opinion ?????

No , it is neither correct, proper nor democratic..... But that's what happens here in Thailand....

So I would suggest to all reading this that lets get off that democratically elected crap.....It just ain't so...

I much prefer Suracha John's explaination. Although you are correct and every country is different and that I do feel that the villages may be politically naive I wonder at what point YOU would say its ok to free the slaves? (I use this metaphorically and I do not mean offense so please don't take it as such"maybe not such a good metaphor") It is genuine curiosity in that at what point do you feel that the electorate can be responsible for their choices and truly understand the consequences of those choices. There is quit a discrepancy between Thais level of political awareness and an Americans. We are bombarded with politcal information. Maybe the Thais can end up doing it better. Americans are slightly more aware of politics due to the much longer relationship with our democracy so we are more aware(for the most part) with internal politics. This is also not an assuption our way is better than any Thai way or that our system is better. I think frequently our electorate doesn't understand the consequences of our actions but I do not think it should be abandoned because of that. The Thai way of doing things has worked for them and our way has worked for us. They don't have to be the same to work. That doesn't mean we should give up on trying to improve things though. I think we are at least in agreement there is a big chance for improvement here. The Thais have much to be proud of and much to work on. Maybe this time out they teach us all something.

[Artisan]

Sudarat Returns, takes break

Sudarat Keyuraphan, the agriculture minister in the ousted Thaksin Shinawatra government, vows to devote more time to her family now she is out of politics.

She returned to Thailand Sunday afternoon and told reporters she would make up for lost time with her three children "and do my best to take care of my family".

She confirmed she had spoken with overthrown prime minister Thaksin and that he had instructed her and all party members to cooperate with the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM).

Sudarat said she was now "out of politics temporarily" and during that time she would cooperate with the CDRM, including reporting to council leaders and assisting in an investigation into her assets.

"Don't worry. We won't cause any trouble," she said, adding she would reenter politics "when there are new rules", referring to a rewritten Constitution.

Obviously, she's gone into damage limitation mode.

[Gonzo the Face]

I much prefer Suracha John's explaination. Actually, I do too, but then again ole SJ is a silver tongue devil Although you are correct and every country is different and that I do feel that the villages may be politically naive I wonder at what point YOU would say its ok to free the slaves? (I use this metaphorically and I do not mean offense so please don't take it as such"maybe not such a good metaphor") As you put it, 'free the slaves', hasn't this been done in a fashion in most voting countries of the world? They make, for the most part, the age level 21 or 18 years old to be able to vote. Why?? I would say because most people have reached a level on self determinitation by this point of life. But your statement is 'YOU' [meaning me, and I would say, using your words, "the slaves" would be freed when the government really gets serious about the education system here, and really wants the entire populace to be educated. Not just lip service to make it look like the gov't is doing something , but actually wanted the people to learn and be somewhat self thinking.

It is genuine curiosity in that at what point do you feel that the electorate can be responsible for their choices and truly understand the consequences of those choices. There is quit a discrepancy between Thais level of political awareness and an Americans. We are bombarded with politcal information. Maybe the Thais can end up doing it better. Americans are slightly more aware of politics due to the much longer relationship with our democracy so we are more aware(for the most part) with internal politics. This is also not an assuption our way is better than any Thai way or that our system is better. I think frequently our electorate doesn't understand the consequences of our actions but I do not think it should be abandoned because of that. The Thai way of doing things has worked for them and our way has worked for us. This I disagree with, It hasn't worked for them, as the coup recently, most vividly has shown.That it is currently working for us, on this the jury is still out. I think the program needs some revision and adjustment.

They don't have to be the same to work. True and I agree. ... but contrary to the visions of Mr. Bush, the Bush system of democracy should not be forced on all the other nations he deems, at gunpoint.

That doesn't mean we should give up on trying to improve things though. I think we are at least in agreement there is a big chance for improvement here. The Thais have much to be proud of and much to work on. Maybe this time out they teach us all something.

Good post and I appreciate reading your opinion