Thaksin Linked To Wife's Suspect Land Deal Under Investigation

[AlexLah]

It's a TRT-thing... Suriya flew to America to get his bleeding rectum problem solved.

You mean those TRT buddies/boys club take eachother uuuhhhhhhh.....you know.

My goodness, a bleeding rectum that must have been one heII of a party, ha ha ha

Now I understand why they go abroad, nobody knows them there, he he he.

I guess she have the headache because of trying to find ways to get the money out of the country and blaming herself why she did not do that before.

So clever these people and full of trust that it would never happen to them because assuming they still have influence and people fear them.

I wish to see the look on their face and hear the discussions between the Shinawat family members, ha ha

[John K]

Headaches? Give me a break... she's actually just constipated from being so full of sh _ _ .

Nah, Thaksin got a mia noi a long time ago.

That would not be true, I seem to recall the TRT making a claim that they would not allow anyone to have a Mia Noi in the TRT. I believe that statement was made moments before the new Thai word ‘gig’ was introduced.

[sriracha john]

I think the "no mia noi" clause on TRT'ers didn't apply to Thaksin after 30 days straight of being out of Thailand.

He did pick a nice one:

Sorry, but I thought with the thread title, Thaksin's Little Girl Right At Home In London, it was going to be about this woman, who he's been spotted with shopping at Harrods:

Mai Charoenpura

actually, if that is her she can stay for <deleted> free. :D

she's bloody awesome.

Sorry, Terry... that's not his daughter.

You have to pay attention to her name at the bottom of the photo, Terry...

She's a rather famous Thai singer that's reportedly been Thaksin's companion lately as he struggles during his many weeks away from his equally sexy wife, Potjaman. They could pass for sisters, yes?

Where have you heard these reports about Thaksin hanging out with this absolutely beautiful singer? Can't imagine his wife is too happy about that. Should be more discreet if true.

It's easier for me to go back and find the links to references in the English-language press, but it was said in a less vague, more direct manner in the Thai press. Certainly something his wife, Potjaman, would have seen. As for being discreet, it doesn't seem to be his style... no matter what the situation:

Gratuitously vague gossip

One of the richest men in Thailand - who we're not going to name, just to be obnoxious - has for a long time now had to do all his shopping at the world's luxury boutiques alone.

Just churned out of the rumour mill, though, is testimony that he now has some pretty company on his swank buying safaris.

He was seen at Harrod's in London, picking out purchases with celebrated singer Mai Charoenpura, who's known for such heartrending tunes as "Cry" and "Walking Endlessly".

Maybe he won't want to return to Thailand back so soon after all! (That was a hint.)

- The Nation, April 16, 2007

[John K]

Not if the Minister of culture has any say about it. She does not meet up to the Minister’s standards of what a Thai woman should be. She has to be a gig.

[sriracha john]

Court dismisses lawsuit

The Criminal Court yesterday dismissed a lawsuit by Pojaman Shinawatra on grounds that she had "no cause" to charge graft busters with abuse of power.

Pojaman lodged her writ on Wednesday claiming charges against her and her husband, ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, in connection with the Bt772 million Ratchadaphisek land deal were a frame-up.

She submitted a list of defendants comprising 11 members of the Assets Examination Committee and six officials responsible for the graft investigation.

The court ruled that the plaintiff failed to justify her accusations.

- The Nation

[sriracha john]

AEC allows Potjaman a week to present medical certification from Singapore

The Assets Examination Committee (AEC) allows Potjaman Shinawatra, wife of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin, seven days to present a medical document from the Raffle Hospital in Singapore after she was not able to clarify the Shin Corp share deals case before the AEC this morning.

Potjaman’s lawyer Somporn Phongsuwan has requested for the AEC to postpone the testimony to July 19th, 2007. According to the lawyer, his client is suffering from headache and abnormal heartbeats.

The good Khunying certainly supplies us with some good material for a comedy routine

[sriracha john]

Breaking News.... it's a First!

Prosecutors charge Thaksin, wife

Prosecutors filed corruption charges against deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Potjaman on alleged wrongdoing in a land deal at the Supreme Court on Thursday morning, in the first formal charges lodged against them. The Supreme Court said they would decide on July 10 if they will accept the case. Prosecutors ask the court to order the seizure of the 772 million bath block of Ratchadapisek land that Potjaman bought from the Bank of Thailand's Financial Institutions Development Fund when Mr Thaksin was in office, and transfer ownership to the state.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=119594

[sriracha john]

Prosecutors file corruption charges against ousted PM and wife

Public prosecutors filed corruption charges against deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Pojaman, over her purchase of a Bt772-million plot of land in Ratchadapisek in 2002.

The case is the first against Thaksin since he was toppled in September last year.

The prosecutors charged them both with breaking anti-corruption laws, accusing Thaksin of illegally influencing the deal to allow Pojaman to buy the land from a government agency at a bargain price.

The prosecutors filed the charges against them with the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.

The court said they would decide on July 10 whether to accept the case. If it goes ahead, prosecutors would be required to present Thaksin and his wife in person during the opening arguments.

Thaksin has been in exile since he was ousted last year, while his wife was hospitalised in Singapore earlier this week.

The court is asked to confiscate the controversial 33-rai plot of land.

- The Nation

[younghusband]

There is one thing for sure, if she is not in some hospital with an IV in her, she can make a short 2 hour flight. I would bet she is out on the town.

The other thing is how safe is Singapore, they are on the receiving side of a dance with the devil over Shin. They may just pile the bunch on the next flight back to Bangkok.

Even with an IV, there are any number of medevac flights that could be arranged. People in far worse medical conditions are flown around the world on an hourly basis.

Headaches? Give me a break... she's actually just constipated from being so full of sh _ _ .

And there are those who query the falling standards of political discussion on this forum?

[sriracha john]

Thailand charges ousted premier Thaksin

BANGKOK, Thailand - Thai prosecutors filed corruption charges against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the Supreme Court on Thursday, in the first formal charges lodged against the exiled former premier.

Thaksin, who has lived in exile overseas since his government was toppled in a military coup last September, was named along with his wife, Pojamarn, in a case involving allegations of wrongdoing in a land deal.

The attorney general's office also recommended that officials seize the 13-acre plot of land in central Bangkok, valued at $23.7 million.

The Supreme Court said they would decide on July 10 if they will hear the case.

They were the first formal criminal charges against Thaksin since he was accused of corruption and ousted by military leaders in a bloodless coup on Sept. 19 while he was in New York, and the first time that a former premier was formally charged in court.

"In the charges against the suspect (Thaksin), the state authority charges him with abuse of power in that he acted for personal gain, and violated anti-corruption laws," prosecutor Seksan Bangsomboon said.

The charges also include conflict of interest and dereliction of duty for personal gain, Seksan said.

- Associated Press

[sriracha john]

Thai ex-PM accused of corruption

Thai prosecutors have filed corruption charges against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

His wife was also named in the case, which involves allegations of wrongdoing in a land deal.

Mr Thaksin has been living in exile, mainly in London, since he was overthrown in a bloodless military coup last September.

The former Thai Prime Minister denies wrongdoing and has said the moves against him are politically motivated.

- BBC

[sriracha john]

Ousted Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is pictured with his wife, Pojaman, in this Oct. 21, 2004 file photo in Bangkok, Thailand. Thai prosecutors filed corruption charges against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in the Supreme Court on Thursday, June 21, 2007, in the first formal charges lodged against the exiled former premier.

Associated Press

[sriracha john]

Ousted Thai PM formally charged for land deal

BANGKOK - Thai state prosecutors formally charged ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra with "official misconduct" on Thursday relating to his wife's purchase of a prime piece of Bangkok real estate, a court official said.

The filing at the Supreme Court is the first formal legal action taken against Thaksin since he was ousted in a September coup by generals accusing him of running a corrupt government.

A panel of nine judges is expected to rule on July 10 whether to proceed with the charges, summarized as "misconduct of a government official and violation of a ban on state officials being party to transactions involving public interests".

Thaksin, who has been exile in London since the coup, would have to appear to answer the charges if the court decided to try the case, court official Seksan Bangsomboon told reporters.

If convicted, Thaksin could face up to 10 years in jail and a 60,000 baht fine, he added.

The charges stem from a ruling by the Asset Examination Committee (AEC) that Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman, broke anti-graft laws preventing politicians in office doing business deals with state agencies.

Pojaman bought the land for 772 million baht ($22.3 million) from a unit of the Bank of Thailand in a 2003 auction, while Thaksin was in the middle of his first term, in which other bidders dropped out.

The AEC wants the court to annul the deal, return the land to the central bank and confiscate the money involved.

Thaksin and his wife have denied the charges.

Thai Justice Ministry investigators earlier this week ordered the billionaire former telecoms tycoon to return by June 29 to face charges of concealing assets.

Bangkok lawyer Noppadon Pattama said in a statement Thaksin was still considering whether to return to Thailand.

Last week, the AEC froze $1.5 billion in Thaksin family bank accounts, alleging he had accumulated unusual amounts of wealth during his premiership between 2001 and 2006.

- Reuters

[esbobes]

Not if the Minister of culture has any say about it. She does not meet up to the Minister's standards of what a Thai woman should be. She has to be a gig.

That women is my wife sister and you should stop making fun of her.

My wife says its not true

[danone]

still feel pity with thaksins kids though.

two such beautiful girls, what a waste.

am sure they and the son called their father all sorts of names so far for using their names for cover.

[Jai Dee]

Supreme Court to announce whether to accept Ratchadaphisek land case on July 10th

The Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions will announce its decision whether to accept the Ratchadaphisek land case on July 10th.

Deputy Attorney-General Seksan Bangsombun (เศกสรร บางสมบุญ) submitted a dossier of the case and the Attorney-General’s order to sue Ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Khunying Potjaman Shinawatra to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions. According to the order, Mr Thaksin and his wife are alleged on grounds of gaining benefits from contracts made with a government unit.

Both of them allegedly violated articles 4, 100, and 122 of 1999 the National Counter Corruption Commission Act and articles 33, 83, 86, 91, 152, and 157 of the criminal code. The Attorney-General proposed the court to seize the Ratchadaphisek land plot of 33 rais the ex-PM and his wife bought from the Financial Institutions Development Fund.

The president of the Supreme Court calls a meeting tomorrow (June, 22nd) at 09.30 a.m. to select a panel of nine judges to work on the case by means of voting.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 21 June 2007

[thedude]

i recall the invitation to bid for the site back in 2003. when pojaman won the bid, no one really thought that she cheated. in fact, many potential bidders (myself included) thought she was nuts for offering such a high price. she paid over 23 million per rai for what is essentially low density zoned land. if there was anything unfair about the deal, it was that someone with too much money could make a purchase based on a non-commercially supportable price. but hey, highest bidder wins, it was nothing like how the media is painting it right now. i agree that she is being framed.

even the suggestion that the land is valued at 2 billion is misleading. 2 billion might have been the artificially inflated price during the 97 crisis era because many land owners inflated valuations to monetise the assets via bank loans that they couldn't pay back. that is why so many NPLs occured, and why so many assets were slashed in the post crisis era.

the BOT got a good price for the land IMO, pojaman wasn't looking to do anything commercial with the site, she wanted to build their new bangkok residence there. the feng shui was meant to be good, that's why she was willing to pay more. in the end, an asset's value is best represented by what people are willing to pay real money for, nothing more nothing less. even pridiyathorn, the then BOT chief, and its fair to say that he is not Thaksin's friend, came out to say that the bid was performed outside of the purview of the PM. strangely, his declaration was made in a closed court, where the defendents were strangely not allowed to sit in to collect evidence. there is definitely little due process in this investigation.

[Jai Dee]

Department of Special Litigation submits indictment against ex-PM and spouse to Supreme Court

The Director-General of the Department of Special Litigation, Mr. Seksan Bangsombun, has submitted the indictment against deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife, Khunying Potjaman, to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions. The indictment alleges that Dr. Thaksin and his wife illegitimately purchased 33-rai plot of land in Ratchadaphisek from a state agency.

Dr. Thaskin and his wife has been accused of violating Articles 100 and 122 of the National Counter Corruption Act, barring state officials and their spouses from doing businesses with state agencies. The couple has also been charged with malfeasance under the Criminal Codes section 152 and 83.

The prosecutor has asked the court to transfer the ownership of this land to the state.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 21 June 2007

[Mid]

NCCC rules against probe into Surayud's land

June 21, 2007 : Last updated 07:25 pm (Thai local time)

The National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) Thursday ruled against investigating a Nakhon Ratchasima plot bought by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont on grounds of statutory limitation.

The Nation

[Old Man River]

i recall the invitation to bid for the site back in 2003. when pojaman won the bid, no one really thought that she cheated. in fact, many potential bidders (myself included) thought she was nuts for offering such a high price. she paid over 23 million per rai for what is essentially low density zoned land. if there was anything unfair about the deal, it was that someone with too much money could make a purchase based on a non-commercially supportable price. but hey, highest bidder wins, it was nothing like how the media is painting it right now. i agree that she is being framed.

When time is running out things like fairness and due process get lost in the shuffle.

[John K]

Not if the Minister of culture has any say about it. She does not meet up to the Minister's standards of what a Thai woman should be. She has to be a gig.

That women is my wife sister and you should stop making fun of her.

My wife says its not true

Off topic for a moment,

Please explain to me and everyone why she is getting involved in business decisions that have nothing to do with culture and everything to do with business. About 2 months ago she was all over Thais posing sexy on magazine covers. Note the photo is a magazine cover and it is very sexy. I stand by my statement the woman in the photo does not meet up to the Minister of cultures standards. If you care to look there is a thread on it that supports that and cites her. Culture is a personal choice not necessarily a business choice. Is it not true that business decisions fall under the guidance of another ministry anyway? You are free to comment in that other thread, I think it is still open. I think it had to do with raising money for charity.

Back on topic.

[sriracha john]

Thailand's deposed premier too busy in London to come home

Bangkok - Deposed Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who on Thursday made a bid in London to buy the Manchester City football club for 81.6 million pounds (162.5 million dollars), will not return to Thailand this month to face corruption charges, his lawyer said.

The Manchester City board has said it will back Thaksin's attempted takeover of the club after the former prime minister, living in exile in London since his overthrow by a coup on September 19, 2006, lodged a formal bid via UK Sports Investment, a vehicle controlled indirectly by Shinawatra and his son and daughter.

'Thaksin will be using money belonging to his family to make the purchase,' Thaksin's lawyer Noppodol Pattama told a press conference in Bangkok.

'Thaksin will become the president of Manchester City and will attend a friendship match between his club and Real Madrid on July 29.'

The bid, apparently designed to impress Thailand's football-loving public, was well timed to keep Thaksin preoccupied with business in London and away from Bangkok, where he faces a host of legal challenges, but Noppodol denied any connection.

'There is no connection,' said the lawyer, who acts as Thaksin's spokesman in Thailand. 'It just so happened that we made the offer today.'

Noppodol added that Thaksin was unlikely to return to Thailand to face corruption charges any time soon. 'He will definitely not return this month,' Noppodol told Deustche Presse-Agentur dpa by telephone.

On Tuesday, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) summoned Thaksin and his wife Potjaman to return to Thailand by June 29 to face charges that they concealed the true extent of their ownership in a company listed on the stock exchange.

Noppodol said Thaksin, in London, and Potjaman, currently in Singapore, could acknowledge the charges from abroad.

In Bangkok, Thai prosecutors Thursday morning filed corruption charges against Thaksin and his wife at the Supreme Court for a dubious land deal made in 2003 when Thaksin was still premier.

Prosecutors also asked the court to order the seizure of a 772- million-baht (22-million-dollar) plot of land along Bangkok's Ratchadapisek that Potjaman bought from the Bank of Thailand's Financial Institutions Development Fund in 2003 when Thaksin was still prime minister.

The couple stand accused of breaching the National Counter Corruption Act, which bars state officials and their spouses from doing business with a state agency.

If convicted, they could face three years imprisonment and a fine of up to 60,000 baht (1,714 dollars).

It was the latest of several legal blows delivered to Thaksin, a billionaire former telecommunications tycoon who as prime minister between 2001 to 2006 enjoyed unprecedented executive powers based on the popularity of his now defunct Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) Party.

Thaksin's wife Potjaman, who ran his business empire when Thaksin was in office, is said to be in Singapore where she is undergoing medical treatment.

On May 30 the Constitution Tribunal dissolved Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party and banned him and 110 party executives from politics for the next five years.

Then on June 11 the Assets Examination Committee froze 21 local bank accounts of Thaksin and his family, tying up 53 billion baht (1.5 billion dollars) in family cash.

On Monday, the AEC froze another eight Shinawatra family accounts worth 8 billion baht (228.6 million dollars) and the Attorney General indicted Thaksin and his wife for the Ratchadapisek land deal.

Then on Tuesday the Department of Special Investigation summoned Thaksin and his wife to return to Thailand by June 29 to face charges of share-holding concealment or face arrest.

According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the Shinawatra family had reported holding 60.82 per cent of the shares in listed SC Assets, but allegedly failed to report another 20-per- cent holding via their offshore nominee firm Win Mark.

The couple could face five years imprisonment and fines if found guilty of breaking stock market regulations and face further charges of lying about their wealth to the government's national corruption committee.

Thaksin recently accused the government and justice system of bullying him and his family and last Friday promised to return to Thailand to defend his dignity, but it is still unclear when he will return to the kingdom.

- Deutsche Presse-Agentur

[sriracha john]

Thaksin should hear fraud charges in exile: Lawyer

BANGKOK - Thai police should deliver corruption charges to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra overseas rather than demand the exiled leader return to Thailand, his lawyer said.

Thaksin and his wife Pojaman, who have been in self-imposed exile since the coup in September last year, have been ordered to appear before police in Bangkok by next week to face corruption charges over an alleged fraudulent filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

'People can acknowledge charges in many ways,' Noppadon Pattama, Thaksin's lawyer and spokesman in Thailand, said on his website.

Twice-elected Thaksin is also facing a slew of investigations by the Assets Examination Committee (AEC), an anti-corruption body set up by the junta.

'The AEC have said Thaksin can acknowledge charges while he is in exile and they are ready to travel abroad. This should apply to the DSI,' Noppadon said, referring to the Department of Special Investigations, which summoned Thaksin to appear between June 26 and 29 to hear charges.

Thaksin has stayed in exile since the military toppled his government in September last year, staying mainly at his London home. His wife Pojaman was hospitalized this week in Singapore, according to her lawyer.

Noppadon said that his client is concerned about his safety, despite assurances from military-installed premier Surayud Chulanont that the government will guarantee his security.

Thaksin and Pojaman will be charged next week with making fraudulent filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission over the 2003 listing of a property company owned by his family.

If they fail to appear, police could issue an arrest warrant.

Today, Thai prosecutors laid formal criminal corruption charges against Thaksin in a different case linked to a land purchase in 2003.

- AFP

[John K]

Poor Manchester, Thaksin will take their name down when he goes down. It is sad they can’t see this and are blinded by money. That is not to mention legal problems if the money was stolen to purchase it.

[marshbags]

Thaksin should hear fraud charges in exile: Lawyer

BANGKOK - Thai police should deliver corruption charges to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra overseas rather than demand the exiled leader return to Thailand, his lawyer said.

Thaksin and his wife Pojaman, who have been in self-imposed exile since the coup in September last year, have been ordered to appear before police in Bangkok by next week to face corruption charges over an alleged fraudulent filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

'People can acknowledge charges in many ways,' Noppadon Pattama, Thaksin's lawyer and spokesman in Thailand, said on his website.

Twice-elected Thaksin is also facing a slew of investigations by the Assets Examination Committee (AEC), an anti-corruption body set up by the junta.

'The AEC have said Thaksin can acknowledge charges while he is in exile and they are ready to travel abroad. This should apply to the DSI,' Noppadon said, referring to the Department of Special Investigations, which summoned Thaksin to appear between June 26 and 29 to hear charges.

Thaksin has stayed in exile since the military toppled his government in September last year, staying mainly at his London home. His wife Pojaman was hospitalized this week in Singapore, according to her lawyer.

Noppadon said that his client is concerned about his safety, despite assurances from military-installed premier Surayud Chulanont that the government will guarantee his security.

Thaksin and Pojaman will be charged next week with making fraudulent filings to the Securities and Exchange Commission over the 2003 listing of a property company owned by his family.

If they fail to appear, police could issue an arrest warrant.

Today, Thai prosecutors laid formal criminal corruption charges against Thaksin in a different case linked to a land purchase in 2003.

- AFP

It,s just been on BBC,s News Asia that Thaksin is refusing to return to answer charges and will stay away............ in exile????????

The reason he gives is laughable considering all the de...stabilizing he has been doing over the last 8 months or so.

He excuse for not returning is that it would cause " UNREST IF HE DOES " !!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe he should practice what he preaches and keep his big gob shut and stop his devious meddling if he really wants to stop the unrest he hypocritically say,s he worries about ???????

Of course we all know the real reason he doesn,t want to return, most of us that is.

I cannot wait to see an extradition order put in place should they carry out the process and succeed.

Happy days in deed regarding to the deserved Karma his reputation is now getting and his eventual coming to account.

marshbags

P.S. You are spot on regarding the future repution of Man.City after the eventual and predictable fall out, J.K.

I feel ashamed of those people connected to the club and football authorities who are seemingly refusing to recognise the implications along with the effect all his thieving of the Thai coffers and the resulting suffering of the less well off and their welfare.

I now have to try and explain the difference between the majority of Thai Puyai in respect of not giving a sod about the under privilidged / less well off ( apart from lip service for appearances sake that is. ) when i have consistenly said the majority of British people would support the latter who after all are the ones who are suffering.

Yes we know some would exploit them but in my experiences back home we care......

They should know better, but then again greed for money no matter were it comes from is the be all and end all of the establishments within football.

Edited June 22, 2007 by marshbags

[brahmburgers]

Every week there are headlines to the effect, "Deposed PM (and/or his wife) to be formally charged with (fill in the blanks) 'land fraud' 'abuse of power' 'avoidance of paying taxes'" ....etc ad nauseum.

The junta is like the village dog catchers who have a couple wayward dogs cornered. They call out to the villagers, "I'm getting my tools! I have the dogs cornered! I am positioning my net to detain the dogs! Not to worry, the dogs will be caught and justice will prevail!

I understand the importance of doing everything according to the rule of law, but these formalities are getting dragged on for months and months. The message (to me) is the authorities have the willingness to prosecute, but are too afraid to actually go through with the process to its conclusion = guilty or not guilty - then: incarceration and/or fines, or whatever. Thaksin and his inner circle are just too big of prey to be brought down by the existing junta. The junta shout and wave their arms, but can't actually do what needs to be done.

[hammered]

Thailand's deposed premier too busy in London to come home

Bangkok - Deposed Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who on Thursday made a bid in London to buy the Manchester City football club for 81.6 million pounds (162.5 million dollars), will not return to Thailand this month to face corruption charges, his lawyer said.

The Manchester City board has said it will back Thaksin's attempted takeover of the club after the former prime minister, living in exile in London since his overthrow by a coup on September 19, 2006, lodged a formal bid via UK Sports Investment, a vehicle controlled indirectly by Shinawatra and his son and daughter.

'Thaksin will be using money belonging to his family to make the purchase,' Thaksin's lawyer Noppodol Pattama told a press conference in Bangkok.

'Thaksin will become the president of Manchester City and will attend a friendship match between his club and Real Madrid on July 29.'

The bid, apparently designed to impress Thailand's football-loving public, was well timed to keep Thaksin preoccupied with business in London and away from Bangkok, where he faces a host of legal challenges, but Noppodol denied any connection.

'There is no connection,' said the lawyer, who acts as Thaksin's spokesman in Thailand. 'It just so happened that we made the offer today.'

Noppodol added that Thaksin was unlikely to return to Thailand to face corruption charges any time soon. 'He will definitely not return this month,' Noppodol told Deustche Presse-Agentur dpa by telephone.

On Tuesday, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) summoned Thaksin and his wife Potjaman to return to Thailand by June 29 to face charges that they concealed the true extent of their ownership in a company listed on the stock exchange.

Noppodol said Thaksin, in London, and Potjaman, currently in Singapore, could acknowledge the charges from abroad.

In Bangkok, Thai prosecutors Thursday morning filed corruption charges against Thaksin and his wife at the Supreme Court for a dubious land deal made in 2003 when Thaksin was still premier.

Prosecutors also asked the court to order the seizure of a 772- million-baht (22-million-dollar) plot of land along Bangkok's Ratchadapisek that Potjaman bought from the Bank of Thailand's Financial Institutions Development Fund in 2003 when Thaksin was still prime minister.

The couple stand accused of breaching the National Counter Corruption Act, which bars state officials and their spouses from doing business with a state agency.

If convicted, they could face three years imprisonment and a fine of up to 60,000 baht (1,714 dollars).

It was the latest of several legal blows delivered to Thaksin, a billionaire former telecommunications tycoon who as prime minister between 2001 to 2006 enjoyed unprecedented executive powers based on the popularity of his now defunct Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) Party.

Thaksin's wife Potjaman, who ran his business empire when Thaksin was in office, is said to be in Singapore where she is undergoing medical treatment.

On May 30 the Constitution Tribunal dissolved Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party and banned him and 110 party executives from politics for the next five years.

Then on June 11 the Assets Examination Committee froze 21 local bank accounts of Thaksin and his family, tying up 53 billion baht (1.5 billion dollars) in family cash.

On Monday, the AEC froze another eight Shinawatra family accounts worth 8 billion baht (228.6 million dollars) and the Attorney General indicted Thaksin and his wife for the Ratchadapisek land deal.

Then on Tuesday the Department of Special Investigation summoned Thaksin and his wife to return to Thailand by June 29 to face charges of share-holding concealment or face arrest.

According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) the Shinawatra family had reported holding 60.82 per cent of the shares in listed SC Assets, but allegedly failed to report another 20-per- cent holding via their offshore nominee firm Win Mark.

The couple could face five years imprisonment and fines if found guilty of breaking stock market regulations and face further charges of lying about their wealth to the government's national corruption committee.

Thaksin recently accused the government and justice system of bullying him and his family and last Friday promised to return to Thailand to defend his dignity, but it is still unclear when he will return to the kingdom.

- Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Looks to me like Thaksin has decided to invest in and stay in the UK for now. The Man City offer could still come unstuck and to some degree Thaksin has no control over whether he wil be seen as a fit person to own a premier league club or do business in the UK. However, I would guess that without a conviction against him he will get the green light in the UK. Now if at a later date a court decision goes against him that could complicate things. The other potential sticking point for him is will extradition be requested. That could upset the apple cart. Will the Thai government now accept that for the foreseeable future Thaksin has given up and will stay away, or will they go for the kill? Interesting position in reality. Thaksin potentially outside the country for a long time giving an opportunity to totally dismantle his apparatus and if clever replace it with something else. However, there is always an opportunity to screw up and of course cyclical economies dont go up forever and the next government faces a potential world economic slowdown which will not help a country dependent on huge exports. Also every time Manchester City get on the Telly to play Liverpool or Man U there will be huge numbers of viewers in Thailand seeing Thaksin beamed straight to them. Then again how will Mr. Thaksin and for that matter the Thai audience take to the playful chants that Manchester City could face from opposition supporters not to mention potential demonstrations by human rights people?

Interesting

[lukamar]

i recall the invitation to bid for the site back in 2003. when pojaman won the bid, no one really thought that she cheated. in fact, many potential bidders (myself included) thought she was nuts for offering such a high price. she paid over 23 million per rai for what is essentially low density zoned land. if there was anything unfair about the deal, it was that someone with too much money could make a purchase based on a non-commercially supportable price. but hey, highest bidder wins, it was nothing like how the media is painting it right now. i agree that she is being framed.

even the suggestion that the land is valued at 2 billion is misleading. 2 billion might have been the artificially inflated price during the 97 crisis era because many land owners inflated valuations to monetise the assets via bank loans that they couldn't pay back. that is why so many NPLs occured, and why so many assets were slashed in the post crisis era.

the BOT got a good price for the land IMO, pojaman wasn't looking to do anything commercial with the site, she wanted to build their new bangkok residence there. the feng shui was meant to be good, that's why she was willing to pay more. in the end, an asset's value is best represented by what people are willing to pay real money for, nothing more nothing less. even pridiyathorn, the then BOT chief, and its fair to say that he is not Thaksin's friend, came out to say that the bid was performed outside of the purview of the PM. strangely, his declaration was made in a closed court, where the defendents were strangely not allowed to sit in to collect evidence. there is definitely little due process in this investigation.

Appears few bothered to read your comments as they may not like to think there is another side to things, too bad.

[lukamar]

NCCC rules against probe into Surayud's land

June 21, 2007 : Last updated 07:25 pm (Thai local time)

The National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) Thursday ruled against investigating a Nakhon Ratchasima plot bought by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont on grounds of statutory limitation.

The Nation

I could not find a picture of a trough to go with your pig..

Mrs T paid 23 million per rai for land in Bangkok, The now PM paid 2275 Bt per rai through a proxy for land in a forrest reserve... The NCCC did not say he was Innocent, they said the statute of limitations was up and the case had expired.

If you have power, influence or money in Thailand you are not immune to power brokering or corruption. Everyone does it, everyone in a position of power, everyone with money. It's the Thai way, and there are many in the Government, Police and the Military. History is not on any of their sides.

Edited June 22, 2007 by lukamar

[hammered]

NCCC rules against probe into Surayud's land

June 21, 2007 : Last updated 07:25 pm (Thai local time)

The National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) Thursday ruled against investigating a Nakhon Ratchasima plot bought by Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont on grounds of statutory limitation.

The Nation

I could not find a picture of a trough to go with your pig..

Mrs T paid 23 million per rai for land in Bangkok, The now PM paid 2275 Bt per rai through a proxy for land in a forrest reserve... The NCCC did not say he was Innocent, they said the statute of limitations was up and the case had expired.

If you have power, influence or money in Thailand you are not immune to power brokering or corruption. Everyone does it, everyone in a position of power, everyone with money. It's the Thai way, and there are many in the Government, Police and the Military. History is not on any of their sides.

Luckily for the country Mr. Thaksin will have the opportunity to clear his name before a court over the Rachadapisek deal. Gen Suraryud the current PM will not have this opportunity. Statutes of limitations can be seen to work both ways although luckily for the current PM he as able to present quite conclusive aerial photographs. Lets see what Mr. Thaksin presents in his defence now he has this opportunity.