Thaksin's Daughter Rejected From University

[george]

Thai PM makes emotional plea for daughter after university controversy

BANGKOK: -- Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra made a tearful appeal Friday for his daughter's privacy to be respected after she was rejected from a prominent university under controversial circumstances.

Thaksin has battled allegations that his 17-year-old daughter Paetongtarn benefitted when the entrance standards for a popular course were relaxed, and that exam papers were leaked to privileged students.

"There has been an effort to drag my daughter into politics. I was upset over the matter," Thaksin said in a trembling voice as he brought his hands together in a wai, a Thai gesture of respect.

"It's the university's fault, my daughter has nothing to do with all the fuss and the faculty did not amend the rules especially for my daughter," he said, blaming the affair on "contradictory" university regulations.

Paetongtarn last week won a place at prestigious Chulalongkorn University's communication arts faculty, drawing accusations from other students who had better marks that she had been given red-carpet treatment.

In the face of mounting public pressure and calls for transparency from the opposition Democrats, Chulalongkorn on Thursday rejected the relaxed entrance standards set by the faculty and Paetongtarn lost her place.

Thaksin told reporters his daughter had only applied to the Thai university, instead of other institutions abroad, so she could remain close to her family.

"My daughter is not an idiot that can't get in anywhere, she applied because she wanted to be near her father," said the premier, who reputedly dotes on his youngest child.

Paetongtarn was thrust into the media spotlight earlier this month when she took a job at a Bangkok McDonald's restaurant for one month on her father's advice.

---AFP 2004-04-30

[Axel]

You know for once I believe him,

his daughter has nothing to do with all the fuss...

As for the doting father? I do not know.

[kurgen]

I really feel sorry for her....mind you she can concentrate on her Mc Ds career now.

Bet you she's a 5 star multi talented general before the end of the week,easily

[Thetyim]

I bet she could get into Hamburg University with her experience

[ChiangMaiThai]

Maybe he didn't directly exert his influence, but you've got to think that the admissions board would feel pressure to let her in. Same as anywhere in the world. I'm actually surprised that the other students wouldn't stand for it. Great to see Thais standing up for themselves. Seems like all too often they accept injustice to its face and then go complain at home.

[astral]

Hear, hear.

Let's have a few more cases like this with law suites to highlight corruption,

then the stuffed shirts might start to take notice

[dr_Pat_Pong]

Perhaps Cheerless Leader will buy Chula' and get her in that way. She could have the on campus Macca's franchise.

[Goat Roper]

The Chula admissions board are in trouble now, they will all be directing daytime traffic in Jawaraj in a few more weeks; That will teach them to mess with CEO.

[thaimee]

Dear 'Daughter Thaksin',

If you are interested in doing back-2-back visa runs with a sketchy but honest and sweet sensible foreigner you can contact me at the e-mail below.

If you like we can talk about all your woes and Thailands.

I hope we may arrange a get together in the not so distant future?

[email protected] Thaimee.

[george]

Update:

Paetongtarn lands spot at Chulalongkorn

BANGKOK: -- National university entrance exam results were officially released yesterday, showing that Paetongtarn Shinawatra had won a seat in the sociology and anthropology programme at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science.

Chulalongkorn University Rector Dr Suchada Keeranant welcomed the premier's daughter, saying the university would treat her like other students without any special privileges.

She expressed sympathy for Paetongtarn, urging the public and the media to stop their attacks on her. "We should pity her. She is only 17 and has had to face a tough time. As a mother I feel that that young people should be protected and adults should clear up the problems. We do not know yet if the exam was leaked. It's unfair to her to cover up the truth,'' she said.

She said lecturers and students in the university would have no ill feelings towards her.

Pornipa Limpapayom, secretary-general of the Higher Education Commission, yesterday pledged to punish students who had benefited from any university entrance exam leak if an investigative panel found evidence to back up the allegations.

Pornipa said the commission would not grant them degrees even if they completed their university education. She denied that the commission had released the results of the entrance exam to quell the storm over the exam leak.

"We cannot withhold the exam results [until the panel reaches a conclusion] because every party is waiting for them. The show must go on,'' she said.

The panel, led by Dr Sumet Tantivejkul, was set up to scrutinise the exam-leak allegations after rumours that children of high-ranking politicians had benefited.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Friday pleaded with the media not to hound his daughter over the entrance-exam controversy. He also lashed out at Chulalongkorn University after the school's Faculty of Communication Arts rejected 30 applicants, including his daughter.

Due the exam-leak scandal, Pornipa said, the commission increased by 2,000 the number of students that would be admitted by 515 faculties at state universities around the country. Of the 112,852 students that took the exam, 69,029 passed.

The three university faculties that received the most applicants this year were Thammasat University's Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, Mahidol University's Faculty of Medicine and Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Applied Health Sciences.

In other news, Charupan Netpukkana, a blind student, passed the entrance exam to study in Naresuan University's Faculty of Social Development in Phayao province.

Penkhair Netpukkana, her mother, said her daughter had completed high school at Samsen Witthayalai School with normal students and had been studying diligently to get into the faculty because she wanted to help society.

--The Nation 2004-05-02

[englishoak]

hmm 112852 take the exam 69029 pass 30 are rejected.

The panel, led by Dr Sumet Tantivejkul, was set up to scrutinise the exam-leak allegations after rumours that children of high-ranking politicians had benefited

Hmmmm mabe guilty by association ? I'm sure she worked very very hard to pass her exams.

[NedKelly]

It seems the whole University system is guilty of this sort of corruption. Now Chulalongkorn Uni looks pretty bad.

Maybe all the places should be given to underprivileged students who have no chance to attend. Taksin has no right to complain imo...... and the maccas stunt was just that..... a stunt....to bring good publicity to himself after all the bad publicity he has had. He was solely responsible for bringing his daughter into politics.

[Snark]

deleted

[kenk3z]

It's possible to use affirmative action to one's benefit to gain admittance to a particular school. However, you can bet from that point onward there is no affirmative action in the classroom. You have to earn your grades.

So this story is far from over.

[nacho7384]

One of his daughters studies somewhere in London, anybody know which uni?

[geoffphuket]

This thread is two years old...it's history not news - 30.04.2004

[fxm88]

Don't worry. I'm sure EKU has a place open for her, as a legacy she should have no problem getting in. If there is a problem, she can always try LCC.

[El Taco Loco]

The prestigious London School of Economics.

One of his daughters studies somewhere in London, anybody know which uni?

[a3]

No longer relevant