Thaksin 46 Billion Down

[jackspratt]

46 billion of ill-gotten gains into state coffers - after that, who knows where the dosh will go?

Leaves him with 26+ billion - or maybe it is family money over which he has no control.

Som nom na!

[wiking]

yes it is family money - now we have to see what they do with the 110 billion they have siezure in UK

[macduff]

Hope he has enough left for a flight back to Thailand

[Aardvark]

Their not finished with him yet......http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/20 ... 23594.html

[rufus]

This was a very poor decision by a politically appointed court. Now I would like to see the court strip the assetts of all the other Thai politicians whi have made their wealth illegally. Will it happen. Ho Ho Ho.

[jackspratt]

This was a very poor decision by a politically appointed court. Now I would like to see the court strip the assetts of all the other Thai politicians whi have made their wealth illegally. Will it happen. Ho Ho Ho.

If the court was to strip the other politicians you refer to, based on your logic that must also be a very poor decision by a politically appointed court.

Perhaps you could provide some evidence that the Thai Supreme Court is politically appointed. =D>

[Texpat]

The sham that is the appointment of the current administration is a far worse crime than anything Thaksin ever did.

But, but, but (the man) is not a political figure ...

right

[KHONDAHM]

Say what one will about the money. The victim here is democracy. Love him or hate him, he was elected by a landslide by the people. TWICE. AND his party was elected. The people have spoken loudly, but continue to be ignored. Until the will of the people is done, there will not be any resolution.

[rufus]

This was a very poor decision by a politically appointed court. Now I would like to see the court strip the assetts of all the other Thai politicians whi have made their wealth illegally. Will it happen. Ho Ho Ho.

If the court was to strip the other politicians you refer to, based on your logic that must also be a very poor decision by a politically appointed court.

Perhaps you could provide some evidence that the Thai Supreme Court is politically appointed. =D>

Jack I could certainly provide evidence and the post would last about 5 minutes. I suggest you do a little bit of homework and look at the providence of the judges, at who appointed them and when and also at their geographical background.
Sorry Jack, but you appear to know very little about Thai politics.

[bumper]

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_ ... 7Ae02.html

[jackspratt]

This was a very poor decision by a politically appointed court. Now I would like to see the court strip the assetts of all the other Thai politicians whi have made their wealth illegally. Will it happen. Ho Ho Ho.

If the court was to strip the other politicians you refer to, based on your logic that must also be a very poor decision by a politically appointed court.

Perhaps you could provide some evidence that the Thai Supreme Court is politically appointed. =D>

Jack I could certainly provide evidence and the post would last about 5 minutes. I suggest you do a little bit of homework and look at the providence of the judges, at who appointed them and when and also at their geographical background.
Sorry Jack, but you appear to know very little about Thai politics.

I believe I am as well informed on Thai politics as the average farang - maybe a little more so.

But you clearly believe you are better informed, so should be in a good position to educate me. I have 5 minutes to spare, so look forward to information on the provenance of the judges - remembering we are specifically talking about the 9 Supreme Court judges who made this decision. I am not sure what help their geographical background would add, but please throw that in if if believe it is important.

Links would be preferred - it will save you typing.

Do you also believe a new court (judges) is/are required to strip all the other politicians of their ill-gotten wealth (of which there are no doubt plenty)?

[KHONDAHM]

Do you also believe a new court (judges) is/are required to strip all the other politicians of their ill-gotten wealth (of which there are no doubt plenty)?

Here's one open question: What's going to happen to all that money? Wife has been searching the grapevine and the consensus is that the money (and assets) will be "put to use" on projects having the appearance of benefiting the people, but in reality line the pockets of the yellow shirt elites.

[jackspratt]

Say what one will about the money. The victim here is democracy. Love him or hate him, he was elected by a landslide by the people. TWICE. AND his party was elected. The people have spoken loudly, but continue to be ignored. Until the will of the people is done, there will not be any resolution.

The question is not about democracy - in any real democracy he would have been in jail before he even stood for election.

Thaksin was also no great fan of democracy, having said himself that democracy was not his end goal (I am paraphrasing), and then calling for the violent overthrow of the current government (which whatever you may choose to believe, was democratically elected) during the Songkran riots last year.

The will of the people is certainly paramount, and hopefully an election will be held this year - assuming another, greater event, does not intervene.

[KHONDAHM]

Thaksin was also no great fan of democracy, having said himself that democracy was not his end goal (I am paraphrasing), and then calling for the violent overthrow of the current government (which whatever you may choose to believe, was democratically elected) during the Songkran riots last year.

The will of the people is certainly paramount, and hopefully an election will be held this year - assuming another, greater event, does not intervene.

As I have conceded in another thread, I do not follow Thai politics as closely as I follow American and European politics due to what I perceive to be a crippled press (les majeste, press suppression laws, graft, and conflicts of interest among other things) being able to expose what really goes on. Most of my news comes from BBC and the grapevine as filtered through my wife. There are important historical, social, and contextual nuances which exist that IMHO, not many (if any) foreigners are able to accurately comprehend or appreciate through translation or interpretation.

All that said, metaphorically speaking, there is a little kool aid in the water you've been consuming. Kool-aid being propaganda and water being contextual fact. It was proven to me beyond any doubt several times in the past that there is a lot of Fox-ing going on in the news media here. Your perception may not be as objective or balanced as you may think it is if you rely on domestic media and pundits. I stop short of saying it is not true only because I cannot be equally as sure that my perception from my sources are any more objective or less filtered.

There are 3 sides to every story: This side, that side, and the truth which tends to be a subjective mix of the two.

In any case, the opinion of the Thai people is the only one that counts or matters, and they have spoken clearly on multiple occasions. IMHO doing things like tossing out an elected Prime Minister for essentially being reimbursed for expenses for his appearance on a cooking show reeks. Occupying an international airport and shutting down the country without anyone being held accountable (never mind that it was allowed to continue in the first place) reeks. The back-door parliamentary maneuvering which put the minority opposition in power reeks. Delaying and denying a new vote reeks. I could go on.

Give the people their vote and respect it, is what I am saying. =D>

Should something happen to the unmentionable, that is the ONLY way there could be peace in the aftermath.

Just my song-baht.

Cheers!

[KHONDAHM]

Here's an idea for the THB 46,000,000,000...use it to pay for new elections THIS year. I'm sure the people would accept THAT resolution! =D>

Cheers!

[Laan Yaa Mo]

Yes, KhonDahm, we are in agreement on this one for the most part. I doubt the yellow shirts will be the major winners of this windfall for there are military men and people who hold real power that will benefit. The yellow-shirts were useful for spearheading the campaign vs. Thaksin as are the courts now for shutting him down for good. With the mission accomplished, power-holders are not too pro-yellow shirt anymore. But, they keep them around in case the Yellows are needed in the future.

Do not believe the yellow-shirt propaganda that only ill-informed peasants from northeast and northern Thailand support Khun T. He has the middle-class vote in the northeast and north too, and some of that support comes from Bangkok as well.

Whatever his position was on democracy, the process that brought him into power was democratic as any election in most Asian and western countries. If you want to criticise the Thais for throwing a few hundred baht to electors here and there, take a close look at elections in the United States and the way money is tossed around.

Newspapers here are biased, but they are in the west too. We all know which way the Guardian and the Telegraph will point their readers, and in the United States the New York Times is far from a disinterested observer.

[nkstan]

I was under the impression that Thaksin was never elected to any office by the voting public!He ran for parliment in Chang Mai and was soundly defeated.He was made an honorary MP after he was selected to be PM!

It amazes me that many refuse to accept that he became obscenely rich in a short period of time after being a complete failure before his Shin Corp.,which was accellerated by his illegal gov't dealings!

I certainly agree that he gave recognition to the ''peasants'',something ignored by all elitist until him,but it seems it didn't help them at all,but it helped his powerbase and his ability to manipulate the gov't for his financial benefit!

I also agree that Thailand is not a democracy because a democracy has more elements than just voting!

I think Thaksin was ''better'' for expats than the ''yellows'',but it would only have been a matter of time depending on the ''winds'' that influenced his dictatorial mindset!

I see Thaksin as a person that cares little about anything accept his own personal gain.A complete boob at everything accept weilding power and collecting obscene wealth at the expense of Thailand!

I personally think that Thailand is a power struggle between the elitist class and that the masses are purposely left ignorant for easy manipulation and not to upset the class groupings that could cause potentially political change.Corruption is endemic as it is taught from an early age until accepted by most.

I see no logic or comfort for falangs taking sides in these power struggles as there is plenty of mud to find on either side!To defend one side against the other,is a joke at best!And nothing we say will cause any change,EVER!!!

[trubrit]

Fair enough summary that Stan.Reflects my way of thinking to just get on and enjoy myself, after all it will still be going on when you and I are just dust .

[jackspratt]

Thaksin was also no great fan of democracy, having said himself that democracy was not his end goal (I am paraphrasing), and then calling for the violent overthrow of the current government (which whatever you may choose to believe, was democratically elected) during the Songkran riots last year.

The will of the people is certainly paramount, and hopefully an election will be held this year - assuming another, greater event, does not intervene.

As I have conceded in another thread, I do not follow Thai politics as closely as I follow American and European politics due to what I perceive to be a crippled press (les majeste, press suppression laws, graft, and conflicts of interest among other things) being able to expose what really goes on. Most of my news comes from BBC and the grapevine as filtered through my wife. There are important historical, social, and contextual nuances which exist that IMHO, not many (if any) foreigners are able to accurately comprehend or appreciate through translation or interpretation.

All that said, metaphorically speaking, there is a little kool aid in the water you've been consuming. Kool-aid being propaganda and water being contextual fact. It was proven to me beyond any doubt several times in the past that there is a lot of Fox-ing going on in the news media here. Your perception may not be as objective or balanced as you may think it is if you rely on domestic media and pundits. I stop short of saying it is not true only because I cannot be equally as sure that my perception from my sources are any more objective or less filtered.

There are 3 sides to every story: This side, that side, and the truth which tends to be a subjective mix of the two.

In any case, the opinion of the Thai people is the only one that counts or matters, and they have spoken clearly on multiple occasions. IMHO doing things like tossing out an elected Prime Minister for essentially being reimbursed for expenses for his appearance on a cooking show reeks. Occupying an international airport and shutting down the country without anyone being held accountable (never mind that it was allowed to continue in the first place) reeks. The back-door parliamentary maneuvering which put the minority opposition in power reeks. Delaying and denying a new vote reeks. I could go on.

Give the people their vote and respect it, is what I am saying. =D>

Should something happen to the unmentionable, that is the ONLY way there could be peace in the aftermath.

Just my song-baht.

Cheers!

KD I have read more widely on the subject of Thailand (particularly since 1932) than you might imagine - including reading material that is unable to be obtained in Thailand, and certainly wider than the domestic English language press.

As far as reeking is concerned:

- Samak was disqualified for having a second job (expressly banned under the Constitution), and then lying about the subject of payment to the court. I agree it was pretty flimsy. But he was not banned, and was willing and able to become PM again - unfortunately (for him) Thaksin kyboshed that idea, because Samak was failing to heed his master's voice enough. Instead, the compliant Somchai (Thaksin's brother-in-law) was installed as PM.
Besides all this, Samak was a coarse buffoon and an embarrassment, with blood on his hands from 1976, and to a lesser extent, 1992. Not that this prevents others from becoming Prime Ministers, or Presidents for that matter.

- no argument re the airport fiasco, although I do understand a number of the yellow shirt leaders have been charged over the incident. And it hardly "shut down the country".

- the behind the doors shenanigans that lead to the forming of the current government are unknown to you, your wife, or to me. There was a lot of speculation at the time, as there always is when the horse trading that leads to coalitions is occurring. If you have better information, please let me know.

- Thailand's current parliament expires in late 2011, when constitutionally, a new election must be held. Until then the current coalition (assuming it holds together) is legally able to govern. My own view is that they should call an earlier election - no later than the end of this year. Again, this is predicated on the absence of that watershed event about which no one speaks.

[jackspratt]

Putting aside for a moment the coup, the "selective" prosecution of Thaksin, and the general unfairness of it all, it amazes me that people on this forum are happy to overlook the criminality and unjust enrichment which appears to have been clearly demonstrated in this case.

Not to mention the numerous other transgressions, including assets concealment when he first became PM, the crackdown on the free press and government institutions during his tenure, the extra-judicial murders, the call for "revolution" during the Songkran riots, Pastrygate, etc etc etc.

If Thailand is to progress, it must start somewhere in terms of bringing to justice all the blatant criminals parading as politicians, police, armed forces, businessmen, etc. Complain if you like that it hasn't happened thusfar, but please don't say Thaksin doesn't deserve it because his won the most seats in a couple of elections.