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bangkokdaveThailand’s Thaksin Prepares for War
By John Cole and Steve Sciacchitano, February 18, 2012
“Newly appointed Thai Minister of Defense Air Chief Marshal Sukampon Suwannathat is quietly planning to activate a new “war room”, or secretive unofficial command center, to direct mass pro-government “red-shirt” demonstrations planned for the coming months, according to senior Thai military sources familiar with the situation.
Two issues that could stoke new bouts of instability are already at hand. The ruling Puea Thai party has commenced a process to gain parliamentary approval to draft a new constitution, a move widely perceived among Thaksin’s critics as aimed at voiding his criminal conviction for corruption and its attendant two-year jail term, and his return to Thailand as a free man. Another initiative to give more civilian control over the promotion and assignment of senior military officers has the potential to spark a more direct military response.
In contrast to the 2010 protests, current plans involve equipping frontline red-shirt column leaders with handheld, encrypted communications devices, allowing for more immediate, continuous and centralized control than in 2010. This could be an indication that the war room is planning to direct even larger protests than the 2010 red-shirt demonstrations”
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Thailand’s Troubles Show Democracy’s Shaky Future
by Pankaj Mishra, Bloomberg.com, February 13, 2012
“The [modernization] theory naively assumed that the rising middle class would form a progressive avant-garde, and it failed to consider the profound isolation and insecurity of the middle class in largely poor and extremely unequal countries.
Modernization theorists, inhabiting a simple world defined by the ideological binaries of communism and capitalism, could hardly anticipate the vast, complex and unpredictable forces of economic globalization: how they would weaken national sovereignty and turn electoral democracy itself into another source of the seemingly permanent political conflict and instability in much of the world.”
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by Voranai Vanijaka, Bangkok Post, February 12, 2012
“In a democracy, the government and the military swear an oath to first and foremost uphold and defend the constitution. In Thai-style democracy, priorities are a bit different. The constitution can be rewritten again and again and again (17 times since 1932 and still counting) to serve the political agenda of whoever is in charge at the time.
Democracy is a term often misused and ill-defined. So if an observer wonders at how both the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) could use the term in their names, my answer would be that they just forgot to add ”Thai-style” in front.
A military coup is, of course, contrary to all that democracy stands for. However, it is merely another tool of Thai-style democracy - all 23 attempts and 11 successes since 1932, and still counting.”
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Analysis: Raw Power Politics on the Horizon
บทวิเคราะห์ : อำนาจการเมืองดิบบนขอบฟ้า
by 2bangkok.com, February 9, 2012
“We had been predicting this scenario since December–that during Thaksin’s Revolutionary Season, Red Shirts would surely be on the streets of Bangkok again this year.
The purpose of this is to create security and stability for rewriting the constitution to effect a Thaksin amnesty or pardon. The expectations for the results of constitutional amendments has already been stated by both Thaksin lobbyists and Red Shirts. Both have defined Thai reconciliation as Thaksin being able to return to Thailand.”
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by Voranai Vanijaka, Bangkok Post, February 5, 2012
“Our collective love, worship and reverence for the King is a part of the Thai national identity. When the military sings their oath, it is first and foremost to defend the monarchy – the constitution and the people are somewhere far behind. The majority of the Thai people do not question this logic.
This is not to say that such a cultural mentality is right or wrong. It is what it is. As such, the Nitirat proposal is viewed as lowering the status of the monarchy, and thereby confusing what has been ingrained in our national psyche since before most of us were born.
Even more damning was when one Nitirat member proposed that the King should not give speeches on his birthday. Imagine the effect of such words on the Thai identity.
Timing is everything, especially in a nation facing an identity crisis. What Nitirat proposed is in line with most constitutional monarchies, and in the present context the proposal to amend the lese majeste law is needed. However, in the same context everything else Nitirat has done shows poor judgement and bad timing.”
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by Thai-ASEAN News Network, translated from www.manager.co.th, January 24, 2012
“The clincher here is compensation red shirt protesters will get for fighting for Thaksin’s return…compensation which will be paid by Thai taxpayers.
Amendments to the Constitution will follow, as will a rewrite of the Defense Ministry Act and the infamous amnesty bill. These are the main goals of the Yingluck administration!
Why are we looking for any other accomplishments?”
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Thai Military Regains Lost Political Ground
By John Cole and Steve Sciacchitano, January 6, 2012
“As the waters from Thailand’s recent devastating floods recede, they reveal a distinctly changed political landscape. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s governing Puea Thai party, which held a commanding position in the immediate aftermath of its landslide electoral victory last July, is now on the defensive on various fronts as it deals with public perceptions that it badly mismanaged the crisis.”
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THAILAND’S ELEMENTAL POLICAL CONFLICT
by Chris Baker, December 31, 2011
“The largest demonstrations in Thailand’s political history ended with over 90 deaths in April–May 2010, but 18 months later, with the country’s biggest floods in half a century, some believed that togetherness in suffering would revive a mythical ‘national unity’. Instead the floods soon became a new focus of conflict across the political divide.
In Thailand today, conflict seems elemental.The country is currently in the middle of massive historical change.“
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ROYAL CONTRADICTIONS IN THAILAND
by Shawn Crispin, Asia Times Online, December 12, 2011
“Anand Panyarachun, a former prime minister and top royal adviser, recently acknowledged that the application of the lese majeste law, particularly a provision that allows any private citizen to file charges, should in his opinion be amended. In a counter to online and other criticism of the monarchy, Anand recently steered the production of a new biography of the king that breaks with the tradition of hagiography and aims to give the monarch a more human face. Written by a group of foreign writers, the volume casts new light on previously opaque royal corners, including on the Crown Property Bureau’s extensive land holdings and widely misunderstood rules of royal succession.
There are competing interpretations of the apparent disconnect between top royalists calling for the law’s reform and the rising use of lese majeste charges to silence dissent. One theory is that no Thai official is secure enough in their position to risk initiating legal changes that could easily backfire in anti-royal charges being filed against them personally.”
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by Shawn Crispin, Asia Times Online, November 19, 2011
“Massive floods have shifted Thailand’s political current, draining Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s previous strong momentum and replenishing the royalist establishment forces aligned against her criminally convicted and self-exiled former premier elder brother, Thaksin Shinawatra.
While Yingluck has faltered, the floods have served as what some analysts have called a ‘perfect disaster’ for rival conservative forces. Before the deluge, Yingluck’s government was steadily moving to undermine several royal establishment power bases in the name of political reform, putting the military, bureaucracy, judiciary and anti-Thaksin media outlets on the political back foot.”
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by Shawn Crispin, Asia Times Online, October 20, 2011
“As Thailand counts the cost of massive seasonal flooding, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s political and economic leadership is under sharp new scrutiny. Catapulted to power on a class struggle rally cry and pro-poor populist policies, her government’s response to the disaster has prioritized the protection of industrial estates and central Bangkok property over grassroots livelihoods and lives.”
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by Bangkok Post, September 24, 2011
“Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the former head of a high-profile property firm, may have thought she could run the government the same way as she did her company. Experience during her first month in office, however, is proving that life as a property kingpin in the private sector, and as head of an elected government, are very different.”
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by Shawn Crispin, Asia Times Online, September 23, 2011
“How long will Thailand’s political peace last? By certain estimations the pre-election accommodation that paved the way for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s rise to power and self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra’s return to influence is already showing signs of strain. How the royalist establishment might respond to perceived threats, however, is a wildcard.”
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by The Nation, September 12, 2011
“A Thai newspaper article has described Thailand as a ‘Land of Three Prime Ministers’, referring to Yingluck Shinawatra, her brother-in-exile Thaksin and Chalerm Yoobamrung. The trio form a unique political bunch – a woman who is never really in control, a man who has long been uncontrollable, and another man who’s threatening to get out of control.
The ‘three prime ministers’ jibe is not totally sarcastic. In fact, it captures perfectly the main trouble battering the fledgling government. Yingluck completed her first month as prime minister last week, but to her, August 8 must seem much longer ago than that. She has yet to lose her cool in public, but government and Pheu Thai insiders claimed they would be happier if she did bang the table occasionally and issue a few orders.”
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TOLERANCE SHOULD BE AT THE HEART OF A FREE SOCIETY
by The Nation, September 5, 2011
“ One can safely argue that Thailand took the wrong turn during the first Thaksin Shinawatra administration because of his all-or-nothing approach to everything, intimidation of the media and those who think differently, and dismantling of the built-in checks-and-balances safeguards, which let him enrich himself.
In response to Thaksin’s abusive behaviour, the yellow-shirt movement congealed with members who also adopted abusive methods to make their point. The rise of the yellow shirts aroused a counter-reaction in the form of the red-shirt movement and the rest is history.
Along the way, the yellow shirts ransacked Bangkok’s airports and Government House, while the red shirts burned down shopping malls in the capital and state buildings in various cities in the Northeast.
Thuggish behaviour was employed by all camps in spite of their claims to be fighting against political thuggery, or in the cause of restoring stability.”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“If you put a live frog into a pan of boiling water, it will jump out immediately. But if you put a live frog into a pan of cold water and heat the water up slowly, the frog will just sit there until it boils.
Thaksin might not be back in the kitchen just yet, but he is certainly directing the chef. A new pan of frog soup is being prepared. The heat is being turned up a little more slowly this time. But it is being turned up nevertheless.
In this information age, propaganda is a powerful tool. Phuea Thai MPs have been accused of paying reporters to present the new government and its policies in a positive light. Red shirts have openly intimidated members of the press who dare to ask the PM awkward questions.”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: Aug 20-26, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“Of course, only the poor go to prison in Thailand and Thaksin’s ex-wife, Potjaman na Pombejra, was last week acquitted on appeal of 546 million baht’s worth of tax evasion. The news comes soon after Thaksin’s two eldest children were also recently acquitted of any wrongdoing in another case of tax evasion.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra won the quote of the week award with her response to the accusations. ‘There is no reason for an elected government to be dishonest to the people,’ she said with a straight face.”
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CHARTER CHANGE PART OF PLAN TO WHITEWASH EX-PM
by The Nation, August 21, 2011
“The issue is, he wants to come back to Thailand but doesn’t want to spend even a single day in jail. He and his defenders have described the conviction as political persecution. He doesn’t even want an amnesty because it would imply that he really did something wrong. He wants, it appears, a total whitewash.
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: Aug 13-19, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“Having been hand-picked by Thailand’s de facto prime minister, the totally unqualified and inexperienced foreign minister has found himself instantly obliged to repay his master…
Meanwhile, Phuea Thai has also revealed that it plans to rekindle one of the most controversial policies of the Thaksin administration. An estimated 2,700 civilians died in extra judicial killings during the Thaksin-led war on drugs…
While there is no doubt that a request to compensate people who were paid or otherwise manipulated to break the law and provide a human shield around their gutless leaders is justified, it begs two questions: what is a fair level of compensation? And who should be responsible for paying it?”
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by John Cole and Steve Sciaccitano, Asia Times Online, August 18, 2011
“Many observers of Thai politics, including much of the international media, tend to overestimate greatly the seeming monolithic nature of the Thai military. The false impression is often given that Thai military and police officers are more or less unified in their views and goals, but the more complex reality is often the opposite.”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: Aug 6-12, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“If ever a country was in need of a complete overhaul, that country is Thailand in 2011. Still hurting from years of socio-political division and violent conflict, Thailand finds itself in a very uneasy truce surrounded by a minefield of distrust, contempt, hatred and revenge… Reconciliation? The very people prescribing this placebo as a panacea are the very same people who polarised the nation.
Change is needed at every level of Thai society, from the political system and the parties that pollute it to the misguided voters who unashamedly condone their corruption…Change is needed in the top-heavy military that sets itself above the law…Change is needed in the biased and subjective judiciary…Change is needed in the police force – so ineffective in controlling everyday crime, let alone political riots, yet so brazenly adept at extorting donations to the policeman’s benevolent fund…But most of all, change is needed in the Thai education system.”
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FLUID LOYALTIES, OBSCURE INTENTIONS IN THAILAND
by Shawn Crispin, Asia Times Online, August 11, 2011
“Yingluck has denied Thaksin was involved in selecting her cabinet but it’s already become clear to most observers that her team of political advisors is carefully managing her public image and tightly scripting her speeches.
“It’s being run like a family business where Thaksin is chairman of the board and Yingluck is the CEO,” said one well-connected diplomat who recently paid a courtesy call to the new premier. “It will be rule by committee where advisors take the lead on day-to-day management, Thaksin provides the strategic direction and Yingluck is the photogenic figurehead – just like a corporation.”
At the same time, there are doubts among the diplomatic community that Yingluck has the stature or competence to manage such a high-powered and potentially treacherous post. One senior Western diplomat who met with Yingluck after the election said her replies to his questions lacked coherence even after conferring with her three top advisors before replying to every one of his queries.”
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ONLY A MAJOR OVERHAUL CAN SAVE THE DEMOCRAT PARTY
by Suthichai Yoon, The Nation, August 11, 2011
“The Democrats haven’t won a general election in 19 years. The reasons are clear and simple: The electorate simply doesn’t trust that the Democrats can get things done. They have proved incapable of crisis management. And they aren’t particularly good at managing during peacetime, either.
The party that once stood for liberalism and freedom of expression has turned conservative and defensive. When Abhisit declared his “Nine Iron-Clad Rules” for his Cabinet to underline his policy against corruption and conflicts of interest among his ministers, he appeared to try to revive the party’s attempt to make integrity the priority of governance. But he failed miserably to live up to his pledge of keeping his Cabinet honest and accountable when some of his coalition partners were blatantly breaking the rules.”
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A DELICIOUSLY FEUDALISTIC DISH
by Voranai Vanijaka, Bangkok Post, August 7, 2011
“We now have a new government in charge. What does it mean?
It means only this: The system is still the same, only the masters have changed. Instead of ammart in traditional uniforms, we have capitalists in expensive suits calling themselves prai in charge, while the masses are still the pawns in the patronage system.
The Thai patronage democracy keeps on perpetuating because we are a country of peasants _ and the powers-that-be, whether traditionalist or capitalist _ would like to keep things that way.
The July 3 general election is said to have been one of the most corrupt in history. Some international observers may have actually thought it was clean and clear, but face it, international observers can’t see what we Thais can see and know.
Election Commissioner Somchai Juengprasert said it best when he explained that corruption is in the workings of the patronage democracy _ what is there to do about it?
Indeed, what is there to do about it? What does it take to change the system?”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: July 30-Aug 5, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“Thaksin is also said to be pushing for the cabinet to be formed quickly and has set a target of next week, although he has several complications to overcome before he can conclude the cabinet line-up.
Several factions and individuals who funded and organized various demonstrations, mobs and campaigns to overthrow the Democrat-led government and bring Thaksin back to Thailand are demanding a return on their investments.
Thaksin’s ex-wife, Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra, has reportedly been pushing hard for Phuea Thai financiers to be rewarded with cabinet positions, while Pheua Thai MPs from the strategically important northeast of Thailand are demanding that their significance in Phuea Thai’s election victory be rewarded with a larger quota of cabinet seats.”
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YINGLUCK’S FIRST CHALLENGE IS HER OWN CREDIBILITY
by Suthichai Yoon, The Nation, August 4, 2011
“Officially, only Yingluck Shinawatra, the Pheu Thai Party’s No 1 MP, and Yongyuth Vichaidit, the supposed party leader, have the final say on who is to be included in the Cabinet.
Most press reports seem to ignore the party’s official version. So far, every story in the popular press about who’s expected to be in the Cabinet line-up has invariably referred to who Thaksin Shinawatra wants in or out.
She probably didn’t plan her life this way, but now she has no choice but to carry the torch. Whether or not she chose this path and whether she is really in control of all the issues that a prime minister is supposed to tackle is now immaterial. Her first major challenge is to prove critics wrong, particularly those who are starting to say that she will be there for no more than six months.”
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GULF OF THAILAND LAND RECLAMATION PLAN RUNS AGAINST TIDE
by Peter Janssen, Monsters & Critics, August 3, 2011
“According to insiders, most of Pheu Thai’s campaign policies were devised by Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader of the party who was been living in self-exile, mostly in Dubai, for the past two years.
Dubai is the site of two massive land reclamation projects – Palm Islands and The World, both of which have run into their fair share of financial and subsidence problems.
Days after the Pheu Thai poll victory, Thaksin gave an interview in Dubai in which he said that the land reclamation project would involve building a dyke 10 kilometres into sea and 30 kilometres wide, which would be filled with mud dug up from the Gulf.
‘Whoever came up with this policy didn’t consider the environment,’ Voropol said. ‘They were only thinking about money.’
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HONEYMOON OVER, YINGLUCK TREADS POLITICAL TIGHTROPE
by Martin Petty, Reuters, August 3, 2011
“Running a real estate business in the middle of a building boom is one thing. Running a country that’s embroiled in a bloody political crisis may be a little more challenging, as Thailand’s Yingluck Shinawatra is about to discover…
Thaksin bring out strong emotions on both sides. For his poor supporters, he was seen as the first Thai leader to address the needs of millions in the countryside, with cheap healthcare and village development funds.
For his opponents, he was not only corrupt and authoritarian but had republican leanings — a charge he has repeatedly denied but one that has tainted him in a country that reveres its king.”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: July 23-29, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“Thailand’s military budget could be drastically reduced if it wasn’t so top heavy with generals. Compared to the USA, which has a population of 310 million, approximately 3 million full-time and reserve military personnel, and just 302 generals, Thailand, with a population of 55 million, boasts an amazing tally of 550 generals. In contrast, the UK, with a similar population and land mass to Thailand, has need of a mere 66 generals.”
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GRAFT IS GOOD: A WAKE-UP CALL TO TAKE ISSUE SERIOUSLY
by The Nation, July 26, 2011
“The survey released last week found that 64.5 per cent of respondents said they had no problem with government corruption in certain cases: first, if the corrupt government could make the country prosper, second, if corruption promoted people’s well-being, and third, if corruption benefited the poll’s respondents.
The percentage of those happy to see a corrupt government as long as they themselves benefited was particularly large (70 per cent) among respondents aged under 20 and between 20 and 29.”
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APOLOGY TO THE SOUTH A LAME BID FOR SYMPATHY
by The Nation, July 25, 2011
“His request for forgiveness was nothing more than a lame attempt to win sympathy for his return to Thailand – more accurately, for the return of his billions confiscated by the court after he was convicted of stealing billions from the state.
Needless to say, Thaksin’s record for the deep South has left much to be desired. His highly offensive statement – ‘If you want your province to be looked after by the government, you have to vote for my party’ – continue to jolt both Buddhists and Muslims in the deep South alike.”
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WHY THAIS STILL FEAR THAKSIN SHINAWATRA
by Steven P. Sciacchitano and John M. Cole Jr., The Washington Post, July 23, 2011
“Over time, more Thais saw in Thaksin’s actions evidence that he was using his office and his enormous personal wealth to gut the constitutional reforms of any real meaning and to perpetuate himself in power. This was the main reason for the conflict between Thaksin and his opponents, not the desire of a pampered elite in Bangkok to maintain its privileges.
This is not an apology for the 2006 coup; reasonable people disagree over the extent to which perceptions of Thaksin’s ultimate goals were justified. Some of his most committed critics opposed the coup, while others supported it as the lesser of two evils. It’s not hard to sympathize with the hope of many Pheu Thai supporters for a fairer society, but stability in Thailand depends not just on accepting the results of the recent election but also on whether Pheu Thai can separate itself from Thaksin’s personal interests.”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: July 16-22, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“Phuea Thai is clearly happy to amend its own rules and regulations to accommodate alleged terrorists. One can only wonder what they will do with the constitution once they are in power…
…An ABAC poll, conducted by Assumption University, surveyed 2,114 people and found 71.3% of respondents were dissatisfied with the EC’s decision to delay its endorsement of MPs.
By pure coincidence, another ABAC poll last week showed that a similar percentage of Thais believe that a corrupt government is acceptable if, in being dishonest, it can also bring prosperity to the people and to the country… Judging by the results of the two polls, the old saying that people get the government they deserve may never have been truer than in Thailand.”
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SIX BOOBY TRAPS WAITING TO BLOW A HOLE IN YINGLUCK’S GOVERNMENT
by Tulsathit Taptim, The Nation, July 20, 2011
“The impossible promises. So much fuss has been made about the ‘impracticality’ of Pheu Thai’s economic and welfare pledges, like Thais have never been lied to. Truth is, ‘It’s all about Thaksin, stupid’. As long as Yingluck doesn’t touch the amnesty, she can go on breaking her election promises all day and the most she’ll lose is her face, not her job.
Severity rating: 3″
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FINAL VOTE COUNT: ELECTION 2011, BANGKOK
by Bangkok Pundit, July 18, 2011
Breakdown of Bangkok’s party list and constituency results
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: July 9-15, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“Apart from the odd canvasser being shot, the election went relatively smoothly in Thailand. But why does it feel like this is the calm before the storm?” ___________________________________________________________
NOW IS THE TIME TO REMEMBER THE ‘MAGNIFICENT 14′
by Tulsathit Taptim, The Nation, July 15, 2011
“Believe it or not, there was a time when the Election Commission acted tough against big name politicians and managed to elicit applause from the public.
It was in 2000, to be exact, when the whole nation commended the election commissioners and Constitution Court judges for being brave and politically unbiased, simply because they did not care who the big fish were.”
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THE TIME HAS COME TO REDISCOVER OUR MORAL COMPASS
by The Nation, July 9, 2011
“The Pheu Thai Party accused the outgoing Democrat-led Government of not moving fast enough in bringing the yellow shirts to justice for occupying Suvarnabhumi Airport and Government House when pro-Thaksin administrations were in place.
The ball is now in Pheu Thai’s court and it remains to be seen how its incoming government will handle the red-shirt leaders who called on their supporters to turn Bangkok and city halls around the country into a sea of fire.
The bottom line is that we have to have an ethical standard, and the law of the land and the country’s constitution is not a bad place on which to peg our moral and political integrity.”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: July 2-8, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“It was a pivotal week in Thailand as Phuea Thai swept to a comprehensive victory in the elections. So what does it mean for Thailand? Is it good, bad or just plain ugly?
As Thais headed to the polls last Sunday, it soon became clear that change was in the air. The early exit polls had Phuea Thai heading for a landslide victory, and even though the final results were less dramatic, Phuea Thai still managed a comfortable win.
With victory secured, Phuea Thai proxy leader Yingluck Shinawatra announced the party’s 7 ‘urgent missions’. Top of the list was the party’s euphemism for amnesty – reconciliation” ___________________________________________________________
by ’Daeng’, BK Magazine, July 7, 2011
“I saw all the signs next to my school and you say we will get a free iPad. I think we will get them Monday, after you are erected, but the iPad is still not at my school. Is you have a problem? Can I get mine tomorrow at my home? I put the adresss on the enveloap. Also my dad is not farmer or motorcyke taxi but he wants free credit card too please. You can send with the iPad and save on stamps.
And also I need to know if Loong Maew is coming back. Mom and dad they scream a lot about the erectshun. Dad says Loong Maew will make us rich but Mom says he wants to be the big boss, boooh. I know Loong Maew is your brother but maybe he should not come back too soon or it going to be a lot of screaming at home. Can you tell your neice she can get maried latur, or in Broonaie? Thank u!”
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DEFEAT SHOWS DEMOCRATS IN NEED OF MAJOR SHAKE-UP
by Nattaya Chetchotiros, Bangkok Post, July 7, 2011
“‘His is a well-rounded figure. Mr Abhisit is more mature than his age would show. There can be no doubts about his determination, patience and sacrifice. What he has done over the past two years by trying to bring the country out of the political crisis is proof.’
‘He administered the country with transparency and is recognised by leading figures both within and outside the country. It’s not that easy to achieve that.’
The Democrat Party is not owned by one person, Mr Somjai said. It is an institution, with members having a say in who is to be their leader.”
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CHANGING OF THE GUARD IN THAILAND
by Shawn Crispin, Asia Times Online, July 6, 2011
“While some analysts interpreted Puea Thai’s win as a popular rebuke by the rural poor against a Democrat-aligned urban elite, mappings of the result showed more clearly a geographical rather than ideological bias to the vote. Both top parties maintain formidable political machineries in their geographical strongholds.
The Democrats’ electoral strategy fell short on two key fronts. The party failed to capture the rice-growing central plains region, a swing geography the party targeted while in office through populist policies, including a rice price insurance scheme it expected would win rural votes. Its loosely allied Bhum Jai Thai party, meanwhile, underperformed expectations that it would split the populous northeast region vote after breaking away from a previous Thaksin-aligned party in 2008.”
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BILLIONAIRE’S RETURN MAY PUT RIOT POLICE BACK TO WORK
by William Pesek, Bloomberg View, July 6, 2011
“Democracy is about what leaders do after the votes are tallied. The key is creating institutions to ensure competence and transparency, providing checks and balances to weed out corruption and cultivating nongovernment watchdogs to keep politicians honest.
Thaksin personifies why Thailand’s record is so poor. It’s remarkable how popular he remains almost 5 years after he was brought up on corruption charges. Chat up the average taxi driver, bartender or food-stall worker and you will get an earful about how Thaksin, the populist, looked after the nation’s poor while Abhisit, the elitist, ignored them.”
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NEPOTISM, INTIMIDATION, CORRUPTION…HERE WE GO AGAIN
by Sawai Boonma, Bangkok Post, July 6, 2011
“Opposition parties and citizen groups that do not agree with it will be systematically harassed or maligned, using government agencies and private media, which will also be extensively used for propaganda. Attempts will be made to influence private media, either by buying a controlling interest in the companies or by withdrawing advertising funds from those who do not toe the government line. Outright intimidation will also be used in some cases.”
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by The Nation, July 6, 2011
“Hailing from one of the richest clans in the country, winner Yingluck claimed to be speaking for Thailand’s poor.
Interestingly, no one seems to see the glaring contradiction – that the leadership of the red-shirt movement, the main backer of the Pheu Thai Party, is made up of millionaires and elites, the very people the movement supposedly despised.
But with Yingluck in power, one can say that Thailand has more or less come full circle. It started with Thaksin and his Thai Rak Thai Party in 2001. At the time, the country gave him a red-carpet welcome, overlooking the fact that the man had transferred billions into his maid’s bank account to avoid paying taxes.
One could say that we lost our chance of being a country of law and order back then, and whatever came after – the 2006 coup, the street battles, the arson attacks – was a consequence of that missed opportunity.”
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AS ABHISIT LIMPS OUT, YINGLUCK’S AT THE OLD TRAPDOOR
by Tulsathit Tabtim, The Nation, July 6, 2011
“The story behind Abhisit’s fall from grace is and will always be a murky one. Did he come to power controversially? Yes. Did he tolerate corruption in his government? Yes, and his Facebook explanation was nowhere near good enough. Did his administration mishandle the red shirts’ uprising, its prelude and aftermath? Probably.
But, whether or not this matters now, Abhisit is not a killer. He’s not the type of politician who can plot political killings to serve his own interests, and we should give the man that much. There was some truth in the rhetoric spun out with characteristic eloquence at the Ratchaprasong intersection two days before the election, and that was his statement that if some people had really been marking protesters for death, he was not one of those who planned it.”
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YINGLUCK’S WIN IS NO VICTORY FOR FEMINISM
by Michelle Fitzpatrick, AFP, July 6, 2011
“How can we be proud? The whole world knows it’s about Thaksin,” said Sutada Mekrungruengkul, director of the Gender and Development Research Institute (GDRI) of Thailand.
“Compare that to Aung San Suu Kyi who has struggled for 20 years and is still not the prime minister of Myanmar”
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ARMY, THAKSIN, PLEASED WITH SUCCESSFUL ILLUSION OF DIFFERENCE
by Not The Nation, July 5, 2011
“With the highly-anticipated July 3 general election completed smoothly with international endorsements of it being free and fair, exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and army chief Prayuth Chan-Ocha expressed deep satisfaction that the illusion of ideological conflict had been successfully achieved.
With Thaksin’s Pheu Thai party achieving a Parliamentary majority of 262 seats, and both the losing Democrat Party and the military expressing consensus agreement to respect the poll outcome, the business of dividing the nation’s wealth between a small group of secretive, corrupt elites can now continue with the added sheen of democracy.”
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THAKSIN’S DREAMS CAN END THAI DEMOCRACY
by Joshua Kurlantzick, Financial Times, July 5, 2011
“Both Thailand’s urban middle classes and its poor must accept the need for painful change. The poor, and their allies in Ms Yingluck’s party, must accept that they have to protect private property rights and the rule of law and also that they must not let Mr Thaksin back into Thailand, no matter how much they love him.
The middle classes, including their allies in the army and the royal palace, need to accept that if Thailand is to be a democracy, the will of the voters must triumph.”
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YINGLUCK’S FIRST CHALLEMGE: PROVE YOU ARE NOT A PUPPET
by The Nation, July 5, 2011
“Thailand’s first female prime minister must reassure the country she is no ‘clone’ of her brother if any real national reconciliation is to take place.
Yingluck Shinawatra now has to bear both the privilege and the burden of being Thailand’s first female prime minister. Yingluck will have to silence her critics by showing that a woman can also be a good premier.”
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HISTORIC ELECTION CARRIES A STRONG MESSAGE
by Pichai Chuensuksawadi, Bangkok Post, July 5, 2011
“The fact that the Democrats still retained a significant hold in Bangkok – despite the exit polls – is a clear message that the red shirt leaders were responsible for the intimidating tactics of mass protests which not only infringed on the rights of others but led to violence. These Thais voted for the Democrats in Bangkok because they do not want to see a repetition of the rioting of April 2009 and Ratchaprasong last year.”
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by guardian.co.uk, July 4, 2011
“How does the sister manage to distance herself from her controversial brother? She doesn’t. The Puea Thai party, set up by Thaksin, campaigned with the slogan “Thaksin thinks – Puea Thai does”.
Do say: ‘The people of Thailand have spoken, and they have overwhelmingly chosen an exiled billionaire’s sister.’
Don’t say: ‘You’re fired.’ ”
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THE ELECTION IS OVER, BUT THE HATRED REMAINS
by The Nation, July 4, 2011
“The election outcome is one thing. Every poll is supposed to reflect splits in opinion on welfare, economy, ideology, etc. But not every election has people flocking to polling stations with hatred in their hearts. Again, it’s one thing if they hate politicians, but it’s another if they hate those voting for “the other side.”
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THE WAY WE WERE … THE WAY WE ARE
by Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Bangkok Post, July 1, 2011
“The rise of Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai Party threw unprecedented spanners in the works. It pursued a scientific approach to elections, underpinned by expensive polling by foreign experts, clear and deliverable party platforms and strong leadership. Although Thai Rak Thai, and its immediate successor, the People Power Party, were both ultimately dissolved, it was the first post-Cold War party to capture the collective imagination. Voices of marginalised electorates began to count. Votes were of course still sold but the bond between party and policy on the one hand, and voters on the other, took root.”
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by Pasuk Phongpaichit and Chris Baker, Bangkok Post, July 1, 2011
“It’s about having an election at all — The results of the past three polls have been set aside. The government installed by the 2007 poll was dissolved by a court judgement, opening the way for outside intervention to concoct a new coalition.
It’s about policy — Not about particular policies or promises. The messages shouted from platforms and blazed along the streetside posters merge into a fuzzy blur. This giveaway. That tax reduction. This new infrastructure. That freebie.
It’s about Thaksin — Yingluck Shinawatra was nominated as Thaksin’s puppet, proxy, clone, or whatever. The slogan ‘Thaksin thinks, Pheu Thai does’ was pasted all over town. Thaksin intervened to settle the squabbling over candidacies.
It’s about the military — Who knows whether they have learnt yet that their interventions (coups, sponsoring political parties, issuing instructions to voters, and so on) tend only to delay and complicate the resolution of issues and conflicts best left to the democratic process?”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: June 25-July 1, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“Having failed to topple the government through rent-a-mob protests and street riots, Thailand’s fugitive former PM is now banking on his Phuea Thai party winning the election so that it can grant him an amnesty and return his confiscated ill-gotten gains.
In these troubling times, many Thais may be hoping to “give peace a chance”, but in Thailand we could start by giving impartial justice a fair go first.”
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THE DEAL BEHIND THAILAND’S POLLS
by Shawn Crispin, Asia Times Online, June 30, 2011
“High-level secret talks between Thailand’s royal palace, military and self-exiled former premier Thaksin Shinawatra point towards a stable outcome to this Sunday’s highly anticipated election. Contrary to widespread speculation of a post-poll coup and new rounds of street violence, the military is more likely to stay in the barracks if Thaksin’s Puea Thai party wins and forms a new government.
According to a source familiar with the talks, the military has agreed to allow Puea Thai to form a new elected government unopposed in exchange for a vow from Thaksin not to pursue political revenge or legal prosecutions of top military officials behind the 2006 coup and last year’s crackdown, and to refrain broadly from intervening in military affairs, including the annual reshuffle that determines the army’s leadership.
To put reconciliation efforts on a new track, the three sides to the secret dialogue have discussed the formation of a new independent commission whose recommendations, including a potential amnesty for Thaksin, Abhisit and the military, would eventually be put to a national referendum.”
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THE REAL MEANING OF RECONCILIATION
by Jon Ungphakorn, Bangkok Post, June 29, 2011
“I believe that the majority of the Thai population on both sides of the political divide would support some form of understanding or agreement for coexistence, whereby political struggle could be carried out peacefully and legitimately under democratic rules, without the danger of escalating into violence and civil war.”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: June 18-24, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
The big news in Thailand last week was the Democrats’ rally at Ratchaprasong on Thursday evening. The red shirts claimed it was a provocative act, which of course it was. And if anybody should know about holding provocative rallies at Ratchaprasong, it is the red shirts.
For two months last year, red shirts brought the whole area to a standstill and prevented thousands of people from going about their daily business. The Ratchaprasong site was chosen by the red shirts specifically because they knew it would be highly provocative.
How could the government not react to the provocation of protestors and armed militia barricaded into a central business district of Thailand’s capital and refusing to negotiate?
How could the government not react to the shooting of soldiers armed at the time only with batons, the firing of grenades at commuters, the arson and burning of huge tyre fires, the obstruction of business, and the malicious lies and threats being spewed out daily on stages within the protest site?”
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AMNESTY FOR THAKSIN AND THE 91 DEATHS
by Abhisit Vejjajiva, Bangkok Post, June 24, 2011
“Chalerm Yubamrung has clearly stated that the top priority for a Pheu Thai government is to grant amnesty for Thaksin.
Should Pheu Thai win the election, it should be able to form a government by August. That leaves five months till December, plenty of time to amend the constitution to clear Thaksin of any wrongdoing, overturn the prison sentence and pave the way for his return. He may even get the 46 billion baht back.
However, it does not address any of the problems that led to the coup: the systemic corruption, abuse of power, disregard of the parliamentary system and refusal to submit to checks and balances.
And what of the questions posed by the red shirt demonstrators who have been asking for justice over the 91 deaths? They should be asking Yingluck Shinawatra and the Pheu Thai Party the question: What would their amnesty mean for the 91 deaths? Would those 91 deaths simply be glossed over in return for amnesty for politicians and the return of 46 billion baht?
What I want the red shirts to think about is, what the amnesty will mean for the 91 deaths. Does it mean justice will not be served? I think Thaksin will pay off the families of the victims in lieu of giving them truth and closure. Those lifeless bodies will not get the justice they deserve.
That pay-off will not come from his own wealth. It will come from us, the taxpayers.”
Original in Thai on Abhisit’s Facebook page: จากใจอภิสิทธิ์ถึงคนไทยทั้งประเทศ 6
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by Voranai Vanijaka, Bangkok Post, June 19, 2011
“When Thaksin was prime minister, [his] image was marketed very effectively by his vast media empire. He’s a good actor, with a good marketing team behind him.
Who is advising Abhisit? Who is his publicity manager? Is there one? The prime minister isn’t a good actor, and he has a terrible marketing team behind him. This is something the Democrat Party should address.
None of this has anything to do with what makes a good prime minister, but it has everything to do with the ability to win the hearts and minds, and hence the votes, of the people.
The Democrats have been two years in power, with the red shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, Pheu Thai Party and Thaksin tumbling and stumbling, making one strategic mistake after another. Any competent political machine should have buried them in the history books.
And yet here we are, two weeks before the general election and Pheu Thai still manages to lead in the polls.
Yingluck Shinawatra hasn’t done anything and she won’t have to do anything. She only has to look pretty, smile, gives hugs and handshakes and photos.”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: June 11-17, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“Having barricaded themselves into one of Bangkok’s main business districts, disrupting the livelihoods of thousands of people; having concealed an armed militia within their midst; having threatened violence and arson, and then openly urging their supporters to commit such acts; having resisted arrest and taken the arresting police officers as hostage; and having terrorised and intimidated countless civilians, a number of red shirt leaders were unsurprisingly charged with committing acts of terrorism last year.
However, the Thai courts do not deem such acts as serious enough to merit detention. Currently out on bail, these same red shirt leaders now occupy positions high on Phuea Thai’s party list and stand on the verge of gaining the ludicrous political immunity that is enjoyed by members of parliament in Thailand.”
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by Kong Rithdee, Bangkok Post, June 18, 2011
“Little Red Riding chartered a plane and flew to the South, where they threw a red hijab over her well-coiffed head. Then the muslimah of Yala re-baptised her: Yingluck the Clone became Yameelah the Beauty. The red hijab fluttered in the wind smoky with gunfire and car bombs.”
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COLORS BLEED AHEAD OF THAI POLLS
by Seth Kane, Asia Times Online, June 16, 2011
“The yellow-shirt movement has faltered since Abhisit came to power, witnessed in the small number of supporters at their current protest site outside of Government House. Many factors have undermined the yellow shirts once potent rally cry, including divisions among competitive interest groups… including royalists who perceived Thaksin to be a threat to the monarchy; Democrat party supporters who believed Thaksin’s political coalition could not be defeated at the polls; state enterprise unions threatened by his privatization plans; big business groups wary of Thaksin’s proposed free-trade agreements and politicization of public spending; democracy activists alarmed by Thaksin’s authoritarian tendencies; Buddhist groups opposed to Thaksin’s perceived greed; and the middle classes animated by Thaksin’s corruption and populist policies – once willingly shared the same umbrella.
Indications of a divided UDD are less obvious but there are nonetheless significant fissures, differences over strategy and internal contradictions that could similarly fragment and dampen the movement. Some red shirts are primarily motivated by democratic values and many participated in pro-democracy movements in the past. Others are more clearly pre-occupied with the political and economic benefits they personally accrue through their association, however marginal, with Thaksin.“
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DO WE REMEMBER THE BURNING OF THAILAND?
by Voranai Vanijaka, Bangkok Post, June 12, 2011
“Only three nights before May 19, 2010, I walked around the ‘red occupation zone’ at Ratchaprasong, interviewing people. One red shirt woman was pointing and screaming at me with anger and venom, telling me to go and warn everyone out there: ‘You move in on us, we’ll burn the country down. You just wait. You just watch. You will see.’
Here we are today, Sunday June 12, 2011. How many of us actually remember the burning of Thailand? How many of us still talk about it? Is the atrocity still alive and vibrant in the consciousness of the Thai Kingdom?
From what I’ve observed, most people have pretty much forgotten.
But this I will tell you. Go to red rallies, listen to red media and take heed of red leaders and politicians; they never stop reminding their supporters of the killing of ‘innocent’ civilians by government troops. They never cease to remind the world of the Japanese cameraman who was shot down. They never pull back on branding the Abhisit government as ‘murderers’.”
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FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART TO ALL THAIS, ABHISIT VEJJAJIVA (Part 1)
Translated by Pipob Udomittipong, Prachatai.com, June 9, 2011
First of several personal notes by PM Abhisit, originally posted in Thai on his Facebook page. This part deals with his controversial rise to power in 2008.
“I maintain that after working in politics for nearly 20 years, my political ideology has never changed. All my decisions are made in the best interests of the people. I am aware that people have been fed misinformation aimed at discrediting me. I simply hope that by telling you this truth, you will put your trust in me and be convinced that I have never changed my beliefs and am ready to share the joy and pain with you to move the country forward.
My only mistake is perhaps that I am the first Prime Minister in the parliamentary system since 2007 not under command of Mr. Thaksin.”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: June 4-10, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“Why is Phuea Thai so surprised that the credentials of the next possible prime minister of Thailand should be open to public scrutiny? If Yingluck can’t be trusted to tell the truth under oath in a court of law 3 times, then how can she be trusted to run Thailand fairly and honestly?”
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by Kevin Rafferty, The Japan Times, June 8, 2011
“If anyone doubted Thaksin’s guiding hand, it was shown in the choice of his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, to lead the Pheu Thai Party. She is a 43-year-old business executive with no political experience and no record of any political views. She has been derided as a ‘clone’ of Thaksin.
It does not say much for the democracy of the Pheu Thai that such a political greenhorn was shoehorned in as leader without debate, election or murmur. The only excuse is that many experienced Thaksin supporters have been disqualified. The more likely explanation is Thaksin’s need for loyalty.”
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WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER ROUND OF ILLEGAL KILLINGS
by The Nation, June 4, 2011
“Instead of hunting [drug users] down and killing them, why not tell them that our elected leaders will give them a reason to live? We shouldn’t be talking about false hope here. Candidates need to be straight with their constituents instead of making far-fetched promises without talking about consequences.”
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by Harrison George, Prachatai.com, June 3, 2011
“‘This is hopeless. It looks as if implementing [Phua Thai] manifesto will chase away business, cause mass unemployment, wreck the nation’s finances for years to come and keep us at the bottom of the corruption league table.’”
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THIS IS THAILAND – A Week in Review: May 28 – June 3, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“The PAD keeps telling the people of Thailand to stop animals from getting into the Thai parliament. But which little piggies have been trying to get their noses in the trough this week?”
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by Pichai Chuensuksawadi, Bangkok Post, May 31, 2011
“If Pheu Thai forms the next government and amnesty for all is pursued, what does this all mean? Does it mean that the 13 leaders of the People’s Alliance for Democracy would no longer have to pay the 522 million baht in damages ordered by the Civil Court for their airport seizures in November 2008? Surely it would mean that the terrorism charges against 114 yellow shirts – including 27 of its leaders such as Sonthi Limthongkul and Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang – would be dropped.”
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NOT THE GENUINE ARTICLE, AMONG RED AND YELLOW SHIRTS
by Veera Prateepchaikul, Bangkok Post, May 30, 2011
“The margins will decide which party is to rule and who is to be prime minister. For the Democrats, its margin of victory could be very small as the odds are arranged in its favour. For Pheu Thai, its margin must be very large if it hopes to gain office. For Thailand, this election regrettably is not being set up as reconciliation but as further confrontation and polarisation.”
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A FOREGONE ELECTION SCENARIO: FURTHER POLARISATION
by Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Bangkok Post, May 30, 2011
“The margins will decide which party is to rule and who is to be prime minister. For the Democrats, its margin of victory could be very small as the odds are arranged in its favour. For Pheu Thai, its margin must be very large if it hopes to gain office. For Thailand, this election regrettably is not being set up as reconciliation but as further confrontation and polarisation.”
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THAILAND: NO PEACE THROUGH POLLS
by Nelson Rand and Chandler Vandergrift, Asia Times Online, May 28, 2011
“A Puea Thai-led government would risk a backlash from the military and royalist establishment, which has consistently tried to undermine Thaksin and some believe has the power to reignite “yellow shirt” protests. A Democrat-led government would risk further UDD protests and potential violence by its militant fringes. ”
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WILL THE REAL YINGLUCK PLEASE STAND UP?
by Arglit Boonyai, Bangkok Post, May 28, 2011
“Meeting Khun Yingluck for the first time…you notice that she’s tall, beautiful and comes across as a genuinely friendly person. She’s exactly what you imagine when you look at the posters of her plastered around the country. But over the course of my time with her it became clear that while you might enjoy spending an afternoon with her, you may not want her in charge of your country.”
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THIS IS THAILAND — A Week in Review: May 21-27, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“Following Thaksin’s unilateral decision to democratically appoint his younger sister as his proxy, large numbers of people appear to have contracted buffalo flu. It is believed that the disease is transmitted through either contact with or ingestion of buffalo stool, which has been in particularly abundant supply of late.”
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CHALERM PROMISES AMNESTY TO PAD, UDD, AND ANYONE WHO SHOOTS A COP IN THE FACE
Not The Nation, May 26, 2011
“Chalerm’s son Wan, a candidate for Bangkok’s constituency 28 in Bang Bon district, expressed great support for the party plan and his father’s efforts. ‘Bringing up the past is un-Thai,’ he said. ‘What’s done is done.’” — Nails it!
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FEMINISTS NOT ELATED ABOUT YINGLUCK
by Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation, May 26, 2011
“Leading feminists say that having Yingluck Shinawatra as a candidate for the country’s top job is not a milestone in the struggle for greater gender equality, because Yingluck is an unknown quantity and does not necessarily represent women’s interests.”
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by Achara Ashayagachat, Bangkok Post, May 19, 2011
Interesting photos & graphic on the one-year anniversary of the crackdown on red-shirt protests and arson.
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THIS IS THAILAND — A Week in Review: May 14-20, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“With a degree of sarcasm rarely exhibited by a Thai, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban highlighted the logistical difficulties of Yingluck’s appoint when he questioned how she could handle the country’s administration while always having to wait for a long distance call from abroad before making any decision.”
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PHEU THAI NOMINATES THAKSIN’S SISTER FOR PM IN STUNNING DISPLAY OF MERITOCRACY, PROGRESSIVE THINKING
Not The Nation, May 18, 2011
“Yingluck, a 43-year old business executive with no political experience, was announced at a PT press conference as the ‘most qualified candidate to lead the nation forward.’ Her years as president of AIS and earlier work at SC Asset were touted by party executives as proof that she was a logical choice over all others, including long-time party insiders and experienced MPs.”
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THIS IS THAILAND — A Week in Review: May 7-13, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“With house dissolution having received royal endorsement last week, the countdown to Thailand’s general election has begun. And it’s already getting messy.”
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THAKSIN GAMBLES ON RADICAL WILDCARDS
by William Barnes, Asia Times Online, May 12, 2011
“The UDD’s protests were simply not big enough, numbering tens of thousands at their peak, to bring down a popularly elected government – albeit one that came to power through behind-the-scenes military machinations.”
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THIS IS THAILAND — A Week in Review: April 30 – May 6, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“As campaigning gets into full swing, and with the truth having proven less than popular, we can expect a return to normalcy this week as truth will once more be the first casualty of this dirty war.”
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“DESCENT INTO CHAOS”: THAILAND’s 2010 RED SHIRT PROTESTS AND THE GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN
A Report by the Human Rights Watch, May 3, 2011
“This report provides the most detailed account yet of violence and human rights abuses by both sides during and after massive protests in Bangkok and other parts of Thailand in 2010. The report is based on 94 interviews with victims, witnesses, protesters, academics, journalists, lawyers, human rights defenders, parliament members, government officials, security personnel, police, and those who directly took part in various stages of the violence from both the government and the protester sides. It documents deadly attacks by government security forces on protesters in key incidents and details abuses by armed elements, known as “Black Shirts,” associated with the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).”
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THIS IS THAILAND — A Week in Review: April 23-29, 2011
A weekly blog by Naked Farang
“In a week when Thailand sort of went to war a bit with Cambodia again, Thaksin Shinawatra offered himself an amnesty, while the New Politics Party disobeyed the wishes of its members and said that it would try to win the next election. Confused?”
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by Shawn Crispin, Asia Times Online, April 13, 2011
“The calm before the proposed polls is the result of a behind-the-scenes accommodation reached late last year between Abhisit’s government and the royal Privy Council on one side and Thaksin’s camp on the other, according to a government aide with regular access to the premier. The first aspects of the multi-faceted deal were brokered in October, around the same time international mediators met with top Thaksin associates and government officials in Bangkok, according to the same insider.”
