Comments

Arthit and Jim agree with Thaksin’s comments about “mischief makers” around the palace but now Thaksin himself is saying that he doesn’t agree with these remarks which he claims were made up by Lloyd Parry. So what is his view on the monarchy? Did Lloyd Parry also invent his remarks about his enduring loyalty to the institution and his interest in sacrificing the lives of his family members for it? He seems to have got himself into a bit of a muddle.

Rirkrit, Thaksin didn’t introduce the waiver on capital gains tax on gains from listed securities. That was in existence long before Thaksin entered politics. What he did do was to create a fake transaction selling the shares from Ample Rich to his children at a nominal price, so that they could then sell the shares to Temasek the next day at the full transaction price. Since Ample Rich was a British Virgin Islands company and BVI companies are not covered by the waiver from Thai capital gains but Thai individual investors are, this was a deliberate attempt to evade capital gains tax. It is not often referred to because few people understand the complexities of Thailand’s tax laws and double tax treaties. It is simpler but inaccurate to complain that Thaksin evaded capital gains tax on the entire transaction. Nevertheless, the amount of tax he evaded in the Ample Rich transaction was still very material and not exactly a shining example from a sitting prime minister. He has also never properly clarified how he came to have the funds overseas in the Ample Rich account in the first place or all the other funds he seems to have overseas.

In addition, Thaksin increased the foreign ownership limit in the Telecoms Act from 40% to 49% a couple of days before the sale of Shin Corp to accomodate Temasek’s need for maximum legitimate foreign ownership. He also aided and abetted holding of shares in excess of 49% by Temasek through nominees in contravention of the Act by knowingly selling the shares to the nominees. Personally I think the foreign ownership limits in the Foreign Business Act and other laws stink of protectionism and do great damage to the competitiveness of the Thai economy. If Thaksin also disagreed with the laws that prohibit majority foreign ownership, as prime minister, he was in a position to reform them for the benefit of all. Instead, he just chose to bend the rules for his own personal enrichment.

Alas, Rirkrit, you have probably realized that most of the farang readers of NM have bought into the romantic notion of Thaksin as a latter day Robin Hood and champion of democracy that he has sold them and are willing to overlook all of his blatant corruption and thievery along with the thousands of murders he presided over.

[Editor – NSF: Rirkrit – I appreciate the passion of the moment, so we can let this copy and paste slide through this time. In future I encourage you to keep your comments on New Mandala more concise. Thanks for your understanding. Best wishes to all.]

Here is the entirety of my comments sent to the Times, perhaps overly melodramatic, but seeing western journalist and press outside of Thailand (and within) write about the situation here, disinformation is an oxymoron!

Comment to the TIMES:

He speaks of injustices, but he does not refer to the injustices under his government? The UN human rights watch still has not resolve the case where hundreds of southern Thai citizens all Moslem where herded and killed in mass, nor has he talked of the extra judicial killings under his leadership which executed thousands of Thai citizens related to the drug trade, because he feared his sons own drug use.

In his upsurd comparison (and western journalist seems to fall into the trap) to Aung San Suu Kyi that he was kicked out of the country, is untrue, Thaksin himself escaped bail and punishment from a judicial court ruling against him in a land corruption deal. He was not kicked out, he did not appear in court to hear the ruling nor did he attempt to fight the case (if as he has been saying, did not believe that the court was fair to him), he more than anyone else knows that he could have fought the ruling and made appeals, if he believed that the trial was political and unjust.

Its a mockery of democracy and the idea of justice, when we should realized that Thaksin, talking about the injustices of Aung San Suu Kyi, Thaksin as Prime Minister of Thailand did nothing in protest against the Junta of Myannmar. To rub insult to injury, Thaksin was (before his exit) was visiting the Junta regularly to seal telecom business deals with the people he calls undemocratic!

Or how justice didn’t work when he himself violated election regulations when he hid money in fake bank accounts in the names of his chauffeur and housekeeper? Or the over turning of tax regulations by his majority parliamentarians so his family related business can avoid paying taxes?

He spoke of historical moments in Thailand for his election and raise to power, but without the acknowledgment of electoral frauds and vote buying by members of his party? Who should have been kicked out of politics, if there was true democracy in Thailand under his rule,without the intervention of a military coup. He spoke then about the oppositions making rumors against him and his family, but speak not of what he has done to political activists and grassroots citizens who stand against his idealism.

He speak of defection from his party as electoral and parliamentary manipulations, but he does not speak about how he brought (with cash) politicians which gave him votes to be come (historically) elected a majority.

He spoke of learning form Him Majesty’s teachings, yet in every New Year address, made to the people of His Majesty, the ex fugitive Prime Minister turns blind, deaf and dumb to the cautions His Majesty spoke on those occasions.

Thaksin spoke of his popularity, if he was or is in reality that popular, where are the sixty million people who thinks otherwise, who have not spoken up? Should he be in his own measure at least as popular or regarded by the people as His Majesty as he himself said n the interview, why did he escape into exile? For fear that they (His delusional “They”) will come after him and murder him? And all his beloved followers would standby and let such things happen to him!

His Majesty feels unwell, because Thaksin is a large part of His Majesty’s burden, and Thaksin by all means manipulating the situation to his advantage. (This interview being a case and point.) He speaks of unity and forgiveness, but he initiated the crisis, now with Cambodia knowingly creating tension through a neighboring Government (note that its not the people of Cambodia who speaking but its oppressive one man rule regime, friend of “Truth Today”) that has always been antagonistic at best of time. As well as the southern provinces, which Thaksin himself inflamed during his watch as government, is also being manipulated for his end.

As I believe that should Thaksin return, all who have been writing or acting in any way shape or form against him will surely be eliminated without a doubt! His espousal of democracy and his edict against dictatorship, are not supported by his actions, his relationship to Cambodian Prime Minister is a clear example of that. He fashions himself after the dictator of Singapore and now Cambodia, which indicates that he has no intention of delivering democracy to this nation. His return to politics will lead to Thailand’s demise, and from his statements from this interview, it is clear he intends to manipulate the weakness of the highest institution which is the Monarchy. He is not at all interested in burying the hatchet as he speaks, he is causing rife and conflict and not just through his words but through his money.

The way he attacks the Privy Council, is how he is paving his road to the Republic debate. He says that they are manipulating the court and his situation to hold on to their (the Councils) power, but no one has ever seen such an act? It has only been the words of Thaksin and his men that speaks about how the Privy Council is manipulating this or that or the courts or the military, but the reality is only Thaksin and his words are! Because when there are questions towards the institution of the Monarchy, all discussions will be determined by the Privy. If Thaksin, can not discredit and dismantle the Privy Council, Thaksin will not have the absolute power he so much desires.

In Thai culture and society, if there is no respect then it becomes very very difficult to have a dialogue, Thaksin has been very much in his manipulation to destroy the respect and civility we have in Thai society. Thaksin is doing that by accusing the Democrat Party of undermining democracy and the constitution. Though Thaksin himself does not address the situation when he himself as Prime Minister was doing just that when in power!

He speaks about how all this effects investments and the country’s economic health, but those are again words to manipulate both internal and external forces, which he clearly sees himself as having the grip on all these matters.

The idea that Thaksin was never defeated in an election is as laughable as the ex-president of Singapore never being defeated in an election, the west has been able to be blind or turn it eyes blind to their own needs. This has been and always will be the case in such an idea of a developing democracy, we end up with dictators in Savile row suites talking about democracy and how prosperous we have become. You mean one Tambon one product? That is the measure of our lives betterment? Or 30 Baht cures all diseases, take two tablet of aspirin and drop dead health care?

If Thaksin comes back to make his long march, I will join him but his (Thaksin) are the words of a coward who refuse to face the trial and the rule of law.

There has been a lot of space and printed spaces in Western media and journals giving room to Thaksin, but on the contrary there are no journalists in Thailand really assessing the situation on the ground, from the voices of the Thai public. Thaksin is a one man propaganda machine, which the west has given credibility to, when in reality (political or not) he escaped the law! He ran from his responsibilities towards his own people, he sits in a comfortable sofa in air conditioning while his people stand out in the sun and rain, for the cause which we are all being duped into believing that it was for us! The reality is that we are not in the millions, as he would like us to believe, at most we are a hundred thousand in ‘Red shirts’.

Reading his words in the TIMES, I realized that we are being manipulated, Thaksin does not have an ounce of respect for His Majesty the King, if you can read what he is saying between the lines! His reforms are for Thaksin and company, they were not in reality reforms for the people or for the grassroots,how do we forget, Thaksin is a business man and his business is for himself, he will soon enough own the country, and the fields, and he will divide and sell it to his friends in the west or the east, just where ever he can make his wealth and power through that wealth.

If his assets were as he says frozen, how is it that he is able to buy the friendship of the Sheiks of Dubai, or Hun Sen for that matter, and fly around the world in a private jet? How does he afford all of that? By doing business with heads of other corrupted governments, undemocratic governments, against his own words and supposed ideology! Taking advantage again and again of the poor and the destitute, lottery licenses in Uganda!

The word ‘Failed state’ comes out of his mouth because Thaksin wishes it were true, and Western press promotes such a manipulations for the news and readership value. If Thailand was not on the world stage how would it be possible to have representations in ASEAN summit which just pass and previous to that the meetings with the G8 group which Thailand was in the discussion as well. Thaksin talks about the collapses of the Thai economy as if he were the only person that can keep this economy going, this is another falsehood and manipulation into the economy of Thailand. With that in consideration, how can one possibly believe that Thaksin actually cares and feels for this country, for Thailand and or for his people, in fact?

“Thailand is near to being a ‘failed state’. Because every institution almost cannot function because you don’t allow the rules of the game to take their course. You don’t allow the rule of law to prevail and you are biased against others. You don’t shine before the whole world. You just want to control power regardless. That’s why I’m saying Thailand has almost become a failed state, because no one trusts each other.”

The “you” Thaksin mentions in this statement, pretty much applies to how one feels when he was the Prime Minister, for a lot of the population. Thaksin’s rules of the game was and still is for SHIN Corp. not the people of the grassroots not for democracy. The shine before the world was the shameful purchase of a Premiership football team which he was manipulating financially and propagandistically. The “you” Thaksin is talking about is himself!

The capital gains tax laws which exempt revenue on capital gains was put into law by Thaksin Shinawatra’s government, again it is the rules of his game. To say that he didn’t understand the culture of Thai politics is laughable, since he himself, from the very beginning of his political career has manipulate every root and branch of the political institution, so he can now sit back and claim that we can not trust the institutions, we can not trust the government, we can not trust our system of Monarchy!

“Its the jealousy of the elite.” Yet everything Thaksin did in his time in power was to build up the Elite, there was Elite for everyone from everywhere who can pay to buy into the Elite Shinawatra Club, but in reality he never offered it to the grassroots or for that fact to any Thai’s. He is the Elite, he speaks of millions in his wealth and his existence and then he blames the Elite for taking him down? Like people in their position of power they can not see the end of their own nose and how the lies hang on it!

As a Thai and not yellow (ASTV) or red or blue or green, it irks me to read comments like the two Chris’s left above. There are many Thai who are articulate and can have the ability to grab simple concepts like manipulation and propaganda and interventionist (colonialist, imperialist, communist, capitalist and ignoramus). Hate Thaksin is not the issue here, and to me that’s giving too much credit to such a person who is in as deep as any of his political compatriots. If you could read Thai, you would be able to read (or perhaps there is a translation!) of Thaksin’s statement which denies and in some respect discredits the interview. But that is an old switch and bate, Thaksin has been playing with this country, with his fellow reds, and with the silent majority of Thailand.

Yes, I said silent majority of Thailand and by the way I live in the village of Suthep just in Chiang Mai, I wouldn’t exactly describe it as urban. And there is a creeping feeling that those who have been asleep are just about to be roused up but such commentaries by Farangs who don’t really know what they are talking about. By people who take advantage of ignorance and blind by the light of the word “Democracy”, while all the time not ever really knowing what that means or how it feels.

Chris Fry comment about attachment to the Monarchy, is forgivable in some sense but again illustrated the ignorance of how Thai people identifies themselves in our culture. We don’t have a puffy Queen of a Monarch, we have a hard working Monarch who worked and spent all his time for the betterment of his people. Even, ignorant Farangs, should be able to see and recognize this. And we are not afraid to mention the Monarchy, as we are not, using his Highness or to comment on the institution to our self serving end like Mr. Thaksin.

The shame that Khun Athita feel (ashamed…of fellow Thais) is exactly how the fugitive ex prime minister wants us, the Thai people, to feel, to shame us into thinking that he, Thaksin alone can govern (actually that’s wrong, he runs this country like he runs SHIN Corp.) this country. He speaks of how (now retracted) he thinks Thailand needs to have reform, which has been taken to imply (Republic) is the future of the country. Inextricably this reforms can only come from him, since he is now outside of the institutions (present government and the corrupt bureaucracy, the Bureaucracy of Institutions), but as a Thai, I know that Thaksin is part of the problem and he is one of the part this country will wake up to when such a time comes. As a part of this reform, it will first involve Thaksin coming back to face the reality of his corruption charges, since he is a coward and a paranoid (Who was gunned down in the streets of Bangkok? Not the man sitting pretty in Dubai! For sure.) delusional power (translate into cash) hunger, that is unlikely. But that is a first scenario of reform, should the courts be political or unjust, and if Thaksin really believes in his statement that the people loves him, then he has no fear. He should start his long march from Phra Viharn temple to Bangkok, politics or unjust judicial system, he will then prove himself (to me and the silent majority) to be as selfless and in the service of his people, red, yellow, blue and green as he has been saying.

BTW I am self organized like all grassroots movements and I don’t need the propaganda for anyones colors to know and to feel how I feel about my country, and the situation in Thailand is a far cry from the conditions faced everyday by our neighbors to the left and to the right, and all around. And I know I will not stand by to see corrupt selfish, self serving, politician like Thaksin or any with the likes of Thaksin run this country to the ruins as they like to see it. The silent majority will be raising, and don’t misinterpret the voice of the Thai people like you Farangs have been doing, it is our country and we will take it back. We will take it back to our beliefs, and believe that we are Thai and we respect ourselves and others, and democracy will be borne from such a respect.

They are pretty gullible indeed but if they object to criticism of HMK, they can find plenty to object to in the interview. Thaksin’s sentiments towards HMK in the interview can only be described at best as “damning with faint praise”, despite his well rehearsed but hollow sounding expressions of loyalty. Implying that HMK’s hand picked advisers are self serving manipulators who deliberately misinform HMK and HMQ for personal gain is not terribly flattering and hardly seems the sentiment of some one who claims that he would willingly give up his own life as well as volunteer the lives of his family members for them.

It is this very gullibility that Thaksin seeks to exploit in selling himself as a champion of the poor and democracy, rather than the ruthless murderer and power and money grubber he is.

This is typical Thai, scared to lose face, when in fact this interview should be translated and discussed by all Thais. It’s too far and long that the Frangs post comments into what they have no knowledge about, nor do they understand that there is a silent of the people who does not agree with Thaksin nor the way this country is being run by the present situation. Western press are not on the ground here, they come here to vacation and write about places like Myanmar, where there is the real news, where the voice of the oppress is not heard. So, when they have an interview with the fugitive ex-prime minister, it is presented without the real understanding of the context, which us real Thais are living in. To comment on the other comments, firstly its ignorant to make such comments on the Foreign Minister, about his hypocrisy, since Thaksin himself came into power by the manipulations of the same council of people (and military and businessmen who are one and the same, often) he is now fighting against. Apisit did not come in to power by election, but he is an elected member of the parliament, his raise to Govern was based on the defection of parlimentary members of the ruling party, which at that time was in disarray and destabilizing for the country. The Democrats party (which were elected as well into the Parliament, by Thai voters, as well) made a parliamentary and political maneuver by seizing the members who then formed another political party and using the rules of Parliament to gain majority. When people make comments about how this government is illegitimate, they are either deeply ignorant of the parlimentary rules nor have they ever read the constitution. It does not make this government more or less legitimate. The idea of the army manipulating this country is not ridiculous but laughable, since half of the men in politics are from the military, so stop crying about the military this and the military that, we are not living in Cambodia nor Myanmmar nor Singapore for that matter where there is not even a seat (seed) in parliament for the idea of an opposition. As for Thaksin, he is on the move as one can read between the lines, and that is if you know where the lines are to be read, so Farangs are excluded from this reading. His constant denials about how he wants to prepare the country towards a Republic, are inconsistent between words and actions. His mention of a ‘fail state’ is precisely an instant of such an example, look around ourselves those of us who are not sitting in Dubai or London or Phanom Penn for that matter, that Thailand should become a ‘fail state’! Fear eats the soul, and Thaksin is with every ounce of any dignity he has is trying to instill fear into us, fellow Thais. Being the smart and cunning man as Thaksin is, he is also putting fear into anyone or any body willing to listen and go along. His (Thaksin) speech and commentaries about lost of investment or lost of shine to this country has no basis, and is a manipulation towards his own means, never do I feel an ounce of his sweat for this country.

“Thailand is near to being a ‘failed state’. Because every institution almost cannot function because you don’t allow the rules of the game to take their course. You don’t allow the rule of law to prevail and you are biased against others. You don’t shine before the whole world. You just want to control power regardless. That’s why I’m saying Thailand has almost become a failed state, because no one trusts each other.”

The you Thaksin mentions in this statement, pretty much applies to how one feels when he was the Prime Minister, for a lot of the population. Thaksin’s rules of the game was and still is for SHIN Corp. not the people of the grassroots not for democracy. The shine before the world was the shameful purchase of a Premiership football team which he was manipulating financially and propagandistically. The ‘you’ Thaksin is talking about is himself!

The capital gains tax laws which exempt revenue on capital gains was put into law by Thaksin Shinawatra’s government, again it is the rules of his game. To say that he didn’t understand the culture of Thai politics is laughable, since he himself from the very beginning of his political career has manipulate every root and branch of the institutions, so he can now sit back and claim that we can not trust the institutions, we can not trust the government, we can not trust our system of Monarchy!

“Its the jealousy of the elite.” Yet everything Thaksin did in his time in power was to build up the Elite, there was Elite for everyone from everywhere who can pay to buy into the Elite Shinawatra Company, he never offered it to the grassroots or for that fact to any Thai’s. He is the Elite, he speaks of millions in his wealth and his existence and then he blames the Elite for taking him down? Like people in their position of power they can not see the end of their own nose and how the lies hang on it!

The Dirty Digger’s toady, presumably the editor of The Times, who provided the dishonest headline, did so to cause a sensation. The Dirty Digger couldn’t care less what trouble and suffering he might cause in a far-off country. In fact he would be happy to make money from the advertising that goes with the news of it.

Thaksin’s comments in his interview were [in this reader’s view] accurate, honest and well directed against certain mischief makers around the Palace. Abhisit did not like this because it is precisely these hands, together with the army, who aided Abhisit illegitimately to power…