I'm actually a supporter of Taksin

[Fon Tok]

I maybe one of the few who support the leader we know as Taksin

there are arguments againts him, many in fact,

But,

He took the country out of political turmoil, and from what I can see has tried his best, he has done a better job than previous leaders.

What I want to ask is, is it better the devil we know, or should we embrace a new era and government ?

try to forget about the drinking restrictions etc..

We have to think what is best for the Thai population,

comments please

[dirtydog]

I believe in most countries toxin would be in prison now for tax evasion, genocide and other minor crimes like that.

How does toxin sort out problems? he just kills ppl, 3,000 supposedly drug dealers executed in 3 months to solve the drug problem, is the problem solved? nearly 100 down south executed by suffocation cos they were protesting and looked at the police in a funny way, is that problem solved?

wasn't it him that called in the IMF last time?

Premier says the PAD leader is wasting his time trying to save the country



Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday derided Chamlong Srimuang, saying he should go back to looking after his adopted dogs rather than wasting his time trying to "save the country".

In his attack, Thaksin said Chamlong, a key figure in the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), was unable to take care of 2,000 dogs, let alone manage the country.

Thaksin attacked Chamlong and other PAD leaders as well as former opposition parties while speaking at a Thai Rak Thai Party election campaign in front of the Baiyoke Tower 2 in Bangkok's Pratunam area yesterday afternoon.

"Chamlong cannot look after 2,000 dogs on his own and has to beg food for them from other people. So how could he save the country? He'd better go back to caring for his dogs," Thaksin said.

Chamlong adopts stray dogs, mostly from Bangkok, and cares for them at his Dharma Army Foundation in Kanchanaburi.

Thaksin told the election rally that he adhered to democracy and had 377 MPs in the House. Only a small group of people, who did not adhere to democracy, had asked him to resign, he said.

Thaksin said he wanted the conflict to end as soon as possible and did not want to see any violence, which was why he dissolved the House so that the people could make a judgement.

"But this group of people will not accept the decision of the people. They think they are smarter than everyone else so they continue to rally. They even said their rally is more important than the annual Thai Red Cross fair," Thaksin said.

"But in doing so they have caused a lot of damage to the country."

Thaksin urged his supporters to teach a lesson to the protesters by turning out to vote in high numbers.

"Let the people show them that democracy belongs to all, not only to their group," Thaksin said.

"And if you want to use my services again, please vote for No 2 [his Thai Rak Thai candidacy number]," Thaksin said.

He insisted that he would not take the post of prime minister if Thai Rak Thai received less than half of the votes cast on election day.

He said if he took a break from politics as demanded by his opponents, the country would stand to lose.

"If I take a break, the 300-km electric-train project will never come to fruition because no one will invest in it. How could Chamlong or Sondhi [Limthongkul, another PAD leader] find the money for the project? What can Abhisit [Vejjajiva, Democrat leader] do?" Thaksin said.

Thaksin said the protesters in front of Government House had caused enormous traffic congestion throughout Bangkok.

"They even told those who were caught up in traffic jams not to complain. They said protesters suffered more. But I would like to say: Who the hell asked them to rally? Everybody wants them to go in peace," Thaksin said.

He claimed that if he failed to continue to lead the country, Thailand might have to enter a rescue programme with the International Monetary Fund again.
"If discontinuity happens or if there is a break of just two or three months, foreign reserves will flow out, and Thailand will have to enter the IMF programme again," Thaksin said.

Samatcha Hoonsara
The Nation

the important bit.

He claimed that if he failed to continue to lead the country, Thailand might have to enter a rescue programme with the International Monetary Fund again.

[William]

There was me thinking Chuan Leakpai took Thailand out of political turmoil...

IMHO, Chuan was fairly hard done by. But then, I'm a farang so what do I know...

[Fon Tok]

Nice post DD, but surely thats just one side of the political mess that encompasses (sp?) Thailand at the moment ?

As for Leekpai, yes he did take the country out of political turmoil, but it is Taksin that has held the country in political and economical stability, until now of course.

If the meddlers like sondhi and his likes had stopped being such knobs, the country would still be stable now !

[dirtydog]

try to forget about the drinking restrictions etc..

If I had spent all year saving up for my yearly holiday to Thailand and then found that the bars close at 1am, or got caught in a drugs testing raid on some bar and had my picture put in the papers as your handing over your cup of urine, I would probably be a tad disapointed in the holiday and may even consider a new destination for next years holiday.

[dirtydog]

If toxin was a yank he would have the IRS bashing down his door right now, as for the murder charges, well, whats a few thousand dead thais worth, 50k baht each? he can afford that one.....

[Fon Tok]

try to forget about the drinking restrictions etc..

If I had spent all year saving up for my yearly holiday to Thailand and then found that the bars close at 1am, or got caught in a drugs testing raid on some bar and had my picture put in the papers as your handing over your cup of urine, I would probably be a tad disapointed in the holiday and may even consider a new destination for next years holiday.

You know as well as I do that the drinking laws are not observed

[dirtydog]

You know as well as I do that the drinking laws are not observed

they are in my favourite places, gogo bars and short time bars, I aint into the open air bars

[buadhai]

I don't much like Taksin, but for the sake of orderly political process I hope he doesn't resign. I also hope His Majesty doesn't step in. (He won't.) This crisis has to be resolved within the existing framework of government. It would be disastrous if yet another Prime Minister were forced out by mob rule, even though if I were Thai I'd probably be part of the anti-Taksin mob.

[William]

I accept that Thaksin has had some very popular ideas. But that is just it, Thaksin is to Thailand what Blair is to the UK - they're not leaders, they follow the crowd. That's possibly why he is in the state he is in now - he's not got a track record.

Most, if not all, solid groundwork for economic stability was set in monition before Thaksin came to power - he just road on the coat-tails.

Otherwise, name me one economic policy TRT have come up with?

[Goddess of Whatever]

As for Leekpai, yes he did take the country out of political turmoil, but it is Taksin that has held the country in political and economical stability, until now of course.

Sure, he paid the debt that we owed IMF but, those money, Toxin published them up! Those money was not what we really had.


At the moment, I worry about the election on 2nd of April. They will NEVER get 500 MPs but why do they still keep the election on that day? We, Thailand, don't have much money to through away for a bullshit election. Gawd!!! My Pra-Tet-Thai.

[buadhai]

Do you really think the election will go happen on April 2? I think that when it becomes clear that it will be a waste of time some sort of compromise will be made to delay it, or the EC will delay it by administrative fiat.

[Bubba]

Chuan Leekpai was a good PM who brought the country out of chaos. Unfortunately he was a little boring and didn't go accross with the public too well.

Thaksin bought a lot of MPs for Thai Rak Thai - i.e. paid them to join then went around telling uneducated farmers that he was going to give all Moo Bahns 1000000 baht. Thus getting the easily maniuplated section of the vote.

Thaksins economic policies have made the indebted the poor, who are then more grateful for government hand outs. The reality show that Thaksin was in. The pomposity of the shit - the richest man in Thailand, from a rich family, whose never missed a lunch in his life - to go an tell these farmers that he is a poverty doctor and understands their problems ... then proceeds to hand out cows as his solutions as his embarassed cabinet looks on.

So Thaksin should go - why:
1) Economic mismanagement
2) Human Rights abuses
3) Supression of free speech
4) Cronyism and corruption
5) Authoritarian 'social order' policies (IMO)

P.s. in order for a society to improve democracy is not necessary, but the mechanism for criticising a government, responding to that criticism and
occasionally bringing along a new set of people with differernt ideas. Democracy seems to do this best. Thaksins large scale ownership of media and intimidating tactics of criticism does not.

[ChiangMai noon]

Welcome Bubba.

About time we had an intelligent poster on here.

[DrAndy]

Welcome Bubba.

About time we had an intelligent poster on here.

duh, oh yes, we all thank you for that CMN

[Marmite the Dog]

but it is Taksin that has held the country in political and economical stability

No. It was the IMF who stabilised Thailand's economy. Since the IMF left, Taksin has done his best to make his companies as sucessful as possible to the detriment of other important Thai industries. One just has to see how the SET has grown over the last 2 years to know that there's trouble brewing....

[ozman]

Somebody must have taught the same crap to Bush, Howard and now Toxin, tell as many lies and use as many scare tatics as possible to get yourself elected again.

[ChiangMai noon]

duh, oh yes, we all thank you for that CMN

You are all more than welcome.
Especially you Andy.