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Southeast Asia
Toxin cancels U.N. speech
2006-09-20
UNITED NATIONS — Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra first moved up his General Assembly speech to Tuesday, then canceled it altogether as he found himself suddenly faced with a military coup at home.
Does anybody listen to what deposed prime ministers have to say?
Wherever he goes next, he'll be flying economy class.
The beleaguered leader, who had been due to speak on Wednesday, switched places with Montenegro on the speaker's list to allow him to speak Tuesday evening instead due to the developing events in Thailand. But just three hours before he was expected to address the 192-nation world body, U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe announced that "Thailand is no longer on the General Assembly speaker's list this evening." She gave no explanation for the cancellation.
Oh, come on. I'll bet there's nobody there who can't guess why...
Tanks and armored units of the Thai military have blocked the area around Thaksin's offices in Bangkok, and he declared a state of emergency via a government-owned TV station. Thaksin was believed to be holed up at a hotel in Manhattan, just a few blocks from the U.N. headquarters.
That's approximately 11400 miles, give or take ten miles or so.
Hmmm, stuck in a posh Manhattan hotel or in the middle of a coup; decision, decisions ...
A foreign ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said Thaksin still tentatively planned to fly back to Thailand later Tuesday. The official said he could not comment on questions about the possibility of Thaksin being arrested if he returned. Asked if there was a possibility the Thai ambassador could replace Thaksin at the podium sometime during the eight-day General Assembly ministerial meeting, the official said, "We don't know what arrangements will be made. Everything is up in the air."
Posted by:Fred

#16  Frand G & .com - Get a room. ;-p
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut   2006-09-20 19:23  

#15  From the Times: General Sondhi Boonyaratglin, is a broadminded Muslim who has favoured a policy of engagement with insurgents and become a hero of liberal Thais.

Otherwise, I agree with Zhang in the other thread. This is a anti-democratic, anti-modernizing coup that politicizes the monarchy.
Posted by: phil_b   2006-09-20 19:12  

#14  Incorrigible tease!
Posted by: .com   2006-09-20 19:09  

#13  LOL - I figured as much - just wanted to yank the tiger's tail
Posted by: Frank G   2006-09-20 19:05  

#12   I heard a rumor that the $1.9 BILLION (tax-free) that he pocketed from the sale of Shin telecom is still banked in Thailand. I suspect he'll have a real hard time accessing cash from a Manhattan hotel room! And I doubt he'll be very welcome back in Bangkok.... His best option right now is probably to start sucking up to Chavez, big time.

In that case he might be better off going back to Thailand and throwing himself on the mercy of the court.
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman   2006-09-20 18:50  

#11  LOL, Frank... Naw, not really, that just says:

"Yes, I speak a little. I like the Thai people very much."

Kowjai, farang? (Do you understand, you honkey-assed foreigner?) LOL.
Posted by: .com   2006-09-20 18:46  

#10  damn...he's regressing

:-)
Posted by: Frank G   2006-09-20 18:40  

#9  Kahp, pohm poot nit noi. Chawp kohn Thai mahk mahk.
Posted by: .com   2006-09-20 17:56  

#8  Ah well, when I was there two months ago I got an earful from a taxi driver and several street vendors (and I didn't bring up the subject). Khun put Thai mai?
Posted by: Scooter McGruder   2006-09-20 17:50  

#7  Coincidentally, I was in Thailand last week. Didn't come across any seething resentment of Thaksin. I know the urban elites don't like him, but they never did.
Posted by: phil_b   2006-09-20 17:19  

#6  Phil, that was 2005. Have you talked to any Thais on the street lately? I have.

And by the way, Gen. Sondhi may be a Muslim, but he's no Islamist. He's got a record of being pretty heavy-handed in cracking down on the southern insurgents. He might actaully be a genuine moderate Muslim -- Thai first, Muslim second.
Posted by: Scooter McGruder   2006-09-20 12:18  

#5  Why are some being happily snarky about the government of a SE Asian country being handed over to an appeasement-minded Muslim?
Posted by: JSU   2006-09-20 06:56  

#4  Thai on the street hates Thaksin

Guess that's why Thaksin won a landslide election victory in 2005 with more than 60% of votes cast.
Posted by: phil_b   2006-09-20 04:50  

#3  Naw, the military coup is a staple of Thai politics. They've been overdue for one... and your average Thai on the street hates Thaksin (as you say, for selling to foreigners). The army chiefs apparently have the backing of the King, and that's all the legitimacy anyone needs in Thailand. It's fait accompli.
Posted by: Scooter McGruder   2006-09-20 01:36  

#2  The 1.9 billion tax free was perfectly legal, the Thai SEC investigated and said so. The controversy is really about selling to foreigners (Singapore in this case).

FWIW I think this coup against a duly elected head of government is going to end badly.
Posted by: phil_b   2006-09-20 01:21  

#1  I heard a rumor that the $1.9 BILLION (tax-free) that he pocketed from the sale of Shin telecom is still banked in Thailand. I suspect he'll have a real hard time accessing cash from a Manhattan hotel room! And I doubt he'll be very welcome back in Bangkok.... His best option right now is probably to start sucking up to Chavez, big time.
Posted by: Scooter McGruder   2006-09-20 00:17  

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