Thaksin and Wife Fail to Board Return Flight

[hammered]

The reality is that Tej and Samak have as stated no real choice. To not revoke the passport will create a constitutional crisis over seperation of power. Legislature passes laws. Courts decide cases based on laws. Government bodies enforce the laws. It is actually very very simple.

Tej the old diplomat has pulled a masterstroke handing it up to Samak. Samak now has to either do the deed, resign or face removal over dereliction of duty or through one of the impending cases before. Conversly if he does the deed he faces removal by his own party. It also means the fence sitter must come off of the fence. The decison can only be delayed for a short period. Just after seeing his hand strengthened as Thaksin left the country Samak now sees his hand weakening as lack of trust by anybody for him increases.

This game is coming to a head. Of course extradition is another matter.

It is intersting to watch the Thaksin fight back since the gross humiliation of the wanted posters. He has clearly made it apparent to the PPP that there will be no more humiliations. That means no removal of passport, which is now high profile. It will be interesting to see if the pragmatists in PPP who were seemingly willing to do a deal a week or so ago still are or if Thaksin still controls the party as a vehicle to purely serve his own interests.

[sriracha john]

It is interesting to watch the Thaksin fight back since the gross humiliation of the wanted posters. He has clearly made it apparent to the PPP that there will be no more humiliations.

Humiliation is good for the soul.

- Anonymous

Naewna newspaper - The caption reads: Manhunt: Reporters reveal that in the men lavatory of the Nangleng Police Station decorated with many plants, contains the arrest warrant announcement for deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his spouse Potjaman on the Ratchada land purchase corruption case.

- courtesy of 2Bangkok.com

[sriracha john]

Please accept the truth that…

Top left to right:

The man says: I must be in jail if I do not try to seek asylum. [Reference to Thaksin seeking asylum overseas.]

The man holding the sign says: “If I do not act as comedian, my role is the actor of the movie “Home Alone” The sign reads: Withdraw! [This refers to hapless Suwit Kunkitti, leader of the Puea Pandin Party, who announced his party was withdrawing from the government. However, party members ignored him and affirmed they were staying in the government. Suwit was left "Home Alone."]

People on a log in the sea: “No chance to survive” [This refers to the three PPP Cabinet members related to the lottery case now under investigation.]

Bottom left to right:

The caption reads: This is called dam, not reservoir. The sign in the river read: Khong River [Refers to a project where PM Samak wants to build a reservoir. However the project is alleged to be understated and what is to be built is a "dam" -- in Thai this word is used to denote something larger than a reservoir.]

The 6 measures of the government are really good. The plate on the locomotive says “Makkhawan - Songkhla PAD - Trang – Nakhon Sri Thammarat” [This refers to the six economic stimulus measures the government has put into place. One of the them, free train rides, has resulted in many people crowding trains. The joke is that this will allow many people from Anti-PPP/Thaksin areas to come to Bangkok for free to protest.] :D

Not able to solve the conflict because is naive about democracy. [shows a map of the country with a baby bottle.]

- Matichon; Column: Kaolao Ruammit (translated by 2Bangkok.com)

[OJAS]

Yesterday (Sunday), Manchester City FC welcomed their owner back to the UK with a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Aston Villa FC in their opening match of the new English Premier League season

Oh dear, Manchester City have just beaten West Ham 3-0 in their second match of the new season

[Tony Clifton]

Good for the fans!

Thaksin remains Thaksin.

[OJAS]

I have downloaded the following from the BBC website for a laugh (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...ity/7578022.stm)

Thaksin still focused on Man City

Thaksin faces a warrant for his arrest in Thailand

Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra has no intentions of selling up and remains committed to the club.

Thaksin flew to Britain last week instead of returning home to face court charges and doubts have been raised over the extent of his financial power.

However, City's executive chairman Garry Cook says the former Thai prime minister is not looking for a way out.

"This is his love, and he wants to show people he is committed," Cook told BBC Radio Manchester.

"I asked the question as well as everyone else - 'is the club for sale?' and he is quite adamant this club is not for sale and he is here for the long haul.

"I asked 'why did you buy it?'. He said he bought it because there is a 10-year plan."

Thaksin and members of his family were in the stands to watch City's 3-0 home win over West Ham on Sunday - a day after Cook had revealed that Thaksin had offered to resign from the club's board.

Cook previously stated: "Dr Thaksin is embarrassed about the indignity brought on all the entities - the club, the Premier League - he never intended this.

"He has said to me, 'if you need me to resign from the football club as a director because it would serve the needs of the Premier League, then I'm fine with that as long as that doesn't change any other thing'."

It is not clear what the board's exact response to Thaksin's offer was.

The Premier League has indicated it may ask Thaksin to take its 'fit and proper person test' to see if he can own a club.

"I think there is a very loose term about what is 'fit and proper'," said Cook.

"It is almost a tongue-in-cheek term that you would use for Premier League football over the last 10 years. There are plenty of unfit and improper individuals."

Cook also admitted Thaksin does have financial constraints - his assets have been frozen in Thailand - but denied it will be a major problem for City.

"Dr Thaksin is in a political situation and a case that affects his assets, so that's well documented, and that's a hurdle," added Cook.

"The truth of it is this club is not going to go out of business. This club is not bankrupt. We're moving forward."

City manager Mark Hughes, who had dinner with Thaksin last week, is pleased with the club's progress in the transfer market.

The latest arrival, Belgium's 22-year-old midfielder Vincent Kompany, made his debut in the 3-0 win over West Ham after signing a four-year deal following his move from Hamburg for a reported £6m.

His signing follows the capture of Brazil striker Jo in the close season for £18m.

"We keep on telling everyone there is not a financial situation here and no constraints," commented Hughes. "Some people are putting out a lot of negativity about the club. That will change once we start winning games. People will then concentrate on football, which is the most important thing."

[OJAS]

The Premier League has indicated it may ask Thaksin to take its 'fit and proper person test' to see if he can own a club.

"I think there is a very loose term about what is 'fit and proper'," said Cook.

"It is almost a tongue-in-cheek term that you would use for Premier League football over the last 10 years. There are plenty of unfit and improper individuals."

There most certainly are - as well as Thaksin there's his mate Moh Al-Fayart who owns Fulham FC, to name but 2

[Tony Clifton]

"I think there is a very loose term about what is 'fit and proper'," said Cook.

Yeah, any looser than that and you`re looking at an 80 year old granny working the red light district.

[sriracha john]

UPDATE... the authorities may be going after them...

Prosecutors set to target Thaksin, wife

Public prosecutors are ready to seek the extradition of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Potjaman from Britain if they are convicted of corruption charges in the Ratchadapisek land case. The prosecution delivered its closing statement on Tuesday. The Supreme Court is expected to deliver its verdict on Wednesday. Seksan Bangsomboon, the Executive Director for the Special Litigation Department, said a panel chaired by Deputy Attorney-General Thaworn Panichpan meets on a regular basis to discuss extradition procedures. The prosecution needs only to know the charges on which the couple are found guilty. Mr Seksan said Thaksin and Potjaman face several charges, but might not be found guilty of all of them. "If they are sentenced to jail, we will have to look at the charges on which they have been convicted and list them in the petition for extradition," he said. The couple are accused of breaching Articles 4, 100, and 122 of the National Counter Corruption Act, which bars state officials and their spouses from doing business with a state agency and Articles 33, 83, 86, 91, 152, and 157 of the Criminal Code.

If found not guilty, there would be no need to

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/120908_News/12Sep2008_news09.php

[Artisi]

Will the courts issue the orders and execute them on the Britsh Government or will be it be left to the Thai government to conveniently misplace the documents somewhere for the next 5 - 10 years. Let wait and see.

[KKK]

Out of sight is out of mind.

Not good enough....For far too long has that policy been in force here. It's time to make them pay. With your policy crooked Thai governments will exist forever knowing all they have to do is exile themselves with their ill-gotten gains and live a life of luxury elsewhere.

It's time to be strong and un-forgiving not weak and forgiving.

[Coolmen]

The fact are that the ouster of T. has not been worked out to the fullest extend. Remove him when he are out of the Country and then do nothing. And give him and his lakais the time to set up a political Party who of course will win the vote. And the make Samak to his consul and he laughs all the way over from London about it.

Of course give him back fastest his diplomatic passport and then let him fly together with wife to Peking and from there to England, how much more BS will go on in this our beloved Country?

Still waiting for some way or another that T will get as well blamed on the Falangs. What no ousted government in the past has done, T and his Cronies have done it. For the First Time they have divided the Thai people and within that lies a time bombe ticking and sooner or later it will explode.

[Briggsy]

I am confident there will be no extradition request.

Various government departments, spokespersons and politicians have been bandying this word around since 2006 with no concrete action.