Abhisit Urges Thaksin To Return Home

[Crushdepth]

Just keep on dreaming. To face a kangaroo court it will never happen

1) You really shouldn't insult the courts here.

Why? Whenever we want to discuss something near the root, we come to the reminder "you cannot discuss".

Because it is illegal.

It's not illegal to respectfully discuss. The problem is that the discussion often *isn't* respectful, and so poses a (real) risk to Thaivisa itself. But I agree it is annoying and the moderation gets totally out of hand sometimes.

There is a jail term in Thailand for disagreeing with the court. You could be jail calling Judges Kangaroos. This is not Australia.

You won't go to jail for respectfully discussing a court decision - but if you call a judge a kangaroo in court you probably would be done for contempt or its equivalent. Even in Australia.

[warfie]

Any word back from Thaksin on returning to serve his two years in prison and finish up the remaining cases?

Sure... he said he'd book his ticket as soon as P.A.D. organise a welcoming committee for him at Swampy and A.O.T. respond accordingly...

[sabaijai]

Thaksin's options get fewer and fewer

Published on December 19, 2008

WHERE is Thaksin Shinawatra now? Somebody said he is in Panama, the southernmost country of Central America. Fewer and fewer countries are willing to welcome the fugitive ex-prime minister, with the political liability, criminal sentence and dubious financial transactions he carries around with him.

Thaksin would like to create the impression that he is staying in Dubai. But Dubai might not want to welcome him anymore. China and Hong Kong do not want to court trouble either by allowing him to enter their territories. Most other countries that have relations with Thailand are reluctant to play host to him because of his political activity.

He would like to return home as a hero and a victor, but that prospect is now almost zero. He cannot turn Thailand upside down. He has much less money than before. And money cannot buy everything. His friends and supporters are deserting him.

Thaksin now has to plan his movements carefully because he cannot stay in countries that have an extradition treaty with Thailand. So he will be hopping around to unfamiliar places like Panama or Papua New Guinea.

With the UK revoking his visa, Thaksin can no longer enter any Commonwealth countries. Singapore is caught in the same dilemma of not wanting to welcome Thaksin again. What would be the US response if Thaksin were to apply for a visa to enter the US?

His diplomatic passport has also been revoked. This passport, given only to present and past prime ministers and foreign ministers for life, allowed Thaksin to travel to any country without a visa. But that privilege has now been denied.

The Foreign Ministry was quick to act earlier this week when it was clear that the Democrats were settling into power. Thaksin's support base in the bureaucracy, police and Parliament is crumbling fast. The Thai authorities are now determining whether they will revoke his normal passport altogether.

Asked about the revocation of his father's red passport, Panthongtae Shinawatra said earlier this week that his father was carrying several passports with him and that he was not sure which country he was in now because he had no plan to visit him yet.

Thaksin has lost money in the global financial meltdown. Rumours have been swirling for some time that he has lost in oil-futures trading. Oil futures rose from US$80 (Bt 2,760) to $90 before hitting $160 per barrel. Now the future contracts are trading at $45 a barrel. That could have wiped out more than half of his staggering assets.

All investors in the capital and financial markets have been burnt badly or gone bankrupt in the adverse market conditions. Thaksin is probably no exception. He thought that his investments would be safe with portfolio diversification. But Long-Term Capital Management, the super hedge fund, went bankrupt in 1998 in adverse market conditions even though it thought it had balanced all of its positions.

Thaksin is known to be a big gambler. He does not know how to lose or how to concede. He maintains a winner-takes-all attitude, which he brought with him into the business world and politics. He is now suffering from the boomerang effect. He thought that his wealth and political fortunes would rise forever. Now the financial markets and politics have gone against him.

He might also run into trouble with the UK authorities due to his dubious financial transactions, probably one of the reasons that his visa was denied. Thaksin bought Manchester City Football Club for more than ฃ80 million (Bt4.3 billion) and sold the club to Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi for ฃ210 million. That deal raised the eyebrows of the British authorities. What was "Sinatra" trying to do? That prompted them to take a careful look at his financial dealings.

Arabianbusiness.com has recently revealed that the UK froze Thaksin's assets amounting to $4 billion. "The UK froze his reputed $4 billion of assets, forcing him to sell Manchester City to Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour. To add to his troubles, his UK visa was revoked - oh, and his wife divorced him last week," the Arabianbusiness report said.

Strangely enough, nobody followed up on this story to either confirm or deny whether Thaksin's $4 billion has been frozen by the British authorities. That is no small amount. It is almost Bt140 billion, more than the stimulus package that new prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva plans to pump into rural areas during this time of economic hardship.

Writing his opinion piece, "Bhumibol, Thailand's Remarkable King", in the Los Angeles Times of December 11, W Scott Thompson also confirmed that Thaksin's assets had been frozen by the UK authorities. He wrote: "Meantime, the British have frozen Thaksin's assets in Britain and revoked his visa. So Thaksin's other asset - his rural popularity - can only decline."

Thaksin's dubious financial transactions and his two-year jail sentence in Thailand were the two main reasons, in that order, that led the UK authorities to revoke his visa.

With his dwindling assets overseas, Thaksin's wealth now largely lies in Thailand. But his Bt76 billion, about $2 billion, is frozen by the Thai authorities pending corruption charges against him. Thaksin is fighting fiercely to get this money back, which was earned from the sale of Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings of Singapore. But again the prospect of getting this money back is slim, with his "unusually rich" case going to court.

His wife, Pojaman, has divorced him. She knows all the financial details. They agreed to separate, at least tactically, so she can keep a portion of the wealth for herself and their children. Thaksin will use the rest of the money mainly to finance his political comeback.

Without any family obligations, Thaksin now has nothing to worry about. He can do things his own way. He has repeatedly sent out the signal, "Don't push me into a corner."

--The Nation

[ballpoint]

Just keep on dreaming. To face a kangaroo court it will never happen

1) You really shouldn't insult the courts here.

Why? Whenever we want to discuss something near the root, we come to the reminder "you cannot discuss".

Because it is illegal.

It's not illegal to respectfully discuss. The problem is that the discussion often *isn't* respectful, and so poses a (real) risk to Thaivisa itself. But I agree it is annoying and the moderation gets totally out of hand sometimes.

There is a jail term in Thailand for disagreeing with the court. You could be jail calling Judges Kangaroos. This is not Australia.

You won't go to jail for respectfully discussing a court decision - but if you call a judge a kangaroo in court you probably would be done for contempt or its equivalent. Even in Australia.

So why is Jonathon D. Head still at large spouting his Thaksinist propaganda on the BBC and not behind bars for contempt of court? The other day he clearly said, in reference to Thaksin that he was the victim of "a number of dubious judicial decisions". Sounds like an open and shut case of contempt to me.

[jdinasia]

Hmmmm

I have a few people in ignore because of dubious claims .... but why would a Thai person need to have it explained to him why it is not right to INSULT the courts in Thailand?

[kalbo123]

Thaksin's options get fewer and fewer

Published on December 19, 2008

WHERE is Thaksin Shinawatra now? Somebody said he is in Panama, the southernmost country of Central America. Fewer and fewer countries are willing to welcome the fugitive ex-prime minister, with the political liability, criminal sentence and dubious financial transactions he carries around with him.

Thaksin would like to create the impression that he is staying in Dubai. But Dubai might not want to welcome him anymore. China and Hong Kong do not want to court trouble either by allowing him to enter their territories. Most other countries that have relations with Thailand are reluctant to play host to him because of his political activity.

He would like to return home as a hero and a victor, but that prospect is now almost zero. He cannot turn Thailand upside down. He has much less money than before. And money cannot buy everything. His friends and supporters are deserting him.

Thaksin now has to plan his movements carefully because he cannot stay in countries that have an extradition treaty with Thailand. So he will be hopping around to unfamiliar places like Panama or Papua New Guinea.

With the UK revoking his visa, Thaksin can no longer enter any Commonwealth countries. Singapore is caught in the same dilemma of not wanting to welcome Thaksin again. What would be the US response if Thaksin were to apply for a visa to enter the US?

His diplomatic passport has also been revoked. This passport, given only to present and past prime ministers and foreign ministers for life, allowed Thaksin to travel to any country without a visa. But that privilege has now been denied.

The Foreign Ministry was quick to act earlier this week when it was clear that the Democrats were settling into power. Thaksin's support base in the bureaucracy, police and Parliament is crumbling fast. The Thai authorities are now determining whether they will revoke his normal passport altogether.

Asked about the revocation of his father's red passport, Panthongtae Shinawatra said earlier this week that his father was carrying several passports with him and that he was not sure which country he was in now because he had no plan to visit him yet.

Thaksin has lost money in the global financial meltdown. Rumours have been swirling for some time that he has lost in oil-futures trading. Oil futures rose from US$80 (Bt 2,760) to $90 before hitting $160 per barrel. Now the future contracts are trading at $45 a barrel. That could have wiped out more than half of his staggering assets.

All investors in the capital and financial markets have been burnt badly or gone bankrupt in the adverse market conditions. Thaksin is probably no exception. He thought that his investments would be safe with portfolio diversification. But Long-Term Capital Management, the super hedge fund, went bankrupt in 1998 in adverse market conditions even though it thought it had balanced all of its positions.

Thaksin is known to be a big gambler. He does not know how to lose or how to concede. He maintains a winner-takes-all attitude, which he brought with him into the business world and politics. He is now suffering from the boomerang effect. He thought that his wealth and political fortunes would rise forever. Now the financial markets and politics have gone against him.

He might also run into trouble with the UK authorities due to his dubious financial transactions, probably one of the reasons that his visa was denied. Thaksin bought Manchester City Football Club for more than ฃ80 million (Bt4.3 billion) and sold the club to Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi for ฃ210 million. That deal raised the eyebrows of the British authorities. What was "Sinatra" trying to do? That prompted them to take a careful look at his financial dealings.

Arabianbusiness.com has recently revealed that the UK froze Thaksin's assets amounting to $4 billion. "The UK froze his reputed $4 billion of assets, forcing him to sell Manchester City to Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour. To add to his troubles, his UK visa was revoked - oh, and his wife divorced him last week," the Arabianbusiness report said.

Strangely enough, nobody followed up on this story to either confirm or deny whether Thaksin's $4 billion has been frozen by the British authorities. That is no small amount. It is almost Bt140 billion, more than the stimulus package that new prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva plans to pump into rural areas during this time of economic hardship.

Writing his opinion piece, "Bhumibol, Thailand's Remarkable King", in the Los Angeles Times of December 11, W Scott Thompson also confirmed that Thaksin's assets had been frozen by the UK authorities. He wrote: "Meantime, the British have frozen Thaksin's assets in Britain and revoked his visa. So Thaksin's other asset - his rural popularity - can only decline."

Thaksin's dubious financial transactions and his two-year jail sentence in Thailand were the two main reasons, in that order, that led the UK authorities to revoke his visa.

With his dwindling assets overseas, Thaksin's wealth now largely lies in Thailand. But his Bt76 billion, about $2 billion, is frozen by the Thai authorities pending corruption charges against him. Thaksin is fighting fiercely to get this money back, which was earned from the sale of Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings of Singapore. But again the prospect of getting this money back is slim, with his "unusually rich" case going to court.

His wife, Pojaman, has divorced him. She knows all the financial details. They agreed to separate, at least tactically, so she can keep a portion of the wealth for herself and their children. Thaksin will use the rest of the money mainly to finance his political comeback.

Without any family obligations, Thaksin now has nothing to worry about. He can do things his own way. He has repeatedly sent out the signal, "Don't push me into a corner."

--The Nation

There are so many things just not true in this article...

Mr. Thaksin has more friends in Thailand then any one can think of...

[siam4ever]

That article is the most bone-headed excuse for journalism yet. Even the Nation should be ashamed.

[ThNiner]

There are so many things just not true in this article...

Mr. Thaksin has more friends in Thailand then any one can think of...

So what's not true? And what is the truth...today?

[Sandstone Art]

Thaksin's options get fewer and fewer

Published on December 19, 2008

WHERE is Thaksin Shinawatra now? Somebody said he is in Panama, the southernmost country of Central America. Fewer and fewer countries are willing to welcome the fugitive ex-prime minister, with the political liability, criminal sentence and dubious financial transactions he carries around with him.

Thaksin would like to create the impression that he is staying in Dubai. But Dubai might not want to welcome him anymore. China and Hong Kong do not want to court trouble either by allowing him to enter their territories. Most other countries that have relations with Thailand are reluctant to play host to him because of his political activity.

He would like to return home as a hero and a victor, but that prospect is now almost zero. He cannot turn Thailand upside down. He has much less money than before. And money cannot buy everything. His friends and supporters are deserting him.

Thaksin now has to plan his movements carefully because he cannot stay in countries that have an extradition treaty with Thailand. So he will be hopping around to unfamiliar places like Panama or Papua New Guinea.

With the UK revoking his visa, Thaksin can no longer enter any Commonwealth countries. Singapore is caught in the same dilemma of not wanting to welcome Thaksin again. What would be the US response if Thaksin were to apply for a visa to enter the US?

His diplomatic passport has also been revoked. This passport, given only to present and past prime ministers and foreign ministers for life, allowed Thaksin to travel to any country without a visa. But that privilege has now been denied.

The Foreign Ministry was quick to act earlier this week when it was clear that the Democrats were settling into power. Thaksin's support base in the bureaucracy, police and Parliament is crumbling fast. The Thai authorities are now determining whether they will revoke his normal passport altogether.

Asked about the revocation of his father's red passport, Panthongtae Shinawatra said earlier this week that his father was carrying several passports with him and that he was not sure which country he was in now because he had no plan to visit him yet.

Thaksin has lost money in the global financial meltdown. Rumours have been swirling for some time that he has lost in oil-futures trading. Oil futures rose from US$80 (Bt 2,760) to $90 before hitting $160 per barrel. Now the future contracts are trading at $45 a barrel. That could have wiped out more than half of his staggering assets.

All investors in the capital and financial markets have been burnt badly or gone bankrupt in the adverse market conditions. Thaksin is probably no exception. He thought that his investments would be safe with portfolio diversification. But Long-Term Capital Management, the super hedge fund, went bankrupt in 1998 in adverse market conditions even though it thought it had balanced all of its positions.

Thaksin is known to be a big gambler. He does not know how to lose or how to concede. He maintains a winner-takes-all attitude, which he brought with him into the business world and politics. He is now suffering from the boomerang effect. He thought that his wealth and political fortunes would rise forever. Now the financial markets and politics have gone against him.

He might also run into trouble with the UK authorities due to his dubious financial transactions, probably one of the reasons that his visa was denied. Thaksin bought Manchester City Football Club for more than ฃ80 million (Bt4.3 billion) and sold the club to Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi for ฃ210 million. That deal raised the eyebrows of the British authorities. What was "Sinatra" trying to do? That prompted them to take a careful look at his financial dealings.

Arabianbusiness.com has recently revealed that the UK froze Thaksin's assets amounting to $4 billion. "The UK froze his reputed $4 billion of assets, forcing him to sell Manchester City to Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour. To add to his troubles, his UK visa was revoked - oh, and his wife divorced him last week," the Arabianbusiness report said.

Strangely enough, nobody followed up on this story to either confirm or deny whether Thaksin's $4 billion has been frozen by the British authorities. That is no small amount. It is almost Bt140 billion, more than the stimulus package that new prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva plans to pump into rural areas during this time of economic hardship.

Writing his opinion piece, "Bhumibol, Thailand's Remarkable King", in the Los Angeles Times of December 11, W Scott Thompson also confirmed that Thaksin's assets had been frozen by the UK authorities. He wrote: "Meantime, the British have frozen Thaksin's assets in Britain and revoked his visa. So Thaksin's other asset - his rural popularity - can only decline."

Thaksin's dubious financial transactions and his two-year jail sentence in Thailand were the two main reasons, in that order, that led the UK authorities to revoke his visa.

With his dwindling assets overseas, Thaksin's wealth now largely lies in Thailand. But his Bt76 billion, about $2 billion, is frozen by the Thai authorities pending corruption charges against him. Thaksin is fighting fiercely to get this money back, which was earned from the sale of Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings of Singapore. But again the prospect of getting this money back is slim, with his "unusually rich" case going to court.

His wife, Pojaman, has divorced him. She knows all the financial details. They agreed to separate, at least tactically, so she can keep a portion of the wealth for herself and their children. Thaksin will use the rest of the money mainly to finance his political comeback.

Without any family obligations, Thaksin now has nothing to worry about. He can do things his own way. He has repeatedly sent out the signal, "Don't push me into a corner."

--The Nation

There are so many things just not true in this article...

Mr. Thaksin has more friends in Thailand then any one can think of...

And not forgeting that many of Thaksin's friends are jumping ship or distanting away from him than anyone can think of now!

[ThaiPauly]

Berlusconi never had 1 day of jail and was never found guilty for nothing.

It's the prime minister of my country and him never make Armed force for take the power same marcos.

Talk about your prime minister dont talk about other country that you dont know.

It's elected from us, from the people.

If you want INSULT my country and my PRIME MINISTER than dont be ...sad if i insult your family.

ciao

Yea, and don't talk shit about G.W. either!

Right... let the shoes do the talking...sorry walking

[h90]

Thaksin's options get fewer and fewer

Published on December 19, 2008

WHERE is Thaksin Shinawatra now? Somebody said he is in Panama, the southernmost country of Central America. Fewer and fewer countries are willing to welcome the fugitive ex-prime minister, with the political liability, criminal sentence and dubious financial transactions he carries around with him.

cut out......for shortening the posting

--The Nation

There are so many things just not true in this article...

Mr. Thaksin has more friends in Thailand then any one can think of...

but many were only friends of money....no money no friend....

[Journalist]

For God's sake, why don't you self-styled legal eagles simple google

'contempt of court' + 'definition'

And you'll see why in a free society people are allowed to criticise a court's ruling outside the precincts of the courthouse without being banged up themselves.

[oceano]

Berlusconi never had 1 day of jail and was never found guilty for nothing.

It's the prime minister of my country and him never make Armed force for take the power same marcos.

Talk about your prime minister dont talk about other country that you dont know.

It's elected from us, from the people.

If you want INSULT my country and my PRIME MINISTER than dont be ...sad if i insult your family.

ciao

Yea, and don't talk shit about G.W. either!

Right... let the shoes do the talking...sorry walking

yes my Lord. thank you my Lord.

Edited December 19, 2008 by oceano

[jdinasia]

For God's sake, why don't you self-styled legal eagles simple google

'contempt of court' + 'definition'

And you'll see why in a free society people are allowed to criticise a court's ruling outside the precincts of the courthouse without being banged up themselves.

You can discuss rulings all you like but to insult the court is not legal in Thailand. You, being a "Journalist" should know this

[animatic]

For God's sake, why don't you self-styled legal eagles simple google

'contempt of court' + 'definition'

And you'll see why in a free society people are allowed to criticise a court's ruling outside the precincts of the courthouse without being banged up themselves.

Ditto.

[Journalist]

For God's sake, why don't you self-styled legal eagles simple google

'contempt of court' + 'definition'

And you'll see why in a free society people are allowed to criticise a court's ruling outside the precincts of the courthouse without being banged up themselves.

You can discuss rulings all you like but to insult the court is not legal in Thailand. You, being a "Journalist" should know this

Disagreeing publicly with a verdict is neither an insult nor a contempt of court.

Otherwise people wouldn't be allowed to appeal what they thought was an unsatisfactory verdict.

Saying 'the judge is a wanke_r' might be some offence, but is anyone doing that?

[jdinasia]

Just keep on dreaming. To face a kangaroo court it will never happen

Ummmm Yes "Journalist" .... that is what is happening here.

[Journalist]

Oh I see , you're saying that some guy on Thaivisa is going to be done for contempt because he called a court 'kangaroo' - whatever.

You're the self-trained polyglot "Lawyer" - so you'd know I guess.

Be interesting to see the statute concerning that interpretation though.

[sriracha john]

For God's sake, why don't you self-styled legal eagles simple google

'contempt of court' + 'definition'

And you'll see why in a free society people are allowed to criticise a court's ruling outside the precincts of the courthouse without being banged up themselves.

You can discuss rulings all you like but to insult the court is not legal in Thailand. You, being a "Journalist" should know this

But he's not in Thailand, JD... so we'll help him...

Chaiya guilty of contempt of court

The Administrative Court yesterday found Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsap guilty of contempt of court and fined him Bt25,000. Chaiya had criticised the court's injunction against his order to appoint a new board of directors at the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation.

Former lawyer of ousted PM jailed for contempt of court

Criminal Court sentenced a former lawyer of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to six months in jail and a fine of Bt70,000 for contempt of court.

However the court put Thana Benjathikul on probation for two years.

The court found Thana guilty of contempt of court for criticising the court on jailing three former Election Commission members.

Sure seems like Thaksin's people have an affinity for the charge...

Edited December 19, 2008 by sriracha john

[jdinasia]

Oh I see , you're saying that some guy on Thaivisa is going to be done for contempt because he called a court 'kangaroo' - whatever.

You're the self-trained polyglot "Lawyer" - so you'd know I guess.

Be interesting to see the statute concerning that interpretation though.

Is that like being a self-styled "Journalist" that misses the topic he is replying to entirely? and am I a self-trained polyglot "Lawyer"?

Please feel free to read up on the law as much as you please, I am sure you will find some references in the posts from English language newspapers in Thailand

Do you think the definition of Kangaroo Court might be insulting to the Constitution Court or the Supreme Court or the criminal courts of Thailand?

Definition

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?db=...angaroo%20court

kangaroo court 

–noun

1. a self-appointed or mob-operated tribunal that disregards or parodies existing principles of law or human rights, esp. one in a frontier area or among criminals in prison.

2. any crudely or irregularly operated court, esp. one so controlled as to render a fair trial impossible.

Edited December 19, 2008 by jdinasia

[Journalist]

^If you're trying to frighten/intimidate Thaivisa members by saying they could be indicted for contempt, then you should be reported, because that is a useless criticism on your part.

Oh, here's a few more inverted commas for you to patronise me with.....

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Edited December 19, 2008 by Journalist

[jdinasia]

no "Journalist" ... the moderation team does a good job at dealing with people breaking the law on this forum.

And pointing out that one should not INSULT the courts here is neither intimidating nor threatening

[jdinasia]

For God's sake, why don't you self-styled legal eagles simple google

'contempt of court' + 'definition'

And you'll see why in a free society people are allowed to criticise a court's ruling outside the precincts of the courthouse without being banged up themselves.

You can discuss rulings all you like but to insult the court is not legal in Thailand. You, being a "Journalist" should know this

But he's not in Thailand, JD... so we'll help him...

Chaiya guilty of contempt of court

The Administrative Court yesterday found Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsap guilty of contempt of court and fined him Bt25,000. Chaiya had criticised the court's injunction against his order to appoint a new board of directors at the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation.

Former lawyer of ousted PM jailed for contempt of court

Criminal Court sentenced a former lawyer of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to six months in jail and a fine of Bt70,000 for contempt of court.

However the court put Thana Benjathikul on probation for two years.

The court found Thana guilty of contempt of court for criticising the court on jailing three former Election Commission members.

Sure seems like Thaksin's people have an affinity for the charge...

Thanks --- it is obvious that "Journalist" was just responding to me (trying to flame) without either reading what has been said or thinking about this being Thailand. You CANNOT insult the courts in Thailand. It is illegal.

[sriracha john]

That article is the most bone-headed excuse for journalism yet. Even the Nation should be ashamed.

I was going to ask why you felt that way... but having seen you're gone for good now, I won't bother. Adios.

[jdinasia]

That article is the most bone-headed excuse for journalism yet. Even the Nation should be ashamed.

I was going to ask why you felt that way... but having seen you're gone for good now, I won't bother. Adios.

:D

[plachon]

That article is the most bone-headed excuse for journalism yet. Even the Nation should be ashamed.

I was going to ask why you felt that way... but having seen you're gone for good now, I won't bother. Adios.

Yes indeed. Adios. Hopefully the last we've seen of the toxic bleater.

[permanent_disorder]

That article is the most bone-headed excuse for journalism yet. Even the Nation should be ashamed.

I was going to ask why you felt that way... but having seen you're gone for good now, I won't bother. Adios.

Yes indeed. Adios. Hopefully the last we've seen of the toxic bleater.

There have been comparisons made in recent weeks between the rallies in Bangkok and the mobilizing of fascist, anti-democratic groups on the streets of Europe many decades ago. But it is in this targeting and redirecting of the work done by the courts that current events most closely resemble those of 1930s Germany.

In the Weimar period, the judiciary was increasingly manipulated and used to serve a particular set of interests, those of the emerging Nazis and their allies, against their political opponents. The courts throughout this time stuck to the letter of the law while defying its spirit, hollowing it out so that virtually anything could be made to fit inside but still be defended in legal terms.

Among the types of political cases brought to the courts, there was a category of artificially-created offenses, in which a crime may technically have been committed within the narrow terms of a statute but could only be made sensible if divorced from its historical and social setting, and reduced to minute details....

http://www.upiasia.com/Human_Rights/2008/0...o_problem/4355/

[Merangue]

For God's sake, why don't you self-styled legal eagles simple google

'contempt of court' + 'definition'

And you'll see why in a free society people are allowed to criticise a court's ruling outside the precincts of the courthouse without being banged up themselves.

You can discuss rulings all you like but to insult the court is not legal in Thailand. You, being a "Journalist" should know this

But he's not in Thailand, JD... so we'll help him...

Chaiya guilty of contempt of court

The Administrative Court yesterday found Public Health Minister Chaiya Sasomsap guilty of contempt of court and fined him Bt25,000. Chaiya had criticised the court's injunction against his order to appoint a new board of directors at the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation.

Former lawyer of ousted PM jailed for contempt of court

Criminal Court sentenced a former lawyer of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to six months in jail and a fine of Bt70,000 for contempt of court.

However the court put Thana Benjathikul on probation for two years.

The court found Thana guilty of contempt of court for criticising the court on jailing three former Election Commission members.

Sure seems like Thaksin's people have an affinity for the charge...

Thanks --- it is obvious that "Journalist" was just responding to me (trying to flame) without either reading what has been said or thinking about this being Thailand. You CANNOT insult the courts in Thailand. It is illegal.

Just as well i am not in Thailand as i consider the courts there to be politically motivated to lean in directions that make the law stretch in some ways and contract in others.

EG: having a go at certain peoples attempts or ability to vote buy whilst pretty much ignoring another party's equally corrupt attempts to do the same.

[Tanaka]

Maybe the new PM read ThaiPaully's advice here on ThaiVisa. Taksin comes home, serves time in jail, and emerges as a humble, virtuous Thai saviour to lead Thailand into the 22nd centuiry...after he has served all his consecutive terms, I might add. In the footsteps of Czechoslavakia's Havel, South Africa's Mandela, India's Mohandas Gandhi, and M. L. King, Jr.

Second time in as many days you've made the Gandhi Thaksin comparison. Are you feeling ok PeaceBlondie?

I was beginning to think the same thing myself.

Thaksin is in the company of Suharto,Marcos, Berlusconi & Chen Shui-Bian not the above mentioned statesmen. Please.

Berlusconi never had 1 day of jail and was never found guilty for nothing.

It's the prime minister of my country and him never make Armed force for take the power same marcos.

Talk about your prime minister dont talk about other country that you dont know.

It's elected from us, from the people.

If you want INSULT my country and my PRIME MINISTER than dont be ...sad if i insult your family.

ciao

English please.

DONT INSULT MY COUNTRY AND MY PRIME MINISTER.

UNDERSTOOD?

Don't put the caps lock on, understand?

YES I PUT BEACAUSE I SHOUT...DONT INSULT MY COUNTRY AND MY PRIME MINISTER.

Sorry, could you say that louder, I didn't here it the first time

he don't want that numbnuts that compare Thaksin with Suharto, Marcos, Idi Amin, Milosevic, Pol Pot and Mugabi <sic> put also Berlusconi in that line.

he pointed out that Berlusconi never was in jail and never found quilty for anything. and that Berlusconi is the elected PM, elected by the people, the italian people. and that Berlusconi never used the army as support to come in office, unlike some other PMs.

and he fell strongly insulted as italian. such comments insulting no only Berlusconi but also the people of Italy.

that is the way i understand his comment. and he is right. people haven't the faintest idea should better shut up.

his english is maybe not perfect, but he is not an imbecile like those who make such comparison like above and he is not a &lt;deleted&gt; like the one who pretend not to understand him and making fun of his command of the English language.

understand now?

if not you can still play the grammar nazi because some typo jew made the here/hear error. that is your chance, go toad, flame him.

Sorry mate

In Italy it is still allowed to critisize the PM. And as the man thinks he has the right to tell others that they cannot use their democratic rights, it says a lot about him but it still does not make it illegal. His reaction seems a bit pathetic though. Why would he feel so strongly motivated to defend a politician and businessman billionaire?

Oh, and contrary to his beliefs, Berlusconi is not Italy!

Edited December 19, 2008 by Tanaka

[henryalleman]

Thaksin's options get fewer and fewer

Published on December 19, 2008

WHERE is Thaksin Shinawatra now? Somebody said he is in Panama, the southernmost country of Central America. Fewer and fewer countries are willing to welcome the fugitive ex-prime minister, with the political liability, criminal sentence and dubious financial transactions he carries around with him.

Thaksin would like to create the impression that he is staying in Dubai. But Dubai might not want to welcome him anymore. China and Hong Kong do not want to court trouble either by allowing him to enter their territories. Most other countries that have relations with Thailand are reluctant to play host to him because of his political activity.

He would like to return home as a hero and a victor, but that prospect is now almost zero. He cannot turn Thailand upside down. He has much less money than before. And money cannot buy everything. His friends and supporters are deserting him.

Thaksin now has to plan his movements carefully because he cannot stay in countries that have an extradition treaty with Thailand. So he will be hopping around to unfamiliar places like Panama or Papua New Guinea.

With the UK revoking his visa, Thaksin can no longer enter any Commonwealth countries. Singapore is caught in the same dilemma of not wanting to welcome Thaksin again. What would be the US response if Thaksin were to apply for a visa to enter the US?

His diplomatic passport has also been revoked. This passport, given only to present and past prime ministers and foreign ministers for life, allowed Thaksin to travel to any country without a visa. But that privilege has now been denied.

The Foreign Ministry was quick to act earlier this week when it was clear that the Democrats were settling into power. Thaksin's support base in the bureaucracy, police and Parliament is crumbling fast. The Thai authorities are now determining whether they will revoke his normal passport altogether.

Asked about the revocation of his father's red passport, Panthongtae Shinawatra said earlier this week that his father was carrying several passports with him and that he was not sure which country he was in now because he had no plan to visit him yet.

Thaksin has lost money in the global financial meltdown. Rumours have been swirling for some time that he has lost in oil-futures trading. Oil futures rose from US$80 (Bt 2,760) to $90 before hitting $160 per barrel. Now the future contracts are trading at $45 a barrel. That could have wiped out more than half of his staggering assets.

All investors in the capital and financial markets have been burnt badly or gone bankrupt in the adverse market conditions. Thaksin is probably no exception. He thought that his investments would be safe with portfolio diversification. But Long-Term Capital Management, the super hedge fund, went bankrupt in 1998 in adverse market conditions even though it thought it had balanced all of its positions.

Thaksin is known to be a big gambler. He does not know how to lose or how to concede. He maintains a winner-takes-all attitude, which he brought with him into the business world and politics. He is now suffering from the boomerang effect. He thought that his wealth and political fortunes would rise forever. Now the financial markets and politics have gone against him.

He might also run into trouble with the UK authorities due to his dubious financial transactions, probably one of the reasons that his visa was denied. Thaksin bought Manchester City Football Club for more than ฃ80 million (Bt4.3 billion) and sold the club to Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi for ฃ210 million. That deal raised the eyebrows of the British authorities. What was "Sinatra" trying to do? That prompted them to take a careful look at his financial dealings.

Arabianbusiness.com has recently revealed that the UK froze Thaksin's assets amounting to $4 billion. "The UK froze his reputed $4 billion of assets, forcing him to sell Manchester City to Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Mansour. To add to his troubles, his UK visa was revoked - oh, and his wife divorced him last week," the Arabianbusiness report said.

Strangely enough, nobody followed up on this story to either confirm or deny whether Thaksin's $4 billion has been frozen by the British authorities. That is no small amount. It is almost Bt140 billion, more than the stimulus package that new prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva plans to pump into rural areas during this time of economic hardship.

Writing his opinion piece, "Bhumibol, Thailand's Remarkable King", in the Los Angeles Times of December 11, W Scott Thompson also confirmed that Thaksin's assets had been frozen by the UK authorities. He wrote: "Meantime, the British have frozen Thaksin's assets in Britain and revoked his visa. So Thaksin's other asset - his rural popularity - can only decline."

Thaksin's dubious financial transactions and his two-year jail sentence in Thailand were the two main reasons, in that order, that led the UK authorities to revoke his visa.

With his dwindling assets overseas, Thaksin's wealth now largely lies in Thailand. But his Bt76 billion, about $2 billion, is frozen by the Thai authorities pending corruption charges against him. Thaksin is fighting fiercely to get this money back, which was earned from the sale of Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings of Singapore. But again the prospect of getting this money back is slim, with his "unusually rich" case going to court.

His wife, Pojaman, has divorced him. She knows all the financial details. They agreed to separate, at least tactically, so she can keep a portion of the wealth for herself and their children. Thaksin will use the rest of the money mainly to finance his political comeback.

Without any family obligations, Thaksin now has nothing to worry about. He can do things his own way. He has repeatedly sent out the signal, "Don't push me into a corner."

--The Nation

In the Bahamas a lot of dodgy miljonaires find a save haven. In the Bahamas everything is possible as long you have the money, they even give their vote to the highest bidder in the UN. But except some beaches and a lot of water there is nothing do to over there hardly a place you like to spend the rest of your life. A holiday for a weeks OK but the rest of your life?