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An anti-Thaksin Facebook campaign which uses the image of a Guy Fawkes mask and has gone viral overnight has infuriated the Pheu Thai Party. The campaign is to counter what has been branded the “Thaksin regime”. Many Facebook pages now carry a slogan reading, “The people’s army has risen and it will root out the Thaksin regime from the country”. They have also posted the message on the Facebook page of the Pheu Thai Party and those associated with the ruling party. One of the targets is the Facebook page of Panthongtae Shinawatra, son of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. On Facebook, posters are invited to “like” the page and to post comments. This is a double-edged sword, as those who dislike the page can also post comments. Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit Sunday said the online campaign is “unethical” and “psychologically disturbed”. He threatened to take legal action against Facebook users who post the messages, and said he would meet the party’s legal team Monday to discuss if such acts were in violation of the computer crime law. He called on the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Ministry to investigate. However, ICT Minister Anudith Nakornthap said the ministry could not take any action if the campaigners do not break the law. Mr Prompong believes the movement is politically motivated and is likely to be linked to the people who recently hacked and defaced the website of the Office of the Prime Minister. “This kind of political comment is an act of mentally disturbed people,” he said. Asked about a message posted on the party’s Facebook page by a user with the name “Thaksin Shinawatra” who was angered by the campaign, Mr Prompong said the person was not Thaksin. The message has been deleted. Appointed senator Khamnoon Sitthisamarn Sunday described the campaign as a powerful innovation against the Thaksin regime. “It is powerful. It doesn’t target an individual but the system. It intends to bring down a parliamentary dictatorship which is disguised as democracy,” said Mr Khamnoon on his Facebook page. The visage of Guy Fawkes has become popular among protesters after the 2005 Hollywood film V for Vendetta showed thousands marching on parliament wearing them. It is used by protesters of the Occupy Wall Street movement and a key element in the Arab Spring. Guy Fawkes was an early-17th century British figure who was executed following a foiled plot to assassinate King James I. Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut said the mask campaign is a reaction to the government’s failure to stop red shirts harassing its critics. He warned the campaign will escalate if the government fails to ensure unbiased law enforcement. via Pheu Thai infuriated at Guy Fawkes mask campaign | Bangkok Post: news.

Siblings have a special way of taking a poke at each other, even long after they have flown the family nest. And so it is with Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s exiled former premier, who in a public appearance on Friday insisted, as he often does, that he isn’t running the country through his younger sister, Yingluck, the current prime minister. “I’m not running Thailand,” he said. “My sister is running Thailand, but she may ask my advice on some issue. But not every issue. She is very capable – much better than I expected.” Ouch. Thaksin was speaking in New Delhi, sharing a bit of his hard-won advice with India’s business and political elite. His main tip was to sound a note of caution to any business person considering entering the political fray. “Politics is very cruel and unusual,” he said. “It’s better for someone who has nothing to loose.” Thaksin built Thailand’s largest mobile phone company, Advance Info Service, entering politics, and taking the premiership in 2001. His ownership of his company, Shin Corp, was passed to his children, but when the family decided to sell the business in early 2006 to sell the company to Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, it triggered an outcry from elites already unhappy with other aspects of Thaksin’s politics. Within eight months, Thaksin had been ousted from power in a military coup, and has been living in exile ever since, with the exception of an eight-month period in 2008. His assets, including most of the profits from the $1.9bn Shin Corp sale, have been frozen. “If you want to go into politics, wash your hands from business first,” he advised the crowd in India. “Give up or sell whatever you have. I’ve been robbed of a lot of my money.” There is another side to the Thaksin saga: his many critics would point out that he faces corruption-related charges in Bangkok. But when Thaksin tells his side of the story, he tells it well. http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2012/11/16/thailand-thaksin-takes-at-dig-at-sister/#axzz2COilfdu5

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Good thing that these guys have their priorities straight. If this causes protests in the streets or another coup, I'm not sure Thailand can even recover economically. Between the floods and this . . . who the hell would be crazy enough to pour money into Thailand?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/05/09/national/Thaksin-Ill-return-at-end-of-year-Year-30154905.html

BANGKOK: -- The Supreme Court Tuesday found former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra guilty in the Ratchada land case. He was sentenced to 2 years in jail. Pojaman Shinawatra, his wife, was found not guilty and the court revoked arrest warrant against her. The court found that Thaksin had violated Article 100 and Article 102 of the National Counter Corruption Act, which states that government officials, including prime ministers, and their spouses are prohibited from entering into or having interests in contracts with state agencies under their supervision. -- The Nation 2008-10-21

"The ribbon, which said koo chart or "free Thailand" was not intentionally out of my bag, but had worked its way out after a long day of photographing Sun executives among the sharks and fish. The farmer's outfit was intentional as, as a dark-skinned Thai, I have long had problems with security at high-end malls and offices, not just Paragon. These guards seem to let through foreigners and light-skinned rich people all the time, but always give us native Thais a hard time. Am I accusing them of racism? Yes, years of covering interviews in posh officers and malls has led me to no other conclusion. I wore it as a statement: Objecting to the unfair social elitism that favours the rich in the ultra-capitalist society of modern Thailand, one that has replaced true opportunity for the poor with promises of a better tomorrow that will never arrive." When things started to get nasty at Paragon Bangkok Post-Open Thought 25 June 08 DON SAMBANDARKSA A nation divided. It only takes a simple ribbon with a political slogan in a posh up-market shopping centre to open up the wounds that divide communities, families, relationships and indeed the country, with the North and Northeast on the one hand and Central and Southern provinces on the other. Yes, the ugliness caused by Thaksin Shinawatra has spilled over even into a simple IT press conference. I was escorted out of the Paragon shopping centre by security staff, between a Sun Microsystems MySQL press conference and an Asus P320 PDA phone launch. My crime? Being dressed like a poor farmer and having an anti-Thaksin ribbon on my backpack. I was given the choice of removing the ribbon or leaving, so I told the security guard I would rather be escorted out rather than renounce my right to peaceful expression of my political views. One does wonder though, what the options would have been had I been wearing an anti-Thaksin T-shirt. Things started to get nasty when I asked the security guard for his name and if it was Paragon's policy to remove customers they did not like just like this. The man, later identified as Sitti Siprom, responded that this is private property and Paragon does not need to give a reason for having me removed, nor was he under any obligation to give me his name. However, the tables turned when half way to the lift to escort me to the basement and out to the road (yes, obviously everyone who dislikes Thaksin is too poor to drive a car to Paragon). I felt a bit uncomfortable that I might be led into a quiet corner without any witnesses to what might have happened. So I finally told him that I needed his name and a photo so I could write a good report about it and that incidentally, I am a senior reporter for a small newspaper called the Bangkok Post that he might have heard of. The guard hid his face from the camera and tried to radio for backup. Only he could not call for backup as his red (consumer-grade, analogue) Motorola walkie-talkie could not reach his dispatch centre. So, I was in the rather comical situation of being "escorted" around Paragon by a security guard shielding his face as he searched for an area where his radio could get through to base to call for support. I wonder if someone intent on causing real damage would be patient enough to follow one guard around while they searched for coverage. Yes, a knife-wielding maniac would definitely pause his bloody rampage while the security guards tried to find a signal. Paragon really needs to give Motorola a call to get a Tetra digital trunked radio system installed as soon as possible. Only after a long while did another security guard arrive, somewhat bewildered at the situation and together they escorted me down to building management. Initially every one of my captors said that they were not allowed to act as a spokesperson for Paragon and I was to wait for the boss. That was an odd predicament, as I was captive, but sort of in control in a weird kind of way with many obviously fearing the repercussions of my capture. Things soon cleared up when the building manager arrived, a much more reasonable man by the name of Sarn Santisakul. Turning to full interview mode with notebook and camera out of my backpack, I asked if it was true that Paragon does not allow poor farmers in the mall and if it was policy to kick out anyone with an anti-Thaksin logo. I also asked if it was true that Paragon's owner once said in an interview that she could not stand to see poor farmers in moh hom (farmers' clothes) in her perfect mall. Sarn smiled and said that it was probably not the case. While he admitted to ordering anyone holding a political gathering or causing a disturbance to be removed, as long as I did not cause a disturbance, cause anyone to be injured, break goods or scare others, I was welcome to walk around Paragon even with an anti-Thaksin ribbon on my backpack. He also gave me his personal phone number to call if I was ever stopped again by a security guard. Now, would that have happened if I were not writing for the Bangkok Post and identified myself as a member of the press? I would probably be kicked out onto the road by Santi only to have to sneak in later to get my car from the car park when the guards were not looking. The ribbon, which said koo chart or "free Thailand" was not intentionally out of my bag, but had worked its way out after a long day of photographing Sun executives among the sharks and fish. The farmer's outfit was intentional as, as a dark-skinned Thai, I have long had problems with security at high-end malls and offices, not just Paragon. These guards seem to let through foreigners and light-skinned rich people all the time, but always give us native Thais a hard time. Am I accusing them of racism? Yes, years of covering interviews in posh officers and malls has led me to no other conclusion. I wore it as a statement: Objecting to the unfair social elitism that favours the rich in the ultra-capitalist society of modern Thailand, one that has replaced true opportunity for the poor with promises of a better tomorrow that will never arrive. As for the anti-Thaksin statement? To each his own. For me it was not the corruption, not the purchase of sub-standard smart ID cards, the lock-in for readers, the bizarre interpretations of the Thaicom Satellite contract, the unused e-passports. Nor was it the 73 billion baht sale of Shincorp to Temasek one working day after the law on telecommunication company ownership was changed. For me, it was the abduction and murder of human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit. Somchai disappeared on March 12, 2004, my birthday. So every year, I am painfully reminded how this fighter for the poor paid the ultimate price for standing up against the Thaksin regime. This led me to look into the massacre of protesters at Tak Bai and Krue Se. Remember how the Thaksin government told us that they died because it was Ramadan and the protesters were too weak and died of dehydration and exhaustion? The videos, many of which are still on YouTube, show another most violent story of how they died, one that brings tears to the eyes of anyone with a soul. Then there are the (so far) 1,449 people killed in the "war on drugs" that have been proven not to have had anything to do with drugs at all. Freedom of speech is important in a democratic society. Democracy does not mean becoming a monotonous shade of grey with everyone afraid of putting forward their views. It is about a vibrant tapestry of different beliefs and ideologies; about being tolerant of different views and agreeing to disagree in a civilised manner. Some of my interviewees are vehemently pro-Thaksin, some are radically anti-monarchist, but I am professional enough to get their point of view out without distorting their technology message or kicking them out of the interview room. Indeed, I respect these people I disagree with more than those who would rather not know and are happy living in a gilded cage with their iPhones, Prada bags and perfect Paragon shopping malls. ***This man is jai dee, no?

Breaking News: 5 march deadline for Taksin imposed by People's Alliance for Democracy as they march from Sanam Luang to Democracy Monument and vow to stay and return each day until Thaksin is overthrown. Below is a summary of news reports by CNN, The Nation and Bangkok Post. It is apparent that in the light of recent events the Bangkok Post has become more vocal than the months before (the main(?-) editor of BKK Post was fired last year for being too critical of the government). The summary is an almost exact copy (though shortened for clarity reasons) of what is found on the 3 major sites. I have tried to include as much information from different camps but what prevails in the online media is mainly the Anti-Taksin movement. This can be explained as they have less coverage in Thai TV, Radio and Newspapers and focus on the online media and Satellite Station ASTV. Please read up on the sites for complete coverage. An overview of what happened over the last 48 hours. - While the Securities and Exchange Commission last week announced its findings on disclosure violations involving the Shinawatra family, the SET is looking into possible insider trading by Shin executives in the run-up to last month's 73.3-billion-baht tax free sale of the telecom giant to Singapore's Temasek Holdings. - Privy Council chairman Prem Tinsulanonda has urged people to instil ethics in youngsters, saying Thailand faces severe moral problems. - Academics gave overwhelming support to the opposition's initiative to boycott the April 2 snap elections, saying such a move is not only legal but also noble. - Anti-Thaksin groups came out in force on sunday at Sanam Luang to make their political statement following Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's decision to get the House dissolved. The number of demonstrators was put at 100,000 as the day wore on. Observers believed it would not have jumped this much had Mr Thaksin not called a snap election for April 2. The protesters occupied half of the ground. The entire area, which is about 78 rai of land, can accommodate 200,000 people. Organisers said the rally would press on until Mr Thaksin quits. - Uaychai Watha, a leading teacher criticises Thaksin's over the government's plan to transfer government schools to be under supervision of local administrative organisations. He announces that some 200,000 teachers will boycott election by not serving as officials at polling stations. Uaychais says teachers will strike from March 1 if Thaksin fails to resign within three days. - Between 10,000 and 20,000 people camped out overnight at Sanam Luang in support of the anti taksin rally. - Sarocha Pornudomsak goes up on stage and criticises state-owned TVs for not giving fair reports of anti-Thaksin rallies. - Sondhi asks people who have to work to resume their work but come back to join the rally in the evening. He says the number of people will be much higher when people from provinces arrive. - Thailand's State Enterprise Labour Relations Confederation threatened Monday it would ask its members to strike if the government uses force to crack down on the anti-prime minister rally. The confederation secretary-general said around 200,000 members of the confederation from over 41 state enterprises, will participate in the strike. - In defiance of the mass gathering at Sanam Luang and frantic backstage political manoeuvring by the opposition to amend the charter, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra went about his business as usual, handing out houses to the poor yesterday, a move decried by critics as discreet vote-canvassing. - A military coup may be unavoidable if Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra refuses to budge and political instability persists much longer, said Panlop Pinmanee, deputy chief of the Internal Security Operations Command. Gen Panlop predicted political turmoil if Mr Thaksin clings to his seat. Uncontrollable tension could necessitate a military revolt to restore national calm, he said. Gen Panlop said, however, that a coup would not be easy to organise considering that Mr Thaksin's friends in the armed forces almost monopolise the power to authorise military deployment. - Mainstream Thai TV channels hardly cover the Rally. Satellite TV channel ASTV-TV.COM broadcasts 24h from the rally sites and sets up satellite receivers on markets upcountry to inform the people. - iTV submits a letter of complaint to the Broadcast Journalist Association of Thailand about the case that its TV crew were besieged and intimidated by protesters at Sanam Luang Sunday night. - Two PAD announcers tell the demonstrator that they have reviewed tape of iTV and found that the station did not report the number of protesters Sunday night. They apologise iTV reporter Thapanee Iadsrichai for the misunderstanding and intimidation against her and her crew by demonstrators Sunday night. - Thai Rak Thai legal experts Monday threatened to file a lawsuit against the leaders of the Democrat and Mahachon parties for their plans to boycott the April 2 election. - Uthai Pimchaichon, former parliament president and a drafter of the constitution, said it would not be unconstitutional for the opposition to boycott the elections. - The opposition coalition announces the boycott of the election, the first such political walkout in Thai history. Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva tells the press conference that the Democrat, Chat Thai and Mahachon will not meet Thaksin at 6 pm. He says the three parties will not field candidates in the election because Thaksin tried to distort the spirit of real political reform proposed by the three parties. Abhisit says Thaksin's counter-proposal would run against the principle of political reform and would complicate the reform. - Thaksin says "I've done my best" when he learns of the opposition's decision to boycott the election and refusal to attend a meeting with him. Thaksin holds a meeting with small parties at Parliament to persuade them to contest in the snap election. - Former Thai Rak Thai MP, Sanoh Thienthong and says today is a historic day and he has opportunity to stand before such a large crowd. Sanoh apologises the crowd for supporting Thaksin in the past. "I regret that I had supported a wrong person. Now I am well aware that he is the one who has corrupted throughout his term," Sanoh said. - Senator Nirand Pithakwatchara says Thaksin worsens the situation in the deep South by using violence to try to tackle problems there. - In the restive south on monday Two more people died, including a Burmese Muslim, and two others were injured in separate attacks police said. -Interior minister Purachai Piumsomboon joins the anti-Thaksin coalition. - Sondhi asks the people to promise not to damage any government property, including the Government Lottery Office. People march peacefully to Democracy Monument and will stay there overnight instead of at Sanam Luang. - The PAD has set the ending day for Thaksin and give Taksin 5 days to resign. "March 5 will be the day to check bill against Thaksin. Don't miss a chance to be part of the history to rebuild the country which has been damaged by Thaksin." Sondhi says. - Media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul, a leading PAD member, asks people from provinces to take a few-day leave from job to "make history" by participating in the rally against Thaksin on March 5. - Sondhi says ASTV will not be broadcast live to provinces on March 5 because he wants all provincial people to descend on Bangkok to oust Thaksin. Demonstrators promise they will come to rally on March 5 to oust Thaksin. - Sondhi asks demonstrators to launch PR campaigns to urge more people to come to the planned rally on March 5. Crowds stand in silence for one minute in memory of the democracy heroes. Suwit, an announcer, announces the statement from the PAD saying the demonstrators come to pay respect to spirits of democracy heroes who have died in their fight for democracy. Some sources: http://www.nationmultimedia.com http://www.bangkokpost.com http://www.manager.co.th http://www.astv-tv.com http://www.thairakthai.or.th/ Interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_Rak_Thai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksin_Shinawatra http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sondhi_Limthongkul The tax free sale controversy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaksin_Shinawatra_%241.88_billion_deal_controversy http://www.korbsak.com/ Lawsuits, censorship http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Thai_PM_sues_media_critic_for_one_billion_Baht http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Thai_government_reportedly_planning_Internet_censorship http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/71868/ Keep this thread alive. Let us know what you think.

This could become very serious on Feb 4th. Sondhi is using VERY dangerous words if he wants his tirade against Thaksin to be bigger than Oct 73. What is he thinking?! OUSTING THAKSIN: Sondhi sets his D-Day for Feb 4 Media mogul vows ?it will be my first and last action. I will give my life to the struggle. It will dwarf October 14, 1973?. Media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul yesterday said he was willing to sacrifice his life to lead a ?people?s power? uprising to oust Thaksin on February 4 at Sanam Luang. As tensions rose in Sondhi?s ongoing tirade pitting his anti-Thaksin followers against government supporters, the tycoon said: ?It will be my first and my last [action]. I will give my life to the struggle. It will dwarf October 14, 1973,? he said. Sondhi called on the people to declare Thailand ?free of Thaksin? by joining the demonstration in Sanam Luang and making it the ?longest procession?. Yesterday between 2,000 and 3,000 people arrived at the park early in the evening before Sondhi spoke. They sat squeezed together as a group tried to disrupt the show by loudly cheering and singing military fashion. Sondhi?s team called on his supporters to keep calm and not be goaded by Thaksin supporters. As the challengers sang louder, 200 riot police walked to circle them. The group carried banners saying, ?We love Thailand. Stop lying, cheating. Do not polarise society.? Sondhi and Sarocha Pornudomsak then started the show. They apologised for the delay and accused Thaksin supporters of disrupting the event. As they spoke, an anti ?Sondhi group chanted: ?Mai aw, mai aw? (?Don?t want, don?t want?), clapping and singing in a bid to break up the show. Sondhi denied accusations he had deserted supporters during last Friday?s march to Government House. ?I didn?t leave the crowd. I was following it.? In the background firecrackers exploded ?I want to honour Pol General Pratin Santiprapop,? said Sondhi of his supporter, who was there. He said police had unlocked the gates of the Government House to trap anti-Thaksin groups inside. He also slammed Thaksin?s Back Stage Show, saying the PM made a clown of himself and that only mentally impaired people or the insane would join his reality show. He said Thaksin needlessly exposed his private life, showing himself putting on night cream and visiting the toilet. Sondhi accused Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat of being behind a move to disrupt his show. Sarocha said the disrupters were each paid Bt750 each to come to Bangkok to spoil the show. As Sondhi made he accusation, his attackers chanted, ?It?s not true, it?s not true.? Sondhi told them to switch to his side: ?Don?t accept his dirty money. They cheated it from the country. It?s dirty money. Don?t serve the tyrant. It?s time to restore the country to be free of Thaksin.? A man who lit firecrackers in an attempt to disrupt Sondhi was arrested and pulled away by police before Sondhi?s supporters moved to grab him. When Sondhi learned of the speedy arrest, he asked supporters to applaud the police. Sondhi then attacked the sale of Shin Corp shares, saying the Bt75-billion deal would be exempt from tax. Sondhi said Thaksin has been thinking of selling the shares for several months ago as his government has lost popularity. He fears his assets may be seized in the future, said the tycoon. Thaksin was also fearful for his future after His Majesty the King?s birthday speech, he said. Reports of a possible Shin Corp share sale have been circulating from Japan to Singapore, he said. Thaksin was able to sell it in Singapore because he had acted as the island-state?s ?agent?. Sondhi also said Thaksin had helped Singapore to win the rights to lease Udon Thani Airport for 15 years, adding that Thaksin also allowed Singapore to use other places as military camps. Since December 4, the PM has been frustrated, Sondhi said. He began to feel better on December 28 when he found he could wrap up the Shin deal. Over the New Year, he flew his family to Singapore to clinch the agreement, he said. Source: The Nation - January 21, 2006