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Thailand - the mind boggles

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  • 09-09-2008 6:52am
    #1
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,423 ✭✭✭✭


    I hadn't paid mush attention to the crisis de jour in Thialand invloving the prime minister. Ineptitude? Corruption? - some. Financial impropriety? Power struggle? - there is a state of emergency.

    No, one of the problems is him hosting a TV cooking show. And it might just be how he is forced out of office.

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0909/breaking4.htm
    Thai PM faces verdict over cooking sideline

    Thailand’s prime minister awaited a Constitutional Court verdict today on whether he will be forced out of office for hosted TV cooking shows - yet another twist in a deepening national political crisis.

    “Ready or not — I have to wait and see,” Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej told reporters in the northeast town of Udon Thani, his party’s stronghold where he was holding the Cabinet’s weekly meeting.

    He said he did not plan to appear in court today, but added, “I have no choice but to honour the court order”.

    Mr Samak, a self-proclaimed foodie, hosted a popular television cooking show - “Tasting and Complaining” - for seven years before becoming prime minister.

    But he also made several appearances after taking office, allegedly breaking a constitutional prohibition on private employment while in office.

    ....
    Also http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2008/0909/1220629652832.html


Comments

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    #2
    nhughes100
    Closed Accounts Posts: 845 ✭✭✭nhughes100


    I wouldn't worry too much about it, There's a coup or major political scandel every few years in Thailand, helps keep the politicians on their toes. Having been there the country may as well still be a strict monarchy as the King is the number 1 over there.


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    #3
    Kama
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,027 ✭✭✭Kama


    Wow, given how much Thaksin Shinawatra got away with during his stay in power, a scandal over a cooking show seems completely farcical...


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    #4
    genericgoon
    Registered Users Posts: 1,671 ✭✭✭genericgoon


    Kama wrote: »
    Wow, given how much Thaksin Shinawatra got away with during his stay in power, a scandal over a cooking show seems completely farcical...

    Well I think part of the problem for the current Thai PM is that he is a supporter of Mr Shinawatra, who defintely not too popular out there at the moment. Tbh, this seems like an attempt to prevent the rioting over there getting any worse by exploiting this law, since Sundaravej doesn't seem too likely to leave. Or it may just be an attempt of Sundaravej to get out on a minor indiscreation rather than due to the inevitable corruption that he was probably involved in. It is Thailand after all.

    Anyways, hes been found guilty and has to resign according to the latest news.

    http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2008/09/2008999398621985.html


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    #5
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    The king is no 1 over there because he really does have the best interests of his people at heart and has shown his love for them over the years (things like, when they had the tsunami the king sold 7 of his palaces to fund his personal efforts to help, can you imagine any of our shower doing that??). The people are so loyal and crazy for him that he has to repeatedly curb their excesses when someone or some website criticises him.

    Dev.


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