The Foreign Ministry is checking a report that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been expelled by the United Arab Emirates and is heading for Siem Reap, Cambodia, according to Chavanont Intarakomalsut.   Read More

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Thaksin stripped of almost £1bn
Thailand’s supreme court seizes almost £1bn in ruling the country’s exiled former prime minister calls ‘a joke for the world’Thailand’s supreme court today stripped the country’s exiled former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of more than half his seized assets, worth nearly £1bn.In an eight-hour judgement, the full bench of the court found Thaksin guilty on five counts of corruption. The nine justices agreed that the former leader had deliberately hidden his wealth and had masked his ownership of shares in his family-controlled telecommunications company, Shin Corp.The court also found that Thaksin’s government pursued policies that enriched his family’s companies, including through loans to countries such as Burma.The verdict was delivered under extraordinary security, with more than 20,000 armed riot police and soldiers on the streets of Bangkok. The judges were driven to the court in bulletproof vans while schools and offices near the court complex were closed.While Thaksin supporters wept openly at the verdict at small rallies in other parts of the city, the feared violent protests did not happen overnight.The former prime minister, speaking via a videolink from Dubai, described the ruling as “very political” and “a joke for the world”, and vowed to continue his fight against the Thai government.The judges ruled that of 76bn baht (1.5bn GBP) seized from Thaksin after he was forced from power, 46bn baht was earned through “inappropriate means”. He will be returned 30bn baht.”To seize all the money would be unfair since some of it was made before Thaksin became prime minister,” the court said.Thaksin was prime minister from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup.He was convicted in 2008 over a corrupt land deal and sentenced to two years’ jail, but fled the country.He now lives in exile in Dubai, but remains hugely popular with Thailand’s rural poor.A series of huge rallies in Bangkok, which organisers claim will bring one million protesters onto the streets, is planned for mid-March.Red-shirt leaders claim they will topple Thailand’s beleaguered coalition government, led by British-born, Eton- and Oxford-educated Abhisit Vejjajiva, within a week of beginning their protests.Thailandguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds.

Thaksin Shinawatra stripped of almost £1bn
Thailand’s supreme court seizes almost £1bn in ruling the country’s exiled former prime minister calls ‘a joke for the world’Thailand’s supreme court today stripped the country’s exiled former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of more than half his seized assets, worth nearly £1bn.In an eight-hour judgement, the full bench of the court found Thaksin guilty on five counts of corruption. The nine justices agreed that the former leader had deliberately hidden his wealth and had masked his ownership of shares in his family-controlled telecommunications company, Shin Corp.The court also found that Thaksin’s government pursued policies that enriched his family’s companies, including through loans to countries such as Burma.The verdict was delivered under extraordinary security, with more than 20,000 armed riot police and soldiers on the streets of Bangkok. The judges were driven to the court in bulletproof vans while schools and offices near the court complex were closed.While Thaksin supporters wept openly at the verdict at small rallies in other parts of the city, the feared violent protests did not happen overnight.The former prime minister, speaking via a videolink from Dubai, described the ruling as “very political” and “a joke for the world”, and vowed to continue his fight against the Thai government.The judges ruled that of 76bn baht (1.5bn GBP) seized from Thaksin after he was forced from power, 46bn baht was earned through “inappropriate means”. He will be returned 30bn baht.”To seize all the money would be unfair since some of it was made before Thaksin became prime minister,” the court said.Thaksin was prime minister from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup.He was convicted in 2008 over a corrupt land deal and sentenced to two years’ jail, but fled the country.He now lives in exile in Dubai, but remains hugely popular with Thailand’s rural poor.A series of huge rallies in Bangkok, which organisers claim will bring one million protesters onto the streets, is planned for mid-March.Red-shirt leaders claim they will topple Thailand’s beleaguered coalition government, led by British-born, Eton- and Oxford-educated Abhisit Vejjajiva, within a week of beginning their protests.Thailandguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds.

Thaksin ruling unlikely to heal divide
The Supreme Court seizure of $1.4bn (£910m) of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra’s family assets is unlikely to heal Thailand’s political divide..

Thaksin stripped of almost £1bn
Court ruling that former PM abused power for personal gain could inflame Thailand’s four-year political crisisThailand’s highest court has ruled that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra concealed his assets while in office and abused his power for personal gain, and ordered the seizure of 46bn baht (£923m) of his £1.5bn in frozen assets.The supreme court ruled today that “to seize all the money would be unfair since some of it was made before Thaksin became prime minister.”The verdict brings an end to a case that started after Thaksin was deposed by a 2006 military coup for alleged massive corruption and abuse of power.Corruption investigations began immediately after the coup, and 76bn baht in accounts in Thailand belonging to Thaksin and his family were frozen pending legal action.Today’s verdict will be celebrated by Thaksin’s foes, protested by his supporters and potentially inflame Thailand’s four-year political crisis.Security was tight around the courthouse as the nine-judge panel took seven and a half hours to read the verdict against Thaksin and his family. The proceedings were broadcast live on national television.Thaksin, who faces a two-year jail term from an earlier conviction, monitored the proceedings from exile in Dubai, where he provided a commentary via a video link and Twitter.”This is total political involvement. The government knew the result in advance,” Thaksin said shortly after the verdict. “I’ve been prepared for the result since yesterday. I knew that I would get hit, but they are kind enough to give me back 30 billion [baht].”An unknown portion of Thaksin’s wealth was earlier moved abroad.Hundreds of Thaksin supporters at the headquarters of the opposition Puea Thai party, which is allied to Thaksin, booed as the verdict was read out. Some women began crying and one man jumped up on a chair and started screaming at a television screen showing the court proceedings.The court ruled that Thaksin illegally concealed his ownership of stock in Shin Corp, the family’s telecommunications empire, and abused his authority by crafting government policies to benefit Shin Corp’s businesses.The court addressed five cases of alleged “policy corruption” and ruled that in four of the five Thaksin was guilty of abusing his authority during his 2001-2006 tenure as prime minister.One of the most prominent cases involved a US$127m low-interest government loan to Burma in 2004, which the court ruled Thaksin had endorsed with the intention of securing its purchase of satellite services from Shin Satellite, then controlled by Thaksin’s family.Thaksin’s government billed the loan as a way to help the impoverished military-run country finance telecommunications projects.The court ruled that Thaksin’s government set domestic satellite policies that benefited his businesses.It also ruled that a policy to convert part of a telecommunications concession fee into an excise tax favoured Shin Corp at the expense of the state.The government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva hopes today’s ruling will lead to a return of stability, but has ordered a security crackdown across the country, claiming the pro-Thaksin “Red Shirt” movement may be planning violence.”We hope for the best,” government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said before the court ruling.

Profile: Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is one of the most influential – and polarising – characters in Thai politics..

Thais await Thaksin £1.5bn ruling
Political schism will deepen whichever way result goes for Thaksin ShinawatraA Thai court is today due to decide whether the fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra can keep nearly £1.5bn in assets seized by the government, a ruling that ” whichever way it goes ” is likely to deepen the political schism dividing the country and could trigger new waves of violence.Bangkok has gone into lockdown ahead of the judgment. Thaksin is still loved by the rural poor but despised by the Bangkok elite.While major protests by the Thaksin-loyal “red shirts”, which are expected to draw a million people on to the streets, have been postponed for a fortnight because of logistical problems, thousands will mass at the courthouse today. Soldiers and police are in position across Bangkok and at entrances to the capital. Busloads of protesters from the Thaksin-supporting north and north-east are expected to be turned back at the city limits.The nine judges in the case have round-the-clock security and 27 countries, including Britain, have issued warnings on travel to Thailand, and the capital in particular. Already one homemade bomb has exploded near Government House and another was defused near the supreme court. Further attacks are expected.At stake is 76bn baht (£1.484bn) in cash, shares and property which Thaksin’s critics argue he accumulated largely through executing policies which benefited his family company, Shin Corp, including government-sanctioned loans to the pariah state of Burma.Thaksin, forced from power by a military-led coup in 2006, fled into exile before a 2008 conflict of interest conviction that saw him sentenced to two years in jail.

Thai verdict due on Thaksin cash
Thailand’s Supreme Court is to decide whether to confiscate billions of dollars of assets of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra..

Explainer: Who is Thaksin Shinawatra–
Thaksin Shinawatra was the prime minister of Thailand from 2001-2006, when he was ousted in a bloodless coup. After his ouster, he continued to play a role in Thai politics — even from outside of the southeast Asian nation..

Thaksin Supporters Denounce Thai Court Verdict
Thai court to rule on seizing Thaksin’s fortune.

Thaksin Shinawatra stripped of almost £1bn for abuse of power
Court ruling that former PM abused power for personal gain could inflame Thailand’s four-year political crisisThailand’s highest court has ruled that ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra concealed his assets while in office and abused his power for personal gain, and ordered the seizure of 46bn baht (£923m) of his £1.5bn in frozen assets.The supreme court ruled today that “to seize all the money would be unfair since some of it was made before Thaksin became prime minister”.The verdict brings an end to a case that started after Thaksin was deposed by a 2006 military coup for alleged corruption and abuse of power.Corruption investigations began immediately after the coup, and 76bn baht in accounts in Thailand belonging to Thaksin and his family were frozen pending legal action.Today’s verdict will be celebrated by Thaksin’s foes, protested against by his supporters and will potentially inflame Thailand’s four-year political crisis.Security was tight around the courthouse as the nine-judge panel took seven and a half hours to read the verdict against Thaksin and his family. The proceedings were broadcast live on national television.Thaksin, who faces a two-year jail term from an earlier conviction, monitored the proceedings from exile in Dubai, where he provided a commentary via a video link and Twitter.”This is total political involvement. The government knew the result in advance,” Thaksin said shortly after the verdict. “I’ve been prepared for the result since yesterday. I knew that I would get hit, but they are kind enough to give me back 30 billion [baht].”An unknown portion of Thaksin’s wealth was earlier moved abroad.Hundreds of Thaksin supporters at the headquarters of the opposition Puea Thai party, which is allied to Thaksin, booed as the verdict was read out. Some women began crying and one man jumped up on a chair and started screaming at a television screen showing the court proceedings.The court ruled that Thaksin illegally concealed his ownership of stock in Shin Corp, the family’s telecommunications empire, and abused his authority by crafting government policies to benefit Shin Corp’s businesses.The court addressed five cases of alleged “policy corruption” and ruled that in four of the five Thaksin was guilty of abusing his authority during his 2001-2006 tenure as prime minister.One of the most prominent cases involved a $127m low-interest government loan to Burma in 2004, which the court ruled Thaksin had endorsed with the intention of securing its purchase of satellite services from Shin Satellite, then controlled by Thaksin’s family.Thaksin’s government billed the loan as a way to help the impoverished military-run country finance telecommunications projects.The court ruled that Thaksin’s government set domestic satellite policies that benefited his businesses.It also ruled that a policy to convert part of a telecommunications concession fee into an excise tax favoured Shin Corp at the expense of the state.The government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva hopes today’s ruling will lead to a return of stability, but has ordered a security crackdown across the country, claiming the pro-Thaksin “red shirt” movement may be planning violence.”We hope for the best,” government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said before the court ruling.

Top Submitted Stories for Thaksin

Thaksin urges people to join UDD rally
UDD red-shirt protests are scheduled to take place from 11. to 13. March in Bangkok. The red-shirts are mostly poor people who are paid by ousted ex- PM Thaksin Shinawatra to support him and fight for democracy and justice witch they dont understand. Actually all they are doing is damaging tourism sector and economy in

Popular News Articles

detikNews : Thaksin Galang Demo Anti Pemerintah Pada 14 Maret Melalui Twitter
Mantan PM Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra mengimbau pendukungnya untuk mengikuti demonstrasi anti pemerintah pada 14 Maret menggunakan twitter. Thaksin menggalang demonstrasi itu setelah Mahkamah Agung menyita harta kekayaannya.

Thaksin Shinawatra: Divided loyalties | The Economist
Some scent compromise; more fear a looming showdown http://econ.st/cpirCx #economist

Thailand to impose security law for Thaksin protests – Thailand Forum
Security Committee Recommends Implementing ISA For Redshirt Rally: http://bit.ly/c0kYoe

Will Thaksin be saved–
Will Thaksin be saved–: The last time Thaksin Shinawatra said “Please save me” in earnest, his political party wa… http://bit.ly/cB6Etq

Tempointeraktif.Com – Pendukung Thaksin Mulai Menyusun Kekuatan Untuk Protes
✉ #fb Pendukung Thaksin Mulai Menyusun Kekuatan Untuk Protes http://goo.gl/fb/oFAu

Twitter Activity Snapshot for Thaksin

News Media

Ex-premier Thaksin leaves Dubai for Switzerland – Thai News Agency MCOT
BANGKOK, March 13 (TNA) – Fugitive, ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra has left Dubai and is expected to join his daughters in Switzerland, …

Thailand imposes tough security law for Thaksin protests – AFP
The country remains deeply divided between supporters of the populist Thaksin, who was deposed in a military coup in 2006, and those among the Bangkok-based …

US-INTERNATIONAL Summary – Washington Post
The red-shirted supporters of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a coup in 2006, will rally in Bangkok from Sunday and say they will stay for at least …

Thailand Bracing for Ruling on Thaksin’s Assets – New York Times
The government is warning of potential violence by Mr. Thaksin's supporters if the ruling goes against him. Soldiers and the police have been put on alert, …

Pro-Thaksin activists stream into Bangkok amid tight security – Kyodo News
Supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra poured into Bangkok on Saturday from across the country on the eve of a huge antigovernment rally in …

Thai court should have seized all Thaksin wealth: minister – AFP
BANGKOK — Thailand's finance minister has said the country's Supreme Court should have seized all of fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's fortune …

Panich says UAE told Thaksin to leave – The Nation
Vice Foreign Minister Panich Vikitsreth insisted Saturday that the United Arab Emirates told former prime minister Thaksin Shinawtra to leave the kingdom. …

America has the Tea Party, in Thailand, its the Toothpaste Brigade! – Right Pundits
Thaksin was a former police official who turned media mogul himself, becoming a billionaire. Elected prime minister in 2001 and re-elected in 2005, …

This Revolt Is Brought to You By Green-7 ASTV Toothpaste – Wall Street Journal
Thais alarmed by rapid modernization under former premier and telecommunications billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra have flocked to his banner. …

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