Word: panitan
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Analysts say the verdict, which is by law not open to appeal, could put an end to any hopes the still-influential Thaksin has for a political comeback in his homeland. But it would not necessarily put an end to his legacy, says Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political analyst at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University - or the current divisions over him that have Thailand's people on the edge of violence. Sometimes said to be the most divisive political figure in Thailand's history, Thaksin remains enormously popular with the rural poor for his populist policies like cheap health care and easy...
...impact of Thaksin's flight on the country's ongoing political tensions isn?t yet clear, but the Stock Exchange of Thailand's main index shot up 1.77 percent after his statement aired. "In the short term, this might contribute to stability," says Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political analyst at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. He says Thaksin's exile could give Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej - who is closely allied with the former PM and once declared himself Thaksin's "nominee" - more flexibility to negotiate with the forces lining up against his government in recent months, including street protesters, the opposition Democrat...
...September 2006 and now living in self-imposed exile in Hong Kong. And that's where high-level members of Samak's People Power Party - widely regarded as Thaksin's proxy political vehicle - flocked over the weekend to start lobbying for Cabinet posts. "Samak faces real credibility problems," says Panitan Wattanayagorn, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. "Of course, he's not the one in charge...
...have come this far," he told TIME in an interview last month.) And while he is recognized as a seasoned political campaigner, critics have called Samak a lackluster administrator who as governor preferred to focus on his TV show than visit neighborhoods flooded during Bankok's annual monsoon. Panitan says it is questionable whether he is up to the task of solving Thailand's complex political and economic problems...
...largely to the coup leaders' willingness to stand by their word not to interfere in December's elections. Should Samak seek revenge against those involved in the coup, or put officers loyal to Thaksin in charge of the military, he could sow the seeds of another takeover. As Panitan says, "Coups never happen for a single reason." Reports in the Thai press have also fueled speculation that the abrasive Samak could be replaced by a more conciliatory leader. If the economy continues to falter, or if the new government overspends its political capital trying to rehabilitate the exiled Thaksin...