Word: samak
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Somchai only took the reins because his predecessor Samak Sundaravej, who PAD also accused of being a Thaksin puppet, had to resign after he was found guilty of accepting money to host a T.V. cooking show while in office. (One of Samak's culinary tips: braise pork legs in Coca-Cola.) Meanwhile, Thaksin, who has been sentenced in absentia to two years' imprisonment for conflict of interest, has hinted at a political comeback. Earlier this month from self-imposed exile, he divorced his wife in a sham process designed to protect assets that are in her name. Almost immediately after...
...Government House on Tuesday, the official site of the PM's offices which PAD has now occupied for two months, protesters chanted, "Put Thaksin in jail," after the verdict was announced. Their ongoing fight against the former PM also helped push Thaksin ally Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej out of power in August. The PAD now claims the current democratically elected government, led by Thaksin's brother-in-law Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, is acting under orders from Thaksin, and is demanding his resignation...
Both countries have used the temple row for political purposes. In his successful re-election bid this summer, Cambodian Premier Hun Sen vowed to protect national interests by ensuring that the entire Preah Vihar area remained under Cambodian control. Meanwhile, in Thailand, opposition figures accused former Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej of destroying national sovereignty by not immediately protesting UNESCO's decision. Samak resigned last month, and his successor, who hails from the same political party, will surely be accused of similar weakness if Thailand's troops don't match Cambodian numbers. On Wednesday, Thailand's military T.V. network showed Thai...
...Somchai, who was named as caretaker Prime Minister when Samak was stripped of that position last week, quickly lifted the state of emergency the former P.M. had declared after clashes between the PAD and a pro-government group turned deadly late last month. The move was, in part, designed to calm the battered stock market and send a message to tourists that Thailand was stable again - a badly needed signal given that hotel occupancy is down roughly 40% from last year...
...Unlike Samak, Somchai is not one to up the ante, and he has vowed to "bring unity" back to Thailand. The new P.M. also vowed not to interfere in the ongoing court cases against his brother-in-law. Nevertheless, the basic rift between the rural poor, who support Thaksin, and the urban middle class and elite, who despise him, is only growing wider. Furthermore, another case that will reach the constitutional court in the coming months might force the dissolution of Somchai's PPP because of a vote-buying conviction against its former deputy leader. If that happens, Somchai will...