Word: thailand
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...September 2006, Thailand's military deposed Thaksin in a bloodless coup. After months of massive anti-Thaksin street demonstrations by the urban middle class, who chafed under his increasingly authoritarian rule, the generals stepped in. Bangkok residents, euphoric at Thaksin's demise, showered the soldiers with praise and flowers. The military claimed that Thaksin was corrupt, dividing the country, fomenting violence, and disloyal to revered constitutional monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej (all allegations that Thaksin has denied). But while the generals' takeover was executed with impressive precision, the same can't be said of their administration of the country. Their appointed...
...Battle of Wits Thaksin loyalists see the corruption charges against him as either baseless or simply an inescapable part of doing business in Thailand. They also associate Thaksin with more prosperous times; the junta's shaky grasp of economics - growth has slowed and an ill-conceived currency-control measure in December 2006 led to the biggest one-day loss in the stock market's history - makes it easy to get nostalgic. "The economy was good then," insists taxi driver Narongsak Iamsamorn, 39, who hasn't decided who to vote for this time round. "But now Vietnam is laughing...
...Keeping the military in its barracks and out of politics will be one challenge for Thailand's next PM. So will healing the country. Suriyasai Katasila, secretary general of the Campaign for Popular Democracy, has accused the PPP of drawing up an "enemies list," something that the party's deputy secretary general Noppadon Pattama denies. "Let bygones be bygones," he says. "We should not fail the Thai people by arguing and quarreling." Noppadon says his party has adopted "a less confrontational style." If so, nobody has told PPP pit bull Chalerm Yubamrung, who has publicly vowed to "execute" Thaksin...
...election that propels Chalerm into high office looks unlikely to create the conciliatory and competent government that this nation craves. But Thais are nothing if not pragmatic: any elected government is better than the junta, they reason. While it answers one question - Who will be Thailand's 25th Prime Minister? - the election will raise another: When will its 23rd return from self-imposed exile in England? Thaksin's high-profile ownership of Manchester City Football Club, an English Premiership team he bought for $164 million, has helped keep him in the headlines back in soccer-crazy Thailand. While...
...wife will divorce me if I go back to politics." So Thaksin will never be PM again? "Nothing can be ruled out," smiles PPP executive Noppadon, who doubles as Thaksin's spokesman and legal adviser. "He is still young and very energetic." Back on the campaign trail in northeast Thailand, a PPP candidate is urging his audience to send a message to Thaksin. "Please clap loudly so that England can hear you," he says. It's a safe bet that England is already listening...