Word: thailand
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Since he was toppled from power last September, Thaksin Shinawatra has been crisscrossing the globe. TIME's Southeast Asia Bureau Chief Hannah Beech caught up with Thailand's former Prime Minister on Jan. 25 in Tokyo, where they spoke about the military coup against him, the new regime in Bangkok, and what he intends to do with his life. Excerpts...
...TIME: You've asserted that you and your old political party, Thai Rak Thai, were highly popular. Yet there was hardly any public outcry against the coup. THAKSIN: It was the same with Thailand's 17 other coups. First, the people are shocked. Then they start to voice their concerns. And then they start to accept it, especially after it's endorsed by His Majesty the King. They're very disciplined. They obey. But they are watching what [the new rulers] are doing, and when they will return democracy to the people. People's tolerance is limited...
...government has been responsible for controversial policies-the capital controls in December, and the proposed changes to the Foreign Business Act that could limit overseas ownership of companies in Thailand. What do you think of such moves? No one can adopt protectionism anymore. Thailand has to be ready for globalization-you cannot turn your back on it. Anything that reverses what is already very open will cause confusion and uncertainty. This is when investors pull...
...with business leaders in Japan, which is traditionally the biggest foreign investor in Thailand. What did you tell them? I said this is a hiccup for Thailand, to not lose confidence in the country, that democracy will prevail and that their investments will bear fruit...
...asked very detailed questions about projects that went to the Cabinet for approval, and I shot down many of them. In all the previous 17 coups, corruption was one of the excuses. But some juntas ended up being more corrupt. At any rate, corruption will not go away in Thailand-it's in the system...