Word: thailander
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...future Prime Minister earned his tuition working behind the counter of a Kentucky Fried Chicken while his wife baby-sat to make extra money. Their first son was born there, and retains his American citizenship. Thaksin and his wife would have four more children. Upon his return to Thailand, Thaksin embarked on a string of disastrous business endeavors. He joined the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau and began teaching at police schools, his salary from the department coming to about $150 a month. While many police in Thailand are notorious for supplementing their income with graft and payoffs, Thaksin...
...Thaksin, however, seems unfazed when the question of the verdict comes up. He shrugs: "The people want me to stay and the people know what's right for Thailand. And who should I be more loyal to? The people? Or to the court? I love people. I want to work for them...
...question of what will happen to Thailand's fragile reforms, to the corruption commission and the authority of the Constitutional Court does not interest him. In this campaign to stay in power, he has striven to make himself appear above the process and therefore above the law. The reasoning that the love of the people should trump the rule of law is specious and dangerous. "I wouldn't say reform will be dead," says Thepchai Yong, a columnist for the Nation newspaper, "but you could say it's in critical condition...
...Thaksin, sitting behind his desk, talking about his plans for the economy and for his future, seems oblivious to the collateral damage his case might have caused. He believes, he really does, that he knows what's best for Thailand, and that might mean going beyond and above the law to achieve what he is convinced is the greater good. The corruption, the collapsed economy, the inconsistent foreign policy?leave it to him. Those are management issues. Committees will be formed. Research papers drawn up. Policies implemented. Remember, he's a good manager, a visionary CEO?and if it worked...
...those who frequent this enormous covered market for its fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, snacks, curries, roast pork and chicken, and grilled and dried fish. The stalls are a feast for the eyes: their beautiful displays enshrine the Thai belief that food should look as good as it tastes. In Thailand, that's both an admonition and a frequent reality...