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Good Commentary Coming Out Now...


Gadfly

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Keep saying it often enough and the people will believe - that's the republican/yellow line isn't it?

 

 

Actually, that is what the UDD has done with the PTV and many comunity radio stations throughout the provinces they control. Appears to have worked for you as well.

 

Your problem is you have no facts to back up your position, so you are forced to make emotive arguments using intellectually dishonest tactics.

 

Again, point out in any of my post where a fact is inaccurate. As I said earlier, I try to be very clear which is a fact and what is an opinion.

 

Can you say the same?

:content:

TH

 

 

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What was the tax he should have paid - curious?

 

Thaksin definitely guilty - however what government before or after hasn't been either?

 

When Shinawatra-family sold its remaining 49.6% stake in Shin Corporation' date=' the Shinawatra and Damapong families netted about 73 billion baht (about $1.88 billion).

 

[b']Following Thai tax laws, they did not have to pay capital gains tax.[/b]

 

The Capital gains exemption applies to transactions carried out on the stock market. The issue with the Shin Corp transactions is the sale of the Shin Corp stock by Ample Rich to the Shinawatra kids at 1 baht which they sold 3 days later to Temasek at 49 baht. This transaction was not carried on the stock market so should have been subject to capital gains tax.

 

If you listen to half truths, without carrying out your own research to verify them, very soon they become the whole truth.

TH

 

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And then the Revenue Department at the time refused to assess the tax (assuming due to pressure from someone) - so it wasn't until afterwards that tax was finally assessed.

 

A bit of fate - now the son is under the gun to pay the back tax (of about 12 billion baht) - but cannot use the seized money to pay off this due.

 

But really the big question that is skirted in the article - "Shinawatra family's share" - remember the high court agreed that Thaksin didn't really own the company anyways, since he "sold" his shares to his son and daughter.

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Yes, that is the main issue. Neither Ample Rich or Cypress Holdings were inlcuded in the 2001 Asset Declartation which was ruled to be fully compliant.

But, as others have said, we shouldn't focus on Thaksin, because this is not really about him...

:liar:

TH

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<>

 

What was the tax he should have paid - curious?

 

Thaksin definitely guilty - however what government before or after hasn't been either?

 

 

TH and Pom Michael already answered your question.

 

Anyway, the focus of my post was not on whether Thaksin was guilty on corruption charges but his interpretation of Democracy.

 

In 2002 Thaksin once famously stated that democracy isn't his goal but one vehicle to reach his goal.

 

In 2006 once again he tried to misuse the democratic election process to confirm as PM.

 

Again my question to all of your guys who blame that the process to oust Thaksin wasn't democratic (which indeed wasn't) has Thaksin been more democratic or did he just used democracy whenever it has been convenient for him.

 

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As unlikely as it may appear, I'll come to the defense of TH here. He's always very careful about the integrity of his argumentation in terms of always backing them with verifiable facts.

Obviously, he's also very careful at leaving out other facts that can go against his views, but that's fair game when it comes to political discussion and argumentation.

 

On the other hand there are other posters in this very thread who have stated things that are blatantly untrue Re. the institutional situation in 2005-2006 in order to somewhat legitimize the coup. I'll be charitable and suppose it is due to misinformation and the effectiveness of the coup-makers propaganda.

 

It just takes a quick search on wikipedia about 2006 general elections to spot those "inaccuracies" (euphemism!)

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TH - Yes - and how about that ASTV - totally illegal, another station that tried the same format was banned in a few months, yet ASTV . . . . .

 

And as I have sad often, the law which makes ASTV illegal is silly, but hang on, you guys just love to run the niggly line, "Not PM, was acting placeholder PM whatever"

 

I think I am far more honest as I do point out issues on both sides, something you fail to do.

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Definitely the coup was undemocratic. But let me ask you, is what Thaksin did any more democratic?

 

Thaksin was and is a corrupt thug who employs rhetoric about democracy when it suits his purposes. But he was ousted in a coup. And after that coup, supporters of TRT and its successors were re-elected back into power twice. And by "supporters" I include coalition partners that - when the voting occurred - were known to support TRT and Thaksin. This is significant because a vote for these coalition partners is a strong measure of the support for TRT.

 

That is the real difficulty here: a political opportunist who really doesn't give a fig about democracy keeps winning election after election despite coups and very questionable judicial intervention. Sure, questions can be raised about the elections and the corruption, but, at the end of the day, a group - that is not acceptable to the Bangkok middle class (I don't like them either) - keep getting elected, and keep getting booted out of power by non-democratic measures.

 

Doesn't all of this suggest there is a real division in Thailand? One pro-TRT PM was kicked out of office because he had a cooking show. There is a real element of desperation in all of this.

 

And delusion. If the government is not seen as legitimate in Issan and the North, how can it govern - without oppressive use of force - in Issan and the North?

 

The irony in all of this is that I personally think Abbhisit and Korn came into this with much better intentions than Mr. T, and yet, Mr. T and his successors continue to enjoy tremendous popular support.

 

I haven't kept current on all of the recent posts (work), but I am hearing rumblings from coalition partners on the Dem side. If they think the Dems will ultimately get the boot when elections are held, why would they stick with the Dems? This all about political opportunity for the coalition parties (rather than anything even approximates principles), so they are going to need even more incentives (and arm twisting) to be prevented from switching sides.

 

More later...

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Here ya go - from today's Bangkok Post:

 

 

<< The Bhumjaithai Party will ask Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to decide which party he wants to stay in the coalition government - Bhumjaithai or Puea Pandin, Deputy Transport Minister Suchart Chokchaiwattanakorn said on Wednesday.

 

Mr Suchart, a member of the 'Friends of Newin' faction in Bhumjaithai, said the party had passed its message to the prime minister through Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, the Democrat Party secretary-general and government's manager.

 

He said the party wanted the prime minister to reply this week.

 

"We want the prime minister to chose between Bhumjaithai, which has 46 MPs, and Puea Pandin, which has 14 MPs. We won't make compromises," Mr Suchart said.

 

The minister said he believed Puea Pandin lacked the political ethics needed in a coalition partner- a reference to the smaller party's refusal to back Bhumjaithai ministers in the no-confidence vote.

 

Bhumjaithai would await the Democrat Party's response, he said. >>

 

 

 

 

 

 

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