Thaksin forms shed little light on lobbying

Thaksin forms shed little light on lobbying

Regime continues to pressure former PM for 'campaigning against the country'

Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra poses after an interview in Singapore on Feb 23, 2016. (Reuters video)
Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra poses after an interview in Singapore on Feb 23, 2016. (Reuters video)

A detailed review of the various lobbying firms' disclosure forms sheds little light on what they actually did for former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The junta on Saturday continued its attack on the ousted former prime minister, saying he was using lobbyists to campaign against the country.

Democrat Party member Watchara Petchthong said the documents indicated there was clear evidence of lobbying. "How could he deny it? Who should the people believe -- the United States House of Representatives or Thaksin? In the past, Thaksin perjured when he testified in court in the assets concealment case and then fled abroad? How can we believe what he says?" Mr Watchara said.

However, a Pheu Thai source said the junta's claims were nothing but mud-slinging that will not benefit the country during a time when national reconciliation is needed.

Thaksin has engaged many firms over the years but their activities have been quite low-profile.

The one exception was a firm headed by Robert Amsterdam, which issued a number of strongly worded public denunciations of Thaksin's political opponents. Thaksin has not used that firm since 2012.

Thaksin is a billionaire investor with interests all over the world, including mining in African countries, and some of his lobbying arrangements might not necessarily involve politics but could be linked to US regulatory and trade issues.

A source in the National Council for Peace and Order told some Thai media yesterday the evidence that Thaksin had hired lobbyists was in an interview with the owner of UK-based Bell Pottinger Pvt, published more than two years ago in The Guardian, who counted Thaksin as a client.

Bell Pottinger is a public relations company which has acted for a number of controversial political figures, but it is not clear whether it acts as a lobbyist as well.

The source also pointed to the Lobbying Disclosure website of the US House of Representatives' Office of the Clerk. It shows that Thaksin hired a firm called BGR Government Affairs LLC last year and this year.

"The NCPO wants to point out that Thaksin did hire lobbyists and that the NCPO did not lie to the public. What comes next will be a series where the usual characters will come onstage through partisan media. People don't need to believe us but they should observe, study and try to understand the whole picture."

According to the data on the Lobbying Disclosure website, Thaksin was listed as a client in 49 quarterly filings by lobbying firms between 2006 and the first quarter of this year. Most of them were for fees of less than $5,000, or about 175,000 baht.

Since the third quarter of last year, Thaksin has had BGR Government Affairs on retainer but for each quarter the firm has checked the box "No Lobbying Activity" and the fee paid has been "less than $5,000". The small amount of compensation suggests it might be just a retainer fee.

The largest fee he has paid on record was $460,000 twice in 2007 to Barbour Griffith & Rogers LLC, the predecessor of BGR. The specific issues were listed as "provide guidance and counsel with regard to Thaksin's interests in Washington, DC, and abroad" and "US government policy as impacts the individual principal".

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (27)