THAI RATH COMMENT

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THAI RATH COMMENT

  • Published: 12/11/2009 at 10:51 AM
  • Online news: Opinion

Thailand stands to lose more than Cambodia will in the ongoing war of words and diplomatic row over deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Riding on the crest of nationalism, the ruling Democrat Party has exploited the situation for its own advantage. At least, testy economic issues and corruption allegations have been pushed aside by the media's focus on Thaksin and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

However, it is big Thai investors and border traders who will suffer if the conflict drags on or escalates into a bigger political issue.

CP Group, the Petroleum Authority of Thailand and Siam Cement Group are among big Thai corporations who have invested altogether more than 10 billion baht in the neighbouring country. Not to mention the huge number of Thais who make a living supplying goods to Cambodian traders.

Despite strong action from the Thai side, PM Hun Sen has reiterated he will not extradite Thaksin to Bangkok to serve his two-year jail term. He maintains the former premier is a victim of political persecution.

The Abhisit government must weigh its options carefully, as the impact of the diplomatic crisis will be felt strongly by Thai investors, traders, and the people of both countries.

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  • Nok

    Discussion 6 : 16/11/2009 at 10:02 AM6

    Taksin become Hun Sen advisor.
    Why Thai goverment make a big deal with this.
    Or they scare of Taksin.
    Please leave this guy alone.
    This is it.

  • Truth Today

    Discussion 5 : 13/11/2009 at 09:59 AM5

    Abhisit is running the country during a GLOBAL depression. Unless he's supposed to magically fix the countries Thailand exports to - things are going to remain to be slow.

    Thaksin was lucky to have been running the country while there was a global pick up - especially in Asia. Was Thaksin's "economic genius" which included paying off voters and topping off village funds that were used on frivolous purchases instead of INVESTED, that lifted all of Asia out of the 1997 crisis?

    Thaksin's lies only work on the most ignorant of the ignorant. The tactic of correlating two completely different things, like Thaksin and the economic boom, doesn't work on educated people. Its like saying China has sunlight and mountains. Sunlight must make mountains!

  • Rational

    Discussion 4 : 13/11/2009 at 06:18 AM4

    Khun Thaksin's lecture in Cambodia was brilliant. What a shame! We had a chance to have him help improve the living standards of Thailand at a pace not seen in several decades. Now other countries realize what we gave up and are eager to take advantage of it. What a loss of opportunity.

  • Thai-Khmer in Harmony

    Discussion 3 : 12/11/2009 at 10:49 PM3

    The way, I see Khun Abhisit's leadership, is that he is a type of Anti-leader. This kind of leader will bring more distruction and harm to the country and people than prosperity. This person thinks that his plan, policy and business conducts seem all right. But actually, it makes thing worst, and he could not solves anything beside creating more conflicts and blockade. Here are some characteristics of an Anti-leader:

    Haughty: he believes in possession of the truth, does not listen, does not ask for advices, does not accept other points of view, cannot admit his errors, does not admit its own limitations. All this can lead him to committing very serious errors that put in danger the future of the country, apart from the fact that this way of behaving generates a strong rejection between the personnel.

    Unreliable: it promises, but the things never happen, his team strains hoping to obtain the engaged reward and this one does not take place. This leads him to losing any credibility.

    Frightened: is a person who feels insecure, what leads him to being extremely jealous of his power plot. It is afraid to which someone could do shade and it leads him to surrounding itself with the mediocre people.

    He avoids the risk: the leader must fight for a few targets, a few goals hardly attainable; this forces him to go along along unknown ways, to assume risks. The person who avoids the risk at all costs is a conformist who is satisfied with what it has and that hardly is going to be capable of leading the company to no interesting destination.

    Egoist: their own interests are his principal worry. Hardly it is going to obtain the support of his team. The persons who work with him will realize immediately the risk that they run entrusting his destination to this person, therefore they will try for all the means to separate it.

    The chief who bases his direction on the employment of the fear can obtain sometimes very good results in the short term, but it ends up by damaging inexorably the organization. The members of his team will make use of the minimal opportunity to change work. Nobody supports a tyrant.

    Thailand has a lot of great leaders, getting out of the crisis, it is imperative to bring in someone who is capable to save THailand out of crisis. I think Khun Thaksin is one of those great leaders.

  • SiameseCat

    Discussion 2 : 12/11/2009 at 10:20 PM2

    Well put.

    But when a corporation decide to do business in such unstable country they have aready factor in such risk in their risk management regime.

    Besides, not everything in life can be measured in dollars and cents or Baht and Satang for that matter.

    Cheers,

  • Topodee

    Discussion 1 : 12/11/2009 at 11:46 AM1

    I like your comments. This is what should be thought of since the begining. However, now it is a bit late. We know at the begining that it was very likely that Hun Sen would arest Thakshin and send him back to Thailand. Democrats know that but for their political advantages, they still do not care about it.

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