Thailand officials prepare for Thaksin-hunt
They’re really serious about bringing Thaksin home. According to the Bangkok Post today, Thai officials are planning to travel to Britain next month to force the deposed PM and his wife to return to Thailand. Even the officials going to Britain are doubtful about their chances of success.
A meeting on Thursday concluded that the British-Thai extradition treaty would not be enough for Britain to order Thaksin back to his home country. Firm as ever, Thaksin’s voice to the world Noppadol Pattama assured any doubters that Thaksin would not be returning to Thailand any time soon.
This very public, very obvious drive to bring Thaksin home will only result in failure and make the government look weak. Thaksin will look more powerful than he actually is.
The British prosecutors aren’t going to want to have anything to do with this. Sampan Sarathana, head of the Attorney General's Office International Affairs Department, said, “It's clear that the two charges that Thaksin and his wife face at the Supreme Court are not covered under the extradition treaty, so we have to exercise a clause that allows for requests of mutual cooperation.” (AFP)
What does Britain have to gain by giving in to Thai demands? Obviously very little. But should it hand Thaksin over, then Britain will look like a hiding place for foreign convicts and it will also look as if it is giving in to petty squabbles; GB won’t get involved.
Thaksin and his wife, Pojaman, face a possible 10-year jail term or 60,000 baht fine over charges of tomfoolery with land bought in 2003. The saga continues. On and on… and on it goes.
Techno' tags: Thailand, Bangkok, Thaksin
there is FA chance that the UK will hand him over. The uk gave asylum to some of the nastiest terrorists from the rural regions of Afghanistan, so why does this current Junta think that can force anyone from the UK to hand him over?
Living in a dream world, bless them!
You can be sure that Britain's refusal to extradite Thaksin will make the Thai Government look weak, but that's not going to happen is it? There will be some face-saving that might involve the UK being made to be in the wrong.
As I understand things the extradition will only take place IF the Thai Government can show substantial proof of wrong-doing, and IF that wrong-doing it against British law. All British people will be aware of the kind of dodgy deals that politicians have been involved in during recent years, but that doesn't mean to say it's against British law.
It's gonna start off a Thailand Vs GB thing now isn't it.
Errrr….Danial, which "nastiest terrorists from the rural regions of Afghanistan" did we give asylum to exactly?
Andrew you hit on on the head.
The whole thing which makes me laugh about this current wannabe government is that they are doing everything in their power to blame everything on Thaksin.
Half the country isn't educated: Oh it's Thaksins fault
Drug smuggling and police corruption on the increase: Oh Thaksin!
He has still yet to be proved guilty in a court, so why should the UK just hand him over when legally he has not done anything wrong under the terms of the extradition treaty.
I can honestly see the PR machine going into action now about how the UK hates Thailand.
I think there is no way in hell, that the British government will extradite Thaksin. Daily, birts get to read about poor human rights treatment of prisoners in Thailand. Thaksin is also injecting a large amount of cash into the British economy. So what reason would they have to hand over someone, who's wife bought some property (at a little below market value)? If the Thai government really wants to pursue him, they will have to come up with a much better charge (And I'm sure Thaksin is guilty of plenty).
They just wanted to have a shopping week-end in London, paid by the government… ;-)
The whole story is just a red herring for thai medias, to show that they are doing someting, that they are serious.
But everybody knows, should know, that the UK will never extradite Thaksin. It's not even a matter of "technicalities" like seem to think the head of the Attorney General’s Office International Affairs Department.
They are bozos. Total bozos.
You are right. It will make the Thai government look weak. And, I agree with Andrew, the response of the Thai press will be a right-wing nationalist campaign to blame the UK for not bowing to the Thai government's demands.
There is a cynical part of me that says that this is a scam to get the Thai prosecutors a free shopping trip.
Anyway, here is how I think it will play out:
Thai prosecutors will go to UK.
Their case will be rejected.
We will here only the Thai side why they were rejected. No quotes from any UK officials in the Thai media.
The Thai press will take a few right-wing nationalist quotes from the prosecutors about how the evil UK won't listen to their case and how uncooperative they are in supporting Thailand in getting Thaksin. Remember Singapore and the YouTube incidents. Remember the controversy over compulsory licensing. Put simply, Thais always right, evil foreigners always wrong.
This incident will play out for a few weeks, with assholes from The Nation ruminating how this is the end of Thai-UK relations as we know it because the UK wouldn't extradite Thaksin,
You will even get some stories in the Thai language media about how Thaksin bribed UK officials in letting him off the hook.
The MO of the Thai media is always the same, because they are too lazy to do any actual reporting.
Matt
The reason they are going to the UK is it is approaching the end of the government financial year and they need to spend their travel budget. Around this time of year, there are literally dozens of such trips going on. Why on earth they need to go, I don't know, but they must appear to be doing something hence the trip. They will come back and mention some new surprising unknown option, hype up in the press and then everyone will forget about it.
Well here we go. Fonzi and the gang!
Fonzi is trying to spread the same old rumours again.
When will they learn?
Or maybe they just want to catch a quickie with Manchester City vs. whatever … Oh Happy Days! ;-)