When you listen to the Convicted fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra you may note some changes in the topics that he talks about. The changes have been gradually going from wanting to help the Thai people, to that of revenge.
You really need to step back a bit and take a look at the entire post coup time line that now spans 3 years and 5 months to see all the dots. And when you do you will see a significant change from the only man that can and a victim, to today’s out and out nitpicking attacks on people who he sees as his enemies. The attacks are all about hoping there will be enough resentment left in the tank to fire off another riot.
Thaksin first spoke up about 3 months after the coup. His tone back then was saying he was democratically elected and the coup was illegal. Just about that time bombs were going off around Bangkok and put an end to the new years eve celebration.
As time progressed things were not going well. The Junta had imposed several restrictions that for the most part kept Thaksin in Check. Thaksin made a significant effort to stop the new 2007 Constitution from becoming the law of the land, but for the most part the entire country approved it except for pro Thaksin country were votes were being bought by the thousands. All during this time Thaksin was pointing out the blunders of the installed government. And for the most part he was right as they were lacking solid know how in many areas.
Skipping forward Thaksin was touting himself as the man that can or more specifically the only man that can. That seemed to come to an abrupt end when he was convicted and sentenced to 2 years in jail. At that point it became I am too good and too smart to be caught, so don’t even bother. That along with doing his best to discredit the Thai court that convicted him. That quickly fell on deaf ears as many countries honored the courts ruling and Thaksin was turned away.
In December 2008 Thaksin’s party The People Power Party (PPP) started showing habitual bad behavior and was dissolved just like his first party Thai rak Thai (TRT) 17 months earlier. That resulted in the democratic party taking power as the smaller parties noted a huge hole in the bottom of the Thaksin boat and signed on with the democrats. That caused Thaksin and his cronies to do their best to throw every obstacle they could in the way of the new Prime Minister who could show the Thai people that Thaksin was not the only man that can.
For the whole of 2009 Thaksin was shadowing Prime Minister Abhisit with his own versions of how to fix things. Unfortunately for Thaksin there were a few glitches. First the methods Thaksin suggested required some Thaksin style under the table manipulation. Second was Abhisit had the reigns of power and pushed his plan through. The effects of Abhisit’s plans would be felt in early 2010.
So when early 2010 arrived, Thaksin could no longer make the claim that he was the only man that can. Abhisit had proved that he to could do it with both hands above the table. It was at this point Thaksin simply turned to attacking and seeking revenge. Any mention of helping the Thai people was minimal at best.
At this point Thaksin lacks a genuine reason to come back and was clearly out of control in more ways than one. There are others at the helm of Thailand who can and are doing things to western standards, and that is winning the Thai people over who once had doubt. Thaksin’s attacks are now self centered and he lacks a reason to come back. The more he attacks his enemies the more he loses his support base because this is not what they want to hear. They are interested in hearing about how to get money in their pockets and not about double standards between people who already have money. Also many are realizing this is not the same Thaksin they once knew.
