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The risk of civil war continues. The Royalists (Yellow Shirts), who are in power (via a coup in 2006, followed by tainted elections) are trying to capture Populist (Red Shirt) leader, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. That the royalists and urban elites believe that the capture, trial and imprisonment of Shinawatra might break the will of the populists, or convince Shinawatra to switch sides. The latest move was to have the courts seize half of Shinawatra's fortune ($1.4 billion) as a fine for being corrupt. This was an unpopular move, since nearly all Thai politicians are corrupt, and people wonder...

THAILAND's former ruling Thai Rak Thai Party on Friday insisted it was not involved in the bombings here and that it did not support any new coup, Thailand news agency reports. Acting TRT leader Chaturon Chaisang reiterated that the party, founded by ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, did not agree with the September 19 coup d'etat and that the party firmly disagreed with any new coup. He said the Council for National Security (CNS), Prime Minister Gen Surayud Chulanont and senior military leaders should put more effort into stopping rumours of a new coup. A new coup would further hurt...

BANGKOK - Thailand's military coup last week nominally aimed to break the country's grinding political deadlock and usher in a new era of democracy and political reform. But the new ruling junta's handling of the transition from democratic to military rule is raising hard new questions about the country's political direction. The military-run Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) has vowed to promulgate an interim constitution this week, hand power to a civilian-led administration of its own choosing next week, and restore full democracy through new parliamentary elections within one year. At the same time, the junta has...

THAILAND’S new military leaders yesterday moved to tighten their grip on power, restricting political activities and taking over legislative powers as former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra broke his silence on his ousting, saying that he would be taking a “deserved rest”. With Thaksin laying low in London after his Tuesday night overthrow, the coup leaders moved to place the tycoon-turned-politician’s vast assets under scrutiny, amid mounting calls for his prosecution for alleged corruption. In Bangkok, a spokesman for the coup group — which yesterday released the official English translation of its name, the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy...

Thai PM begins new regime in exile Richard Lloyd Parry, David Brown and Richard Beeston September 21, 2006 THAILAND'S deposed Prime Minister began a new life as a political refugee in London last night, where he started to rally supporters and took the first steps towards establishing a government in exile. As the leader of the military coup tightened his grip over the country and announced that a new Prime Minister would be appointed in two weeks’ time, Thaksin Shinawatra touched down at Gatwick from New York. He was accompanied by several aides and was expected to be joined by...

Thailand's Prime Ministerial Reality Show hits the air THAKSIN TV Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is spending this week in a tent in one of the poorest provinces of Thailand in front of 40 cameras and 100 production crew. Cameras will be rolling 24 hours a day and the results will be shown on channel 16 all week. "Backstage Show: The Prime Minister'' is being filmed in Roi Et, 310 miles northeast of Bangkok. It is a rural area that has suffered from drought and diminishing crop returns. Thaksin's popularity ratings have been slipping recently, reaching a low of 58.2 percent...

Last year it was origami "peace bombs" in a futile attempt to quell the violence in Southern Thailand. This year it was to be free televisions, cable and English football but the Saudi clerics, not to be out-matched, were quick to riposte with an adroit "hat trick" of their own by declaring football un-islamic. After the brutal, sadistic and sub-human torture and killing of Sub-Lieutenant Vinai Nabut and Petty Officer Khamthon Thongeiat and the the continued violence, the ball is now in Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's court. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has ambiguously vowed that "justice will be served", but...

BANGKOK, Aug 28 (Reuters) - A bloody insurgency in Muslim southern Thailand is a struggle for the independence of its ethnic Malay majority involving tens of thousands of people ready to die for their cause, a senior separatist figure said. In his first interview with a major news organisation since violence flared 20 months ago, a spokesman for the Pattani United Liberation Organisation (PULO) said his movement had no ties to international groups such as Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda or its southeast Asian affiliate, Jemaah Islamiah. "We have no connection with those terrorists," the senior member of PULO,...

Thailand Premier Thaksin Shinwatra has vowed to "go it alone" in forming the next government if he wins the 6 February general election. Thaksin dashed the Chart Thai party's hopes of joining a coalition with his Thai Rak Thai party, saying his former ally can no longer be trusted. Thailand has never before had a single party government. Text of report in English by Thai newspaper Bangkok Post web site on 5 February - Thai Rak Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra has vowed to "go it alone" in forming the next government, abandoning his most loyal ally, the Chart Thai...

Talk about papering over a problem. Since January, the predominantly Muslim southern provinces of Thailand have been the scenes of violent separatist riots and terrorist bombings apparently linked to Jemaah Islamiyah, the al Qaeda affiliate in Southeast Asia. The death toll exceeds 500. So what's the Thai government to do? After an initially stern response tragically led to 78 prisoners suffocating in police trucks, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra chose a different approach. On Monday, the Thai Army air-dropped 100 million origami cranes over the region. Another 30 million cranes are to be delivered by land. The operation was meticulously planned...

BANGKOK, April 20 (Reuters) - Thailand will withdraw its 451 medical and engineering troops from Iraq if they are attacked, the Thai prime minister said on Tuesday after a wave of kidnappings and attacks on U.S. allies in Iraq. Thaksin Shinawatra's government is facing growing calls to withdraw the troops, who were sent last year to do humanitarian work in the southern city of Kerbala, 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad. "If we get hurt or killed, I will not keep them there," Thaksin told reporters a day after Honduras followed Spain in announcing they would pull their troops...

Bangkok wants clarification of `terrorism' before signing pact Arroyo backs Asian co-operation talks Achara Ashayagachat Thailand will join the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia in signing a treaty against terrorism, but only after clarification of the term ``terrorism''. Foreign Ministry spokesman Ratthakit Manathat said Thailand was ready to adhere to the treaty as soon as possible, but needed to examine the wording first. The definition of terrorism would have to be checked. There was also a possibility some laws would have to be amended to conform with the treaty. The spokesman was commenting after Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had talks with...