If You Are Farang, Don't Meddle With Thai Politics - Or Their Food!
Originally published at Siam Voices on September 28, 2010 Normally here on this blog, we don't write about topics most tourists would associate with Thailand, one of which is food*. While this is one of the few things Thailand is renowned for worldwide and can still be proud for it, the New York Times features an Aussie chef, who humbly declares that he is "on a mission to revive Thai cuisine"!
That is a tall order. Coming from the mouth of a farang (a Western foreigner) and admittedly from a very pompous one, this would not bode well with the Thai people. It didn't took long until the first national heralds would step up and protest:
Suthon Sukphisit, a food writer for Thai newspapers and an authority on Thai cuisine, reacts to Mr. Thompson’s stated mission as if he had just bitten into an exceptionally hot chili pepper. “He is slapping the faces of Thai people!” Mr. Suthon said in an interview. “If you start telling Thais how to cook real Thai food, that’s unacceptable.” Mr. Suthon has not eaten at Nahm — “I’m not going to,” he said.
"Politics Are One Thing, Thais Say, but Hands Off the Food", by Thomas Fuller, New York Times, September 23, 2010
The article is full of memorable lines that not only displays the uphill battle for acknowledgement in the culinary world, but also has some eerily parallels to the Thai perceptions of foreigners regarding other issues. For example:
Mr. Thompson’s quest for authenticity is perceived by some Thais as a provocation, a pair of blue eyes striding a little too proudly into the temple of Thai cuisine. Foreigners cannot possibly master the art of cooking Thai food, many Thais say, because they did not grow up wandering through vast, wet markets filled with the cornucopia of Thai produce, or pulling at the apron strings of grandmothers and maids who imparted the complex and subtle balance of ingredients required for the perfect curry or chili paste. Foreigners, Thais believe, cannot stomach the spices that fire the best Thai dishes. (...)
Politics, of course, have been exceptionally tempestuous, too. (...) Many Thais feel that their country and its political problems have been oversimplified, misrepresented and misreported by the outside world.
"Politics Are One Thing, Thais Say, but Hands Off the Food", by Thomas Fuller, New York Times, September 23, 2010
Sounds familiar, doesn't it? And if that wasn't enough, The Nation had M.L. (the Honorable) Saksiri Kridakorn chime in on that matter, too. While Khun Saksiri is right that you rarely get the real deal if you dine at a Thai restaurant abroad and that they "make it on ambience, service and tastes that suit western tasted buds," but the conclusion again bears a certain tone:
We welcome any chefs, Thai, farang or whomever, who can make a real culinary contribution. We are happy that there are Western cooks who want to learn and promote Thai cuisine to the world. But don't think that the Michelin stars that they received gives them the right to come to Thailand, the Motherland of Thai cuisine, to teach Thai chefs with a lifetime of cooking experience how to make Thai dishes. Or to tell Thais what they have been eating is not authentic. Thai cuisine, like any other complex cuisines around the world, is continually evolving with new ingredients and new cooking methods that real Thais know and are happy to enjoy and support with their pockets. (...)
"Farang chef? Give us a real Thai meal, please", by M.L. Saksiri Kridakorn, The Nation, September 26, 2010
Hm, everybody from everywhere is welcome to contribute to Thailand but they should not (even try to) suggest modifications or different perspectives on things that have been that way for a long period of time?
May I remind you where the ingredients and techniques, that make the Thai flavor so unique, originally came from? Here are some just from the top of my head: Curry - India of course! Stir-frying is borrowed from the Chinese, deep-frying as well. And the chili? Thank the farangs for that, specifically Portuguese missionaries in the late 1600s!
Also, what was that again about authenticity?
As a Thai who has lived half my life in Western countries, travelled extensively and often tasted Thai food outside Thailand, I have never found an "offshore" Thai restaurant that I would rate better than what we commonly and easily find here on almost every corner. In fact, if I do not ask the cook there to make it as authentic as he can, I wind up not enjoying it and usually end up going to a KFC. At least, I know it is authentic.
"Farang chef? Give us a real Thai meal, please", by M.L. Saksiri Kridakorn, The Nation, September 26, 2010
Sure, as authentic as American soul food you can get at KFC...!
Saksith Saiyasombut, whose father is a retired chef for Thai cuisine with over 25 years of experience, is a Thai blogger and journalist based in Hamburg, Germany. He can be followed on Twitter @Saksith.
*Thai food blogs worth following: www.enjoythaifood.com by Richard Barrow and Lonely Planet's Austin Bush's Foodblog
Webmaster of Thai News Site 'Prachatai' Arrested Again UPDATED
Originally published at Siam Voices on September 24, 2010
Thai police detained the manager of a popular news website Friday as she returned from an Internet freedom conference in Europe on charges of insulting the monarchy and violating the Computer Crime Act.Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster of Prachatai, said she was stopped at an immigration checkpoint at Bangkok's international airport and shown an arrest warrant issued by police in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen. She had just attended a conference in Hungary dealing with online free expression.
"Webmaster of popular Thai news website arrested on return from Internet freedom conference", by Thanyarat Doksone, Associated Press, September 24, 2010
As pointed out in the article, the fact Chiranuch was arrested after she attended the "Internet at Liberty 2010: The promise and peril of online free expression" in Budapest bears a bitter irony.
Prachatai itself has more details on the arrest.
The charges against Chiranuch were made by the Superintendent of Khon Kaen Police who alleged that she, as website administrator, and website users violated Sections 14 and 15 of the 2007 Computer Crimes Act and Section 112 of the Criminal Code (lèse majesté) for offensive comments made on the website on 27 April 2009.
She is now being transferred by car to Khon Kaen Police Station. Prachatai staff, friends and a lawyer are on the way to the province to bail her out. Chiranuch said that she had never received any previous summons from the police.
Two weeks ago, on her departure to Europe for the conference Chiranuch was interrogated by immigration police who claimed that her name was the double of someone in Khon Kaen. On her arrival today, she was detained for the same reason, before being informed about the arrest warrant issued by Khon Kaen Provincial Court.
"Update on Chiranuch’s arrest #1", Prachatai, September 24, 2010
The AP story above further states that the complaint was filed by "a Khon Kaen man [...] in early 2009 over some messages posted on Prachatai." Furthermore (and even worse), Police has said that there was no previous summon as it was "not necessary in this case because the offence carries a severe penalty," clearly indicating it is a lèse majesté case. (Source)
Chiranuch has already been arrested in 2009 on a similar charge. The website Prachatai has been repeatedly targeted by the authorities in the past and been numerous times blocked, forcing the site to change URLs.
UPDATE
Finally, I'm free by bail out. Thanks for all support.
Tweet by @jiew (Chiranuch Premchaiporn) at 19:01:36 h on September 25, 2010
Govt-Sponsored Pro-Monarchy 'Rally' A Non-Event
Originally published at Siam Voices on September 24, 2010 On the eve of the red shirt protests last Sunday to commemorate the four year anniversary of the military coup and the four month anniversary of the military crackdown against the anti-government protesters, there was this little counter-protest:
At least 50,000 members of the Monarchy Defence Network from seven northeastern provinces (Nong Khai, Kalasin, Loei, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Sakon Nakhon, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani) are expected to turn up today at Thung Sri Muang, a public ground in central Udon Thani, to pledge allegiance to His Majesty the King.
"Govt calls mass gathering to counter reds", Bangkok Post, September 19, 2010
This so-called "Monarchy Defense Network", or the "Unified Volunteer Force to Protect The [Royal] Institution" if you call them literally ("รวมพลังสามัคคีอาสาสมัครปกป้องสถาบัน"), certainly sounded like a big deal and looking at this video report from Channel 7, it certainly looked impressive with all the pink shirt wearing people, a marching parade and tons of flags. More can be seen here from ThaiPBS.
But whose idea was it?
The network was formed by the Newin Chidchob-headed faction of the coalition Bhumjaithai Party, which controls the Interior Ministry. Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul will preside over the gathering in which participants will pledge an oath of allegiance to the monarchy and will take part in a mass parade.
"Govt calls mass gathering to counter reds", Bangkok Post, September 19, 2010
After Bhumjaithai's recent pitch of their amnesty bill, this is another sign by the party to position politically, hoping to emancipate themselves from the Democrat-led coalition government in a run-up to a future election (if that date comes sooner or later). Also, since the interior ministry is attached to this, it is an attempt to counter the red shirts movement by showing themselves being a loyal force in the predominantly red strongholds of the northeast.
And what about the attendance? The Bangkok Post has predicted 50,000 people coming, many other news sources have reported the same number the following day. But ASTV/Manager said only 20,000 came and the national news agency NBT states that only 5,000 showed up!
Considering the comparatively mute media coverage in the following days (and since the red shirt protests on Sunday were larger and more significant), this whole occasion was a non-event. And why do they drag the monarchy into the political discussion again, where almost every political fraction are urging each other not to?
Exclusive: European Red Shirts Rally in Hamburg, Thaksin Phones In
NOTE: The author is NOT affiliated with the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and it's affiliated supporter groups or any other political group of any kind.
Around 120 Thai anti-government protesters from various European countries have gathered on Saturday in the German city of Hamburg to commemorate the forth-year anniversary of the military coup in Thailand and the four-month anniversary of the military crackdown against anti-government protesters in Bangkok.
The participants in this political protest, coming from Germany, France, Denmark and Belgium, are sympathizers of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), also known as "red shirts", a political pressure group demanding the current Thai government to step down and call for new elections, justice for the 91 victims during the anti-government protests earlier this year among other various demands. Many of them are supporters of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been toppled in said coup in 2006.
The atmosphere was largely jubilant, even though short bursts of the typical Northern German rain showers have interrupted the rally for a short period of time. Over amplifiers the protesters have made their stance over the current Thai political situation. Despite some announcements in German, most contributions over the loudspeakers were made in Thai, leaving many Hamburg onlookers asking what this event was all about.
Part of the rally was a phone-in by Thaksin, who thanked all European red shirts for the support and was overall in a conciliatory tone. He said that misunderstanding has to led conflicts and divisions among Thai people. "Today I think all sides should stop looking after themselves and look forward, no matter if they were wrong or not, and move towards each other", he said, "Bring back unity, bring back joy to the Thai people and let's make our country stronger." He continued: "The four months [since the protests' end in May] where people have killed each other, the four years [since the coup] where people made each other's lives difficult - they should come to an end." Thaksin further states that "today should be a day where we think about the mistakes made in the past and we should resolve them."
When asked by the supporters what he thinks about reconciliation he answered: "Reconciliation means to approach each other [...] and help together to move the country forward. No more yellow, no more red! But all things that were done wrong should face justice. [...] Also, there should be elections so that the people can vote their own government." Thaksin also claimed that the current political situation in Thailand "can't sustain itself for much longer." Thaksin's phone-in was cut short after nearly 11 minutes when the power generator ran out of fuel.
[audio http://dl.dropbox.com/u/531991/Thaksin-PhoneIn.mp3]
Listen to the full recording of Thaksin's phone-in here (MP3)
Thai Statistic of the Day: Young People Don't Care About Politics!
Originally published on Siam Voices on September 18, 2010 Note: The following post contains satire!
Here are some numbers for you as seen in the Bangkok Post...
An opinion survey by Bangkok Poll at Bangkok University found that more than 60 per cent of young people pay little or no attention to politics.
The pollsters surveyed 1,159 people in Bangkok aged 15 to 25 years from Sept 10 to 12 asking them about politics, to mark National Youth Day on Sept 20.
Asked about their interest in politics, 30.5 per cent of the respondents said they had some interest and 7.4 per cent of them had a strong interest , Bangkok Poll reported on Thursday. But 54.0 per cent said they paid little attention to politics and 8.1 per cent said they gave it no attention at all.
"Most young people ignore politics", Bangkok Post, September 16, 2010
Well, that happens in the best democracies (*cough*) that young people have other things to worry about such as school, studies, fashion, video games, etc. But why would the Thai youth think so?
Asked about the current political outlook, 47.6 per cent said full of conflict and finding mistakes made by political rivals, 26.7 per cent said it gave them a headache, 11.5 per cent said it’s not democratic, 6.5 per cent said full of violence, 4.3 per cent saw a start of reconciliation, 1.2 per cent thought the situation has returned to normal, and 2.2 per cent said it was just a mirage.
"Most young people ignore politics", Bangkok Post, September 16, 2010
Ok, the current situation isn't really good at the moment and we haven't made much progress on reconciliation so far. But with the right people we can achieve something, right?
Asked about the attitudes of Thai politicians, 44.0 per cent of them said they thought only about their own self-interest, 16.2 per cent said politicians would do anything to hold power, 12.2 per cent said they were corrupted, 10.8 per said they good only for talking, 6.5 per cent said they had more privileges than ordinary people. Only 4.6 per cent said they were competent and suitable to be people’s representatives, 4.3 per cent thought politicians think of the country’s best interests, 0.6 per cent said they were honest, and 0.8 per cent had no opinion.
"Most young people ignore politics", Bangkok Post, September 16, 2010
Alright, our MPs are not the youngest bunch and admittedly many of them could be out of touch with the young, hip demographic. But they will soon retire and soon a new generation of politicians will sweep in. And isn't this the right opportunity to encourage young people to finally stand up and take a fresh approach in order for some changes in politics as politicians?
Asked whether they wanted to become a politician, 90.6 per cent said no, 9.4 per cent said yes.
"Most young people ignore politics", Bangkok Post, September 16, 2010
Nope!
Puea Thai Party's Flip-Flop Leadership
Originally published on Siam Voices on September 15, 2010. The opposition Puea Thai Party (PT) had some turbulent days in the past week with the sudden announcement of Yongyuth Wichaidit stepping down as the party's leader. But why?
Yongyuth has served for less than two years as an unhappy nominal Pheu Thai leader, whose job was exclusively to fulfil legal and constitutional requirements of a political party. It was no secret that he wanted out. It's unclear, though, whether yesterday's sudden announcement followed a long-distance request from Thaksin or Yongyuth simply felt he had had it with all the disrespect and knives in the back. [...]
"Party chief quits in mystery move", The Nation, September 10, 2010
Yongyuth himself said he wants to make room for the party to restructure itself for the next general election. "Today I tender my resignation in order to ensure my party's readiness for the next poll," he said.
The resigning of the party leader followed after the equally surprising announcement of a 'peace proposal' to the government earlier this month. The five-point-plan states that PT is ready to hold talks with "all parties in conflict" and "exchange opinions in a peaceful manner." Of course, like any plan, it had it's opponents from their own supporters and fiercest enemies and it had doubters.
What then followed were mixed signals. The party itself was at doubt on who will actually represent the party in the talks, then it suddenly has quit the reconciliation process and then it was reconsidering again which then the story, for the time being, peaked with Yongyuth's resignation.
The question of his successor flared up immediately and one name has been touted suspiciously often in the headlines.
A source in the opposition party said Pol Gen Kowit, who is well connected with leading bureaucrats, is expected to lead the party into a "reconciliation process". [...]
Pol Gen Kowit is tipped as the strongest candidate because of his clean image, seniority and respectful nature, the source said.
"He has no known affiliations with the Shinawatra family and he isn't afraid of a party dissolution and being stripped of voting rights," the source said.
"Yongyuth quits as Puea Thai leader, making way for Kowit", Bangkok Post, September 10, 2010
A clean politician? May be. Well connected? You bet! But some would be really surprised to hear how well connected Kowit is.
Pol Gen Kowit was in Class 6 of the pre-cadet school with Gen Sonthi. He was also a member of Council for National Security (CNS) set up immediately after the coup on Sept 19, 2006 military coup that removed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra from power. [...]
"Coup leaders welcome Pol Gen Kowit", Bangkok Post, September 10, 2010
With these credentials, Kowit would make a definitely more 'agreeable' party leader for some. But with an endorsement by coup leader Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, it could have made Kowit unelectable for many party members (and certainly many red shirts) as PT leader. Also, Kowit has failed to publicly state any desire to succeed Yongyuth as the party leader and consequently ignored any formality in order to be nominated as the party leader.
This might explain what happened on Tuesday when the party was electing a 'new' leader.
Yongyuth Wichaidit was yesterday re-elected leader of the opposition Pheu Thai Party, with overwhelming support from party MPs just days after his resignation.
The party's general meeting held at its headquarters voted 267 to 6, with four abstentions, in support of Yongyuth as its new leader. The decision came after a heated debate between a small group of northeastern MPs and the rest of the party, particularly those from the North and Central region.
"Yongyuth returns as party leader amid turmoil", The Nation, September 15, 2010
So, we're back to square one again! Apparently better stick with the status quo for now instead of having a battle for the leadership.
Of course, with everything related to PTP, it didn't take long until somebody mentioned Thaksin's possible involvement. First, at the heels of Thaksin's recent visit to South Africa, there was an outpouring of tweets by him last week where we was extensively talking about his thoughts on the peace process (here's a sample tweet in Thai). Then there were news of Puea Thai MPs meeting Thaksin in Moscow, possibly to counsel with him over the upcoming changes - even though any involvement by Thaksin has been quickly denied before.
If Thaksin really has given his approval to possible structural changes in the party, the re-election of Yongyuth is a blow to Thaksin's influence over PT. Nevertheless, that still doesn't stop both The Nation and Bangkok Post stating that the Puea Thai Party is still listening to Thaksin's command.
What this (no-)show of this party reveals, is that it is still trying to find a new direction and with some MPs deflecting to the rival Bhumjaithai Party, it has real problems keeping itself together.
While the Puea Thai Party is struggling, the government will continue its 'reconciliation' efforts - no matter with whom.
Undelivered Ukrainian APCs and German Weapon Exports to Thailand
Originally published on Siam Voices on September 13, 2010. In 2007 the military interim government has announced the purchase of 96 BTR-3E1 armored personnel carriers (APCs) worth THB 4bn (about $117m). And how many have been delivered to Thailand until now? None! The reasons were supposedly that the engines by German manufacturers Deutz tend to overheat.
But apart from the technical problems made in Germany according to Thai news sources there were also political ones.
Army representatives told ministers that the German government decided not to sell Deutz engines to Ukraine for the APCs because of Berlin's policy of not selling armament to any country subject to political unrest, according to the source.
"Cabinet backs purchase of APCs from Ukraine", by Piyanart Srivalo, Satien Viriyapanpongsa & Samatcha Hoonsara, The Nation, September 8, 2010
However, the Thai government has cited additional reasons why the Germans refused to deliver the engines:
Deputy Prime Minister Trairong Suwannakiri said he had learned that a Muslim organisation had asked Germany not to sell the engines for the APCs because the vehicles could be used in suppression of Muslims in Thailand's deep South.
"Cabinet backs purchase of APCs from Ukraine", by Piyanart Srivalo, Satien Viriyapanpongsa & Samatcha Hoonsara, The Nation, September 8, 2010
The policy mentioned has been adopted by the whole European Union (EU), as it has been pointed out by the German government in an answer to a minor interpellation by opposition MPs (PDF here, it is a really interesting read for those who can read German), it states in particular:
1. Each Member State shall assess the export licence applications made to it for items on the EU Common Military List mentioned in Article 12 on a case-by-case basis against the criteria of Article 2. [...]
Article 2 - Criteria
2. Criterion Two: Respect for human rights in the country of final destination as well as respect by that country of international humanitarian law.
- Having assessed the recipient country’s attitude towards relevant principles established by international human rights instruments, Member States shall:
(a) deny an export licence if there is a clear risk that the military technology or equipment to be exported might be used for internal repression; [...]
- Having assessed the recipient country’s attitude towards relevant principles established by instruments of international humanitarian law, Member States shall:
(c) deny an export licence if there is a clear risk that the military technology or equipment to be exported might be used in the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian law.
3. Criterion Three: Internal situation in the country of final destination, as a function of the existence of tensions or armed conflicts.
Member States shall deny an export licence for military technology or equipment which would provoke or prolong armed conflicts or aggravate existing tensions or conflicts in the country of final destination.Source: "COUNCIL COMMON POSITION 2008/944/CFSP of 8 December 2008: defining common rules governing control of exports of military technology and equipment" (PDF)
Taking the criteria into consideration any EU member country would find a case against Thailand and looking into the arms export reports of the German government, there were indeed rejected requests of arms exports to Ukraine in 2006 (PDF, page 23), 2007 (PDF, page 21) and 2008 (PDF, page 18), but no details were given about what was rejected and how much it was worth.
Additionally in 2007, the German government has also rejected requested exports to Thailand - again, it is unknown what was rejected and how much it was worth it.
However, despite all the political doubts and delivery delays, it did not stop the current government to make the sensible decision to order more - 121 additional APCs to be precise. But there'll be some changes made from the original order:
The head of the Army's ordnance department told Cabinet a recent test showed the MTU engine was of better quality than the Deutz unit. He also said a contract term allowed the Thai side to cancel the deal if any of the delivered vehicles did not meet standard requirements.
"Cabinet backs purchase of APCs from Ukraine", by Piyanart Srivalo, Satien Viriyapanpongsa & Samatcha Hoonsara, The Nation, September 8, 2010
The Thais want the better MTU engines in their new APCs, even though MTU is a German company. What is even more stunning is that during the weekend the Ukrainian ambassador to Thailand came out and gave an exact delivery date for the first units, which is this Friday. Also:
"The Thai military, in conjunction with us, selected the MTU Mercedes," [Ambassador] Chuchuk said. "It has better specifications than the original engine - better speed and acceleration - and we conducted tests and trials witnessed by the Thai military, and they were satisfied."
"First Ukrainian APCs here on Friday", Bangkok Post, September 12, 2010
Just to recap, the original Deutz engine, made in Germany, were not delivered because of political concerns by the German government. The new engines are by MTU, also made in Germany. What's the difference here?
When the first APCs will arrive in Thailand, a small chapter in the ongoing secret stories of arms procurement will be closed for now. But it is accompanied by other dubious army purchases such as grounded airships, jet fighters and the classic bogus GT200 device.
One last question: Why is the Thai army in a rush to buy over 100 more APCs with the first batch barely delivered? Possible answer:
The source said [Commander-in-chief] Gen Anupong wanted to push through the purchase of the additional 121 APCs before he retires in September.
"Army wants more APCs from Ukraine", by Wassana Nanuam, Bangkok Post, July 27, 2010
Announcing: Siam Voices - Thailand's Collaborative Blog
This week AsianCorrespondent has launched the new Thailand-centered blog "Siam Voices - Thailand's Collaborative Blog". The short description pretty much sums everything up:
Siam Voices is a collaborative blog aimed at providing AsianCorrespondent's readers with a unique insight into the social, political and economic realities in Thailand. Like many great things, Siam Voices was born out of necessity. When prolific and respected Thailand blogger Bangkok Pundit took a hiatus following the violent Red Shirt protests of 2010, AsianCorrespondent recruited a number of top journalists and academics to fill the gap. Following Bangkok Pundit's return to full-time blogging in September, the collective needed a new home. That home is Siam Voices.
I'm happy to announce that yours truly is part of this fine ensemble of writers that includes my blogger colleagues Newley Purnell and Panuwat Panduprasert (aka Tumbler) and academics such as Pokpong Lawansiri, Thorn Pitodol and Prach Panchakunathorn (short bios of the writers can be read here). The guest gig for Bangkok Pundit was a great and rewarding experience and I want to thank AsianCorrespondent that we can continue to write at a new place.
What does it mean for this blog? Not much! Like previously at Bangkok Pundit, all my articles for Siam Voices will appear in their entirety (except for slight modifications) on this blog the day after the original publication.
All in all I'm very looking forward to this new opportunity and keep sure to check us out at Siam Voices.
EXCLUSIVE: Did Thaksin Really Meet Nelson Mandela? (UPDATE)
There was some buzz in the Thai media early this week when pictures of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra depicting him shaking hands with former South African president Nelson Mandela and meeting Mandela's ex-wife Winne Mandela.
The pictures were circulated by his lawyer and former foreign minister Noppadon Pattama (who is these days busy acting as his lobbyist). The resurface of Thaksin comes after over a month of silence with no tweets, no phone-in or any other public announcement. This has lead to the repeated speculation over his health or some even guessing to be plotting something.
The authenticity of the pictures are debatable and at this time no high resolution versions were published yet (with the exception of the news outlets), so of course many questioned if the the whole meeting actually took place. For example, the two head honchos at The Nation, Suthichai Yoon and Tulsathit Taptim, were musing over this extensively in their daily video, especially when Suthichai was concluding:
"We don't know why he [Thaksin] met Nelson Mandela. Whether he was invited, whether he asked to see Nelson Mandela and what was the whole purpose behind that - that is the mystery that a whole lot of people will try to solve in the next few days."
Suthichai Yoon, editor-in-chief Nation Group, in "From the newsroom", August 31, 2010
Apparently NOBODY from the Thai media has so far put some effort to solve this mystery. Has anyone actually tried to reach Mandela's office for confirmation or dismiss the visit? Well, I contacted Mandela's office and asked them 1) if there was a meeting between Thaksin and Mandela, 2) if there are any pictures or other documents made by Mandela's staff of the this meeting, 3) what the nature of the meeting was.
Here's what they answered:
Dear Mr Saksith Saiyasombut,
There was no official meeting between Mr Thaksin and Mr Mandela. Mr Thaksin paid Mr Mandela a courtesy call when he was visiting the country.We do not have photographs or documents as no business was discussed and the courtesy call was during Mr Mandela’s private time. The Foundation did not take any photographs.Yes it was a private courtesy call.
Regards,
Sello Hatang, Manager: Information Communications, Nelson Mandela Foundation
So, there we have it. Thaksin has actually met Mandela! Nevertheless the authenticity of the pictures is still unsolved.
P.S.: Dear Thai colleagues, it was not that difficult to contact Mandela's office!
UPDATE:The Canadian Press has some more details on the visit.
Emerging from weeks of silence, fugitive former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has appeared in Africa, where he says he is dealing in diamonds and visiting Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela.
A photo of his meeting with the former South African president was released in Thailand by Thaksin's lawyer in an apparent move to quash rumours that the divisive ex-prime minister is ill — and to advertise that he's rubbing shoulders with VIPs abroad.
"I travel all the time. Currently, I'm in Africa for diamond mining," Thaksin told the Thai Rath newspaper in an interview published Thursday. He did not specify if he was still in South Africa. He said rumours of his failing health were "lies."
The Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg confirmed that the visit took place last Friday [August 27, 2010].
"It was not a meeting, it was a courtesy call," spokesman Sello Hatang said. He said he did not know what they discussed.
"Fugitive former Thai leader visits Africa, meets Nelson Mandela, deals in diamonds", by Jocelyn Gecker, The Canadian Press, September 2, 2010
The said interview with Thai Rath can be read here (in Thai), where also said why he quit as economical adviser to Cambodian PM Hun Sen ("I was annoyed!").