More than nine million people reside in Thailand's capital city, making up a mere 14% of the country's 66.4 million people. Bangkok urbanites are, as such, a statistical minority. However, when provoked, this small segment of the population can be, and has been, a force to be reckoned with. Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's fall from grace lends evidence to this claim.
Up till 2005, the man had seemed almost incorruptible. He had done well at the polls, revived the Thai economy and introduced universal healthcare. However, several political missteps followed. He was accused of buying out rival political parties. He had brought a defamation lawsuit against a local newspaper over a negative commentary – offending citizens who saw it as an attack on press freedom. Then there was the THB 73 billion tax-free sale of ShinCorp, a national telecommunications company owned by Thaksin's family.
See full Article.
Posts
