Godfather of the east

COMMENTARY

Published: 3 Feb 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Political intrigues are what they are meant to be: intriguing. Nothing is as it seems.

We would like to believe that man does good for the sake of goodness, that Santa Claus is real and that one day Thailand will qualify for the World Cup finals. But at the same time, we should not forget that things are rarely as they seem.

Perhaps it was good, honest police work that led to the arrest of former fugitive Somchai Khunploem, aka Kamnan Poh, aka the Godfather of the East. However, there are some circumstances involved that provide some food for thought.

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SawGeorge
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Discussion 21 : 10 Feb 2013 at 15.2521
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In the end and at the end ...everybody knows what's going to happen...after all this is Thailand ...the only country where criminals and runaway fugitives have the rights to be treated the best and worshipped ...including cabinet members and business tycoons...but others will be prosecuted for life and die in cells if you are a nobody... Double standards is what the reds are fighting for but now they want that way to go on...not stopping anymore.
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luckt786
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Discussion 20 : 06 Feb 2013 at 22.4020
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good artical.because i think in east most of countries have same type of goverments.......
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bobble
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Discussion 19 : 06 Feb 2013 at 15.4519
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Good article.. i have only recently started following thai politics but this does not amaze me, just fills in the gaps.
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massein
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Discussion 18 : 04 Feb 2013 at 11.3318
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No doubt he will receive a compassionate medical parole within days. In the mean time he is receiving the best medical caree available in Thailand, paid for by Thailand.
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OldThaiHand
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Discussion 17 : 03 Feb 2013 at 22.1817
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"Whether by design or accident, through the early 2000s the Thaksin Shinawatra political machine swallowed up or marginalised much of their power."

Khun Voranai

You fail to mention that many of those provincial godfathers helped Thaksin to power and then he basically betrayed them. This is his M.O. He uses people up and tosses them aside when no longer needed, unless they're family, of course.
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4petessake
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Discussion 16 : 03 Feb 2013 at 19.3016
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You probably will not publish this because you exercise a high degree of self censorship...well compared to what I am familiar with...

But shouldn't the press have been on this relentlessly during the 7 years he was having parties with politicians?! See,s a bit smug to criticise politicians when the you are not doing your job.

Perhaps if the press were doing their job then the politicians would be a little bit less brazen in their attitude.
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jacksprat
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Discussion 15 : 03 Feb 2013 at 19.3015
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Khuang Aphaiwong was only one of the founders of the Democrat Party, and Battambang is now in Cambodia. Interesting to see the Aphaiwong family is of royal Khmer ancestry. Helps explain why the Democrats began as a royalist party.
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djay
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Discussion 14 : 03 Feb 2013 at 19.2014
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This family controls this Ministry. That family controls that Ministry. Another family controls that party. Maybe someone could tell us which family controls the Ministry that gets things done.
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felixqui
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Discussion 13 : 03 Feb 2013 at 19.1813
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We are much relieved that Thai culture is in the hands of such a cultured clan, definitely on a par with those executing the portfolios of education, information and communication, and every ministry intent on keeping the proles in their traditional place: ignorant and unthinking.

Happily, the Thai people are increasingly eager to know, to think and to understand.
Let us hope it will not be long before they toss out Big Brother.
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Eric
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Discussion 12 : 03 Feb 2013 at 12.5412
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Jacksprat dis#6, I suggest you goggle up Khuang Aphaiwong, founder of DP to find out if his family is a godfather in Battambang.
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Godfather of the east | Bangkok Post: opinion