Thaksin New Year's gift to foreign reporters in Thailand

Photo book with Thaksin photos, speeches, important moments in life & thoughts on democracy sent to foreign media as New Year's gift.

POLITICS

Thaksin sends photo book to Thailand foreign press corps

14/01/2016
Kyodo News News agency

Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra sent a photo book to foreign media in Thailand on Wednesday, expressing his hope of ending his exile abroad and returning to Thailand.

A thousand copies of the 279-page Life & Times hardcover book were published in December in Thailand, detailing Thaksin's private life and career in photographs, speeches and memoirs, as well as highlighting some of the successes of the five years he spent in office before being ousted by a military coup in 2006.

NEW YEAR'S GIFT, NOT FOR SALE

"Thaksin intentionally published and delivered the commemorative photo book to foreign media as a New Year's gift. The special memoir publication is not for sale," a source close to Thaksin told Kyodo News.

The former prime minister's intended aim in sending the publication, however, is unclear.

Enclosed with the book was a New Year's greeting letter signed by "Dr Thaksin Shinawatra -- 23rd Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand."

Thaksin faced allegations of corruption following the coup on Sept. 19 2006, and now lives in self-imposed exile in Dubai, avoiding a jail sentence in Thailand following a conviction for abuse of power while prime minister.

Life in exile for Thaksin includes golf with Hun Sen we are told in his new book pic.twitter.com/P6JhRgwWEF

— Jerome Taylor (@JeromeTaylor) January 13, 2016

DEMOCRACY & IMPORTANT MOMENTS IN LIFE

The book describes the coup as "the end of the people's democracy" which "dragged Thai society back towards darkness -- into the spiral of conflicts where solutions remain impossible to find."

It goes on to say Thaksin's most important moments in life came with the death of his sister, his daughter's wedding, and the birth of his twin granddaughters.

"I was so sad that I couldn't be there with her," the former premier wrote regarding his daughter's wedding, which he "attended" over the internet via Skype.

I WILL RETURN

The photo book also implies his strong intention to return to Thailand in the future.

"I hope that I will be able to prostrate and feel the land of my home country again. I hope that I will be able to spend the last years of my life there," Thaksin says at the book's end.

Last page of Thaksin's new self published book speaks of his dream to step foot on Thai soil once more pic.twitter.com/83diZdZEpC

— Jerome Taylor (@JeromeTaylor) January 13, 2016

BAN ON THAKSIN CALENDARS

Earlier this month, the government banned the distribution of calendars depicting photos of Thaksin and his sister, ousted former premier Yingluck Shinawatra, in several northeastern provinces where a majority of his party's voters are based.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told reporters the calendars had been prohibited "because there is a lawbreaker's photo published in the calendar."

Unsurprisingly war on drugs entry in Thaksin's new book neglects to mention the hundreds of extrajudicial killings pic.twitter.com/6BV9aeS2f7

— Jerome Taylor (@JeromeTaylor) January 13, 2016

A page describing life in exile from Thaksin's new book pic.twitter.com/BNJyNZgBkY

— Jerome Taylor (@JeromeTaylor) January 13, 2016

How Thaksin's new book describes the 2006 coup that toppled him pic.twitter.com/buXsu1qKkA

— Jerome Taylor (@JeromeTaylor) January 13, 2016

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/826224/thaksin-sends-photo-book-to-thailand-foreign-press-corps

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