absolutelyBangkok archive · Business & Economics
Originally published June 18, 2010
Do the math, and it doesn’t look good for either the government and the opposition with the red “class war” exposed as a “cash war.” Authorities claim Thaksin kin transferred the astronomical amount of some 15 billion baht to the red movement within a few days after April 28, along with the real escalation of the alleged Gandhi-style peace march. What others romanticized as the poor making their voice heard turns out to be — what a bummer for those deceived — Thailand’s most expensive political campaign ever. And let’s set the record straight: Thailand is not one of the most unequal societies; income inequalities are lower than in the most developed nations of the region.
But the red protest was more about hatred than inequalities, wasn’t it. Altogether authorities list transactions amounting to some staggering 122 billion baht gone into red coffers as per the graph further below. Too much, not possibly possible. That would build five airports à la Suvarnabhumi. Shaky figures, maybe money that circulated? The Thaksins still can freely move billions? The amount’s so big Thais don’t even have a word for that number. Calculating in thousands of millions of baht they’re not the only ones left scratching their heads. Thaksin’s son, elder daughter, brother-in-law and youngest sister alone coughed up the equivalent of some 490 million U.S. dollars within a few days.
Innocent unless proven otherwise. Fact is, we all know a lot of money changed hands. The million man march was never to be, but there’s a high probability a multi-billion baht protest was. Still, the Thaksin kin’s 15 billion baht is also the amount expected to be circulated during this World Cup. So nothing out of the ordinary really, aren’t we used to gambling in society also on the political level. You don’t gamble though for the common good. You gamble for money. The billion baht brotest must have made some bros filthy rich. Who would have imagined illicit labor can be that lucrative. And there you have your core followers, leaving the true peaceful democratic reds out in the rain.
Authorities ask 86 blacklisted individuals and companies have to prove their innocence. So far during these turbulent years Thaksin’s children were left off the hook, but if daddy manages to implicate them this time, well that would ridicule his regretful claim the other day that he’d better never have entered politics. It is furthermore unclear if Thaksin’s children and (former) wife have returned to Thailand since the fled the country on April 29, right when the massive red rally funds started moving. How to defend themselves?
For the future, if you wanna stay safe, just observe if key players stay here in solidarity with their people — or if they have better things to do. Just move along with the Thaksins. Their fleeing is a more reliable indicator of trouble ahead than any know-it-all analysis.
Finally, the real amount spent for and during the red rally shouldn’t be much different from the costs of an election win in Thailand’s venal democracy. Is the protest an investment gone sour? I’d euphorically say yes. But as a rule of thumb Thaksin will keep quiet for a few weeks before he’s back again — as if nothing ever happened — championing the virtues of freedom and democracy.
But then again, Thailand may be a changed place since Black May 2010. The recent red mayhem has no parallel in Thai history. Don’t make a fool of yourself trying to compare May 19, 2010, to Thailand’s other black anniversaries of 1973, 1976 and 1992 when people died on the streets for democracy. It has become clear as daylight this is no fight between yellow and red. People died for Thaksin.
(Source: Bangkok Post)
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