HE'S BAAAAAACK: THAKSIN COMES HOME

C O N F I D E N T I A L BANGKOK 000644

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR PHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM TH
SUBJECT: HE'S BAAAAAACK: THAKSIN COMES HOME

REF: A. BANGKOK 623 (RUMORS)


B. BANGKOK 607 (THAKSIN TO RETURN)

Classified By: Ambassador Eric G. John, reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
returned to Bangkok on February 28. He was granted bail on
the charges pending against him. At a press conference, he
said he had returned to clear his name, and he insisted he
was done with politics, a claim that most here are unlikely
to believe. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in
Bangkok on a commercial flight from Hong Kong on the morning
of February 28, accompanied by a number of his supporters
(and his American lobbyist.) A happy crowd estimated at
3-4,000 people greeted him; there did not appear to be any
opposition demonstrators. Thaksin kissed the ground, greeted
the crowd, and departed the airport to report to the Supreme
Court and the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG),where he
made bail on the charges pending against him. In the case
before the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of
Political Positions, he faces charges connected to the
government sale of land to his wife while he was prime
minister. At the OAG, he faces charges he concealed his
ownership of shares in the SC Asset Corporation.


3. (C) Due to concerns about this security, Thaksin told the
press that he would not be staying in his Bangkok home; he
will reportedly be staying at the Peninsula Hotel. Thaksin
told the press before his arrival that he planned to stay in
Thailand only about two weeks before traveling abroad again.
(One condition of his bail is that he not travel abroad
without prior court approval.) Thaksin met with a small
group of his supporters, then held a press conference. He
complained that he and his family were being treated
unjustly, and apologized for the troubles his supporters had
to go through since the 2006 coup. He said he had come home
to prove his innocence, and insisted he had no desire to
return to the political stage. He just wanted to enjoy life
with his family and die on Thai soil. His American lobbyist
called the Ambassador to reiterate that Thaksin was "1000
percent committed" to not returning to politics.


4. (C) COMMENT: The first stage of Thaksin's return has gone
according to plan. It will be very hard for most people here
to believe that Thaksin is really done with politics,
especially given his fairly open role last month in choosing
the current cabinet, and the steady pilgrimage of high
officials he received during his self-imposed exile in London
and Hong Kong. The focus will now be on the courts and law
enforcement officials, and the degree to which they function
without political interference.


JOHN