THAILAND: The family of a British man given a life sentence in Thailand for drugs offences welcomed him home after his conviction was quashed. 

There were emotional scenes at London’s Heathrow Airport as Jody Aggett was greeted by his five-year-old son, Ryan, his parents, Lorna and Tony, and his twin sister, Tammy. Mr Aggett’s Thai girlfriend, Ramphia Lo, gave birth in jail after she was sentenced alongside Mr Aggett following their arrest in 2001.

The couple decided to send Ryan home to his grandparents in Swindon, Wiltshire, and Tuesday was only the second time that the little boy has met his father.

Mr Aggett was jailed for life in 2003 after his sentence was commuted from the death penalty originally imposed.

He had been staying above a travel agent’s in Bangkok with Ramphia Lo, known in the family as Kristin, when they were both arrested. Mr Aggett’s parents said the couple were allowed to stay rent-free if they opened and closed the shop each day but the agency’s owner, unbeknown to them, was manufacturing Ecstasy in the building.

The couple were advised to plead guilty but refused and his family have been campaigning, along with Fair Trials Abroad, for their release for six years.

On Tuesday, Mrs Aggett said she would be welcoming her son home by “surrounding him with lots of family love” as well as a barbecue, beloved in her native South Africa, and an ice-cold beer.

“Jody has been our strength throughout all of this and Ryan has been such a great comfort because every time I saw him I saw a little bit of Jody and Kristin.”

She said she would “always admire and love” Kristin for allowing the little boy to be sent to the UK.

Mr Aggett, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, looked tired and drawn after his long flight. He told waiting reporters that he had never expected to see freedom: “In that court I was expecting the same sentence again.”

THAILAND: Rebels in southern Thailand are prepared to continue their armed struggle for an independent Muslim homeland for up to another five years before they contemplate talks with Bangkok, a leading rights group revealed yesterday.

In a 104-page report on the Muslim- majority region where at least 2,400 people have been killed in the past four years, Human Rights Watch said the BRN-Coordinate group that appears to mastermind the unrest had more than 7,000 “youth members.”

The New York-based agency said it made rare contact with members of the BRN-Coordinate, which has never made its aims public, and was told the group had “no plans to give up the armed struggle for Pattani Darulsalam.”

Pattani is the name of the independent sultanate annexed by predominantly Buddhist Thailand a century ago. Darulsalam means “peaceful state” in Malay, the language spoken by 80 percent of people in Thailand’s south along the Malaysian border.

Along with Narathiwat and Yala, Pattani is one of the three Thai provinces racked by the daily shootings, bombings, machete attacks and beheadings that started with a well- organized raid on an army barracks in January 2004.

Human Right Watch said the rebels, who have shown no desire to hook up with international militant groups such as Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda so far, were preparing for the long haul.

“They believe that at least three to five more years of the kind of violence that has taken place since 2004 is necessary before they are in a strong enough position to come into public view and participate in any kind of political process,” Human Rights Watch said.

The far south has always been distinct from the rest of Thailand, despite efforts by various military governments in the 1950s and 1960s to import Thai language, culture and religion.

Separatist rebels waged a low-level guerrilla war in the densely forested region throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but their campaign petered out in the 1990s under a more conciliatory, democratic government in Bangkok.

Violence flared anew in 2004 after then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a former policeman, dismantled the Southern Border Province Peace- Building Administration, an army-run organization that included civilians and Muslim religious leaders, and put police in charge of security.

Thaksin’s decision to flood the region with 30,000 troops and police further alienated the population, especially after 78 Muslim men arrested after a protest died of suffocation in army custody.

Srisompob Jitpiromsri, an academic at the south’s Prince of Songkhla University, said he had contacted militants through third parties and been told the plan was to inflict a death toll in the tens of thousands before negotiations start.

“One or two thousand deaths is just the beginning,” he said recently.

“Once you have more than 20,000 people dead, you have more bargaining power for independence. They want independence. They will not compromise on this goal.”

THAILAND: Thailand’s voters have approved an army-drafted constitution but a hefty “No” vote suggests December’s general election will be messy, with ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra still a potent political force. 

With 98 percent of votes counted on Monday in Thailand’s first referendum, the Election Commission said about 57 percent of people had accepted the charter, designed to prevent a repeat of Thaksin’s powerful single-party style of government.

However, 41 percent rejected it, sending a signal to the generals who removed the telecoms billionaire in a coup last September they will struggle to control the make-up of the next administration.

Roughly 25 million of the 45 million electorate cast their ballots, a 56 percent turnout.

Having pressed for a “Yes” vote, the army-appointed post-coup government had been hoping for at least a 60 percent turn-out for what will be the 18th charter in 75 years of on-off democracy.

After early exit polls indicated overall approval — a result that was never really in question — Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said elections would “definitely be held at the end of the year”. Dec. 16 or Dec. 23 are the most likely dates.

Thaksin, 58, has been in exile in Britain since the coup and spent Sunday afternoon watching his newly acquired soccer club, Manchester City, beat Manchester United 1-0 in a match that generated as much interest back home as the referendum.
Many Thais, especially those in Bangkok, appeared motivated to vote by a desire to see an end to the turmoil that has reigned since Thaksin’s family sold control of the telecoms empire he founded to Singapore for a tax-free $1.9 billion in January 2006.

Analysts said investors would also be relieved there had been no major upset, although the smaller-than-expected margin of victory for the “Yes” camp suggested the election would be closely fought, messy — and dirty.

“This is telling the junta that they are going to have trouble at an election and that could mean all kinds of attempts to influence the result — and that’s worrying,” Bangkok-based political analyst Chris Baker said.

Even though Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party has been disbanded and 111 top members barred from politics, its leaders hope the mass rural support that twice swept it to power will rally to a new party under a new flag.

Voter breakdowns showed a 62 percent “No” in the Thaksin heartlands of the northeast, suggesting the army’s campaign to discredit him and his dissolved party has failed.

Analysts say the charter is designed to restore rule by the elites challenged by Thaksin, son of an ethnic Chinese silk merchant, and rekindle the “managed democracy” of the 1980s under ex-army chief Prem Tinsulanonda — now the King’s top adviser and seen by the Thaksin camp as the coup mastermind.

Human rights groups have criticised the poll as a sham, given that nearly half of Thailand’s 76 provinces remain under martial law and that a “No” vote would have allowed the army to impose any one of the previous 17 constitutions.

A full official result was expected later on Monday.

THAILAND: A new constitution for Thailand that is to usher in December general elections and end military rule was approved by millions of voters in a nationwide referendum on Sunday, according to two exit polls. 

Approval of the charter, the country’s 18th in the last three-quarters of a century, was widely expected.
 
A Suan Dusit Institute poll, released shortly after balloting ended, showed that 68 percent of voters approved the new constitution, while an ABAC poll indicated more than 70 percent said yes.
 
The approval means the generals who have been in power for the past 11 months are bound to hold general elections in December.
 
A “no” vote would have delayed the polls and allowed the military to pick any of the country’s previous constitutions and make it the law of the land.
 
Defenders of the charter concede it is imperfect, but argue it is the best way out of the political stalemate that led the military to seize power last Sept. 19 amid growing unrest over alleged corruption and abuse of power by then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, now in self-exile in Britain.
 
Critics say the 186-page constitution, which emphasizes checks and balances at the expense of participatory democracy, perpetuates the behind-the-scenes power the military has wielded in Thailand for decades.
 
A number of voters appeared to ignore the content of the document, focusing instead on either the election or the coup-makers.
 
“I voted for the constitution because I want the general election to be held this year,” said Chucheep Onkoksung, a government official, at one of Bangkok’s polling stations.
 
Samran Kalawin, casting ballots with four members of her family, said, “We voted no because we hate the military coup.”
 
Thailand has been administered since the bloodless coup under an interim constitution that keeps the military — through its Council for National Security — in control behind the veneer of temporary civilian rule. The government is headed by ex-army chief Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, who made no comment after casting his vote.
 
Opponents also complain the referendum itself is flawed because a rejection of the military-approved proposal means the generals will then be free to impose a constitution without further consultation with the voters.
 
The government said it expects 60-70 percent of eligible voters to cast their ballots. The turnout at many Bangkok polling stations was heavy.
 
More than 26,000 soldiers, police and militia were on alert across the four southernmost provinces to protect some 2,600 polling stations against insurgent strikes, army spokesman Col. Akara Thirote said.
 
Violence in the south has taken the lives of more than 2,400 people in nearly four years of almost daily attacks by separatist rebels.
 
Soldiers in Narathiwat province arrived at polling stations in full battle gear as helicopters clattered overhead.
 
A homemade, remote-controlled bomb injured a soldier and several civilians in the province, but Akara said the incident did not appear related to the referendum.
 
“The general situation is rather calm today compared to the daily attacks of the insurgents,” he said.

THAILAND: Internet law experts and webmasters have lashed out at the government’s illegal blocking of websites and the use of threats and intimidation tactics against webmasters. 

Paiboon Amornpinyokiart, an internet and IT law expert, said nowhere in the controversial Cyber Crime Act — which was pushed through by the military-appointed government and took effect on July 19 — does it say the government has the authority to freely block websites. The law says any move to block a website must be backed by a court order.
 
He said the Information and Communications Technology Ministry (ICT) had to first seek court orders if it wanted to block any “undesirable” websites. The Cyber Crime Act was passed through the National Legislative Assembly along with a number of other controversial bills this year, despite grave concerns raised by local and international human and media rights groups.
 
The president of the Thai Webmasters Association, Poramate Minsiri, said most of the content of the new law had been altered during the deliberation in parliament and was acceptable to him.
 
But, he said, the unchecked blocking of websites by the government without court approval was now a major problem.
 
Webmasters have received phone threats and other various forms of intimidation from officials criticising content on their websites and threatening to ban them, he said. Mr Poramate also said the officials intimidating them had refused to reveal their names.
 
He said webmasters had provided software programs such as Ultrasurf to internet users to reverse the blocking but had then been told off by the ICT for distributing the programs.
 
Mr Poramate said ICT officials should carefully study the scope of their authority permitted under the new computer crime law and alter their actions accordingly.
 
Chiranuch Premchaiporn of www.prachathai.com, a website providing information on social and political issues, said the government’s rush to issue media-related laws shortly after the Sept 19 coup was grossly inappropriate.
 
The draft Radio and Television Broadcasting Bill, currently being deliberated, has also drawn widespread criticism for the heavy punishments it will impose on radio and television operators who operate without state permission.
 
She said community radio operators would be badly affected by the draft bill as most operate without licenses.

THAILAND: Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont called on Thais to vote on Sunday in a referendum on a military-drafted constitution that will limit the powers of politicians but lead to elections by the end of the year. 

“This is a critical transition for Thailand, so I would like to ask people to go out and vote,” Surayud said in a television interview on Saturday, nearly a year after elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a bloodless coup.
 
“This is another test for democracy and I hope we will pass this test,” he said.
 
The country’s voters are likely to approve the draft, despite many reservations, in hope of ending more than 18 months of political turmoil that has crimped economic growth.
 
The referendum requires a simple 50 percent majority to pass a constitution which would take power from politicians and hand it to bureaucrats and judges.
 
It was designed to prevent the re-emergence of a strong, single-party government like Thaksin’s, and means a return to the constantly collapsing coalitions of the early 1990s, political analysts say.
 
A majority vote against the draft would leave power in the hands of the military to pick one of Thailand’s previous 17 constitutions, revise it and promulgate it within 30 days.
 
Coup council chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin said on Friday that if the draft charter were rejected at the referendum, it would take him “a couple of days” to pick his favorite constitution and make some amendments.
 
“It would definitely take less than 30 days to promulgate another constitution, if I had to pick one,” Sonthi said. 
 
Many people, despite objections to parts of the draft, are thought likely to vote for it to avoid that unknown and get to elections that would produce a parliament which could amend it.
 
Analysts say the draft would put the country back in the era of “managed democracy” of the 1980s under ex-army chief Prem Tinsulanonda, now chief royal adviser and seen by the Thaksin camp as the coup mastermind.
 
Few believe an anti-charter campaign — spearheaded by supporters of Thaksin, now in exile in London, but including some foes — can succeed in voting it down.
 
But a low turnout would be an embarrassment for the generals and, as in most Thai elections, allegations of vote buying and strong-arm tactics are flying.
 
The military council behind the coup and the government it appointed are striving to get at least 60 percent of the 45 million voters to cast ballots, arguing the new charter would provide an “ethical” and “legitimate” democracy.
 
Coup leaders have enlisted 400,000 military personnel to persuade people to back the draft charter, branded by Thaksin — for whom the Supreme Court has issued an arrest warrant on corruption charges — as “fruit of the poisonous tree”.
 
The Interior Ministry has instructed governors of all 76 provinces to order 80,000 village chiefs to get as many people as possible to the polling booths and awards will be given to the governors whose province have the highest turnouts.
 
Opponents of the draft, who deny the charges, are accused of paying people to vote “No” or stay at home.
 
Election officials expect to have a preliminary result of the referendum late on Sunday and an official result on Monday.

THAILAND: Members of Thailand’s former ruling party put on a show of force on Wednesday by attracting at least 10,000 people to a central Bangkok plaza to protest against the proposed post-coup constitution. 

The rally was organised by the People Power party, whose profile has grown recently after 300 members of Thai Rak Thai (TRT) – the party formed by ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra – joined them.

Thousands of Thaksin supporters clad in shirts declaring “We Vote No” cheered as speakers slammed the junta which seized power in a putsch last year.

The speakers also urged people to vote down a new military-backed charter that goes to the public vote on Sunday.

“The junta ousted the elected government. This means they don’t respect people. How can they write the constitution?” said Sudarat Keyurathan, who was a deputy TRT leader until the party was banned in May.

“This is reason enough to say no to this constitution,” she told the crowd at Sanam Luang plaza, which enthusiastically chanted Thaksin’s name.

The military says the new charter will clear the way for elections by the end of the year, but opponents fear it will provide ways for the army to maintain an influence over government through powerful appointees.

Campaigning is tilted heavily in the government’s favour, with half the country under martial law since the coup and a new law threatening prison for anyone convicted of obstructing the referendum.

One protester said she was there because she disagreed with many articles in the new charter.

“The junta are bandits who tore up the people’s constitution,” said 63-year-old retiree Suwanan, who gave one name only.

“How can they say they will give democracy to us, because there is no democracy among bandits,” she told AFP.

Fellow demonstrators held up signs imploring “Thaksin Come Back”, “Junta Get Out”, and “We cannot accept this constitution”.

Bangkok police major general Manit Wongsomboon estimated the crowd at more than 10,000 people, while organisers said up to 100,000 had turned out. Police said there were no reports of violence at the rally.

Tensions have been high since late July, when 100 anti-coup protesters were injured in clashes with police in the first violence since the coup in September 2006. There was a light police presence on Wednesday night.

Thai Rak Thai was dissolved by a military-appointed court in May for election fraud.

But more than 300 top members, including 160 former parliamentarians, agreed to join the People Power party, enabling them to run in polls the military has promised to hold by year’s end. – AFP

THAILAND: Quality office space in Bangkok is the cheapest in Asia now that the average rent declined quarter-on-quarter for the first time since 2000, according to the international property consultancy CB Richard Ellis. 

The average rent for prime office space in Bangkok’s central business district is slightly more than 740 baht (US$22) per square metre per month, compared with the equivalent of 2,000 baht in Singapore, 1,480 baht in Ho Chi Minh City and 4,500 baht in Tokyo.

International Financial Centre Tower 2, the highest building in Hong Kong, has attained a record rental of about 7,400 baht.

Nithipat Tongpun, director and head of office and retail services at CBRE Thailand, said the slowing economy was expected to push rental rates in Bangkok even lower in the near term.

The company projects that the downward pressure on rental rates could further increase at the end of the year when new grade-A supply enters the market. There are 520,000 sq m of new supply in the pipeline from 2007 to 2009, or about 173,000 sq m a year.

However, the situation could reverse if business confidence is restored, when new demand would exceed increased supply.

Mr Nithipat said demand had fallen because of a weak domestic economy and uncertainty involving the proposed amendments to the Foreign Business Act to control foreign investment in the services sector.

Many overseas companies have delayed expansion and there has been limited new foreign investment in the services sector.

”This has resulted in occupied offices falling dramatically. New net take-up of office space fell by more than 30% in the first quarter on a year-on-year basis, the lowest quarterly take-up since 2000.”

THAILAND: Senior Thai judges issued arrest warrants for the ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife yesterday on the grounds that they sought to evade corruption charges over a multi-million dollar land deal.

The former leader, who recently acquired Manchester City football club for £81.6m, was deposed in a bloodless coup in September while he was abroad. He has since been living in exile in London and failed to appear before a hearing scheduled to begin yesterday.

The nine-judge panel of Thailand’s supreme court ordered the telecoms billionaire and his wife, Pojaman, to be produced before the court at the next hearing scheduled for September 25. Prosecutors said afterwards that if Mr Thaksin failed to appear by the new deadline then extradition proceedings would be considered.

However, an extradition request to British authorities would have virtually no hope of success. British law has no charge equivalent to that which Mr Thaksin, 57, is facing under Thai legislation. Foreign governments are also usually reluctant to extradite former heads of state where there are suspicions of political persecution.

The couple are accused of being involved in a $22m land deal to buy a prime piece of Bangkok real estate in 2003 while Mr Thaksin was prime minister, in contravention of laws barring serving officials and politicians engaging in business with state enterprises.

In the wake of the coup, an “assets examination committee” established by the military-appointed government investigated the purchase of land from an arm of the Bank of Thailand at an auction in which other bidders dropped out.

If convicted, Mr Thaksin faces up to 10 years in jail. The committee is demanding the purchase be set aside, the land returned and the money confiscated.

The former prime minister’s lawyer, Pichit Cheunban, argued that because of the political uncertainty in Thailand it was not safe for his client to return, though his wife has travelled in and out of the country often and is currently in London.

The lawyer argued that Mr Thaksin’s reappearance in Thailand would merely destabilise the fragile political situation ahead of elections that the coup leaders have pledged by December.

He added that it would be impossible for Mr Thaksin to receive a fair trial while the junta was still in control and urged that the case be postponed until next year, or until at least a month after the elections.

“I have talked with my two clients and we agree that the best timing for them to return to fight the case is after the election,” Mr Pichit said after the ruling. “We reiterate that the current situation is still not good for their safety and we have no desire to see disunity in the country.”

In his initial reaction to the Thai court’s decision, Mr Thaksin gave a non-committal response to the Associated Press.

“I am aware of the decision in Thailand,” he said in a statement. “I shall consult with my legal advisers and make an announcement in due course.”

The army chief, Sonthi Boonyaratglin, who led the coup, said Mr Thaksin’s safety would be guaranteed if he returned, directly contradicting an earlier statement that the former premier might be at risk from his enemies.

“The [National Security Council] has to be responsible and the government has to ask the police to take care of it with the military playing a supporting role,” he said. “There should not be any problem for him to return. Everything has gone in accordance with the Assets Examination Committee and court process.”

Since June, almost $2bn of Mr Thaksin’s assets have been frozen in Thai bank accounts. The tycoon was already a wealthy businessman before he secured two terms in office between 2001 and 2006. But the tax-free sale of his telecoms empire to the Singapore government’s investment arm in 2006 sparked mass street protests that led to his eventual downfall.

The Thai military, which justified its takeover on the grounds that Mr Thaksin was corrupt, vilified the former prime minister, but took almost eight months to bring the first charges against him.

THAILAND: With martial law still in effect across half the country outside of the capital, Bangkok, people appear resigned to yet another constitution in Thailand’s first ever referendum on August 19.

In Bangkok’s downtown night market, Ratporn Supsong sells wooden statues of Buddha that the faithful believe will bring them good fortune and protect them from harm.

But the 44-year-old says she is pinning her hopes for a peaceful future on Thailand’s first-ever referendum next weekend, when the military-backed government will ask voters to approve a new constitution.

“I will go to vote and I will vote yes, because I don’t want the political situation to get worse,” she says.

The August 19 referendum only asks voters to approve or reject the charter, but the military sees it as much more — a vote on the legitimacy of the coup that ousted elected premier Thaksin Shinawatra last September.

Generals have tried to play up the idea that they staged a popular coup, because of the warm welcome that many in Bangkok gave soldiers when they seized power, ending months of anti-Thaksin protests and political turmoil.

But for people outside Bangkok, especially in rural areas where Thaksin enjoyed immense popularity, the referendum will be their first chance to deliver a verdict on the coup.

The junta isn’t risking much with the balloting — the generals have vowed to impose a new charter even if voters reject the proposed draft.

They want to win a strong majority, as the vote would be seen as a stamp of approval for their takeover, reducing the risk of further turmoil, says political analyst Thitinan Pongsuhirak.

“If there is a low turnout, less than 50 percent, it doesn’t give them very much legitimacy,” he said.

“A no vote is not good for the people in power. They want to see a high turnout for a yes.”

To do that, the army-installed government is doing everything it can.

A three-day weekend has been declared and the junta has convinced bus and train operators to halve their fares so that millions of migrant workers, who have to leave jobs in the city and return to their hometowns to cast ballots, can do so.

All of Thailand’s 700,000 security officers have been ordered to join a get-out-the-vote campaign, which has included men in green Martian-looking masks passing out flyers on the streets of Bangkok to startled passersby.

Polls seem to indicate that voters are resigned to the constitution.

A national survey released last week by Chulalongkorn University found that 78 percent of respondents said they would vote to approve the charter, even though only 47 percent are satisfied with it.

Opponents say the proposals will grant the military continued political influence by taking power away from elected officials and giving it to bureaucrats.

But they have had a tough time getting their message heard, stifled in part by a law that threatens 10 years in prison to anyone who “misrepresents” the charter.

Thaksin’s allies have led protests in Bangkok against the charter, but they have failed to gain any momentum, rarely attracting more than a few thousand people. The protests have taken an even lower profile since one rally in late July turned violent, with 100 people injured in clashes with police.

Hardly any advertisements are up either for or against the charter. Only a few taxi drivers have stuck “vote no” stickers in their windows.

Martial law imposed after the coup remains in effect across half of Thailand, making campaigning difficult outside the capital.

Many Thais like Ratporn and all the main political parties seem less focused on the charter, with their sights set on general elections, which the military has promised to hold by year’s end.

“More people are willing to just move on, especially in the urban centres,” said Thitinan.

The lack of enthusiasm could also be because Thais have learned not to rely on the permanence of their constitutions. The new one would be the 18th seen in the country over the last 75 years.

“We’ve had a lot of constitutions. It’s possible we could just get a new one in five years,” said a 35-year-old man selling Thai kickboxing gear at the market.

THAILAND: In football crazy Thailand, Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra’s purchase of Manchester City Football Club is nothing short of political genius.

Whilst Thailand’s Military Junta ponder what to do next as the country rapidly falls into economic and political chaos, the famed exiled leader Thaksin Shinawatra is having a ball – literally. Thaksin is pouring on the charm in his adopted country England and known affectionately by Manchester City fans as “Frank Sinatra”.

To add to his growing popularity, the former Thai Prime Minister hosted a concert attended by more than 8,000 people in Manchester’s main square on Saturday – his first major public appearance since he was ousted in a military coup last year.
Surrounded by players from the soccer team he recently bought, Manchester City, Thaksin addressed the cheering crowd outside Manchester Town Hall.

Before the event, Thaksin said he had no plans to attempt a political comeback in Thailand. However, he said the event would demonstrate the strong levels of support he has back home and in England, where he lives in self-imposed exile.

‘The people in Thailand, the majority of them, are still supporting me,’ Thaksin said after watching his first Manchester City game – a 1-0 defeat of Spanish team Valencia in a preseason friendly.

‘If there were to be free and fair elections, my party would win again because this is the first time in Thai history that they have overthrown a very popular government,’ he said.

Thaksin thanked the club and Manchester for accepting him.

‘I feel very honoured and touched by the type of reception I have received from you all today,’ he said.
Thaksin endeared himself further to the crowd by closing the concert – which featured popular Thai singer Mai Charoenpura – singing the club’s anthem Blue Moon.

Mr Noi Ramasut, a friend of Thaksin’s for 40 years, predicted the images of the event broadcast in Thailand would reinvigorate supporters of his Thai Rak Thai Party, which was disbanded by a court ruling in May in a bid to eradicate the former premier’s political influence.

‘He doesn’t want to create conflict now. He will wait for it all to calm down,’ said Mr Ramasut, who moved to Britain in 1973 from Bangkok. ‘This event will make a lot of people feel alive and feel he is present and his future in Thai politics is alive and well.’