Ousted Thai Premier: Dabbler In Sports, Champ Of The Spotlight

BANGKOK, May 2 — Ousted as prime minister in a coup last September, Thaksin Shinawatra has made a move to console himself with the purchase of an English soccer club.

In a statement on Tuesday, he confirmed that he had made an indicative proposal, a first step toward a possible purchase that allows him to examine the books of the club, Manchester City.

The news led newspapers on Wednesday in Thailand, where Mr. Thaksin still sometimes steals the limelight from the generals who ousted him, all but taunting them with a show of relaxed good humor.

The big news on Tuesday, overshadowing the governments plans for a cabinet shuffle, was that Mr. Thaksin had been elected president of the Professional Golf Association of Thailand, by a lopsided vote of its members.

That seemed to irritate the juntas leader, Gen. Sonthi Boonyaratglin, whose appointed civilian government has been losing popularity after a series of fumbled economic and political moves and what is widely seen as a lack of force and direction.

Its ridiculous, the general said, according to The Nation, a Thai newspaper. I think Thais are in a confused condition. Some may not be able to separate what is good from what is bad. Perhaps we should ask a psychiatrist to help them.

A government official, Deputy Social Development Minister Poldej Pinpratheep, took it all less seriously, calling both the golf presidency and the bid to buy the soccer club a typical gag of Mr. Thaksins. Its his style to make news.

As he travels around the world, mostly in Asia, Mr. Thaksin plays the part of a relaxed, exceedingly wealthy retiree, grateful to be rid of the burdens of public service.

Most recently he appeared at the opening of a golf course outside Beijing where he followed the celebrated golfer Jack Nicklaus in taking the ceremonial inaugural tee shots.

Mr. Thaksin was in New York when the generals ousted him; although they have not barred him from returning, they have strongly discouraged him. Last week, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said, My message to him is: Dont come back.

On being awarded what will by necessity be an honorary presidency of the golf association, Mr. Thaksin repeated his assurance that he had washed his hands of politics.

But he is clearly not retired, having hired American lobbying and public relations firms to advance his interests and, apparently, to keep him in the news.

On Monday the government struck back, saying it was hiring an American public relations company on a three-month $600,000 contract to polish its own image. Mr. Surayuds pace and unfocused style have led people to call him a hermit who raises turtles.

Even as its popularity wanes, the government faces a number of challenges as it tries to keep its promise of producing a new constitution and holding elections.

Opposition has been building on many fronts against the recently completed constitution. It is subject to approval in a referendum, and some commentators here are predicting that it will be voted down.

That would be taken as a vote of no confidence in the government and would send the country into further crisis, said Giles Ungpakorn, a pro-democracy campaigner.

It would be a clear signal that people dont approve of their handling of the political situation, he said. If they cant even produce a constitution, and they certainly havent brought charges against Thaksin, then the question is, why did they stage a coup in the first place?

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