Taksin foe survives 100 round assassination plot

[grantcart]

Source: Bangkok Post

Sondhi Limthongkul, the Manager media mogul and founder of the People's Alliance for Democracy, survived an assassination attempt Friday that police said left him and two others wounded.

The gunmen fired about 100 rounds from assault rifles through the windows of Mr Sondhi's car as he was on the way to record a programme for his ASTV station before dawn on Friday.

He suffered head injuries, the most serious of which occurred when a piece of metal, apparently from the car, penetrated the right side of his skull, causing bleeding in his brain, according to director of Vajira Hospital Dr Wanchai Charoenchokethawee.

"Doctors are performing an operation, which is expected to be completed around noon," Dr Wanchai said, adding that there are no injuries to his body.

"At least two attackers followed Mr Sondhi's car, overtook it and sprayed it with about 100 rounds of gunfire from AK-47 and M-16s,'' said the commander, Colonel King Kwaengwisatchaicharn.

"The motive for the attack is still under investigation,'' he said.



Read more: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/140812/sondhi-shot-wounded

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Sondhi was once one of Taksin's main supporters and labelled him "Thailand's best Premier ever".

However when Taksin's extrajudicial killings of illicit drug criminals and retributative killings of Muslims in the South of Thailand (estimated by human rights organizations to exceed 3,000 people) became better known, and when Taksin openly manipulated Thailand's parliment to allow illegal sales to foriegn companies netting Taksin billions of dollars, he openly joined human rights groups, lay Buddhist leaders, academic leaders and other activists to start the PAD which mobilized people power that resulted in widespread opposition to Taksin's regime. Corruption charges forced Taksin to leave the country under threat of prison and his brother in law became Premier. Last year widespread demonstrations by the PAD forced them out of power. The PAD never sought personal power or endorsed any particular party, simply trying to draw attention to widespread vote buying in rural areas.

Taksin recently attempted to duplicate the tactics of the PAD by launching rent a mobs that failed in their violent attempts to bring down the government. Although large numbers of protesters recieved up to B 1,000 a day and some became very violent their tactics backfired as it ignited wide spread counter demonstrations by local residents and firm response by military.

Taksin's open call for 'revolution' (meaning restoring personal power) does not play well in Thailand where politicians must practice public restraint to maintain public support has brought him universal condemnation in Thailand and collapse of any public support, even die hard supporters stating that they support change but not restoration of a cult of personality.

Should Sondhi survive this attack Thais will assume that this is a "supernatural" sign that metaphysical powers now conspire against Taksin.



Here is an update from The Nation, Bangkok's other English Language newspaper;

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/04/17/politics/politics_30100677.php


Meanwhile PAD's spokesman Parnthep Pualpongpan said at least two attackers riding on a pickup blocked Sondhi's vehicle who was on Samsen Road, heading to Manager newspaper office in Banglampoo area early Friday morning.

The attackers then shot four tyres of Sondhi's vehicle before stepping out of their car and sprayed more bullets on the car. The attack lasted about five minutes and the attackers went back to their pickup which sped away along Tevet Road.

Police who rushed to the scene found Sondhi's car riddled with bullets and they could collect more than cartridges of AK-16 and rifles from the scene.

Parnthep said Sondhi was informed of reports that he could possible a target of attack, but he simply ignored the warnings.

[Hello_Kitty]

1. Amazing story. Good for him and his fellow passengers for surviving.

And I have to say I am amazed by this name: "Colonel King Kwaengwisatchaicharn."

[grantcart]

2. The reason for long last name goes back to King Rama IV

When King Mongut (the King referred to in The King and I) became aware of the common practice of foreigners to have both a first and last name he started the practice of issuing last names for Thai people.

At the time ethnic Thais were given simple names with one or two syllables and Thais of Chinese descent were given names that had atleast 5 syllables. Most ethnic Chinese in Thai no longer speak any Chinese and can only by identified as having Chinese blood by their lengthy last name.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. It's pronounced "Smith"

Consider, if you will, the word "ghoti" ...

--d!