Within a few years he captured the parliamentary majority, survived the asset concealment case and ran a "can do" government with a shoot-from-the-hip approach and autocratic style. With power centralised in him and independent agencies neutralised or subverted, Thaksin's arrogance grew.

On September 19, the military removed him while he was trying to stage a charisma offensive before the UN in New York. A month has gone by but there is no evidence Thaksin has understood why he was removed so unceremoniously. This explanation is for his benefit.

Thailand is Bangkok-centric. He created a schism between Bangkok and upcountry. With Bangkok and other urban centres despising him, Bangkok prevailed.

This coup is only the icing on the cake. Rapid and escalating mobilisation against Thaksin has created a base, a justification and a widespread acceptance of the coup. Of all military takeovers, this is the only time that people went to give flowers to soldiers and lined up to take pictures in front of tanks.

The Ample Rich scheme culminated in a Bt73-billion tax-free windfall. Combining the scheme with monthly or weekly corruption scandals involving the TRT cabinet and Thaksin's own family, the picture is clear: He operated the largest "Buffet Cabinet" since 1932.

We cannot see that Thaksin valued human life. There were so many lives lost needlessly in his war on drugs and his tragic escalation of the conflict in the Muslim South.Now he wants to return to Thailand. He still has a huge war chest at his disposal. Nothing in his agenda is for the welfare of the kingdom. Thaksin can still destabilise Thailand.

At present there are parallel investigations on Thaksin from the NCCC, AIC and the Auditor General. The government needs special task forces in many other areas including

(a) possible and probable income tax evasion;

(b) insider trading and other SEC violations including irregularities in the IPOs of public enterprises;

(c) Exim Bank and BOI benefits to Shin satellite controlled by Shin Corp;

(d) possible illicit quid pro quo with Singapore, Burma and other countries;

(e) Bank of Thailand should investigate possible economic crimes;

(f) there should be a special task force tracking the trails left by Thanong Bidaya, Thaksin's right hand man at Thai Military Bank, Thai Airways International, Thai Asset Management and the Finance Ministry. The task force can go back to the baht devaluation in July of 1997 when Thaksin was the deputy prime minister and Thanong took over at Finance.

When the dust begins to settle, there should be more than probable cause to issue a warrant for the arrest of Thaksin Shinawatra, not as a deposed ruler, but as a criminal suspect. He will not then be in forced exile wishing to return, but more than likely he will be a fugitive from justice fighting extradition. Thaksin will make Saxena of Bangkok Bank of Commerce look like a boy scout playing with petty cash.

Netirat Intira

Bangkok

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Thai Rak Thai was just a fleeting romance for voters

 Re: What to say to the tens of millions of TRT supporters?

Regarding the question Khun Salin posed to the readers of The Nation: "What do you say to the millions of voters who voluntarily went to the polls and voted for Thai Rak Thai?" The answer would seem to be: Why is it necessary to say anything? After all, with polls showing rural support for the coup above 80 per cent (and higher than that of Bangkokians) it is obvious rural folk never really cared for Thaksin or, having once supported him, have changed their opinion now his true nature is coming to light.

Democracy is a messy business for every country and "ideals" must always be balanced with street-level reality. If true constitutional reforms do indeed take place in the coming months, then Thailand will have taken one step closer to the day when common vote buying and gross misinformation is no longer standard issue.

David Tapila

Sakhon Nakhon

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Thais are not sheep who blindly follow their leaders

 Re: "Judgement on foreign policy was made in haste", Letters, October 18.

When the Foreign Ministry in its letter urges people "to follow along" rather than pass judgement on policy, it brings to mind the famous admonition of authoritarian regimes of the late 1940s and 1950s for Thais to "believe the leader and the nation will survive".

Surely times have changed. Do ordinary Thais who are not part of the bureaucratic elite have a right to discuss and pass judgement on national policies? Surely they have. Unless, of course, the point being made is that there are really no policies worth talking about.

But the "policy thing" is especially important in the current situation where an administration has assumed power without having first announced a policy platform and without having received a popular mandate.

Surely the only way to maintain legitimacy in the present circumstances is to involve as many parts of society as possible, including the press, in the formulation of policies, and to elicit their support in the implementation of policies.

Policies cannot simply be reduced to a bumper-sticker that reads: "Follow Me".

When in its letter the Foreign Ministry urges people to "move on and look forward", this gives the impression of a cover-up and sweeping dirt under the carpet.

The coup leaders, acting in the name of the Thai nation, said they wanted to right the wrongs and undo the misdeeds of the previous regime. The Foreign Ministry must be part of this solemn endeavour in which so many Thais have placed so much hope.

The past must be addressed before we can move on. Just stating that "what has happened, happened" is glib and simply not good enough.

When the Foreign Ministry says the direction in which it is heading "will be made clear through deeds and actions" at some future point in time, the impression created is of a train leaving the station while workers are still laying down the tracks. In such a case, the train drivers cannot with any confidence assure passengers what the ultimate destination is going to be.

Natika Chairat

Songkhla

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No excuses for illegal foreign firms or the Thai authorities

 Re: "Clear up the investment muddle", Editorial, 0ctober 18.

I am surprised at your jumping on the bandwagon of "oh so many people are breaking the law we had better just call an amnesty". The law is the law and that is that. The fact that so many foreign companies are suspected to be in breach of the law reflects poorly on both them and those responsible within the state apparatuses that have "looked the other way". Would you use this same "solution" were there found to be gross and sizeable breaches in other areas of Thai law? Temasek and other companies have knowingly and wilfully broken Thai law and should pay the price for that.

Moreover, you do not address the point of why a maximum 49 per cent foreign ownership blanket rule is the rule, and why that may have been deemed to be necessary. Could it be that that is what was thought to be the best solution for Thailand? If that were to be true, and I presume that was the intention of the drafters, then what has changed?

Finally, the headline of your editorial is misleading. There is no muddle, the law on foreign ownership is quite clearly explained in government publications for all to see and understand.

John de Laurent

Bangkok

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Karr case still a cause of  concern for some

 The name John Mark Karr seems to be heard less and less these days mainly because of the October 19 coup and the subsequent flow of news regarding government reorganisation. On Tuesday and Wednesday CNN's Larry King actually interviewed Karr and a psychiatrist, Dr Keith Ablow, who had conducted an interview earlier this week with Karr for his television programme. The results of these interviews are very disturbing and it is imperative that everyone with small children in Thailand be aware of just how dangerous this man is.

While talking with Dr Ablow, Karr states there is nothing wrong with paedophiles and that he has every right to have sexual relations with small children. He alludes to the fact that he was still involved in the JonBenet Ramsey case somehow, talking about how DNA evidence was degraded and could not link him to the crime.

More disturbing still is that he wants to return to teaching grade school. He is currently renewing his United States passport. Prior to the much needed regime change in Thailand we were told he was "blacklisted" and could not return. He has begun the process for sexual reassignment and has a pressing need to be with young children. This dangerous sexual predator will soon be travelling to a country to fulfil his needs and fantasies.

The powers that be need to be aware that John Mark Karr's return to Thailand may be imminent and take appropriate action to prevent it.

David Barkdull

Bangkok

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Are reported failings at the new airport exaggerated?

According to recent reports, certain low-cost airlines want to return to the old airport at Don Muang because of congestion at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Surely this is a bad joke? How can this brand new airport possibly be congested less than a month after opening? The raison d'etre for Suvarnabhumi was that Don Muang's crumbling facilities were too small to accommodate the increasing volume of air traffic and passenger arrivals. Now it is suggested the multi-billion-baht facilities at Suvarnabhumi are also not up to the task.

If it is true that Suvarnabhumi cannot cope with the current level of air traffic, it points to a monumental degree of incompetence on the part of the authorities responsible for planning and implementing the project.

Perhaps they should get started on a new airport to replace Suvarnabhumi?

Lewis Gibson

Singapore