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Law students: No other prime minister in modern Thai history has offered them a chance to so thoroughly understand complicated legal goings-on. Thanks to him, legal students need not merely recite from textbooks like parrots and rely on hypothetical scenarios. The workings of legal bodies, such as the Constitution Court, the Administrative Court, the Criminal Court and the Supreme Court's Criminal Tribunal for Political Office Holders, have now been put on display for the edification of all.

Legal lecturers: They need not worry that they will run out of cases and issues to discuss in coming decades. There are many more cases pending, with the next one set for this month. Law classes will never bore students to death again!

Tax wizards: They have learnt that even the best and most complicated tax-concealment strategies are not invulnerable.

Monks, nuns, parents or any Buddhist: Buddhism was on the decline and the law of karma no longer seemed relevant among youngsters. Monks find it difficult when people believe material gain is the priority and spiritual gain means nothing. Thursday's verdict provides a good illustration of the truth of The Lord Buddha's teaching: "Tham dee dai dee, tham chua dai chua" (in not so many words: "What goes around, comes around").

Street vendors: They once thought there would be no chance of selling things on the street after Thaksin vowed that he would quit politics. But now they are grateful because the Thaksin factor has again inspired people to roam the streets.

Historians: They may want to say thanks to Thaksin for bringing back the kind of internal disputes that led to the fall of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. The incident in Ubon Ratchathani province, where a pro-Thaksin group attacked the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) just because they have different political stances, is, sad to say, an ideal model for the fall of any great Kingdom, not only our Ayutthaya.

Journalists: Thai journalists had to learn what the English Football Association means when they refer to a person as "fit and proper". They also have had to follow all the news from Manchester City. Likewise, journalists from England, including football columnists, are now very keen on studying Thai election law and all the ongoing court cases.

Britons: Many Britons now know what the Thai flag looks like.

Thai language teachers: His nominee has helped revive ancient parts of the Thai language. Many once-extinct words are back on the air!

Bloggers: The boom of the blogging culture in Thailand is partly due to the pro- and anti-Thaksin camps. If you don't believe me, enter "Thaksin" and "blog" into Google and see for yourself.

Louis Vuitton: The French fashion house could not have asked for better advertising when Thaksin chose to wear an LV belt around his waist for his wife's big day in court. The belt was seen in numerous newspapers the next day.

Thai PBS: Thai PBS can come up with a slogan: "The only channel that really cares!"

 

Corporate owners: When you have nowhere else to place the blame, go ahead and use the "Thaksin excuse". He didn't only send the economy into a nosedive during his latter years in office, but the political divisions caused by those loyal to him are very much to blame for a decline in economic growth. It's a good time to cut the fat from your company, and you can just tell them: This is because of Thaksin.

Young students: The young can teach the old a few things. It amazed me when I asked my junior friend, a smart 11-year-old kid, whether she watched the court verdict and she told me: "Yeah, it was victoriously thrilling to watch."

An unidentified lazy student: Without Thaksin, there wouldn't be any PAD movement and since his school happens to be in the area, he wants to personally thank the former premier for giving him extra holidays.