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"I will go to speak at the United Nations, even though Thaksin went to speak there and did not return," Samak said.

But will Samak even have a chance to go to New York?

The Constitution Court will be reading a verdict today at 2pm over whether his TV programme, Chim Pai Bon Pai, violates the law because he earns an income from it while serving in public office.

Samak testified to the Constitution Court at around 10am yesterday. He did not look very happy and declined to answer reporters' questions after finishing his testimony. The Constitution Court judges gave him a hard time.

At the height of his popularity, Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister, was ready to shoot back at anybody. The UN was not spared. UN criticism of Thailand led Thaksin to utter his classic sentence, "The UN is not my father."

Thaksin was scheduled to speak at the UN Assembly on September 19, 2006. Before that, he flew to Finland to take part in the Asia-Europe leadership forum.

At his suite in the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York, Thaksin was having breakfast when somebody broke the news that General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, the Army chief, had staged a military coup. Thaksin and his advisers were shocked.

Thaksin was terribly upset. He vowed to fight back by going ahead with his speech at the UN, denouncing the coup in Bangkok. Thaksin was also planning to set up a government in exile to fight the military regime.

But Thaksin did not have a chance to address the UN. After the military takeover, his status was reduced to that of an ordinary citizen.

Apart from the Constitution Court verdict, Samak also faces a verdict by the Court of Appeals on a defamation case. Earlier, the Criminal Court sentenced Samak to a two-year jail term (without probation). The Appeals Court will read its verdict on September 25 - the day that Samak is scheduled to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York.

This case cannot be appealed further with the Supreme Court because the conviction term is less than five years.

The UN omen is haunting the Thai leadership once again.