Businessmen oppose the return of samak

Anusit Phuwaset, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce's northern chapter, said members of Parliament should not vote for Samak's return, because that would show the world Thailand had no other capable choices.

If Samak accepts the post again, that will tell the international community he is oblivious of others' opinions. It will also aggravate political tensions.

"If he returns, the government's credibility will plunge to a lower level than before the Constitution Court's ruling," he said.

More strikes could erupt at transport-related agencies and derail the economy.

Yala Chamber of Commerce chairman Wirat Assawasuksan also opposes Samak's return.

"In today's politics, we should not take into account who has the majority vote. We should pay more attention to appropriateness. Even with support, Samak should consider whether he should accept the appointment. He should also seriously consider what good it will bring. We should resort to new alternatives to end the problems, including a new prime minister," he said.

State Railway of Thailand (SRT) workers yesterday vowed to continue their work stoppage in the South, which has run for 13 days now, in order to pressure MPs into not appointing Samak as prime minister again. Saroj Rakchan, chief of the SRT labour union's southern branch, said train service in the South would be stopped indefinitely.

"The government is struggling to remain in office, and there's a plan to vote for Samak's return. This proves the government is unethical and defiant of judicial power and public pressure. We'll keep fighting. Samak's departure is not a good-enough reason for us to resume service," Saroj said.

Nakhon Phanom Chamber of Commerce chairman Prasit Wongmalasit said the economy was in very bad shape, battered by high oil prices, low investment and political uncertainty. He does not expect the economy to pick up after Samak's exit, because the political conflict will continue. The political situation must be addressed first, and the Army must not resort to violence, he said.

Anan Sangwan, president of the Thai Goldware, Nielloware and Silverware Association under royal patronage, said the political crisis had slowed the industry down severely. With foreign tourists disappearing, orders have plunged, causing losses of billions of baht.

Small and medium-sized plants stand ready to trim their workforces by 20,000-30,000 heads, he said.

"The state of emergency for Bangkok must be revoked, in order to restore confidence among foreign tourists, while MPs should not make Samak the next prime minister. Instead, they should invite someone more acceptable to the public, such as Chuan Leekpai, and the anti-government protesters should come to their senses, which would pave the way for political reform," he said.

Narathiwat Chamber of Commerce chairman Pongsak Chutichaokul said the political conflict had curtailed any possibility of reviving the economy in the deep South. Samak's return would simply prolong the conflict, because the government would face questions of ethics in the long term.

"Samak should review his role and standpoint. If he were to be the premier again, would he do that for the national interest or what? The obvious answer would bring the end to the problems," he said.