Mass media for the Shinawatras
The recent New York Times report that Thaksin Shinawatra is running Thailand via Skype isn't news to our reporters who've seen him in exile juggling eight mobile phones, all linked to key politicians here
But that doesn’t mean that Yingluck is just filing her nails.
We base this assurance on photographic evidence that @pouyingluck_shin posted on Instagram (when she has time). The picture shows her at her desk in the office struggling to keep up with all the documents she has to sign.
Eagle-eyed cynics, though, pointed out the five phones lying on her desk. Why would she need five phones? Does she have one for each ministry? Do they keep things efficient? Or were they just arranged around the desk to show that she’s really the boss and not her big brother.
Regardless, if Thaksin keeps eight phones on the go, Yingluck – who is Prime Minister according to all the legal-type papers anyway – should have at least 10.
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VIPs suffer too
"Smooth as Silk" is Thai Airways International’s slogan, but sometimes the hassles simply refuse to be smoothed.
Earlier this month the national airline had an Airbus flight from Bangkok to Sapporo, Japan, carrying several VIPs, including its own president, Sorachak Kasemsuwan, plus superstar singer Thongchai "Bird" McIntyre and GMM chief Busaba Daoruang.
First there was a delay because some of the first-class passenger seats seemed wonky. Technicians arrived to screw them down tighter. Soon after take-off, the captain announced that water pipes had sprung a leak and tea and coffee would no longer be served. Soft drinks and booze continued to flow, so presumably they’d had to redirect the water from the teakettles to the toilets.
After six hours the jet reached its destination, the caffeine addicts ready to rush to the nearest bistro, but there was also a long wait for the shuttle bus to the terminal. Incredibly, Sorachak managed to keep smiling, even while being kidded that the string of bad luck resulted from him being on board!
