Today's problems stem from reign of Thaksin and his cronies

Oddly, Somsak Pola’s defence of Thaksin Shinawatra stirs me to think the opposite and consider that Thaksin could be blamed for almost all of Mr Pola’s examples of inefficiencies, breach of human rights, pathetic economic growth and even the current drought. 

Almost all began or existed during the 14-year reign of Thaksin Shinawatra, his brother-in-law, sister and cronies. 

The weak aviation safety system was highlighted by an international agency years ago before the coup. Fishing, human trafficking and the Rohingyas were predominant during Thaksin’s reign but the news of the misdeeds were well suppressed. 

Economic doldrums are partly caused by his populist policy that we are now in a pay-back period for the sins committed by his sister’s government. 

Drought has now been conclusively stated by Thailand’s independent research agency, TDRI, as caused by the mismanagement of his sister in having an overzealous policy of extremely low level of water retention at the dams after experiencing the great flood in Bangkok.

Almost conclusively, the fingerprints of Somsak Pola’s man and his proxies are everywhere for causing the current havoc. The only exception is the contagious MERS, which was unfortunate but efficiently controlled by this government. We are now free from it while South Korea is still suffering. We even received praise from an international health agency. This one is definitely not Thaksin’s doing.

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok