Thaksin to buy home in Australia: report

SYDNEY - Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has revealed he wants to buy a home in Australia as he adjusts to life away from politics.

The self-made billionaire also thanked the Thai military for deposing him in a bloodless coup five months ago, saying he was enjoying spending more time with his family, The Australian reported Monday.

Thaksin is on a private visit to Melbourne and Sydney, where he has hired a property developer to find him a home on the city's prestige harbour front.

"I am looking in the eastern suburbs for a property with good views of the harbour," Thaksin told the newspaper from Sydney, where he was playing golf on Sunday.

"I think Sydney is very safe and I have friends here. I like Australia. The people are friendly and sincere. The weather is good. It is clean and safe and I can play golf all year round."

Thaksin was in New York for a United Nations summit when the Thai military toppled his government on September 19. He has been in self-imposed exile ever since, initially spending time in London before travelling around Asia.

Some of his visits have created political waves, particularly after Thaksin met with Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar during a visit there.

Thaksin stressed he had no political or business interests in Australia and was merely holidaying in the country.

"We have sold the family business," he was quoted as saying. "All we have now is some real estate. I want my children to grow their own businesses from the beginning. I may just advise them.

"In a way, I am grateful to the military government for forcing me into an early retirement so that I can spend time with my family again.

"Now the only activity I am considering is investing in the stock market and doing charity work to support the rural development work of the King."

Thaksin said he was mindful that his activities were still being watched by the Thai government.

"I think the (Thai) government is too concerned about my activities, which are actually very private," he said.

"Every time I speak to the media I try to be very conservative as a former prime minister.

"No matter how bitter you are, you have to be very faithful to your country, to your people and to your monarch."

The Thai government has withdrawn Thaksin's diplomatic passport and advised the ousted leader to return to the kingdom only after general elections promised for later this year.

Agence France-Presse

admin Wrote:"Now the only activity I am considering is investing in the stock market and doing charity work to support the rural development work of the King."

So that's how he's calling the area where his only supporters are. I can't wait to see his money really flowing to the needy people in rural areas.
________________________________________

Korat Info - Korat Forum - Korat Photo Album - ......

It will not be HIS money, it will be from donations from "other" people

Some quotes from the Nation Today:

Quote:Legal reasons behind a Thaksin home in Sydney?

News that former Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra is looking for a home in Sydney has spurred speculation as to whether he has other motives for wanting to live Down Under.

Indeed, there may be legal reasons behind his supposed interest in buying a home in Australia's biggest city.

Aside from the fine beaches, golf courses and a warmer climate than, say, London, Australia does not have a formal extradition treaty with Thailand.

The former premier and his family appear to face the difficult prospect of many years of litigation - with court cases potentially looming over a raft of corruption charges, tax evasion and, possibly, inciting Thai police and local officials to kill at least 2,500 alleged drug dealers during the highly controversial "War on Drugs" in early 2003.

If the coup leaders refuse to allow Thaksin to return home to fight such charges - or he opts to fight them from abroad - Sydney could easily become one of his foreign bases, along with Hong Kong, Beijing or London.

Quote:Buying a home with harbour views in Sydney, especially in the select belt he mentioned, is not cheap. A waterfront mansion could set him back $25 million to 30 million Australian dollars (Bt692 million to Bt831 million).

The former PM would need to get a business or retirement visa to live in Australia, but that also is unlikely to be a major hurdle for a man whose family has assets of several billion US dollars.

The former PM could end up being a serious political embarrassment for any country where he sets up camp, depending on the charges he eventually faces and whether he seeks asylum.

Ferdinand Marcos settled in Hawaii, but Thaksin is not quite in the same category as the former Philippine president - the crimes he is accused of are less serious. And some say he has covered his tracks better, for despite widespread corruption during his term in charge, investigators from the Assets Examination Committee have yet to charge him personally.

But if Thaksin opted to live in Sydney and then faced the prospect of being extradited back to Thailand for a court trial or to serve a jail term, then the matter would probably be settled in the Australian courts.

Given the good and ever-growing relations between the two countries, the former premier would need to present a strong case to prevent himself being flown home.

One Australian official suggested yesterday that Thaksin "would need to do a Saxena" - claim he faced the possibility of being killed if sent back, in order to prevent a court ordering him to be returned - if an extradition request was ever dealt with by an Australian court.

Rakesh Saxena is a former Thai businessman who has been living in Vancouver, Canada, fighting efforts by Bangkok to have him returned to face charges of embezzlement relating to deals undertaken at the time of the financial crisis almost a decade ago.