Sondhi the Survivor

The most influential member of the Thailand’s ‘yellow-shirts,’ is Sondhi Limthongkul. He was at the forefront of the PAD- the yellow-shirts- movement that propelled the army into the 2006 coup and helped bring down the PPP government last year. Like most Thai politicans, trouble and the stench of corruption never seems far away from Sondhi. Earlier this year Sondhi survived a hail of bullets; despite being shot in the head he survived, although the shooters remain at large. It is thought that the assassins are soldiers-  although that does not necessarily mean that it is the army that is out to get him as some in the armed forces take on contract killings as a way of supplementing their income.

In the early 1990's Sondhi was an aggressive businessman with a stable of media-related interests. However, in 1997, when the Asian financial crisis arrived, his hopelessly over-committed enterprises went belly-up. Sondhi survived though, not least because of the support provided by none other the Prime Minister. By arranging some extraordinary 'forgiveness’ of his debts Prime Minister Thaksin allowed Sondhi to launch a new TV current affairs station. This was particularly notable as this was at a time when all sorts of media outlets were being forced to shut because of the P.M’s extraordinary sensitivity to criticism. Naturally, Sondhi re-paid the favour and the television station was often little more than a Thaksin-Sondhi propaganda machine. In 2001 Sonhi said that Thaksin was ‘… the best prime minister that Thailand had ever had.’

But like most relationships built on convenience a split between the pair soon occurred and Sondhi and Thaksin became fierce foe. Some put the cause of the division down to Thaksin’s refusal to step in and stop his friend and financial benefactor, Viroj Nualkhair, from being sacked from his position as the head of the Krung Thai Bank. Viroj had been caught making a multitude of risky loans to influential cronies. Others say that Sondhi could feel the gathering storm of opposition from the Thai middle-class to Thaksin’s policies and saw for himself a chance to carve out a position of political influence.

Whatever the reason Sondhi was soon highly critical of the P.M’s policies; so much so that he, like so many in television, found himself forced off air. One of Sondhi’s main complaints against Thaksin was that of corruption; ironic indeed considering the many political favours bestowed on him by the very man he was now railing against. His other major complaint that also struck a cord with many was that Thaksin wasn’t showing enough deference to the King. Despite having to close one television station down, Sondhi still had a satellite T.V. station and a number of other media outlets that made him a formidable opponent.

Soon Sondhi was attracting large crowds to Bangkok’s Lumpini park with highly organized and entertaining events of the like that had never been seen before in Thai politics. It was from these events that the ‘Yellow-shirts,’ or PAD, developed as Sondhi pushed policies aimed at the middle-classes who bore the real tax burden of Thaksin’s populist policies. His argument for a large number of royally appointed M.P’s was also attractive to the many who were tiring of the influence that the poor, from the northeast of the country, were having on Thai politics. These Thai, bluntly, believed that the un-educated rural folk were too simple, too stupid, and their votes too easily bought for them to be able to decide the government.

Following the theme that politicians never stray far from trouble, Sondhi was recently tried and convicted of defamation by a Thai court. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment but remains free whilst he launches his appeal. Considering the assassination attempt perhaps he should have taken the time in prison- he may be safer there than on the streets of Bangkok.