Initiated by the Thaksin administration in 2003, the first phase of the program consists of nine sub-projects, seven of which were completed.
Thaksin Express, the Thai "Southern Express" train between Bangkok and Sungai Golok
Thaksin Shinawatra | Thaksin Express | Thaksin | Luang Ta Maha Bua's opposition to Thaksin Shinawatra |
The Democrat party spokesman called Thaksin worse than Saddam Hussein for not protecting the Thai economy from foreigners: "Dictator Saddam, though a brutal tyrant, still fought the superpower for the Iraqi motherland".
Anti-Thaksin newspaper editor Sondhi Limthongkul said he believed the bombings were conducted by "undercurrents", supporters of the deposed government of Thaksin Shinawatra, who wanted to discredit the junta.
In October 2005, more light was shed on the nature of his relationship with Thaksin when a letter that Lian had written to the Prime Minister was leaked to the Bangkok-based English-language newspaper Thai Day.
In the 2011 general election, the pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai Party again won a decisive victory over the Democrat Party.
Following the 2006 Thailand coup d'état, ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra attempted to put Ruangroj in power until Thaksin returned.
Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva had criticized Thaksin earlier for not sufficiently opening up the Thai telecom sector to foreigners.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej granted Thaksin a dissolution even though the last election was held only in February 2005, and even though Thaksin's party had a huge majority in the House.
On July 16, 2003, the paper published comments from media rights advocate Supinya Klangnarong, who said that the Shin Corporation, then majority owned by the family of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had benefited because of favorable policies by the Thaksin government.
Most of the TRT executive leadership members were also abroad: Deputy Premier Surakiart Sathirathai was with Thaksin in New York, Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya was in Singapore attending the annual meeting of the World Bank/IMF, Commerce Minister Somkid Jatusripitak was attending the Thai-France Cultural Exhibition in Paris with Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon and HRH Princess Sirindhorn.
Corruption allegations stemming from public contracts in the construction of Suvarnabhumi Airport also threatened to cloud the future of Thaksin's public infrastructure projects that formed the core of his second-term economic policies.
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Among the most prominent advocates of Thaksin's economic policies is Morgan Stanley economist, Daniel Lian.
People's Alliance for Democracy or Yellow Shirts, a Thai movement protesting against Thaksin Shinawatra