beyondbrics

Given that a past prime minister of Thailand lost his job for appearing on a cooking show, could Abhisit Vejjajvia, the incumbent, and Korn Chatikavanij, the Finance minister get kicked out because of a mobile telephone text message?

After cogitating for 18 months, Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission was expected to give a verdict today in a case in which Korn asked three mobile telephone operators to send out free texts to more than 17m subscribers. But it didn’t – adding more political uncertainty to a country that already has more than its fair share.

The message in question read: “This is your new prime minister, may I ask you to help bring our country out of crisis. If you are interested in receiving further messages from me, please (reply) to 9191 (3 baht per message).”

It’s not Watergate, but the opposition Puea Thai party say that the text messages constitute a gift from the mobile operators worth more than the limit of Bt3,000. They have asked the NACC to move against the prime and finance ministers, a move that would automatically trigger their suspension pending impeachment procedures.

The case might be a storm in a teacup, but this is Thailand. Two years ago, then prime minister Samak Sundravej was summarily removed because he had received $2,800 – expenses, he argued — for appearing on an episode of Cooking and Grumbling, his nationally televised cooking show, while in office.

Samak joined a long line of supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra – the former prime minister who was removed in a military coup in 2006 – to fall foul of the courts. Thaksin himself was sentenced to two years in jail for giving his wife permission to bid for a property owned by a branch of the central bank, even though there is no convincing suggestion that her connections secured her a better deal.

He now lives in exile, from where he uses his deep pockets and continuing influence to stir up opposition to Abhisit. With Thaksin, the recent anti-government demonstrations and talk of early elections, Abhisit could do without Messagegate. But Messagegate won’t go away.