News Flash – Thailand’s Sondhi Wants Assets Back From Singapore
Posted by inspir3d on February 16, 2007
I think that this is a major story that all Singaporeans should know about, and that deserves its own post. (InSpir3d)
Thailand’s Sondhi Wants Assets Back From Singapore
Feb. 16 (Bloomberg) — Thailand’s Army chief said he wants to take back about 140 billion baht ($3.9 billion) of assets from Singapore, escalating a diplomatic spat between the Southeast Asian nations.
“Singapore is a very small country, but it is so rich that it can buy 140 billion baht of our national assets,” said Sondhi Boonyarataklin, who led a September coup that toppled the government of Thaksin Shinawatra. “I am thinking about whether we can take those assets back. I want our national assets back, especially the satellites.” full story >>
Other Sources
- Thai junta leader vows to take back satellites from Singapore (AFP via Yahoo! News)
- Thai coup leader wants to buy back telecom company sold to Singapore (IHT)
- Thai coup chief wants phone firm back from S’pore (Reuters India)
- Junta leader vows to take back national assets from Singapore – The Nation
- Sonthi wants Shin Corp back – Bangkok Post
- Thailand demands telecom back from Singapore – Radio Australia
16 Responses to “News Flash – Thailand’s Sondhi Wants Assets Back From Singapore”
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THE INTELLIGENT SINGAPOREAN 
layman said
Wow, talk about the timing of this important news. Maybe, the general needs to review our 2007 Budget first or else how he knows that “Singapore is a very small country, but it is so rich … “. After all, we can have a 4 billions dollar package for our poor.
shoestring said
That’s it. I will never do business with Thailand. It’s immature, unreasonable and almost opportunistic.
It’s like a kid saying, “I don’t care, I sold my toy to you for $5 but my brother spent all my money and he won’t pay me back. Now, I want my toy back because you are rich anyway. I don’t care, I want my toy back!”
oskar said
Shoestring:
And isn’t Singapore, opportunistic?
One of the key gripes that neighbouring countries have with Singapore is that it is ever so opportunistic. (oskar recalls many sessions of ‘Govt and Politics of Singapore’ at NUS.)
And does being a legal eagle make anyone, ‘reasonable’?
o.
shoestring said
Oskar,
Well, does Singapore go back on it’s word and manipulate laws and policies to get back an asset in a transaction similar to Shin Corp? You sell, you don’t change the law to take it back. You go after the one who betrayed the country. Not the buyer who paid a market price for the asset. How would you react? Would you do business with somebody who does not keep his end of the deal?
jkaiser said
give back to them, so long as they pay up lah
jkaiser said
Me thinks that Sonthi is trying to score cheap points with the Thais
celluloidrealitys said
While I have a lot of beef with the ways and means of operations of our dear Temasek Holdings, this is one situation where we have to present a united front and not get sucked into this sort of petty internal politics that have a very opportunistic facade(oh the irony).
Sawadeecrap said
Please, Sonthi is just trying to pull a Mahathir here- distract wildspread disenchantment and displeasure among your countrymen with your stewardship by picking a fight with a tiny country who you know will probably not retaliate.
wbg said
Aren’t the thai people suppose to be peace-loving buddhists? How come there is a threat-giving military leader who talks before he thinks? It is so not representative of a buddhist nation.
rookie said
sonthi isnt buddhist
Kway Teow Man said
It’s all poltics. 😦 The KTM would venture to guess that the general isn’t exactly anti-Singaporean. He’s just being opportunistic.
adven7 said
I agree that the Temasek is an issue that we need to address in due time. But for now, we need to put up a national front against external threat. Stay firm and we will win, just like the Asian Cup. Oleh oleh oleh…..
ian said
…and thats what happens when you put a military soldier to handle an economic situation.
If all soldiers were economists,
we would be eating bombs.
Sawadeecrap said
Well our current PM/Finance Minister used to be a brigadier general.
Maybe that’s why the GTS is increasing by 2%.
rossi said
taxpayers’ money should, among other things, be handled with more care
shoestring said
The government has just received a big red packet from taxpayers that will enable them to shop and/or gamble till they drop. And there is already indication that the GST will overtake income tax as the second largest source of funds for their shopping spree and gambling itches in years to come.