Simplified version: Thailand elected a billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra on promises of helping the poor. He said he was so rich he was incorruptible. Once elected he immediately installed family members in positions of power and modified laws to benefit himself and his family. He proceeded to run the most corrupt regime that Thailand had ever seen.
Now Thailand also has a king so the king, a genuine servant of the people, managed to facilitate a military coup and remove Thaksin from power. But the damage had been done and voting laws had been changed so that Thaksin’s sister was elected as soon as democracy was restored.
Accounts differ as to how she came to power. Some say it’s because Thai women revere light skin and his sister is tall with very fair skin, and she had a pitch about sticking up for women’s right. Others say, no, it’s was just election fraud pure and simple due to Thaksin’s changes to laws and their family members looking after election boards.
His sister was removed from power on the basis of abuse of power.
Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, shame on me.
– unknown
Daily life in Thailand has involved martial law, curfews, public demonstration bans, and Internet censorship.
Of course none of that could happen here.
faxxus 