Thaksin Shinawatra was the 23rd prime minister of Thailand.
As prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra initiated many policies affecting the economy, public health, education, energy, drugs and international relations. He gained two landslide re-election victories.Protesters Jam Bangkok, but Rural Thais Love the Leader. The New York Times, 6 March 2006 He implemented substantial spending on rural programs, with over 30,000 villages receiving a total of B9.4 billion in FY2005 and the budgeted amount for FY2006 being raised to B19 billion,The World Bank, Thailand Economic Monitor, November 2005 and provided affordable health coverage to the people. Because of this, his main support base has been the rural Thai.
His cabinet was packed with academics, former student leaders, and former leaders of the Palang Dharma Party, including Prommin Lertsuridej, Chaturon Chaisang, Prapat Panyachatraksa, Surapong Suebwonglee, Somkid Jatusripitak, Surakiart Sathirathai, and Sudarat Keyuraphan. Traditional leaders of regional coalitions also became members of his cabinet.
His government has been frequently charged with dictatorship, demagogy, corruption, conflicts of interest, human rights offences, acting undiplomatically, using legal loopholes, and hostility towards a free press. A controversial leader, he has been the target of numerous allegations of lèse majesté, treason, usurping religious and royal authority, selling assets to international investors, religious desecration, and "siding with the forces of darkness".The Star, Dreaded day dawns – despite lies and dark forces , 2 April 2006The Nation, Vandal's dad distraught , 23 March 2006
Economic policies
Thaksin's government designed its policies to appeal to the rural majority of voters, initiating programs such as village-managed microcredit development funds, low-interest agricultural loans, direct injections of cash into village development funds (the SML scheme), infrastructure development, and the One Tambon One Product (OTOP), rural small and medium enterprise development program.
Thaksinomics, Thaksin's economic policies helped to accelerate Thailand's economic recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis and reduced poverty. The GDP grew from THB4.9 trillion at the end of 2001 to THB7.1 trillion at the end of 2006. Between 2000 and 2004, income in the poorest part of the country, the northeast, rose 40% while nationwide poverty fell from 21.3% to 11.3%. The Stock Exchange of Thailand outperformed other markets in the region. After facing fiscal deficits in 2001 and 2002, Thaksin balanced the national budget, producing comfortable fiscal surpluses for 2003 to 2005. Despite a massive program of infrastructure investments, a balanced budget was projected for 2007.Asian Development Bank, Asian Development Outlook 2006: Thailand Public sector debt fell from 57% of GDP in January 2001 to 41% in September 2006.The Nation, Public debt end-Sept falls to 41.28% of GDP , 17 November 2006World Bank, Thailand Economic Monitor, October 2003 Foreign exchange reserves doubled from US$30 billion in 2001 to US$64 billion in 2006.The Nation, Black Tuesday: Did the BOT overreact? , 25 December 2006
However, critics charge that Thaksinomics was little more than a Keynesian-style economic stimulus policy re-branded as something new and revolutionary. Economists from the Thailand Development Research Institute argue that other factors, such as a revival in export demand, were the primary causes behind the economy's recovery.TDRI ECONOMISTS: Thaksinomics 'not a driver of growth' - Wichit Chaitrong, The Nation, March 30, 2006 Others charge that the policies got the rural poor "hooked on Thaksin's hand-outs."The Nation, Forget the apologies, let the PM rebuild democracy , 5 October 2006
Thaksin helped bring part of Thailand's massive underground lottery system into the legal fold by operating a successful numbers game (Thai: หวย) run by the Government Lottery Office. Lottery sales of approximately 70 billion baht (US$2 billion) are used for social projects, including the "One District, One Scholarship" program which provided one student from a low-income family in each district with a scholarship to study overseas. Soon after Thaksin was deposed, the junta banned the lottery, claiming it was a social vice. This lured the poor away from work into gambling addiction. In addition, the supreme court ruled that the cabinet did not have the right to introduce the lottery without due process. The scholarship program was also stopped.The Nation, "Ministry suspends lottery sales", 18 November 2006"Intoxicated" Thailand losing billions to lottery: study September 5, 2004The Nation, Justice permanent secretary to seek abolition of jackpot price of Govt lottery, 5 October 2006 The military junta also claimed that Thaksin's government "mischievously spent the proceeds in any way it saw fit".The Nation, Lotteries move lacks understanding , 3 May 2007
The Thaksin government reduced the state's control of the media by privatizing MCOT, a large television and radio broadcaster.The Nation, Activists call for MCOT delisting , 24 November 2006
After the 2006 coup, some of Thaksin's economic policies were ended. The OTOP program was rebranded, the Government Lottery Office program was deemed illegal. The government also nationalized several media outlets and energy companies.
Healthcare policies
Thaksin initiated two key healthcare policies: subsidized universal health care and low-cost universal access to anti-retroviral HIV medication (ARVs). Thaksin's 30-baht/visit universal healthcare program won the applause of the general public, but was criticized by many doctors and officials. Prior to the program's introduction, a large portion of the population had no health insurance and limited access to healthcare. The program helped increase access to healthcare from 76% of the population to 96% of the population. Unfortunately, the program increased workloads for healthcare employees and caused many doctors to switch to higher paying careers. It has been also criticized for being greatly underfunded. The financial losses caused by the program led some hospitals to seek alternative sources of income, leading to a boom in the medical tourism industry, with 1.3 million foreign patients earning Thailand 33 billion THB (approx. US$800 million) in 2005.85 Bogus Doctors Arrested In Thailand Last Year June 6, 2006First International Trade Exhibition and Conference on Medical Tourism, Spa and Wellness Industries, in Bangkok, March 20-23 2008 2007
Post-coup Public Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla called the 30-baht program a "marketing gimmick" and claimed that the government would stop charging any fees for visits to state hospitals.The Nation, Bt30 health fee may be scrapped , 14 October 2006
During the Thaksin government, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS as well as the overall prevalence rate noticeably declined, as fewer were being infected.Follow-up to the declaration of commitment on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) December 2004 Although successful in expanding access to HIV medication, there are concerns that a free trade agreement with the US could endanger Thailand's ability to produce generic HIV treatments.
Thaksin allowed an estimated 2.3 million foreign workers in Thailand to register and seek health coverage under the Thai national healthcare system. They were also eligible for work permits at the end of the registration period, entitling them to full labor protection. Democrat Party Labour Group Committee Pongsak Plengsaeng criticized the move, claiming that it would lead to unemployment amongst Thais.
Anti-drug policies Thaksin initiated several highly controversial policies to destroy the Thai illicit drug market, particularly methamphetamines. After earlier anti-drug policies such as border blocking (most methamphetamine found in Thailand is produced in Myanmar), public education, sports, and promoting peer pressure against drug use proved more or less ineffective, Thaksin launched a multi-pronged suppression campaign that aimed to eradicate methamphetamine use in three months. It increased punishment for drug addicts, set provincial arrest and seizure targets, rewarded government officials for achieving targets and eliminating dealers, and ordered a "ruthless" implementation.
In the first three months, Human Rights Watch reported that 2,275 people were killed. The government claimed that only around 50 of the deaths were at the hands of the police. Human rights critics say a large number were extrajudicially murdered."A Wave of Drug Killings Is Linked to Thai Police". By Seth Mydans. April 8, 2003. New York Times. Amnesty International report: Thailand: Grave developments - Killings and other abusesHuman Rights Watch. Detailed report: Thailand: Not Enough Graves: IV. Human Rights Abuses and the War on Drugs"Thailand War on Drugs Turns Murderous, 600 Killed This MonthHuman Rights Groups Denounce Death Squads, Executions". Drug War Chronicle, February 21, 2003.Matthew Z Wheeler. "From Marketplace to Battlefield: Counting the Costs of Thailand's Drug War." . May 28, 2003. ICWA Letters. Institute of Current World Affairs.Timeline of Thailand's "War on Drugs". July 7, 2004. Human Rights Watch."Institutionalised torture, extrajudicial killings & uneven application of law in Thailand". April 2005. See Annex 5 for a "Partial list of persons reported killed during the 'war on drugs' (revised)." Asian Legal Resource Centre. From Vol. 04 - No. 02: "Special Report: Rule of Law vs. Rule of Lords in Thailand" ."Thailand: Not Smiling on Rights" . July 18, 2005. Asian Centre for Human Rights. See page 24, the section called "Killings in the war against drugs"."Letter from Asia; She Tilts Against Power, but Don't Call Her Quixotic." By Jane Perlez. July 7, 2004. New York Times."US-Thailand's 'License To Kill'. 2274 Extra-Judicial Killings In 90 Days". The Akha Journal of the Golden Triangle by Matthew McDaniel. Vol. 1, No. 2, October 2003. Relevant section of journal 2: 2p6.pdf - Cover and first part of journal 2: 2p1.pdf - Link list for all parts of the journals.Thailand 2003. Extrajudicial drug-war killings of innocent people . Photo gallery. Press/media links, and human rights reports. The government went out of its way to publicize the campaign, through daily announcements of arrest, seizure, and death statistics.
According to the Narcotics Control Board, the policy was effective in reducing drug consumption, especially in schools.Thailand: Public Senses War On Drugs Futile 20 March 2005
King Bhumibol, in his 2003 birthday speech, attempted to criticize the prime minister in a subtle manner by assuming some accountability for the casualties of the war on drug as well as requested the commander of the police to categorize deaths: those killed by police and those killed by fellow drug dealers. Police Commander Sant Sarutanond reopened investigations into the deaths, and again found that few of the deaths were at the hands of the police. Thaksin's anti-drug approach was widely criticized by international community. Thaksin requested that the UN Commission on Human Rights send a special envoy to evaluate the situation, but said in an interview, "The United Nations is not my father. I am not worried about any UN visit to Thailand on this issue."