69-458: Phaya Thai ( Thai : พญาไท , pronounced [pʰā.jāː tʰāj] ) is a district in central Bangkok , Thailand . From the north clockwise, its neighbouring districts are: Bang Sue , Chatuchak , Din Daeng , Ratchathewi , and Dusit . Despite sharing a name, due to boundary changes, Phaya Thai Road and Phaya Thai BTS Station are in the adjoining Ratchathewi District. Phaya Thai district
138-634: A coup in September 2006. Thai language Thai , or Central Thai (historically Siamese ; Thai: ภาษาไทย ), is a Tai language of the Kra–Dai language family spoken by the Central Thai , Mon , Lao Wiang , Phuan people in Central Thailand and the vast majority of Thai Chinese enclaves throughout the country. It is the sole official language of Thailand . Thai is
207-623: A dominant language in all aspects of society in Thailand, Thai initially saw gradual and later widespread adoption as a second language among the country's minority ethnic groups from the mid-late Ayutthaya period onward. Ethnic minorities today are predominantly bilingual, speaking Thai alongside their native language or dialect. Standard Thai is classified as one of the Chiang Saen languages—others being Northern Thai , Southern Thai and numerous smaller languages, which together with
276-626: A Cabinet reshuffle. Many have claimed that Thaksin's move was designed to help give Chamlong Srimuang a boost in the June 1996 Bangkok Governor elections, which Chamlong returned from retirement to contest. But Chamlong lost to Bhichit Rattakul, an independent. Chamlong's failure to buttress the PDP's failing power base in Bangkok amplified divisions in the PDP, particularly between Chamlong's "temple" faction and Thaksin's. Soon afterwards, Chamlong announced he
345-428: A common sense understanding, (2) the accounting explanation may have minor changes but the important information remains unchanged and has been edited to make it clearer, (3) It is not shown that there have been any instances where a minister or individual who submitted the accounting has stated that they did not show the asset list because they used another person's name as a substitute, citing that they did not understand
414-495: A computer rental business. In 1987 Thaksin resigned from the police. He then marketed a romance drama called Baan Sai Thong , which became a popular success in theatres. In 1988, he joined Pacific Telesis to operate and market the PacLink pager service, a modest success, though Thaksin later sold his shares to establish his own paging company. In 1989, he launched IBC, a cable television company. At that time, Thaksin had
483-570: A data networking service, Shinawatra DataCom, today known as Advanced Data Network and owned by AIS and TOT . Many of Thaksin's businesses were later consolidated as Shin Corporation . Advanced Info Service (AIS) was given a monopoly contract by Thaksin's military contacts in 1986 and used the GSM-900 frequency band. AIS grew rapidly and became the largest mobile phone operator in Thailand. The Shinawatra Computer and Communications Group
552-533: A four-way distinction among stops and affricates . The maximal four-way occurred in labials ( /p pʰ b ʔb/ ) and denti-alveolars ( /t tʰ d ʔd/ ); the three-way distinction among velars ( /k kʰ ɡ/ ) and palatals ( /tɕ tɕʰ dʑ/ ), with the glottalized member of each set apparently missing. The major change between old and modern Thai was due to voicing distinction losses and the concomitant tone split . This may have happened between about 1300 and 1600 CE, possibly occurring at different times in different parts of
621-949: A gas station, and a car and motorcycle dealership. By the time Thaksin was born, the Shinawatra family was one of the richest and most influential families in Chiang Mai. Thaksin was born in San Kamphaeng , Chiang Mai Province . He is a Theravada Buddhist . He lived in the village of San Kamphaeng until he was 15, then moved to Chiang Mai to study at Montfort College . At 16, he helped run one of his father's cinemas. Thaksin married Potjaman Damapong in July 1976. They have one son, Panthongtae and two daughters, Pinthongtha and Paethongtarn . They divorced in 2008. Thaksin's youngest sister, Yingluck Shinawatra ( Thai : ยิ่งลักษณ์ ชินวัตร ; RTGS : yinglak chinnawat ),
690-571: A good relationship with Chalerm Yoobumrung, the minister of the Prime Minister's Office, who was in charge of Thai press and media. It is a question whether Chalerm granted the right to Thaksin to establish IBC to benefit his close friend, seeing that the project had been denied by the previous administration. However, it turned out to be a money loser and he eventually merged the company with the CP Group's UTV. In 1989, Thaksin established
759-585: A landslide in the 2005 general election , which had the highest voter turnout in Thai history. Twelve years later, after Thaksin was removed from power, Chamlong Srimuang expressed regret at getting "such a corrupt person" into politics. The PDP soon withdrew from the government over the Sor Por Kor 4-01 land reform corruption scandal, causing the government of Chuan Leekpai to collapse. Chamlong, strongly criticised for mishandling internal PDP politics in
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#1732786919604828-537: A notorious drug suppression campaign. Thaksin embarked on a massive program of infrastructure investment, including roads, public transit, and Suvarnabhumi Airport . Nevertheless, public sector debt fell from 57 percent of GDP in January 2001 to 41 percent in September 2006. Levels of corruption were perceived to have fallen, with Transparency International 's Corruption Perceptions Index improving from 3.2 to 3.8 between 2001 and 2005. The Thai Rak Thai party won in
897-573: A populist platform often attributed to Somkid , TRT promised universal access to healthcare, a three-year debt moratorium for farmers, and one million baht locally managed development funds for all Thai villages. After Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai dissolved parliament in November 2000, TRT won a sweeping victory in the January 2001 elections , the first held under the Constitution of 1997. At
966-524: A strong-arm approach against the separatist insurgency in the Muslim southern provinces . His decision to sell shares in his corporation for more than a billion tax-free US dollars generated controversy. A protest movement against Thaksin, called People's Alliance for Democracy or "Yellow Shirts", launched mass demonstrations , accusing him of corruption, abuse of power, and autocratic tendencies. In 2006 Thaksin called snap elections that were boycotted by
1035-530: A syllable that formerly began with a voiceless consonant (including glottalized stops). An additional complication is that formerly voiceless unaspirated stops/affricates (original /p t k tɕ ʔb ʔd/ ) also caused original tone 1 to lower, but had no such effect on original tones 2 or 3. The above consonant mergers and tone splits account for the complex relationship between spelling and sound in modern Thai. Modern "low"-class consonants were voiced in Old Thai, and
1104-427: A year afterward. If found guilty, Thaksin could be banned from political office for five years. This case is known as the "stock hiding case" because the Constitution prohibits politicians and their spouses from holding shares in private companies as per the law. However, Thaksin transferred the shares he owned to his domestic staff and other nominees in order to conceal his ownership. According to his own testament in
1173-556: Is a Thai politician and businessman who served as the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006. Thaksin founded the mobile phone operator Advanced Info Service and the IT and telecommunications conglomerate Shin Corporation in 1987, ultimately making him one of the richest people in Thailand. He founded the Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) in 1998 and, after a landslide electoral victory, became prime minister in 2001. He
1242-506: Is based on the register of the educated classes by Central Thai and ethnic minorities in the area along the ring surrounding the Metropolis . In addition to Central Thai, Thailand is home to other related Tai languages . Although most linguists classify these dialects as related but distinct languages, native speakers often identify them as regional variants or dialects of the "same" Thai language, or as "different kinds of Thai". As
1311-557: Is based on the dialect of the central Thai people, and it is written in the Thai script . Hlai languages Kam-Sui languages Kra languages Be language Northern Tai languages Central Tai languages Khamti language Tai Lue language Shan language others Northern Thai language Thai language Southern Thai language Tai Yo language Phuthai language Lao language (PDR Lao, Isan language ) Thai has undergone various historical sound changes. Some of
1380-529: Is in Ratchathewi, on Phaya Thai Road. During the reign of King Rama VI , Phaya Thai was an area filled with military cantonments. "Sanam Pao" is another familiar name of the area, owing the original name of Phaholyothin Road , the main thoroughfare through the area. The district is divided into two sub-districts ( khwaeng ) . (December 2021) (December 2021) The missing numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 belong to
1449-667: Is not his responsibility to submit the accounting before the announcement of the use of the organic law on the Prevention and Suppression of Corruption Act, B.E. 2542 (A.D. 1999), which was just announced on November 18, B.E. 2542 (A.D. 1999) and (6) in the confidential letter dated November 14, 24, and 30th, B.E. 2543 (A.D. 2000) to the Chairman of the Audit Committee, the accused (Thaksin Shinawatra) had already explained
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#17327869196041518-664: Is said to have entered politics in 2011 at her brother's request as leader of the pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai Party . She was later elected prime minister on 3 July 2011. Thaksin received a doctorate in criminology at Sam Houston State University . Thaksin lectured at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of Mahidol University in 1979. Thaksin was a member of the 10th class of the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School , and
1587-486: Is the language of television, education, news reporting, and all forms of media. A recent research found that the speakers of the Northern Thai language (also known as Phasa Mueang or Kham Mueang) have become so few, as most people in northern Thailand now invariably speak Standard Thai, so that they are now using mostly Central Thai words and only seasoning their speech with the "Kham Mueang" accent. Standard Thai
1656-567: Is the only Buddhist temple in the district. The population is more concentrated in the area called Saphan Khwai (สะพานควาย) with many shops, apartments, and a BigC shopping center. The Thai Philatelic Museum was renovated and moved to a building behind the Samsen Nai post office at Saphan Khwai in December 2004. Among the exhibits are awards Thai philatelists received from various international competitions together with photocopies of
1725-510: The Eastern Line ) must pass here before reaching (or departing) from Hua Lamphong railway station . The rail tracks also serve as the dividing line between Phaya Thai's Phaya Thai Sub-district and Dusit's Thanon Nakhon Chai Si Sub-district. Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (2001–2006) was a police officer who began his career at Phaya Thai Police Station . Shinawatra and his political party, Thai Rak Thai were ousted in
1794-532: The People's Power Party that ruled in 2008 and its successor organisation Pheu Thai Party , as well as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship or "Red Shirt" movement. His younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra was prime minister from 2011 to 2014, and his youngest daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been the prime minister since 2024. Later in exile, Thaksin registered a Clubhouse account under
1863-400: The populist Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party in 1998. After a historic election victory in 2001 , he became prime minister, the country's first to serve a full term. Thaksin introduced a range of policies to alleviate rural poverty. Highly popular, they helped reduce poverty by half in four years. He launched the country's first universal healthcare program, the 30-baht scheme , as well as
1932-646: The 1860s and settled in Chiang Mai in 1908. His eldest son, Chiang Saekhu, was born in Chanthaburi in 1890 and married a local named Saeng Samana. Chiang's eldest son, Sak, adopted the Thai surname Shinawatra in 1938 because of the country's pro-Central Thai movement , and the rest of the family also adopted it. Seng Saekhu had made his fortune through tax farming . Chiang Saekhu/Shinawatra later founded Shinawatra Silks and then moved into finance, construction, and property development. Thaksin's father, Loet,
2001-504: The Khmer system first before the Thai borrowed. Old Thai had a three-way tone distinction on "live syllables" (those not ending in a stop), with no possible distinction on "dead syllables" (those ending in a stop, i.e. either /p/, /t/, /k/ or the glottal stop that automatically closes syllables otherwise ending in a short vowel). There was a two-way voiced vs. voiceless distinction among all fricative and sonorant consonants, and up to
2070-628: The Northwestern Tai and Lao-Phutai languages, form the Southwestern branch of Tai languages . The Tai languages are a branch of the Kra–Dai language family , which encompasses a large number of indigenous languages spoken in an arc from Hainan and Guangxi south through Laos and Northern Vietnam to the Cambodian border. Standard Thai is the principal language of education and government and spoken throughout Thailand. The standard
2139-582: The Policy and Planning Sub-division, General Staff Division, Metropolitan Police Bureau, before resigning his commission in 1987 as a Police Lieutenant Colonel and leaving the police. His former wife, Potjaman Damapong , is the sister of Police General Priewpan Damapong and now uses her mother's maiden name. He was a former university lecturer at the Royal Police Cadet Academy in 1975–1976. Thaksin's police lieutenant colonel rank
Phaya Thai district - Misplaced Pages Continue
2208-491: The Thai-speaking area. All voiced–voiceless pairs of consonants lost the voicing distinction: However, in the process of these mergers, the former distinction of voice was transferred into a new set of tonal distinctions. In essence, every tone in Old Thai split into two new tones, with a lower-pitched tone corresponding to a syllable that formerly began with a voiced consonant, and a higher-pitched tone corresponding to
2277-556: The Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand released a final report after two years of work, stating that all political crises were caused by the "Thaksin stock hiding case" in which the Constitutional Court acted unlawfully. Seven judges of the Constitutional Court ruled that Thaksin Shinawatra was guilty of the charges, while six other judges ruled that he was not guilty. However, the Constitutional Court then included
2346-460: The accounting explanation and (4) although the organic law on the Prevention and Suppression of Corruption Act, B.E. 2542 (A.D. 1999) was announced on November 18, B.E. 2542 (A.D. 1999), the accused has the responsibility to submit the accounting according to the current constitution from the day it is mandated, which is October 11, B.E. 2540 (A.D. 1997). Later, the Constitutional Court ruled 8 to 7 that Thaksin Shinawatra did not have any intention in
2415-601: The ailing iTV television station from the Crown Property Bureau , Nation Multimedia Group , and Siam Commercial Bank . Thaksin entered politics in late 1994 through Chamlong Srimuang , who had just reclaimed the position of Palang Dharma Party (PDP) leader from Boonchu Rojanastien . In a subsequent purge of Boonchu-affiliated PDP cabinet ministers, Thaksin was appointed Foreign Minister in December 1994, replacing Prasong Soonsiri . Thaksin left Palang Dharma along with many of its MPs in 1996, and founded
2484-442: The constitutional court, his reasons for failing to reveal his complete asset include: (1) the constitution does not define the term "personal property", (2) the accounting explanation is not clear, (3) not showing the property using another person's name as a substitute, which was not previously required to be shown, is not considered a violation, (4) not intentionally not showing the list of property using another person's name, (5) it
2553-636: The elections, winning only one seat, and soon imploded, with most members resigning. On 15 August 1997, Thaksin became Deputy Prime Minister in Chavalit Yongchaiyudh 's government, after the Thai baht was floated and devalued on 2 July 1997, sparking the Asian financial crisis . He held the position for only three months, leaving on 14 November when Chavalit resigned. During a censure debate on 27 September 1997, Democrat Suthep Thaugsuban accused Thaksin of profiting from insider information about
2622-678: The government's decision to float the baht, but the next Democrat party-led government did not investigate the accusations. During this period, Thaksin also served on the Asia Advisory Board of the Washington, D.C. based Carlyle Group until he resigned upon becoming Prime Minister in 2001. Thaksin founded the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) ('Thais Love Thais') party in 1998 along with Somkid Jatusripitak , PDP ally Sudarat Keyuraphan , Purachai Piumsomboon, and 19 others. With
2691-681: The introduction of universal healthcare, allowing him to gather the hitherto-neglected support of the rural poor, especially in the populous northeast. His cabinet consisted of a broad coalition of 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 regional power brokers also flocked to his government. However, his government
2760-564: The last days of the Chuan-government, retired from politics and hand-picked Thaksin as new PDP leader. Thaksin ran for election for the first time for the constitutional tribunal and lost. Thaksin joined the government of Banharn Silpa-Archa and was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Bangkok traffic. In May 1996, he and four other PDP ministers quit the Banharn Cabinet (while retaining their MP seats), prompting
2829-567: The list of assets and debts and the reasons why they were not shown in the accounting, considering the notification of additional asset lists as part of the three times submitted accounting. While Klanarong Jantik, the Secretary-General of the National Anti-Corruption Commission-NACC, argued in the court that (1) although the constitution does not define the term "personal property", but it is
Phaya Thai district - Misplaced Pages Continue
2898-528: The local patois as pronounced in Guangdong Ayutthaya , the old capital of Thailand from 1351 - 1767 A.D., was from the beginning a bilingual society, speaking Thai and Khmer . Bilingualism must have been strengthened and maintained for some time by the great number of Khmer-speaking captives the Thais took from Angkor Thom after their victories in 1369, 1388 and 1431. Gradually toward the end of
2967-452: The matter. This ruling may have been influenced by public pressure against the Constitutional Court because at the time, Thaksin was very popular and some believed he should have been given the opportunity to govern the country. However, there is still a part of society that is skeptical of the court's decision and sees Thaksin as disrupting the justice process, leading to the complaint and removal of four Constitutional Court judges. In 2011,
3036-551: The most significant changes occurred during the evolution from Old Thai to modern Thai. The Thai writing system has an eight-century history and many of these changes, especially in consonants and tones, are evidenced in the modern orthography . According to a Chinese source, during the Ming dynasty , Yingya Shenglan (1405–1433), Ma Huan reported on the language of the Xiānluó (暹羅) or Ayutthaya Kingdom, saying that it somewhat resembled
3105-424: The most spoken of over 60 languages of Thailand by both number of native and overall speakers. Over half of its vocabulary is derived from or borrowed from Pali , Sanskrit , Mon and Old Khmer . It is a tonal and analytic language . Thai has a complex orthography and system of relational markers . Spoken Thai, depending on standard sociolinguistic factors such as age, gender, class, spatial proximity, and
3174-529: The name "Tony Woodsome", which became his moniker, and frequently held activities on the platform. He also made several announcements expressing his desire to return to Thailand on various social media platforms. Ultimately, Thaksin returned to Thailand on 22 August 2023, and was promptly taken into custody. Thaksin's great-grandfather, Seng Saekhu (Khu Chun Seng 丘春盛), was an ethnic Chinese Hakka immigrant from Fengshun , Guangdong, China, who arrived in Siam in
3243-676: The opposition and invalidated by the Constitutional Court . Thaksin was deposed in a military coup on 19 September 2006 . His party was outlawed and he was barred from political activity. Thaksin lived in self-imposed exile for 15 years—except for a brief visit to Thailand in 2008—before returning to Thailand in August 2023. During his exile he was sentenced in absentia to two years in jail for abuse of power, and stripped of his Police Rank of Police Lieutenant Colonel. From abroad, he continued to influence Thai politics through
3312-415: The period, a language shift took place. Khmer fell out of use. Both Thai and Khmer descendants whose great-grand parents or earlier ancestors were bilingual came to use only Thai. In the process of language shift, an abundance of Khmer elements were transferred into Thai and permeated all aspects of the language. Consequently, the Thai of the late Ayutthaya Period which later became Ratanakosin or Bangkok Thai,
3381-492: The royal vocabulary according to their immediate environment. Thai and Pali, the latter from Theravada Buddhism, were added to the vocabulary. An investigation of the Ayutthaya Rajasap reveals that three languages, Thai, Khmer and Khmero-Indic were at work closely both in formulaic expressions and in normal discourse. In fact, Khmero-Indic may be classified in the same category as Khmer because Indic had been adapted to
3450-406: The smaller Seritham Party (14 seats). Thaksin became Prime Minister of Thailand on 9 February 2001. Thailand's National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) submitted an indictment to the Constitutional Court accusing Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister-in-waiting at the time, for failing to disclose assets worth about 2.37 billion baht ($ 56 million) while he was deputy prime minister in 1997 and
3519-684: The sub-districts which were split off to form Ratchathewi district. Phaya Thai is home to many government offices, such as the Government Savings Bank , the Ministry of Finance , and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment . A large portion of the district on its east side is occupied by the Royal Thai Army , including the Army Stadium , and the military-owned television Channel 5 . Wat Phai Tan (วัดไผ่ตัน)
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#17327869196043588-535: The terminology "low" reflects the lower tone variants that resulted. Modern "mid"-class consonants were voiceless unaspirated stops or affricates in Old Thai—precisely the class that triggered lowering in original tone 1 but not tones 2 or 3. Modern "high"-class consonants were the remaining voiceless consonants in Old Thai (voiceless fricatives, voiceless sonorants, voiceless aspirated stops). The three most common tone "marks" (the lack of any tone mark, as well as
3657-522: The three tones of Old Thai were split have since merged into five in standard Thai, with the lower variant of former tone 2 merging with the higher variant of former tone 3, becoming the modern "falling" tone. หม ม หน น, ณ หญ ญ หง ง ป ผ พ, ภ บ ฏ, ต ฐ, ถ ท, ธ ฎ, ด จ ฉ ช Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra (born 26 July 1949)
3726-568: The time, some academics called it the most open, corruption-free election in Thai history. Thai Rak Thai won 248 parliamentary seats (more than any other party previously) and needed only three more seats to form a government. Nonetheless, Thaksin opted for a broad coalition to gain total control and avoid a vote of no confidence, with the Chart Thai Party (41 seats) and the New Aspiration Party (36 seats), while absorbing
3795-423: The two marks termed mai ek and mai tho ) represent the three tones of Old Thai, and the complex relationship between tone mark and actual tone is due to the various tonal changes since then. Since the tone split, the tones have changed in actual representation to the point that the former relationship between lower and higher tonal variants has been completely obscured. Furthermore, the six tones that resulted after
3864-508: The urban/rural divide, is partly mutually intelligible with Lao , Isan , and some fellow Thai topolects . These languages are written with slightly different scripts, but are linguistically similar and effectively form a dialect continuum . Thai language is spoken by over 69 million people (2020). Moreover, most Thais in the northern (Lanna) and the northeastern (Isan) parts of the country today are bilingual speakers of Central Thai and their respective regional dialects because Central Thai
3933-416: The votes of the two judges who had ruled that the case was not within their jurisdiction, but had not ruled on the substance of the case, and added them to the votes of the six judges who had ruled that Thaksin was not guilty. This resulted in a ruling of 8 to 7 in favor of Thaksin, which was perceived as a violation of the law and led to public mistrust of the judicial process in Thailand. Thaksin Shinawatra
4002-589: The winning entries, posters depicting rare Thai stamps , and winning postage stamp designs. There are three BTS skytrain stations in Phaya Thai: Sanam Pao , Ari , and Saphan Khwai . The Bangkok MRT station Bang Sue is in the northwest corner of the district. Phaya Thai is also served by the Sam Sen railway station of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), which every train (except
4071-453: Was a thorough mixture of Thai and Khmer. There were more Khmer words in use than Tai cognates. Khmer grammatical rules were used actively to coin new disyllabic and polysyllabic words and phrases. Khmer expressions, sayings, and proverbs were expressed in Thai through transference. Thais borrowed both the Royal vocabulary and rules to enlarge the vocabulary from Khmer. The Thais later developed
4140-536: Was born in Chiang Mai in 1919 and married Yindi Ramingwong. Yindi's father, Charoen Ramingwong (born: Wang Chuan Cheng), was a Chinese Hakka immigrant who married Princess Chanthip na Chiangmai, a minor member of the Lanna (Chiang Mai) royalty . In 1968, Loet Shinawatra entered politics and became an MP for Chiang Mai. Loet Shinawatra quit politics in 1976. He opened a coffee shop, grew oranges and flowers in Chiang Mai's San Kamphaeng District , and opened two cinemas,
4209-471: Was created by carving off the southern part of Phaya Thai in 1989. In 1993, some eastern parts were moved out of the district to the newly-formed Din Daeng, leaving Phaya Thai with only one remaining sub-district, Sam Sen Nai. Due to the split off of Ratchathewi, Phaya Thai Road is no longer in Phaya Thai District. It runs through Ratchathewi and Pathum Wan . Similarly, Phaya Thai BTS Station
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#17327869196044278-501: Was founded in 1987 and listed in 1990. In 1990, Thaksin founded Shinawatra Satellite, which has developed and operated four Thaicom communications satellites. In 1999, the Shinawatra family spent some one billion baht establishing Shinawatra University in Pathum Thani . It offers international programs in engineering, architecture, and business management, though it ranks quite low internationally. In 2000, Thaksin acquired
4347-490: Was increasingly accused of dictatorship, demagogy , corruption, conflicts of interest, human rights offences, acting undiplomatically, using legal loopholes and displaying hostility towards a free press . A highly controversial leader, he has also been the target of numerous allegations of lèse majesté , treason, usurping religious and royal authority, selling assets to international investors, and religious desecration . Thaksin's government designed its policies to appeal to
4416-526: Was retiring again from politics. Thaksin and the PDP pulled out of the Banharn-government in August 1996. In a subsequent no-confidence debate, the PDP gave evidence against the Banharn government, and in September 1996 Banharn dissolved Parliament. Thaksin announced he would not run in the subsequent November 1996 elections but would remain as leader of the PDP. It suffered a fatal defeat in
4485-554: Was revoked in September 2015. Thaksin and his wife began several businesses while he was still in the police, including a silk shop, a cinema, and an apartment building. All were failures which left him over 50 million baht in debt, (£1 million). In 1982, he established ICSI. Using his police contacts, he leased computers to government agencies with modest success. However, later ventures in security systems (SOS) and public bus radio services (Bus Sound) all failed. In April 1986, he founded Advanced Info Service (AIS), which started as
4554-546: Was set up in 1966 by taking areas that were part of Dusit and Bang Kapi Districts. It was named after Phaya Thai palace , which was built in 1909 at King Rama V 's behest. Since then, many changes to the district have been made. In 1973, the Huai Khwang district was separated from Phaya Thai. Later in 1978, as an effort to balance the population among districts, the boundaries between Phaya Thai, Huai Khwang, and Bang Kapi Districts were modified. A new Ratchathewi district
4623-402: Was the first democratically elected prime minister of Thailand to serve a full term and was re-elected in 2005 by an overwhelming majority. Thaksin declared a "war on drugs" in which more than 2,500 people were killed. Thaksin's government launched programs to reduce poverty, expand infrastructure, promote small and medium-sized enterprises, and extend universal healthcare coverage. Thaksin took
4692-496: Was the first prime minister of Thailand to complete a full term in office, and his rule is generally agreed to have been one of the most distinctive in the country's modern history. He initiated many eye-catching policies that distinguished him from his predecessors. They affected the economy, public health, education, energy, social order, drug suppression and international relations. He gained one re-election victory. Thaksin's most effective policies were reducing rural poverty and
4761-690: Was then admitted to the Thai Police Cadet Academy. Graduating in 1973, he joined the Royal Thai Police . He received a master's degree in criminal justice from Eastern Kentucky University in the United States in 1975, and three years later was awarded a doctorate in criminal justice at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas . Returning to Thailand, he reached the position of Deputy Superintendent of
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