Prime Minister Profiteer

In his latest speech at Lumpini Park, Sondhi Limthongkul has accused Thanong Bidaya, finance minister in the Chavalit government of 1997, of being the one who tipped off Thaksin to the impending devaluation of the baht. This inside knowledge allowed Shin Corp to not only avoid the fate of so many other Thai companies that failed in the devaluation aftermath, but to greatly profit from it. Thanong is the prime suspect as the one who tipped Thaksin off to this because he was a former senior financial officer at Shin Corp, and was chosen by Chavalit as finance minister on Thaksin's recommendation. Sondhi has asked Thanong to explain to the public what happened in 1997 because they have suffered and deserve to know.

The fact that Thaksin was one of the major financial beneficiaries of the 1997 baht devaluation has been an open secret for some years now, but it has taken Sondhi to resurrect it and make sure the public does not forget.

Sondhi also accused Deputy Tranport Miister Phumtham Wechayachai of using his position to allocate 70% of the shares to the Thai Maritime Navigation Company to his friends and cronies and of forcing the PTT to allocate their shipping to the company.

Sondhi called on Thaksin to resign and led the 20,000 strng crowd in a chant of "out , out, out!"