Pavin Chachavalpongpun on Thaksin's foreign policy
By Jon Fernquest
Thaksin's
foreign
policy might
be described with one word: megalomania. Now there is one book that tells the whole complicated story of Thaksin's ambitious foreign policy.
Last week Dr. Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a former diplomat and a fellow at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies launched his new book on Thaksin's foreign policy entitled: Reinventing Thailand: Thaksin and His Foreign Policy (Read about the book , Dr. Pavin's ISEAS webpage, and a list of his other publications).
Today's article begins after the vocabulary.
(Photo on right of a Thaksin mask on a bunch of bananas at a red shirt meeting).
foreign policy - a
country's policy dealing with foreign countries
to: 1. safeguard national interests and,
2. achieve goals in international relations (See Wikipedia)
megalomania - when a person enjoys power and wishes to become much more powerful in the future (See Wikipedia)
ambitious - high risk for high reward (difficult and needing lots of effort to succeed but could make the person rich, famous and successful)
diplomat - an government official who represents their country in another foreign country
fellow - a member of an educational institute or a professional society (example: group of engineers who work in the same area)
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) - a research institute in Singapore with a community of scholars researching "issues of stability and security, economic development, and political, social and cultural change." (See website)
megalomania - when a person enjoys power and wishes to become much more powerful in the future (See Wikipedia)
ambitious - high risk for high reward (difficult and needing lots of effort to succeed but could make the person rich, famous and successful)
diplomat - an government official who represents their country in another foreign country
fellow - a member of an educational institute or a professional society (example: group of engineers who work in the same area)
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) - a research institute in Singapore with a community of scholars researching "issues of stability and security, economic development, and political, social and cultural change." (See website)
Opinion
THAILAND
Consequences of Thaksin's botched foreign policy
8/06/2010Pavin Chachavalpongpun
A British scholar recently said: "Following the September 19, 2006 military coup, Thaksin found himself charged with corruption-related offences, and was sentenced to a jail term in 2008. Yet by the time the verdict was announced, Thaksin had already fled Thailand and become a professional fugitive, flitting between London, Hong Kong, Dubai and other locations, rapidly wearing out his welcome.
Going bananas about Thaksin: The man’s popularity with the red shirts and people of Isan stemmed from his populist policies.
consequences - the
result of some event or decision, what happens afterwards
botch - doing some task very carelessly and badly so that it fails or is a mess
policy - a plan of action to guide decisions and achieveoutcomes นโยบาย (See Wikipedia)
corruption - (See Wikipedia on bribery, corporate corruption, and political corruption)
jail term - the period of time that someone spends in jail because of a crime they committed
fugitive - someone who has done something illegal and is trying to avoid being caught by the police ผู้หลบหนี
popularity - when many people like someone or something
X stemmed from Y - X came from Y, X was caused by Y
populist - a politician who claims to care about the interests and opinion of ordinary people
botch - doing some task very carelessly and badly so that it fails or is a mess
policy - a plan of action to guide decisions and achieveoutcomes นโยบาย (See Wikipedia)
corruption - (See Wikipedia on bribery, corporate corruption, and political corruption)
jail term - the period of time that someone spends in jail because of a crime they committed
fugitive - someone who has done something illegal and is trying to avoid being caught by the police ผู้หลบหนี
popularity - when many people like someone or something
X stemmed from Y - X came from Y, X was caused by Y
populist - a politician who claims to care about the interests and opinion of ordinary people
''This was an ironic fate for the most internationally oriented of Thailand's prime ministers; the man who had made so many foreign policy initiatives had nowhere left to go.''
Today, the true control of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin's fate seems to remain firmly in the hands of his opponents - the Bangkok elite.
ironic
- interesting because it is the opposite of what you would expect
ประทดชดประชัน
fate - the things that happen or will happen to someone ชะตากรรม
X oriented Y - Y concerned themselves with X or Y was directed towards X (examples: money oriented activities, party oriented lifestyle)
internationally oriented - concerned with international matters and affairs, directed activities towards this
initiative - important action taken by government to solve a problem
fugitive - someone who broke the law and is avoiding capture by the police
elite - the richest, most powerful, best educated or most highly trained group in a society ยอดเยี่ยมที่สุด
fate - the things that happen or will happen to someone ชะตากรรม
X oriented Y - Y concerned themselves with X or Y was directed towards X (examples: money oriented activities, party oriented lifestyle)
internationally oriented - concerned with international matters and affairs, directed activities towards this
initiative - important action taken by government to solve a problem
fugitive - someone who broke the law and is avoiding capture by the police
elite - the richest, most powerful, best educated or most highly trained group in a society ยอดเยี่ยมที่สุด
I recently suggested that Thaksin's life was a Hollywood favourite plot: a populist prime minister falls from grace, gets overthrown in a military coup, goes on the run from Thai law as a fugitive, and is now charged over his alleged role as the chief operator of a terrorist network.
As dramatic as it sounds, this is not fiction - it's Thaksin's real life. Despite what the British scholar said about Thaksin and his ''internationally oriented initiatives'', foreign policy is an understudied area in the Thai academic world.
favourite
- a person who is expected to win a competition, such as an election
plot - the series of events in a story
populist - claiming to represent the interests of ordinary or poor people
falls from grace, fall from favour - to lose the respect and support of other people, to lose your position
alleged - claimed to be true although not yet proven ที่ถูกกล่าวหา
role - the position or purpose that someone or something has in a situation, organisation, society or relationship บทบาท
terrorist - someone who uses violence and fear in order to achieve something ผู้ก่อการร้าย โจรผู้ร้าย
network - a large system of connected parts, organisations, people, etc. เครือข่าย
dramatic - exciting and impressive
academic - someone who teaches at a college, or who studies as part of their job นักวิชาการ
plot - the series of events in a story
populist - claiming to represent the interests of ordinary or poor people
falls from grace, fall from favour - to lose the respect and support of other people, to lose your position
alleged - claimed to be true although not yet proven ที่ถูกกล่าวหา
role - the position or purpose that someone or something has in a situation, organisation, society or relationship บทบาท
terrorist - someone who uses violence and fear in order to achieve something ผู้ก่อการร้าย โจรผู้ร้าย
network - a large system of connected parts, organisations, people, etc. เครือข่าย
dramatic - exciting and impressive
academic - someone who teaches at a college, or who studies as part of their job นักวิชาการ
From 2001-2006, prime minister Thaksin implemented a myriad grandiose foreign policy ideas. This aspect of his past political life should be studied seriously.
It is no exaggeration to state that in his heyday, Thaksin acted as if he ruled the world. Thailand a la Thaksin overpowered its seemingly weaker neighbours. He colonised the Foreign Ministry, while employing foreign policy to boost his domestic populist platform.
implemented
- when a plan is put into action, actually doing the things in a plan
myriad - very many
grandiose - very big and elaborate (more than is necessary)
aspect - one part of a situation, problem, subject, etc ด้าน,มุม
exaggeration - making something seem more than it is (better, worse, larger, more important, etc...)
state - say
heyday - the period of time when a person was most popular and successful
Thailand a la Thaksin - Thailand in the manner or style of Thaksin
colonised - took over and controlled
boost - to increase; to strengthen เพิ่ม; ทำให้มีกำลังมากขึ้น
domestic - relating to a person's own country ภายในประเทศ
platform - the policies and goals of a political party, used to get more votes in an election
myriad - very many
grandiose - very big and elaborate (more than is necessary)
aspect - one part of a situation, problem, subject, etc ด้าน,มุม
exaggeration - making something seem more than it is (better, worse, larger, more important, etc...)
state - say
heyday - the period of time when a person was most popular and successful
Thailand a la Thaksin - Thailand in the manner or style of Thaksin
colonised - took over and controlled
boost - to increase; to strengthen เพิ่ม; ทำให้มีกำลังมากขึ้น
domestic - relating to a person's own country ภายในประเทศ
platform - the policies and goals of a political party, used to get more votes in an election
Then, Thaksin was tipped to become the next regional leader at the time when other charismatic chieftains had left the scene, including Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew, Indonesia's Suharto and Malaysia's Mahathir Mohamad. In the process, Thaksin was eager to insult the United Nations, antagonise the West and belittle the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) - all of them mistakes Thaksin knows he should not have made
tipped to become - people
expected him to become...
charismatic - having a strong personal quality that makes other people like them and be attracted to them ที่มีเสน่ห์ดึงดูด, ผู้มีอำนาจ ผู้ที่ได้รับการเคารพยกย่อง
chieftain - the head of some group of people
process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
eager - wanting to do or get something very much or enthusiastic about something that will happen กระตือรือร้น
charismatic - having a strong personal quality that makes other people like them and be attracted to them ที่มีเสน่ห์ดึงดูด, ผู้มีอำนาจ ผู้ที่ได้รับการเคารพยกย่อง
chieftain - the head of some group of people
process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
eager - wanting to do or get something very much or enthusiastic about something that will happen กระตือรือร้น
Thaksin blasted that ''The UN is not my father,'' when the international organisation raised questions over his brutal war on drugs in 2003 that led to more than 2,500 Thais being slaughtered. Thaksin went on to accuse the United States of being a ''useless friend'' and initially refused to support its war on terrorism in the aftermath of the 9/11 incident. Thaksin also threatened to walk out of the Asean summit in Vientiane in 2004, if leaders questioned the southern unrest which intensely concerned the Muslim-majority Asean members, namely Malaysia and Indonesia
blasted
- criticised severely โดนว่า
international - between countries ระหว่างประเทศ
raised questions - posed questions, ask questions that you know there is probably no answer to now, but people may find answer to
brutal - extremely violent and unpleasant โหดร้าย
war on drugs -
slaughtered - killed (implying: "killed like animals")
initially - at first, at the beginning ในเบื้องต้น
support - help สนับสนุน
terrorism - the use of violence to achieve political aims การใช้ความรุนแรงเพื่อข้อเรียกร้องทางการเมือง
aftermath - what happens after some very bad event
incident - an unpleasant event
9/11 incident -
threatened - telling someone that if they don't do it, they will be punished
walk out - leave a place as a protest, because you are angry or do not agree with something
unrest - a condition of political disorder (protests, riots, insurgency, fighting)
summit - a meeting or series of meetings between leaders of two or more countries การประชุมสุดยอดของผู้นำประเทศ
intensely concerned
concerned - worried about something มีความกังวล
majority - more than half of the people in a group เสียงส่วนมาก, คนส่วนใหญ่
international - between countries ระหว่างประเทศ
raised questions - posed questions, ask questions that you know there is probably no answer to now, but people may find answer to
brutal - extremely violent and unpleasant โหดร้าย
war on drugs -
slaughtered - killed (implying: "killed like animals")
initially - at first, at the beginning ในเบื้องต้น
support - help สนับสนุน
terrorism - the use of violence to achieve political aims การใช้ความรุนแรงเพื่อข้อเรียกร้องทางการเมือง
aftermath - what happens after some very bad event
incident - an unpleasant event
9/11 incident -
threatened - telling someone that if they don't do it, they will be punished
walk out - leave a place as a protest, because you are angry or do not agree with something
unrest - a condition of political disorder (protests, riots, insurgency, fighting)
summit - a meeting or series of meetings between leaders of two or more countries การประชุมสุดยอดของผู้นำประเทศ
intensely concerned
concerned - worried about something มีความกังวล
majority - more than half of the people in a group เสียงส่วนมาก, คนส่วนใหญ่
Looking at his notorious diplomatic record, one fails to understand why Thaksin still has the audacity to request the international community to protect his integrity. In his recent statement, Thaksin accused the Abhisit government of ''flagrantly breaching its obligations as a member of the international community and the United Nations Human Rights Council.'' He is now attempting to bring the government to court for alleged human rights violations.
notorious
- famous in a bad sort of way ซึ่งมีชื่อเสียงในทางที่ไม่ดี
diplomatic - relating to relations between countries เกี่ยวกับการทูต
diplomatic record -
audacity - brave enough to do something, even if other people don't like it
international community - foreigners people outside the country (this includes international media, diplomats, public opinion, etc)
community - local people, all the people who live in a local area or place ชุมชน
integrity - being and complete without any damage
protect integrity - protect from harm and damage
flagrant - act in a way that shows you don't care if you break rules or offend and insult people
breach - break a rule, law or agreement
obligations - things you must do; duties; your duties and responsibilities หน้าที่ที่พึงกระทำ, ข้อบังคับ
flagrantly breaching obligations - don't do your duty and show everyone proudly that you are not doing it
bring to court -
alleged human rights violations - people claim that he violated human rights but it hasn't been proven
rights - what the law allows you to have and do สิทธิ์ (See Wikipedia)
human rights -
diplomatic - relating to relations between countries เกี่ยวกับการทูต
diplomatic record -
audacity - brave enough to do something, even if other people don't like it
international community - foreigners people outside the country (this includes international media, diplomats, public opinion, etc)
community - local people, all the people who live in a local area or place ชุมชน
integrity - being and complete without any damage
protect integrity - protect from harm and damage
flagrant - act in a way that shows you don't care if you break rules or offend and insult people
breach - break a rule, law or agreement
obligations - things you must do; duties; your duties and responsibilities หน้าที่ที่พึงกระทำ, ข้อบังคับ
flagrantly breaching obligations - don't do your duty and show everyone proudly that you are not doing it
bring to court -
alleged human rights violations - people claim that he violated human rights but it hasn't been proven
rights - what the law allows you to have and do สิทธิ์ (See Wikipedia)
human rights -
The purpose of this article is not to defend the Abhisit government. After all, it needs to urgently justify the massive death toll of 89 people killed in a series of clashes between the security forces and the red-shirted protesters. Legitimately or otherwise, the government's dispersal attempts of demonstrators led to one of the most gruesome bloodlettings in Thailand's modern history. Like it or not, Mr Abhisit has already gone down in that disreputable historical record, just like Thaksin who ordered the extra-judicial killings of drug suspects.
defend
- to say things to support someone or something ปกป้อง
urgently - needing to be dealt with immediately อย่างเร่งด่วน
justify - to show that there is good reason for something แสดงเหตุผลที่ดีพอ
massive - very large มหาศาล, ใหญ่โต
toll - the number of people killed or injured in an accident, battle, attack, etc.
series -
clashes -
security - the activity of making safe or protecting from harm
security forces -
demonstrators - people who march with other people in public to show that they support or oppose something ผู้ชุมนุมประท้วง
gruesome - involving or describing death or injury in a very unpleasant way น่ากลัว น่ารังเกียจ
bloodlettings
disreputable
extra-judicial killings
suspects - people who may have committed the crime, identified by the police ผู้ต้องสงสัย
urgently - needing to be dealt with immediately อย่างเร่งด่วน
justify - to show that there is good reason for something แสดงเหตุผลที่ดีพอ
massive - very large มหาศาล, ใหญ่โต
toll - the number of people killed or injured in an accident, battle, attack, etc.
series -
clashes -
security - the activity of making safe or protecting from harm
security forces -
demonstrators - people who march with other people in public to show that they support or oppose something ผู้ชุมนุมประท้วง
gruesome - involving or describing death or injury in a very unpleasant way น่ากลัว น่ารังเกียจ
bloodlettings
disreputable
extra-judicial killings
suspects - people who may have committed the crime, identified by the police ผู้ต้องสงสัย
But the crucial point is that Thaksin, despite being a proud creator of copious foreign policy initiatives, did not really invest in strengthening good governance as part of his diplomacy. This explains why his foreign policy was unsustainable, plastic and at times highly autocratic. The CEO Ambassador programme was just another ambition to build a mini-Thaksinland in all Thai diplomatic missions abroad where a top-down style of governance was a preferred mode of operation. More importantly, Thaksin's foreign policy was partly executed to enrich his family businesses. In 2004, Thaksin approved a soft-loans package for Burma to upgrade its telecom infrastructure. At Thaksin's intervention, the Export-Import Bank of Thailand was ordered to increase its credit line to Burma from Bt3 to 4 billion. The loans were extended to finance the deal with Shin Satellite, which was then under the control of Thaksin's family. The Supreme Court, in its Feb 26, 2010 assets seizure ruling, found that a conflict of interest had existed.
crucial
- most important สำคัญยิ่ง
the crucial point - the most important fact or aspect of Y
copious Y - lots of Y
governance - the way that a country, political unit, or company is managed and run
diplomacy - the management of relations between governments
unsustainable - cannot continue for a long time into the future
mini - small
diplomatic missions - groups of people representing the Thai government in foreign countries
top-down style of governance - when managers at the top are in control of everything (do not allow much freedom of action to lower level managers)
preferred - people like it more than others ซึ่งชอบมากกว่า
modes of operation - ways that an organisation is managed, ran or operated
soft-loans package - a set of loans with low interest rates and/or easy repayment conditions
enrich his family businesses - make money for his family business
upgrade - improve; make new, modern, and up-to-date
telecom - telecommunications, dealing with telephones การโทรคมนาคม หมายถึง การสื่อสารทางไกลโดยใช้โทรศัพท์ เคเบิล โทรทัศน์ วิทยุและโทรเลข
infrastructure - the high-cost facilities that everyone in the economy shares (telephone, water, roads, electricity, trains) สาธารณูปโภค
intervention - a situation in which someone becomes involved in a particular issue, problem, etc., in order to influence what happens การแทรกแซง
credit - loans
credit line - position; a way of dealing with or thinking about something or someone
finance - to provide money for something จัดหาเงินทุนให้
assets - things owned, especially property and money, a thing of value with an owner ทรัพย์สิน, สินทรัพย์ (See Economist glossary)
seizure - the act of taking control of something, especially by using power or force การบุกเข้ายึด
ruling - a decision by a court of law คำตัดสิน คำชี้ขาด
conflict of interest - when personal gain conflicts with decisions that you must make for the benefit of the public (See Wikipedia and glossary)
the crucial point - the most important fact or aspect of Y
copious Y - lots of Y
governance - the way that a country, political unit, or company is managed and run
diplomacy - the management of relations between governments
unsustainable - cannot continue for a long time into the future
mini - small
diplomatic missions - groups of people representing the Thai government in foreign countries
top-down style of governance - when managers at the top are in control of everything (do not allow much freedom of action to lower level managers)
preferred - people like it more than others ซึ่งชอบมากกว่า
modes of operation - ways that an organisation is managed, ran or operated
soft-loans package - a set of loans with low interest rates and/or easy repayment conditions
enrich his family businesses - make money for his family business
upgrade - improve; make new, modern, and up-to-date
telecom - telecommunications, dealing with telephones การโทรคมนาคม หมายถึง การสื่อสารทางไกลโดยใช้โทรศัพท์ เคเบิล โทรทัศน์ วิทยุและโทรเลข
infrastructure - the high-cost facilities that everyone in the economy shares (telephone, water, roads, electricity, trains) สาธารณูปโภค
intervention - a situation in which someone becomes involved in a particular issue, problem, etc., in order to influence what happens การแทรกแซง
credit - loans
credit line - position; a way of dealing with or thinking about something or someone
finance - to provide money for something จัดหาเงินทุนให้
assets - things owned, especially property and money, a thing of value with an owner ทรัพย์สิน, สินทรัพย์ (See Economist glossary)
seizure - the act of taking control of something, especially by using power or force การบุกเข้ายึด
ruling - a decision by a court of law คำตัดสิน คำชี้ขาด
conflict of interest - when personal gain conflicts with decisions that you must make for the benefit of the public (See Wikipedia and glossary)
Thaksin's botched foreign policy is returning to haunt him today. His latest reincarnation as an alleged international terrorist will further shrink his already limited global sanctuaries. Thailand's traditional allies in the West have long disapproved of his kind of diplomacy. They are working closely with theEstablishment forces not only to de-legitimise Thaksin's past but also frown on his present political moves.
haunt
- (of a ghost) to appear in a place repeatedly หลอกหลอน
haunt - to cause repeated trouble, suffering or anxiety ทำให้กังวล, รบกวน
returning to haunt him - when something you did in the past causes you problems later on
reincarnation - rebirth; the same thing but in a new form การเกิดใหม่ การฟื้นคืนชีพ
shrink - to become smaller, or to make something smaller หดตัว, เล็กลง
sanctuaries - places where people go to be protected and safe
global - throughout the world ทั่วโลก
traditional - have been part of a country or society for a long time
allies - countries which work together and help each other ประเทศพันธมิตร
disapprove - not not approve, do not like
the establishment -
legitimise - to make something legal or acceptable
de-legitimise - change something acceptable or legal so that it is now unacceptable or illegal
frown on - don't like
haunt - to cause repeated trouble, suffering or anxiety ทำให้กังวล, รบกวน
returning to haunt him - when something you did in the past causes you problems later on
reincarnation - rebirth; the same thing but in a new form การเกิดใหม่ การฟื้นคืนชีพ
shrink - to become smaller, or to make something smaller หดตัว, เล็กลง
sanctuaries - places where people go to be protected and safe
global - throughout the world ทั่วโลก
traditional - have been part of a country or society for a long time
allies - countries which work together and help each other ประเทศพันธมิตร
disapprove - not not approve, do not like
the establishment -
legitimise - to make something legal or acceptable
de-legitimise - change something acceptable or legal so that it is now unacceptable or illegal
frown on - don't like
The US did not harshly reproach the military coup that ousted Thaksin in 2006. Although all military aid given to the Thai army was suspended, the annual Cobra Gold military exercise between the US and Thailand continued. The British government revoked his visa. China quietly told Thaksin to leave the country so as not to upset the Bangkok elites. Recently, France made sure that his public lecture was cancelled due to Thailand's tense situation.
ousted
- forced out of a position of power ขับออกจากอำนาจ
aid - help; assistance ความช่วยเหลือ
aid - help or assistance given to someone เงินช่วยเหลือ
military aid - when one country helps the army, navy or air force of another country
army - a large group of people กลุ่มคน, ฝูงชน
suspended - stopped for a period of time
annual - happening once a year ประจำปี
military exercise - training for war and military operations by using large numbers of actual soldiers and equipment (See Wikipedia)
Cobra Gold military exercise - military exercises that involve the US, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, "the latest in 2009 involving 12,000 soldiers from Thailand, the U.S., Japan, Singapore and Indonesia, characterised as the largest such exercise in south-east Asia" (See 2009 photo gallery)
revoke visa - take away visa
upset - make people very worried, angry or sad about something ทำให้หงุดหงิด
tense - making you feel nervous or worried ทำให้เครียด
public lecture
tense situation -
aid - help; assistance ความช่วยเหลือ
aid - help or assistance given to someone เงินช่วยเหลือ
military aid - when one country helps the army, navy or air force of another country
army - a large group of people กลุ่มคน, ฝูงชน
suspended - stopped for a period of time
annual - happening once a year ประจำปี
military exercise - training for war and military operations by using large numbers of actual soldiers and equipment (See Wikipedia)
Cobra Gold military exercise - military exercises that involve the US, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, "the latest in 2009 involving 12,000 soldiers from Thailand, the U.S., Japan, Singapore and Indonesia, characterised as the largest such exercise in south-east Asia" (See 2009 photo gallery)
revoke visa - take away visa
upset - make people very worried, angry or sad about something ทำให้หงุดหงิด
tense - making you feel nervous or worried ทำให้เครียด
public lecture
tense situation -
Thaksin's glorious days in the diplomatic world has so far failed to convince world leaders of how he was once a great CEO who put Thailand at the forefront of international politics. From the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD), the Ayeyawaddy-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), the numerous free trade agreements Thailand signed with its trading partners, to the nomination of Surakiart Sathirathai, his Foreign Minister and later Deputy Prime Minister, for the position of the United Nations Secretary General, Thaksin's foreign policy can be viewed as not only self-serving but also hegemonic, obsessively commercialised and reflexive of an array of gimmicks.
glorious
- deserving great admiration, praise and honor รุ่งเรือง
convince - saying things to make a person believe something
forefront - the leading or most important position (in some competitive activity such as politics or economics)
Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) - an international organization created in 2002 that included countries all over Asia from China to Saudi Arabia, it was created "to promote Asian cooperation at a continental level, helping to integrate the previously separate regional organizations of political or economical cooperation such as ASEAN, SAARC or the Gulf Cooperation Council" (See Wikipedia)
Ayeyawaddy-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) - organisation for economic cooperation between Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia founded in 2003, adopted the Bagan Declaration pledging to "cooperate in five priority areas of cooperation, and endorsed the Economic Cooperation Strategy Plan of Action, under which 46 common projects and 224 bilateral projects were listed for implementation over the next ten years" (See website and page at Thailand's Foreign Ministry)
numerous - many มากมาย
trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) - an agreement between a group of countries to eliminate many tariffs, quotas and preferences on goods passing between them (See Wikipedia)
tariff - tax on imports
partners - companies or people who work together on a project
trading partners - the other countries that your country trades a lot with (exports and imports)
nomination - an official suggestion that someone should get a job การเสนอชื่อเข้ารับตำแหน่ง, การเสนอชื่อ
self-serving - actionat that only you gain from, not helping other people
hegemony (noun) - political control or influence (of a powerful person over a less powerful person)
hegemonic (adjective) - used to control and get power
obsession (noun) - when a person thinks about one thing all the time (which seems strange and extreme to other people)
obsessive (adjective)
obsessively (adverb) - doing something one way all the time
obsessively commercialised - everything commercialized and turned into a business, all the time without exception
gimmick - something that is not useful but is rather used to impress and make people interested
array of gimmicks - a set of different kinds of gimmicks
reflexive of an array of gimmicks -
convince - saying things to make a person believe something
forefront - the leading or most important position (in some competitive activity such as politics or economics)
Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) - an international organization created in 2002 that included countries all over Asia from China to Saudi Arabia, it was created "to promote Asian cooperation at a continental level, helping to integrate the previously separate regional organizations of political or economical cooperation such as ASEAN, SAARC or the Gulf Cooperation Council" (See Wikipedia)
Ayeyawaddy-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) - organisation for economic cooperation between Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia founded in 2003, adopted the Bagan Declaration pledging to "cooperate in five priority areas of cooperation, and endorsed the Economic Cooperation Strategy Plan of Action, under which 46 common projects and 224 bilateral projects were listed for implementation over the next ten years" (See website and page at Thailand's Foreign Ministry)
numerous - many มากมาย
trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) - an agreement between a group of countries to eliminate many tariffs, quotas and preferences on goods passing between them (See Wikipedia)
tariff - tax on imports
partners - companies or people who work together on a project
trading partners - the other countries that your country trades a lot with (exports and imports)
nomination - an official suggestion that someone should get a job การเสนอชื่อเข้ารับตำแหน่ง, การเสนอชื่อ
self-serving - actionat that only you gain from, not helping other people
hegemony (noun) - political control or influence (of a powerful person over a less powerful person)
hegemonic (adjective) - used to control and get power
obsession (noun) - when a person thinks about one thing all the time (which seems strange and extreme to other people)
obsessive (adjective)
obsessively (adverb) - doing something one way all the time
obsessively commercialised - everything commercialized and turned into a business, all the time without exception
gimmick - something that is not useful but is rather used to impress and make people interested
array of gimmicks - a set of different kinds of gimmicks
reflexive of an array of gimmicks -
American academic Michael Montesano is right when he said: ''Thaksin's approach to international relations in an era of globalisation confused vision with gimmickry, ambition with crudeness, dynamism with greed, national with personal interests, international with domestic politics, dreams of leading international organisations with contempt for those organisations, and the timely democratisation of the Thai Foreign Ministry with its cancerous politicisation. ''Thailand and Southeast Asia continue to live with the consequences of Thaksin's botched foreign policy.''
Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a former diplomat, is a Fellow at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. This article is based on his book Reinventing Thailand: Thaksin and His Foreign Policy, to be launched at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand on Wednesday.
approach
- a way of doing or dealing with something การจัดการกับปัญหา
vision - the ability to imagine how a country, society, industry, etc. could develop in the future and to plan in a suitable way วิสัยทัศน์
confuse X with Y - think or act like X is Y when it isn't
crudeness - rude and offensive behaviour
greed - a strong wish to have more money, things or power than you need ความโลภ
national - a citizen of a particular country ประชาชน
interests - connections that you may benefit from, therefore affects your attitude to it and the way you deal with it
contempt - a strong feeling of disliking and having no respect for someone or something การดูถูก, ความรู้สึกรังเกียจอย่างมาก
timely - happening at the most suitable time ถูกกาละเทศะ
consequences - results of some actions or events
diplomat - an official whose job is to represent their government in a foreign country นักการทูต
launched - started เริ่มต้นดำเนินการ
Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand - (See website (http://www.fccthai.com/), Twitter (http://twitter.com/FCCThai))
vision - the ability to imagine how a country, society, industry, etc. could develop in the future and to plan in a suitable way วิสัยทัศน์
confuse X with Y - think or act like X is Y when it isn't
crudeness - rude and offensive behaviour
greed - a strong wish to have more money, things or power than you need ความโลภ
national - a citizen of a particular country ประชาชน
interests - connections that you may benefit from, therefore affects your attitude to it and the way you deal with it
contempt - a strong feeling of disliking and having no respect for someone or something การดูถูก, ความรู้สึกรังเกียจอย่างมาก
timely - happening at the most suitable time ถูกกาละเทศะ
consequences - results of some actions or events
diplomat - an official whose job is to represent their government in a foreign country นักการทูต
launched - started เริ่มต้นดำเนินการ
Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand - (See website (http://www.fccthai.com/), Twitter (http://twitter.com/FCCThai))
(Source: Consequences of Thaksin's botched foreign policy, 8/06/2010, Pavin Chachavalpongpun, link)
